GlocalNet

For the past few months, I’ve been being coached by Admiral Ed Allen. He’s given me one of those slice and dice personality tests and leadership profiles followed by lots of sound counsel. It has been very, very beneficial. His style in coaching is different from what I’m used to, and took some getting used to. BUT, once I began to understand, it’s been really, really good. One of the big things he’s pushed me on is “constantly narrowing.” That’s nothing new. That’s always been a challenge. He’s helped me understand at a deeper level because of all I’m involved in how that when I don’t narrow my focus I wind up with less results and energy drains. The more effective you are at what you do, the more you have to constantly narrow because with effectiveness comes more opportunity.  The question is, is it the right opportunity. When you engage something you don’t just look for immediate productivity--which has to be there--but also multiplication of what you are doing that leads to future productivity.

I look at the teaching style of Jesus and our learning style here in the West and all our talk of “redefining” church is still incredibly sick.  After all the books, conferences, etc. where is the light at the end of the tunnel? Could it be that much of our attempt to “heal” the church is actually making us sicker? Are all the conferences, etc.  a drain? Jesus was a peripatetic teacher. That means He walked around as He taught. He was busy doing ministry and the way you learned was to hang out with Him--not go to His seminar, or read His book, or visit His blog!

There are two important questions we are not asking today that we need to be asking.  Where’s the fruit? Does the fruit remain? Books and seminars should be reflections of what we are living out and fruit that is remaining--not theories, ideas, or future projections. This is the Jesus way of learning. You learn by digging in the dirt and thinking while you’re out in the hot sun, following Him in bringing reconciliation to the world--not sitting in a cozy room or coffee shop snuggled up with a good “change the church” book. Does the church need to change? Would I look better if I dropped 20 pounds? Duh! I think we need to use conferences, seminars, blogs, etc., but do so virtually as we engage physically in the world.

Sooooo - this year, instead of spending all that money going to a conference why not go and serve the poor and suffering somewhere in the name of Jesus? There are many opportunities. If you don’t know of any, come go with NorthWood on a trip to Puebla, Mexico, work in an inner-city, or travel with us to Hanoi, Vietnam. I’ll give you some of my favorite readings and guys I think are the best, and while you sweat you read and in the evenings we debrief and talk. You can read any of the books I have on my blog, but there are others.

Got an idea! What if we had a “change the world conference?” We go and work for one week on a huge garbage dump--miles of it--in Jakarta and we work with the people who live there, serve them, and in the evenings debrief? Oh, oh, oh--there are parts of Sudan we could go to and do the same.  What say ye? It won’t be entertaining, you will get sick, but you won’t die though you may feel like it.  We will not give in to your whining.  It would be an energy drain, but only physically - spiritually and for the people you serve it would be huge--any takers?