Our Christmas lights are up. In fact, we don't have enough lights up and I want to get some more. I believe we are one of two apartments where we live on campus who have our lights up. I just read someone on face-book post their dismay/disgust that Christmas decorations are in the stores by exclaiming she will look the other way until November 26th.
I'm highly amused by folks who get perturbed by Christmas decorations/music/well wishings if they come too soon before Christmas. I guess I can understand. It's only the incarnation of the Almighty Creator of the universe. It's not like God came down and through a virgin, vaginal delivery split time in half and changed all of history. Of course we should complain because people are thinking about this festive holiday too soon. This borders on separation of church and commerce. Where have our boundaries and sensibilities gone? I, for one, am highly offended.
Of course I'm not. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dokzE2lg0Q8
That's the problem with this world. It too little resembles myself. It's like the old play, "My Fair Lady". The tutor sings, "Why Can't Women be More Like Men". What a chauvinistic and machismo song. But it makes me want to sing, "Why Can't the World be More Like Me". Then everything would be more perfect. Not just perfect. But more.
Time for some mint mocha coffee. And a red sweater with green pants. And an elf meal.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Insightful Questions
Kevin DeYoung posted on his sight today some questions from chapter 5 of J. Oswald Sanders book, 'Spiritual Leadership'. This is a fantastic book, and I appreciate the questions each time I read them. I'm grateful because they are a tool one can use to sort of peak into ones life without doing so much self-analyzing they get caught in one's own navel.
Here they are:
1. Have you ever broken yourself of a bad habit? To lead others, one must be master of oneself.
2. Do you retain control of yourself when things go wrong? The leader who loses self-control in testing circumstances forfeits respect and loses influence. He must be calm in crisis and resilient in adversity and disappointment.
3. Do you think independently? While using to the full the thought of others, the leader cannot afford to let others do his thinking or make his decisions for him.
4. Can you handle criticism objectively and remain unmoved under it? Do you turn it to good account? The humble man can derive benefit from petty and even malicious criticism.
5. Do you possess the ability to secure discipline without having to resort to a show of authority? True leadership is an internal quality of the spirit and requires no external show of force.
6. Have you qualified for the beatitude pronounced on the peacemaker? It is much easier to keep the peace than to make peace where it has been shattered. An important function in leadership is conciliation—the ability to discover common ground between opposing viewpoints and then induce both parties to accept it.
7. Can you induce people to do happily some legitimate thing that they would not normally wish to do?
8. Can you accept opposition to your viewpoint or decision without considering it a personal affront and reacting accordingly? Leaders must expect opposition and should not be offended by it.
9. Do you find it easy to make and keep friends? Your circle of loyal friends is an index of the quality and extent of your leadership.
10. Are you unduly dependent on the praise or approval of others? Can you hold a steady course in the face of disapproval and even temporary loss of confidence?
11. Do your subordinates appear at ease in your presence? A leader should give an impression of sympathetic understanding and friendliness that will put others at ease.
12. Are you really interested in people? In people of all types and all races? Or do you entertain respect of persons? Is there hidden racial prejudice? An antisocial person is unlikely to make a good leader.
13. Do you possess tact? Can you anticipate the likely effect of a statement before you make it?
14. Do you nurse resentments, or do you readily forgive injuries done to you?
15. Are you reasonably optimistic? Pessimism is no asset to a leader.
16. Do you welcome responsibility?
17. Do other people’s failures annoy us or challenge us?
18. Do you direct people or develop people?
19. Do you criticize or encourage?
20. Do you shun the problem person or seek him out?
I look forward to taking some time this weekend and going through them again and processing in my journal the thoughts/convictions these questions prompt.
Here they are:
1. Have you ever broken yourself of a bad habit? To lead others, one must be master of oneself.
2. Do you retain control of yourself when things go wrong? The leader who loses self-control in testing circumstances forfeits respect and loses influence. He must be calm in crisis and resilient in adversity and disappointment.
3. Do you think independently? While using to the full the thought of others, the leader cannot afford to let others do his thinking or make his decisions for him.
4. Can you handle criticism objectively and remain unmoved under it? Do you turn it to good account? The humble man can derive benefit from petty and even malicious criticism.
5. Do you possess the ability to secure discipline without having to resort to a show of authority? True leadership is an internal quality of the spirit and requires no external show of force.
6. Have you qualified for the beatitude pronounced on the peacemaker? It is much easier to keep the peace than to make peace where it has been shattered. An important function in leadership is conciliation—the ability to discover common ground between opposing viewpoints and then induce both parties to accept it.
7. Can you induce people to do happily some legitimate thing that they would not normally wish to do?
8. Can you accept opposition to your viewpoint or decision without considering it a personal affront and reacting accordingly? Leaders must expect opposition and should not be offended by it.
9. Do you find it easy to make and keep friends? Your circle of loyal friends is an index of the quality and extent of your leadership.
10. Are you unduly dependent on the praise or approval of others? Can you hold a steady course in the face of disapproval and even temporary loss of confidence?
11. Do your subordinates appear at ease in your presence? A leader should give an impression of sympathetic understanding and friendliness that will put others at ease.
12. Are you really interested in people? In people of all types and all races? Or do you entertain respect of persons? Is there hidden racial prejudice? An antisocial person is unlikely to make a good leader.
13. Do you possess tact? Can you anticipate the likely effect of a statement before you make it?
14. Do you nurse resentments, or do you readily forgive injuries done to you?
15. Are you reasonably optimistic? Pessimism is no asset to a leader.
16. Do you welcome responsibility?
17. Do other people’s failures annoy us or challenge us?
18. Do you direct people or develop people?
19. Do you criticize or encourage?
20. Do you shun the problem person or seek him out?
I look forward to taking some time this weekend and going through them again and processing in my journal the thoughts/convictions these questions prompt.
Strivings & Stress
Almost a year and a half since my last post. Apparently this blog thing is high on my priority list. In fact, it's so high I had forgotten completely about it; part of the reason is I had tried a different blog server and just plumb spaced this one out. Someone mentioned word press and how easy and great and perfect and yada yada it was. So I gave it a try, set up a page, never posted, and then moved on with life.
I think now my blog may be a place for me to process through what I'm learning. Update for yourself so when you look back in another year and a half you'll know what happened and is happening in your life. I moved from Laramie to Littleton. First year at Denver Seminary studying in the MDiv program. Not sure what I want to be when I grow up so this is a great opportunity to sit under some amazing teaching, read some incredible books, think through some hearty (in every sense of the word 'heart'y), be stretched in spirit, soul and body, grow closer to Chris by learning how to be close to her, etc etc.
I have a church that is praying through offering me a position as their pastor, I have a church that is considering me as their youth pastor, there is a church I like and want to attend where the Sr. Pastor is considering being my mentor through the MDiv program. God is growing me. So far it has hurt immensely and forced me through some knot holes of forgiveness and humbling. The Word of God is taking on several new hues as I learn historical & cultural context. It is also great to understand the Word in it's literary flow and how this shows It's relevance to my life in a grand new way. It liberates me from fundamentalist dogmatism that would interpret the Word in a sloppy way to put a religious yoke on the adherent in order for the congregation to sense one is 'in' in the right, doctrinal way. How great that Jesus through His Word liberates through knowledge and understanding. Knowledge has liberated me from bad doctrine caused by lazy exegesis. And this has only been 9 weeks in the process; praise God I have a whole program ahead of me.
Hopefully this becomes a place for me to think through some things as I write. I won't enjoy it as much if it is another year and a half before I write again. We'll see.
I think now my blog may be a place for me to process through what I'm learning. Update for yourself so when you look back in another year and a half you'll know what happened and is happening in your life. I moved from Laramie to Littleton. First year at Denver Seminary studying in the MDiv program. Not sure what I want to be when I grow up so this is a great opportunity to sit under some amazing teaching, read some incredible books, think through some hearty (in every sense of the word 'heart'y), be stretched in spirit, soul and body, grow closer to Chris by learning how to be close to her, etc etc.
I have a church that is praying through offering me a position as their pastor, I have a church that is considering me as their youth pastor, there is a church I like and want to attend where the Sr. Pastor is considering being my mentor through the MDiv program. God is growing me. So far it has hurt immensely and forced me through some knot holes of forgiveness and humbling. The Word of God is taking on several new hues as I learn historical & cultural context. It is also great to understand the Word in it's literary flow and how this shows It's relevance to my life in a grand new way. It liberates me from fundamentalist dogmatism that would interpret the Word in a sloppy way to put a religious yoke on the adherent in order for the congregation to sense one is 'in' in the right, doctrinal way. How great that Jesus through His Word liberates through knowledge and understanding. Knowledge has liberated me from bad doctrine caused by lazy exegesis. And this has only been 9 weeks in the process; praise God I have a whole program ahead of me.
Hopefully this becomes a place for me to think through some things as I write. I won't enjoy it as much if it is another year and a half before I write again. We'll see.
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