In honor of a good man

Ok Ok ... this is a little out of the ordinary but once in a while I think its good to have a little fun and remind ourselves as men that we are valuable to our women. Yes they [women] are perfect in every way and we are not, but we do have value. So for those of you who are men reading, this is to boost your confidence in your manliness... and for those of you who are women... remember these the next time you are a little flustered with your man's 'quirks'

Yes, I am the first to admit and probably lead the way, we have our faults: Forgetting anniversaries, forgetting to put the seat down, and a whole bunch of other important things I’m forgetting. But before you go wishing for a world without any of us big dumb apes, take a minute to reflect on all the joy we bring to your world. Like duct tape, men have all kinds of helpful uses, like…

1. We do gross things you don’t want to do
Got a bug that needs squishing? A clogged drain that needs snaking? In this day and age of women doing it for themselves, every once in a while, it’s nice to sit back and let a guy feel like a “real man” and do your dirty work for you. Whether we’re sweating our butt off hefting those ten boxes of Xmas decorations out of the basement or carrying heavy bags of garbage to the curb, men are not above getting grimy for your affection.

2. Our constant desire to have sex with you has got to be good for your ego
Maybe our attempts to have quickies before you run out the door for work aren’t exactly romantic, but what can we say, you drive us wild! What could be a better boost for your self-image than a guy who wants to spend as much time as humanly possible in the presence of your nakedness?

3. We’ll never tell you that you look fat in those jeans
No matter how many times you ask or what size they are, the answer will always be unilaterally, unequivocally NO.

4. We’re easy to please
Fancy dinners? Pricey presents? Save your dough. To bring a big smile to your fella’s face, follow this simple equation: Pizza + PS3 = happy man.

5. We keep you up to date on all the latest gadgets

You don’t want a TV set bigger than your dining-room table? Fine, but we’ll let you know when your computer is hopelessly outdated and which new cell phone doubles as an MP3, takes pictures, and reminds you to call your mom on her birthday all at the same time. It’s like having your own personal electronics consultant—for free!

6. You can squeeze our arms as hard as you like during the scary parts of movies
And aside from making great stress squeeze balls at the theatre, we’re also good for a nudge in the middle of the night when you think you hear some gigantic mouse sneaking around downstairs or someone to run down three stories [in their underwear]to make sure the door was locked [even after you checked three times before going ot bed].

7. We make you laugh your butt off
Sometimes, being an overgrown three-year-old has its benefits, like all the weird faces we can make in the mirror when we are plucking those pesky nose hairs.

8. Whenever you’re upset about work, our response is always, “Your boss is an idiot.”
Guys see things in black and white. We’re not all about understanding the subtleties and layers of an argument. If you’re having problems at your job, we won’t play psychoanalyst and try to get to the root of the problem. We won’t try to figure out if you are doing anything to make the situation worse: If your boss is ticking you off, your boss is obviously a jerk and doesn’t deserve to have you onboard. We know that your are an amazing person and there is no reason in the world that anyone in the world should be giving you a hard time.

9. We nearly always make the first move
Asking someone out, leaning in for that first kiss—all instances that can result in ego-destroying rejection. But even the meekest of men are willing to take the risk when a beauty like you steps into our lives. So sit back and enjoy watching us tremble.

There must be at least 5 more ... Please comment with yours.

excerpts taken from other articles.

Leadership

Sorry I have not posted in a while. Been travelling, friends weddings, holidays, camping etc.



I want to put a thought out there for you to consider:


A true leader has no need to lead [although may do so] a true leaders need is to point the way.

Thoughts?

Kingdom Words Part 2

A Kingdom Language is a universal language that all humankind can understand at an elemental level but not necessairly articulate. It transcends culture and does not create sub-cultures.

Well if you haven't read in a few weeks you might want to check this post out first in order to understand what is happening.

Thx to all for your meaningful contributions to understanding 'meaning' As well as putting some understanding to the fact that There is 'AN ORDER' to things, BUT not an ORDER that man can always fully understand.

So here are three more words. What do they mean to you... are they words that engage you and invoke life thoughts or do they stir up uneasy feelings, or disinterest.

Freedom

Forgiveness

Truth

Look forward to your thoughts

Kingdom Words Part 1

I have been on a journey of discovery and proceesing the language we use to describe the kingdom. Sometimes we utilize words that are loaded that eliminate people from the dialogue. For example the word 'holy' disengages many people from talking about God. So I want to over the next while throw out some words and get you to put your definition to it. These words are either life giving or disengaging. Please tell me which it is for you and what it means... to you... or give a quote that best decribes the word for you...
These words in their positive are often universal
1st Word

Meaning

tell me your thoughts

Unique User Experiences

Some of the most effective Marketing done in the world is all about creating a user experience where the user feels that it is all about them.

Where do we go wrong with this?

"Until talking about the users/customers/members/clients becomes the most important thing, we're going nowhere good. And no matter how many companies pay it lip service, the meetings tell the real story. It's staggering how many meetings I've been to where nobody is advocating for the users. Nobody. Yet everybody is advocating for ways to do what "upper management" wants or ways to save money or ways to... you know, many of you probably work in the companies I'm thinking of." Kathy Sierra

Seth Godin puts it this way... "if the user thinks its broken ..then it is!!!"

I seem to hear this cry from so many in many leadership or industry conversations that 'people are so selfish and we need to break that' Maybe instead of fighting it we need to learn how to work with that. Maybe there is something broken ... and maybe if we focused more on creating a great user experience we would actually be able to engage people rather than bore them to death.

Ever played buzz word bingo... Here is a 'User experience' bingo card ... which one reflects your organization or thinking? [adjust wording to fit your cultures terminology[church or corporate]

Listen in your meetings ...what is being said? ...this might be a good exercise to see where your organization will be in the future [your talk will be markers to where you are headed].

Seriously bring this to your next gatherging and check off the boxes that are most accurate.

Example A

'its not our fault'

Example B

focusing on the User

MAYBE even try saying a few of these in your next meeting... see what happens. Will people look at you as if you were from outerspace? Or will they applaud your thinking for the people?

Thoughts and reflections?

TIA - AFRICA owns a peice of me!!!

Neighboring School kids.

We are very excited to announce that a Dream for us is coming into reality.
For sometime I have been wrestling about what to do about Africa... Everytime I would see something on TV or come across some kind of article on Africa it would wreck me ... Inside I just wanted to do something but did not know where to start. Now I know there are many well meaning and good organizations in Africa that are making a differnce but me writing a check and sending off a few dollars so someone else could do something seemed sort of 'not me.' 'I MUST do something for my sake and for my family's sake' was what keep running in my mind.

So after 6 months of searching and talking to several people ... as of this week its official. I have purchased land in Africa. No we will not be moving there but we will be investing our lives into there and for generations our family will shed some of us into that continent. It is in a small villiage in Western Uganda - about one hour from the Congo Border. Right now our land is being planted with banana trees to help feed the school kids who are on the land right beside us. We have plans for buildings and more. There is so much behind this story that we will probably deidcate a web space to it specifically [blog or something].

I will be starting soon to report on it because we really want to share this journey with others but if you want to see the area we purchased here are the coordinates 0° 1'40.69"N 29°56'13.42"E. For those of you who use google earth you can view the placemark here.

We are the poor ...

“Do not presume, well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed, to criticize the poor.

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men."

Emerigng What???

Under a few heavy deadlines this week... so a short thought.

There are many who ... Some have labeled me as an emergent thinker.
Not sure if I agree or even understand what people think this means.
So in light of that I ask the question...
What do you think is emergent?... Lets avoid the Branded, american, Brian Mclaren, Miller marketing tactics and get to the root of what this really means.

Emergent is...

Bono_Bytes Part 1

If I had the opportunity to sit you all down with Bono for a little one on one it would be great but lets do the next best thing... I will bring him to you by blog. Besides it might be a little complicated for some of you to control your 'sneezing' ['um hi Bono this is my pe...er I mean sneezing friend'] Or 'Hi Bono this is my friend who sleeps under a picture of you every night'

I am not a person who goes googlie over celebrities nor do I appreciate how many times the American Church tends to idolize certain folk. This is not the purpose of my blog this week. I want to share with you over the next few weeks some perspectives of a Rock Star who is a normal person who chooses to take what he has been given a do something... not because I think Bono is absolutley right but I find myself profoundly identifying with his thoughts... Ever had those moments where you find yourself saying "Exactly what I was thinking, or if only my friends could here this thought process... maybe they wouldn't think I am so 'out to lunch."

.

These Videos are not a word for word representation of BONO's worldview they are bytes of ideology compiled together [originally by yours truly] ... you will get the drift.
This weeks video is about the poor [building on my last post] Weeks after will have bytes on Church, Faith and life.

So Listen, and please take a moment to comment, criticize, craft your own ideological paradigm.




Comment away.

Money & Arrogance?

In the past I have posted a few articles on money and wealth.

I do know I have a few more that I want to post in the future. [Particularly on 'A Theology of economics'] There are many people I brush shoulders on a regular with who are wealthy or really have a desire to be wealthy. I personally set out some personal wealth objectives a few years ago ... At this point in my life I am very close to reaching my my objective. I am now realizing that when I set those objectives I was thinking too small and I now need to re-evaluate think bigger and more long term. That being said I think there is a great diversity on the way people think about money. Our thought towards money differ quite significanlty. I want to put three [3] simple thougths out there for some feedback.

1) Poverty isn't about 'not having' ... its more about a mind set that says 'I don't have enough.' I have met millionaires who are poverty stricken and I have met some very wealthy people who have 'nothing.'

2) Our money out lives us... are we thinking about the impact of our wealth 150yrs from now? Are we building a legacy of wealth for our families so our visions and dreams can live on?

3) Money does not corrupt you ... it exposes you... whether you are 'poor' or 'rich' - your attitude towards money is a reflection of whats in your heart.

• Do money issues stir distrust in you?

• Are you overly concerned about not having?

• Or are you so concerned about saving for a 'rainy day' that you are withholding important and life giving experiences from yourself or your family? [ie holidays, special gifts, proper clothing etc.]

• Are you holding on to a miserable job, just because it gives you a secure income? [that IMHO is a form of prostitution].

• Are you afraid to take a step into that entrepeneurial venture because it might mean you potentially could lose possibly everything?

• Do you look at your work/employer as your source? So in other words ... is your faith in job security?

Please give me some feedback.

The 7 Modern Sins:

* Politics without principles
* Pleasures without conscience
* Wealth without work
* Knowledge without character
* Industry without morality
* Science without humanity
* Worship without sacrifice.

Comments?

The Greatest Sin

I am away with Family this week on a wonderful trip to LA.






Some thoughts while I am away.


Sometimes I think the Church is afraid to lose its purity. I am more concerned that she loses her Grace.


Fear has never accomplished any good and leaving people alone is not the call of the Church.


Sometimes in an effort to remind people the cost of the cross ... we withold grace until we are sure they understand their sin ... but its in giving of our grace that we remind people that they need to go to Jesus to find their own. People understand their sin without our help... its Grace they need help understanding.





Would love to hear your feedback.

Erosion or Evolution

30-40 years ago there was an incredible value in institutions that were present as anchors for people to go to in crisis. Churches, hospitals etc etc. Large buildings were constructed as icons of refuge that people could identify as places of help.
Old neon signs that said ‘Jesus saves’ flashing on the street, or large crosses on the steeple of the church etc etc. these Were edifices of hope in days gone by.

Today there is the claim that there is a erosion of the fabric of society that the icons of faith are being rejected. This would seem true if our icons have become more important to us than the essence of the kingdom.
I would suggest that there has been a evolution rather than an erosion. Faith and values are under no more risk or erosion now than they have faced in the last 2 millenia. BUT the icons or anchors are different and shifting from what we have known. They have evolved from institutions to people (we talk much about decentralization but don't really see that trickling down to everyday life). As people of faith we must be anchors of refuge and reference points in an ever changing landscape.
Your ability to be an anchor in your community is the metric of a holy life.... Am I separate is not the metric or more accurate ... what does it mean to be separate? We have so misconstrued the idea of being separate. Of course the scripture always brought up in these scenarios is 'be holy as I am holy' we instantly understand this term as meaning be separated from the world. What if it were to mean only that we are to fulfill what we are made to do… that we were to complete what we were destined for.
Fulfill the message of Christ through our lives. Not necessarily by our behavior but more so by the fact that we have a purpose and we are living up to what we were made for. How will people know we are different? Because we are doing what we are made to do? Not by what we do and do not do. As soon as Christians look to make a line of demarcation between them and other humans (ie we must be 'different' in our behavior) we actually fail in being holy... We cease in fulfilling our designed meaning in being faithful to our purpose.

The struggle happening today with what is known as the emerging and its erosion of morals is more a case of people in the past majoring on minors and creating moral codes for things that just simply do not matter. In doing this people have been left to re sort through all of the mixed messages to try discover the real issues. Some are simply lost because the real issues were never really made clear. Some are going to stray and be lost but part of this is the result of the mixed moral messages that the modern era has projected.

Man is made to live in community, with purpose and hope. The three primary questions of humanity are who am I? What am I here to do? Who do I belong to?
The secondary questions would be am I free to make choices? Is there joy in what I am doing?

Jesus claimed as his purpose…

Luke 4
18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to
the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Our purpose is no different...

To bring freedom from oppression in our neighborhood and abroad and help others find their answers to these questions. If the church is oppressing people with its mixed messages it has missed the heart of Jesus, it is being unholy and is not set apart as the scriptures truly suggest. A pseudo holiness is an accurate term ...

My whole message is summed up in this... Holiness (in a NA Xian paradigm) is not the most important message ... The most important message is that the kingdom of God is amoung us and are we living what we are made for? Who am I? What am I here to do? Who do I belong to? Am I living under oppression ? Can I be free? Or Am I free to make my own choices?

My struggle with the church, emerging or not is this ... And this is why I must admit... I do not like what I see... This troubles me ... It preaches freedom and deliverance but in reality it oppresses and blinds people from seeing the real Jesus. That to me is the lie of the ages... The intolerable hypocrisy that I pray in my lifetime I will see eroded into oblivion.

Now many who may read this may in their minds say 'Mark you go too far... We must have a moral code ... We must stand against this erosion and decay that we see deteriorating the very essence of our society.'

In essence I agree that there is a moral code that living by that will bring healthy and whole life... BUT... Our first goal in helping people do this is not by becoming a filter and declaring to society the evils that it is sleeping with... The value is that we help those that are oppressed get to the right questions. And the end of the day I am not sure if God is concerned about whether or not we were 'holy' but maybe he is more concerned about how we are breaking the bonds of oppression and bringing liberty to peoples lives. In doing that that may mean I might need to sit down with a person and walk with them through their addiction and rationalization of the behavior and help free them from their oppression. But a trite declaration of what is right and wrong does not bring freedom or liberty but can actually bring more chains of oppression than anything.

Your comments are welcome.

Leadership is What?

In some honest dialogue with a friend this question arose?
Is there a difference between influence and manipulation?

Influence: the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others

Manipulation: exerting shrewd or devious actions especially for one's own advantage.

Leadership is influence? or leadership is manipulation?

Some leaders reflect a leadership model that could be like

Magicians - using slight of hand to get results

Magistrates - Working behind closed doors to make things happen

Monks - in a world of their own and feel they must be distanced from the 'rest.'

Are some of the leadership practices you carry out to protect your own job or ego?

Is the deisre for accolades or internal satisfaction, or recognition leave you double clutching on certain decisions that you know are the best for your company, church, or group that you are leading but making those decisions may complicate your own metrics of success?

Are you ready to live in obscurity in your organization to see others succeed?

Does your leadership paradigm sometimes not allow you to be yourself and as a result you live a lie in front of the people you lead? [ie. I can't show weakness or incompentency]

Is your frustration with the status quo leave you thinking that you can do better, you have the answers and your arrogance in your absolute opinion isolates and marginalizes the people you need the most?

Is your frustration with a power structure that marginalizes you more a reflection of your Ego and not an honest desire to pay the personal price to see positive cultural change?

Do you project your own issues as a cultural dysfunction in your workplace? [you hate your current leadership simply because you can't have your way]

Several things to consider...

Web 2.0 in under 5 min

I could say alot on this but I will keep it short...

For those who are still thinking the internet is for your information AKA 'the information hiway' ... well ... FYI



Its more than a resource... or as some would cry as an unecessary evil... Do we understand the times we are in and the implications...applications of such a thing/time as this?
Do you see the connection? Can you make a connection to your faith/church/culture?

Maybe answer this... Can we seperate form and content when it comes to our faith? Are we Faith 2.0? Maybe this is part of the tension of the 'irrelevant church'?

Thoughts

Food for thought

Comment on this thought...

Its possible to do all the right things and still get the wrong results?

If so why are people so obsessed with getting things right?

'Oh Some Uh'... Thoughts

Most times I reserve my opinion on War and Terrorism simply becase this has been 'laden' down with so much east west propoganda. I wanted to share a few thoughts to consider...

***I do not understand Arabic naming conventions so forgive me if I get them convoluted.
****I do not want in anyway to propogate any thought or fear that would suggest Osama represents Islam and its true tenets. I am not an Islamic Scholar but would invite a meaningful conversation with any who would teach me some more on Islam.

"The difference between jihad in Islam and extremism is like the earth and the sky "
Sheikh Tantawi



It is time to revisit some common assumptions about Osama Bib Laden and Islam.

Osama Bin Laden will forever be known as the poster boy for terrorism and Islamic radical fundamentalism. I will in no way ever suggest that what was done on Sept 11 what or is being done by terrorists is justifyable but I think what we think of their motivation is needs to be challenged. Are these things being propogated by world views that have allowed their rhetoric and semantics to control their policy and perspectives.
Many people who want vindication for what has happened have classified Bin Laden as an evil christian hating, child brainwashing leader carrying out a war against the infidel of the west [interesting that we think the West is the beacon of Christianity]. Some even think there is a close parallel between Islam's holy war against the West and George Bush's holy war against Islamic terrorism.
This view of the war is founded, however, on a superficial understanding of Bin Laden's rhetoric declaring a religious war of civilizations.
Bin Laden does speak of the world as being divided into a "region of faith" and a "region of infidelity."
QUESTION - Could this 'infidelity' simply be a statement/question that is made by many towards christians? 'What you claim and What you live are two different things and that is intolerable'?
Osama at times defines the clash as one between Muslims and the "crusaders."But the context of Bin Laden's arguments clearly shows that he is not speaking of a religious war between Islam and Christianity.
In the same infamous videotaped remarks in which he talks about these conflicts, he praises Christianity. In one statement, he observes that Islam respects the prophets of Judaism, Christianity and Islam "without distinguishing among them."
According to Islam, Judaism and Christianity are incomplete but genuine revelations. As monotheists, Jews and Christians have historically been entitled to Muslim respect and even protection.
In every Islamic empire, from the Umayyad to the Abbasid to the Ottoman, Jews and Christians were permitted to practice their religion, and in no Muslim regime has it ever been considered legitimate to systematically kill them.
But Sheikh Sayyed Muhammad Tantawi, head of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, recently argued the traditional view that "Islam has never been and will never be at war with Christianity."

For bin Laden to declare war against Christianity would divide even the radical Muslim camp.

The influential radical Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi has said that Muslims "believe in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Our Islamic faith is not complete without them."Islamic radicals such as bin Laden make their case against America and the West not on the grounds that these cultures are Christian, but on the grounds that they have abandoned true Christianity".

In his May 2006 letter to President Bush, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faulted America not for being Christian, but for being intolerably hypocritical. These statements are a reminder that oftimes this is classed as 'persecution' but MAYBE should be classed as a reality check!!! People do not respond to a title of christianity that we so many times hold tightly to.

When bin Laden calls America a crusader state, he means that America is on a vicious international campaign to impose its system of White Middle class, imperialistic meltingpot 'Completely labeled as Xian but not' values on Muslims.
QUESTION - Since when did the white middle class have the corner on Chrsitianity?

In this way, Bin Laden argues that America is hell-bent on destroying the Muslim religion. The rallying cry of Islamic radicalism is that "Islam is under attack." In a 1998 declaration, Bin Laden called on Muslims to "launch attacks against the armies of the American devils" and to kill Americans, whom he identified as the "helpers of Satan."

Maybe there is some truth to that if chrsitians are not showing the real message of the Kingdom but another they are hypocrites and anti-christian and 'helpers of satan.'

QUESTION - If missionaries today who are engaging people in Islam set aside the term Christian - for the sake that it has been identified with a political policy and a western worldview and focused on allowing the essense of Christ come out of them, would there be a concern about proteting their lives and a fear of being a martyr? Yes there is concern and the need to be careful on how to engage nations with the Gospel BUT ...

QUESTION - Do we need to dig our heels into the ground and say We are Christian and stand against Islamic fundamental radicals.

QUESTION - If an Islamic radical had a gun to my head and asked if I was Christian What would I say? Do I answer the way that makes me a martyr? [as that seems to be almost our own passage to sainthood] or do I answer the way that disposes the paradigm of western middle class religious elitism as Xian?

In the words of Jack Bauer - "I am not afraid to die, I just don't want to die senselessly"

One of the Church's largest dilemna's for the 21st century is not the learning of new ideas but its need to jettison and unlearn many of the processes that the last 500 years has established.

Thoughts on this matter.

1) It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.

Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

2) An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.

Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

True /False. Agree Disagree???

In defense of What?

One of the ongoing frustrations for me in my experience is that fact that many times people live such compartmentailized lives that their faith does not trickle down into the everyday elements of life. Sam Harris [Letter to a Christian Nation] says this is one of the largest proofs of the small mindedness and falsities of Religon. A person can call themselves a Christian and have no care for the environment or carry a restricted weapon. etc etc etc. No sense of holistic world view. This I think is a valid argument to not believe.
Many times people defend what they think is Christianity but thay are only defending a twisted and cultural perspective of belief. My life goal is to value a Biblical worldview and to let that be expressed through every element of life. I am sure many people would agree with this statement, but when this belief really gets down to the nitty gritty elements of life there is often a major disconnect.

1. A Biblical worldview means embracing people where they are at in life and not always reverting to a thumping, right wing, homophobic, utopian and polished, smile all the time approach.
2. A Biblical world view is messy and and uncomfortable at times ... it stretches your experience of God ... of people and your own belief systems where you find yourself saying "Have I watered down my faith?"
3. A biblical worldview is the approach that begins to draw life out of people that leads them to say things like... "This Jesus thing is intriguing and I think He is fucking awesome" or sitting beside a porn star on a flight, listening to their story and acknowledging that God is present and at work in their world.
4. A Biblical worldview does not seem to worry so much about defending a cultural standpoint sorting out the right and wrongs but simply discovering the spaces where God is working and going along for the ride and at times co-partnering with Him to see something happen.
5. A Biblical Worldview is about 'the a biotic narrative ' There is a unique power in story. Stories have the ability to shape and change the way people view things. One short story can bring meaning and context to most situations. Stories go beyond debate and lead towards possibility; they can shut down conflict and bring intrigue. When people begin to tell stories they come alive, their eyes sparkle and they attract the attention of others. Each person’s story becomes a part of another person’s story and as this happens people realize their stories are a part of a much bigger story – God’s. Where are the 'living stories' unfolding around you that you have not taken the time to hear? Unexpected people, unexpected power, unexpected revelation.
6. The Biblical Worldview is more about the living than the dead.
7. A Biblical worldview has nothing to do with having a position statement or a dogma on any particular opinion.
8. A Biblical worldview demand that we care for our environment and speak up for those that cannot speak up for themselves. Whether oppressed by economics or other.
9. A Biblical Worldview lives in tense greyscale. Jer Postal
10. A biblical worldview would incorporate prayer in everything, the little and the large- the possible and impossible Steve O
11. A Biblical worldview means I believe God is always teaching me at all times through everything and everyone I'm in contact with [Slighty edited to change the word Christian to Biblical] Paul M
12. A Biblical worldview is the discipline to love (even when hated), to serve (even when exploited), and to give (even of what little you have). d'mack

So in reading this please take a moment to add your own to this list... Just start your comment with a #