The Mill- Sifting Through the Stuff of Life.

“People who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing important to say”-Andy Stanley. That’s a great quote, but I would add to it’s context by saying that most people at some point are surrounded by others with a lot of important things to say. Over time as they refuse to listen or implement ideas the true thinkers continue to think, they just do it somewhere else with a leader or a group of people who will listen. I think its great to lead, but most of the time as I lead I have to understand that I’m not the smartest guy in the room, I’m just a leader. I want to be someone who listens not just to input from anyone, but able to recognize the right input, the healthy input, the areas that I need to change. May you always be surrounded by those with important things to say.

In Mark Chapter 12 Jesus is in another conversation with teachers of the scripture and he completely confuses them to the point that it says they don’t even want to ask anymore questions. There motives were not to learn but to trip him up with questions and they just came to the point where they just said, this is not working….!

So after this conversation Right in front of them it says “…all the people were listening”

Jesus says, beware of these guys that walk around in flowing robes, and love to be greeted in the market place, and have the most important seats in the synagogue and the places of honor at the banquet.

Translation: Beware of Over dressed people who love attention, and think they are important.

v. 47 they devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers, such men will be punished most severely.

Now while he was saying all this it says that he was sitting across from where people give their offerings in the temple, I don’t think that’s unrelated.

He sees all the wealthy people putting in the offerings and then he sees this poor widow put in two small coins, everything that she had.

He said I tell you the truth this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on. And

What moves the heart of God is when we give not out of our abundance and wealth with an agenda, but when we give everything. Everything, you must be kidding me right? I don’t mean that you put everything God has entrusted to you in the plate, but you live in the reality that God created and owns everything and when you give it to him he will take care of you. The story goes unresolved it doesn’t say what happened to her, but it’s noticed by Jesus and written into scripture and I want my giving and my attitude about giving to be noticed not by men but by Jesus. My hope is the same for you.

This account recorded in Mark 12:41 and then again in Luke 21

Just recently heard an illustration of a large church singing the song “How Great thou Art” accapello. Of course everyone started off being lead by the group up front and then the instruments and vocals from the stage dropped out and everyone continued to sing.  The question is who was leading at that point and throughout the rest of the song?  The tempo wasn’t exactly right and yet everyone knew when to pause.  It may have seemed too slow for some or too fast for others and yet everyone submitted to one another for the sake of the song.  This is interesting to me.  Who was leading? No One and Everyone.  If you’ve ever been a part of a scene like this if you have one person start singing opera style and standout from everyone else it’s just annoying, it breaks the unity and something very disappointing happens, but when everyone is on the same page it’s powerful.  If there is a way to get any organization all on the same tempo in unity of mind and purpose powerful things will happen.  Let’s press toward that goal.

On my whiteboard is a quote that doesn’t have a name beside it so I can’t give proper credit.  I’ll just say somebody else said it.  I don’t even like looking at it and that’s why I keep it on the board.  I want this quote to challenge me to help propel me to do things I would never do.  It reads like this “Failure is not an option, it is essential”  If you are not failing at something then you are not doing anything innovative.  OUCH!  Sometimes we get locked into doing things that we can do on our own, aside from our next breath which is a gift from God we pretty much have it down.  I want to do things that are bigger than what I can do on my own.  Things that make me lean hard into my relationship with God and depend completely on Him.  If He doesn’t intervene it’s not going to happen.  It’s not my tendency, but it is my desire. I hope you’ll make it yours as well.

Just read Rob Bells new work of art disquised as a coffee table book.  If you took all the content and compiled it into a paperback it would probably be a fifty page book and it would still be good.  My favorite part of the book was when he said occassionally he’ll go to his counselor and he’ll use words like mistake, failure or waste and his counselor reaches in his desk and pulls out a sign which reads “God who waste nothing”  This was the most profound part of the book for me.  “God who waste nothing” Lay that statement over the last thing that you felt like was a complete waste.  It might change your perspective.

Last year I heard Andy Stanley say something that has stuck with me for a while.  Of course it’s not a quote, but it was something like this.  We (the church) don’t need any more land or resources.  God has blessed us with so much.  What we need is some people to surrender the land to some other leaders that can use it for the Kingdom.  Big statement.  It may even seem arrogant, but the reality is that there are hundreds even thousands of church buildings,property and vast resources that are not being used.  A church across town from us has 30 acres and it’s used for a Senior softball league in exchange for upkeep, another has 13 acres and about 15 committed people attending, another 22 acres unused and the list goes on.  I wonder if when we disciple people on stewardship that we are not missing it ourselves.  I wonder are there any leaders out there that would be willing to give up the land and try something new.  We have vast resources for expanding the Kingdom and many of us are not using them wisely.  Some of the churches are even in decline, but they must hang on to the resources.  Please join up with others and use these resources for the Kingdom.  One day someone will figure out how to do this. Radical thoughts for a radical time.

Every Thursday evening we have a Community Group at our house.  This  past week was incredible.  I’ve never been a part of a more transparent group.  Everyone was an open book.  The peace of God and trust in the room was tangible.  The tears were flowing and the healing of past and present wounds took place.  The lump in my throat was permanent for about 30 minutes as each person shared their desire to be free from secrets and image management.  As I listened to the stories that hide in the pews each week, I was so thankful for the Community Groups that are meeting each week.  When this group multiplies it’s going to be tough, but worth it ,as we do for many more what the group has done for us.   We are committed to one another and love each other too much to allow status quo Christianity.

No, I’m not writing a book. I can barely keep this blog updated.  Although I do beleive that people who have a voice imprint shape our culture to some degree great or small.  I’ve often thought of writing a book, but aside from a few short life reflections I’ve never had much to write about.  John Maxwell, who on any given day could sneeze a book said that his start up method for those who aspire to shape culture through writing is the “pull out a piece of paper and start writing”.  It sounds kind of silly, but in fact so many people who want to write a book have never actually written anything they just have a hope for the future.  So, here’s some advice to myself and anyone else who would like to write a book, start writing.  Mark Batterson describes his writing as “prayer in front of a keyboard”, I think if I ever do write anything, worth the paper to print it that would definately have to be my writing style.

I recently read a quote by Albert Schweitzer “The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives”  I wonder from time to time what could be accomplished if we decided to do what God had put inside of us, rather than make excuses of why we shouldn’t attempt the desires placed in our hearts.  I’m sure the world would be different. I believe a person begins to die when the stories of the past overshadow the hopes and dreams of the future.  I don’t want to quit on the desires God has put in my heart.  I encourage you not to quit on the ones He has put in yours.

We all want to be known for something and as life has it no doubt most of us will be. Maybe a good mom, businessman, risk taker, investor. Maybe we’ll just be known as the guy who doesn’t want to be known for anything, but one way or another we all want to be known for something. The problem is when our image management skills begin to fail and there is a gap between what we project and who we really are. What do we do with this gap? Most of the time we hide, cover up and keep secrets. Everyone knows what we want to be known for, but the question we should ask is who really knows us? Maybe your afraid because if someone knew you they wouldn’t  like you. Truth is they don’t like the reall you anyway, they don’t know you, they know the image you project. What we all need is a small group of people that we are willing to allow to fully know us and help us carry the burdens found in the gap between who we want to be and who we really are. It’s hard to admit, but anyone who is married knows they’ve had arguments and walked into their friends house and church and pretended to be the happy couple. It may sound like I’m talking about you. How would I know… take a wild guess. It’s happen to me plenty of times. So get with a group of people who are committed to helping you grow and your committed to helping them grow. Share your life with someone. Proverbs paraphrased He who hangs out with the wise grows wiser still but pity the companion of fools.. Become fully known.