Any Sheepwalkers Out There?

Imagine this.

You've been hired to do a job. Your boss gives you ideas on how to do your job better. You follow through with 2 out of 3 of those ideas, but after a few months, your boss reminds you of the 1 idea you didn't follow through with. You follow through with that idea too.

In the meantime, you start trying out a few ideas of your own. It seems like some of your ideas haven't quite worked out like you had hoped, but the fact that you tried them at all gives you a bit of a thrill, and you are more resolved than ever to be great at the job you were hired to do. Beyond that, you have a vision beyond just doing your job. You see opportunity to expand and create new processes and find it exhilarating to think about creating change and stepping outside what is now considered normal.

The next time your boss gives you an idea, you wonder if it's really just an idea or more of an expectation. You've tried many of your own original ideas but haven't seen a whole lot of success, so you start to think of more creative ideas. You're getting excited about some of your new and more creative ideas and several people have come along side of you that share in your optimism. You put the latest idea from your boss on the back burner. You want to see if he notices.

He does.

He calls you in for a meeting. Your boss explains to you that he's been around the block a few times. He's happy to know your idea-mill is spinning, but he quickly reminds you that there's a greater system of order to consider. After all, one big idea could wreak havoc on the whole system. And besides, the system has been around for quite a few years. He tells you that he's seen people come and go in your field. He's also experienced the ups and downs and has learned what works and what doesn't work from his experience in managing people in your field. He then reiterates the importance of recognizing that there's a greater system to consider, and anything too much outside of that system could be detrimental to the system that he's managed for so many years. And, of course, it's understood that there are consequences to disrupting the system.

After the meeting, you're sure of one thing: You don't want to rock the boat, or disrupt the system. You've thought about the people your boss referred to, the one's who have come and gone. You haven't been here long, so you decide you'd much rather keep your job than risk it.

You no longer view your boss's ideas as suggestions. It only took a few times being called to his office that you realize his ideas and suggestions are more like expectations. You give him what he asks for, even when you're sure there's a better way. Sometimes, right before you suggest a more creative approach, you pull back and decide not to make your suggestion after all. "It's easier this way", you tell yourself. No rocking the boat! Stay in line. Keep your job.

Have you been there?

I have. More than once.

Are you there now?

Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, says that "Many organizations go out of their way to hire people who color inside the lines, who demonstrate consistency and compliance. And then these organizations give these people jobs where they are managed via fear. Which leads to Sheepwalking."

What is Sheepwalking? Godin defines Sheepwalking as the outcome of hiring people who have been raised to be obedient and giving them just enough responsibility mixed with enough fear to keep them in line.

He continues by asking the question, "What happens when you build an organization that's flat and open and treats employees with respect? What happens when you expect a lot and trust the people you work with? At first, it seems crazy. There's too much overhead, too little predictability, and way too much noise. This isn't the top-down model of the factory, or the king and his court. It's chaos. It's easy to reject."

Can we blame them? It's much more difficult to embrace non-sheep behavior. So, rather than reward it and cherish it when it's seen, leaders will punish it, particularly when non-sheepish behavior happens outside of a leaders' control. When this happens, the Sheepwalkers (leaders) will insist that whatever is happening outside of normal is an exception to the rule and feverishly pull the reins on freedom and trust for the sake of predictability and safety, as well as for the protection and preservation of their own position and power.

But what happens, over and over, when fear is replaced by trust, when the king-on-top and factory-style leadership models are replaced with empowerment and freedom, people do amazing things.

When people are set free and given creative reign and control over their work, great things can happen. Terrible things can happen as well. Trust is a risky business. Holding on to control and maintaining the status quo is a lot safer.

So what gives? Usually, not much.

But what about the people who are sheepwalking? What about the people who feel stuck? What about the people who feel like the more they challenge the status quo and lead for change the greater resistance and overwhelming fear they face?

It's a choice.

What separates leaders from Sheepwalkers is how they respond to fear. Sheepwalkers allow fear to intimidate and seize their momentum. Leaders on the other hand use fear as a catalyst for momentum. It ignites an unquenchable passion of unbridled resolve that pushes them out of what is normal and propels them toward innovation and greatness.

If you're stuck, know this: It's your choice to remain stuck.

There is a whole world waiting for you to lead, to break outside of the status quo. Don't let fear and intimidation hold you back. Don't stay stuck.

Make a difference.
Create change.
Take risks.

Lead.

Anatomy of a Movement

Seth Godin, in his book Tribes, outlines three common elements that define a Movement.

    1. A narrative that tells a story about who we are and the future
        we're trying to build.

    2. A connection between and among the leader and the tribe.

    3. Something to do - the fewer limits, the better.

What I see when I look at those three elements is ministry done right. 

First, Christianity is built on the foundation of the greatest narrator who ever lived (Jesus) inviting us to be a apart of the greatest story the world has ever known. How we take it to the next level and reach people where they are is by connecting that story to the changed lives that make up our tribe. It's not just a story. It's life. The future is made up of imperfect people being spiritually transformed by Jesus.

Second, as Christian leaders, it's time we take off ours masks. Enough pretending already. How many pastors or Christian leaders do you know who could never admit a fault, a struggle, a sin? That's bogus. The way we connect people to the Savior is by authentically living the greatest story ever told from the inside out. Take off the mask. Live by example; not by insinuated perfection. I think Jesus would call it hypocrisy (again). A leader who leads with an authentic vulnerability isn't a sign of weakness but of confident strength. 

Third, we've not only been invited to be a part of the greatest story ever told, but we've been given a critical role. Christianity isn't about attending church and listening to a pastor tell stories from scripture and then waiting a whole week before the process repeats. No. Christianity is about following Christ. Living the story. Being the story. Christianity is about action. Movement. And movements get messy. I've seen this. I've lived it. Rules and limits kill movement. Throw aside boundaries and limitations and engage and enable the tribe to run and move and be and you'll have a movement uncontainable.

Clouds

 



I never really noticed them before,

Clouds.

They're everywhere. But different everywhere. At least they must be. Because I never noticed them until now. I've seen them, but never really thought much about them. I don't remember another time when I've been so captivated with them, taken by their brilliance and beauty.

I've lived on Lake Erie most of my life; spent ten years in Toledo. But I never noticed the clouds before, that is, until my first few days in Columbus. Driving around the city I realized that I was seeing such magnificent displays of clouds rising seemingly out of the earth. And I found myself causing several near traffic jams as I tried to maneuver my car through crowded streets while trying to snap the perfect picture of these perfectly white and fluffy clouds with my phone (I wish I could say iphone, but I can't).

So why now? Why suddenly have I realized the beauty of clouds? 

I don't know. I just did. 

God is like that isn't He? The magnificence and mystery of Who He is, the wonder and perfection of His creation. 

It all cries out,

"God is beautiful and extravagant".

What is it about clouds that is so alluring? So inspiring?

Perhaps it's that, throughout scripture, the presence of God Himself was in the clouds,(Exodus 19:9; 24:16; 34:5) and that His glory filled the place where the cloud was (Exodus 16:10; 40:38; Numbers 10:34).

Perhaps it's that God chose to introduce Himself to the people of Israel in a cloud. 

"Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him, and proclaimed His name, the LORD."  Exodus 34:5

Well, that's Old Testament right? What's the New Testament have to say about clouds?

Jesus says in Matthew 24:30, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." 

And in Matthew 26:64, while on trial for His life and standing before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin, Jesus says, "In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."


Clearly, there's a pattern. Mark and Luke both give witness to the same (Mark 13:26; 14:62 & Luke 21:27) and in Revelation 1:7 we read, "Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him. So it shall be! Amen."

Imagine the traffic jams on that day!

I guess clouds are meant to allure, to inspire, to command our attention. They stand as a interminable sign reminding us of Who God is and of what is to come.

So to wrap things up, and I mean, all things, take a minute and think about this. Just as Jesus ascended into heaven after His resurrection (Acts 1:9), He'll return for His bride, the church, in the same way.

"And after that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Are you ready? 

It's the End of the World as We Know It

After thinking through my last post, There is Nothing New Under the Sun, I started to think about a topic that was discussed at a recent conference I attended. The topic was of the 4 Generation Cycle and the idea is simple. There is a 4 Generation Cycle that has been repeating since our beginning. I'll briefly explain the concept and how it has played out over the last several generations in America, leading to present day, which is in transition from the 3rd to the 4th generation cycle. (Notice the significance of the Motto for each generation)

The 1st Generation Cycle

Motto: "Anything we can do, we will do."

The first generation cycle is represented by the Builder Generation, those living through World War II. Those in this generation cycle rise to the task at hand, generally brought together around a singular mission resulting from a major conflict threatening their security or way of life. They will band together and selflessly accomplish whatever is in the greater good of the whole. The Builder Generation helped to build a great America economically, morally and spiritually. They selflessly sacrificed a great deal to see progress and prosperity. They worked as a team and put the prosperity and needs of others before their own.

The 2nd Generation Cycle

Motto: "Anything you can do, we can do better."

The second generation cycle is represented by the Boomer Generation, those born out of the WWII era. This generation is born into the collective prosperity and achievements of the last generation. Their focus becomes more inward than outward. What was once an unthinkable, unreachable goal for the last generation is now common every day practice for this generation. They begin to dive inward and their goals are motivated by self advancement and propelled by strong competition. Whatever was accomplished by the last generation, this group will surely take it to the next level and plow over whatever and whoever might stand in their way.

The 3rd Generation Cycle

Motto: "Anything you can do, we could care less about."

The third generation cycle is represented by Generation X. It's no coincidence that this generation was given the name "X". They could care less if they have a name or not. They've become calloused to the inward-focused, selfish-driven accomplishments of the previous generation. They've grown tired of inward-focused ministry, dictatorial leadership and self-serving agendas. Those in the 3rd generation cycle are typically characterized as angry and rebellious. Kurt Cobain's lyric, "Here we are now, entertain us", represents the lethargic, care-less feeling that characterizes this group. And although they won't admit it, they are also self-consumed.

The 4th Generation Cycle

Motto: "All the things you didn't do, we look forward to doing."

The fourth generation cycle is represented by the emerging generation of Americans, known as the Millennial Generation or (Generation Y). They are tired of the complacency and lack of movement they've seen from generations past. They are a generation of optimists, a generation of big dreamers. Those in the 4th generation cycle will say, "We will do what no else else could or cared to do", "We will eliminate poverty", "We will change the world, "We will re-claim the church", "We will re-shape culture".

So what does this mean for us?

Why does any of this matter?

We are witnessing the transition from the 3rd to the 4th Generation Cycle in America today.

It matters to understand what cycle we're in because it explains the power struggle we're seeing in our government and in the church, in the workplace and all around us in culture.

The emerging generation is fed up with the ineffectiveness of our government and the self-serving, earmark-happy politicians that govern it. The emerging generation is fed up with the ineffectiveness of our churches and the inward-focused, self-serving leaders that guide it.

It means that a revolution is on the horizon. It means that a war of governance is imminent. It means there is restructuring, a reawakening, a redefining of what it means to be American and what it means to be Christian.

It means that if real global issues are going to be solved, if the church is going to reclaim its' prominent position in the world and if The Great Commission is going to be accomplished and the whole world reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, then this is the generation that can get it done!

It also means that there's an urgency, a brief window of opportunity to be recognized and seized before the generation cycle starts all over again. The aggressive accomplishments of the 4th generation will be taken for granted by their children. Their children will be born into a way of life worth fighting for in order to preserve and maintain it, but they'll be followed by a generation of inward-focused, self-serving rebels that will want little to do with what they've fought so hard to preserve and maintain.

If we fail to recognize and seize the moment of this day, it will be several generations before we will again have the opportunity to advance the Kingdom around the world and reclaim the American church in a way that brings an end to this age and ushers in the next. And in recognizing the moment, we must act by encouraging, supporting, funding, partnering and harnessing the world-changing potential of the emerging generation, whatever the cost.

This could be the generation that ushers in the second coming of Christ by fulfilling The Great Commission. It is within our reach. It is within our potential. And it is more than probable that it will happen as the emerging generation takes the lead and follows their God-given Big Dreams!

On a final note,

Isn't it interesting that we are actually writing ourselves out of history? Look up the names given to America's generations throughout the past 200 years and notice the names that have been given to the last three:

Generation X,

Generation Y (also known as the Millennial Generation) and

Generation Z.

There is Nothing New Under the Sun

One thing I've learned, particularly in this last year, is that there is nothing new under the sun. What I mean is, there's a rhythm, a continuous cycle to things. In Malachi 3 we read, "I the Lord do not change". He is constant. We can see how constant and rhythmic He really is by looking into the heavens. At first glance, everything appears at random. Yet, there is nothing random about it.

Stars are not spread out randomly in space, rather they are positioned in vast groups called galaxies. The Sun belongs to a galaxy called the Milky Way. There are an estimated 100,000 million stars in the Milky Way alone. Outside that, there are estimated millions upon millions of other galaxies. Think about the perfection of that design; the intricacies and details and organization of that system and the unchanging laws that govern it.

And here we are, God's most intricate design, the handiwork of His creation. We were created to know Him, to be in relationship with Him. And when our imperfection in sin created a mass divide between us and God, His perfect plan just continued to unfold, creating a way for us to come back into relationship with him. The plan of redemption was set in place at the moment of creation, not after. God wasn't looking for a Plan B. Everything was prepared from the start.

Funny then, how life can surprise us. I've recently begun to emerge from a most dark season of life; one that I wouldn't wish on anyone. While living through one of the most difficult and trying seasons of my life, I often felt hopeless. I felt discouraged and abandoned, defeated and punished. And most of all, I felt confused.

How did I get here? Why did I get here? What could I do to emerge?

I knew the Bible. I had read the stories and studied the men and women whose lives unfold in scripture, but there was an obvious disconnect. Those people weren't me. My situation was different, unique, complicated. I was treading in new territory. My situation required outside input, from friends, counselors, anybody. As much as I loved and studied the Bible, I was disconnected, at least during this dark season of my life.

Then I read a book, A Tale of Three Kings. For me, it was a moment of divine illumination. The scales fell off, the discouragement scurried away, my defeat turned to triumph. Why? I realized that there is nothing new under the sun.

As I read the book, which was based on the lives of Saul, David and Absolam, I felt like I was reading my own biography. I could see how things happened, why things happened and what it would take to get the results I so desperately wanted without any surprises.

I realized that I was living a story that had already been told. And it repeated throughout all of history, over and over and over again. I realized that there is nothing so unique or overly complicated that we can't plug ourselves directly into scripture and find the answers. I've always known that, but living it is a completely different thing.

We are all a part of a perfect and unchanging system created by God and governed by perfect and unchanging laws, both physical and spiritual, and the outcomes of life's most greatest and difficult challenges depend solely on our willingness to submit to His perfect and unchanging plan. When we do, there is freedom.

There is no use trying to fight our way through life. God's design and plan for us is perfect. Part of His plan requires us to be tried and tested, shamed and rejected. Part of His plan takes us through a grueling detour, through the lonely desert. But it's perfect nonetheless. And the moment we realize and accept God's perfect and unchanging design, the moment we can experience the freedom of life, even in the most difficult and trying seasons.

Our stories play out the same way the stories of the great men and women of the Old and New Testament play out. There is no need for life to completely catch us off guard. Sure, there will be surprises and times when we are blind sided by unexpected challenges, but what shouldn't be unexpected is the resolution of those challenges. Our stories have been told for thousands of years and are intricately recorded in scripture. If you are looking for answers, if you are looking for a way out of the grueling pit you've found yourself in, know this -

God's ways are not our ways; His thoughts are high above our human understanding. He is perfect and unchanging. He loves us. And...

there is nothing new under the sun.

Exponential Part 3 of 3 - The Holy Spirit

There's been a lot of talk in Christian circles about being an "Acts 2 Church". But what is an Acts 2 Church? What leadership model did the Acts 2 Church use? What church did they borrow from before implementing their small group strategy? Were they Missional or Attractional? And did they even know that they were an Acts 2 Church? Did they set out to be an Acts 2 Church?

It's interesting the amount of benchmarking and model swapping and idea stealing that goes on in the church world. We all do it. We read the latest and greatest book, grab the next big idea, slap the newest sticky word on everything we do (Missional) and then wait for the next latest and greatest book to come out so we can start all over again. We watch other big churches to see what they're doing. And we piece meal our strategies together, a little from here, a little from there, and then wonder why we always end up in the same place - waiting for the next latest and greatest book to come out, again.

What did the Acts 2 Church know? They certainly couldn't have gleaned ideas from other churches. They were the first. What did the Acts 2 Church have? They certainly did not have extensive manuals and leadership models and the latest and greatest small group curriculum.

What then, did the Acts 2 Church have?

1. The Acts 2 Church had "Jesus' Teaching".

And more than that. Most of them walked with Jesus, were right there with Him. They not onlyheard His words first hand; they felt His touch, they breathed in the scent of His clothes, theyshared of the same bread and drank of the same wine. They were intimately connected with the Son.

2. The Acts 2 Church "Witnessed the Resurrection".

Not only were they with Him in life as He lived and taught; they were with Him in death as He suffered and saved. Then, after witnessing the death of their Savior, they were with Him in His resurrection and viewed first-hand the fulfillment of His promises afterward witnessing His ascension from earth to heaven as He promised the Holy Spirit.

3. The Acts 2 Church had the "Power of the Holy Spirit".

Perhaps what we most lack today is a true understanding of the work and power of the Holy Spirit. We easily pray, "Lord send Your Spirit; Let it have it's way." When in fact, the Holy Spirit isnot an IT; the Holy Spirit is a HE. And we often misunderstand the Holy Spirit's leading. Perhaps more in certain circles than others, the Holy Spirit is viewed as a pocket genie. Rub Him when you need Him and He'll open up that front row parking space, get you a sweet deal on a new car, and make you a millionaire.

I suppose Jesus got everything He asked for, it just happened to be a front row parking spot on a rough wooden cross with huge, heavy nails forced through His hands and feet to make sure He didn't lose his spot. And He worked miraculous miracles through the same power that lies in us today, but they were always for other people, not Himself. And thinking back to His baptism, right after the Spirit came upon Him in the form of a dove and His Father God announced that in His Son He was "well pleased", the Holy Spirit didn't lead Jesus into a position of honor but into thedesert to be tempted by the devil for forty days. Some initiation that was! Thanks Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit isn't an IT, He's a person. And He is powerful. He is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and He has been given to us until Jesus returns. He is our counselor, our comforter, our best friend, our guide to all truth, our power to overcome all sickness and disease and every temptation and sinful desire.

We don't lead the Holy Spirit and make Him do what we want Him to do. He leads us. And often into difficult and ugly places. Without Him, there is no formula, no leadership model, no small group curriculum and absolutely no amount of skill or leadership ability that can build an Acts 2 Church. There is only one way to be the church that God intended for us to be. That is,

We must be intimately connected to the Son,

unshakably emboldened by His Resurrection

and abundantly led and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Exponential Part 2 of 3 - Missional Church

When Jesus was asked by his disciples which is the greatest commandment, He replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it; 'Love your neighbor as yourself'. Everything hangs on these two commandments."

Jesus modeled for us the perfect church, the perfect leadership style. He loved God with all of His heart. He loved people so much that he suffered on their behalf. And to prove it, to show God and people the endless bounds of His great love, He did what few are willing to do - He made himself second.

As the church, we should be gratefully thankful that we've been invited into God's family and given an opportunity to work in His Kingdom. We should respect and honor what has been given to us, this abundant life and Kingdom work. And we should be responsible with how we handle it and with what we do with it.

We've geared our weekends and outreach ministries as "in-house", "all-you-can-eat buffet", "one-stop-shop service centers".

Interesting Jesus never chose a mountain or hand-picked a temple to make His job easier by sending mass emails and posting giant billboards along the donkey trails to get the people to come to Him. If anyone could have been successful at one-stop-shop ministry, Jesus could have certainly done it.

Fish & bread? Jesus will hook you up!

Prosthetic leg? Forget prosthetic, He'll get you the real thing!

Trouble with Demon Possession? One word and out they go!

Jesus didn't make the people come to Him. Not to say our churches can't be attractional. Jesus certainly knew how to both attract and wow a crowd. But He was always on the move. And He expected his followers to do the same.

So what does missional look like? That's simple. It looks like loving God and loving people - all people.

Ed Stetzer summed up the Missional Church as movement - A missional church should 1. Serve Locally, 2. Send Nationally, and 3. Adopt or Serve a People Group Globally.

Movement. Action.

If Satan had a strategy to derail the church, what could that strategy possibly be? Perhaps it could be to get the church more internally focused than externally purposed - buildings over people.

If we really walked our city streets, I think it would be nearly impossible not to become missional. Problem is, we don't. We walk the halls of our churches instead. If we truly became outward focused and asked God to break our hearts for what breaks His, I think He'd do it. Problem is, it'd mess up our schedules and suddenly Sunday School classes and softball tournaments would seem a bit irrelevant.

People need Jesus. They also need some practical needs met. And they need to see Jesus in action, through us, His church.

If we really loved our neighbor as much as we love ourselves, what would life suddenly look like for us? What would we keep for ourselves? What would we demand be given away? How would our time be spent? Where would our money go?

Francis Chan said it best when he addressed the financial commitment he and his church had made - If we truly loved others as much as we love ourselves, we'd give as much to others as we keep for ourselves. The church Francis Chan pastored now gives 55% of it's entire budget away. That wouldn't even cover facility expense in most churches! That surely wouldn't cover staff and salary expense in most churches either. Yet, they're doing quite well.

Jesus met both the physical and spiritual needs of the people he met while traveling. He didn't make people come to him. He went to them. And whether it was food for the hungry, healing for the sick or counsel for the emotionally troubled, Jesus did it all.

I guess the point is this.

Remember how Jesus first officially introduced himself to the people of Jerusalem- He rode into town on a donkey.

Then what did He do?

He got off his donkey and got to work.

I think it's time we did the same.