Interesting Reading

Several items of interest to me have recently passed my way.

First, I got an email advertising a “free Bible college.” They offer, and I quote, “correspondance courses.” That’s right. By “correspondance” you can get a four year Bachelor of Theology degree.

I suppose that spelling is a fifth year master’s level course.

This church and Bible college uses, and I quote, “the only error-free Bible in English: The King James Version.” It’s too bad that the translators of the King James Version didn’t get to attend this school. They surely would have been disabused of the notion that their version was imperfect. Of course, they couldn’t have translated very well. But they probably could have spelled “correspondence” correctly. Oh what a dilemma …

Second, there is the matter of this statement promoting a collection of music that I saw several days ago:

Red Letter joins lyrics born out of profound gospel reflection with aggressive music that matches the depth and weight of the text.

The irony is that this organization believes that music is neutral. So, what does it mean that music matches the text? If music is neutral, wouldn’t all music “match depth and weight of the text”?

I downloaded the album in question several nights ago to experience the “depth and the weight of the text” through music.

It was interesting, to say the least.

This is the same organization that had the strangest version I have ever heard of “What Child Is This?” on a Christmas album. If you haven’t heard it, look it up. Mary and Jesus will never be the same to you.

Thom Rainer on Hubris and Leadership

This is worth reading for a number of reasons.

Rainer lists four characteristics of leader with hubris.

1. Leaders with hubris see others as inferior.
2. Leaders with hubris are slow to see deteriorating conditions in the organizations they lead.
3. Leaders with hubris are quick tempered.
4. Leaders with hubris expect to be served.

Now, that’s pretty basic. Nothing profound there, and it’s not a fancy presentation. But I think he is right on target.

Quotable

Don't argue with angry bloggers. It's like wresting with a pig—you both get dirty, but the pig likes it.

— Ed Stetzer, Twitter

In the Diner

It’s different in here this morning.

The radio is off and the silence is deafening in an eerie sort of way. It’s not a bad thing necessarily. It’s just different. I can hear the juice machine like a small waterfall. I can hear the voices back by the kitchen. I can hear the hum of the compressor in the refrigerator. This is the first time in all the years I have been coming here that I recall the radio being off.

To make it worse, I got here late and someone was in my booth. I had to sit in another booth (until he left and I could move back to mine).

And on top of that I have a different waitress. I know her well. She normally works the afternoon shift. I actually had to order this morning. Usually I order with “Yes,” because it’s the response to “The usual this morning?”  I couldn’t even just say “the usual,” because she doesn’t know what that is. She even brought me cream. I haven’t cream in coffee in close to twelve years probably.

And so now I am thinking about tradition, and how uncomfortable it is to change things.

It reminds me that most people in our churches aren’t traditionalists for theological reasons (whether that’s right or wrong is another issue). They are traditionalists for comfort reasons.

When we change something and they don’t like it, they often have no reason other than “It’s just not the way we do things.” What they mean is “We have always done it another way.” They don’t have a verse for it. They are not principle conservatives. They are just comfortable.

How do we address this kind of traditionalism in our churches?

I think it must be by careful and consistent teaching, by gradual change where possible, and by just changing things when the time comes. If you don’t teach you will create confusion and discontent. If you change too fast you will create anger and resentment. If you wait until everyone agrees, you will never do it. People will not naturally leave comfort until they see a need for it, or until they are forced, or both.

So we as leaders have to know why we are doing things—either why we are maintaining traditions or why we are changing them.

We have to communicate why we are doing things. Remember, a leader’s most powerful public tool is his teaching ministry. In the NT, teaching is the primary means of leadership, from Jesus right on through the apostles. That hasn’t changed. When you want someone to do something, you have to convince them to do that.

And sometimes, it’s good just to change for no reason. Sometimes. Not always. But sometimes.

So I changed today. I came in almost an hour later than normal. I sat in a different booth (for about fifteen minutes). And I am either enjoying or enduring the silence—I’m not sure which yet.

Good News Bad News

The good news is that I had Murray State (along with 5 out of the 6 upsets).

The bad news is that I had Georgetown … to win it all.