LeaderLines: Your 9-11

This isn’t a typical edition of LeaderLines. But then again, this isn’t a typical Thursday. This is the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attack we’ve come to know simply as “9-11.”

The anniversary should give us all a chance to pause and think about whether we’re ready to handle our own crisis times when they come.

“Sometimes he calms the storm,” the saying goes, “And sometimes he calms his child.”

That modern proverb is meant to remind us that God is always with us in a crisis: sometimes he provides rescue from the crisis, sometimes he provides the ability to endure the crisis.

Two stories out of the September 11 terrorist attacks illustrate this. One is the story of a woman named Josephine. Josephine is a 69-year-old woman who was on the 73rd floor of one of the World Trade Center towers when it was struck. Seven firemen from Ladder 6, a company of the New York City Fire Department, helped her down the 73 flights of stairs. At times, she was ready to give up, but they helped, encouraged, inspired, and assured her she would make it.

“They were like angels to me,” she said. She would stop to catch her breath and they would stop with her. She started to shiver with fear and one gave her his jacket. One floor at a time they got her down until, finally, she could walk no more and just sat down on one of the steps of the fourth floor. They waited with her, coaxing her to stand up and resume walking because they were almost to the ground floor. But she could not move, and they refused to leave her.

Suddenly, they heard and felt the floors beneath them give way under the tremendous weight of the collapsing building, and they were hurtled down with terrific force and enveloped in a suffocating cloud of pitch-black smoke. But as the noise lessened and the smoke began to clear, they found that they had settled over the rubble of the caved-in floors below them.

Miraculously, Josephine had refused to go any farther at the one point that remained intact as the building fell.

All seven firemen plus Josephine were eventually brought into the daylight of safety. “Had we continued descending, when we were pleading with her to keep moving,” they said, “we would have been killed by the crush of the floors above us.”

But we know that not all the stories from 9-11 had happy endings. Another woman, Lisa Beamer, lost her husband, Todd, who was on one of the hijacked flights which crashed in the Pennsylvania countryside.

Todd and Lisa Beamer were Christians, both active in their church--Todd could have been any one of us: he taught Sunday School and was reading a Max Lucado book when his airplane was hijacked.

While many passengers around him were using cell phones and airfones to call loved ones, Todd Beamer for some reason was unable to get through to his wife, Lisa. He reached a GTE airfone operator, though, and reported that his plane had been hijacked but he and several other passengers planned to take it over.

He recited the Lord’s Prayer with her, and then the operator heard him drop the phone and say the now-famous line to the other passengers, “Are you ready? Let’s roll.”

Minutes later the jet crashed in Pennsylvania instead of into its intended target, which many believe would have been the White House. No miraculous rescue was provided for her husband, no divine intervention, and yet Lisa Beamer has become a very public illustration of strong faith.

Josephine credits God with rescue when 110 stories above her collapsed around her. Lisa Beamer credits God with comfort and strength in the midst of her loss. Sometimes he calms the storm; sometimes he calms his child.

That’s what will sustain you when it’s not the collapse of buildings that you watch on TV but the collapse of your own little world around you.

In response to the events of Sept 11, Ravi Zacharias released a book called Light in the Shadow of Jihad. The story of Josephine was told in that wonderful little book. Ravi wrote:

The supernatural is possible. It happens, but it does not lead to the greatest miracle in a life. For you see, anyone can take a miraculous story and explain it a dozen different ways. At best it just proves that there is a power beyond our own. So where does that leave us? What God seeks in every individual is not just companionship based on His intervention, but communion with Him based on His indwelling. That is what makes the difference when a building is collapsing. It is not whether a hand grabs your hand and rescues you from the carnage; it is that no matter what happens, His strength empowers you to rise beyond the devastation.

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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: What Got Jesus Frustrated

Jesus once looked at his disciples and said, “How long shall I put up with you?”

Yikes. Do you think he sometimes says that of his disciples today?

According to Matthew 17, what provoked his frustration was his disciples’ inability to meet a father’s desperate need. “I brought my troubled boy to your disciples,” the father complained to Jesus, “But they could not heal him.” And Jesus looked at his men, shook his head, and said, “How long shall I put up with you?”

There are only two times in scripture where Jesus came anywhere close to discouragement:

It wasn’t when he faced his great temptations. Nowhere in that passage (Matthew 4) do we hear him say, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

It wasn’t when he faced the crowds with their pressing needs. As a boy I remember watching the film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar. In one scene the crowds with their constant needs are pressing in on Jesus and Webber’s Jesus is backing away saying, “Get away from me!” Even as a boy, I knew enough from Sunday School to know Jesus never looked at the crowds with their needs and said, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

Even in the agony of the cross, Jesus never said, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

There are only 2 times in the Gospels were Jesus speaks with this kind of, well, annoyance. In both instances it is when he sees how little faith his followers have.

Think of that. What frustrates you about your church? Some of us get frustrated when the time of service changes. Some of us get frustrated when the length of service changes! Some of us get frustrated when the style of music doesn’t suit us. Some of us get frustrated when the way we’ve always done things gets changed.

Let me clue you in: none of that frustrates Jesus. But when he sees a church with a feeble faith, according to this text we can be sure he is throwing up his hands and saying, “How much longer do I have to put up with this?”

This Sunday, we’ll look at Christ’s promise that faith as small as a mustard seed can accomplish great things for God’s glory! Join us in this challenging study at 9:30am or 10:45am.
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday September 9

“Today's guys are perhaps the first downwardly mobile—and endlessly adolescent—generation of men in U.S. history.” (Newsweek’s “Why I am Leaving Guyland”)


I love my iPod; I hate the iTunes updates. This guy at Wired tells Apple 5 reasons why.


Musical taste reveals your personality.


Everyone remembers winners: Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods. But in her new book, Second Place: Faces of Defeat, photographer Sandy Nicholson captures the emotions of those who came in second. See some photos here.


“Try Our Healing Service: You Won’t Get Better!”
“None of Our Hymns Are Tested on Live Animals.”
And other quirky church signs.


Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds summarizes John Mark Reynolds’ helpful column offering 10 tips for college students.


On Sarah Palin and Working Moms:

Albert Mohler expresses support but ambivalence over Palin taking the VP candidacy with her duties as a mom.


The NY Times piece that Mohler quotes is worth reading, too: “With five children, including an infant with Down syndrome and, as the country learned Monday, a pregnant 17-year-old, Ms. Palin has set off a fierce argument among women about whether there are enough hours in the day for her to take on the vice presidency, and whether she is right to try.” (“A New Twist in the Debate on Mothers” in the NY Times)


“It's important to understand why, then, Mrs. Palin has hit a nerve. It's not because she's a woman with children trying to do a man's job. It's because she's actually pushing the combination of professional and personal ambitions beyond the sensibilities of this generation of working moms. As women, we may be awed by her, but she's not necessarily a role model for so many professional women who now say they want to do it differently, that they don't want to do 150% of everything all of the time. So what you are hearing is less condemnation than a collective gasp of amazement -- and exhaustion -- at the thought of juggling five children, one of them an infant, and the most extreme example of a job with little or no flexibility. It would make supermom feel feeble.” (BBC anchor Katty Kay and ABC News reporter Claire Shipman)


“Jonah Goldberg at National Review exulted that Sarah Palin was put on earth for two reasons -- to kill caribou and kick butt. And she's ‘all out of caribou.’ Allowing for how much fun such exuberant hyperbole is, social conservatives might still wonder if she presents something of a challenge to their ideals of social order. And she might. She might not. Let's talk about that. But in the meantime, we must not overlook the fact that she presents an absolutely devastating challenge to the feminist narrative for women.” (Douglas Wilson. HT: Between Two Worlds)

Are Evangelicals Up for Grabs this Election Season?

Amy Sullivan has a piece at Time magazine called “Are Evangelicals Sold on Palin?” The standard storyline of this election season has been that evangelicals, particularly the younger, are up for grabs. I don’t know if the storyline is true or, if true, whether Palin has skewered it. Neither does Sullivan, but it didn’t stop her from writing about it.


“[Obama] does not have to win large segments of the evangelical votes. All he has to do is carve off some of votes in certain places. The cosmopolitan vote is the one most up for grabs. A cosmopolitan evangelical is someone who is less interested in converting the country or taking the country back for Christ; they are interested in seeing their faith as attractive. They’re less prone to see the evangelical subculture as their primary point of reference.” (Rice sociologist Michael Lindsay)


But Steven Waldman of Beliefnet says, “The moderate evangelical vote is slipping away from Barack Obama.” He explains why here. This is an excellent assessment.

Maybe the Media Freakshow on Palin is settling down.

Exhibit #1: Check out an even-handed piece in Time called "How Sarah Palin Mastered Politics," about what one supporter calls political "Sarah-dipity."

Exhibit #2: The NY Times piece, “In Palin’s Life and Politics, Goal to Follow God’s Will,” doesn't have the condescending odor of the John Fea opinion piece I referred to on Saturday. However, Mollie at GetReligion doesn’t like it: “That a Christian believes that God has a role to play in her life, in the efficacy of prayer, that the Bible is the word of God isn’t noteworthy, per se. By making it seem so, it says more about the New York Times than it does about Palin.” John Podhoretz at Commentary magazine doesn’t like the piece, either. He says, “The article has about it the wide-eyed wonder that anyone might actually be crazy enough to believe in a Creator Who still plays a role in human affairs.”

(By the way, religion reporter for the Statesman, Eileen Flynn, linked to my blog post on John Fea's Palin comments here. Thanks for the traffic Eileen.)

Right for the Wrong Reason

The LA Times ran an opinion piece (Statesman online Sunday) from a professor who calls himself a “pro-choice atheist” who supports President Bush’s proposal to cut federal funding from hospitals and other entities if they force an employee to provide certain types of care — including abortion services — against conscience and personal belief.

I’m grateful for the professor’s defense of the important regulation, but his line of reasoning is faulty. He says, “If we respect the right of women to control their bodies, we ought to respect the rights of doctors to control their own actions. And if we respect the decision to perform abortions, we ought to respect the refusal to do so.”

But the analogy doesn’t quite hold up. If he wants to follow this line of reasoning, he should say, “If we respect the right of women to sell their bodies as prostitutes, we ought to respect the rights of doctors . . . .” Or, “If we respect the rights of women to take bids for their spare kidney on EBay, we ought to respect the rights of doctors . . . .”

Neither of these options is (at present) allowable, which shows the limits of argument that women (or men) should have the right to “control their bodies.” Contrary to the “Keep Your Laws Off My Body” posters at prochoice rallies, the government already has a number of laws on the bodies of men and women.

Laws against selling one’s body sexually, or selling parts of one’s body to the highest bidder, may eventually go away. But laws against what I can do with someone else’s body should be established and upheld. And when we’re talking about abortion of a healthy, developing fetus, we’re talking about the end to someone else’s body.

So, Crispen Sartwell is right to defend the federal regulation currently being considered, but he’s right for the wrong reason.

Song of the Week: Eric Johnson's "Are You Experienced?"

Since it's the big question in this presidential election, it seemed to be the obvious pick for this week's "Song of the Week." Listen to Austin uber-guitarist Eric Johnson live at Austin City Limits cover the Jimi Hendrix song, "Are You Experienced?" (Remember: those of you reading this post through Facebook or a reader will need to go to the website to play the song.)


As for my thoughts on the experience question re: Palin and Obama, see this post from yesterday.

More Palin

In a refreshing surprise, the NY Times defended the choice of a female mayor and governor for VP pick: “Where is it written that only senators are qualified to become President? Where is it written that governors and mayors . . . are too local, too provincial? . . . Presidential candidates have always chosen their running mates for reasons of practical demography, not idealized democracy. . . . What a splendid system, we say to ourselves, that takes little-known men, tests them in high office and permits them to grow into statesmen. . . . Why shouldn't a little-known woman have the same opportunity to grow?”


No, that was not an endorsement of Sarah Palin. That was from 1984, commending the selection of Geraldine Ferraro as Walter Mondale’s running mate. (HT: WSJ)


“We know she is an Alaskan reformer. We know she is pro-life. We know she was a beauty queen and a basketball star. We know she eats moose burgers. But does Sarah Palin speak in tongues?” (John Fea, in the Statesman online Friday). Why did the Statesman feel this was newsworthy? Geez, the next thing you know, we’ll find out that the VP candidate on the Democratic side believes he’s actually eating the body of Christ during Communion.


Not every conservative feels good about the VP pick: “Obama was sagging because of missteps that reflected the fundamental weakness of his candidacy. Which suggested McCain's strategy: Make this a referendum on Obama, surely the least experienced, least qualified, least prepared presidential nominee in living memory. Palin fatally undermines this entire line of attack. This is through no fault of her own. It is simply a function of her rookie status. . . . McCain was giving up his home turf of readiness to challenge Obama on his home turf of change. . . . Palin's selection negates the theme of readiness.” (Charles Krauthammer, who says she needs to pull an Obama who “showed that star power can trump the gravest of biographical liabilities.” Krauthammer wonders if she can do in 9 weeks what took 19 months for Obama to pull off, though.)


Krauthammer isn’t the only conservative concerned about Palin’s inexperience, but it’s annoying to hear progressives do any more with this than simply insist the attacks on Obama’s inexperience are off the table. But they go further, leaving us with the odd spectacle of those sympathetic to the experience of a first-term Democratic Senator rejecting the experience of a first-term Republican Governor.


Speaking of Experience: “Alaska is harder to govern than a smaller, more settled realm in the Lower 48. With vast distances, large numbers of indigenous peoples and a narrowly based extraction economy — with a handful of giant multinational oil corporations dominating the game — some economists say a country like Nigeria might be an apter comparison.” (“The Unusual Challenges Palin Faced in Alaska” in the NY Times.)



Thus a new applause line: “Being president of Nigeria is sort of like being a community organizer . . . .”



By the way, the Obama campaign was obviously stung by the “community organizer” comments, charging that Palin was mocking civic service. But if you actually listen to her speech, she was reacting to negative media portrayals of her term as mayor (and their initial reluctance to identify her as a present-day Governor instead of simply as a former mayor). People who want to tout one person’s stint as a community organizer as qualification for national office can’t turn around and deny another person’s mayoral experience as qualification for that same national office.


“Politicizing Bristol Palin's pregnancy, though predictable, is nonetheless repugnant and has often been absurd. It may be darkly ironic that a governor-mother who opposes explicit sex ed has a pregnant daughter, but experienced parents know that what one instructs isn't always practiced by one's little darlings.” (Kathleen Parker, reprinted in the Statesman.)


“It's being said that in choosing Governor Palin, Mr. McCain was making a play for disaffected Hillary Clinton voters. . . . Our sense is that the Governor's real political potential lies in her appeal to Reagan Democrats and Truman Republicans, voters Mr. McCain will need in November.” (“Sarah Palin’s Surge”). I agree: I never saw her selection as an appeal to Mrs. Clinton’s supporters, though that was the way many media commentators played it (Gloria Steinem, for a famous example).


Peggy Noonan said Palin’s acceptance speech “left me wondering if this campaign is about to take on a new shape, with the old time conservatism on one side, and a smoother, evolved form of the old style liberalism on the other.” Good summary of the campaign, and the choice it’s coming down to. It’s interesting that McCain in his acceptance speech practically offered an apology for how conservatives had lost their way in the last few years and, if we’ll give McCain-Palin a chance, they’ll turn things around again. Noonan fears, though, that America’s not in the mood for the Reagan-style conservatism any more than what has recently passed for conservatism.



Noonan also warned: “This campaign, this beautiful golden thing with two admirable men at the top and two admirable vice presidential candidates, is going to turn dark.” I agree with the assessment of both presidential contenders and both VP candidates. Sadly, I also fear these next 60 days will turn dark. Believers need to pray not only for the outcome but the process.

DNC Prayers: Sweet and Sour

Joel Hunter, pastor of the Northland megachurch near Orlando, identifies as an evangelical but he closed his prayer at the Democratic National Convention like an interfaith chaplain: “I want to personalize this. I want this to be a participatory prayer. And so therefore, because we are in a country that is still welcoming all faiths, I would like all of us to close this prayer in the way your faith tradition would close your prayer. So on the count of three, I want all of you to end this prayer, your prayer, the way you usually end prayer. You ready? One, two, three.” Hunter, on his own behalf, spoke into the microphone, “In Jesus’ name, Amen,” while 80,000 or so other people were free to name their own God or gods. (YouTube)

So much better was the prayer of Donald Miller earlier in the DNC. Miller is author of books like Blue Like Jazz. I don't agree with everything Miller writes or says, unlike my college minister (grin). But I'm glad Miller's always unapologetic in his evangelical identity. The whole prayer is worth hearing, and he closed it with: “Thank you for blessing us in so many ways as Americans. I make these requests in the name of your son, Jesus, who gave his own life against the forces of injustice. Let Him be our example. Amen." (YouTube)

As a pastor who has been asked to lead prayers at civic events, legislative sessions, and business dinners, I know how sensitive people have become to a prayer's ending. Hunter's solution, however, is unacceptable. Miller's is the approach I take: I won't be divisive, but I assume I've been invited to pray my own prayer over the assembly instead of trying to give voice to something everyone can agree on.

LeaderLines: Win-Win, Part 2

As a church leader, sometimes you’ll see conflict between those you lead, and sometimes you will face conflict with those you lead.

God wants us to enter into every conflict determined to find a win-win solution. Philippians 2:4 says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Not only . . . but also. Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

To find this kind of win-win solution, last week I introduced you to four concepts from a book by Roger Fisher and William Ury called Getting to Yes:

Relationships: Separate the people from the problem.

Interests: Focus on the interests, not the positions.

Creativity: Brainstorm creative options for solving the problem.

Standards: Agree on the standards you will use to solve the problem.

Let’s begin this week with relationships. It’s no surprise that we tend to get personally involved in issues we care about. So much so that when disagreements arise, we tend to take the conflict personally. We feel that our wisdom and worth is being challenged. If you’ve ever been surprised at the emotional reaction you’ve gotten when you’ve disagreed with someone, that’s likely what’s behind the reaction. It takes some work to separate our own ego from an issue, and we have to know that the other side has their own sense of worth and wisdom entangled in their viewpoint, too.

So, we have to pay attention to three things: perception, emotion, and communication.

Perception: We have to try and understand the viewpoint of the other person or the other side. Now, understand what “understand” means! Understanding someone’s viewpoint doesn’t mean agreeing with it. But you have to get to a point where you can accurately explain why someone sees the issue in a different way. As long as your description of the other person’s viewpoint is a shallow caricature that the other person wouldn’t recognize as his own viewpoint--if that’s happening, you haven’t met the first principle of conflict resolution.

Emotion: A second thing we have to do in order to keep the focus on the people and not the problem: we have to take seriously the emotions involved. There’s a pattern I’ve seen in leader’s lives--my own life as a leader included. You pray and study and shape an idea that you’re convinced will benefit the group, and when you propose it, someone reacts against it with an intensity you never expected. And you wonder, “Where in the world did that come from?”

We’re at our best as leaders if that’s more than just a rhetorical question!

In other words, we shouldn’t just state that question as an expression of shock and surprise, we should ask that question with a plan to find the answer. We need to take that emotion seriously and try to find out what’s fueling it.

Communication: A third way we focus on the people and not the problem is through the way we communicate. We need to give our full attention to others when they’re speaking, and when we’re speaking we need to find the best way to help the other person understand our point of view. There’s a difference between getting something off our chest and getting something into the other person’s heart.

Now, when you’re in conflict, focusing on the person and not the problem is clearly biblical. Romans 15:5-7 says, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

The word we translate “accept” means “receive into fellowship; take to yourself; bring into your embrace.” Paying attention to perception, emotion, and communication is one way we put that verse into practice.

I’ve just described a lot of hard work, and I’ve succeeded and failed at this principle myself over the years. And, sadly, there will be those times when your effort at focusing on the relationship will simply be one-sided. But most of our conflicts would be resolved--and many conflicts would not even start--if we kept the attention on the people instead of the problem.

Next week: “Focus on the interests, not the positions.”
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Sarah Palin!

“[Sarah Palin] was put on this earth to do two things: kill caribou and kick butt. She's all out of caribou.” Jonah Goldberg.


Yep, she killed in last night’s speech. And the only photo from the speech Time magazine could think of posting is her blowing a kiss? Are you freakin’ kidding me? Do they have Joe Biden in charge of the photo selections now? Daniel Henninger at the WSJ is right: “The impulse in acceptable political society to condescend to lovely, ebullient Sarah is palpable.” (Update: 2 hours after Time accompanied their story with a photo of Palin blowing a kiss from the podium, the photo was changed to her waving at the crowd. Maybe someone at Time reads GetAnchored? <grin>)


Cracked. Me. Up. “Bill” at The Thinklings links to Sarah Palin Facts. A good reflection of what the Palin pick has done for the McCain campaign. A few:

* Sarah Palin is the reason compasses point North

* Sarah Palin is what Willis was talkin bout

* When Sarah Palin booked a flight to Europe, the French immediately surrendered.

* Sarah Palin’s enemies are automatically added to the Endangered Species List

* Sarah Palin will give birth to the man who will lead humanity’s war against the machines.

Of course, not everyone's thrilled. Palin “is a real and present danger to the American left, and to the Obama candidacy," wrote Peggy Noonan. "She could become a transformative political presence. So they are going to have to kill her, and kill her quick. And it's going to be brutal. It's already getting there.”

Winning Ways: An Anchor For the Soul

I’m starting a small-group study where spiritual seekers can discover the meaning of Christianity and believers can develop their understanding of the faith. If one of those descriptions fits you, come join us!

The study is an 8-week book study through my book, The Anchor Course. Here’s what a participant in a previous class wrote me:

“Coming from another faith, I wanted to explore what Christianity means. The Anchor Course was a wonderful, intelligent, and safe place to explore, learn, and understand.”

And a believer wrote:

“I think the reason I was attracted to this course was just the sheer pleasure of exploring and discussing faith. I was attracted also to the idea that this course might make it easier to believe the things that I already do believe but that I find so difficult to believe. Thank you for the course, for the opportunity to study it at church, and for the very good discussions. Already my faith is strengthened.”

At the Anchor Course, you’ll build friendships around a weekly meal, and you’ll build faith around a weekly discussion. The Anchor Course is ideal if...

* you’re a spiritual seeker who wants to learn more about the life and teaching of Jesus but you don’t know where to start, or

*you’ve become curious about the Christian convictions of your friends, or

* you’re married to a believer and you want to learn more about your partner’s Christian faith, or

* you’re a parent who’s wondered how to explain Christianity to your kids, or

* you’re a believer who wants a better grasp of the main points of your faith.

Want to learn more about the Course before you commit? Come to my “Get Anchored” Dinner on Wednesday, September 17, 6:30-8:00pm. You’ll enjoy a good meal and learn more about the Course. Should you decide to register for the Course, we’ll meet eight weeks for dinner and discussion starting Wednesday, September 24, 6:30-8:00pm. Your children can join you for the meal and then go to childcare and youth activities, which take place at the same time.

To sign up for the “Get Anchored” Dinner, contact my assistant, Jami (345-3771 or jami@hbcaustin.org). To learn more, go to the Anchor Course website (here) or read a book excerpt (here).

If you’d like to have friends join you for the “Get Anchored” Dinner, the easiest way to invite them is to just forward this email to them!
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday September 2

“Ms. Wisteria, who holds a degree in early Christian fabric and drapery design from Emory University's Candler School of Theology, worked as a model during her student days, and she came to a conclusion: Christian women needed a lingerie line that would let them look sexy but still retain that sense of modesty required for bedtime prayers and morning quiet time. The result was her first popular cutting-edge design-- the breakaway flannel granny gown.” (“Victorious Secret: Lingerie for Overcomers”)


“Next month, a Christian take on the Guitar Hero game, called Guitar Praise, is set to hit shelves in the US.” (From the UK’s The Guardian)


More anti-Christian violence in India, inspired by Hindu nationalism . . .


. . . but the New York Times gets it all horribly, horribly wrong.


Photos that Changed the World. Amazing.


“ ‘We're pumped,’ said the Rev. Andy McQuitty, senior pastor and one of the elders who invited Mrs. Roese (pronounced ‘Reese’) to take a turn in the pulpit. "She's an eminently qualified and gifted preacher." (from the Dallas Morning News story about Irving Bible Church’s decision to have one of their female staff members bring the morning message this Sunday)


"Many people will come to see a woman get cut in half that would never set foot in a church building otherwise." (A quirky Mother Jones story about a quirky organization, The Fellowship of Christian Magicians)


How do you answer the argument that all religions are more or less true and that it’s arrogant to claim that Jesus is the only way? This lengthy article will give you a good introduction. I tend toward what he calls the “hard” exclusivist position, but he still makes excellent points, including his “five bedrock truths” that biblical Christians must affirm, and his critique of “theological pluralism” while affirming “cultural pluralism.” Take 10 minutes to read this.


“I always liked evangelical. It seemed to me different from fundamentalism and mainline. It seemed more substantial than born-again, which often was used in ways that were intentionally divisive. To me it meant people who loved Jesus and took the Bible seriously, but were not afraid to read all kinds of books and discuss all kinds of ideas, and who cared about culture and statecraft and the arts. But it may not mean that to other people. Maybe the subculture I grew up in will eventually give in to confusion and competition and irrelevance. God is always getting people to sing new songs.” (John Ortberg, “What is an Evangelical?”


“Scientists have transformed one type of fully developed adult cell directly into another inside a living animal, a startling advance that could lead to cures for a variety of illnesses and sidestep the political and ethical quagmires associated with embryonic stem cell research.” (Washington Post)


“The Art of Manliness” has begun a three-part series called “Man Killers.” First up: Money.


“[Baylor Coach Art Briles’] Baylor debut seemed to generate more of a wait-and-see attitude than much of a buzz. Only about 30,000 came to 50,000-seat Floyd Casey Stadium to watch it and many started leaving when Wake Forest took a 34-6 lead late in the third quarter.” (Rivals.com) Yep, while Baylor holds its own in most of the other Big 12 sports, we get kinda quiet in the Fall. We all hope Coach Briles will give us a reason to return to the stadium, though.


“Blogs seem to magnify an existing problem in the body of Christ: We don't do a very good job listening to and learning from one another. It seems large numbers of the Theologically Preoccupied scowl across the pages of their study Bibles at the Evangelistically Fixated and accuse them of being culturally adrift--in some cases rightfully so. Many of the Evangelistically Fixated chuckle when they see books on evangelism written by many of the Theologically Preoccupied who sometimes consider the smallness of their churches a sign of their faithfulness. Let me propose a different way: Learn from one another and take the best from one another's approaches. Theologically deep believers with a passion for those far from Christ--I want both.” (Ed Stetzer)


“Standing 6 feet 5 inches in his jailhouse blues, with a square jaw and grey stubble, Mark Curran is the inmate in cell No. 2. He is also the sheriff. He hasn't been charged with any crimes. But Curran, the sheriff of Lake County, Ill., wanted to know the feeling of being caged. So he sentenced himself to a week in lock-up, in Waukegan.” (Newsweek story here. If you can’t find a sermon illustration in this story, go back to seminary.)

Sarah Palin comments and coverage

While John McCain’s VP selection of Governor Sarah Palin was a surprise to most, there has been intrigued speculation about her for some time. Here’s an Albert Mohler commentary from May on the decision Palin and her husband made to carry their fifth child to term with the knowledge he would be born with Down Syndrome.

“I’m more interested in the long-term cultural implications of the choice of Palin, whether the McCain–Palin ticket wins or loses in November, for one of the most vexing horizons of impossibility in our culture: the abortion rate among unborn babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome. The burden of bringing a Down Syndrome child into the world is seen as so grave that less than 10 percent of parents take the risk. But Sarah and Todd Palin have done it. They will cause many, many families to reconsider the horizons of the possible. Their public example could very well lead to a cultural sea change” (Andy Crouch)

“Palin appears to be part of that rapidly expanding galaxy of “post-denominational” Christianity, where elements of Evangelical and Pentecostal styles of faith and worship fuse into a myriad of unique local combinations, and where old denominational loyalties are essentially dead. . . . Palin’s nomination, therefore, does not simply mark a breakthrough for women, or for western states. She also puts a face on the fastest-growing and most dynamic segment of global Christianity these days – even if it’s proving difficult for journalists and political handicappers to get their minds around.” (National Catholic Reporter)

"She's so tough, she could be a Texan." (Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones, referring to Palin in the Statesman)

“Palin will be a compelling and mold-breaking example for lots of Americans who are told every day that to be even a bit conservative or Christian or old-fashioned is bad form.” (William Kristol)

“Anyone going after Palin for the important experience she lacks had better be careful not to dismiss the value of the experiences she does have. Raising a large family and running a small state may not be sufficient qualifications to assume the Presidency. But we're not going to get far by minimizing those jobs, either. Here again, the McCain campaign may be hoping that Democrats -- or the press -- will come down too hard on Palin, and spark a backlash that turns her into a working mom's hero. (Democrat Bruce Reed in Slate.)

What did Reed say? “Democrats—or the press”? When did those two groups get together? One group is partisan and the other is objec—pardon? Mollie’s on the line: “I realize the mainstream media is apoplectic over the selection of Gov. Palin as McCain’s VP. But yegads, people! Reporters and editors need to remember that their job is to present the news, not their unhinged opinions.” (Mollie at a must-must-read piece at GetReligion)

Song of the Week: Bruce Cockburn's "Rumours of Glory"

Great song. From his 1979 project Humans, listen to Bruce Cockburn's "Rumours of Glory." (Note to those of you reading my posts on Facebook or a Reader, you need to go to the weblog to use the player for this song.) I've been told this line is from Blase Pascal, who said that within all our failures as humans, we can see rumors of our former glory. We are made in the image of God but fallen image-bearers. Here are the song and lyrics:



Above the dark town
After the sun's gone down
Two vapour trails cross the sky
Catching the day's last slow goodbye
Black skyline looks rich as velvet
Something is shining
Like gold but better
Rumours of glory

Smiles mixed with curses
The crowd disperses
About whom no details are known
Each one alone yet not alone
Behind the pain/fear
Etched on the faces
Something is shining
Like gold but better
Rumours of glory

You see the extremes
Of what humans can be?
In that distance some tension's born
Energy surging like a storm
You plunge your hand in
And draw it back scorched
Beneath it's shining like
Gold but better
Rumours of glory

You Will Like Making Energy Efficiency Upgrades.

Attention Austin homeowners: you will like making energy efficiency upgrades, but if you don't, You Will Like Making Energy Efficiency Upgrades.

According to the article in the recent edition of Community Impact newspaper, The Energy Effeciency Upgrades Task Force is completing plans for a City Council ordinance that will require home sellers to secure an energy audit for potential home buyers. Following the audit, home sellers or buyers can make upgrades recommended in the audit. Austin Energy plans to continue its energy efficiency financial incentives, and the upgrades are supposed to pay for themselves in energy savings.

So far so good. Although I can't see why the energy audit can't be simply included in the home inspection that's already required, I expect most home buyers would welcome a report on the energy efficiency of the house they are considering. Following the audit, buyers and sellers could negotiate what upgrades each party will be willing to undertake, if any. Financial incentives from Austin Engery and the savings on utility bills should be motivation enough to make this work.

But here's the rub: if incentives and savings aren't enough to get enough homeowners to participate, the voluntary elements become mandatory. In other words, should the ordinance be proposed and passed in it present form, homeowners will have two choices when it comes to energy efficiency upgrades: you are going to like them or You Are Going to Like Them.

Yikes.

LeaderLines: Win-Win, Part 1

As a church worker you’re going to see (and sometimes share in) conflict. Do you look for ways to turn it into something beautiful?

Mount Everest and the rest of the Himalayas are the result of conflict. The Indian and Eurasian continents press into each other at the rate of about four inches a year, and all that earth and rock have to go somewhere, so it goes upward. As India keeps moving inward, compressing and lifting southern Eurasia, a spectacular natural treasure continues to be created.

Think of that: no collision, no Everest. The world would be a poorer place.

The collisions between people have the potential of creating the same majesty and wonder. The compression of two lives against each other is almost always uncomfortable, distressing, and frustrating. But it’s amazing how out of that compression a solution can be reached that is as towering and beautiful as Mount Everest.

One way to make something beautiful out of the collision of competing interests is to “think win-win.” Philippians 2:4 says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Not only . . . but also. Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Think win-win.

A “win-lose” attitude is based on the assumption that the only way the issue can be resolved is by one party winning and the other party losing. People with a “win-lose” attitude deal with conflicts determined to do whatever it takes to be the winner instead of the loser. I’ve met Christians with a “win-lose” mentality who feel that their approach to conflict is godly because they truly have no ambition to stick it to the loser; they have no motivation for retaliation; they have no bitterness in their heart. Their focus isn’t on making the other person lose, per say. It’s simply that, in their assumption that every conflict ends with a winner and a loser, they don’t want to be the loser.

On the other hand, a “win-win” attitude is based on the assumption that a resolution to the conflict can be found that will benefit both parties. In the conflicts you face, God wants you to think win-win. He wants you approaching the conflict with the expectant hope that both parties can end the conflict satisfied.

About 20 years ago, Roger Fisher and William Ury wrote a book called Getting to Yes. Since then it’s been translated into 25 different languages and millions of people have read it. The book is all about four principles of reaching agreement in a conflict, which I’ll summarize in four words: relationships, interests, creativity, and standards.

The amazing thing is that the principles from this Harvard business school book were already laid out 2000 years ago in God’s word. The Bible really is the world’s most practical book. Across the next 4 weeks in LeaderLines, we’ll see what God’s word has to say about these four principles:

Relationships: Separate the people from the problem.

Interests: Focus on the interests, not the positions.

Creativity: Brainstorm creative options for solving the problem.

Standards: Agree on the standards you will use to solve the problem.

We’ll begin next week with the first principle. God has provided a way for our conflicts to result in beauty. He wants us to look not only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. Whether it’s a conflict between those we lead or with those we lead, God wants us to enter into every conflict determined to find a win-win solution.

Take the Church-and-State Quiz

What role do you think the church (the community of God's people) should have in relation to government? Are you a "Radical Reformer," a "Thumpin' Theocrat," a "Private Patriot," or a "Quiet Critic"? Take Christianity Today's interactive quiz and find out.

Radical Reformers "see a strong prophetic role for the church and combine this with a robust call for political engagement to seek social and political change."

Quiet Critics "steer away from a direct role for the church in politics, instead emphasizing the church's purity by maintaining a separation from the state. From this perspective, the church best shares the gospel by being an alternative community that models Christian love."

Thumpin' Theocrats "sound the call for renewing a Christian America by recapturing its godly heritage."

Private Patriots "connect religious practice with support of the nation, but their application of faith to politics is as an outgrowth of personal piety rather than church involvement."

I took the poll, and according to the results I'm a Private Patriot:

Between "politically disengaged" and "politically enaged," I scored a 25, which is near the center but on the "disengaged" side. "Those scoring on the lower half of the chart," says the website, "may see politics as important, but they do not link it to the gospel or mission of the church. In fact, they may see political activity as a distraction from the church's central task. "

Second, between "prophet" and "chaplain," I scored a 39, which is near the center but on the "chaplain" side. "Those on the right half of the chart," says the website, "are generally supportive of the government and see the church offering guidance from within the system."

Take the interactive quiz and find out where you land.

Winning Ways: Are You a Functional Atheist?

Take a look at this strange word: GODISNOWHERE.

Maybe it’s, “God is nowhere” or maybe it’s “God is now here.” It all depends on how we look at it.

That’s true in life, too. God is closer than you think, but whether you discover that truth depends on how you look at life. Take a moment to reflect on two questions, and the rest of your week will be better for it.

First, are you living as if you’re on your own in this life? Maybe you’ve been saying, “God is nowhere.” That makes you a functional atheist. Functional atheists don’t say “God does not exist” but they function as if he does not. They go about life as if they’re on their own. Until Jacob’s encounter with God in Genesis 28, he went through life with that attitude. Before that moment, if you had asked Jacob if he believed there was a God, he probably would have simply shrugged and said, “That’s what I’ve heard.” But God was really nothing more than a name in some old stories that his father and grandfather used to tell. He lived with no real consideration of God. As far as he was concerned, he was on his own in this life.

Second, if you’ve been living as if you’re on your own, what should you do when you find out you’re not? In Genesis 28, Jacob discovered that God was active in his life and God had a plan for his life. The way he looked at life was different and he said, “God is now here! The Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it!” How do you respond when that realization breaks in on you? You realign you life to what God wants. You trust him. You look to him for guidance and provision. You ask him what he wants you to do with your life.

Discover the difference that comes from firm faith in God! Join us for worship this Sunday, August 31, at 9:30am or 10:45am!
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Special Note: Please see BJ Linam’s note in this week’s newsletter (online here). After nearly 9 years of service at Hillcrest, BJ and Dale will be moving to Nashville. They will be dearly missed, but we rejoice with them in their obedience to God’s call. Before their last Sunday, September 14, let them know of your thoughts and prayers!
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Healing Prayer

Church member Terry O'Daniel reported on God's answer to our prayers:

I had an ear infection in June and even after seeking immediate medical care I was left with partial hearing loss in my left ear. I was told the loss and constant ringing would be permanent and I should keep an open mind about a cochlear implant. I sought a second opinion and was given additional medication with only a 20% chance of it working. I asked for prayer using the Connection Card and asked my common ground group for prayer. In the mail the following week, I received a letter with signatures of all the people praying for me. I kept that letter and looked over it when I was praying with a heart of thanks and humility for all those people who were praying for healing of my ear.

Three weeks passed before I was to return to the doctor for a hearing test. When the audiologist performed the test, he said he was amazed that 90% of my hearing had returned. My ear was almost completely healed. I then spoke to the doctor and I told him that I was at peace with what had happened because I trusted God's plan but that I had a large group of people praying for me. He said he also believes in the power of prayer. I attribute the healing to a miracle since the medication has such a small chance of helping me.

With five young children, I need to be as healthy as possible to care for them. Thank you for your gift of time in praying for my healing. I praise God for healing my ear and for giving me a renewed gratitude for being able to fully hear my life around me.

Good news, Terry! We praise God with you!

Links to Your World, Tuesday August 26

“A lap dancer, a lesbian, and a lapsed Christian with a pregnant girlfriend are among the participants on the U.K.'s newest reality show, Make Me a Christian, where Christian leaders attempt to bring a group of unlikely candidates to the faith. The show's premise is to find out if Christianity can help repair the moral fabric of British society.” But Christians are complaining: Malcolm Smith, director of Youth for Christ in Gillingham, said, “They have edited a warped view of evangelical Christianity. There seems to be very little mention of Jesus, and little mention of love. The program portrays that you can't be a believer or follower of Christ until you get [the rules] sorted out. Surely that goes against 'whilst we were still sinners Christ died for us.'” (Read the story at Christianity Today)


Be sure to see the brief article and photos about Art Starrat’s WW2 experience. Starrat is a church member, and father of Caral Morgan.


“A shocking trend is gaining ground in teen dressing: modesty.” (CNN; related, this ABC News story, quoting modesty advocate, Wendy Shalit. Check out the websites at the end of the article.)


“"For pure enjoyment, the Bible has got some of the greatest mysteries, love stories, soap operas of any book ever written," he said. "... It's probably the greatest book on life and leadership ever written.’” (Krispy Kreme's latest CEO, Jim Morgan)


Now that the Olympics are over: “‘You’re talking about people who have trained for years, almost every day, and made huge sacrifices,’ in their relationships, career, all of it, said Charlie Brown, a sports psychologist. ‘And for some of them, once they have this huge, intense experience, it’s a very fragile situation afterwards.’ Psychologists have conducted a string of studies of Olympians’ transition to working life. Researchers found that only 17 percent made the transition to the workplace without significant emotional distress, including substance abuse and depression.” From a fascinating NY Times article, “After Glory of a Lifetime, Asking ‘What Now?’”


“One of the great things about being forced to go to church services is that we’d sing all these big songs. That’s partly why I’m obsessed with getting everyone to sing along at our shows. It makes me feel like I’m a part of something.” Coldplay's Chris Martin, in Rollling Stone (HT: Creation Project).


“As to the question when human life begins, the answer to which is above Mr. Obama's pay grade, oh, let's go on a little tear. You know why they call it birth control? Because it's meant to stop a birth from happening nine months later. We know when life begins. Everyone who ever bought a pack of condoms knows when life begins.” (Peggy Noonan)


Jacob Weisberg in Slate says there’s only one reason you won’t vote for Obama: racism. G-a-a-ah!


There are three rules for Fight Club: (1.) Know your sin, (2.) Fight your sin, (3.) Trust your Savior. Read more of this excellent article here. Jonathan Dodson is an Austin church planter.


“Many scientists and philosophers are convinced that free will doesn’t exist at all. Should we worry? If people come to believe that they don’t have free will, what will the consequences be for moral responsibility?” Read this Scientific American article.


“What's wrong with me? One of the classic highbrow defenses of videogames is that they allow you to experience new personalities -- to, in the words of Sherry Turkle, create a "second self." This is considered supremely healthy, because self-exploration is generally a good thing. But what happens if the second self you create inside videogames turns out to be a total d**k? (from Clive Thompson’s commentary in Wired magazine)


Back-to-School, Part 1: “Those first days of a new school year I looked forward to wearing my new school outfit, meeting new friends and new teachers, but the most meaningful and surely the most memorable moments were when I hurried to the breakfast table to see what my father had written to me that morning. I keep these letters in a special binder and read them every year about this time. have since passed this tradition on to my own children. The words are different as I have all boys, but the love, pride and well wishes for the coming year are the same. Tonight, I have placed three letters by three cereal bowls at our breakfast table” (From my sister’s blog, reflecting on letters she received from Dad on the first day of every school year.)


Back-to-School, Part 2: The NY Times ran an interesting story about the dicey task of teaching evolution in high school science classes. It opens with this story:

On the projector, Mr. Campbell placed slides of the cartoon icon: one at his skinny genesis in 1928; one from his 1940 turn as the impish Sorcerer’s Apprentice; and another of the rounded, ingratiating charmer of Mouse Club fame.

“How,” he asked his students, “has Mickey changed?”

Natives of Disney World’s home state, they waved their hands and called out answers.

“His tail gets shorter,” Bryce volunteered.

“Bigger eyes!” someone else shouted.

“He looks happier,” one girl observed. “And cuter.”

Mr. Campbell smiled. “Mickey evolved,” he said. “And Mickey gets cuter because Walt Disney makes more money that way. That is ‘selection.’ ”

Would that make Walt Disney, um, the intelligent designer in this process?

First Day of School

“Those first days of a new school year I looked forward to wearing my new school outfit, meeting new friends and new teachers, but the most meaningful and surely the most memorable moments were when I hurried to the breakfast table to see what my father had written to me that morning. I keep these letters in a special binder and read them every year about this time.

I have since passed this tradition on to my own children. The words are different as I have all boys, but the love, pride and well wishes for the coming year are the same. Tonight, I have placed three letters by three cereal bowls at our breakfast table.”

Read the full piece at my sister’s blog, reflecting on letters she received from Dad on the first day of every school year.

Song of the Week: Jars of Clay's "The Eleventh Hour"

Listen to the prayer from Jars of Clay, "The Eleventh Hour." Diane and I were talking about this song in the car today. She especially likes the line, "I won't give up on giving you the chance to blow my mind." I also like, "In time will I be what you're thinking of?" Good stuff--



Trace the shape of my heart
'Til it becomes more familiar to your eyes
I've been lost without you
Cold without your love
It's taken days and nights to make me realize

CHORUS:
Rescue me from hangin' on this line
I won't give up on giving you
The chance to blow my mind
Let the eleventh hour quickly pass me by
I'll find you when I think I'm out of time

Take the place of my heart
'Til I become a stranger to my life
I've been down without you
Wrong without your love
In time will I be what you're thinking of?

Rescue me from hangin' on this line
I won't give up on giving you
The chance to blow my mind
Let the eleventh hour quickly pass me by
I'll find you when I think I'm out of time

I've been down without you
Cold without your love
In time will I be what you're thinking of?

Rescue me from hangin' on this line
I won't give up on giving you
The chance to blow my mind
Let the eleventh hour quickly pass me by
I'll find you when I think I'm out of time

LeaderLines: “Making an Impact: Our Unity”

With this edition of LeaderLines we’ll wrap up our 4-week series called “Making an Impact.” We’ve been looking at the actions and attitudes that can make a powerful impact on the people around you. We began by looking at the impact of your passion. The next week we looked at the impact your prayer life can make on the lives of your lost friends and relatives. Last week we looked at the impact of your generosity.

This week let’s look at the impact of our unity. Christians are like snowflakes: individually we’re nothing, but together we can stop traffic. (It’s amazing what a bunch of flakes can do when we stick together!)

In John 17:23, Jesus prayed, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

When we are one, the world is won.

Now, what did Jesus have in mind when he prayed for oneness to develop between his followers? First, let’s be clear on what unity is not.

• Unity is not the simple act of assembling together. Billiard balls racked up on a pool table are assembled together, but they are not united. One smack from the cue ball and they scatter across the table. The simple habit of assembling together in a church does not automatically ensure unity. Oneness involves more than that.

• Unity is not uniformity. In our church we have unity, but not much uniformity in terms of educational background or income level.

• Unity is not the mere absence of conflict. The absence of conflict may signal apathy and complacency.

• Unity is not unanimity. Real unity is evident when 80% voted for blue carpet but the 20% who voted for green carpet rally behind the final decision. (For the life of me, I can’t ever imagine a church wasting its time voting on something like carpet color, but you get the picture. You can have unity without demanding unanimity.)

• Unity is not weak-kneed acquiescence to opposition. When some churches discuss a proposal, if there is any resistance to it at all, no matter how small the group, the proposal gets dropped. Let’s make sure we understand that the pursuit of unity is a very different thing than simply giving in to people resistant to change.

• Unity is not strong-armed stifling of opposition. Unity can never be achieved simply by cutting certain people out of the decision-making process. Sometimes we can do that unconsciously. In one church I served where a proposal was being discussed, a woman said, “Pastor, the church is just not in favor of this.” I was mystified, because most were enthused about the idea or at least open to it. I finally realized that when she said “the church,” what she meant was, “the people I spend time with.” With that mindset, she could sincerely say that “the church” was not in favor of the proposal, but her mindset was the problem. Let’s make sure we don’t make her mistake.

• Unity is not reducing every competing conviction to the lowest common denominator. As liberalism began to take hold of some mainline denominations, and leaders no longer believed in things like the divinity of Christ or the necessity of a personal commitment to Christ for salvation, leaders began to say, in effect, “Not everyone holds the same conviction about these things. For the sake of unity, we need a statement of beliefs we can all adhere to.” But uniting simply so we can say we’re united was not what Jesus prayed for in John 17.

Now that we have a clearer picture of what unity is not, let’s define what unity is. Unity is what happens when a group is committed to a specific belief and a specific course of action.

When Jesus prayed for unity among his people, he was praying that we would always keep our mind on what needed to be accomplished and pursue it together. In Acts, the first church was often described as being “of one accord.” That phrase shows up 10 times, and it means “of one mind and purpose.”

Now, they sometimes had to struggle to reach that spot. Acts 15 is one place in particular where you see strong disagreement and bitterness in the church as they struggled with what to do with new Christians from non-Jewish backgrounds. But as they worked through it they arrived at a solution that left them “of one accord.” That means they were thinking as people of one mind, they were moving as people headed toward one purpose.

But the fact that unity in Acts was something that sometimes had to be arrived at leads me to ask, “How is unity achieved?”

Jesus prayed, “May they be brought to complete unity.” Note that word, “brought.” Obviously that speaks of a process of growth. Let’s look at some things that will foster unity:

First, discipline yourself to make regular contacts with others. Unity requires that we make deliberate, planned, systematic efforts to develop our relationships with other people.

Second, seek first to understand, then to be understood. Make it a priority to truly hear others’ opinions and not just expressing yours.

Third, write your opinions of others in sand, not in marble. Stay flexible in your judgment of someone’s motives or character.

Fourth, discern the ways God is at work in others. When we look at each other with a sense of expectancy, wondering what God is doing in and through each person, a congregation becomes an exciting place to be!

These are some ways we can let the prayer of Christ for unity be answered in us. And when we are one, the world is won. I close with this beautiful story from a pastor in the Dallas, Texas area:

I have a son who was born without a left hand. One day in Sunday school the teacher was talking with the children about the church. To illustrate her point she folded her hands together and said, ‘Here’s the church, here’s the steeple; open the doors and see all the people.’ She asked the class to do it along with her--obviously not thinking about my son’s inability to pull this exercise off. Yet in the next moment it dawned on her that my son could not join in. Before she could do anything about it, the little boy next to my son, a friend of his from the time they were babies, reached out his left hand and said, ‘Let’s do it together.’ The two boys proceeded to join their hands together to make the church and the steeple. (The Connecting Church, p. 242.)

What a beautiful image of how people have to work together to make a church work! As a leader, you can make a tremendous impact by fostering this kind of unity among the people you serve and influence!

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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “Lost in Translation”

Mistranslations can be funny, but not always.

The Wall Street Journal reported on some signs at overseas businesses. The signs were translated into English for American tourists, but the signs lost their meanings in the translations.

Here’s one from a Swiss restaurant: “Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.”

Then there’s the posted notice in front of a Budapest zoo: “Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.”

One dental office boasted: “Teeth are extracted by the latest Methodists.”

In Copenhagen at least one airline was up front in how it handled luggage. Its sign read: “We will take your bags and send them in all directions.”

Or here’s another from a Japanese hotel, which led to some misunderstandings, I imagine: “You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.”

That’s like the laundry in Rome that advertised: “Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.”

Finally, there was the sign at a Paris hotel that advised: “Please leave your values at the front desk.”

Those signs are good for a chuckle. But it’s tragic when things get lost in the translation between Christ’s vision for his church and actually seeing the church in action.

That’s why we’ve started a new sermon series called “The Church You’ve Always Longed For.” We’re looking at six challenges from the Gospel of Matthew, and if we rise to those challenges we can be a better church. Last week we began the series by looking at how to place divine truth ahead of human tradition (listen here). This week we continue our series with a lesson on how to let love overcome prejudice. You can prepare for the message by reading Matthew 15:21-39.

This series is for your seeking friends as well as for believers. Some seekers give up their examination of Jesus because a certain Christian or a particular church has disappointed them. But isn’t that like rejecting Beethoven’s genius because your kid’s middle school orchestra performed his work so poorly?

Christ’s vision for his church is an ideal worth realizing. To love Jesus means loving what he loves--and, according to Scripture, Jesus “loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Let’s get together and figure out how to love the church as he did. Join us this Sunday at 9:30am or 10:45am.
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday August 19

Should Christians get tattoos or does Scripture prohibit body art?


The way the “Real Man Olympics” is keeping score, Ukraine is first and the USA is 10th in Beijing so far.


“How many of us actually live in the idealized Austin that we market to the rest of the world? How often do we spend time there? How much do we sequester ourselves in our own, far-flung ZIP codes?” My favorite Statesman reporter, Eileen Flynn, tackles these questions in a front-page story last Thursday.


“Son of Hamas Leader Turns Back on Islam and Embraces Christianity” (HT: Aimee). You’ll also find more in this excellent piece by Avi Issacharoff in Haaretz.


“Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency was expected to be a sideshow. McCain and Obama would make their specialized appeals to evangelicals as if they were an interest group such as organized labor or the National Rifle Association. Evangelicals would demonstrate, in turn, that they are not rubes and know-nothings. And Americans would turn en masse to watch the Olympics. What took place instead under Warren's precise and revealing questioning was the most important event so far of the 2008 campaign.” (You should read Michael Gerson’s take on the Saddleback Forum; it’s exactly how I would have reviewed the weekend event. If you missed the forum, you can watch it here.)



At the Saddleback Civil Forum this past Saturday, Obama said that, though he was pro-choice, his policies would actually reduce abortions better than efforts under President Bush, who, Obama claimed, left the abortion rate unchanged during his terms of office. Not correct, according to Planned Parenthood’s own research agency, the Guttmacher Institute. Abortions are actually at their lowest rate since 1975 and dropped nine percent between 2000 and 2005. Still, I’m grateful for the changes that Obama and the Democrats have made to their platform, proposing steps that would (presumably) reduce abortions.


“The received wisdom is that President Bush has been a foreign policy disaster, and that America is threatened by the rise of Asia. Both claims are wrong--Bush has successfully rolled back jihadism, and the US will benefit from Asian growth.” Read this excellent cover story, “A Truman for Our Times,” from the UK publication, Prospect.


Caucasians Not Majority By 2042.


Are your devotionals like this? (HT: Think Christian)

Song of the Week: Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On"

Since Diane's birthday is tomorrow, here's Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On." We loved Rae's performance in this season's Austin City Limits on PBS, and she's a sister in Christ.

LeaderLines: “Making an Impact: Our Generosity”

We’re taking several editions of LeaderLines to look at the actions and attitudes that can make a powerful impact on the people around you. We began by looking at the impact of your passion. Last week we looked at the impact your prayer life can make on the lives of your lost friends and relatives.

In this edition of LeaderLines, think about the generosity of your time, your talent, and your income. When you give of yourself to benefit someone else, you make a tremendous impact. Make a note of three ways generosity makes a difference.

First, generosity activates ministry.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:6 (Msg), “Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.”

In God’s word, our giving is compared to sowing potent, productive seed. When we’re generous, we never lose seed. Our giving produces results as surely as scattering seed into soil produces a garden. One man has even suggested that we begin calling our offering plates by another name: “investment plates.” At the church he serves, he put it in the bulletin and encouraged ushers to pray not for the “offering” but for the “investment.” It was a deliberate way to remind people of the truth of this passage. God always produces a return on our giving. It is an investment.

And, since that is true, then Paul takes it a step further: the more generous the investment, the more significant the results. He says in verse 6, “A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop.” We want a lavish harvest from our efforts at impacting the lives around us, so we need to be lavish planters. We need to generously sow a part of our very selves as seeds into this community.

Let me add two more ways generosity impacts life, because generosity makes its impact felt in our own lives as well.

Second, generosity accumulates blessing.

Proverbs 11:25 (NIV) says, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” There is a divine reciprocity that comes from generosity.

Now, I would never urge you to give in order to get. But neither would I want to deprive anyone of one of the great promises of God’s word. Over and over again, the Bible promises a personal return from generosity. We see it in Proverbs 11, we see it Malachi 3, and we see it in the words of Jesus: Give and it will be given to you.

It’s true for Diane and me: every time we’ve given when we didn’t think we had it to give, and every time we’ve shown hospitality when we didn’t think we had the time, and every time we’ve applied our talents to helping others, God has rewarded us. Be assured: whatever effort you make will be rewarded with God’s promise of refreshment.

One more thing: Generosity activates ministry and accumulates blessing but also--

Third, generosity anticipates heaven.

Paul told Timothy that one of his roles as a pastor was to, “Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage--to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17, Msg).

Did you catch what he said at the end? When you’re extravagantly generous it results in the building up of an unearthly treasury.

I don’t know all that that means, but Paul wasn’t the only one to say it. He was simply echoing the same words that Jesus spoke in the Sermon on the Mount. The Bible seems to be telling us that not all of us will experience heaven equally. In other places the Bible tells us that our level of authority in heaven is related to our degree of faithfulness on earth, and now passages like 1 Timothy 6 and others seem to be telling us that the degree of our generosity on earth also impacts our heavenly experience.

What we do on this earth is being watched, it’s being recorded, and it counts long, long into eternity. I find that remarkable that God has set up his kingdom in such a way that whatever I do for these few decades of earthly life makes a difference into eternity itself.

So generosity activates ministry, accumulates blessing, and anticipates heaven. As a partner in leadership with me at Hillcrest, we must set the example with the generous contribution of our time, talent and income to the advancement of God’s kingdom!
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Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by over 300 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Winning Ways: “The Church You’ve Always Longed For”

In Ethiopia, visitors can tour a cluster of eleven church structures cut out of a single body of rock. The architectural marvel was completed 8 centuries ago using simple tools. According to legend, it all started when angels took Ethiopea’s King Lalibela up to heaven where God gave him the design he was to follow. For the next 24 years, Lalibela directed the carving of these church buildings from solid rock.

I don’t know if God gave King Lalibela the blueprints for a church building, but God has given us the blueprints for building a church. God’s church is not a building you go to but a body you belong to. Starting this Sunday, we’ll look at six characteristics God wants in his people--his church.

Many articles and opinion polls tell us that people are disillusioned with churches. In fact, according to one survey, the fastest-growing religious identification is “unaffiliated.”

But I’ve discovered that when people look at Christ’s intent for his church, their cynicism begins to melt away. They realize that, just like they shouldn’t reject Beethoven’s genius because their kid’s Middle School orchestra performed his work so poorly, neither should they reject Christ when his followers fall short of his expectations.

So, we’re going to look at Christ’s expectations. As we continue our study through the Gospel of Matthew, we’ll find six characteristics that God’s people should be known for.

It’s interesting to find that the kind of church Jesus wants us to be is also the church you’ve always longed for. Of course, we can let our selfish preferences drive our decisions about a church. But deep down, the things Jesus wants in our church are the things we really long to see in a church anyway: truth as well as love, boldness as well as humility, and honesty as well as forgiveness.

Of course, we’re tempted to say, “Show me a church like that and I’ll join it!” In reality, we need to say, “I’ll join with others to show the world a church like that.” In other words, the challenge isn’t to find the perfect church but to help your church fulfill Christ’s vision of the perfect church.
So, join us this week at 9:30am or 10:45am. Bring someone with you, and let’s build the church you’ve always longed for!
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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.

Links to Your World, Tuesday April 12

Wired magazine suggests some “Things Not to Say in a Facebook Status Update.”


You should read about Ryan Hall, the passionate young Christian running for the US in the Olympic marathon August 24.


Time magazine ran a fascinating cover story on Rick Warren, the purpose-driven pastor of Saddleback Church. He has an ambitious P.E.A.C.E. plan for global missions.


Kudos to CNN’s John Blake for a compelling article on race relations in American churches.


“Himalayan mountaineering is an inherently dangerous pastime, and climbers are always at risk from the unexpected. But mountaineering has become more dangerous in recent decades as the traditional expeditionary culture of the early- and mid-20th century, which had emphasized mutual responsibility and common endeavor, gave way to an ethos stressing individualism and self-preservation.” (“The Descent of Men”)


“‘Dead’ Man Awakens Before Autopsy, Shocks Doctors by Asking for Glass of Water” Yep, they expected him to ask for iced tea.


Forbes magazine named Austin the hardest-drinking city in the U.S.; this Statesman editorial expresses concern.


10 Ways to Pray for the Marriages of Your Adult Children.


Cool. Lightning bolt captured in slow motion.


Read what John McCain and Barack Obama told Time magazine about their Christian faith.


Ed Stetzer is an important voice among evangelicals, especially for the under-45 crowd, and he can't endorse Obama.


Stanley Kurtz reviewed Barack Obama’s newspaper articles written between 1996 and 2004, and he concludes that they portray “a Barack Obama sharply at variance with the image of the post-racial, post-ideological, bipartisan, culture-war-shunning politician familiar from current media coverage and purveyed by the Obama campaign. . . . The politician chronicled here is profoundly race-conscious, exceedingly liberal, free-spending even in the face of looming state budget deficits, and partisan. Elected president, this man would presumably shift the country sharply to the left on all the key issues of the day--culture-war issues included.”


“‘Elitist’ is another word for ‘arrogant,’ which is another word for ‘uppity,’ that old calumny applied to blacks who stood up for themselves,” according to David Shipler in the LA Times (HT: OpinionJournal). That’s not all. Shipler says that casting Obama as ‘out of touch’ “plays harmoniously with the traditional notion of blacks as ‘others’ and saying he is ‘not ready’ is “a phrase employed often when blacks are up for promotion.” And when someone mocks Obama for the emptiness of his eloquence, it’s an echo of the “slander that blacks had more show than substance.” In other words, no matter what objection is raised about Obama, Shipler says it’s a sign of being a closet racist. Ga-a-a-h!


10 mispronunciations that make you sound stupid. I’d also add “Revelations” when you’re speaking about the book of Revelation, and “Send in the calvary” when you’re speaking about the “cavalry,” like those that rode to the rescue in old Westerns.


MIT scientists say, “We Can Cut Fuel Consumption 50 Percent in 25 Years.”


Natalie Angier of the NY Times reflects on the powerful, unappreciated sense of smell.


Science explores the benefits of boredom.


Why do we capitalize the word “I”?

Song of the Week: Sixpence None the Richer's "Around"

A band with Austin roots, Sixpence None the Richer, has re-formed. From their new EP, My Dear Machine, here's "Around"--


Check out the album for yourself. You can pay what you want for their 4-track album at Noise Trade: