Last week I was speaking with someone about the concept of “success to significance” and its associated terms. I was asked how I defined “success” within this idea. I thought about it and gave a long pause. I could only imagine if my wife was there and telling me to just give a simple answer or some of my friends telling me not to overanalyze and not to be a rabble-rouser.
I finally replied, “Sorry, I just don’t think within such a framework. Maybe I would say it’s more about influence and impact.”
After this afternoon chat, where we touched upon other topics, I came back to the idea of “success to significance” that evening. It had been several years since I read Bob Buford’s “Half Time.” It really didn’t speak to me back then and I realized even more so today. I’ve attended some conferences inspired by “Half Time” which primarily targeted very successful businessmen in their 50s and beyond, and gained a great amount of insight and inspiration. I was one of the thirty-something attendees blessed enough to attend and learn from those with more experience and wisdom from life.
The concept of “success to significance” does speaks well to successful business owners or Fortune 500 executives in their 50s and beyond, especially those who were consumed by their drive towards their goals of success. But the yearning question for me since that afternoon chat was, “Why is a successful life bifurcated?”
The big picture concept of “Half Time” is that there is the first half of life where people focus on achieving their successes and the second half where you can refocus (or recommit to God) on being significant in your life mission for God. This would typically translate into more time and commitment to church or some ministry. I don’t believe it was intentionally stated, but this transition lessens the significance of work.
In rereading “Half Time” this past week, I didn’t understand why these concepts couldn’t be applied to those in the “first half” of their lives. This bifurcation of church and work; business and nonprofit work; Sunday and the rest of the week are concepts I previously identified (“Cultural Cocktails: Biblical Faith and Work with a Splash of Eastern and Western Philosophies”) as fruits of dualism from Western philosophies and not a biblical perspective of living our lives. The idea of “success to significance” seems to be a continuation of dualism that is core to Western culture and which heavily influences the church in the U.S.
If I were to take a cynical viewpoint of this concept, I would say that it’s excusing successful people for placing God second or lower in their lives during their first half. In reality, I know that it does speak well to many, allows them to recommit their lives to God and creates an impact for God in many areas. But this is not a message or a model for a wider audience. This is not a concept to behold for future generations.
From the start of a career, people should constantly be seeking and praying for their calling whether a corporate career, tech entrepreneur, restaurant owner, physician, school teacher or missionary. This calling is a person’s ministry and sphere of influence. Not a means to a ministry, but how God will use you to reach others. People should be constantly defining their life’s mission and aligning their goals with God’s goals for their lives.
A few years ago my parents successfully sold their coffee chain, took a year off to travel, and began praying about their next business. My mother is definitely a person that wants to work until she passes. Both of them want to stay active, but they were patient about their next business and really wanted God’s hand upon it. I remember them telling me that they regret not being truly committed to God as they worked hard, stressed out and sold their last business. They really wanted to commit everything to prayer and rely on God in all matters of their next business idea. My parents told me not to wait until I was in my fifties to realize this truth, but to really submit to God now and seek out his will. After hearing their earnestness, I heard and understood the regret in their voices. So it echoes within my heart as I write this and say to myself, “I don’t want to experience a half time in my life or to find significance in my faith after success. I want my faith to be integrated into the life I lead today.”
Originally published at InsideWork.
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
What Motivates Your Heart?
My article at InsideWork is up and also reposted below. Heads up since it has religious references.
What Motivates Your Heart?
Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation
Recently I watched Dan Pink’s TEDTalk where he sought to answer the question of what motivates people.
Pink talked about Karl Duncker’s candle problem and variations of his experiment that explored the science of motivation. One experiment asked a group to solve this problem and explained that it would be timed to established norms. A second group was offered financial incentives. If you were in the top 20% of the fastest times, you would receive five dollars. If you were the fastest of everyone, you would receive twenty dollars.
The results were obvious, right? The second group, motivated by financial incentives, took on average 3.5 minutes longer. Yes, longer. Would this work in third world countries and developing economies? Yes. This study has been replicated over 40 years across numerous cultures.
What is basic knowledge in the social sciences should have been an epiphany in the corporate world, but this hasn’t occurred yet. Dan Pink went on to explain how extrinsic motivators, such as carrots and money, work for simple tasks, but not for complicated tasks.
He stated, “If you want engagement, self-direction works better.”
As long as the task involved only mechanical skill, bonuses worked as they would be expected: the higher the pay, the better the performance. But once the task called for “even rudimentary cognitive skill,” a larger reward “led to poorer performance.
— D. Adriely, U. Gneezy, G. Lowenstein, & N. Mazar, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Pink’s talk sent me back to my high school years where I recalled listening to the common sermon on storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6: 19-14) and being turned off. I remember thinking as a young believer, “Why would the idea of storing up riches in heaven motivate me at all? If accumulating wealth didn’t interest me as a non-believer, why would it interest me as a believer?”
Reflecting back on all those sermons, I don’t remember a pastor ever analyzing this and bringing out God’s wisdom that was as insightful as Dan Pink’s talk. Maybe these pastors should have read what Pink discovered. Of course, part of my lack of recall could have been due to my own ignorance since I incorrectly assumed these pastors were discussing a similar monetary system would be established in heaven as on earth. Heavenly dollars? Who cares about storing up treasures in heaven?
Now since I’m a bit older and a little more informed, I realized after listening to Pink’s talk that God already knew this about us.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
The treasure that motivates us in what’s in our hearts. Hopefully as believers it’s Christ and God’s words for us. It’s not a promise of material wealth that will motivate people to change and live a life to glorify God, but the relationship that God offers—the daily sanctuary, peace, joy, wisdom and love that he freely gives.
John MacArthur has a great story on this:
During the time of the Decian persecution in Rome, the Roman authorities broke into a certain church thinking they could loot their treasures. The Roman prefect who was in charge stepped up to one saint named Laurentius and said, “Show me your treasures at once.” Laurentius pointed to a group of widows and orphans who happened to be eating a meal and said, “There are the treasures of the church. We have invested all we have in them.” That is treasure in heaven. Beloved, remember that what we keep we lose, and what we invest with God we gain eternally.
So if pastors and Christian leaders would pierce into God’s wisdom on the question of what motivates people, how would this reflect on their sermons? Their actions?
As business executives and managers, how does this affect your approach in working with your colleagues? I assume, to understand people better, you would first have to learn more about them and try to see where their hearts lie. This sounds like a commitment of time to me. Some people are open books, but most take time to reveal their hearts. If you can’t find any widows and orphans, investing in the people around you is a good start to building up your treasures in heaven.
What Motivates Your Heart?
Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation
Recently I watched Dan Pink’s TEDTalk where he sought to answer the question of what motivates people.
Pink talked about Karl Duncker’s candle problem and variations of his experiment that explored the science of motivation. One experiment asked a group to solve this problem and explained that it would be timed to established norms. A second group was offered financial incentives. If you were in the top 20% of the fastest times, you would receive five dollars. If you were the fastest of everyone, you would receive twenty dollars.
The results were obvious, right? The second group, motivated by financial incentives, took on average 3.5 minutes longer. Yes, longer. Would this work in third world countries and developing economies? Yes. This study has been replicated over 40 years across numerous cultures.
What is basic knowledge in the social sciences should have been an epiphany in the corporate world, but this hasn’t occurred yet. Dan Pink went on to explain how extrinsic motivators, such as carrots and money, work for simple tasks, but not for complicated tasks.
He stated, “If you want engagement, self-direction works better.”
As long as the task involved only mechanical skill, bonuses worked as they would be expected: the higher the pay, the better the performance. But once the task called for “even rudimentary cognitive skill,” a larger reward “led to poorer performance.
— D. Adriely, U. Gneezy, G. Lowenstein, & N. Mazar, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
Pink’s talk sent me back to my high school years where I recalled listening to the common sermon on storing up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6: 19-14) and being turned off. I remember thinking as a young believer, “Why would the idea of storing up riches in heaven motivate me at all? If accumulating wealth didn’t interest me as a non-believer, why would it interest me as a believer?”
Reflecting back on all those sermons, I don’t remember a pastor ever analyzing this and bringing out God’s wisdom that was as insightful as Dan Pink’s talk. Maybe these pastors should have read what Pink discovered. Of course, part of my lack of recall could have been due to my own ignorance since I incorrectly assumed these pastors were discussing a similar monetary system would be established in heaven as on earth. Heavenly dollars? Who cares about storing up treasures in heaven?
Now since I’m a bit older and a little more informed, I realized after listening to Pink’s talk that God already knew this about us.
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
The treasure that motivates us in what’s in our hearts. Hopefully as believers it’s Christ and God’s words for us. It’s not a promise of material wealth that will motivate people to change and live a life to glorify God, but the relationship that God offers—the daily sanctuary, peace, joy, wisdom and love that he freely gives.
John MacArthur has a great story on this:
During the time of the Decian persecution in Rome, the Roman authorities broke into a certain church thinking they could loot their treasures. The Roman prefect who was in charge stepped up to one saint named Laurentius and said, “Show me your treasures at once.” Laurentius pointed to a group of widows and orphans who happened to be eating a meal and said, “There are the treasures of the church. We have invested all we have in them.” That is treasure in heaven. Beloved, remember that what we keep we lose, and what we invest with God we gain eternally.
So if pastors and Christian leaders would pierce into God’s wisdom on the question of what motivates people, how would this reflect on their sermons? Their actions?
As business executives and managers, how does this affect your approach in working with your colleagues? I assume, to understand people better, you would first have to learn more about them and try to see where their hearts lie. This sounds like a commitment of time to me. Some people are open books, but most take time to reveal their hearts. If you can’t find any widows and orphans, investing in the people around you is a good start to building up your treasures in heaven.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
"International Religious Freedom Advocacy: A Guide to Organizations, Law, and NGOs"
International Religious Freedom Advocacy: A Guide to Organizations, Law, and NGOs is a new book by H. Knox Thames, Chris Seiple, and Amy Rowe. Here's an overview:
"A unique guidebook for engagement, providing helpful insights into the tangled web of international organizations, international law, and non-governmental organizations that work to advance religious freedom worldwide. This handbook focuses on the practical; it is neither an exhaustive encyclopedia nor an academic treatise debating the "theology" of religious freedom. It is a user-friendly, straightforward tool for empowering would-be advocates to effectively promote religious freedom."
Some praise for the book:
"Drawing on a wealth of first-hand experience, Chris Seiple, Knox Thames, and Amy Rowe have produced a serious, systematic guide to the complex world of international religious freedom advocacy. From the UN to the EU to the African Union, International Religious Freedom Advocacy offers individual religious freedom advocates a unique ‘how-to’ manual to the daunting task of navigating multinational organizations and global NGOs. This book is an important contribution to the field."
— Walter Russell Mead, Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations
"A long overdue work of practical scholarship for policymakers and advocates alike. It is certain to become a standard in the classroom and in the field."
— Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State
"This Handbook outlines practical and clear strategies for advocates of religious freedom. As Pope Benedict XVI reminded us on his visit to the United States: 'The task of upholding religious freedom is never completed.' This Handbook will help advocates to uphold religious freedom and by so doing promote justice and peace in the world."
— Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington
"A unique guidebook for engagement, providing helpful insights into the tangled web of international organizations, international law, and non-governmental organizations that work to advance religious freedom worldwide. This handbook focuses on the practical; it is neither an exhaustive encyclopedia nor an academic treatise debating the "theology" of religious freedom. It is a user-friendly, straightforward tool for empowering would-be advocates to effectively promote religious freedom."
Some praise for the book:
"Drawing on a wealth of first-hand experience, Chris Seiple, Knox Thames, and Amy Rowe have produced a serious, systematic guide to the complex world of international religious freedom advocacy. From the UN to the EU to the African Union, International Religious Freedom Advocacy offers individual religious freedom advocates a unique ‘how-to’ manual to the daunting task of navigating multinational organizations and global NGOs. This book is an important contribution to the field."
— Walter Russell Mead, Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations
"A long overdue work of practical scholarship for policymakers and advocates alike. It is certain to become a standard in the classroom and in the field."
— Madeleine K. Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State
"This Handbook outlines practical and clear strategies for advocates of religious freedom. As Pope Benedict XVI reminded us on his visit to the United States: 'The task of upholding religious freedom is never completed.' This Handbook will help advocates to uphold religious freedom and by so doing promote justice and peace in the world."
— Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington
Monday, March 16, 2009
At $347,000 Per Baptism Maybe It’s Time To Rethink Church
(heads up since this is a religious post... a snarky religious post)
The absence of trust today is palpable. We don’t need to hear leaders, pundits and ordinary Joes talking about the breakdown of trust as the reality of the financial meltdown touches our lives—so many stories, of credit denied, of honest families victimized in financial scandals, of hardworking people losing their nest eggs in the stock market, of faithful employees laid off by companies they devoted themselves to for years… We can feel the distrust growing—in our banking system, government, corporations, even religious organizations.
How do we stop this? What treatment can heal these deep wounds? Wide sweeping federal policy? Complete reform of our banking system? State and local initiatives? Independent corporate reform through industry associations? Spiritual reformation?
There is also denial in the air. Last week in a board meeting of a nonprofit I am committed to the executive director stated that their umbrella association told them that even during downturns giving remains consistent. I silently shook my head but didn’t get a chance to remind them this isn’t just any downturn. When some of their wealthiest donors lose 50% of their wealth and 18% of overall American wealth disappears, it will affect their giving.
While contemplating on these larger scale issues, I narrowed my thinking to Christendom because I wanted to revisit a number that kept bothering me after reading Al Lunsford’s piece, Business is Our Mission. Al referred to research that indicated a global cost of $347,000 per baptism. What?? I had to do a double take. Of course you cannot put price a soul, and no one knows what the Spirt of God is doing or how long that work will take in a person’s life (or how long it has gone on already), but that’s not what this is about. When Nike states their customer acquisition costs are $100 per person against a lifetime customer value of x, are they placing a value on human life? Of course not. They are using financial tools to pursue efficiency and improve their understanding and intelligently utilize resources. And that, we have to assume, is what that $347,000 per baptism number is all about as well.
As I’ve been thinking about this, it was interesting to learn from a friend that a large parachurch organization ran a similar analysis and found their cost of conversion to be approximately $300,000. Whether cost per baptism or cost per conversion, these financial exercises bring important questions to the forefront.
“$347,000” bothered me so much that I contacted the International Bulletin of Missionary Research who put together the insightful study that produced this number. I haven’t heard back after my initial inquiry, so I decided to do my own back-of-the-envelope calculations.
The International Bulletin of Missionary Research estimated $410 billion/year in giving to “Christian” causes worldwide over the recent years. This was broken down to $160 billion to churches and $250 billion to parachurch organizations every year. Let’s assume that $347,000 per baptism is simply the total giving of $410 billion divided by the number of baptisms tracked. If this simple method was used, then the cost per baptism is tremendously overstated since we would have to assume a large portion is allocated to the operations of those churches and parachurch organizations.
I am assuming the primary mission of these organizations has something to do with making followers of Christ. The question is how much is being spent on the core mission of these organizations and how effective are they? A comparable question in the business world is asking how much do we spend on marketing and how effective is our program? For many companies, the benchmark is approximately ten percent of budget. Ten percent of $410 billion is $41 billion, which would make the figure $34,700 per baptism.
I would assume though that a church and parachurch organizations should be more focused to their mission than a companies, and, one could argue, their core mission should be their only focus. If a church were a business, would it really only devote 10% of the budget to getting out their message? Eyeballing, 30% or higher seems more appropriate. If this really is the case, I think $104,000 per baptism—or higher—is flabbergasting. And I suppose if one went with the argument that the only mission of a church or parachurch is making new Christians—a premise I don’t think stands up to biblical scrutiny—then the simple arithmetic of total expenditures ÷ number of new converts = cost/baptism, more or less. $347,000.
$347,000, $104,000, even $34,700…all seem ridiculously high. It screams waste to me. How much is being spent on non-core programs or questionable activities? There are easy targets like some mega-church pastors who have private jets and chauffeur-driven limousines. I wonder if some of them have Ferris wheels in their backyards, rent out Disneyland for their children, or bought gold plated driveway gates with God’s money…
Most systemic problems are hidden and not so overt as that, so I don’t believe the bling bling pastors should carry the whole burden of waste. Over the past decades I’ve heard or read about pastors of small and medium size churches retaining secret slush funds or making questionable purchases for their families. But does this add up to billions in waste? Probably not.
I’m guessing most of these non-core expenditures are for ethical but non-essential purposes, so how do you make a judgment call on such things and who is held accountable? There is pressure to grow, to buy bigger buildings, build bigger parking lots, or to have a summer retreat lodge. Nowadays churches have to provide social services as much as delivering God’s word. Golf groups, open gym, counseling and so on. Nothing is wrong with these services but what do they have to do with extending the kingdom of God—especially if they pull followers of Christ out of the world to the supposed safety of Christian ghettos?
If churches were to model themselves after a business organization, I would say an ideal example is the advertising firm. Think Crispin Porter + Bogusky—a lean and mean organization with a team obsessed on their client’s ad campaign. Their creatives are up day and night sweating to develop the best methods of reaching into their client’s customer base. As in any great firm, they are conscience of their client’s dollar and how best to spend it.
Reality is different. Most churches wouldn’t be compared to an advertising firm. Maybe an auto manufacturer? Steel company? I’m thinking country club. High operational costs, high touch, and high service. Also they might be characterized as insular, having rigid semantic biases, and of course a snotty attitude towards non-members.
Maybe today’s financial crisis is a blessing for “Christian” organizations across the globe, but especially in the most developed nations. The larger scale issues point to systemic deficiencies across a our society that is crying for change. What are some of these changes?
Openness!
There needs to be a willingness to open up and reassess where these organizations stand. Leaders needs to ask hard questions and then to create change. This process takes wisdom, courage and humility. I was encouraged when I saw Bill Hybels’ 2008 leadership presentation on “the wake-up call of his life” when he and the Willow Creek Community Church staff discovered their programs were not effective in creating sustainable growth for believers. He asked the hard question: “Do you ever wonder if we’re using God’s money and God’s resources in ways that are really achieving the mission of our church?” Every church and parachurch organization should ask this question every month.
Transparency!
There should be transparency of organizational budgets. Technology allows for this, so why not put up detailed budgets on Google docs or a wiki for everyone to see? This transparency creates accountability beyond the pastor or executive director and maybe a board made up of long-time friends.
Focus!
It’s time to rethink the assumption that, if we build it—church campuses, religious non-profits, alternative communities within communities—they will come. Does God dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands? Do we really expect religious professionals, who are outsiders in the places we work, to communicate the good news of the kingdom of God to our colleagues, while we—the insiders—stand passively by, wishing we could contribute more?
Action!
It’s easy to criticize organizations in their inefficiencies, but I believe at least half of the problem rests in the people who fill up pews and fellowship meetings. Believers have become old country club members who love to lounge on the greens and talk shop with their buddies. Maybe some of us have had too many manicures and hate to dirty our fingers. Believers need to step out of the comfort zone and engage the world —not be afraid, not separate from the world, not arrogantly defying, but engaging the world as it is, not as it is supposed to be.
The tail is wagging the dog. Proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor does not require a 501(C)(3) corporation. The kingdom of God is not infrastructure dependent. New converts shouldn’t cost a nickel as they have already been paid for. At $347,000 per baptism, maybe it’s time to rethink Church.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
(HatTip to Al, Sam, Hamon, and Jim for insights, info and edits)
The absence of trust today is palpable. We don’t need to hear leaders, pundits and ordinary Joes talking about the breakdown of trust as the reality of the financial meltdown touches our lives—so many stories, of credit denied, of honest families victimized in financial scandals, of hardworking people losing their nest eggs in the stock market, of faithful employees laid off by companies they devoted themselves to for years… We can feel the distrust growing—in our banking system, government, corporations, even religious organizations.
How do we stop this? What treatment can heal these deep wounds? Wide sweeping federal policy? Complete reform of our banking system? State and local initiatives? Independent corporate reform through industry associations? Spiritual reformation?
There is also denial in the air. Last week in a board meeting of a nonprofit I am committed to the executive director stated that their umbrella association told them that even during downturns giving remains consistent. I silently shook my head but didn’t get a chance to remind them this isn’t just any downturn. When some of their wealthiest donors lose 50% of their wealth and 18% of overall American wealth disappears, it will affect their giving.
While contemplating on these larger scale issues, I narrowed my thinking to Christendom because I wanted to revisit a number that kept bothering me after reading Al Lunsford’s piece, Business is Our Mission. Al referred to research that indicated a global cost of $347,000 per baptism. What?? I had to do a double take. Of course you cannot put price a soul, and no one knows what the Spirt of God is doing or how long that work will take in a person’s life (or how long it has gone on already), but that’s not what this is about. When Nike states their customer acquisition costs are $100 per person against a lifetime customer value of x, are they placing a value on human life? Of course not. They are using financial tools to pursue efficiency and improve their understanding and intelligently utilize resources. And that, we have to assume, is what that $347,000 per baptism number is all about as well.
As I’ve been thinking about this, it was interesting to learn from a friend that a large parachurch organization ran a similar analysis and found their cost of conversion to be approximately $300,000. Whether cost per baptism or cost per conversion, these financial exercises bring important questions to the forefront.
“$347,000” bothered me so much that I contacted the International Bulletin of Missionary Research who put together the insightful study that produced this number. I haven’t heard back after my initial inquiry, so I decided to do my own back-of-the-envelope calculations.
The International Bulletin of Missionary Research estimated $410 billion/year in giving to “Christian” causes worldwide over the recent years. This was broken down to $160 billion to churches and $250 billion to parachurch organizations every year. Let’s assume that $347,000 per baptism is simply the total giving of $410 billion divided by the number of baptisms tracked. If this simple method was used, then the cost per baptism is tremendously overstated since we would have to assume a large portion is allocated to the operations of those churches and parachurch organizations.
I am assuming the primary mission of these organizations has something to do with making followers of Christ. The question is how much is being spent on the core mission of these organizations and how effective are they? A comparable question in the business world is asking how much do we spend on marketing and how effective is our program? For many companies, the benchmark is approximately ten percent of budget. Ten percent of $410 billion is $41 billion, which would make the figure $34,700 per baptism.
I would assume though that a church and parachurch organizations should be more focused to their mission than a companies, and, one could argue, their core mission should be their only focus. If a church were a business, would it really only devote 10% of the budget to getting out their message? Eyeballing, 30% or higher seems more appropriate. If this really is the case, I think $104,000 per baptism—or higher—is flabbergasting. And I suppose if one went with the argument that the only mission of a church or parachurch is making new Christians—a premise I don’t think stands up to biblical scrutiny—then the simple arithmetic of total expenditures ÷ number of new converts = cost/baptism, more or less. $347,000.
$347,000, $104,000, even $34,700…all seem ridiculously high. It screams waste to me. How much is being spent on non-core programs or questionable activities? There are easy targets like some mega-church pastors who have private jets and chauffeur-driven limousines. I wonder if some of them have Ferris wheels in their backyards, rent out Disneyland for their children, or bought gold plated driveway gates with God’s money…
Most systemic problems are hidden and not so overt as that, so I don’t believe the bling bling pastors should carry the whole burden of waste. Over the past decades I’ve heard or read about pastors of small and medium size churches retaining secret slush funds or making questionable purchases for their families. But does this add up to billions in waste? Probably not.
I’m guessing most of these non-core expenditures are for ethical but non-essential purposes, so how do you make a judgment call on such things and who is held accountable? There is pressure to grow, to buy bigger buildings, build bigger parking lots, or to have a summer retreat lodge. Nowadays churches have to provide social services as much as delivering God’s word. Golf groups, open gym, counseling and so on. Nothing is wrong with these services but what do they have to do with extending the kingdom of God—especially if they pull followers of Christ out of the world to the supposed safety of Christian ghettos?
If churches were to model themselves after a business organization, I would say an ideal example is the advertising firm. Think Crispin Porter + Bogusky—a lean and mean organization with a team obsessed on their client’s ad campaign. Their creatives are up day and night sweating to develop the best methods of reaching into their client’s customer base. As in any great firm, they are conscience of their client’s dollar and how best to spend it.
Reality is different. Most churches wouldn’t be compared to an advertising firm. Maybe an auto manufacturer? Steel company? I’m thinking country club. High operational costs, high touch, and high service. Also they might be characterized as insular, having rigid semantic biases, and of course a snotty attitude towards non-members.
Maybe today’s financial crisis is a blessing for “Christian” organizations across the globe, but especially in the most developed nations. The larger scale issues point to systemic deficiencies across a our society that is crying for change. What are some of these changes?
Openness!
There needs to be a willingness to open up and reassess where these organizations stand. Leaders needs to ask hard questions and then to create change. This process takes wisdom, courage and humility. I was encouraged when I saw Bill Hybels’ 2008 leadership presentation on “the wake-up call of his life” when he and the Willow Creek Community Church staff discovered their programs were not effective in creating sustainable growth for believers. He asked the hard question: “Do you ever wonder if we’re using God’s money and God’s resources in ways that are really achieving the mission of our church?” Every church and parachurch organization should ask this question every month.
Transparency!
There should be transparency of organizational budgets. Technology allows for this, so why not put up detailed budgets on Google docs or a wiki for everyone to see? This transparency creates accountability beyond the pastor or executive director and maybe a board made up of long-time friends.
Focus!
It’s time to rethink the assumption that, if we build it—church campuses, religious non-profits, alternative communities within communities—they will come. Does God dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands? Do we really expect religious professionals, who are outsiders in the places we work, to communicate the good news of the kingdom of God to our colleagues, while we—the insiders—stand passively by, wishing we could contribute more?
Action!
It’s easy to criticize organizations in their inefficiencies, but I believe at least half of the problem rests in the people who fill up pews and fellowship meetings. Believers have become old country club members who love to lounge on the greens and talk shop with their buddies. Maybe some of us have had too many manicures and hate to dirty our fingers. Believers need to step out of the comfort zone and engage the world —not be afraid, not separate from the world, not arrogantly defying, but engaging the world as it is, not as it is supposed to be.
The tail is wagging the dog. Proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor does not require a 501(C)(3) corporation. The kingdom of God is not infrastructure dependent. New converts shouldn’t cost a nickel as they have already been paid for. At $347,000 per baptism, maybe it’s time to rethink Church.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
(HatTip to Al, Sam, Hamon, and Jim for insights, info and edits)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Dustin Lance Black Get Your Religion Right
Last night while we were watching the Oscars off and on while taking care of the girls, I saw Dustin Lance Black, writer of Milk, accept his award for best original screenplay. During his acceptance speech, he said:
"...No matter what everyone tells you, God does love you..."
I was annoyed at his ignorance or purposeful misinformation. I'm guessing it was the former.
As a Christian, I've encountered such ignorance many times throughout my life. During junior high, when my good Jewish friend found out I went to church, he asked me if all Christians hate Jews. I was baffled. I explained that it wouldn't make sense because it's clear through the Bible that Jesus, Paul and others were Jews and Christians or Catholics held them in the highest esteem. If our savior and role models were Jews, why would any believer in our faith hate Jews? Sure if you're an idiot member of some fringe hate group or simply illiterate and can't read the Bible, then I could see how it was possible. My friend was happy to hear his misconception, which I learned to be more common than I believed, cleared up.
During my twenties, my good gay friend also had a misconception that Christians hated gays and lesbians. I agreed that there were backwater, ignorant Christians that spout hate against gays and lesbians, but I explained that mainstream Christians don't hate gays and lesbians. I continued to discuss how it's seen as a sin like any other sin from hate to pride to adultery, and a gay "sinner" isn't weighed more than a heterosexual "sinner." We are all sinners before God and all loved by God, so no person is better than any other. My friend appreciated the discussion though he didn't believe in the Bible or the concept of sin.
So where does Dustin Lance Black get this view of religion (probably Christianity) that its followers would say or hold such a belief that God doesn't love gay and lesbians? It's incorrect and false. God loves everyone period, even in the Christian faith.
"...No matter what everyone tells you, God does love you..."
I was annoyed at his ignorance or purposeful misinformation. I'm guessing it was the former.
As a Christian, I've encountered such ignorance many times throughout my life. During junior high, when my good Jewish friend found out I went to church, he asked me if all Christians hate Jews. I was baffled. I explained that it wouldn't make sense because it's clear through the Bible that Jesus, Paul and others were Jews and Christians or Catholics held them in the highest esteem. If our savior and role models were Jews, why would any believer in our faith hate Jews? Sure if you're an idiot member of some fringe hate group or simply illiterate and can't read the Bible, then I could see how it was possible. My friend was happy to hear his misconception, which I learned to be more common than I believed, cleared up.
During my twenties, my good gay friend also had a misconception that Christians hated gays and lesbians. I agreed that there were backwater, ignorant Christians that spout hate against gays and lesbians, but I explained that mainstream Christians don't hate gays and lesbians. I continued to discuss how it's seen as a sin like any other sin from hate to pride to adultery, and a gay "sinner" isn't weighed more than a heterosexual "sinner." We are all sinners before God and all loved by God, so no person is better than any other. My friend appreciated the discussion though he didn't believe in the Bible or the concept of sin.
So where does Dustin Lance Black get this view of religion (probably Christianity) that its followers would say or hold such a belief that God doesn't love gay and lesbians? It's incorrect and false. God loves everyone period, even in the Christian faith.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Cultural Cocktails: Biblical Faith and Work with a Splash of Eastern and Western Philosophies
Rereading an earlier post (Is Your Work Less Valuable), I deliberated on how much of our faith is influenced by past cultures and other worldviews. I looked into my own upbringing that straddled Eastern and Western cultures. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Korea when I was one year old and I grew up in suburban Chicago where Asian Americans where the second largest minority (approximately 5%) after the Jewish community (approximately 40%), and I attended a Korean American church from my junior high years through college.
The influences of Confucian and Buddhist philosophies led to subtle differences between mainstream U.S. and Korean American churches. One amusing feature was that morning prayer time in Korean American churches was flooded once each year with mothers praying for their children’s SAT exams (the same phenomenon occurs in South Korea during the national college entrance exams). I don’t suppose it was amusing to those mothers, some of whom would pray for hours the same repetitive prayer (which seemed to me to confuse the notion of grace and work). This fervent style of praying might leave outsiders thinking all Koreans are Pentecostal, but this style was distributed across the board, even within more subdued denominations like Korean Lutherans or Methodists. (Not that I’m anyone to talk. I’m a practical person and not very righteous, so when it comes to praying, I think it would be far more effective to ask one of my upright, godly friends to pray for me for a few minutes than for me to pray for 10 hours straight. But I digress.)
One influence of Confucianism in Korean culture was evident in the careers that first generation Korean American parents emphasized to their children. I call them the three P’s: physician, professor and pastor. The honored class in Confucianism is the “scholar” and all three P’s are generally considered scholarly. Physician was always number one and what parents obsessed about. Sandra Oh’s character in Grey’s Anatomy is not the only Korean American you’ll see at a hospital. I can think of at least 10 “Cristina Yangs” I know off the bat. The second tier of acceptable professions would be in academia and a reason why South Korea was typically number one or two in the number of PhDs per capita. The last of the top three was entering the ministry. While not universally welcomed by parents, it was an acceptable option in many families.
The Western influence — and the primary foundation of my thinking — expressed the ideals held by most Americans. One aspect of this is the foundational philosophy of dualism, which traces its roots to Plato through René Descartes. Without going into the complexities, a basic influence of dualism is the separation of the spiritual or mental substances and physical substances, with no relationship between the two. You could picture a higher plane of life containing the spiritual substances and a lower plane housing the physical.
Dualism enabled many of us to grow up compartmentalizing our lives. This eased us into the role of “Sunday believers” since there is a “natural” separation between church and the rest of the week. This may be a reason why some “Christian” businessmen can be the most unscrupulous professionals you’ve met, since they can subdivide their conscience employing the “this is business” rationale.
Outside the church, dualism became evident to me through my involvement in two post-graduate programs at the intersection of the public and private sectors: the Public Policy program at Columbia University and the Coro Fellowship. The Coro Fellowship, a leadership development program for those interested in public service, sent about two-thirds of participants into the government and nonprofit sectors and one-third into the for-profit world. I saw a similar distribution in the Public Policy program at Columbia: 2/3 to government and nonprofit, 1/3 to business. What surprised me in these two programs at the confluence of human ideals and professional development was finding a measure of disdain for those of us who entered private industry. As if our choice repudiated of what we’d just experienced together by choosing to work on the lower plane.
I am no longer surprised to find evidence of this dualism in the world of believers. There is separation of church and work; Sunday and the rest of the week; faith and execution. Ambition for work is bad and sacrificing work is good. What happened to the stewardship of ALL that God gives us? Did Joseph choose to leave his day job as second in command only to the Pharaoh of Egypt and look for a less demanding “9 to 5″ job so he could volunteer more at church?
Joseph took his work to heart and glorified God in the best manner possible. The difference lay in his worldview which did not separate between his spiritual and physical worlds. Each was connected and united with the other. Even the word lev — the Hebrew word for heart — encompasses not only the heart and emotion but our intellect and mind. This biblical perspective doesn’t compartmentalize our worlds; it creates a holistic understanding of our lives.
I will acknowledge that taking such an approach might make life more complex and highlights tensions between the various circles of ours lives. But isn’t life about tension? Doesn’t this make things more exciting? To think about actually implementing our faith in our business decisions and professional relationships? To actually be salt and light outside of the salt mines and sunlit mountaintops?
Originally posted at InsideWork (no longer an active site).
The influences of Confucian and Buddhist philosophies led to subtle differences between mainstream U.S. and Korean American churches. One amusing feature was that morning prayer time in Korean American churches was flooded once each year with mothers praying for their children’s SAT exams (the same phenomenon occurs in South Korea during the national college entrance exams). I don’t suppose it was amusing to those mothers, some of whom would pray for hours the same repetitive prayer (which seemed to me to confuse the notion of grace and work). This fervent style of praying might leave outsiders thinking all Koreans are Pentecostal, but this style was distributed across the board, even within more subdued denominations like Korean Lutherans or Methodists. (Not that I’m anyone to talk. I’m a practical person and not very righteous, so when it comes to praying, I think it would be far more effective to ask one of my upright, godly friends to pray for me for a few minutes than for me to pray for 10 hours straight. But I digress.)
One influence of Confucianism in Korean culture was evident in the careers that first generation Korean American parents emphasized to their children. I call them the three P’s: physician, professor and pastor. The honored class in Confucianism is the “scholar” and all three P’s are generally considered scholarly. Physician was always number one and what parents obsessed about. Sandra Oh’s character in Grey’s Anatomy is not the only Korean American you’ll see at a hospital. I can think of at least 10 “Cristina Yangs” I know off the bat. The second tier of acceptable professions would be in academia and a reason why South Korea was typically number one or two in the number of PhDs per capita. The last of the top three was entering the ministry. While not universally welcomed by parents, it was an acceptable option in many families.
The Western influence — and the primary foundation of my thinking — expressed the ideals held by most Americans. One aspect of this is the foundational philosophy of dualism, which traces its roots to Plato through René Descartes. Without going into the complexities, a basic influence of dualism is the separation of the spiritual or mental substances and physical substances, with no relationship between the two. You could picture a higher plane of life containing the spiritual substances and a lower plane housing the physical.
Dualism enabled many of us to grow up compartmentalizing our lives. This eased us into the role of “Sunday believers” since there is a “natural” separation between church and the rest of the week. This may be a reason why some “Christian” businessmen can be the most unscrupulous professionals you’ve met, since they can subdivide their conscience employing the “this is business” rationale.
Outside the church, dualism became evident to me through my involvement in two post-graduate programs at the intersection of the public and private sectors: the Public Policy program at Columbia University and the Coro Fellowship. The Coro Fellowship, a leadership development program for those interested in public service, sent about two-thirds of participants into the government and nonprofit sectors and one-third into the for-profit world. I saw a similar distribution in the Public Policy program at Columbia: 2/3 to government and nonprofit, 1/3 to business. What surprised me in these two programs at the confluence of human ideals and professional development was finding a measure of disdain for those of us who entered private industry. As if our choice repudiated of what we’d just experienced together by choosing to work on the lower plane.
I am no longer surprised to find evidence of this dualism in the world of believers. There is separation of church and work; Sunday and the rest of the week; faith and execution. Ambition for work is bad and sacrificing work is good. What happened to the stewardship of ALL that God gives us? Did Joseph choose to leave his day job as second in command only to the Pharaoh of Egypt and look for a less demanding “9 to 5″ job so he could volunteer more at church?
Joseph took his work to heart and glorified God in the best manner possible. The difference lay in his worldview which did not separate between his spiritual and physical worlds. Each was connected and united with the other. Even the word lev — the Hebrew word for heart — encompasses not only the heart and emotion but our intellect and mind. This biblical perspective doesn’t compartmentalize our worlds; it creates a holistic understanding of our lives.
I will acknowledge that taking such an approach might make life more complex and highlights tensions between the various circles of ours lives. But isn’t life about tension? Doesn’t this make things more exciting? To think about actually implementing our faith in our business decisions and professional relationships? To actually be salt and light outside of the salt mines and sunlit mountaintops?
Originally posted at InsideWork (no longer an active site).
Monday, January 12, 2009
Loss of Posterity in America
(heads up since this article has religious references)
My grandfather was president of one of the largest of the old banks that ruled Korea’s business landscape before the chaebols (conglomerates) dominated South Korea. He was a banker well known for his acumen and wisdom. Some saw these attributes as shrewd and cold-hearted. Whatever the label, he made a lasting imprint on the industry.
My grandfather managed his household affairs with similar strong discernment (though I would not call him cold-hearted). I primarily knew him and my grandmother as my caretakers for a few years during early childhood while my parents studied in the U.S. As he did on his industry, my grandfather also left a lasting imprint on me.
One of my father’s siblings — there were ten in all — failed at numerous stages of adulthood. So one day my grandfather made him a proposition.
“Since you haven’t done much with your life so far, I’ll give you a portion of your inheritance now. Let’s see what you will do with it.”
My grandfather bought him some property. After some time, my uncle revealed that he had done nothing but collect rent on the property, which he spent frivolously. So that was that. Years later, when my grandfather’s will was read, my uncle received nothing more than shock and confusion.
I’m almost certain my grandfather never read the Bible, but his wisdom in managing one of his sons reminds me of Christ’s Parable of the Talents:
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money…
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.” — Matthew 25: 14-18, 26-27
My grandfather believed in responsible stewardship, but I believe what drove his decisions was the importance of his legacy and how future generations — posterity — would reflect his values. Severing my uncle from his will was not only a financial act, but also a relational one.
The idea of posterity is prevalent in East Asian cultures. People think in terms of generations of families and peoples. Because he was a third-generation only son, my wife’s brother served in a lighter six-month program in the South Korean Army versus a standard two-year commitment. Some laws in China carry punishments that last for three generations, and the Chinese government creates 100-year plans for its nation’s development.
Posterity was a common ideal woven into the fabric of America’s founding that seems to have unraveled. Maybe it started with the dissolute Me Decade that straddled the 60s and 70s? Maybe the Greatest Generation’s weakness lay in its inability or unwillingness to raise a generation of equally disciplined, self-sacrificing, public-spirited citizens? Perhaps it was lost in the gold rush… There are other places to go for that analysis. What seems clear is, it’s missing now.
It’s interesting to note that the U.S.household savings rate has been in rapid decline since the 1990s. The Bureau of Economic Analysis calculates the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) personal saving rate was approximately 10% during the 1970s, 8% in the 1980s, and dropped to less than 1% by 2006. What happened? Did the wisdom of planning for retirement and the possibility of doing good beyond our lifetime become passé in 1990? Spend your money on the here and now. Hopefully our 401(k) is enough! And social security will be on its last leg, but we should get ours!
The Biblical perspective upholds posterity. God provides promises not only to Abram, but his future generations:
Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” — Genesis 15: 13-16
David declares both rich and poor have a legacy in the kingdom of God.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—for he has done it. — Psalm 22: 29-31
This sort of long-term thinking has become foreign to many of us. As a new parent, these words force me to consider how my behavior and actions affect my children and their children. But, whether we have children or not, how can we take up our responsibility to influence future generations in the ongoing community of God’s people? If I am blessed with wealth, how I should manage it? Pass it on to my children? Donate it to a well managed church or nonprofit? Set up a foundation? Besides which, not everyone is blessed with wealth — and some gain wealth late in life, while others lose it — which makes David’s words in Psalm 22 all the more meaningful for their focus on the spiritual legacy we can pass to the next generation. This idea of posterity seems a bit burdensome, so maybe its loss from our cultural norms isn’t a surprise. So many questions and no simple answers. If it’s clear the idea of posterity is missing in this culture, it’s just as clear that we are the ones who must restore it.
Do you cringe at all this because you think you’re just a horrible example to follow — Genghis Khan is a better person than you? You can’t plan three months ahead, so how can you be expected to think about future generations? I know people who are better now than they once were, but I don’t know anyone who is prepared to be a perfect example for their children and future generations. So let’s just take simple steps. Take it one day at a time. One prayer at a time. One decision at a time. One verse at a time. One action at at time. One moment at a time.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
My grandfather was president of one of the largest of the old banks that ruled Korea’s business landscape before the chaebols (conglomerates) dominated South Korea. He was a banker well known for his acumen and wisdom. Some saw these attributes as shrewd and cold-hearted. Whatever the label, he made a lasting imprint on the industry.
My grandfather managed his household affairs with similar strong discernment (though I would not call him cold-hearted). I primarily knew him and my grandmother as my caretakers for a few years during early childhood while my parents studied in the U.S. As he did on his industry, my grandfather also left a lasting imprint on me.
One of my father’s siblings — there were ten in all — failed at numerous stages of adulthood. So one day my grandfather made him a proposition.
“Since you haven’t done much with your life so far, I’ll give you a portion of your inheritance now. Let’s see what you will do with it.”
My grandfather bought him some property. After some time, my uncle revealed that he had done nothing but collect rent on the property, which he spent frivolously. So that was that. Years later, when my grandfather’s will was read, my uncle received nothing more than shock and confusion.
I’m almost certain my grandfather never read the Bible, but his wisdom in managing one of his sons reminds me of Christ’s Parable of the Talents:
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money…
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.” — Matthew 25: 14-18, 26-27
My grandfather believed in responsible stewardship, but I believe what drove his decisions was the importance of his legacy and how future generations — posterity — would reflect his values. Severing my uncle from his will was not only a financial act, but also a relational one.
The idea of posterity is prevalent in East Asian cultures. People think in terms of generations of families and peoples. Because he was a third-generation only son, my wife’s brother served in a lighter six-month program in the South Korean Army versus a standard two-year commitment. Some laws in China carry punishments that last for three generations, and the Chinese government creates 100-year plans for its nation’s development.
Posterity was a common ideal woven into the fabric of America’s founding that seems to have unraveled. Maybe it started with the dissolute Me Decade that straddled the 60s and 70s? Maybe the Greatest Generation’s weakness lay in its inability or unwillingness to raise a generation of equally disciplined, self-sacrificing, public-spirited citizens? Perhaps it was lost in the gold rush… There are other places to go for that analysis. What seems clear is, it’s missing now.
It’s interesting to note that the U.S.household savings rate has been in rapid decline since the 1990s. The Bureau of Economic Analysis calculates the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA) personal saving rate was approximately 10% during the 1970s, 8% in the 1980s, and dropped to less than 1% by 2006. What happened? Did the wisdom of planning for retirement and the possibility of doing good beyond our lifetime become passé in 1990? Spend your money on the here and now. Hopefully our 401(k) is enough! And social security will be on its last leg, but we should get ours!
The Biblical perspective upholds posterity. God provides promises not only to Abram, but his future generations:
Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” — Genesis 15: 13-16
David declares both rich and poor have a legacy in the kingdom of God.
All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn—for he has done it. — Psalm 22: 29-31
This sort of long-term thinking has become foreign to many of us. As a new parent, these words force me to consider how my behavior and actions affect my children and their children. But, whether we have children or not, how can we take up our responsibility to influence future generations in the ongoing community of God’s people? If I am blessed with wealth, how I should manage it? Pass it on to my children? Donate it to a well managed church or nonprofit? Set up a foundation? Besides which, not everyone is blessed with wealth — and some gain wealth late in life, while others lose it — which makes David’s words in Psalm 22 all the more meaningful for their focus on the spiritual legacy we can pass to the next generation. This idea of posterity seems a bit burdensome, so maybe its loss from our cultural norms isn’t a surprise. So many questions and no simple answers. If it’s clear the idea of posterity is missing in this culture, it’s just as clear that we are the ones who must restore it.
Do you cringe at all this because you think you’re just a horrible example to follow — Genghis Khan is a better person than you? You can’t plan three months ahead, so how can you be expected to think about future generations? I know people who are better now than they once were, but I don’t know anyone who is prepared to be a perfect example for their children and future generations. So let’s just take simple steps. Take it one day at a time. One prayer at a time. One decision at a time. One verse at a time. One action at at time. One moment at a time.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
Best wishes to all of you, your family and friends!
Just sharing a few Christmas links :)
"A Silicon Valley Christmas Tale" TechCrunch
"A Flat World and the Christmas Story" InsideWork
"A Flat World and the Christmas Story, Part 2" InsideWork
"The Rough Reality of Christmas" InsideWork
All three at InsideWork are by my colleague, Dan, who was a writing machine this week.
"Advent's Spiritual Pilgrimage" by Robert Webber
Just sharing a few Christmas links :)
"A Silicon Valley Christmas Tale" TechCrunch
"A Flat World and the Christmas Story" InsideWork
"A Flat World and the Christmas Story, Part 2" InsideWork
"The Rough Reality of Christmas" InsideWork
All three at InsideWork are by my colleague, Dan, who was a writing machine this week.
"Advent's Spiritual Pilgrimage" by Robert Webber
Monday, December 1, 2008
Perseverance and Pain
(heads up since this light post has religious references)
I was not home when my best friend, Peter, had a bonding moment with my father during winter vacation our sophomore year in college. Peter’s parents lived in South Korea and he was a welcome guest in our home at every break. Peter attended Northwestern University, which was on a quarter system, and I went to Wisconsin, so I returned to school two weeks before his classes started and he stayed on with my folks. One evening, as Peter watched TV, my father came and sat next to him.
“Peter, give me your hand,” his deep voice commanded.
“Uh… Why, Mr. Moon?” Peter’s hesitant voice hinted at fear and flashbacks of prior experiences.
My dad sternly repeated, “Peter, give. Me. Your. Hand.”
“Ok, Mr. Moon…”
Taking Peter’s outstretched hand my father slowed placed acupuncture burn pads across his palm and every finger. These were metal discs, less than a centimeter wide, with a piece of incense on top of each.
My father lit the discs one at a time and Peter began to feel the burn. If you ever held your hand a few inches above a cigarette lighter, imagine that intense heat multiplied by eight. Dad had a firm grip on Peter’s wrist to arrest any sudden movements or second thoughts about going through this exercise that supposedly improves the blood circulation and something else I can’t remember.
“Mr. Moon, my hand is getting hotter… It’s really hot!”
Some charring might have occurred at this stage. Silence from my dad. Just a firm grip on Peter’s wrist to stifle any movement.
“Ahhhh!”
“It’s okay, Peter, this is good for you.”
Soon the incense burnt out and the pain went away. I know Peter wasn’t sure if the result was beneficial for him, but I think he took some pride in knowing he persevered. Maybe, in that way at least, my father’s little endurance test was good for Peter. As for improved blood circulation, I remain agnostic.
Overcoming pain is oddly satisfying. But does an exercise like this really build character? Is pain, in and of itself, good for us? Imagine, for example, that Peter was of a mind to believe it was God’s divine intervention that led my father to burn his hand in order to strengthen his character. Foolish if you ask me.
Silly analogy, but not all situations of pain and suffering are invested with inherent purpose. Not every twist and turn in life has some divine meaning. I believe God is able to make something useful out of any circumstance, but that doesn’t mean “everything happens for a reason” and it doesn’t mean God sets out to cause people pain “for their own good.” I believe God is foreknowing but not fore-causing. God grants us free will and does not limit us to a hapless deterministic world. This free will allows for variety and makes life interesting. God is not like a micro-managing CEO or the sadistic controller who made you ride coach on a third-tier airline from San Francisco to Johannesburg.
I’m hearing the word perseverance a lot lately, as apprehension about this horrible economic downturn — possibly a seven year recession — grows. People are bracing themselves for the worst. Common counsel will advise us to persevere during difficult times, but this isn’t a pleasant thought because the word and feeling that always precedes perseverance is pain. Pain sucks. Just ask my old friend Peter.
Remember running those endless sprints in youth soccer? Two-a-days in the summer heat if you played football (I never played football). Basic training if you were in the military? Enduring your first heartbreak? Twenty years of marital strife? Climbing out of a financial black hole? Working with the worst boss for several years?
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” — Romans 5:3-4
Life throws so many curves at people. So many headaches. So many trials. It turns out life is a marathon, which calls for discernment about which races are worth running or battles worth fighting. It turns out, contrary to popular opinion, not every situation is a blessing (or a curse) from above. So you can choose to persevere or walk away; you don’t always have to push through…sometimes you can go around.
When these situations arise, I’m asking for wisdom and guidance. I’m praying and thinking about the choices, especially the difficult ones. I’m learning to welcome the uncertainty and the pain, but still asking for mercy.
Perseverance does build character and hope, and I’m convinced it’s worth it to seek out opportunities to stretch your limits and grow. Maybe be brave and ask God to challenge you. To strengthen your weaknesses. But remember this doesn’t mean looking for opportunities to be a martyr. If you want to be a martyr, I can introduce you to my dad.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
I was not home when my best friend, Peter, had a bonding moment with my father during winter vacation our sophomore year in college. Peter’s parents lived in South Korea and he was a welcome guest in our home at every break. Peter attended Northwestern University, which was on a quarter system, and I went to Wisconsin, so I returned to school two weeks before his classes started and he stayed on with my folks. One evening, as Peter watched TV, my father came and sat next to him.
“Peter, give me your hand,” his deep voice commanded.
“Uh… Why, Mr. Moon?” Peter’s hesitant voice hinted at fear and flashbacks of prior experiences.
My dad sternly repeated, “Peter, give. Me. Your. Hand.”
“Ok, Mr. Moon…”
Taking Peter’s outstretched hand my father slowed placed acupuncture burn pads across his palm and every finger. These were metal discs, less than a centimeter wide, with a piece of incense on top of each.
My father lit the discs one at a time and Peter began to feel the burn. If you ever held your hand a few inches above a cigarette lighter, imagine that intense heat multiplied by eight. Dad had a firm grip on Peter’s wrist to arrest any sudden movements or second thoughts about going through this exercise that supposedly improves the blood circulation and something else I can’t remember.
“Mr. Moon, my hand is getting hotter… It’s really hot!”
Some charring might have occurred at this stage. Silence from my dad. Just a firm grip on Peter’s wrist to stifle any movement.
“Ahhhh!”
“It’s okay, Peter, this is good for you.”
Soon the incense burnt out and the pain went away. I know Peter wasn’t sure if the result was beneficial for him, but I think he took some pride in knowing he persevered. Maybe, in that way at least, my father’s little endurance test was good for Peter. As for improved blood circulation, I remain agnostic.
Overcoming pain is oddly satisfying. But does an exercise like this really build character? Is pain, in and of itself, good for us? Imagine, for example, that Peter was of a mind to believe it was God’s divine intervention that led my father to burn his hand in order to strengthen his character. Foolish if you ask me.
Silly analogy, but not all situations of pain and suffering are invested with inherent purpose. Not every twist and turn in life has some divine meaning. I believe God is able to make something useful out of any circumstance, but that doesn’t mean “everything happens for a reason” and it doesn’t mean God sets out to cause people pain “for their own good.” I believe God is foreknowing but not fore-causing. God grants us free will and does not limit us to a hapless deterministic world. This free will allows for variety and makes life interesting. God is not like a micro-managing CEO or the sadistic controller who made you ride coach on a third-tier airline from San Francisco to Johannesburg.
I’m hearing the word perseverance a lot lately, as apprehension about this horrible economic downturn — possibly a seven year recession — grows. People are bracing themselves for the worst. Common counsel will advise us to persevere during difficult times, but this isn’t a pleasant thought because the word and feeling that always precedes perseverance is pain. Pain sucks. Just ask my old friend Peter.
Remember running those endless sprints in youth soccer? Two-a-days in the summer heat if you played football (I never played football). Basic training if you were in the military? Enduring your first heartbreak? Twenty years of marital strife? Climbing out of a financial black hole? Working with the worst boss for several years?
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” — Romans 5:3-4
Life throws so many curves at people. So many headaches. So many trials. It turns out life is a marathon, which calls for discernment about which races are worth running or battles worth fighting. It turns out, contrary to popular opinion, not every situation is a blessing (or a curse) from above. So you can choose to persevere or walk away; you don’t always have to push through…sometimes you can go around.
When these situations arise, I’m asking for wisdom and guidance. I’m praying and thinking about the choices, especially the difficult ones. I’m learning to welcome the uncertainty and the pain, but still asking for mercy.
Perseverance does build character and hope, and I’m convinced it’s worth it to seek out opportunities to stretch your limits and grow. Maybe be brave and ask God to challenge you. To strengthen your weaknesses. But remember this doesn’t mean looking for opportunities to be a martyr. If you want to be a martyr, I can introduce you to my dad.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Value of Solitude
(heads up since this post has religious references)
My colleague, Dan, recently posted his reflections on a conference we attended ("The Value of a Timeout") which prompted me to appraise my own experience. The strongest personal takeaway from Time Out for me was Dr. Ken Boa’s point on intimacy versus activity — that believers need time for solitude and engagement with Christ and how we should be cautious about blurring the lines between “spiritual activity” and intimacy with Christ.
This was a timely presentation for me since for a couple weeks I’ve been doing a personal inventory of my professional and personal commitments. Many energetic people, such as myself, find it can be difficult to say “no.” Whether it’s coaching your child’s sports team, committing to nonprofit causes, or giving time to people in need, it’s hard to decline opportunities, especially if you’re both energetic and extroverted.
I remember a discussion I had with my father during college as if it was were yesterday. Since high school, our home was a gathering place for many weekends because my parents were generous — and deep sleepers (I kept telling myself this). It was during summer break, and I had friends over at our home for three consecutive evenings. Each evening it was ten to twenty friends who came to eat BBQ, watch sports, play cards, or just hang out. The third evening, after everyone left, my father asked me to sit down and have a talk.
“Bernard, when I was young, I was like you. I had so many people over and our family treated them well; but after so many years I realized that I lost time with myself. It was time that could have gone to my studies or other things to improve my mind. Some of these people appreciated our generosity but many quickly forgot.”
“Sure, Dad, but you turned out well,” I said, and I was thinking, Well I am your son, so it sounds like I’m a lot like you during your youth.
“That’s not my point,” he replied. “You need your own time or everyone will pass you by. People won’t remember these evenings; but it will be about who you are and what you’ve accomplished.”
I’d like to believe that I took at least half of my father’s advice to heart. I have to admit it did not sink in for years because I was so extroverted when I was in college and enjoyed meeting new people and hanging out with my friends endlessly.
After college, my first job was working for the Governor of Illinois in Springfield. I thought Springfield, a town of 100,000 people, was terribly isolated. I believed God was causing me to live in forced solitude, since he knew my nature. It was in Springfield that I began my struggle to seek time to myself. I’m not talking about “quiet time,” but substantial times of solitude and reflection.
I found that Jesus knew how to balance his hectic schedule with such grace and rhythm:
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, — Matthew 14:22-23
It’s interesting to note that after feeding five thousand here (or healing many in Luke 4), Jesus sought out solitude and prayer. Maybe it was a way to recharge and reflect upon his work while giving glory to God. Whatever the reasons, this time alone was intentional. I’m convinced it is important for us to learn from his example.
In our modern life of busyness, I assume it’s difficult, even for introverts to set aside time for solitude. Life has become a blur for too many of us. People are always running behind and playing catch up. Extroverts have coffee meetings and introverts have errands to do. In doing my personal inventory I’ve realized I have to start cutting things out and seek more solitude or the quality of my work, relationships, family life, and love for God would diminish. This hasn’t been an easy task; it’s a work in progress that I hope to complete in November.
But it has to be done, doesn’t it… Eventually, people like us have to stop and set aside time for solitude, or life really will pass us by.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
My colleague, Dan, recently posted his reflections on a conference we attended ("The Value of a Timeout") which prompted me to appraise my own experience. The strongest personal takeaway from Time Out for me was Dr. Ken Boa’s point on intimacy versus activity — that believers need time for solitude and engagement with Christ and how we should be cautious about blurring the lines between “spiritual activity” and intimacy with Christ.
This was a timely presentation for me since for a couple weeks I’ve been doing a personal inventory of my professional and personal commitments. Many energetic people, such as myself, find it can be difficult to say “no.” Whether it’s coaching your child’s sports team, committing to nonprofit causes, or giving time to people in need, it’s hard to decline opportunities, especially if you’re both energetic and extroverted.
I remember a discussion I had with my father during college as if it was were yesterday. Since high school, our home was a gathering place for many weekends because my parents were generous — and deep sleepers (I kept telling myself this). It was during summer break, and I had friends over at our home for three consecutive evenings. Each evening it was ten to twenty friends who came to eat BBQ, watch sports, play cards, or just hang out. The third evening, after everyone left, my father asked me to sit down and have a talk.
“Bernard, when I was young, I was like you. I had so many people over and our family treated them well; but after so many years I realized that I lost time with myself. It was time that could have gone to my studies or other things to improve my mind. Some of these people appreciated our generosity but many quickly forgot.”
“Sure, Dad, but you turned out well,” I said, and I was thinking, Well I am your son, so it sounds like I’m a lot like you during your youth.
“That’s not my point,” he replied. “You need your own time or everyone will pass you by. People won’t remember these evenings; but it will be about who you are and what you’ve accomplished.”
I’d like to believe that I took at least half of my father’s advice to heart. I have to admit it did not sink in for years because I was so extroverted when I was in college and enjoyed meeting new people and hanging out with my friends endlessly.
After college, my first job was working for the Governor of Illinois in Springfield. I thought Springfield, a town of 100,000 people, was terribly isolated. I believed God was causing me to live in forced solitude, since he knew my nature. It was in Springfield that I began my struggle to seek time to myself. I’m not talking about “quiet time,” but substantial times of solitude and reflection.
I found that Jesus knew how to balance his hectic schedule with such grace and rhythm:
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, — Matthew 14:22-23
It’s interesting to note that after feeding five thousand here (or healing many in Luke 4), Jesus sought out solitude and prayer. Maybe it was a way to recharge and reflect upon his work while giving glory to God. Whatever the reasons, this time alone was intentional. I’m convinced it is important for us to learn from his example.
In our modern life of busyness, I assume it’s difficult, even for introverts to set aside time for solitude. Life has become a blur for too many of us. People are always running behind and playing catch up. Extroverts have coffee meetings and introverts have errands to do. In doing my personal inventory I’ve realized I have to start cutting things out and seek more solitude or the quality of my work, relationships, family life, and love for God would diminish. This hasn’t been an easy task; it’s a work in progress that I hope to complete in November.
But it has to be done, doesn’t it… Eventually, people like us have to stop and set aside time for solitude, or life really will pass us by.
Originally posted at InsideWork.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Can You Wait on God?
(heads up since this is a religious post and can be ignored:) last time i polled my readers i know the majority of you are here to read about tech and other random posts beside those regarding my faith:)
Sitting in a brainstorming meeting this week, my colleague, Dan, asked an executive team if they could “wait on God?” This was regarding the crafting of a new venture’s strategy. He discussed how typically people want to come to a decision quickly, especially in board rooms and executive meetings.
During this discussion, my mind was jarred to past conversations I’ve had with my parents. They sold their retail coffee chain almost three years ago and initially told me that they would rest a year and then start a new business. So they traveled to various European countries, went to Egypt, forced us to join them on an Alaskan cruise, and other destinations. It was past a year and I remember asking them if they had decided on their next business. They both told me that they are still praying and waiting on God.
“Bernard, our prior business we felt that we didn’t truly seek God’s will, so this time we are praying and waiting for God’s clear direction.”
During the second year of their hiatus, my grandmother became ill so this occupied much of their time. She eventually recovered late last year, so I asked them earlier this year if they had come to a decision. They said that they were still praying and waiting.
So all of this came full circle this week. It took the words of another person, in this case Dan, to provide a better understanding of my parents’ decision process. I am the typically driven person, especially in business, who wants decisions. Ideally within minutes, though I am willing to wait hours for answers. Patient people in the business world are measured in days, possibly weeks. My parents set their decisions within a framework of months and years.
This reminded me of Abraham’s and Moses’ patience as they waited on God’s promise. Their framework was in years and decades. I guess waiting on God takes patience and trust. I’m not sure if I could have waited like Abraham or Moses. I definitely would have gotten into some exhausting debates with myself.
It’s interesting to think about decision processes that take years. Not all situations allow for this, but if I faced one that did, could I wait? Or would my trust in God wear down? How would I maintain that trust in God?
Since college I’ve created ten year plans and roadmaps to where I want to be professionally and what I would like to accomplish during that time, but this is very different from following a decision-making process that incorporates waiting on God. In each stage of my career I’ve felt that God has guided me through open doors towards opportunities that I didn’t know existed. But I am afraid that didn’t happen because I waited on God but in spite of the fact that I was impatient to reach a decision and get on with it.
Joining with the Lunsford Group — InsideWork’s parent company — probably was the longest waiting period I’ve been through and that was only 4 months. God probably knows I’m not ready for frameworks that operate in years.
So it’s interesting to think about God’s time frame. It’s an eternal perspective. The Chinese government makes 100 year plans, but imagine plans for a thousand years? Ten thousand years? A million? Putting it in this perspective, I realize my parents’ process is excellent and something I can learn from. It’s not lost time or opportunity but a true investment in trusting God and gathering the best counsel for the success of their next business. Over the past few months, I’ve been itching to ask them again but now I will just wait on the Lord and pray with them.
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him” Isaiah 30:18
Originally posted at InsideWork
Sitting in a brainstorming meeting this week, my colleague, Dan, asked an executive team if they could “wait on God?” This was regarding the crafting of a new venture’s strategy. He discussed how typically people want to come to a decision quickly, especially in board rooms and executive meetings.
During this discussion, my mind was jarred to past conversations I’ve had with my parents. They sold their retail coffee chain almost three years ago and initially told me that they would rest a year and then start a new business. So they traveled to various European countries, went to Egypt, forced us to join them on an Alaskan cruise, and other destinations. It was past a year and I remember asking them if they had decided on their next business. They both told me that they are still praying and waiting on God.
“Bernard, our prior business we felt that we didn’t truly seek God’s will, so this time we are praying and waiting for God’s clear direction.”
During the second year of their hiatus, my grandmother became ill so this occupied much of their time. She eventually recovered late last year, so I asked them earlier this year if they had come to a decision. They said that they were still praying and waiting.
So all of this came full circle this week. It took the words of another person, in this case Dan, to provide a better understanding of my parents’ decision process. I am the typically driven person, especially in business, who wants decisions. Ideally within minutes, though I am willing to wait hours for answers. Patient people in the business world are measured in days, possibly weeks. My parents set their decisions within a framework of months and years.
This reminded me of Abraham’s and Moses’ patience as they waited on God’s promise. Their framework was in years and decades. I guess waiting on God takes patience and trust. I’m not sure if I could have waited like Abraham or Moses. I definitely would have gotten into some exhausting debates with myself.
It’s interesting to think about decision processes that take years. Not all situations allow for this, but if I faced one that did, could I wait? Or would my trust in God wear down? How would I maintain that trust in God?
Since college I’ve created ten year plans and roadmaps to where I want to be professionally and what I would like to accomplish during that time, but this is very different from following a decision-making process that incorporates waiting on God. In each stage of my career I’ve felt that God has guided me through open doors towards opportunities that I didn’t know existed. But I am afraid that didn’t happen because I waited on God but in spite of the fact that I was impatient to reach a decision and get on with it.
Joining with the Lunsford Group — InsideWork’s parent company — probably was the longest waiting period I’ve been through and that was only 4 months. God probably knows I’m not ready for frameworks that operate in years.
So it’s interesting to think about God’s time frame. It’s an eternal perspective. The Chinese government makes 100 year plans, but imagine plans for a thousand years? Ten thousand years? A million? Putting it in this perspective, I realize my parents’ process is excellent and something I can learn from. It’s not lost time or opportunity but a true investment in trusting God and gathering the best counsel for the success of their next business. Over the past few months, I’ve been itching to ask them again but now I will just wait on the Lord and pray with them.
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him” Isaiah 30:18
Originally posted at InsideWork
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Africa Now & Future
Randomly there has been a lot of Africa related activities crossing my path this year. Africa is a big continent with many nations and people, so my reference to it seems vague. Apologizes but my thoughts are hazy and will be since I don't know my specific involvement yet.
My CEO, Allan Lunsford, wrote a post over at InsideWork, "Africa Now," which provides his reflections on Africa since he did some real estate projects over there in the '80s for World Vision. Currently, our firm, the Lunsford Group, has an interesting development project in the works, which I hope to write about in the future (maybe my colleagues, Dan or Geoff, will post about it:).
Before I started at the Lunsford Group in March of this year, Christine and I attended TED during which I committed to joining Neil Turok's TED Prize wish for an African Einstein. One of my prior blog posts is here. For numerous reasons, his vision excites me and I looking forward to my involvement with this effort.
My good friend, Hamon, has been leading business-oriented mission trips (i.e. micro-financing) to East Africa over the years, and most recently to Malawi, which is one of the least developed nations in the world. Christine and I look forward to supporting him on this.
Even among the numerous events in Silicon Valley, I came across BarCamp Africa. Typically, BarCamps are casual conferences (also user-generated conferences) focused on technology. BarCamp Africa is different since it's covering multiple topics related to Africa (i.e. technology, mobility, art, social justice, sustainability, micro-finance). The location hasn't been announced, but it will be held on October 11, 2008. If you're in the Bay Area and plan to attend, I'll see you there.
Anyway, over the next few years it seems I will be involved in two or more Africa related projects or ventures, so it will be fun to see how everything unfolds.
My CEO, Allan Lunsford, wrote a post over at InsideWork, "Africa Now," which provides his reflections on Africa since he did some real estate projects over there in the '80s for World Vision. Currently, our firm, the Lunsford Group, has an interesting development project in the works, which I hope to write about in the future (maybe my colleagues, Dan or Geoff, will post about it:).
Before I started at the Lunsford Group in March of this year, Christine and I attended TED during which I committed to joining Neil Turok's TED Prize wish for an African Einstein. One of my prior blog posts is here. For numerous reasons, his vision excites me and I looking forward to my involvement with this effort.
My good friend, Hamon, has been leading business-oriented mission trips (i.e. micro-financing) to East Africa over the years, and most recently to Malawi, which is one of the least developed nations in the world. Christine and I look forward to supporting him on this.
Even among the numerous events in Silicon Valley, I came across BarCamp Africa. Typically, BarCamps are casual conferences (also user-generated conferences) focused on technology. BarCamp Africa is different since it's covering multiple topics related to Africa (i.e. technology, mobility, art, social justice, sustainability, micro-finance). The location hasn't been announced, but it will be held on October 11, 2008. If you're in the Bay Area and plan to attend, I'll see you there.
Anyway, over the next few years it seems I will be involved in two or more Africa related projects or ventures, so it will be fun to see how everything unfolds.
Loving Your Work
(heads up since this is a religious post)
Thinking about the value of work last week, I reflected on what I enjoy about working. The challenge and satisfaction of creating something...the process of brainstorming and generating ideas...the people I encounter and learn from...others I mentor or help...the excitement of bringing something to market...and so many other experiences I love about work.
I've been blessed to have a career during which I've cherished most of the experiences, respected many of the people I've worked with, and where I’ve been able to grow personally and professionally. Of course, there were situations I didn't enjoy — some I really hated. Working with unethical colleagues...compromising my principles...doing that I didn't want to undertake...and firing people. Still, overall, it has been my approach in life to never have regrets. Whether good or bad occurs, I choose to take stock and move on.
I acknowledge that not everyone has been blessed with work they enjoy. I have an acquaintance who became a doctor out of respect to his parents' wishes (Is it obvious he was Asian American? Maybe not...) but in his heart, what he really wanted was to become an attorney. I always wondered how he approached his work when his heart was somewhere else. I know others who have had bosses from hell, career paths that weren't as interesting as they anticipated, or toiled at dead-end jobs. What would my approach to work be if I was in these situations? Would I still be "happy Bernard" or have my "no regrets" view of life?
I hope I would be the same; but I don't know for sure. Frankly, I hope I never have to find out. I am trying to look at Jesus Christ and his view on life; trying to learn from him. Jesus said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45 New International Version)
Jesus' statement can be applied to every segment of life. For work, if we take the perspective that we are working to serve others, it allows us to embrace even the most dreadful situation and turn it into something positive. Instead of focusing on ourselves, our goals and desires, it enables us to focus on doing our work well. Period. I suspect this approach wouldn't sit well with the "prosperity movement" since those who have a servant attitude don’t expect any reward.
Of course this doesn't mean we should be impractical or sit there like a log and let people abuse us and take advantage of us. Actually, Jesus does say those inconvenient things about turning the other cheek and going the second mile and loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us... But I don’t see any reason you can’t have a giving attitude while still being a top performer or servant leader.
Jesus was great leader and an incredibly strong person — it’s on every page of the gospels. And he didn't expect a reward; he didn’t come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Somehow, I think that sounds like a game-changer.
Originally posted at InsideWork
Thinking about the value of work last week, I reflected on what I enjoy about working. The challenge and satisfaction of creating something...the process of brainstorming and generating ideas...the people I encounter and learn from...others I mentor or help...the excitement of bringing something to market...and so many other experiences I love about work.
I've been blessed to have a career during which I've cherished most of the experiences, respected many of the people I've worked with, and where I’ve been able to grow personally and professionally. Of course, there were situations I didn't enjoy — some I really hated. Working with unethical colleagues...compromising my principles...doing that I didn't want to undertake...and firing people. Still, overall, it has been my approach in life to never have regrets. Whether good or bad occurs, I choose to take stock and move on.
I acknowledge that not everyone has been blessed with work they enjoy. I have an acquaintance who became a doctor out of respect to his parents' wishes (Is it obvious he was Asian American? Maybe not...) but in his heart, what he really wanted was to become an attorney. I always wondered how he approached his work when his heart was somewhere else. I know others who have had bosses from hell, career paths that weren't as interesting as they anticipated, or toiled at dead-end jobs. What would my approach to work be if I was in these situations? Would I still be "happy Bernard" or have my "no regrets" view of life?
I hope I would be the same; but I don't know for sure. Frankly, I hope I never have to find out. I am trying to look at Jesus Christ and his view on life; trying to learn from him. Jesus said, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45 New International Version)
Jesus' statement can be applied to every segment of life. For work, if we take the perspective that we are working to serve others, it allows us to embrace even the most dreadful situation and turn it into something positive. Instead of focusing on ourselves, our goals and desires, it enables us to focus on doing our work well. Period. I suspect this approach wouldn't sit well with the "prosperity movement" since those who have a servant attitude don’t expect any reward.
Of course this doesn't mean we should be impractical or sit there like a log and let people abuse us and take advantage of us. Actually, Jesus does say those inconvenient things about turning the other cheek and going the second mile and loving our enemies and praying for those who persecute us... But I don’t see any reason you can’t have a giving attitude while still being a top performer or servant leader.
Jesus was great leader and an incredibly strong person — it’s on every page of the gospels. And he didn't expect a reward; he didn’t come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Somehow, I think that sounds like a game-changer.
Originally posted at InsideWork
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Is Your Work Less Valuable?
(heads up since this is a religious post)
Last Sunday a guest pastor preached a sermon on Matthew 6:19-24. Perhaps you know the passage:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
It’s a common theme into which the speaker inserted a very common story. He described a friend at Stanford who could have been a promising professional, but instead decided on a nonprofit working with underprivileged children.
Later, I discussed the sermon with my wife, Christine. “The sermon was decent, but why do so many pastors tell a story where a promising professional decides to enter the ministry, mission field, or nonprofit sector as a great sacrifice? Aren’t they stating that other careers are less noble or even less godly? I think it’s weird and the wrong message.”
“Maybe all pastors learn how to speak about this topic from the same textbook?” Christine replied.
“Hahaha, I guess so.”
I continued to ponder this for the next couple of days. Are these sermons really about money? Is there a notion for some believers in Christ that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” actually means “money is evil?” I hope not. That would be too simplistic. My favorite preacher, Tim Keller, explained this difference well by stating that the problem for the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 was not that he is was rich, but that it consumed him. It was his motivation for being and the source of his pride to the point that he despised those without wealth.
There are obviously many wealthy and faithful believers, today and throughout history who have made tremendous contributions of resources, time, and ideas. But faithfulness is not even about wealth. What about blue-collar workers and white-collar professionals? Is their work less meaningful than the work of a missionary or pastor? Can they not make an impact for Christ through their work?
Questions continued to fill my thoughts. Why is working in the nonprofit field a sacrifice? Maybe some people are just wired for the nonprofit field so God led them there? It seems to me that sometimes our society’s values become infused into our Biblical values. I have a few close friends who are pastors and missionaries. Some of them could have done well in the corporate world or as entrepreneurs, but their desire was to choose another path. I don’t see this as a sacrifice; it’s where their hearts and God led them. Somewhere close to half of my class from graduate school went on to the nonprofit or government sectors. This was where they wanted to be and a good fit for their skills and personality. Some of them could do well in the business world, and some of them are the most intelligent and capable people I know. I don’t see them lower on the totem pole of life and I hope they don’t see me on a lesser plane because I am in business.
I was reading an article on Joel Osteen a few days before this sermon and realized that his sermons probably wouldn’t come across well at my church. His is a message of hope and considered “prosperity gospel” because he implies that belief in God will lead to success and wealth, which I suppose speaks well to the general public. Speaking that message to a congregation of critical-thinking, white collared professionals would probably garner a few sighs and eye-rolls. On the other side, I suppose our guest preacher probably took a common approach to churches like Menlo Park Presbyterian, where Christine and I attend, or Redeemer Church (where I attended when I lived in NYC) where they emphasize that relatively successful people should sacrifice more. But what do they mean by sacrifice? Change careers? Have everyone go into the mission field or work at nonprofit organizations? I hope not, since church buildings wouldn’t be funded, many nonprofits would shut down, and countless projects would lack volunteers and leaders. What is the right message? I know there isn’t an easy answer, but is there a balanced approach to embracing work in our lives? How do we keep our eyes focused on heaven while not becoming consumed by the call of money?
I guess a simple solution has been to shun the business world or lessen its value compared with more “noble duties.” In some circles, this attitude has created a culture where work is secondary, so people are more passionate and focused on their volunteer work at church. Imagine if Francis Collins thought of work as just a means and didn’t devote himself to his career? The ground-breaking discoveries of the Human Genome Project might have taken years longer to be discovered. Johann Sebastian Bach might not have touched the millions that have listened to him for centuries if he decided to limit himself in being a church organist.
During high school my mother and I got into an argument about how I was spending too much time at church. I was telling her that she should be happy that I wasn’t wasting my time with other things, but she wanted me to focus more on my studies. She told me I could make more of an impact in the world if I succeeded in business than in “church work.” Being immature and having a black and white worldview back then, I got upset and told her I wished she had dreams of me “saving souls” rather than success in the business world.
My mother replied, “Believe me, dear, you can make more of an impact when you have financial freedom. Your father and I support so many ministries because we’ve been blessed in this way.”
In hindsight, my mother probably wanted to kill any desire I might have had to be a missionary since she knew that I would have been horrible in that field. Second, she was right that you can make as tremendous an impact through success in your work. I have seen this through the example of my parents and many others I have encountered.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." — 1 Timothy 6:17-19 New International Version
But I think it’s more than that. Work is not just a means to an end. It’s not about where the support comes from, or how we can sustain ourselves so we can do “God’s work.” It’s how many of us live our lives…How we work to glorify God — not just because of our jobs but in our jobs. I don’t think there’s anything second class about that.
Originally posted at InsideWork (no longer an active site).
Last Sunday a guest pastor preached a sermon on Matthew 6:19-24. Perhaps you know the passage:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also...
No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
It’s a common theme into which the speaker inserted a very common story. He described a friend at Stanford who could have been a promising professional, but instead decided on a nonprofit working with underprivileged children.
Later, I discussed the sermon with my wife, Christine. “The sermon was decent, but why do so many pastors tell a story where a promising professional decides to enter the ministry, mission field, or nonprofit sector as a great sacrifice? Aren’t they stating that other careers are less noble or even less godly? I think it’s weird and the wrong message.”
“Maybe all pastors learn how to speak about this topic from the same textbook?” Christine replied.
“Hahaha, I guess so.”
I continued to ponder this for the next couple of days. Are these sermons really about money? Is there a notion for some believers in Christ that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” actually means “money is evil?” I hope not. That would be too simplistic. My favorite preacher, Tim Keller, explained this difference well by stating that the problem for the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 was not that he is was rich, but that it consumed him. It was his motivation for being and the source of his pride to the point that he despised those without wealth.
There are obviously many wealthy and faithful believers, today and throughout history who have made tremendous contributions of resources, time, and ideas. But faithfulness is not even about wealth. What about blue-collar workers and white-collar professionals? Is their work less meaningful than the work of a missionary or pastor? Can they not make an impact for Christ through their work?
Questions continued to fill my thoughts. Why is working in the nonprofit field a sacrifice? Maybe some people are just wired for the nonprofit field so God led them there? It seems to me that sometimes our society’s values become infused into our Biblical values. I have a few close friends who are pastors and missionaries. Some of them could have done well in the corporate world or as entrepreneurs, but their desire was to choose another path. I don’t see this as a sacrifice; it’s where their hearts and God led them. Somewhere close to half of my class from graduate school went on to the nonprofit or government sectors. This was where they wanted to be and a good fit for their skills and personality. Some of them could do well in the business world, and some of them are the most intelligent and capable people I know. I don’t see them lower on the totem pole of life and I hope they don’t see me on a lesser plane because I am in business.
I was reading an article on Joel Osteen a few days before this sermon and realized that his sermons probably wouldn’t come across well at my church. His is a message of hope and considered “prosperity gospel” because he implies that belief in God will lead to success and wealth, which I suppose speaks well to the general public. Speaking that message to a congregation of critical-thinking, white collared professionals would probably garner a few sighs and eye-rolls. On the other side, I suppose our guest preacher probably took a common approach to churches like Menlo Park Presbyterian, where Christine and I attend, or Redeemer Church (where I attended when I lived in NYC) where they emphasize that relatively successful people should sacrifice more. But what do they mean by sacrifice? Change careers? Have everyone go into the mission field or work at nonprofit organizations? I hope not, since church buildings wouldn’t be funded, many nonprofits would shut down, and countless projects would lack volunteers and leaders. What is the right message? I know there isn’t an easy answer, but is there a balanced approach to embracing work in our lives? How do we keep our eyes focused on heaven while not becoming consumed by the call of money?
I guess a simple solution has been to shun the business world or lessen its value compared with more “noble duties.” In some circles, this attitude has created a culture where work is secondary, so people are more passionate and focused on their volunteer work at church. Imagine if Francis Collins thought of work as just a means and didn’t devote himself to his career? The ground-breaking discoveries of the Human Genome Project might have taken years longer to be discovered. Johann Sebastian Bach might not have touched the millions that have listened to him for centuries if he decided to limit himself in being a church organist.
During high school my mother and I got into an argument about how I was spending too much time at church. I was telling her that she should be happy that I wasn’t wasting my time with other things, but she wanted me to focus more on my studies. She told me I could make more of an impact in the world if I succeeded in business than in “church work.” Being immature and having a black and white worldview back then, I got upset and told her I wished she had dreams of me “saving souls” rather than success in the business world.
My mother replied, “Believe me, dear, you can make more of an impact when you have financial freedom. Your father and I support so many ministries because we’ve been blessed in this way.”
In hindsight, my mother probably wanted to kill any desire I might have had to be a missionary since she knew that I would have been horrible in that field. Second, she was right that you can make as tremendous an impact through success in your work. I have seen this through the example of my parents and many others I have encountered.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." — 1 Timothy 6:17-19 New International Version
But I think it’s more than that. Work is not just a means to an end. It’s not about where the support comes from, or how we can sustain ourselves so we can do “God’s work.” It’s how many of us live our lives…How we work to glorify God — not just because of our jobs but in our jobs. I don’t think there’s anything second class about that.
Originally posted at InsideWork (no longer an active site).
Monday, June 30, 2008
New InsideWork Site Launched... Win Some Free Stuff!
One of our portfolio companies that I'm involved with is InsideWork. It's a business site for the spiritually engaged that seeks to "transform the soul of commerce." They launched a new version of the website today. Check it out if this interests you. More from opening post:
Welcome to InsideWork 3.0
The new look at InsideWork® is more than cosmetic. You're looking at Day One in the third iteration of InsideWork® — reengineered from the core out to deliver our third generation of content.
Our first content migration took InsideWork® from a standard let-us-tell-you-all-about-us website to a blog-style news and comment presentation — a significant step to be sure. But what you're looking at now is more than an incremental step; it's a leap to our future as a media platform delivering every class of content and interaction right down to the cellphone level. Expect to find an emerging experience tailored to the way you live and the pace you keep...
And there is some incentive to explore the new site by giving away free stuff (books, t-shirts, music devices, etc.):
Each Monday from June 30 - August 4, 2008, we’re giving away cool stuff to people who enter the hidden door: door-small1.png
Every Monday the hidden door will move to a new location. Find it, click to enter, and follow the simple instructions on the other side. It’s our way of inviting you to explore the new architecture and find what InsideWork has for you.
First up: The first six people who respond on June 30, will receive a copy of Seth Godin’s The Big Moo (an InsideWork favorite).
Those who respond after the first six will be entered in a drawing for a mighty fine prize at the end.
So… browse, enjoy, tell your friends, let us know what you think.
Welcome to InsideWork 3.0
The new look at InsideWork® is more than cosmetic. You're looking at Day One in the third iteration of InsideWork® — reengineered from the core out to deliver our third generation of content.
Our first content migration took InsideWork® from a standard let-us-tell-you-all-about-us website to a blog-style news and comment presentation — a significant step to be sure. But what you're looking at now is more than an incremental step; it's a leap to our future as a media platform delivering every class of content and interaction right down to the cellphone level. Expect to find an emerging experience tailored to the way you live and the pace you keep...
And there is some incentive to explore the new site by giving away free stuff (books, t-shirts, music devices, etc.):
Each Monday from June 30 - August 4, 2008, we’re giving away cool stuff to people who enter the hidden door: door-small1.png
Every Monday the hidden door will move to a new location. Find it, click to enter, and follow the simple instructions on the other side. It’s our way of inviting you to explore the new architecture and find what InsideWork has for you.
First up: The first six people who respond on June 30, will receive a copy of Seth Godin’s The Big Moo (an InsideWork favorite).
Those who respond after the first six will be entered in a drawing for a mighty fine prize at the end.
So… browse, enjoy, tell your friends, let us know what you think.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Bubble Generation... A View on Christian Faith
(this is a post on my religious views. just a heads up since most of my blog readers come here for thoughts on tech and entrepreneurship)
Several weeks ago at my church, John Ortberg talked about how the Christian faith spreads. He said the number one problem is that so few of us have friends who are not also self-described Christians and the number one reason people give for not propagating the faith is that they are too busy. He went on to explain one reason they are too busy is because of church commitments. To this Ortberg declared, "If you find yourself too busy doing church stuff to make friendships outside of church, quit doing so much church stuff and form friendships with people who are far from God."
These words were refreshing and took me back almost twenty years to my freshman year in college when I decided to reject the Christianity of my youth and take a different course. The witnessing I was taught back then was tactical and not practical. I realized that I wasn't truly friends with some of the people I referred to as my non-Christian friends. They were friendships with a purpose so it wasn't sincere, no matter how great the cause I had in mind. I also became aware of how much I lived in a bubble. My life revolved around my church and fellowship groups. Eventually I asked myself, "How can I share my faith and the impact that Christ has made in my life if I'm around Christians all the time?" I realized not just the witnessing I was taught but the whole Christian life I was exposed to was neither practical nor effective.
Living in Silicon Valley and working in the technology space, I hear a lot of chatter about whether we are living in another tech bubble -- meaning overvalued companies and hyped technologies. In Christian circles, I believe there needs to be more discussion about another type of bubble. The bubble that we surround ourselves with is that which isolates us from the world, and weakens the foundation of our faith and immune system to the temptations of the world.
Over the past few years, various research studies have found more than 75% of Christians leave their faith after high school and of the remaining ones, more than 60% of those abandon their faith after college. Whether the real numbers are far less or greater, these studies are of grave concern to me, and I have anecdotally seen this drop-off since my college years. Some have suggested this is due to the recent growth of the new atheism led by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and others. Some have pointed to poor parenting and the lack of Biblical teaching in the home. While these are factors and personal reasons for many people, I believe the problem is deeper and has gone on for at least for a couple of decades since my youth if not longer. The problem is that we are a Bubble Generation.
This generation lives in a bubble that attempts to separate the good air from the bad air. It seeks protection from a world of unknowns – unknowns that oddly enough were created by the great unknown, our God. The consequences are numerous, and I think, ominous.
The social underdevelopment of Christians. Many Christians grow up socially inept and cannot function outside of a Friday fellowship or church picnic. Some organizations create an atmosphere of exclusivity or arrogance that furthers the isolation between them and the people they are supposedly trying to reach. In my involvement with Asian American ministries during college, I saw many campuses divided between the churches and non-church organizations fueled by Pharisee-like behavior from the Christians.
The social ineptness is most pronounced after college and is, I believe, why more than 60% of Christians leave their faith after college. I remember various campus ministries in the Midwest and East Coast that made this problem worse by coddling graduates and creating new programs so they could continue to be involved in their college groups instead of adequately preparing them for transition to the real world. This is a failure of leadership within these campus ministries and churches. I have seen some of these campus ministry post-graduate programs, and observed that fear of what was outside of the bubble was a driver for many of their members to join.
Several years ago, I was speaking with a staff member of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) who discussed how a fair amount of their participants were having difficult transitioning into the real world and their current programs were just transferring people from one bubble to another.
Lack of a solid foundation of faith. Whether during high school or college, Christians fail to build a solid base for their faith. Whether it is Biblical knowledge, apologetics, or a general inquisitiveness about their faith, various factors create a shaky ground for many. Again, this is a failure of leadership within the church. Some pastors are too busy trying to convert people instead of building a solid foundation for their congregation. It is not surprising that the Pew U.S. Religious Landscape Survey (2008) found that the top reason (32%) 13-17 year-olds moved from identifying themselves as religious to non-religious was intellectual skepticism and disbelief. I remember being surprised during college and afterwards at how so many people could not adequately answer the question, "Why do you believe?"
It is almost comical, but I know many sad stories of college graduates losing their faith after getting drunk at a work party or with friends. I know of others that lost their faith after one discussion with an atheist friend. How weak was their foundation to lose their faith so easily? This also gets back to John Ortberg's point about having non-Christian friends. Real friends. Close friends. We need foundations of faith that can not only weather challenges but also enable us to embrace everyone in our lives with the love of Christ.
Lack of leadership within the church. The bubble culture perpetuates because leaders in our churches have failed - whether they have arrogantly avoided significant engagement with sinners, fearfully avoided the intellectual strength and logic of the Bible, or created an environment of guilt instead of triumph within the souls of believers. Many churches have developed cultures where church activities consume all the free time of members, and build a bubble of separation. Some of these churches I have seen I would almost classify as a cult. Chastising their members for hanging out with non-Christians, enforcing certain church activities, and making their life decisions dependent on the words of a pastor or leadership team. I know of a fair amount of people bitter about their church experiences from their college days or in their twenties, and most of it points to the leaders of their churches.
This failure goes beyond those who have rejected the faith of their youth, to people who have slipped away from their churches but still hold strong to their faith. There are an estimated 13 million Americans who say they are "born again" and are unchurched, and an estimated 112 million churchless Christians worldwide. Alan Jamieson, author of "A Churchless Faith," found that 94 percent of these people were previously leaders within their churches. 32 percent had been full-time pastors.
This past Sunday at Menlo Park Presbyterian was "Senior Weekend" to recognize the graduating high school seniors at my church. One young woman had a story I hear often from short-term missions, generally to the effect of how she found it much harder to live the Christ-centered life when she got back home. It is easy to live in the bubble of a short-term mission trip, campus fellowship or home groups at church. All these environments are spiritually beneficial, but they should not be enclosed and isolated. We were meant to interact in the world, actively work in the world and affect people through visible actions and not behind closed doors.
So what can be done? I believe most of the problems start at the top, so I believe there needs to be an examination of how pastors are trained. Pastors need to learn how to connect on numerous levels with their members and the world. As with the top MBA schools, seminaries should require a minimum numbers of years that students should work before entering. How much more important is ministering souls than managing consumer products and accounting systems? Pastors themselves need to live out of the bubble before they can effectively engage the world as God's shepherds.
Parents need to take their children out of the greenhouse. Some plants nurtured within a greenhouse environment quickly shrivel in the wild. It is no surprise when children enter college or beyond that the world consumes them. There is a balance between nurture and control that can be sought out.
Last, I would revisit Ortberg's practical advice, and just stop doing church stuff if you are not building friendships with those who do not believe in Christ. Your faith is not only active within church walls, but at work, home and your local Starbucks. Christians need to engage the world in all aspects of life and start popping the bubble that permeates throughout our culture.
Several weeks ago at my church, John Ortberg talked about how the Christian faith spreads. He said the number one problem is that so few of us have friends who are not also self-described Christians and the number one reason people give for not propagating the faith is that they are too busy. He went on to explain one reason they are too busy is because of church commitments. To this Ortberg declared, "If you find yourself too busy doing church stuff to make friendships outside of church, quit doing so much church stuff and form friendships with people who are far from God."
These words were refreshing and took me back almost twenty years to my freshman year in college when I decided to reject the Christianity of my youth and take a different course. The witnessing I was taught back then was tactical and not practical. I realized that I wasn't truly friends with some of the people I referred to as my non-Christian friends. They were friendships with a purpose so it wasn't sincere, no matter how great the cause I had in mind. I also became aware of how much I lived in a bubble. My life revolved around my church and fellowship groups. Eventually I asked myself, "How can I share my faith and the impact that Christ has made in my life if I'm around Christians all the time?" I realized not just the witnessing I was taught but the whole Christian life I was exposed to was neither practical nor effective.
Living in Silicon Valley and working in the technology space, I hear a lot of chatter about whether we are living in another tech bubble -- meaning overvalued companies and hyped technologies. In Christian circles, I believe there needs to be more discussion about another type of bubble. The bubble that we surround ourselves with is that which isolates us from the world, and weakens the foundation of our faith and immune system to the temptations of the world.
Over the past few years, various research studies have found more than 75% of Christians leave their faith after high school and of the remaining ones, more than 60% of those abandon their faith after college. Whether the real numbers are far less or greater, these studies are of grave concern to me, and I have anecdotally seen this drop-off since my college years. Some have suggested this is due to the recent growth of the new atheism led by Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and others. Some have pointed to poor parenting and the lack of Biblical teaching in the home. While these are factors and personal reasons for many people, I believe the problem is deeper and has gone on for at least for a couple of decades since my youth if not longer. The problem is that we are a Bubble Generation.
This generation lives in a bubble that attempts to separate the good air from the bad air. It seeks protection from a world of unknowns – unknowns that oddly enough were created by the great unknown, our God. The consequences are numerous, and I think, ominous.
The social underdevelopment of Christians. Many Christians grow up socially inept and cannot function outside of a Friday fellowship or church picnic. Some organizations create an atmosphere of exclusivity or arrogance that furthers the isolation between them and the people they are supposedly trying to reach. In my involvement with Asian American ministries during college, I saw many campuses divided between the churches and non-church organizations fueled by Pharisee-like behavior from the Christians.
The social ineptness is most pronounced after college and is, I believe, why more than 60% of Christians leave their faith after college. I remember various campus ministries in the Midwest and East Coast that made this problem worse by coddling graduates and creating new programs so they could continue to be involved in their college groups instead of adequately preparing them for transition to the real world. This is a failure of leadership within these campus ministries and churches. I have seen some of these campus ministry post-graduate programs, and observed that fear of what was outside of the bubble was a driver for many of their members to join.
Several years ago, I was speaking with a staff member of Youth With A Mission (YWAM) who discussed how a fair amount of their participants were having difficult transitioning into the real world and their current programs were just transferring people from one bubble to another.
Lack of a solid foundation of faith. Whether during high school or college, Christians fail to build a solid base for their faith. Whether it is Biblical knowledge, apologetics, or a general inquisitiveness about their faith, various factors create a shaky ground for many. Again, this is a failure of leadership within the church. Some pastors are too busy trying to convert people instead of building a solid foundation for their congregation. It is not surprising that the Pew U.S. Religious Landscape Survey (2008) found that the top reason (32%) 13-17 year-olds moved from identifying themselves as religious to non-religious was intellectual skepticism and disbelief. I remember being surprised during college and afterwards at how so many people could not adequately answer the question, "Why do you believe?"
It is almost comical, but I know many sad stories of college graduates losing their faith after getting drunk at a work party or with friends. I know of others that lost their faith after one discussion with an atheist friend. How weak was their foundation to lose their faith so easily? This also gets back to John Ortberg's point about having non-Christian friends. Real friends. Close friends. We need foundations of faith that can not only weather challenges but also enable us to embrace everyone in our lives with the love of Christ.
Lack of leadership within the church. The bubble culture perpetuates because leaders in our churches have failed - whether they have arrogantly avoided significant engagement with sinners, fearfully avoided the intellectual strength and logic of the Bible, or created an environment of guilt instead of triumph within the souls of believers. Many churches have developed cultures where church activities consume all the free time of members, and build a bubble of separation. Some of these churches I have seen I would almost classify as a cult. Chastising their members for hanging out with non-Christians, enforcing certain church activities, and making their life decisions dependent on the words of a pastor or leadership team. I know of a fair amount of people bitter about their church experiences from their college days or in their twenties, and most of it points to the leaders of their churches.
This failure goes beyond those who have rejected the faith of their youth, to people who have slipped away from their churches but still hold strong to their faith. There are an estimated 13 million Americans who say they are "born again" and are unchurched, and an estimated 112 million churchless Christians worldwide. Alan Jamieson, author of "A Churchless Faith," found that 94 percent of these people were previously leaders within their churches. 32 percent had been full-time pastors.
This past Sunday at Menlo Park Presbyterian was "Senior Weekend" to recognize the graduating high school seniors at my church. One young woman had a story I hear often from short-term missions, generally to the effect of how she found it much harder to live the Christ-centered life when she got back home. It is easy to live in the bubble of a short-term mission trip, campus fellowship or home groups at church. All these environments are spiritually beneficial, but they should not be enclosed and isolated. We were meant to interact in the world, actively work in the world and affect people through visible actions and not behind closed doors.
So what can be done? I believe most of the problems start at the top, so I believe there needs to be an examination of how pastors are trained. Pastors need to learn how to connect on numerous levels with their members and the world. As with the top MBA schools, seminaries should require a minimum numbers of years that students should work before entering. How much more important is ministering souls than managing consumer products and accounting systems? Pastors themselves need to live out of the bubble before they can effectively engage the world as God's shepherds.
Parents need to take their children out of the greenhouse. Some plants nurtured within a greenhouse environment quickly shrivel in the wild. It is no surprise when children enter college or beyond that the world consumes them. There is a balance between nurture and control that can be sought out.
Last, I would revisit Ortberg's practical advice, and just stop doing church stuff if you are not building friendships with those who do not believe in Christ. Your faith is not only active within church walls, but at work, home and your local Starbucks. Christians need to engage the world in all aspects of life and start popping the bubble that permeates throughout our culture.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
The Passion of The Christ... Following Up
Following up from my Feb. 20th entry, The Passion of The Christ came out yesterday under a storm of controversy and protest. Thomas Lifson from The American Thinker wrote a great review and commentary on the movie.
A "peace-maker" review by Dennis Prager... "It is crucial for Jews and Christians to try to understand what version of 'The Passion' the other is watching and reacting to."
Going negative, My Stupid Dog wrote: "Overkill: Gibson's Passion of the Christ, Exploitation Cinema and Robert Bresson."
Christian view by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts. Pretty Good.
A "peace-maker" review by Dennis Prager... "It is crucial for Jews and Christians to try to understand what version of 'The Passion' the other is watching and reacting to."
Going negative, My Stupid Dog wrote: "Overkill: Gibson's Passion of the Christ, Exploitation Cinema and Robert Bresson."
Christian view by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts. Pretty Good.
Thursday, December 25, 2003
Merry Christmas!!... A Little Bit About My Faith
Since Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birth, I might as well write about its importance in my life. It's amazing to think how much of an impact one man has had on the history of this earth, and it was really only three years of public ministry where Jesus Christ exerted any type of influence. Incredible.
Coming from a Buddhist background and very little exposure to Christianity until my eighth grade, allowed me to accept Christianity without any social or family pressures that some people face at a young age. Sometimes being cold and naturally cynical of everything around me, I didn't accept Christianity out of an emotional need at some church camp, a fiery Sunday sermon, or friendly nudges by a friend. It was a process of questioning, reading, and thinking that led me to accept the whole of Christianity since there really is no other way. I don't believe in "blind faith", so my initial acceptance of Christianity was followed by several years of further questioning, reading, and thinking. Probably why I enjoy listening and reading to C.S. Lewis and Ravi Zacharias more than Billy Graham or Charles Swindoll.
In the end, I found the Christian life to be the most difficult life to live. Far from a "crutch for the weak" as some philosophers label religion, it is difficult for a very independent and confident person to submit their will to a greater, unseen power. The Christian journey has been the most toilsome but at the same time the most joyful experience for me.
Anyway, below is an essay by an unknown writer on the life and impact of Christ. Not a great piece of writing, but gets the point across. Also below are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs by Michael Card, a Christian singer and writer. The depth of his thinking and knowledge is truly reflected in many of his songs. Merry Christmas again!
One Solitary Life
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village,
the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another village, and that a despised one.
He worked in a carpenter shop for thirty years,
and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never owned a home.
He never had a family.
He never went to college.
He never put His foot inside a really big city.
He never traveled, except in His infancy,
more than two hundred miles from the place where He was born.
He had no credentials but HIMSELF.
While still a young man,
The tide of popular opinion turned against Him.
His friends ran away.
One of them betrayed Him.
He was turned over to His enemies.
He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon a Cross between two thieves.
His executors gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth,
His seamless robe.
When He was dead,
He was taken down from the cross
and laid in a borrowed grave through the courtesy of a friend.
Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone,
and today Jesus is the centerpiece of the human race,
and the leader of all human progress.
I am well within the mark when I say that
all the armies that ever marched,
all the navies that were ever built,
all the parliaments that have ever sat, and
all the kings that have ever ruled put together
have not affected the life of man upon this earth
like this one solitary personality.
All time dates from his birth,
and it is impossible to understand or interpret
the progress of human civilization in any nation on earth
apart from his influence.
Slowly through the ages man is coming to realize that
the greatest necessity in the world is not
water, iron, gold, food and clothing, or even nitrate in the soil;
but rather Christ enshrined in human hearts, thoughts and motives.
More poems have been written,
more stories told,
more pictures painted, and
more songs sung about Christ
than any other person in human history,
because through such avenues as these
the deepest appreciation of the human heart
can be more adequately expressed.
God's Own Fool
by Michael Card
Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind
For even His family said He was mad
And the priests said a demon's to blame
But God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane
(chorus)
When we in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
When we in our weakness believed we were strong
He became helpless to show we were wrong
And so we follow God's own fool
For only the foolish can tell-
Believe the unbelievable
And come be a fool as well
So come lose your life for a carpenter's son
For a madman who died for a dream
And you'll have the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam
So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see
(chorus)
So we follow God's own Fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable,
And come be a fool as well
Coming from a Buddhist background and very little exposure to Christianity until my eighth grade, allowed me to accept Christianity without any social or family pressures that some people face at a young age. Sometimes being cold and naturally cynical of everything around me, I didn't accept Christianity out of an emotional need at some church camp, a fiery Sunday sermon, or friendly nudges by a friend. It was a process of questioning, reading, and thinking that led me to accept the whole of Christianity since there really is no other way. I don't believe in "blind faith", so my initial acceptance of Christianity was followed by several years of further questioning, reading, and thinking. Probably why I enjoy listening and reading to C.S. Lewis and Ravi Zacharias more than Billy Graham or Charles Swindoll.
In the end, I found the Christian life to be the most difficult life to live. Far from a "crutch for the weak" as some philosophers label religion, it is difficult for a very independent and confident person to submit their will to a greater, unseen power. The Christian journey has been the most toilsome but at the same time the most joyful experience for me.
Anyway, below is an essay by an unknown writer on the life and impact of Christ. Not a great piece of writing, but gets the point across. Also below are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs by Michael Card, a Christian singer and writer. The depth of his thinking and knowledge is truly reflected in many of his songs. Merry Christmas again!
One Solitary Life
Here is a man who was born in an obscure village,
the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in another village, and that a despised one.
He worked in a carpenter shop for thirty years,
and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never owned a home.
He never had a family.
He never went to college.
He never put His foot inside a really big city.
He never traveled, except in His infancy,
more than two hundred miles from the place where He was born.
He had no credentials but HIMSELF.
While still a young man,
The tide of popular opinion turned against Him.
His friends ran away.
One of them betrayed Him.
He was turned over to His enemies.
He went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed upon a Cross between two thieves.
His executors gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth,
His seamless robe.
When He was dead,
He was taken down from the cross
and laid in a borrowed grave through the courtesy of a friend.
Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone,
and today Jesus is the centerpiece of the human race,
and the leader of all human progress.
I am well within the mark when I say that
all the armies that ever marched,
all the navies that were ever built,
all the parliaments that have ever sat, and
all the kings that have ever ruled put together
have not affected the life of man upon this earth
like this one solitary personality.
All time dates from his birth,
and it is impossible to understand or interpret
the progress of human civilization in any nation on earth
apart from his influence.
Slowly through the ages man is coming to realize that
the greatest necessity in the world is not
water, iron, gold, food and clothing, or even nitrate in the soil;
but rather Christ enshrined in human hearts, thoughts and motives.
More poems have been written,
more stories told,
more pictures painted, and
more songs sung about Christ
than any other person in human history,
because through such avenues as these
the deepest appreciation of the human heart
can be more adequately expressed.
God's Own Fool
by Michael Card
Seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind
For even His family said He was mad
And the priests said a demon's to blame
But God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane
(chorus)
When we in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
When we in our weakness believed we were strong
He became helpless to show we were wrong
And so we follow God's own fool
For only the foolish can tell-
Believe the unbelievable
And come be a fool as well
So come lose your life for a carpenter's son
For a madman who died for a dream
And you'll have the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam
So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see
(chorus)
So we follow God's own Fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable,
And come be a fool as well
Monday, May 5, 2003
Destructive Christianity Continued
Timing can present itself in interesting ways in life. I arrived in New York City this past Friday and on Saturday I wrote about something Tim Keller, the pastor at Redeemer Church in Manhattan, said in one of his past sermons. Well, I visited my old church Sunday and Tim Keller's sermon was on The Rich and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). Without going into an overview of the sermon, which was excellent, a few things stuck out and was relevant to my prior blog. He talked about how The Rich Man didn't get into heaven not because he was rich, but because it consumed him. It was his motivation for being and source of his pride to the point that he despised those without wealth. He despised and looked down upon the poor. Going back to my prior blog and about the church leaders, their pride was so overwhelming that they despised those who would not live up to their narrowly focused set of ideals. Their set of values and Christian doctrine were their "riches" that consumed them.
A disappointing continuation of that situation was that woman member wanted to join a new branch the church was starting in the city. The two leaders that held this self-righteous grudge against her were part of the leadership group assisting a pastor for the new church plant. They told the pastor that if she attends the new church that they would quit and not help out. It's amusing because their self-righteousness blinded them to the actually mission of such a church. I assume they are seeking to attract unchurched people and those seeking out some meaning from Christianity. Their target group are probably far worse "sinners" or people from their worldview, but they cannot even accept a willing but "lesser" person from their own home church. If I was the pastor, I would have asked them to leave for even asking such a thing. Clearly their focus and heart is not in the right place and will in the end harm the environment and chemistry of the church body. Maybe even such a poor Christian as I would be more helpful. Probably not.
The last part of Tim Keller's sermon discussed how miracles and amazing signs would not convert someone to Christianity unless they actually knew the "whys" of their faith. In the Bible passage, the rich man asks Father Abraham to warn his brothers of his fate in hell.
"They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
"And he said, No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
"But he said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."
Basically, Keller was saying that even if Christ were to rise from the dead in front of some people today, it wouldn't matter but for a brief moment in life. They might have an emotional, temporary experience that "converts" them, but they won't know the reasons or basis of their faith. These points reinforce my thoughts on how shallow many people's faith and beliefs were which led to their quick rejection of Christianity once it was challenged intellectually or within their lifestyle, especially within the Korean American church.
As people explore Christianity, they need to poke, prod, and examine all aspects of the doctrine and ask questions upon questions on whether it is flawless religion. I'm biased because I believe I have and my faith has never wavered. I am in a weak period of my life where I struggle to submit my will to God and seek out His desires instead of my own, but I never doubt any aspect of the completeness of the Bible and Christ's life. I joke around with my friends that I am a "heathen", but I take full responsibility for my lack of effort in my Christian life. The reality I've come to is that living such a life is the most difficult thing I will ever encounter in my life.
A disappointing continuation of that situation was that woman member wanted to join a new branch the church was starting in the city. The two leaders that held this self-righteous grudge against her were part of the leadership group assisting a pastor for the new church plant. They told the pastor that if she attends the new church that they would quit and not help out. It's amusing because their self-righteousness blinded them to the actually mission of such a church. I assume they are seeking to attract unchurched people and those seeking out some meaning from Christianity. Their target group are probably far worse "sinners" or people from their worldview, but they cannot even accept a willing but "lesser" person from their own home church. If I was the pastor, I would have asked them to leave for even asking such a thing. Clearly their focus and heart is not in the right place and will in the end harm the environment and chemistry of the church body. Maybe even such a poor Christian as I would be more helpful. Probably not.
The last part of Tim Keller's sermon discussed how miracles and amazing signs would not convert someone to Christianity unless they actually knew the "whys" of their faith. In the Bible passage, the rich man asks Father Abraham to warn his brothers of his fate in hell.
"They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them."
"And he said, No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
"But he said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."
Basically, Keller was saying that even if Christ were to rise from the dead in front of some people today, it wouldn't matter but for a brief moment in life. They might have an emotional, temporary experience that "converts" them, but they won't know the reasons or basis of their faith. These points reinforce my thoughts on how shallow many people's faith and beliefs were which led to their quick rejection of Christianity once it was challenged intellectually or within their lifestyle, especially within the Korean American church.
As people explore Christianity, they need to poke, prod, and examine all aspects of the doctrine and ask questions upon questions on whether it is flawless religion. I'm biased because I believe I have and my faith has never wavered. I am in a weak period of my life where I struggle to submit my will to God and seek out His desires instead of my own, but I never doubt any aspect of the completeness of the Bible and Christ's life. I joke around with my friends that I am a "heathen", but I take full responsibility for my lack of effort in my Christian life. The reality I've come to is that living such a life is the most difficult thing I will ever encounter in my life.
Saturday, May 3, 2003
Destructive Christianity
Being back in the U.S. and visiting friends have brought back various memories from my past. One aspect is my religious upbringing. I grew up in a charismatic Korean American church. The Korean American church is interesting because like many immigrant churches it served the dual purpose of being a religious institution and social hub for its members. Without going into much detail here, the Christianity that developed from Korean and Korean American churchs has been influenced by Korean culture. From Buddhism to Confucian doctrine to Korean cultural history, many of these factors have influenced the practice and thinking within the Korean church today (more for another day).
Part of my experience and a characteristic of the Korean Church is the strong legalistic culture and tendencies that still dominate many of the churches today. Growing up, I was very legalistic and saw almost everything as black and white in terms of whether my actions, words, and environment was edifying to myself and others around me. In high school, I consider those years my "pharisee" period where my views mixed with my strong personality tended to be just as destructive and self-inflicting as the pharisees that lived during the time of Christ. I really didn't learn the meaning of "grace" and "love" until my college years and beyond.
A fair amount of Christians in the Korean American community are affected by this lack of knowing grace and a self-righteousness that blinds them to being effective in the world today. Interestingly enough, these same Christians are part of a vast majority leave the church soon after graduating from college. Many of their beliefs and faith stood on shallow ground, and I believe time has proven this so. They lived in an isolated bubble during college and maybe high school. Much of this was not their fault due to the natural tendencies of recent immigrants to gravitate towards each other out of comfort, common culture, and family ties, but the dangerous mentality of being critical and judgmental towards anything outside of their sphere of comfort as Christians is a poison hurting the health of the church today.
It's sometimes amusing because I hear about some of these "pharisees" leaving the church and denying their faith because they enter the outside world for the first time after college and they live in a way that is counter to their prior ideals and shallow beliefs. I heard of a person getting drunk once and soon renouncing his faith and belief in God because of the experience. Did he think he was a messiah? Did he find truth in the bottle of whiskey? Or was he overwhelmed with the guilt of his past harsh judgments and words upon others who he labeled as "sinners" or "unchurched"? If these types of minor actions or situations turns away these "fervent" Christians from God or renounce their belief in the Bible, I assume their faith stood on wafer-thin ground.
I recently was talking with some friends who attend a Korean American church in Chicago. They were informing me about another situation where some church leaders were critical of a member's lifestyle. She might not have done anything directly to them, but they held some bitter, self-righteous attitude towards the person. Without going into details, I understand she was considered unstable in some ways and had some personal issues, but as leaders you have to accept the worst about people. Maybe the issues surrounding her is something I can't fathom, but I will continue to use this as an example of what occurs in many Korean American churches to varying degrees.
Anyway, she left during the conflict, but came back later on. Instead of accepting her back with open arms and love, like a prodigal son returning, they continued to ignore and isolate her from their circles. I sometimes wonder what benefit do they see will come out of these actions? The person already apologized and asked for forgiveness, which I don't even think she should have done. Are they being judge and jury and laying "God's punishment" upon her? This is the same mentality that I saw during college that divided many Korean Americans on their campuses throughout the U.S. It was usually from the Christians that this rift was created. They didn't want their church members associating with such "sinners" or being influenced by their lifestyles. This is exactly how the pharisees would react in these situations today like when they criticized Jesus Christ for eating with the "sinners".
The thinking is similar from these leaders at this church because they do not have a perspective of equality in the spiritual sense. In a deluded sense of self-righteousness, they hold judgment and anger against this woman because they themselves would never do such an act or live such a way. Ignorance and stupidity are amusing to watch from the outside. This reminds me of Phillip Yancy's book What's So Amazing About Grace? and how he talks about the situation where a prostitute was afraid in approaching God initially because of the Christians at the church she visited. It also reminds me of a sermon I once heard at Redeemer Church in New York when Tim Keller was discussing how most people think they are in the middle of the bell-curve or slightly above in terms of their "sinfulness". Charles Mason, Hilter, and others are on the bottom 1%-5% of the curve while Mother Theresa and others are in top 1% of the curve. Keller was stating that Apostle Paul truly thought of himself in the bottom part of the curve and we should would be deluded to think otherwise. Self-righteousness makes Christians the poorest examples of their faith and worst enemy of their life's mission.
Continued...
Part of my experience and a characteristic of the Korean Church is the strong legalistic culture and tendencies that still dominate many of the churches today. Growing up, I was very legalistic and saw almost everything as black and white in terms of whether my actions, words, and environment was edifying to myself and others around me. In high school, I consider those years my "pharisee" period where my views mixed with my strong personality tended to be just as destructive and self-inflicting as the pharisees that lived during the time of Christ. I really didn't learn the meaning of "grace" and "love" until my college years and beyond.
A fair amount of Christians in the Korean American community are affected by this lack of knowing grace and a self-righteousness that blinds them to being effective in the world today. Interestingly enough, these same Christians are part of a vast majority leave the church soon after graduating from college. Many of their beliefs and faith stood on shallow ground, and I believe time has proven this so. They lived in an isolated bubble during college and maybe high school. Much of this was not their fault due to the natural tendencies of recent immigrants to gravitate towards each other out of comfort, common culture, and family ties, but the dangerous mentality of being critical and judgmental towards anything outside of their sphere of comfort as Christians is a poison hurting the health of the church today.
It's sometimes amusing because I hear about some of these "pharisees" leaving the church and denying their faith because they enter the outside world for the first time after college and they live in a way that is counter to their prior ideals and shallow beliefs. I heard of a person getting drunk once and soon renouncing his faith and belief in God because of the experience. Did he think he was a messiah? Did he find truth in the bottle of whiskey? Or was he overwhelmed with the guilt of his past harsh judgments and words upon others who he labeled as "sinners" or "unchurched"? If these types of minor actions or situations turns away these "fervent" Christians from God or renounce their belief in the Bible, I assume their faith stood on wafer-thin ground.
I recently was talking with some friends who attend a Korean American church in Chicago. They were informing me about another situation where some church leaders were critical of a member's lifestyle. She might not have done anything directly to them, but they held some bitter, self-righteous attitude towards the person. Without going into details, I understand she was considered unstable in some ways and had some personal issues, but as leaders you have to accept the worst about people. Maybe the issues surrounding her is something I can't fathom, but I will continue to use this as an example of what occurs in many Korean American churches to varying degrees.
Anyway, she left during the conflict, but came back later on. Instead of accepting her back with open arms and love, like a prodigal son returning, they continued to ignore and isolate her from their circles. I sometimes wonder what benefit do they see will come out of these actions? The person already apologized and asked for forgiveness, which I don't even think she should have done. Are they being judge and jury and laying "God's punishment" upon her? This is the same mentality that I saw during college that divided many Korean Americans on their campuses throughout the U.S. It was usually from the Christians that this rift was created. They didn't want their church members associating with such "sinners" or being influenced by their lifestyles. This is exactly how the pharisees would react in these situations today like when they criticized Jesus Christ for eating with the "sinners".
The thinking is similar from these leaders at this church because they do not have a perspective of equality in the spiritual sense. In a deluded sense of self-righteousness, they hold judgment and anger against this woman because they themselves would never do such an act or live such a way. Ignorance and stupidity are amusing to watch from the outside. This reminds me of Phillip Yancy's book What's So Amazing About Grace? and how he talks about the situation where a prostitute was afraid in approaching God initially because of the Christians at the church she visited. It also reminds me of a sermon I once heard at Redeemer Church in New York when Tim Keller was discussing how most people think they are in the middle of the bell-curve or slightly above in terms of their "sinfulness". Charles Mason, Hilter, and others are on the bottom 1%-5% of the curve while Mother Theresa and others are in top 1% of the curve. Keller was stating that Apostle Paul truly thought of himself in the bottom part of the curve and we should would be deluded to think otherwise. Self-righteousness makes Christians the poorest examples of their faith and worst enemy of their life's mission.
Continued...
Labels:
christianity,
faith,
religion
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