• Our hope-filled future is bound up in sharing the story of Jesus, in discipling others, in bringing those disciples together into communities of believers, and in developing and releasing those believers to create other communities... till Jesus the King comes again!

Why I Could Use An Intern (II)

Posted on July 6, 2012 by wtdavid

One solid reason why I could use an intern is that there is more work than I can accomplish, and delegating tasks can serve as a reminder of my daily need for God.

Another reason would be to ready (read: train) the next generation of workers and leaders.  Hands on experience with real time assessment and feedback are a gift that we can give to many as they journey towards God’s mission for their lives.  Many of us are where we are in ministry because of the opportunity that a mature worker or leader gave to us to try our hands at ministry through a variety of tasks, even those that seemed mundane.

Here again, two obstacles loom in front of us.  First, we simply assume that we do not have the time to give to such an effort.  Basically, it would take us longer to carry our every day work.  Real time assessment assumes time and depth of relationship.  Second, there is often no short term return on the investment made in the life of an intern.  Most interns do not walk in the door able to do all that we need done.  There are some strong gifts that they bring and can put into practice, but they are unfamiliar with how to fully work out these gifts in the contexts where we live and work.

That’s why I need an intern.  Working with an intern reminds me that life and ministry is a journey, and that just as others were patient and willing to work with me, so I must do the same for others.  And as those interns grow and develop, ultimately I will need to give way and allow them to begin to exercise more and more influence, and begin the same process (multiplication) with interns that come their way.

I may have shared this story before, but it is worth repeating.  One of my friends here in France shared about one of the leaders in his church that had a plumbing business.  This plumber was complaining about the fact that there was no one on the horizon to take over his business once he retired.  When asked the reason for this scarcity, the plumber replied that it all stemmed from a decision a number of years ago when he decided not to take on any interns.  “Too much work,” he said, “and everything would have taken much longer to finish.  It was just easier for me to do it myself.”  The obstacles of time and a lack of short term investment had led him to “get his work done,” but now there was no one to continue or further the work.

Let us have a developmental mindset that allows us to work with and hand over ministry to others who will further and multiply (again) the ministry.

Filed under: Delegation, Development, Mentoring | Leave a comment »

Why I Could Use An Intern

Posted on July 4, 2012 by wtdavid

If you are like me, it feels like there is always more work than I have time to do.  How many times have I thought or said, “I just don’t have time to do this or that with all there is on my plate right now.”  Granted, I may be exaggerating the situation somewhat as you always seem to ‘find time’ to do what becomes a priority in your life.  However, the reality that there is more work than I can accomplish is one solid reason why I could use an intern.

I could delegate to an intern those tasks that I want to do, but just don’t have the time to carry out.  Here’s where I (and perhaps you) can quickly fall into one of two traps.  First, there is my simple unwillingness to give up my control of a task to another person.  This is my “task” and I want my handprints to be on it.  Besides, what will I do if the intern chooses to carry out the task in another way than I had envisioned?  Second, there is the real possibility that the intern might mess up relationships that exist in my ministry web or network.

That’s why I need an intern.  Working with an intern can regularly (read: daily or hourly) remind me of how much my hands are in the ministry, rather than God’s; how much my ministry is founded on my efforts, rather than God’s intervention.  Did you see how many times ‘me’ and ‘my’ came up in these last statements?

I need an intern because an intern can help me to focus on what should be my priorities, by taking responsibility for a number of tasks that are important, but not primary.

There are several other good reasons why I need an intern, but more on that tomorrow.

 

 

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the Turn

Posted on July 2, 2012 by wtdavid

Today’s post comes from Tim in Spain.

I have to admit that I’m having a love/hate relationship with some of Keller’s writings.  I love how he’s constantly pointing out the Gospel at every turn.  I hate how he so easily shows me my weakness, my sin, my need!

In this week’s chapter I was challenged by Jesus’ words that really call us to a new identity.  Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:34)  You see, I don’t like the thought of losing my life very much.  I like protecting it, glorifying it, making it bigger—not losing it.  The “I” in Tim can be really big.  There’s a lot in my life that likes to form its identity in performing, achieving, and looking good in the eyes of those around me.  So, NO!!!, I don’t like losing myself and my life very much.

This week has been a good example.  It’s one of those weeks where you feel like you’re being a good worker.  I feel like I’m giving almost all I have, like I’m being poured out in service to God and others.  But then I look at what’s in my heart and have to ask, “Is this really being done for God or is there something in me that is really doing all these things to build me up, not His kingdom and His glory?”  I struggle with this.

Keller reminds us of C.S. Lewis’ words, “It is when I turn to Christ, when I give myself up to His personality, that I finally begin to have a real personality of my own…” (p. 106) He then writes, “If you go to Jesus to get a new personality…you still haven’t really gone to Jesus.  Your real self will not come out as long as you are looking for it; it will only emerge when you’re looking for him.”  (p. 106)  I easily turn to myself thinking that I’ll find myself—using things like determination, control, hard work,  and a personal agenda to get there.

I think we could really do ourselves a favor by turning to our King and returning to His cross to really find ourselves.  It would sure take a lot of pressure off of us!

 

Col. 3:3 says, “Your old life is dead.  Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God.  He is your life.” (The Message)  What types of things do you do to build up your identity?  What does “turning” to Christ look like for you in order to take on HIS identity?

Next week: chapter 10 – “the Mountain”

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the Approach

Posted on June 25, 2012 by wtdavid

In the local community of believers that we are part of here in Europe, we shared the Lord’s Supper together this past weekend.  It is both a solemn and joyful moment.  These two elements of the Lord’ Supper were only further reinforced in my heart and mind when I read these words from Thomas Cranmer, quoted by Tim Keller: “We do not presume to come to this your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your manifold and great mercies.  We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table, but you are the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.”  That unfathomable mercy and grace, as Keller reminds us, is clearly displayed in Jesus’ approach to two very different individuals, recorded in this section of the Gospel of Mark.

Jesus takes a seemingly hard approach towards the Syrophoenician woman who comes to plead for her daughter.  However, in her boldness, she wrestles “with Jesus in the most respectful way and she will not take no for an answer.”  Rather than pleading for and asserting her “rights”, she begs the Lord to give her what “she doesn’t deserve on the basis of His goodness.”  Recognizing her own unworthiness, she calls out for the infinite mercy of God to be shown to her.  What an example of the Gospel!

Jesus then takes an opposite approach towards the deaf and mute man.  Whereas Jesus appeared hard with the Syrophoenician woman, He takes a much softer approach in regards to this man.  Through a series of steps that lead to this man’s healing, Jesus enters his world, and demonstrates His compassion and connection with the struggles, the alienation and the isolation this man feels.

What is amazing is that Jesus Himself, as He goes to the cross, will experience both the rejection felt by the Syrophoenician woman and the silence of the deaf and mute man.  He will take upon Himself the weight of the ravages of sin in this world and in our lives, so as to deliver us, free us from the power that sin seeks to exercise over our lives.

How that deliverance works out in our each of our lives (sometimes called, sanctification) is part of the unique approach that Jesus takes towards each one of us.

 

How has Jesus’ unique approach to you called out a greater trust and faith in Him?    The very weakness of the deaf and mute man (his inability to speak) became the means by which he would serve Jesus and proclaim His name.  How has God used your weakness(es) to demonstrate His grace and mercy?  What does Jesus’ approach to these two people in Mark 7, tell us about how we should approach others with the Gospel?

Next week: chapter 9 – “the Turn”

 

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No time to think

Posted on June 22, 2012 by wtdavid

Peter Bregman puts the problem this way in an article in the Harvard Business Review: “I have no time to think.  Possibly the six scariest words uttered by a leader. But they don’t scare us anymore because they are so commonplace.” [To read more of his article, go to: http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2011/06/what-to-do-when-you-have-no-ti.html.] Though he attributes these words to leaders, I’m guessing that most of us feel the same way.  There is just not enough time in a day to accomplish the work we have, let alone to consecrate time to “slow down long enough to learn.”

This slowing down, however, was the model that Jesus often demonstrated.  He disrupted the rush of life to slow down for a time: “And He (Jesus) said to them (the disciples), “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.”  (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)”  (Mark 6.31)  Mark’s description sounds like some days in ministry: pushed to the limit, we don’t even have time to catch a bit to eat.

We are called to be fruitful and good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, but our fruitfulness and stewardship will be enhanced when we take the time to step back and reflect.  Slowing down from time to time allows us to better evaluate the choices and decisions we are making.  It also gives opportunity to the Spirit to search our hearts, show us our hurtful ways and drive us back to Christ (Psalm 139:23-24)

This slowing down is not time defined.  It can take place in five minutes, half an hour, two hours or a day.  It is defined more by its heart direction than by the actual amount of time spent.

How do you disrupt the busyness of life and ministry in order to think and learn?

 

 

Filed under: Listening, Reflection, Thinking | 4 Comments »

Posted on June 20, 2012 by wtdavid

Lately, I have been reading the book, Crucial Conversations; a work that appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. It’s not a book written from a God centered focus, but there are certainly a number of insights that are worth “mining” for use in life and ministry.

In the early part of the book, the authors talk about how it is easier to receive constructive criticism from a friend than from just any person.  A large part of the reason for this openness is due to the fact you feel “safe” with a friend; there is a context of trust that allows you to hear difficult things from that friend.

Many of the conversations we have are derailed by this lack of feeling “safe”.  Crucial conversations can be disrupted by the fact that a safety net or context is missing.  “Safety” or trust is something difficult to gain, but easy to lose in our modern context.  So, creating this safe context or this atmosphere of trust is a vital task to engaging others in meaningful, life transforming conversation.

Here’s where I was struck by the authors’ approach.  Rather than talking about how you should earn trust or how others can regain our trust, they aimed right for the heart, our hearts.  The best way, they surmise, to create this safety net is to first work on us.  I couldn’t help but make the link to the Gospel.  Once we are certain, convinced in our hearts that God deeply loves us, despite our faults, this will impact the way we approach others.   Convinced that we are “safe” in approaching our Father, we will extend a safety net more easily to others.

I’m asking myself today: how strong is my safety net?

 

Filed under: Trust | Leave a comment »

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