The Old Days

I'm not sure of the age when one becomes "old". I know some people that have been "old" their whole lives. I don't think of myself as "old" until I look in the mirror and realize I'm no longer a "young" man, but I still feel "young" and still think "young" in some ways.

Lately I've been pondering the "old days". Things like, when Christmas was hardly mentioned until after Thanksgiving. When watching sports on TV was actually entertaining. When interaction with friends was simple and heart-stirring.

The world has certainly gotten smaller. We now know everything about everything, or so it seems, but yet we know very little about the few crucial elements that make life worth living.

Maybe my thinking is not as "young" as I believe it is, because things like these are usually pondered by "old" people.

Criticism

Did you know that "critic" did not originally mean something negative? Webster's says, "Critic: a person who judges the merits of literary, artistic, or musical works, especially one who does so professionally."

The reason it has come to be a negative is because no one wants to have their flaws exposed. We know they are there, but we hope no one else knows. Then, when someone points them out, we act as though we never knew anything about it.

Our attempts to hide our flaws indicates, at best, a lack of willingness to correct them, and at worst, pride.

What if instead of hiding our flaws, pretending no one can see them, we were able to be honest with one another to the point of asking for help in improving them? It would mean admitting we don't have it all together, but no one has it all together. Why not allow someone that has found a way to improve a certain thing to help you, and you can help them in areas in which you excel?

It's ok to be a "critic" in the original sense of the word, but try to keep things positive.

The "Why" Really Matters

My former pastor used to tell a story about tradition. When someone would cook a ham they would always cut off the butt-end of the ham before placing it in the pan. Curious, the husband asked, "Why do you cut off the butt-end of the ham?" Since she wasn't sure, the wife called her mother. "Mom, why do you cut off the butt-end of the ham before cooking it?" The mother responded, "Because it wouldn't fit in the pan!"

We do many things "just because". Some are family traditions we inherited without thought. Some are habits we develop in living life. Others we simply do out of ignorance. These are the most dangerous.

Recently I noticed several businesses emulating some of the practices of Chick-Fil-A. The Cathy's have built an amazing company using non-traditional business practices because the "why" of the company mandated it. A couple of things they do that are not common are these: when you thank a CFA employee they respond with, "My pleasure." The other is regarding the drive-thrus at the free-standing stores. They post real people at the "sign" where you order that process the order and payment on the spot. This ensures correctness and relieves this burden from those inside so they can focus on filling the orders quickly.

These two rather simple things set CFA apart from all the others. And, they also sell great chicken. Without some of the other intangibles many would never know about the chicken.

Two companies have begun an attempt to "borrow" some of CFAs practices, but it does not have the same affect.

Occasionally I stop at a Burger King because it is convenient. They have begun emulating CFA, but they have missed the point completely. When placing your order at the drive-thru "sign", the person inside taking the order responds with, "My pleasure." They are not responding to you, like CFA, for saying, "Thank you." It is just a rote phrase management has instructed them to use every time they take an order. It does not add to the experience. Actually, in my case, it detracts from it because I know it is disingenuous.

The other instance is the local car wash. A national (or at least regional) company has purchased all the car washes in the area. They post real people at the "sign" where you order and pay for the car wash (a totally automated process) to "help" you. Their real purpose is to try to sell you a membership. This is not a "help" to me, but instead for the ownership to earn more money.

Both of these examples reflect a lack of understanding of the "why" behind much of what successful organizations do. Before emulating the practice, seek first to understand the motivation. It makes all the difference.

Details

After an evening conversation with my wife about a webinar she is attending this week, the next morning I began observing my process of getting ready for the day. The focus of the webinar is regarding communication, and the detail to which we actually communicate. Here are three levels of communication that I came up with that illustrates why there is so much MIS-communication in the world.

Conversation I

Person A: What did you do this morning?

Person B: I got dressed and went to work.


Conversation II

Person A: What did you do this morning?

Person B: I got out of bed, took a shower, fixed my hair, brushed my teeth, dressed, and drove my car to the office.


Conversation III

Person A: What did you do this morning?

Person B: The alarm went off at 6:30 am CDT. I got out of bed, went to the bathroom where I showered. I used Dove soap, Suave Strawberry shampoo, and dried off with a white terrycloth towel. I put Bed Head Max Hold gel in my hair, brushed my teeth with Crest Whitening toothpaste and Oral B toothbrush, rinsed by mouth with water, and dried my face with a white terrycloth hand towel. I dried the water in my ears with a Q-Tip swab.

I then proceeded to my closet where I dressed (I'll skip a few details), when downstairs, gathered my necessary items for work, got in the car, cranked it, and drove down Chisholm Road, Cox Creek Parkway, Florence Blvd., and arrived at the office.


In all three of these examples Person A could truthfully say, "I talked to Person B about their morning." Depending on the need for information, Conversation I might be totally sufficient. However, if Person A was asked to recreate the morning routine of Person B, Conversation III would certainly be more beneficial.

What is the point of all of this? It illustrates how misleading communication can be when it is not qualified. Never stop short of fully understanding someone before saying, "I see." If it's important, the details matter.

Wander or Wonder - Israel in Egypt

If you know anything about the Old Testament you know that Israel spent time in the wilderness – 40 years in fact. Most also know that Israel spent time in Egypt. Do you know how long they were there? Four hundred and thirty years!

Israel’s time in Egypt started on purpose. You may know the story. Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers. He wound up in Egypt and became the second in command to Pharaoh himself. God gave him a vision about a coming famine. The famine is what brought Isaac (who’s name was changed to Israel) to Egypt. The family was reunited with Joseph and they stayed there.

However, their journey to paradise soon turned into forced servitude. After Israel (Isaac) died and Joseph died and the Pharaoh was gone that knew Joseph, the new leadership of Egypt felt threatened by Israel’s presence and forced them into slavery. In essence they entered their first wilderness experience. It is not known exactly how much of the four hundred and thirty years were spent in slavery, but it was a long time.

Long enough that most Israelites did not even see it as wilderness. They forgot about Jehovah. They forgot about the promise made to Abraham. They forgot that they did not belong in Egypt. They came to accept the wilderness as normal; separated from everything they were supposed to possess.

The reason I call this a wilderness is because Israel lost their wonder and began to wander. In simple terms, I believe that defines the difference between a journey and roaming in the wilderness: you lose your wonder and begin to wander. Stay focused while you travel through life. Keep your wonder!

The American Church Is Broken

I know this will be misunderstood. I'm sorry. I have a book that explains it in much more detail.

American churches have become event driven. That used to mean something different than it does today. In the past it meant special speakers or music groups; or even major productions from their own choir, dance team, youth ensemble, etc. However, things have evolved to the point that every Sunday has to be "amazing, exciting, you-don't-want-to-miss-this" type of meeting.

I think it has become counter-productive. If you know anything about me, you know how much I hate dull, lifeless worship services. That's not what I'm talking about. But I believe gathering as the Body of Christ, giving our praise and worship to God, hearing the Word taught, and fellowshipping with other Believers is pretty exciting. It doesn't need hype. It doesn't need a special media campaign every week.

By generating a "focus" for each Sunday service the mundane things (the Body giving praise and worship to God, teaching of the Word, fellowship with Believers) gets lost in the shuffle and placed as a secondary reason for gathering.

Instead of being Event-focused we need to remain Process-focused. The process is making disciples. The process is personal growth through worship and the Word. The process is what Jesus came to demonstrate through His life among us.

Most will justify their programs by claiming "it's for the millennials." Before them it was the flower children, the Boomers, the Gen-Xers, etc., etc. We are so far removed from ekklesia described in scripture that we don't even have a clue.

I don't know how to right the ship. Fortunately this is mostly an American Church issue. Maybe other countries will send missionaries (by the way, they already have) to help us get back on course. I pray we find a way back to True Worship.

The Need for a Standard

In ancient days there was a small town near the water that relied on fishing as both a trade and a source of food. Because it was prosperous it was regularly the target of thieves that would come in during the night and plunder the town’s businesses and its residents. The town’s leaders gathered to find a solution for the constant danger they faced from the marauding hoards.

“Let’s build a wall around the city with only one gate of passage. Once the gate is closed for the day it will remain closed until morning. No exceptions.” Those that once plundered the town ceased because they could not get passed the wall and its gate. The people flourished once again in this safe and secure environment.

One day a fisherman was late getting home and missed curfew; the gate was closed and he could not enter. He decided to make the most of the evening and went back to fish. That night He caught some of the most amazing fish he had ever seen.

The man’s home was positioned right next to the wall. He had an idea. In one of the back rooms of the house that faced the wall he decided to dig a small hole just large enough for him to slip out and back in. It was easily concealed. That night he slipped out to go fishing. He caught some amazing fish. His business grew and he gained wealth.

One day he was entertaining some friends and they were grilling fish, enjoying life. His friends inquired about his newfound success and asked him to share his secret. He decided it was not fair to keep this secret to himself so he showed them the hole he dug and explained the wonderful bounty he discovered in fishing at night. He implored them to not tell a soul.

Some of them decided they would do this as well and they, too, enjoyed the benefit of the night fishing and all of its benefits. As you could imagine it did not take long before many of the town’s people had holes in the wall because they also deserved the right to enjoy the prosperity that night fishing would bring. The once protective wall looked like Swiss cheese with all of the holes.

News of this spread beyond the town and reached the ears of some of the thieves. They returned and found easy access to the town through all of the holes and once again plunder the town and stole their treasure.

What is the meaning of this simple story? You cannot have exceptions. Once there is an exception to the rule, regardless of the benefits received by one or a few, you must not allow them for the sake of all.

I’m not a Calvinist but I agree with the first of the “points” of Calvinism: “the total depravity of man.” There are no exceptions to this. Every person born of man has within them a sin nature. Regardless of how one is born it is depravity. Only in Christ can we find salvation and the life that He can bring to us. “Being born this way” should never be a defense for wrong behavior. It is simply an attempt to justify our sin nature.