The Un-Orthodoxy of God

Ah – Christmas.  We love the traditional story.  But the backstory gives a glimpse into the origins of this faith, and it is anything but traditional.  God reveals His un-orthodox ways of working with humanity to make His presence known.  Here is where the real wonder of the Christmas story lies.  He does far more than our personal God-box will ‘allow’ Him to do.

Jesus comes out of a traditional Jewish cultural and religious heritage.  While there are clear connections to that lineage (God fulfills prophecies about Jesus’ entrance into the world),  tradition ends there.

Think about just these few things from the Christmas narrative:

• To ensure Jesus was born into a family, Joseph was led by God to step away from his own Jewish traditions and male rights and not divorce Mary.
• Further outside his tradition, he also was prompted to believe the sexual history story of Mary – a rarity in any culture, and an ‘outsider’ move on his part.
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  Then, God led some Zoroastrian practitioners (magi) via their astrology and their religions’ belief in a single ‘wise’ god, to follow their inner and astrological prompts to meet a person who was born a ‘king’.  They didn’t know the God of the Jews.  They weren’t connected to that orthodoxy. But clearly God knew them and spoke to them through what we might label as ‘pagan’ practices.
  

God does what He does to draw people into His Kingdom and to accomplish what He desires.  He used angels to convince a Jewish guy to abandon his traditions.  He prompted people with no understanding of the ‘orthodoxy’ we might believe is important, to not only hear Him, but obey.

God comes to all of us.  The starting place doesn’t matter and neither does any connection to a set of truths.  He’s coming - right into your personal ‘neighbourhood’ of thought, belief and circumstance. 

To me, that’s the great Wonder of this season.  So look.  Listen.  He’s calling to you.

The Dissipation of the Congregation

It’s an (unfortunate) axiom that organizational change largely occurs when chaos is introduced into the system.  That can occur either externally (read: Covid-19) or internally via bold decisions by leadership to introduce the chaos that creates the conditions for change.

Had a chat with some church leaders the other day about their thoughts on how the current chaos is impacting leadership thinking on future changes to church life.  The conversation was around the opportunity to shift away from pastoral staff functioning to ‘fill gaps’ in a centrally defined system of ministry programming, to releasing people into what they are gifted to be & do. 

The pandemic-forced dissipation & scattering of the congregation is causing an opportunity to re-think the ministry & staffing approach of churches.

I see the shift in thinking progressing like this:

• If indeed there is a priesthood of all believers,
• If indeed ALL are gifted in a way that builds the Kingdom of God and the Church (the Body not the corporation),
• If indeed the role of church leadership is to ‘equip the saints for the work of service’ to which they are called by virtue of the gifts God Himself has given them,

THEN…church staff & leaderships’ role changes FROM program and vision-casters/managers TO net-workers, brokers & trainers.  The agenda of the church moves away from being centrally defined & becomes clear ONLY as its members gifts are known, developed and released to be expressed.

Implications:

• It will be messy for staff.  Some won't make it.  Some will need re-training of mindset and skills. But it might make them feel like they are finally developing others rather than slotting them into positions.
• Corporate expression will have a dynamic & messy element to it.
• Christians just may be more involved with each other and in their communities, as they find the joy & freedom of serving according to their giftedness.
• Christian consumers who demand programming to satisfy their kids or their religiosity won’t like it and will leave (that’s a blessing). 

Carpe Chao

(Seize the Chaos)

The Fakery of (Christian) Leadership

Christian leaders often don't show up as honest or real.  I know.  I've been guilty. 

Too often the public persona and presentation drips with what is perceived to be acceptable 'spiritual' lingo.  But go out for coffee or a beer with those same leaders and the real, raw and honest spirit shows up.  So, why the facade?  What purpose does the alternate reality of their pulpit persona & presentation serve? 

Leaders - whether you are a pastor or a leader in another capacity- stop serving up truth cloaked in Christianized lingo.  Speak the language of the street, where those you lead actually live.

You're impressing no one - least of all Jesus, who as we so often declare, 'moved into the neighborhood' and became like one of us.  

Live and speak the language of those you lead.  

Be. Real. Honest.

The Risk of Hospitality in a Pandemic

It's hard to think of exercising hospitality in a pandemic situation. Typically we define hospitality as having someone over for a coffee or taking a meal over to someone. Being 'hospitable' in our day is to be friendly, welcoming and allowing someone in to your home & perhaps into parts of your life.

However for those of us who follow the way of Christ, it is so much more. Hospitality has always defined the church as a universal community that defies the significance of status boundaries and distinctions of the larger society and instead recognizes the value of every person by providing care and welcome to all, especially the marginalized. (Recommended reading: Making Room by Christine Pohl). This drove believers in previous disasters, at a time when the world didn't have the medical knowledge & resources we have now, to be on the front line of caring for the sick and even of rescuing the dying & infected who were discarded on the garbage dumps outside the city. 
(Recommended reading on this: The Rise of Christianity by Rodney Stark)

True Christian hospitality can be best described as having your arms wide open to others. Your time, space, love and resources are available to serve them, at any cost. In the past that sometimes meant the risk of your life. What does that look like today?

Clearly we must obey the law which now requires us to be physically distanced so that we can reduce the spread of this virulent virus. I am not advocating we break out of our homes! We need to be part of the solution. But how far will my faith go if I am needed to step into a situation knowing that the risk could cost me my life?

Nurses and other health care workers are living with that question - and heroically answering. But what about ME? If the situation arose where a call to care for the needy and neglected arose where I would be exposing myself to this virus, would I respond knowing it could have a negative, perhaps fatal impact on my life?

Its Passion week in the Christian calendar - a week where we reflect on the 'risk' Jesus took as He walked into Jerusalem, knowing the outcome would mean His own suffering and death. Of course we love the end of the story - a resurrection! But beyond that resurrection, those of us who are Christ followers are actually called to share in the sufferings of Christ (Phil 3:10 etc.). There is an expected, ongoing experiential participation in suffering that is part of our life in Christ. Now, is that just a theoretical or theological statement? NO.  It means that the outcome of walking in the way of Jesus means we will experience suffering.

In this time of history I am asking the question of myself - What is my life in the presence of a pandemic when there are people suffering who need to be served? History shows that in previous plagues and disasters, Christians stepped into the suffering of others to serve at the risk (and cost) of their own lives. Why? Because to serve was the way of Christ, and to risk was possible because the life they possessed in Christ held promise beyond death.

I hold dearly to my life - to my wife, my children, my hopes & dreams. I have seen and experienced the pain death causes to families. I also now have a family member who is a front line health care worker, so this is all pretty close to home for me.  Yet am I personally willing to serve Christ in this (or any other situation), knowing that by doing so it could expose me to suffering & possible death, while bringing love and life to the other? Sobering.

It was done before.

Harv Matchullis

Leading in Times of Crisis

Leading in Times of Crisis

While wandering the landscape of leadership, you will be sure to encounter crisis...and this Covid-19 pandemic is providing leaders a laboratory of experience & opportunity
 

In the initial days of any crisis, all eyes are on the crisis itself. Concern runs deep. Focus is on the people who are most affected. But then "someone" has to mobilize and deploy the resources needed to address the situation. Here is where leadership has to take the reins and the responsibility. In these kinds of situations, the decisions over how to help in a crisis are often themselves made in a context of crisis. Not all the information is at hand. Resources are not always fully in place. Yet action is needed. There is no perfect process, but the leader has to step up to the plate.

And here is where it gets interesting. Every time we watch the international response to massive disruptions like this pandemic, it only takes a few days for criticism to pour in over the leadership of the effort to deploy countermeasures. It's either not fast enough, or it's too slow, or not the right kind of help at the right time.

Funny how we all can lead so effectively from the chair in front of the TV.

Leading in a crisis is fraught with the competing expectations of multiple stakeholders in the process. What can you in that situation, do to provide strong leadership?  I offer 3 thoughts:

Slow down

Panic generates speed. The human fight or flight response is a naturally occurring defense mechanism and becomes our default response when we are faced with danger.   There is a certain 'mob mentality' that can take over when crisis hits.  Look at the world reaction to the financial crisis of Sept 2008 and what is happening now  (we will forever think of 2020 in humorous hindsight as the great toilet paper shortage). 

Left unchecked by good leadership actions, panic will naturally overwhelm the system.  Good leaders calm their own panic by deliberately slowing down their thinking, resisting the panic-reaction. Your brain is a stage and if there are too many actors on it, internal chaos ensues. Remove some of the actors. Clear your mental space of the clutter that comes with crisis so that you can order your thoughts when others' thoughts are in disarray.

Friends of mine in another business recently shared with me that leaders have been conditioned for forward motion and for advance; to always keep the wind in our sails. The idea of slowing down and coasting is perceived as sure defeat in a competitive, forward motion world. Yet there is a time when 'coasting' is actually a good thing. In fact, all of life is based on a principle of 'oscillation' - periods of growth combined with rest. Take a walk, get away with your team, physically move away from your current environment so you can center your thoughts.

Gain clarity

Gain clarity on 2 fronts:

1. The Facts. This is not just a matter of getting the facts, but then of accepting them. It does you and your employees/followers no good to deny what is going on. The people you lead are not naive. They can see the same landscape as you. You may know more of the details, you may be able to see farther, but you are not the only one 'in the know'.

2. The Future. This may be one of the best times for you to gain clarity on your personal and corporate purpose. Why?

◦ Purpose is both an anchor and a beacon. It holds us down in a storm and it directs us to the future. So, a crisis is a gut-check time. Is your personal purpose and your corporate purpose in sufficient alignment for you to lead with integrity? Are you anchored so as not to panic yet able to see the future with hope and confidence? You will lead with more confidence and competence when this alignment is in place.

◦ Retaining the energy, focus and effort of employees/followers in uncertain times depends more than you think on their connection with the long term vision and purpose of the organization. People decide on how much of themselves they will give to their work depending on the level to which they feel they are connected to something they believe in. A Harris Interactive poll quoted by Steven Covey in his book "The 8th Habit" indicated only 37% of workers have a clear understanding of the purpose of their organization. What do you think that does to productivity and effectiveness? A disconnect like this when crisis hits only further diminishes the very energy you need from your people to make it through a tough time! They are more likely to stay with you if they know you have both an anchor and a beacon. In uncertain times clarity on purpose creates certainty, (which translates to loyalty) and hope (which leads to forward energy).

Communicate

“Communicate deeply but quickly. In times of crisis people's fears matter to an organization even more than they should during “normal” times. If everybody in an organization believes they are on a sinking boat, they will disengage - thus increasing the vulnerability and accelerating the downward spiral of the organization.”(Holger Nauheimer, 2008, The Change Management Newsletter)

Nauheimer also declares that truly transformational leaders will walk the talk in front of their people, demonstrating what it means to wrestle with reality, make tough decisions and communicate them wisely. Your actions will inspire them to make wise decisions too. Have regular, short meetings with different groups within your organization. Tell them what you are doing to address issues. Get feedback on how your actions to address uncertainty are working. Encourage honesty and transparency so that you can hear their opinions and ideas. This process though 'labour-intensive', will increase confidence and loyalty within your teams. You might want to consider using an external facilitator to help with communications. During times of crises or uncertainty, people tend be guided by their assumptions. It is difficult internally to challenge those perspectives. An external, strictly impartial facilitator can help to map out different assumptions and guide teams to productive outcomes.

Conclusion:

Concerning the advance of human discovery throughout history, Daniel Boorstin in his book The Discoverers concluded that “the greatest barrier to discovery is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge”. A leader's current ignorance of the strategies needed to navigate uncertainty or crisis is not the final factor determining success or failure. Believing you already know what there is to know is the greatest danger because it blocks you from the learning needed to create new solutions for new conditions.
 

Leading though a crisis will stir up the pot of competing expectations. People will always criticize your decisions. Lead anyway. 

The people IN THE CRISIS matter more than the people "calling the play from the couch".

Leadership Power and Insecurity

Its incredible what power does to a leaders' ability and readiness to see the future.  You'd think that 'seeing forward' and leading others there is the hallmark of leadership.  Not always.

The Bible has a story (many actually) that demonstrates this.  In the face of an obvious miracle that demonstrated the power of a new movement at hand, Jewish leadership called in the upstarts to warn them to suppress things.  What was going on was getting disruptive to the system they lead (managed).  Read the story in the book of Acts, chapter 4.  They were only concerned about self-protection and thwarting any new thing that might change the game and negatively impact the security of their system and the positions they played in it.

The tendency to protect what is, continues to show up in leaders today.  Need I point out the too-numerous contemporary examples from politics to religion?

Ironic - it's the leaders who are often the last ones on board, because they are the first ones to think about how change will affect the security of their power and status.

If you are a leader - are you actually leading?

Changing How the World Works

I am growing weary of mission rhetoric. My thinking on what defines and comprises “mission” is definitely morphing. I grew up in an evangelical environment that was very much about ‘telling’ the story to the ‘regions beyond’. Perhaps like many of you. It wasn't world-changing.  Mostly about changing eternal addresses.

Along the lifetime of my ministry I have encountered my own and the broader church’s narrowness of engagement with broader culture, defined largely by those encounters that would lead to conversions or church attendance. Church mission-rhetoric may be to “love the world as Jesus loves”, or to be "focused on the lost”, but when push comes to shove, the metrics behind whether to keep a program or engagement going is what ultimately reveals the narrow definition of your ‘mission’.

I am a lowly voice among many writers and thinkers who are trying to yell at the church and show a “new, but not new” understanding of the Missio Dei, which embraces all things in this world as the arena for the restorative force of Gods’ Kingdom. After all, it is ‘all things’ that Christ intends to reconcile to Himself (Colossians 1:20).

How engaged are we with ‘all things’ as defining the mission of God?

The power of God to restore the world is in the loving acts of engagement with the world as it is, in order to see it become what He intends for it. We have a grand and just cause that moves far beyond ‘crossing the line’ to Jesus’ side and enjoying spiritual renewal, to a lifestyle that lives out the ways of the Kingdom of God in front of our society. It’s in that living that the power of the Gospel is experienced by the world. That power is not located exclusively through inner renewal or spiritual insight (which much of the church’s energy is dedicated to provide), but it is in the encounter between the Christ in us and the people and systems of this world.

This is how the early church transformed the world. It was not through evangelistic forays into people groups, but via societal engagements that clearly showed and offered a way of being that stood in an appealing contrast to the surrounding society [1]. Christians lived then, as we do now, within an understanding they were part of a new society, an alternate Kingdom. We live by the rules and ways of that Kingdom, which when expressed in word and deed, cannot help but interact with social, economic and political systems. (How can you read your Gospels and not see this embedded in the words and ways of Jesus?). We are to be part of a social revolution that is the direct (and inevitable) result of a Kingdom way of being. The eventual institutionalization of the early movement of the emerging church (the fate of all movements if they don’t die off completely), has had the effect of walling off this new societal revolution and instead has created some doors for entry, but which now require certain types of keys to gain entry.

We, the community of Christ on this earth will always be in tension over the radical movement outward into the world and the urge to consolidate our efforts into the institutional structures and thinking of the church. Believe me, after all I have said when I say this: May the tension never leave us. It’s the intention of the gift-mix Jesus gave to the leadership functions of the church. The apostles, prophets and evangelists are given to call us out of our consolidating tendencies so that we remain focused on living out this new society called the Kingdom in front of (and sometimes as an affront to) the world. Life calls to life. The shepherds and teachers ground us and keep reminding us that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. But rue the days, as we are in now, when we as the Christ-community settle and merely ‘send off’ the apostles, prophets and evangelists to do their work elsewhere (e.g. to “missions”, or para-church organizations, or local social agencies, or to ‘be a light’ in their jobs), while shepherds and teachers keep the non-profit wheels running and people in the pews to pay for the programs & staff that justifies our corporate existence.

This dichotomy, left unchallenged when all 5 gifts are not informing mission, reinforces to the watching world that the gathered church is NOT a new society living according to new ways of being, but has taken its place alongside other religions of choice, establishing organizational structures for maintaining loyalty and meaning for insiders.

The world is transformed by those who show up.










 Harv Matchullis


[1] For an historical look at the sociological reasons for the church’s significant advance to become 50% of the known world by AD 300, read Rodney Starks’ “The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force in the Western World in a Few Centuries”