Did you feel well-rested yesterday? That’s the question that was asked by a recent Gallup study. If you answered “No” then you’re part of nearly a third of those asked would like to have had more rest. They also found that the answer to that question impacted a person’s sense of well-being. Of those who said they were not well-rested, 61% indicated they were either “Struggling” or “Suffering”. For the people that felt well-rested that number dropped to 49%. Those that were well-rested were “Thriving” by 12 percentage points more those not well-rested (51% compared to 39%).

The study concluded from the demographics that “There is almost no variation in feeling well-rested among the four largest U.S. ethnic groups”. The age group with the least rest: 36 – 49. The most rest: over 65. People with higher incomes and no children at home felt more rested. Not necessarily surprising. But what was interesting was the disparity between men and women. Men were more well rested than women regardless of income, age or children under 18 in the home. The study offered no insights nor drew no conclusions as to why that is the case. Why do you think that would be the case? Are men that insensitive to all that women do every day? What would you change if you could to even the numbers out?

The ChurchPlanters.com 2010 Velocity Conference appeared to be a huge success. The conference, with their most powerful lineup of speakers yet, was sold out ahead of time. We consider it a privilege to support events that pour great value into the lives of pastors and church planters. It also affords us the opportunity to engage pastors and church leaders in conversations about how best to make facility decisions. And it’s a chance to renew friendships and make new friends with people that are making a big difference for Christ. I was able to reconnect with friends Dave Travis. Todd Wilson, Will Mancini, Casey Graham, Mark Clement and Alan Hirsch, among others. I also got to establish some new friendships with Mark DeYmaz and Hugh Halter. Many of us spent Monday evening talking late into the night about where God was leading the church.

My most poignant memory, though, came later that evening. Alan and I returned to the hotel about midnight to find 22 or 23 people sitting and talking in the breakfast area. They recognized Alan and called us over to talk more about what it means to be missional/incarnational. Now, this group had heard a number of powerful speakers and workshops throughout the day - some of the best the Christian world has to offer. Yet, what kept them up to midnight was trying to figure out how to become incarnational to reach the people that would never be “attracted” to their church facilities. They were from an attractional-model church that was doing great work. But they realized that, no matter how good they get at doing church, there was probably 60% of the unchurched that they would never be able to reach with that model alone.

If this were a single, solitary experience it wouldn’t be so notable. But I see this taking place across the country. Something is happening. God is speaking to people in new ways – or, more likely, we are finally listening. What’s God saying to you? Do you sense a new twinge in your heart as you think of the things of God?

Those were five of the words that stood out to me from Tiger’s first public statement. Those words have accompanied many a mea culpa. They are not reserved for the uber-rich. In fact, not one of us is immune to using the “I deserve it” justification to get what we want. I have seen that sense of entitlement destroy a lifetime of good work. I’ve seen it destroy families, careers and friendships. And I’ve known it to creep into my thoughts as I try to condone a selfish desire. At the heart of it is envy, a dissatisfaction with our current state accompanied by a belief that something else will fill that emptiness.

I know a couple in their 60’s that have always amazed me with their sincere joy with life. It certainly doesn’t come from their circumstances – they’ve had a rough, abusive life; they don’t have much and struggle financially; she has cancer (in remission now). Yet they are always talking about what they’re thankful for. They are a blessing to me and remind me just how much I have to be thankful for. They have taught me that happiness is not a measure of how much you have but rather how happy you are with what you have. The richness of God is sometimes contrary to the riches of the world.

Entitlement and gratitude are mutually exclusive. Which do you choose?

Live Thankfully!

There’s no doubt that sports captures our attention, if not our hearts. Drew Brees has been featured hugging Oprah, teaching Ellen to hold a football, throwing a pass to David Letterman and headlining a Disney parade. The NBA just held their all-star game at Texas stadium in front of the largest crowd to ever see a basketball game. College basketball is heating up in preparation for March Madness. Hockey is preparing for their Olympic break - which brings us to the Winter Olympics, an epic that occurs every four years. And we’re waiting to see when Tiger comes back. Sports are huge in our culture.

I grew up playing football among other sports and have coached my kids in several sports. I’ve watched my sons play baseball, lacrosse, basketball and football. And we just got back from one of my daughter’s volleyball tournaments. That’s why the cover story in the current issue (February 2010) of Christianity Today has bothered me. The author, Shirl James Hoffman, an athlete and coach himself sees the current paradigm of sports incompatible with Christian living. He said:

“There are simply no easy, straight-faced, intellectually respectable answers for how evangelicals can model the Christian narrative – with its emphasis on servanthood, generosity, and self-subordination – while immersed in a culture that thrives on cut-throat competition, partisanship, and Darwinian struggle.”

I agree there are abuses in sports but is it really incompatible for Christian living? Is there an approach we could take to sports – short of side-to-side competitions like swimming and track – that would honor Jesus?

“…let the wise listen and add to their learning...” -Proverbs 1:5

As an acoustic ecologist, Gordon Hempton has spent most of his adult life listening. In fact, that’s what he gets paid to do (sounds like a sweet gig). Mr. Hempton looks for the places that are void of any humanly manufactured sounds. In a Newsweek videoclip  he noted that in the past 25 years the number of places with a noise free interval of 15 minutes or more in Washington State had dropped from 21 to 3. Maybe it is getting harder to find noise free zones but we can still be intentional about spending time in the Silent Spaces. Spending time in places where we can hear the whisper of God is vital to our relationship with Him. “One of the greatest achievements in life is not a seeing mind but a hearing heart” (Len Sweet).

We decided we needed a Silent Space at our offices to escape the clamor and clutter of day-to-day activities. Our hope was that this would become not just a place of escape but also a place of engagement with God. We carved out a small place that we call “The Chapel” with a faceted glass window and places to sit or kneel. There is a Bible and a simple cross as well as other devotional books. And if you’re in there when someone calls for you, you will not be disturbed. I use this space often and when I do I imagine putting a barricade against the past and the future to carve out a period of time where I just try to listen.

Are we missing opportunities to create Silent Spaces in our churches? Typically, when churches develop facilities the tendency is to focus on the public places like worship centers, assembly halls and classrooms. The balance of the square footage is then relegated to the minimal amount needed for support and circulation. When that happens, we forfeit the chance to be intentional about Silent Spaces – the places where the emphasis is on listening in silence.

"Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”
(Isaiah 55:2b)

Seth Godin commented recently that we use too much data and too many facts when we’re trying to make our case. He wrote, “The skeptic will always find a reason, even if it's one the rest of us don't think is a good one.” That reminded me of a classic study done by Stanford University 30 years ago, which has been replicated several times since. The original project gave scientific studies to a group of 48 people - 24 proponents of the death penalty and 24 opponents. Some of the studies supported one position and some studies supported the other. What was interesting was that, instead of becoming more sympathetic to the other position, each side became more entrenched in their original opinions. They were strengthened by the studies that supported their view while finding reasons – however illogical – to refute the other studies.

It’s a good principle to remember when you’re trying to sway an opinion. Without an emotional connection it is unlikely you will do anything more than deepen the conviction of the person you’re trying to sway. Instead, make an emotional connection. Why do people make needed changes to their diet and exercise after a major health event? It wasn’t additional data or more facts, it was an event that charged their emotions. My guess is that when you donated for relief in Haiti it wasn’t because you considered the logic of a disaster in the poorest country in this hemisphere. It was because the pictures and stories of the devastation to individual human beings gripped your heart.

When you need to communicate, make it personal for them in a way that makes them feel, then they will be ready to think. As Seth Godin said:

“Relying too much on proof distracts you from the real mission--which is emotional connection.”

Dan Buettner, an explorer and National Geographic contributor , was featured in a TED podcast entitled, “How to Live to be 100+”. He travelled the globe to find “Blue Zones” - population pockets where people live an average of 10 years longer without the levels of cancer and heart disease we seemed to be plagued with. Once they identified these areas they synthesized what they learned from the lifestyles and came up with a list of “secrets to a longer, healthier life” they called the Power9. As you might expect, a few were related to diet and exercise. Eat more of a plant-based diet. Drink wine in moderation. Eat less (the 80% Rule says stop eating when you’re 80% full). And keep moving.

What I didn’t expect was that more than half the “secrets” would deal with social constructs. For instance, the people in the Blue Zones had a strong purpose for life. One group had a specific word for that purpose, yet no word for retirement. The groups averaged at least six close friends that one zone referred to as their Moai. (In the US, the average number of close friends has dropped over the last 15 years from three to one and a half). They took time to shut down daily to relax even if it was for only 15 minutes. At least one group observed a strict 24 hour Sabbath where they focused on God with prayer, shared meals and nature walks. And all of them focused on all generations of their family as well as their tribe.

It’s probably still too close to New Year’s resolutions to ask you about your diet and exercise. But what about your purpose?
- Do you have an “ikigai”?
- Do you have a time where you daily shut everything off to reflect and refresh?
- Do you have a strong network of friends at various levels?
- Is your family a priority?
- Do you have a strong faith?

The author says that we have very little chance to live to 100. But he does believe we can influence the length and quality of our lives by following the Power9. I think he’s right. What do you think?

I was reading  last week and noticed it mentioned a couple of missional communities in Pittsburgh, PA. My wife and I were going to be in Pittsburgh the following week to pick up my Christmas present.  It was an order from Recreational Equipment Inc. - some men love Home Depot; I love so we decided to check them out.

Our first stop was at In The Blood, a tattoo parlor in an eclectic part of the city. We were privileged to meet Justun, the owner, who had begun to work at the tattoo parlor when it was owned by a woman that practiced dominatrix. At one point they asked her if they could use the place for a Bible Study on Monday nights. Remarkably, she agreed and an incarnational ministry began. Later Justun was able to buy the place from her and now it is a business with an incarnational approach to connecting lost people with God. The basement that once witnessed evil now hosts works of God.

Not far down the road we found Hot Metal Bridge, a faith community born out of a kingdom mindset. We met Justin Keough and Jim Walker, one of the pastors who explained the church began as a partnership of two different denominations and exists to make a difference in their local community. They purchased a bar that they have converted for services and several people from the church rent the rooms above as living space. A major part of their weekend gatherings is when everyone from the homeless to those with six-figure incomes enjoy a communion meal together. The meal affords the time for the kind of genuine fellowship and celebration that creates community.

I was excited to experience these places and talk with people who are making a difference for Christ in neglected places. There is a significant percentage who will not be reached by the traditional expression of the church. We need more missional communities located where they serve people in love and engage people in conversation about the Lord. What does an incarnational expression look like in your world?

I was reading through the “Ten Breakthrough Ideas for 2010” in the current issue of the Harvard Business Review when #9 caught my eye. The author acknowledged that the change-averse nature of established authorities, the accumulated layers of bureaucracy and the comforts of tradition made change cumbersome, if not impossible. So the thought was to create a separate skunkworks project that could nimbly operate on the side until it began to transform the organization. The idea, entitled “Creating More Hong Kongs”, was specifically to create charter cities to transform nations. Even though Hong Kong was created through unusual historical circumstances, it’s impact on China is readily apparent. Now imagine, say, Canada and Cuba setting up a joint venture to develop part of Cuba.

Historically, the church has also been slow to change - and that’s not been all bad. The change-averse nature of the church has protected her from heretical avenues of thought that would have led in the wrong direction. But it could also be argued that the business of the US church and some of the organizational facets have been too slow to adapt for meaningful ministry. It’s difficult to hold unwaveringly to the unchanging foundations of faith and, at the same time, remain flexible in approach and structure. The two become so intertwined that it can be difficult to know where one ends and the other begins. That makes needed changes tough to make in any reasonable period of time.

If you could make any change to help your church better carry out the cause of Christ, what would you do? Is God is calling you to make that change? Remember that change always begins with you but could a skunkworks projects be the answer?

Recently Dan Kimball posted a message on the “Out of Ur” blog entitled “I Was Wrong About Church Buildings”. It’s a thoughtful reflection on how his attitude has changed since he’s been in a building. If you follow the discussion you’ll find a response from Ken Eastburn of the Well. It’s an interesting discussion about the necessity or convenience of buildings for churches. Below you will find my response to Ken. Feel free to share your thoughts too.

Dear Ken,

I’m not sure what the 1st point “being missional involves more than just being nice to people” has to do with buildings but the 2nd point is certainly germane to buildings (and any other ministry tool). The challenge is whose definition do we use for “convenience” and “necessity”? If Compassion International can feed 50% more children because of the conveniences of the building, I would call that building a necessity. But who makes that call? Would you consider the house you meet in a convenience or necessity and what criteria should we use for making the decision. If a house is a necessity, at what size does the house become a convenience? 2,000 sq ft? 4,000 sq ft? 10,000 sq ft?

I definitely agree that, in general, we have far more church owned facilities than we need to be the church (and many are ill-suited for ministry anyway). And that needs to change because far too many resources are going into consumer-style Christianity. However, we don’t make decisions “in general”; we make them for specific cases. That brings your 3rd point into play. Buildings may be preventing churches from doing what God really wants them to do. The issue for me is not whether it’s called a 2,000 sq ft house, a 4,000 sq ft house, a 10,000 sq ft house, a church-owned facility, a community building, a YMCA, a synagogue, a coffee shop, a theater, a bar, a blues club, or other. The issue is, “Where is God at work in your world and where does he want you to join him and what facility do you need/would work best to accomplish that mission?” Buildings are benign (until they’re occupied), to be used as needed.

I really appreciated your respectful tone. Too often we vilify people with whom we don’t agree. The solution does not reside in any one person; it’s found in the clash and collaboration of ideas and perspectives. I trust you’ll receive my comments above as the next step in a process of working toward an understanding together.