Bill Couchenour

I was traveling through the Carolinas and Georgia recently and needed to meet with a friend of mine. We were about 2 hours apart so we selected a Starbucks just off I-85 that would be about halfway between us. After I arrived, I ordered one of my favorites (grande’ double-dirty soy chai), and we began our meeting. A short time later, my friend decided he wanted a strawberry Vivanno smoothie. He paid for his drink, and we quickly became engrossed in our meeting again. About 15 minutes later, it dawned on him that he hadn’t received his drink, so he went back to the counter to find out what was taking so long. He learned that they had made his drink and called for him, but he never came to the counter. In fact, because the drink melts, they had remade the drink and called for him a second time. Yet without hesitation, they made his drink a third time and even brought it directly to him. And on top of that, they gave him a free drink coupon!

Later that evening, my wife and I decided to grab dinner at one of our favorite South Carolina barbeque spots. We knew they were closing soon, so we hurried across town getting there at 8:53 pm, just 7 minutes before they locked the doors. The owner said he would take our order because we “just made it”. One more couple even squeezed in behind us to the chagrin of the owner, who then commented that he was “going to have to start closing at 8:45”. While we were ordering, I noticed they had a mix-up with a couple of their takeout orders. The owner’s explanation was, “That’s what happens when people come in at the last minute”.

We got our dinner and as we sat down, I couldn’t help but contrast this experience with the one at Starbucks earlier that day. On one hand, you have an owner that was not discrete in his aggravation with people arriving at the end of the day to patronize his business. On the other hand, because my friend and I weren’t paying attention, Starbucks had to make his drink 3 times. Instead of blaming us, they apologized and gave us a coupon inviting us back. I don’t want to judge the heart of the barbeque owner because I don’t know what kind of day he had, let alone the context of his story. But the attitude of the barista was grace filled – he didn’t give us what we deserved, he gave us something beyond our expectations. Which place would you be more excited about going back to?

As Christ-followers, we have experienced the most powerful expression of grace in history. I believe we honor that grace when we have the chance to bless others instead of giving them what they deserve. We honor Jesus when we forgive AND forget AND bless. It’s good to live in the grace we receive, and it’s good to have a posture of giving grace out of the overflow of what we have received.

When you have a choice between dealing justice and giving grace, choose grace. It brings people back to Jesus.

“…to the praise of his glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.” Ephesians 1:6

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Pragmatic vs. Spiritual

I was in a meeting with a church staff recently when they asked us to speak with their Board of Elders. They wanted us to advise them on some practical governance issues relative to the DNA, vision, strategy and tactics of the church. But one of the specific issues had to do with reticence on the part of some Elders to let the pastor attend the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit this year. The Summit is an event the pastor has attended a number of times, but this time there was concern that there would be some “secular business people” speaking. The implied thought was that business principles had no place in the church.

I believe the concern was genuine, but it’s founded on a false dichotomy of the sacred and the secular. And it’s a dichotomy that we tend to apply arbitrarily. We will allow the laws of physics to inform how we do a worship service, yet be skeptical of what we might learn about great organizations from Jim Collins. We study computer manuals without regard for the spiritual condition of the author, yet won’t consider what we can learn about trust from Warren Bennis. We follow accounting principles precisely, yet ignore some of the best leadership insights from Ron Heifetz. We even ignore jewels of wisdom from fellow believers, like Peter Drucker, because they’re primarily associated with business.

It’s kind of like saying gravity is a physical principle, so it doesn’t really apply in the church.

There is a spiritual dimension to the church. But, if I understand correctly, that same spiritual dimension exists in all facets of life, including business. Aren’t we to commit all we do, all we are and all we have to God? If we do, wouldn’t that make it sacred? If there is a conversation over coffee that leads to a spiritual breakthrough, is that table at Starbucks any less sacred than a chair in a church? Faithfulness and trustworthiness are fundamental Biblical principles AND they are vitally important for sustained success in business. It seems to me that a principle is either from God or it’s not - regardless of whether it’s applied in the church or in the marketplace. I guess that means the…

Pragmatic is Spiritual (Remember: God made math)

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Grace Brings You Back

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