Perhaps in business. At least according to this article.
Apparently, the ability to think logically and technically takes a back seat to one's ability to act maturely, with integrity, and with care and concern for one's body.
In some ways, I wholeheartedly agree that intelligence can be overrated.
I absolutely love telling the following joke:
A congregation president went out to visit one of the older members of the congregation who happened to be a farmer. The president caught the farmer out in the field, and as they stood in the cotton patch, the president said, "Bob, you really need to come back to church."
"Why?"
"Well, you need to come hear our new preacher. He's fabulous."
"What makes him so special?"
"Well, he's got a BS an MS, and a PhD."
Bob spit in the dirt and says, "That settles it. I ain't never coming to church as long as that feller is there."
"Why not?"
"Well, we all know what BS stands for. MS is just more of the same, and PhD is piled high and deep!"
Indeed, intelligence is no certain judge of ensuring one's success in a given job or enviornment. Yet, if intelligence leads to wisdom, then that is another matter.
I would argue that wisdom incorporates all four of the things the article talks about: IQ, EQ, MQ, and BQ. And wisdom is something that seems to be sorely lacking in our world today. More and more folks gravitate to either their hearts or their heads and miss the balance between the two that leads to wisdom.
I could at this point delve into the biblical concept of wisdom, but instead, I'll close with a little story provided by one of my members one afternoon:
There are three types of people in this world.
1. Those who learn and come to understand by reading.
2. Those few who learn and understand by observation.
3. And the rest of those that have to pee on the electric fence in order to learn.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
A Few Wow Moments
Sometimes it's hard to imagine the emotional roller coaster that is pastoral work. I posted last week about a rough day, and unfortunately, those days have been frequent here of late.
It seems like every time I turn around, another one of my congregation members is being stricken with something. Heart troubles, ATV accidents, cancer, weird medical stuff, you name it. The sheer number of things in proportion to the size of the congregation I serve is quite head scratching at times--borderline depressing at others.
Yet, I am heartened by the resilience of my congregation. They continually respond over and over again with generosity, prayer, and support. They really strive to make a difference in the lives of others. For instance, just a few highlights of what my congregation members are doing to support and help those stricken by illness and suffering (names are left out because most folks are practicing Matthew 6:1-4):
1. We've been praying for a young man who is stricken with cancer and has not long to live. He is not a member of this congregation, yet I know of at least $1000 which has been given to his family for him to do some enjoyable things in the midst of his cancer treatments. He has also received numerous cards from members of the church that have meant the world to him and his family.
2. A young girl in a neighboring town is fighting brain cancer. A couple of our members have worked diligently to offer support for her and her family--selling tickets to a fundraiser for her medical bills and keeping the congregation mindful of her need of prayer. Once again, folks in our congregation have responded and given lump sums of money in support.
3. Within our congregation a couple of folks have been experiencing some difficult medical situations. One had no insurance (but thankfully has some now) and the other has insurance but limited income. Anonymous donations were given to both of these families, and both were extremely thankful for what was received. (I wish I could actually go into more detail, but I have made promises of confidentiality.)
4. Yesterday when visiting a member who has been diagnosed with cancer and who was awaiting a procedure to stop a bleeding ulcer, who happened to be there in support of him and his family but another couple of the congregation members offering their support and prayers during this stressful time.
5. This Sunday, those who donate their Thrivent Choice Dollars to the congregation, without hesitation, donated $1000 to help defray the medical expenses of a young member of our church whose leg was crushed in an ATV accident. In addition to this, they fielded a request from the quilters who send much of their work to Lutheran World Relief and to the Krause Home in Katy (a home for abused children). The quilters asked for $50. The group gave $100.
6. Not only does my Women of the ELCA group send out cards to those who are ill and grieving, but many within the congregation do too. I found this out in the last couple of days as people were asking for the addresses of a couple of our hospitalized members. I even received a thanks for the church's sending out of the hospital names because people want to make a difference.
I'm not trying to brag by putting all this stuff out there. God knows, Jesus warned us against such things in Matthew 6, but there are two main reasons I write about this today:
First, no one tends to see this stuff happening. It's all behind the scenes. More than a few times I've heard comments about congregations failing to support needs in their community and even amongst their members. My congregation is doing it, and I am proud of them. Just about every Sunday, I preach and urge them to be a witness to Jesus Christ. I would be remiss if I didn't also let them know when they are doing a good job.
Second, I need to type this for myself as a reminder. When you are running from person to person, from family to family who are experiencing these trials and tribulations, you start getting a warped perspective of life. You start to think only these bad things are happening, but there is more to reality than just these troublesome events. There is God working through people to make a difference. My little church really, really does this. Sometimes I don't think I take the time to fully appreciate this when I'm running around. I'm doing that now.
And when I stop and see what they do, all I can say is, "Wow."
It seems like every time I turn around, another one of my congregation members is being stricken with something. Heart troubles, ATV accidents, cancer, weird medical stuff, you name it. The sheer number of things in proportion to the size of the congregation I serve is quite head scratching at times--borderline depressing at others.
Yet, I am heartened by the resilience of my congregation. They continually respond over and over again with generosity, prayer, and support. They really strive to make a difference in the lives of others. For instance, just a few highlights of what my congregation members are doing to support and help those stricken by illness and suffering (names are left out because most folks are practicing Matthew 6:1-4):
1. We've been praying for a young man who is stricken with cancer and has not long to live. He is not a member of this congregation, yet I know of at least $1000 which has been given to his family for him to do some enjoyable things in the midst of his cancer treatments. He has also received numerous cards from members of the church that have meant the world to him and his family.
2. A young girl in a neighboring town is fighting brain cancer. A couple of our members have worked diligently to offer support for her and her family--selling tickets to a fundraiser for her medical bills and keeping the congregation mindful of her need of prayer. Once again, folks in our congregation have responded and given lump sums of money in support.
3. Within our congregation a couple of folks have been experiencing some difficult medical situations. One had no insurance (but thankfully has some now) and the other has insurance but limited income. Anonymous donations were given to both of these families, and both were extremely thankful for what was received. (I wish I could actually go into more detail, but I have made promises of confidentiality.)
4. Yesterday when visiting a member who has been diagnosed with cancer and who was awaiting a procedure to stop a bleeding ulcer, who happened to be there in support of him and his family but another couple of the congregation members offering their support and prayers during this stressful time.
5. This Sunday, those who donate their Thrivent Choice Dollars to the congregation, without hesitation, donated $1000 to help defray the medical expenses of a young member of our church whose leg was crushed in an ATV accident. In addition to this, they fielded a request from the quilters who send much of their work to Lutheran World Relief and to the Krause Home in Katy (a home for abused children). The quilters asked for $50. The group gave $100.
6. Not only does my Women of the ELCA group send out cards to those who are ill and grieving, but many within the congregation do too. I found this out in the last couple of days as people were asking for the addresses of a couple of our hospitalized members. I even received a thanks for the church's sending out of the hospital names because people want to make a difference.
I'm not trying to brag by putting all this stuff out there. God knows, Jesus warned us against such things in Matthew 6, but there are two main reasons I write about this today:
First, no one tends to see this stuff happening. It's all behind the scenes. More than a few times I've heard comments about congregations failing to support needs in their community and even amongst their members. My congregation is doing it, and I am proud of them. Just about every Sunday, I preach and urge them to be a witness to Jesus Christ. I would be remiss if I didn't also let them know when they are doing a good job.
Second, I need to type this for myself as a reminder. When you are running from person to person, from family to family who are experiencing these trials and tribulations, you start getting a warped perspective of life. You start to think only these bad things are happening, but there is more to reality than just these troublesome events. There is God working through people to make a difference. My little church really, really does this. Sometimes I don't think I take the time to fully appreciate this when I'm running around. I'm doing that now.
And when I stop and see what they do, all I can say is, "Wow."
Monday, May 7, 2012
Sunday's Sermon: Abiding in Jesus
Take a look at this block I am holding up. Now, I am going to drop it. Why did that block fall to the floor? I knew you’d say gravity pulled it down, and you are right. Gravity acted on the block and pulled it down to the floor, but there’s another way to look at why the block fell. Do you know what it is? There is a principle of science which says matter tends to exist in its lowest energy state. When that block is lying on the floor there, it is in it’s lowest energy state under these circumstances. It doesn’t want to be up in the air because that requires more energy. For instance, if I bend down and pick it up, I am exerting the energy it takes to keep it elevated. If I set it here on this piece of wood, the wood is actually exerting energy to keep it aloft. Once I take such things away, the block falls right back down to the floor. It seeks out the lowest energy state unless something else acts upon it.
Now, what does this have to do with you and me? Could this principle of science actually have something to tell us about human nature? Well, maybe it does. Maybe there’s a connection. Let’s think about it for a moment.
How many of you have ever tried to loose weight? Anyone out there? There are a few hands being raised into the air. For those of you who have tried to lose weight, have you ever hit a plateau? Quite a few hands there as well. I know this very well in my exercising. At first, there’s a decent weight loss, and then wham! I hit a wall. For weeks, I’ll stay at the same weight level, and it’s monumentally frustrating. Why the plateau? Well, perhaps, just perhaps, our bodies have hit an energy state they are very comfortable in, and the only way to break through into the next level is to exert more energy. And for those of us who have exercised in this manner, you know when we change the routine and do things differently–change the amount of energy we expend, we break through into the next level.
Let’s apply this principle of science to some human behavior. If you could have everything you needed given to you without working for it, how many of you would take it? Be honest now. I know most of us grew up with a hard work ethic instilled into us by our parents and others, but if you could get money just by sitting on the couch, would you do it? Yep, I guessed so. Most of the time, we’d like to accomplish a lot by doing the least amount of work. Abraham Lincoln’s wonderful quote about tree chopping comes into play here. He was once asked what he would do if he had to chop down a huge tree, and he replied, "I’d spend half of my time sharpening my axe." It’s easier to sharpen an axe, and when the axe is sharp it takes less time to cut through wood. Plain and simple and right in line with this principle of science.
Another application. How many of you in your work environment or other place like it when some person full of energy and vitality comes in and starts challenging you or others to do things differently? How many of you react positively and jump at the chance? Most of the time, not so much. Most of the time we’re happy staying right where we are because we are functioning in the lowest energy state. Whenever someone comes in to challenge things, it makes us more than a little uncomfortable.
It’s really not hard to see that even as people we like staying at the lowest energy state possible. We put off doing things we know we should do. We tend to find the paths of least resistence. We tend to slip into the same habits and same tendencies that we have always done. It is only when we find some sort of motivation, some sort of extra energy that we finally make changes, and this, my brothers and sisters, is where I believe our faith comes into play.
Jesus tells us this morning in our Gospel lesson that He is the vine and we are the branches. He says, "4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."
Abide in Jesus. Why?
Because apart from Him we cannot bear fruit? Why?
Bearing fruit is hard work and it goes against our nature. It’s our nature to take things easy–to find the path of least resistence–to stay at the lowest energy state.
But take a listen to the fruits of the Spirit which are listed in Galatians chapter six: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, generosity, gentleness, and self-control. Those traits are not easy traits to incorporate into our lives. In fact, the fruits of the flesh tend to come more easily. Those are listed there in Galatians too.
19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.
I mean, whenever someone does something you don’t like, do you find yourself acting in a spirit of love. Do you seek to understand why the person might have done what he or she did and give allowances, or do you get really, really ticked off? Which is easiest? Whenever an issue arises within a congregation, an organization, a community, a nation, do we tend to seek patience in working things out, or do we draw lines and have factions? Whenever we see someone get a reward, do we have a spirit of joy for that person, or do we slide into envy? When life throws devastating curve balls at us, is it easy to remain faithful, or do we turn to that age old stand-by of drunkenness, carousing, and things like these? What do you see most of when you look around society? Which is the easier path?
And which one are we, as followers of Jesus called to take? Are we called to stay in the lowest energy state, or to rise above it? Are we called to go to a higher level?
Of course we are, but where will the energy come from to get there? Where will we find the strength to rise above what comes naturally? Will it come from us? According to Jesus, no. Not by a long shot. We will not bring ourselves out of such things–only He can do it. Only He can give us the strength to bear fruit. Apart from Him we can do nothing.
And so we pray this day that we may be found to be abiding in Him. We pray that we may find ourselves rooted and grounded in Christ that we may overcome our natural tendencies and produce fruit which is pleasing to our Father in Heaven. Amen.
Now, what does this have to do with you and me? Could this principle of science actually have something to tell us about human nature? Well, maybe it does. Maybe there’s a connection. Let’s think about it for a moment.
How many of you have ever tried to loose weight? Anyone out there? There are a few hands being raised into the air. For those of you who have tried to lose weight, have you ever hit a plateau? Quite a few hands there as well. I know this very well in my exercising. At first, there’s a decent weight loss, and then wham! I hit a wall. For weeks, I’ll stay at the same weight level, and it’s monumentally frustrating. Why the plateau? Well, perhaps, just perhaps, our bodies have hit an energy state they are very comfortable in, and the only way to break through into the next level is to exert more energy. And for those of us who have exercised in this manner, you know when we change the routine and do things differently–change the amount of energy we expend, we break through into the next level.
Let’s apply this principle of science to some human behavior. If you could have everything you needed given to you without working for it, how many of you would take it? Be honest now. I know most of us grew up with a hard work ethic instilled into us by our parents and others, but if you could get money just by sitting on the couch, would you do it? Yep, I guessed so. Most of the time, we’d like to accomplish a lot by doing the least amount of work. Abraham Lincoln’s wonderful quote about tree chopping comes into play here. He was once asked what he would do if he had to chop down a huge tree, and he replied, "I’d spend half of my time sharpening my axe." It’s easier to sharpen an axe, and when the axe is sharp it takes less time to cut through wood. Plain and simple and right in line with this principle of science.
Another application. How many of you in your work environment or other place like it when some person full of energy and vitality comes in and starts challenging you or others to do things differently? How many of you react positively and jump at the chance? Most of the time, not so much. Most of the time we’re happy staying right where we are because we are functioning in the lowest energy state. Whenever someone comes in to challenge things, it makes us more than a little uncomfortable.
It’s really not hard to see that even as people we like staying at the lowest energy state possible. We put off doing things we know we should do. We tend to find the paths of least resistence. We tend to slip into the same habits and same tendencies that we have always done. It is only when we find some sort of motivation, some sort of extra energy that we finally make changes, and this, my brothers and sisters, is where I believe our faith comes into play.
Jesus tells us this morning in our Gospel lesson that He is the vine and we are the branches. He says, "4Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."
Abide in Jesus. Why?
Because apart from Him we cannot bear fruit? Why?
Bearing fruit is hard work and it goes against our nature. It’s our nature to take things easy–to find the path of least resistence–to stay at the lowest energy state.
But take a listen to the fruits of the Spirit which are listed in Galatians chapter six: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, generosity, gentleness, and self-control. Those traits are not easy traits to incorporate into our lives. In fact, the fruits of the flesh tend to come more easily. Those are listed there in Galatians too.
19Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, 21envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these.
I mean, whenever someone does something you don’t like, do you find yourself acting in a spirit of love. Do you seek to understand why the person might have done what he or she did and give allowances, or do you get really, really ticked off? Which is easiest? Whenever an issue arises within a congregation, an organization, a community, a nation, do we tend to seek patience in working things out, or do we draw lines and have factions? Whenever we see someone get a reward, do we have a spirit of joy for that person, or do we slide into envy? When life throws devastating curve balls at us, is it easy to remain faithful, or do we turn to that age old stand-by of drunkenness, carousing, and things like these? What do you see most of when you look around society? Which is the easier path?
And which one are we, as followers of Jesus called to take? Are we called to stay in the lowest energy state, or to rise above it? Are we called to go to a higher level?
Of course we are, but where will the energy come from to get there? Where will we find the strength to rise above what comes naturally? Will it come from us? According to Jesus, no. Not by a long shot. We will not bring ourselves out of such things–only He can do it. Only He can give us the strength to bear fruit. Apart from Him we can do nothing.
And so we pray this day that we may be found to be abiding in Him. We pray that we may find ourselves rooted and grounded in Christ that we may overcome our natural tendencies and produce fruit which is pleasing to our Father in Heaven. Amen.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Re-evaluating Some Things
For over 12 years I have studied Bowen Family Systems Theory.
I first delved into this train of thought on my internship by reading Ed Friedman's Generation to Generation and Friedman's Fables. There are many concepts of this way of looking at life that I have found extremely helpful as I have fulfilled the role of pastor in the congregations I have served.
I believe being as non-axious as possible as a leader is important for the health of a congregation.
I believe in being well defined as a leader.
I believe one's family dynamics has a very strong role in how one interacts with others within a given system.
I believe in taking responsibility for one's self and not taking on the anxiety of another; although one can certainly strive to be helpful in dealing with another person's problems.
I believe it's important for a person to state what he or she believes without forcing someone else to believe the same thing.
These are just a few snippets of the way of thinking that have made life a lot easier in the role I function in. Yet, there have been some disturbing criticisms I have come to see with the train of thought--criticisms which are making me re-evaluate whether or not I want to continue in the study of said theory.
Right and Wrong
Bowen family systems theory teaches a person to focus on the characteristics of the system and not on the behavior of individuals within the system. A condensed version of this train of thought is found in Friedman's Fables under the title "The Friendly Forest." In this short parable, a tiger moves into a forest full of other animals. Most of the animals are happy because their forest didn't have a tiger; they are now more diverse. However, the lamb has an issue. The lamb isn't so happy about the tiger being there. The lamb really gets nervous when the tiger comes by and growls and looks at her. She complains to her friends about the tiger, but they tell her she's too sensitive. After all, the tiger hasn't hurt her physically or anything. Perhaps she needs to communicate with the tiger and work things out. As the story winds through, Friedman ends with this:
Though one of the less subtle animals in the forest, more uncouth in expression and unconcerned about just who remained, was overheard to remark, "I never heard of anything so ridiculous. If you want a lamb and a tiger to live in the same forest, you don't try to make them communicate. You cage the bloody tiger.
In one of our classes, we discussed this parable and its implications. One of the questions given to us was, "If the tiger eats the lamb, whose fault is it?"
Is it the tiger's fault for doing what he does?
Is it the lamb's fault for not leaving?
Is it the rest of the animals' fault because they refuse to do anything about it?
Of course, a tiger is a tiger. He's eventually going to eat the lamb. Is he right in doing such a thing? Is he wrong for doing what he does?
Extrapolate this thinking into society and onto an understanding of morals and values. Can one hold to Bowen Family Systems Theory and be a proponent of morals, values, justice, truth, and so on? I'm not sure--especially since Systems Theory tends toward self-definition and not societal definition. This is problematic.
Homeostasis
One of the other tenets of Bowen Family Systems Theory that I have begun to find problematic is the idea of homeostasis.
The definition of homeostasis for BFST is this: The tendency of any set of relationships to strive perpetually, in self-corrective ways, to preserve the organizing principles of its existence
This understanding is rooted and grounded in the biological/ecological understanding of homeostasis.
As my teacher says, "Systems imitate life, and we need to be aware of this."
There is one problem with this train of thought: life doesn't do homeostasis. It's always in flux. As far as we know, it always has been.
Delving down to the quantum level, this becomes plain as day. Nearly everything wants to stay at the lowest energy levels possible. This is true even in the atom. Within the atom, electrons stay at certain levels, but they can only maintain staying at those levels because protons shoot between them and the nucleus to keep them in "orbit." If those photons didn't do what they do, the atoms would collapse. At the quantum level, things cannot be static or else they collapse. The fundamental organizing principle of the universe is to be moving and interacting.
Now, how does this come into play with BFST? I'm not sure. I've got to think it through. Some might not even care. "Just use what you find helpful and don't worry about the rest." I could approach things that way, but I personally like integrity throughout, and I'll have to work it through to see if such a thing can be had.
We'll see. I think things can be tweaked to make things work out, but at this point, I haven't thought through it enough. Stay tuned.
I first delved into this train of thought on my internship by reading Ed Friedman's Generation to Generation and Friedman's Fables. There are many concepts of this way of looking at life that I have found extremely helpful as I have fulfilled the role of pastor in the congregations I have served.
I believe being as non-axious as possible as a leader is important for the health of a congregation.
I believe in being well defined as a leader.
I believe one's family dynamics has a very strong role in how one interacts with others within a given system.
I believe in taking responsibility for one's self and not taking on the anxiety of another; although one can certainly strive to be helpful in dealing with another person's problems.
I believe it's important for a person to state what he or she believes without forcing someone else to believe the same thing.
These are just a few snippets of the way of thinking that have made life a lot easier in the role I function in. Yet, there have been some disturbing criticisms I have come to see with the train of thought--criticisms which are making me re-evaluate whether or not I want to continue in the study of said theory.
Right and Wrong
Bowen family systems theory teaches a person to focus on the characteristics of the system and not on the behavior of individuals within the system. A condensed version of this train of thought is found in Friedman's Fables under the title "The Friendly Forest." In this short parable, a tiger moves into a forest full of other animals. Most of the animals are happy because their forest didn't have a tiger; they are now more diverse. However, the lamb has an issue. The lamb isn't so happy about the tiger being there. The lamb really gets nervous when the tiger comes by and growls and looks at her. She complains to her friends about the tiger, but they tell her she's too sensitive. After all, the tiger hasn't hurt her physically or anything. Perhaps she needs to communicate with the tiger and work things out. As the story winds through, Friedman ends with this:
Though one of the less subtle animals in the forest, more uncouth in expression and unconcerned about just who remained, was overheard to remark, "I never heard of anything so ridiculous. If you want a lamb and a tiger to live in the same forest, you don't try to make them communicate. You cage the bloody tiger.
In one of our classes, we discussed this parable and its implications. One of the questions given to us was, "If the tiger eats the lamb, whose fault is it?"
Is it the tiger's fault for doing what he does?
Is it the lamb's fault for not leaving?
Is it the rest of the animals' fault because they refuse to do anything about it?
Of course, a tiger is a tiger. He's eventually going to eat the lamb. Is he right in doing such a thing? Is he wrong for doing what he does?
Extrapolate this thinking into society and onto an understanding of morals and values. Can one hold to Bowen Family Systems Theory and be a proponent of morals, values, justice, truth, and so on? I'm not sure--especially since Systems Theory tends toward self-definition and not societal definition. This is problematic.
Homeostasis
One of the other tenets of Bowen Family Systems Theory that I have begun to find problematic is the idea of homeostasis.
The definition of homeostasis for BFST is this: The tendency of any set of relationships to strive perpetually, in self-corrective ways, to preserve the organizing principles of its existence
This understanding is rooted and grounded in the biological/ecological understanding of homeostasis.
As my teacher says, "Systems imitate life, and we need to be aware of this."
There is one problem with this train of thought: life doesn't do homeostasis. It's always in flux. As far as we know, it always has been.
Delving down to the quantum level, this becomes plain as day. Nearly everything wants to stay at the lowest energy levels possible. This is true even in the atom. Within the atom, electrons stay at certain levels, but they can only maintain staying at those levels because protons shoot between them and the nucleus to keep them in "orbit." If those photons didn't do what they do, the atoms would collapse. At the quantum level, things cannot be static or else they collapse. The fundamental organizing principle of the universe is to be moving and interacting.
Now, how does this come into play with BFST? I'm not sure. I've got to think it through. Some might not even care. "Just use what you find helpful and don't worry about the rest." I could approach things that way, but I personally like integrity throughout, and I'll have to work it through to see if such a thing can be had.
We'll see. I think things can be tweaked to make things work out, but at this point, I haven't thought through it enough. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Enough is Enough
I have been taught to listen to my body.
Normally, I'm as easy going as can be. I don't get my feathers ruffled. I keep a pretty good monitor on my anxiety and am able to keep it at a pretty low level. I can tell when my anxiety is raised a little bit: my sleeping is affected.
It's been about two and a half to three years since I've had a night like I had last night. Too many things happened yesterday which affected my anxiety level. The flesh was willing and needing to rest, but the brain kept me awake until the wee hours of the morning. (And then it didn't help when my daughter came in complaining of a nightmare saying that it kept coming back and she didn't want to go to sleep anymore. After a few minutes in bed with us, miraculously, she fell back to sleep. I wish it would have taken me that short of an amount of time.)
Several things impacted me yesterday including: an extremely unique (at least for me) hospital visit; a Matrix moment; and a deep reflection upon a train of thought I have adhered to for years--a reflection that is making me rethink the whole shebang. There's too much to include in one blog post, so I'll break it up into a couple.
A Unique Hospital Visit
Usually, hospital visits are pretty routine--even when involving minors. Most hospitals are very good at protecting their patients, especially children, therefore they make you sign in each and every time you visit. Healthbridge Children's Hospital, where I visited yesterday, is no exception.
I remember vividly signing in yesterday. (You might wonder why I am going to go into such detail here, but you will understand later.) I walked up to the desk, and said hello to the woman behind the counter. She was wearing a grey pants suit with a purple blouse. She was Hispanic with shoulder length straight, black hair. She asked me what room I was visiting, and I replied, "...... ..........in room 407." I said this as I was signing into the register. I printed out the date, my name, relationship to the patient, looked at the white clock on the wall and noted the time of 12:25. The lady then said, "Just fill out a visitor tag." I did and then placed my hands underneath the hand sanitizer--a requirement for all who enter.
I went down to the room to find a social worker visiting with the patient's mom. They'd like to get the young man out of the hospital and home to do his rehabbing, but things didn't quite work out, much to the chagrin of everyone. We visited a little about this and a few other things. The patient slept through much of this conversation. About 30 minutes into my visit, the nurse came in to give the patient some pain medication. He woke up at this point, and we were able to do some more talking.
That's when I noticed the bandage on his leg was soaked with blood. I pointed it out, and that's when things got a little chaotic. The thing wasn't supposed to be bleeding, there was a bulge on the guy's leg, and the doctor was called in. I told the patient's mom, "Take a picture."
She said, "I don't have a camera. Do you?"
"Yep." For the first time ever in my career, I took a couple of photos of a wound.
The doctor came in and looked at the bulge and ordered an x-ray. Mom asked me to stay for a while so that she could make some phone calls. The situation was a bit tense for a while.
Finally, things settled down. It was time for me to leave. I said my good-byes and promised continued prayer. I headed back to the front desk, and that's when I had...
My Matrix Moment
I picked up the pen laying on the sign in/out sheet and looked for my name. I couldn't find it. It wasn't there.
I scanned through the list again and didn't see it. I didn't see my name. I didn't see "Pastor" listed anywhere under "Relationship to Patient." I flipped the page back and looked. I flipped to the next page and looked. Nothing. I probably looked like a complete idiot standing there, but I was truly at a loss at this moment.
Now, I know the brain can play tricks on you. I know you can believe you have done something and really haven't done it. It's happened to me more than once. But I know I signed in. I had proof in the visitor's tag pasted on my shirt pocket. But where was my name in the register? I have no freakin' clue.
Is it possible I completely missed it even after looking at the page three times? I guess so. If that is the case, then that record has my name signed into it two times because I repeated the entire sign in/out on the next page. I left that hospital scratching my head. It was just too weird, and I am still trying to figure it out.
Enough Is Enough
After having endured all of this and having my mind thrown into complete chaos, I jumped into my Mustang and headed toward home. I called the patient's grandfather and had a conversation with him. I checked my email and found another member's son was scheduled to have his heart checked out the following morning, and prayers were being asked for.
I called his mom and received permission to send out a church-wide email asking for prayers.
While I was leaving a message on this woman's phone, I received a text. Another major prayer request that I must keep confidential.
At this point, I was done. I'd like to say at that point, the Good Lord and I had an intense conversation, but there was no conversation to it. It was more like a one way flow out of my mouth toward Him. "What in the world are You up to!!!! I'm tired of this cr@p. It never ends! Are You trying to test me, my congregation, my people? When is all this stuff going to let up? Is this some kind of demonic attack against Your people here? Help me out here; I'm almost at my wit's end!"
This afternoon, I'm driving to one of my member's ranch to sit on the front porch to see if God has anything to say.
Ah, if only this was the extent of why my mind wouldn't turn off.
Normally, I'm as easy going as can be. I don't get my feathers ruffled. I keep a pretty good monitor on my anxiety and am able to keep it at a pretty low level. I can tell when my anxiety is raised a little bit: my sleeping is affected.
It's been about two and a half to three years since I've had a night like I had last night. Too many things happened yesterday which affected my anxiety level. The flesh was willing and needing to rest, but the brain kept me awake until the wee hours of the morning. (And then it didn't help when my daughter came in complaining of a nightmare saying that it kept coming back and she didn't want to go to sleep anymore. After a few minutes in bed with us, miraculously, she fell back to sleep. I wish it would have taken me that short of an amount of time.)
Several things impacted me yesterday including: an extremely unique (at least for me) hospital visit; a Matrix moment; and a deep reflection upon a train of thought I have adhered to for years--a reflection that is making me rethink the whole shebang. There's too much to include in one blog post, so I'll break it up into a couple.
A Unique Hospital Visit
Usually, hospital visits are pretty routine--even when involving minors. Most hospitals are very good at protecting their patients, especially children, therefore they make you sign in each and every time you visit. Healthbridge Children's Hospital, where I visited yesterday, is no exception.
I remember vividly signing in yesterday. (You might wonder why I am going to go into such detail here, but you will understand later.) I walked up to the desk, and said hello to the woman behind the counter. She was wearing a grey pants suit with a purple blouse. She was Hispanic with shoulder length straight, black hair. She asked me what room I was visiting, and I replied, "...... ..........in room 407." I said this as I was signing into the register. I printed out the date, my name, relationship to the patient, looked at the white clock on the wall and noted the time of 12:25. The lady then said, "Just fill out a visitor tag." I did and then placed my hands underneath the hand sanitizer--a requirement for all who enter.
I went down to the room to find a social worker visiting with the patient's mom. They'd like to get the young man out of the hospital and home to do his rehabbing, but things didn't quite work out, much to the chagrin of everyone. We visited a little about this and a few other things. The patient slept through much of this conversation. About 30 minutes into my visit, the nurse came in to give the patient some pain medication. He woke up at this point, and we were able to do some more talking.
That's when I noticed the bandage on his leg was soaked with blood. I pointed it out, and that's when things got a little chaotic. The thing wasn't supposed to be bleeding, there was a bulge on the guy's leg, and the doctor was called in. I told the patient's mom, "Take a picture."
She said, "I don't have a camera. Do you?"
"Yep." For the first time ever in my career, I took a couple of photos of a wound.
The doctor came in and looked at the bulge and ordered an x-ray. Mom asked me to stay for a while so that she could make some phone calls. The situation was a bit tense for a while.
Finally, things settled down. It was time for me to leave. I said my good-byes and promised continued prayer. I headed back to the front desk, and that's when I had...
My Matrix Moment
I picked up the pen laying on the sign in/out sheet and looked for my name. I couldn't find it. It wasn't there.
I scanned through the list again and didn't see it. I didn't see my name. I didn't see "Pastor" listed anywhere under "Relationship to Patient." I flipped the page back and looked. I flipped to the next page and looked. Nothing. I probably looked like a complete idiot standing there, but I was truly at a loss at this moment.
Now, I know the brain can play tricks on you. I know you can believe you have done something and really haven't done it. It's happened to me more than once. But I know I signed in. I had proof in the visitor's tag pasted on my shirt pocket. But where was my name in the register? I have no freakin' clue.
Is it possible I completely missed it even after looking at the page three times? I guess so. If that is the case, then that record has my name signed into it two times because I repeated the entire sign in/out on the next page. I left that hospital scratching my head. It was just too weird, and I am still trying to figure it out.
Enough Is Enough
After having endured all of this and having my mind thrown into complete chaos, I jumped into my Mustang and headed toward home. I called the patient's grandfather and had a conversation with him. I checked my email and found another member's son was scheduled to have his heart checked out the following morning, and prayers were being asked for.
I called his mom and received permission to send out a church-wide email asking for prayers.
While I was leaving a message on this woman's phone, I received a text. Another major prayer request that I must keep confidential.
At this point, I was done. I'd like to say at that point, the Good Lord and I had an intense conversation, but there was no conversation to it. It was more like a one way flow out of my mouth toward Him. "What in the world are You up to!!!! I'm tired of this cr@p. It never ends! Are You trying to test me, my congregation, my people? When is all this stuff going to let up? Is this some kind of demonic attack against Your people here? Help me out here; I'm almost at my wit's end!"
This afternoon, I'm driving to one of my member's ranch to sit on the front porch to see if God has anything to say.
Ah, if only this was the extent of why my mind wouldn't turn off.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Why I Don't Tweet
Through the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod Facebook page I received word that there will be regular tweets about our upcoming Synod Assembly. They did this last year as well.
Several of my clergy colleagues have Twitter accounts. I know they consider it cutting edge. I applaud their willingness to embrace such technology.
I'll personally stick to blogging.
I have a few reasons for my decision.
#1. You really don't want to know what is going on inside my head at any given moment of every day.
#1.a. I don't want you to know what is going on inside my head at any given moment of every day.
Aside from those sinful thoughts that plague me, there are other things which cannot be summed up in less than 200 characters. If I even attempted to do such a thing, I'd get in big, big trouble. I'd rather not do something that might spark a few fires through innocent, misunderstood commentary.
#2. While I was at seminary, the WWJD movement hit fever pitch. Anyone else remember the bumper stickers and wrist bands with that stuff on it? I sure do. And I remember the reaction of my seminary professors to it. They labeled it "bumper sticker theology." Got to love their terminology. I personally defended the movement at the time, and I still probably would. Yet, I understand my professors' point now--there are some concepts that should not be reduced to bumper sticker level.
I mean, in this blog, I have covered the ideas of Universal Truth, Quantum Physics, Biblical Interpretation, Suicide, Suffering, and a whole host of other such demanding topics. Is it even possible to delve into such things in 200 characters or less? I personally don't think it's a good idea.
#3. Tweeting would be one more thing to occupy my time. I personally believe there are more valuable things to engage in.
#4. I'd rather talk directly to people. I'm old fashioned that way. I was drug into the texting world. I still don't like phone calls and emails. I'd rather visit face to face. It's more personal. Tweeting is about as impersonal as you can get.
#5. Can you imagine Jesus tweeting the Sermon on the Mount? "Don't look at another woman with lust. #itsadulterytoo" "Don't give alms in public where people can see you. #egocentricattentiongetter" "Don't worry. Be happy. #Godprovides"
Gimme a break.
I like technology. I like communicating with others. But I think there are limits. Mine stops at blogging.
Several of my clergy colleagues have Twitter accounts. I know they consider it cutting edge. I applaud their willingness to embrace such technology.
I'll personally stick to blogging.
I have a few reasons for my decision.
#1. You really don't want to know what is going on inside my head at any given moment of every day.
#1.a. I don't want you to know what is going on inside my head at any given moment of every day.
Aside from those sinful thoughts that plague me, there are other things which cannot be summed up in less than 200 characters. If I even attempted to do such a thing, I'd get in big, big trouble. I'd rather not do something that might spark a few fires through innocent, misunderstood commentary.
#2. While I was at seminary, the WWJD movement hit fever pitch. Anyone else remember the bumper stickers and wrist bands with that stuff on it? I sure do. And I remember the reaction of my seminary professors to it. They labeled it "bumper sticker theology." Got to love their terminology. I personally defended the movement at the time, and I still probably would. Yet, I understand my professors' point now--there are some concepts that should not be reduced to bumper sticker level.
I mean, in this blog, I have covered the ideas of Universal Truth, Quantum Physics, Biblical Interpretation, Suicide, Suffering, and a whole host of other such demanding topics. Is it even possible to delve into such things in 200 characters or less? I personally don't think it's a good idea.
#3. Tweeting would be one more thing to occupy my time. I personally believe there are more valuable things to engage in.
#4. I'd rather talk directly to people. I'm old fashioned that way. I was drug into the texting world. I still don't like phone calls and emails. I'd rather visit face to face. It's more personal. Tweeting is about as impersonal as you can get.
#5. Can you imagine Jesus tweeting the Sermon on the Mount? "Don't look at another woman with lust. #itsadulterytoo" "Don't give alms in public where people can see you. #egocentricattentiongetter" "Don't worry. Be happy. #Godprovides"
Gimme a break.
I like technology. I like communicating with others. But I think there are limits. Mine stops at blogging.
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