Some friends and thoughts do the same.  It is interesting that, as  a pastor, I expect myself to like people who are unlikeable.  I expect myself to want to spend time with people who are grumpy, unhappy and choose simply to be cantakerous.  After all, isn't that what a Christian is supposed to do?  And as a pastor, isn't that what I should do?  Shouldn't I go to reach out to the ones who are hurting or don't get it?

Here's another question: why should my kids have to grow up with bad influences?  Why should the family I am supposed to make my first ministry need to be treated unfairly or disrespectfully by people who, though hurt and confused (sometimes entirely lost), choose less charity, love and respect than they want others to give them?  Should the church have to carry the baggage of those who choose to be baggage?

There is not question that I should be compassionate and missionary minded when it comes to people who choose less God than they wish for others to choose but should it be missionary work or fellowship living?  Should I, or anyone, be required to commit to someone who doesn't want to live like a fellow?  Is it about attendance or living?  

Here's another angle: I should try to reach the lost but should I go hang out at a crack house or meet the people at a more neutral (not illegal) location?  Is the church required to bind itself to believers or those that call themselves believers who choose to live like unbelievers not choosing joy, commitment, grace, love and peace?  

Perhaps we should all listen to depressing music - I think I am going back to the Supertones. 

I am still having to major on a few "will be" minors until my role is finished.  I am still having to minor on a few "will be" majors until the minors become minors.  An example is the book "From Iron to Steel" that was supposed to begin publishing on May 7th and will now begin on June 18th.  It just can't be done.  I am 45 days late on the deadline for the third rewrite of "So You're Ready to Leave" (I am having a blast with this online book transforming to a full study and help book) because of old majors that I am trying to get to minors because they should have been minors in the first place.  Well drilling was a major to me and it should have been for the time but now it has become a minor and a wonderful woman has taken over all of its coordination.  A new well drilling truck needs to be driven to Nicaragua - cool trip - and I want to go.  Well only part of me wants to go because I am in love with the majors in my life.  On top of that, God is saying, "Priorities."  My accountability team (yes - I actually have a group of sold out brothers and sisters who are helping me by tackling me if I get involved in something new that is not a priority - you just have to know me - it is the hazard of a visionary and totally unacceptable)  didn't even have to say anything because I have been listening well to my Father and he is keeping me from a blindside.  The church and preparing the leaders and championing a great life for the people are my priorities.

The point is: you have to know what you need to do and do only that and do it before anything else.

I am still wrestling with identifying the things that I really can't control or, more importantly, am not supposed to control.  These areas require trust in a Father who teaches in the Bible or convicts in the heart "you aren't supposed to handle this one."  From my perspective, if people having a life change and having a great life is a priority, then they need to be at church at some point or involved with believers.  Therefore, it is incredibly difficult for me when after a few tries we can't get them involved.  Then God says, "If I can't get them there with my Spirit speaking or me using your voice, how do you think you are going to get them there?  And if you do, will it be right?  Aren't they supposed to choose me?"  Unfortunately, most chuches are trying to get people to choose church and are marketing that service well.  If we create people who choose God, what will they do?  You see, I have no control over this and I am not supposed to have any control.  Biblically, it is the Gospel that changes lives and carrying that to people is what I am called to do.  But, oh, do I want to get them to change.  There are many things that I can't control that simply require trust as I do what God tells me to do and be who he has made me and live according to His word.  He has told me to trust him regarding the finances for moving the well drilling truck, church and the summer missions.  He has told me to trust him change leaders and keep them steady if we require them to be the people in 1 Timothy 3 before we confirm them into leadership.  He has told me to trust him to continue a revival in our elders and put a fire of evangelism in our people.  If he can deal with someone like me, he will take these superior people and send them through the roof.

The point is: even in what He tells us to do, we have to trust him for the result. 

So that's it for priorities and trust.  What about guns?  In the Wild, Wild West, stupid men used to have testosterene overload and have gunfights.  Regardless of all the words, a gunfighter could back out at any point before he put his hands on his guns and drew.  I have learned this one important truth, when you step out into the street in leadership and draw on your opponent, you had better be committed.  You better stick to your guns and you better be prepared because there is only one opposing gunfighter and he is capable, well stocked and a good shot.  Even worse, he doesn't fight fair and will have many minions on the roofs and alleys drawing at the same time.  Being a leader is great.  Knowing what you are willing to die for is great.  Running is not an option once you step out in the streets.  You will either win or die.  Before you get in the game, be ready and be prepared to stick to you guns until the gunfight is over.

Then it dawned on me : I was cutting a happy groove.  Dancing in my room like I was a kid.  I would like to say that I was uninhibited because no one was home but really, even at 45+, I would still dance no matter who was around (well maybe not a the next pastor's association meeting - unless it had worship time).  I have had some seemingly dark times, some times where I found myself growing, some times where I was oppressed but I am still very happy.

"Better to have loved and lost..." goes the old saying.  "It rains on the just and unjust..." goes the Biblical proverb.  I really love God.  I really love my family.  I really love my Church.  I really love my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I am having fun.

I love that I can still dance (you know, I won the Disco Contest in 9th grade dancing with one of my teachers!).  I love it that God can still blow a fresh and joyous wind in my heart.  I am glad that when I am disciplined to rest, to eat well, to pray, to study and to slow down that He fills me and helps to order and control my life.

I can't imagine just going to work, punching the clock, coming home to TV or going to the game.  I can't imagine how boring it would be to not have friends, laughing and fun.  I can't imagine how horrible it would be to be constantly unhappy.  Without Him, without time with Him, I would certainly go back to my self centered, less joyous life.

Christ is Good!  Christ is God!  He has entirely changed me over the years and that goes for today as well.  I can not wait until worship on Sunday with my Church.  I can't wait to see him in the eyes of all of the other people who are full of joy because they have worshipped.  I can't wait to see the exponetially growing power as we come together with smiles from days of joy during the week.

I really wonder if some of my friends get jazzed and dance or, if when reading this, they wonder if I have absolutely lost it!  I hope that they find time to stop and find their groove - He is faithful to show it.

The interesting question to ask leaders is what are the two extremes of leadership and is one "right" and the other "wrong".  Many people give many answers ranging from tyranical rule to anarchy.  These same people could well argue their points but is anarchy or tyranny really leadership in any case other than a theoretical discussion?  Would any businessman or Christian leader waste his time arguing the point?

In the realm of true leadership, unanimous team leadership rests on the left end of the spectrum and a strong leader led team rests on the right end.  The answer to the question of which is right and which is wrong is that both are right given the circumstance and the basis of this answer rests in proven Biblical truths and observation of those truths in action over thousands of years.

Most great leaders will quickly opt for the right end of the spectrum because they are wise.  These leaders know that there is not enough time or not enough maturity of people in the normal leadership environment to choose the left : unanimous team leadership.  Likewise, God called men to different kinds of leadership and exclusively in immature environments with little time, God used the right end of the spectrum : a strong leader led team.

However, when God allowed his spirit to rest in men, when they were mature, when they lived well and when Jesus came and taught them on earth, he led them to utilize the left end of the spectrum : unanimous team leadership.  He made it simple when he taught that there was only one God and one Son and one Spirit that would live in all of them.  He taught them that when the leaders sought God as a group there would be one answer from one Spirit that they could all hear and see affirmed.  This was the leadership model for the Christian Church when it had mature leaders who took the time to develop great leaders.

Likewise, in the new churches in new communities, those first Christian leaders would take their cues from a unanimous leadership team but then act as strong leaders developing an individual unanimous leadership team in the new church.  Both models are right given their circumstance and God's leadership but one has to ask, "Do I have a set of people with whom I could live as one, wait on one answer, trust and settle for no less than a unified answer?" 

Unfortunately, most of our Christian leaders have not been taught, mentored and shown this wonderfully effective model on the left - it simply takes too much time and humility.  Most Christian leaders do not stay long enough or focus on equiping the people to lead.  Most Christian leaders don't believe that the left model can really be used in our current environment.  Most Christian leaders have not done enough Biblical and peer homework to be able to deploy a unanimous leadership team when it is appropriate. 

Sadly, if Christian leaders are responsible if they have not equipped themselves to such maturity, equipped their people to such maturity, or have not learned the methods of unanimous team leadership.  Even worse, when it is ideal for unaimous, mature team leadership, God will not be able to deploy it in their organizations.

If you need assistance learning the methods of unaimous team leadership so that you will be able to deploy it when appropriate, feel free to write the author : doug.burrier@christisgood.org.  Doug and his unanimous team have lived through the beginnings, the learning and have lived to tell of 12 years of successful unanimous team leadership when appropriate.

We are leaders.  It isn't only what we do but who we are.  Maxwell, Phillips, Collins, Finzel and Paul would all agree with the statement, "Leaders look at everything as a leader, through the eyes of a leader because they are a leader."  We are the ones who are charged with getting it done.  We are the ones who take the hit or cover when another fails to come through.  We are the ones who have to get there first, come back and lead others to that new place.  We are the ones who revive the old place and keep legacy truths in place.  We are the ones who help determine the future or failure of our organizations.

Jesus said that He came to "seek and save the lost" and He also said that "the fields were ripe for harvest" and "I will add to the church."  Do the Christian leaders of today approach ministry with a maintenance attitude or a "Jesus is going to add to the Church today" attitude?  Did our schedules today reflect the attitude that He was going to seek and save that which was lost and bring reconcilation to men?  Do we have faith?  If we do, do we have the actions that prove that faith?

"Faith without works is dead."

It is a fair question to ask - "Do I really believe?"  If I really believe, then who will I share my faith with today?  If I really believe, then will I act as if it is going to happen and be God's instrument of choice - today?

New churches and minsitries are so focused on the disconnected and lost but it isn't too many years until only a remnant does that work while the majority of money and time is spent on retention, transfer and slow growth.  There are not many churches where the majority is actively involved in personal evangelism with the belief that Jesus really wants the world to be saved and that He will add to His church and that the field is ripe for harvest.

What do I believe as a leader today?  What do my works say about my beliefs?  What are my investments in other leaders producing - good works or actual serious growth and mission work?  Do I believe that Jesus wants to introduce Himself to someone today?  Do I believe that He needs me to do that work?

"How will they know unless we tell them?"

Isn't it interesting that during an eclipse the sun is entirely blocked out by the little moon of Earth.

It is all perspective.  The engineers and the mathematicians get it easy.  Those that have seen a solar system model understand.  It is all about perspective.

The moon is closer and therefore looks to be just about the same size (maybe a little larger) than the sun. When the moon passes directly between us (we are on Earth!) and the sun, the entire sun is blocked out.  It is as if the sun doesn't even exist.

Problems and confusions are like this.  Our common enemy is good at manipulating perspective to his advantage.  Sometimes it isn't even our common enemy but us who willingly refuse to accept the truths that will help us understand that the SON REALLY IS BIGGER than the moonipulation of problems and stress (cute - I know). 

Interestingly, we need to remember as well - we have to know about perspective before we can have perspective.  Think about it. If you didn't know that the sun was farther away and bigger - you would just assume that the moon was bigger.   

Do we really believe that God is bigger than the boogie man?  Do we really believe that He has and can conquer anything?  Do we believe that He can sustain us?  Until we believe in Him this way, we are like the uneducated man who can't believe the moon is smaller because he refuses to look at the drawing showing him the real perspective.  The easiest way to believe in Him as bigger than the world is to read the Bible - some 4,000 years of history showing the success of God. Again and again - He still is.

People continue to lose perspective when they Face the Eclipse.  People continue to cheat themselves and those around them acting as if the immediate problem is so much worse than the greatness of God and His People and His Church. Our problems need to be put in perspective so that we can live in Truth.

The next time you face the eclipse - remember the lesson of perspective. 

Recently, a young teacher refused to particpate in a leadership survey because of some "undefined reason."  All of the above reasons  (really, excuses) were generated by his peers in effort to come up with some reason (really, excuse) for his independent (really, rebellious) behavior.  Excuses, excuses, excuses!  I do the same thing - making them up for people I like so that they don't look as stupid as their actions.  Let's take a look at those excuses really quickly...

"I am sure that he simply wasn't feeling well..."
How sick can a thrity something be to not check one box out of five?  How sick must we be to not pick up a pen and check one box?  Behind him sat a woman who hobbles with crutches and endures spinal pain every day - she finished her survey.  How sick and tired do we have to be to be unable to pick up a pencil?  Does he exercise, sleep and eat right?  Was he too tired to eat lunch - it would seem that driving would be harder than writing!

"They have been sitting under your teaching for a long time..."
Good! Then he knew as much as his leader, if not more, so he should have been able to fill out the survey before the leader even taught or asked.  Why didn't he?

"You know, maybe they didn't have an answer..."
I love this one.  If he didn't have an answer, then perhaps he should still have turned in the response card as requested and written something in or asked a question.  Do you really think he had no opinion of his life?

"You can't expect everyone to participate..."
Why not? Isn't that what followers are supposed to do?  Didn't they come to learn?

"Everyone doesn't have to be like you want..."
The classic answer of the one who doesn't want to go with the flow.  We weren't asking for a life change or conformity, just an answer to a few simple questions.

"Maybe his response is so personal that he doesn't want..."
Shy people don't usually teach.  This is the best excuse of the bunch for someone we don't yet know well but it is a stinky excuse for a long time member and teacher.

"Maybe he didn't understand the instructions..."
Really.  It is hard to check one box out of five - really difficult.

Excuses, excuses, excuses!  Let's be real.  He didn't want to do it for whatever reason or he would have done it.  For once, someone call it like it is - he just did his own thing.  He didn't care about what he was asked or what the leader was trying to accomplish.  It wasn't important to him and he didn't want to fill out the survey.

He has freedom of choice.  We all have freedom of choice.  However, when we choose to do our own thing or not to follow - just because - we exhibit the very root of all man's problems with God - our way.  In the same way that our way separates us from God's way - our way separates us from our leaders way and the way of the Body.  No one has to be the same and do the same or look the same - after all the Body is made up of many parts: hands, eyes, head, feet and so on.  However, we cannot be part of a Body if the eyes cannot follow the foot and the foot cannot go to the same place with the hand.

If we are going to be part of a Body or a local Body, then we have to be committed to selflessness, following, walking alongside, investing and acting as a group, a body and a family.  When we just do our own thing while we are with the Body, we exhibit the root of man's rebellion against God and we should be very concerned because we cannot be part of the body while we "just don't want" what the Body is doing.  Paul talked about this when he taught, "Be unified in all things."  Unity doesn't just mean "agree in all things" but instead unity mandates that we go together while we are together - even in the little things. 

Who cares about the survey? It doesn't really matter but our emerging leader would have done well to practice following, unity and respect.  Perhaps he will understand more when one day he needs others to follow.  We all should practice unity and following in the little things and know that the little things always reveal our character and readiness for seemingly greater things.

Not true!  That statement is actually one of the most sane and rational comments that one can say.  The truly insane don't know that they are insane neither do they think they are insane or know that you are insane.  Insanity is not a topic of discussion for the untreated insane. 

Wondering if  you are going nuts means that you have a "compass" to which you are comparing your path.  Comparing, analyzing and evaluating your path against a compass is a very rational process.  In fact, one of the greatest truths is that truth is bigger than you, beyond you and outside of you.  We are truly on the right path when we find the Truth that is objective,  unwavering and not dependent on us and follow that Truth.

Questioning your sanity is also another very sane process.  Questioning takes a moment of rational thought.  Rationalizing is good, especially in highly emotional times.  Rationalizing helps find a stable point of reference and helps us process our environment in the same way that a sea-sick passenger can find relief by focusing on a fixed point far off on the horizon away from the waves in which he rocks.

Recently, a new friend to our church commented, "You guys  have something so great here that we are afraid that we might mess it up."  "That is highly unlikely," I replied, "because you are aware that you could mess it up and care about that fact.  It is those who think they are going to be the savior to our church or who never even think about whether they could mess it up that will most likely mess it up."

Hmmmm...which ones are we?  It is a fair and good question to ask.  Could we be the insane who don't even know it?  I would suggest regular times of extended prayer, stopping to fix your eyes on Truth and listen to your Father with a heart that is open to being right or wrong in any situation - such rational thought, comparing ourselves to Truth that is proven over thousands of years, is the only hope to know.

" If you are the igmo who makes it hard for everyone - grow up, you need to get a life and change..."

"When you eat up 10 hours a week of someone else's life working on your ..."

Wait a minute!  I can't write those lines.  They are too rude, too harsh, too painful and mostly, too true for people to handle.  The people who create the doody that increases our duty are really going to go through the roof on this one.  They are going to be offended and say, "How can you write that?! What right do you have?!"  Regardless of their seeming offense, it is still true - darn those people who steal our peace, time with our families, productivity at the task and efficiency.  It really isn't fair and it isn't right.

We should stand up and complete the tasks even when the duty is created by someone else's doody.  We also need to make sure that we don't become like the "doody duty" creators - high maintenance, last minute, emotional, self centered, irresponsible, lone wolf, disrespectful, and all knowing types that create doody duty for those who are seeking low maintenance, planned, objective, selfless, responsible, team player, respectful and humble lives.  We should stand up and make sure that we respect others' time, talent and temporal lives enough not to constantly create duties for them to complete because we create doody by not doing our duty in a timely, responsible fashion.  We need to make sure that we don't create doody duty because we fail to assume responsibilities that are ours.

Not sure if you are a "doody duty" creator? Ask yourselves these questions:

• Do you always need an extension?
• Do you say, "You all just don't understand?"
• Do you say, "It has just been so hard, I am tired....."
• Do you always need a last minute provision?
• Do your efforts require redos by other people that you don't understand?
• Do you feel like the odd man out?
• Do you think the whole team is against you?
• Do you use the word 'YOU' alot?
• Do you have to always change the rules?
• Do you think people get upset with you for no reason?

Are you a "doody duty" creator?  Responsible people, who are trying to live well and complete their own duties beg you.... "If you are a 'doody duty' creator, give us a break and do your duty so we don't have to clean up your 'doody'."

There are two types of people in those times - those that choose the effort, the bigger picture, the work at hand; and, those that choose to go home.  The successful will always be the former and only with politics will the latter ever succeed.

The successful should always be careful that the "work simply having to be done regardless of the family and schedule" does not become habit for then either poor management, staffing, planning or simply work-a-holism has taken over.

The lazy should be careful not to use their family as excuses.

When duty calls, the dedicated simply get the work done.  That is why the dedicated are called "dedicated."  They do not stop; they do not bail; they do not leave critical tasks undone even if it is someone else's issue, job or fault.  These wonderful people understand the greater picture and do not fight battles and make points to others by letting the work or those blessed or dependent on the work suffer.  There is another time to work, teach  and challenge  peers and followers - that time is not while the work needs to be done.

The successful  plan well, work smart, keep it all in balance and, then when duty calls, they accept it as their duty and not let the effort down. 

The unsuccesful answer, "It isn't their job, isn't fair, how tired they are, how it is not their method and this isn't what I signed up for," when duty calls and then, they go home and talk about those who stayed to pick up their duty.

 There are times when the work simply has to be done - who will we be then?