Mark Waltz | ...Because People Matter

Guest Services Best Practice #4: Learn From the Marketplace

2010-02-09T09:00:00-05:00

People are people and value is value. Pay attention to what businesses and service organizations are doing well.

Read books: anything from Disney, Nordstroms, Starbucks.
Read magazines like Fast Company and Forbes and Wired.
Visit airports, museums, and shopping malls - places with high traffic. Study signage and traffic flow.
Pay attention to quality experiences in restaurants, hotels, airlines and banks. What made it an exceptional experience?
Play at Disney and other "experiential" venues. Pay attention to value-added touches that make the experience unique and surprising.

Maybe one day it will all be right-sized and the marketplace will look at the local church and say, "We must study, watch, learn from the local church. They understand people. They get relationships. They communicate authentic value. They are our model."

Until then, continue to find truth wherever truth exists. Model personal value where it's excellent. Don't be afraid to learn from ... any and every one.

Guest Services Best Practice #5: Get Unstuck

2010-02-08T09:53:00-05:00

Even "wow" can get stale. Of course, then it's not "wow" anymore. What's "wow" today will fade. What's high value today can become the expected.

Lose momentum. Get stuck.

Get unstuck.

Take the lid off.
Invite new ideas.
Don't block.
Honestly consider the new ideas.
Think simple, too.
Where can your teams be more empowered to create "moments" in the moment?
Would a different team schedule serve guests better?
Would a different leadership team serve team members better?
How can you say "thanks, we're glad you're here" to guests in ways you've not said it before?
Remember, think simple.

Don't stop the process until you see your teams owning the process of being "unstuck". Stay at it until you see positive impact on your environment and guests.

Embracing Grace in the Process

2010-02-03T11:04:43-05:00

This past weekend featured the story of Josh Walk, a young man in our church who's discovered the scandalous grace of Jesus. He's still in process. That is, God's still at work in his life. Enjoy.

Josh's Story from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Guest Services Best Practice #6: Follow-up

2010-02-01T08:45:00-05:00

Look what I found: the remaining 6 Best Practices for Guest Services teams! Next up: Follow-up

Confession: It's one of my toughest challenges. After all look at this list. It's February. The last I posted from this list was December 17. I moved on. Something else came along. Another phone call came in. I met with another friend. Life happened.

And life keeps happening.

But care is communicated when I...

follow-up on someone whose wife died a month ago
return a call to a guest whose question wasn't answered over the weekend
connect with a woman whose husband had a medical emergence during a service
remember to ask a team member about their job interview
call a guest by name after the service is over - one hour after i first met them
finish a blog list

How about you? What's in place to help you remember? To follow-up? What's in place to make sure your volunteers and staff team do the same?

People really do matter.

Mark Beeson on Volunteers

2010-01-26T14:38:14-05:00

Continuing my thoughts about culture and volunteers a few days ago - I thought I'd just cut and paste from the best of the best. A couple days ago my friend and our senior pastor, Mark Beeson, posted the following about volunteers and their motivation to serve. He says it well, so here it is.

_________________________________________________________

Let me offer a few reasons why good people volunteer. It’s not an exhaustive list but it summarizes a few key points for team-building and might be worth considering.

Eight Reasons Good People Volunteer to Help You

They want to see done the thing you’re trying to get done. What you're doing is clear to them, and clearly important to them. Because they value what you value, what you’re doing is clearly worth their sacrificial effort.
They see the need and want to help meet the need. Whether they jump in to help for a moment (helping with one step of the process), or stay with you for the entire mission (laying down their life for ultimate mission success), they see how they can assist you and they do.
They want to be involved. After considering their other options (how they could otherwise be using their time, energy, knowledge and skills), they prioritize your mission above other competing values. The success of your work – for one reason, or another – is important to them. They believe the work is worthy.
They’re invited. They feel welcomed and valued. They recognize you’ve made it possible for them to join the effort. There is a place for them on the team. Affirmation and appreciation are hand-in-glove with a mission strategy that organizes all available human resources.
They understand how their personal involvement improves the work. Once they understand your mission, most people know themselves well enough to realize whether their skills, training, education, strength, possessions and experiences can be leveraged against your need. They see how they can add value and advance the mission.
They want you to succeed. Your ultimate success in life matters and they believe your mission success in the particulars of the moment will serve as a step toward the ultimate fulfillment of your life. For reasons you may not even understand, they want you to succeed. Since they care about you, and want you to fulfill your destiny, they volunteer to help you all along the way.
They love working with you. You are inspiring, encouraging, positive, expectant, trustworthy, successful and fun.
They love working with the other volunteers. They want to be with the other volunteers on your team. They love the way they’re treated and valued. It’s fun, fulfilling and rewarding to do what you’re doing with you and your team.

Conversely, good people will quit, and leave your team, if they no longer feel welcomed, don’t feel valued, lose their vision for mission success, can’t make a contribution worthy of their effort, don’t like you or find the rest of the volunteers unkind, unreasonable and impossible. 1 Samuel 26:5-7 - David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors. “Who will volunteer to go in there with me?” David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother. “I’ll go with you,” Abishai replied. So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp

Maintaining and Modeling Culture

2010-01-21T17:25:41-05:00

I suppose I'm skipping what could be a part 1 to this post: Cultivating & Developing Culture. However, I'll just assume that you are in a church, team, or organization that has intentionally developed your working culture - your ethos. I think the second largest, looming danger after not being intentional to develop culture is assuming that it will simply continue to exist.

Wrong.

There are a number of essential cultural attributes around Granger Community Church. Culture that was established 24+ years ago when the church first began.Things like...

Mission-focused
- Laser. Uncompromising. This is who we are. We are intent on "helping people take their next step toward Christ... together."
Volunteer-based
- Volunteers own the ministry. They make it happen. They leverage their gifts, personality, time, talent and resources to bring up there down here.
Leadership and team
- Leaders lead. Gifted leaders. We do what we do in team. Together.
Change
- It happens. In our culture - so we'll respond to it. We'll create change that only happens by initiative, because the mission is that critical and people too important and the Kingdom too urgent.
Can-do
- We say "yes," then ask "how?"

Culture like this seems like a pipe dream to many. But it's lived out at Granger because people carry the vision deeply. Even so, culture like this doesn't just happen. It won't live on it's own. It's not true just because the front guy says it's true. It must be maintained and modeled.

So,

what seems obvious gets said aloud over and over
redirecting to core values and shared mission happens in casual conversations and formal meetings
recasting of vision addresses complaints and potential gossip
culture is modeled by volunteers and staff alike

What defines your culture? What and who is protecting it? Who is empowered to model it?

Ultimate Contentment

2010-01-19T08:45:13-05:00

I've spent too many hours of my life wishing my life was like someone else's life. "If onlys" drain energy, create inner tension, and rob perspective in the present.

If only I was a better teacher.
If only I had managed my money differently.
If only I looked younger.
If only I had the mind he has.

If only, if only, if only...

Jesus says - the Kingdom is about meekness. It's about what Paul refers to as "sober judgment" about one's self (Romans 12.3). The kingdom doesn't belong to the proud, the arrogant, the "if onlys."

Of course, meekness (and other Spirit-Kingdom traits) develops into a restful flow in our lives (Matthew 11.28-30) when our focus isn't on other people and all their "haves". This rest doesn't even come because I try harder to not focus on my "have nots." It comes when I focus on Jesus. When I celebrate him. When I see his kingdom traits - of meekness, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, affection, and love... then my focus is facing forward, upward. My focus on him pulls me away from my pitiful comparisons to other people. Then, and only then, do I discover the joy of experiencing the kingdom.

That's ultimate contentment.

(also posted at YouVersion.com - here)

Choose Your Partners Wisely

2010-01-18T12:41:15-05:00

This is Julie Smies. Today marks her 5th anniversary as my administrative assistant. It's a significant day. For her and for me. And for anyone who's affected by my ministry.

Years ago Mark Beeson coached me on hiring an assistant. Reflecting on his own assistant, Ginny Lawley, he noted that above every other responsibility, my AA should be "for" me. He said she should be my advocate, represent me well, and literally "make you look good." (believe me, I need help with that).

Then he added, "People will oppose you for free. You shouldn't pay anyone to be against you." Good advice.

So, I hired Julie 5 years ago today.

She is "for" me.
She believes in me, trusts me, and looks out for me.
She challenges me because she knows me.
She carries the vision and mission and values of our church as closely I do.
She speaks to people on my behalf.
She protects and focuses my calendar around our agreed objectives and goals.
She celebrates with me. Prays for me. And builds teams around us.

Besides all that, I count both Julie and her husband, Jim, dear friends to my wife, Laura and me. On top of that, she and my wife are close friends. Together they are strong allies - for each other - and for me.

Partners matter. Julie is a trusted partner. I am grateful for her.

Join me in thanking Julie for her faithfulness to Jesus and her loyal commitment to our partnership.

Happy anniversary, Julie!

The Life of King David: Lego-style.

2010-01-18T11:43:11-05:00

In our series Unrated: What They Can't Tell You in Sunday School we've been teaching through some pillars of the faith, looking at the underbelly of their story and circumstances. Throughout the series we've discovered the sovereignty, wisdom and grace of God that transcends to our own stories.

This past weekend's focus was the life of David: "Womanizer King Woos and Kills for Lust" (watch it here). To help catch everyone up to speed on his life, our arts team put together this short clip that rides the highs, lows and in-betweens of this "man after God's own heart." The team nailed it. Enjoy.

The Lego Lowdown | King David from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Granger Community Responds to Haiti Crisis

2010-01-14T18:05:55-05:00

This is not intended to report on the devastation in Haiti. You've read the reports, watched the coverage. We've all felt the overwhelming sense of helplessness.

People have been asking - What are we doing? How can we help?

You want to help. Granger Community Church is in. We're not helpless. Watch this to see how you can help. Then, follow this link to give today.

Granger Community Church Responds to the Emergency in Haiti from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Your Heart is Showing

2010-01-14T08:41:00-05:00

These are the people who know me best - my wife, Laura and our daughter, Olivia. They see me first thing in the morning before I've showered or brushed my teeth. They know how I act when I'm tired. They see me when I'm annoyed. They experience me when I'm annoying. They can't see my heart... or can they?

I've been on a parallel reading track as I'm ramping up with the Granger team for what promises to be an innovative initiative in life formation. So, I'm reading John Ortberg's new book, The Me I Want to Be along with Willard & Simpson's Revolution of Character and Willard & Jan Johnson's Renovation of the Heart in Daily Practice. All of these works focus on the active role of both human choice and the power of the Holy Spirit in transforming our life.

Transformation isn't about behavior modification. It's about the heart. It's about change from the inside out. Willard and Johnson pose the challenging question: "What sort of heart would you like to have?"

I want a heart that is patient even when I'm tired. A heart that isn't self-seeking. A heart that is less controlling and more about serving. I want a heart that causes me to be fully present with my girls. A heart that agonizes over the brokenness - of my neighbor, the masses in Haiti, and my own life. A heart for Jesus that calls out the best in my girls, that draws them toward Jesus. I want a transformed heart that my girls can see.

My transformation - and yours - will be evidenced and developed as we serve strangers, discipline our lives, and live vulnerably with the people who know us best.

I want my heart to be continually transformed by God's Spirit so He shines through my somber, tired, sad face - as well as my smile.

I'm grateful for the love of Jesus behind my girls' smiles. I love this journey with them.

May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech. 2 Thessalonians 2.15

WHO Matters.

2010-01-13T15:01:03-05:00

I'm away this week with our senior management team, praying, thinking, processing, planning and dreaming about our future as a church - as a force in the world. I've never been more excited about the future of Granger Community Church - or the people who are shouldering the mission for our staff and people.

We took a moment to smile for the camera - thanks for your prayers for wisdom, community, and our vision.

From right to left: Mark Beeson, Rob Wegner, Tim Stevens, Jason Miller, DC Curry, Kem Meyer, me. (picture courtesy, Mark Beeson... of course)

Still Worth a View

2010-01-11T13:13:54-05:00

This hit the YouTube loop long ago, but when a reader was searching for it again recently, I decided to throw it up here again. Enjoy.

One Phone Call. A World of Memories. A Life of Grace.

2009-12-23T15:41:18-05:00

My wife, Laura, and I are Hoosiers. Always have been. Except for about six years in the early/mid nineties when we moved to Tacoma, WA to be part of a church staff there. Stephen Edwards was the senior pastor in those days. Because of Steve's grace and a traumatic season in our family's world, Steve moved quickly from being my senior pastor and boss to my personal friend.

We send Steve and his wife, Vivian, our annual Christmas card and Steve responded with a phone call. Today we connected. It's been a long time. I was so moved by the power of our conversation that I sat down and jotted a follow-up email to him. I share that email here because it's such a vivid picture of the power of grace in personal relationship.

Hello, Steve –
We just finished an hour-long phone call. And what a refreshing conversation. I’m so grateful for your phone call.
My mind is all jumbled, at a loss for words for how grateful I am for you. Your investment in me, your care for me, your trust… honestly, I’m overwhelmed. God is good and faithful to have allowed/caused our paths to cross back in 1991… and then to continue over a 6 year journey that didn’t end when either of us left Parkland Christian.
I’ve told many people that I didn’t deserve or expect the level of grace and care that I and my family experienced under your care, through your friendship and through the people you led there. At least four of those six years were in many ways the worst years of my life. Not because I was there in ministry and life with you, but because of the devastating life-blow my family and I experienced then. God saved my life through that season, through you, through other friends. Literally saved my life. My baby girl has a daddy today because of our family in Tacoma. My wife has a husband today because people in our lives refused to let go.
My life and ministry is marked by your life. I know few people whose pursuit of Jesus is as humble and honest as yours. Your conviction that people matter, your unyielding commitment to spiritual transformation, and your personal dedication to discipling others still inspire me.
You’re a few years ahead of me. You’ve traversed some dips and curves that are still in front of me. You’ve experienced some mile markers that I can learn from. Thanks for traveling in the grace and love of Jesus. Thanks for allowing me to witness the boundless scope of forgiveness, healing, and grace through your life… to mine.
In our phone call you spoke a great deal of finishing well. Of the new temptations that can derail… of the sobering thought that up to 2/3 of great God-fearing leaders throughout history did not finish well. In your gracious way, you called me to finish well. I want to finish well. I want you to finish well.
So this season as we both engage families and ministry and friends 2500 miles apart, I’m praying for you. Praying you not only finish well, but that you thrive. And I’m thanking God for you.
Let’s talk before next Christmas,
Mark

Thanks, Steve... and Rusty and Ralph and Doug and Drex and Kathy and Julie and Laurel and Mike and Tim and Mark and Tom ... and many more friends who have invested and cared for me and my family. I'm grateful. And changed.

Merry Christmas

Silent Monks Sing Hallelujah Chorus

2009-12-23T10:49:13-05:00

My Mom sent this to me, promising I would enjoy this. She was right.

Merry Christmas!

Dribbling with Your Head Down

2009-12-21T15:22:57-05:00

Today, Dan Webster, of Authentic Leadership, Inc, sent me a pre-release copy of his new book, KidUnique. As I perused it I stopped at a section subtitle: "dribbling with your head down."

I didn't play sports in school. I couldn't dribble or shoot a lay-up now or then. Too much coordination is required. My head would always be down watching the ball - and bad things would happen.

I get the meaning of dribbling with your head down.

Dan writes about a friend's experience with his teenage son. Coming back from a trip this friend picked up his son to grab some dinner and catch up. Throughout the meal he answered several work-related text messages. Finally one of those messages came from across the table, "Hey, Dad, how about putting your phone down." Doh. Dan points out - that's dribbling with your head down.

It's happened too often lately that it's not been our 16-year-old daughter who's been preoccupied with her phone at mealtime. I'm guilty.

Dan's book subtitled, Helping Kids Discover Who They Are, targets parents and youth leaders who want to invest in their kids, calling out the best God's created them to be. You can learn more here.

By the way - if I'm in a meeting with my staff, I'm taking calls and texts from my family. However, if I'm with my family, I can't guarantee the reverse will happen. Can't afford to dribble with my head down.

Use this holiday time to sort some priorities and look up into the eyes of the people you care most about.

I'm going to.

Mary & Joseph Go to Bed

2009-12-17T16:39:24-05:00

Today St Matthew-in-the-City Church in Auckland, New Zealand put a billboard up to get people talking about Christmas (read more about the church's conversation on their website). Here's some early news coverage of the reaction. After you watch it - what's your response?

Guest Services Practice #7: Plan the Understated

2009-12-17T14:00:00-05:00

I'm fascinated when I watch behind the scenes documentaries of movies, theme parks or events. Sometimes it's the big, amazing, OMGosh, how'd they do that? Often it's the smaller, simple nuances that are, well, amazing. This list isn't outstanding. You don't have to announce any of these. There's not much budget in this list. But someone had to plan.

keep the paper towels and tissue stocked
add hand lotion in the restroom - especially during winter months
be sensitive to the flu fears, provide hand sanitizer
print in readable fonts
clean the carpet and other flooring
set the thermostat
make seating comfortable

Add to your own list. Think behind the scenes. Plan the understated.

Guest Services Best Practices #8: Don’t Just Fix It

2009-12-17T12:35:00-05:00

Ownership is a powerful dynamic in any organization: people see a problem, they just fix it. No questions or squabbles about whose job is whose. No arguments about who gets the credit. The problem, large or small, gets fixed when it's identified.

That's all really good - to a point.

In addition to this level of "can-do" ownership, there must be a feedback loop established. Otherwise, you'll have teams of people who continue to fix the same things over and over and over. A feedback loop will help you see patterns - system breakdowns, simple processes, little incidentals - that can be addressed and fixed for the long haul. Ownership that is valued will result in positive change - not over and over, but rather consistently.

Don't just fix it.

Guest Services Best Practice #9: Listen to Complaints

2009-12-17T09:08:00-05:00

Let's get this list finished up before Christmas. You're wondering who "us" is, huh? Ok. It's on me. I'm going to finish up this list before Christmas. This one isn't really any fun - but it's important.

Listen to Complaints

As in when people make comments less than complimentary. Even disparaging. Listen.

If one person is making the observation, ten more may be thinking the same thing. They just didn't have the courage to say so.
The person may not understand your values, methods or language, but if you'll listen, you may learn what people are actually hearing - even if you don't intend to communicate it.
There's usually at least a grain of truth - even if the complaint is riddled with emotion and misinformed statements.
A primary concern (in addition to your faithfulness to the message of Jesus) should be how people are hearing and experience your message: from the parking lot to the message to the care expressed in your systems and connection points.
Often people who share legitimate concerns are people who can help bring solutions to your systems and organization.

One more thought - if you're the one making a complaint, have the courage to use your name. When you do, conversation can be constructive and helpful. To both parties.

An Advent Funeral

2009-12-16T18:51:35-05:00

Today I led a funeral for a man in our church (Bob Muncey) who died unexpectedly this past weekend. There's never a "good" time to experience the death of a husband, a dad, a grandpa or a friend. But, I observed aloud what everyone was experiencing - this is especially difficult: losing a loved one at Christmas time.

But as I reflected on the meaning of Advent and the hope that is ours through Christ, I knew I had to share the following in the service today. Thought I'd share it here for anyone who's holidays bring the fresh ache of someone who went too soon.

My heart breaks for you in this loss. I can’t ignore what we’re all thinking about the timing of Bob’s passing. Christmas is next week. Nothing’s the same now. What do you do with that?
And yet, there’s something powerful in this season, in this timing that I want to point out. In church language this season is known as Advent. A season that celebrates not only Jesus’ first coming, but the promise, the hope of His return, his second coming. This season reminds us that although the chaos of life – from the busyness of shopping to the grief wrapped up in death – in all that chaos there is hope. Jesus came, not to give us a holiday to drink eggnog and give gifts, but he came to announce, to live, to demonstrate the inclusiveness of the Kingdom. Jesus announced “it is here; I am here.”
And after a few short years here on the planet, he announced his departure… and he died at the hands of a people who didn’t understand his agenda or his love.
But he defeated death. He rose from the grave. He will still fulfill his promise to return, bringing justice and peace and wholeness to all He has created. This isn’t it.Death doesn't win.
This is Advent. The in-between season. Between reality past and future to come. We’re living there. All of us. And with a heightened clarity, my prayer for you as family and friends of Bob Muncey is that you will experience the hope of Jesus this Christmas. Maybe it’s meaning will, strangely, be more meaningful for you than the rest of us.

And it's my prayer for any of you who know the pain of loss this season will find fresh meaning and unexplainable hope.

Merry Christmas.

No More Bibles, Please. A Top Ten List

2009-12-10T08:35:00-05:00

This week a friend helped me discover that there are 3500 different Bibles available in the English language. I'm grateful that scholars are helping people engage the story of the Bible with study helps and easy to understand language. But somewhere there's a limit to all of this. You may know that you can purchase:

The Patriot's Bible
The Maxwell Leadership Bible
The Every Man's Bible
The Marriage Bible
The Men's Fraternity Bible
The New Spirit-filled Life Bible
The Women of Faith Study Bible

The list goes on and on. Is the story of God in the Scriptures really that personalized, that limited to one's perceived microscopic focus?

Here are ten Bibles I haven't seen published. Maybe there's still time before Christmas gift-giving is here:

The Pet Owner's Bible

All dogs do go to heaven, right?

The Ultimate Sex in Marriage Bible

Who wouldn't read that? Who doesn't want that? Comes with a bottle of KY.

The Baptipostcal Bible

For people who've ridden the denominational coaster from Baptist to Pentecostal and a couple in between. Don't forget Jesus was a Nazarene.

The Jeannie-in-Leather Bible

Forget the bottle. This fine leather holds the God you were promised: One who is all about you and the world as you see it.

The Introvert's Bible

All the introverted people of scripture are touted as the quiet, unassuming heroes, including Jesus.

The Extrovert's Bible

All the extroverted people of scripture are touted as the charging, change-making heroes, including Jesus

The Over-Fifty Bible

Highlighted promises include "mounting up on eagle's wings, running without fainting" and "seeing clearly face-to-face"

The Oprah Bible

Justifies pop culture self-knowing with the will of God

The Anti-Mega-Church Bible

The phrase "cell church" appears over 56,000 times

The Do-It-Yourself Bible

A next generation, digital Bible, designed to print-on-demand - but only those passages that you want to live by

Maybe there's a Bible you'd like to see published that didn't make this list. Go ahead, leave it in a comment. There's probably a chance it'll get printed soon.

6 Options This Christmas Eve

2009-12-07T10:15:55-05:00

Our new weekend series, A Christmas Carol, launched this weekend - and oh, did it launch. Following the classic ghostly visits in Dickens' classic tale, Mark Beeson addressed the regrets of our past with the celebration of Christmas - Jesus has come! His forgiveness opens the door to a future of growth and purpose. You can watch the entire service with the gripping arts here.

Enjoy this weekly sneak peak of what's to come in six services on Christmas Eve:

The Ghost of Christmas Past from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Get your free tickets for the Granger campus here or plan to participate in the 11pm ONLINE service here.

It's Coming. 2 Days. GCC.

2009-12-03T11:09:20-05:00

If you call Granger Community Church your church, or you're anywhere in the driving area looking for a church - you'll want to prioritize your weekends this month to catch this.

A Christmas Carol from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Services at Granger campus: Saturdays, 5pm and 7pm; Sundays, 9:30am and 11:30am.

Services at Elkhart campus: Sundays, 9:30am and 11:30am.

Services Online campus: Sundays, 6:30pm and 8:30pm.

More details here.

Organic Linear Growth. Really?

2009-12-03T10:18:59-05:00

Our senior pastor, Mark Beeson, is challenging our entire church to memorize 2 Peter 1.2-12 (NIV). He started with our staff a couple weeks ago. Last evening during our First Wednesday service he invited a room-full of Christ-followers at Granger to do the same - by Christmas. This year. In early 2010 he'll extend the same challenging invitation to our entire weekend crowd. The goal will be to have these verses committed to memory by Easter. [Read Mark's invitation here]

Memorization isn't the mere point of this exercise. As a senior management team (which grew by three more astounding people yesterday - read about it here!) we're jazzed about a fresh strategic approach to spiritual formation in 2010 - and we'll base all of it on this passage of scripture.

When I read these verses I jump right over to Paul's writing in Galatians 5 - the fruit of the Spirit passage (Galatians 5.22-23). And when I read both passages, I realize that both Paul and Peter were looking at Jesus. These characteristics are wrapped up in Jesus. It's the kingdom life he calls each of us to. It is the work and fruit of His Spirit - which he promised would teach us all that Jesus taught and practiced.

Interesting - Peter talks about these characteristics as though in a linear continuum. As though you can't have one without the one before it. And yet I know some very loving people whose knowledge doesn't seem as deep as their love. So, what's up with that? Peter also suggests in verse 8 that this is not a strictly linear process - "get the first one wired up, then move on to the next one". In verse 8 he says "if you possess these qualities in increasing measure..." As in, this is not a closed system - get one, get two, get 'em all. You're done.

Rather, these qualities are interconnected. One makes little sense without the others. Just as Paul's discussion of the "fruit" of the Spirit - not the "fruits" - suggests that we're not to be about getting merely "good" at one, then the next, then the next. Rather the whole is the fruit, the fruit is the whole. As I add goodness to my faith, and knowledge to goodness, I'm on a journey to become my truest, God-created self. In His image.

However, this growth will happen in my life - in your life - as we methodically read, pray, exercise practices, pay attention to relationships that help us develop each of these, individually. But it'll be messy, overlapping and repetitive.

Sounds like a journey to me.

You comin'?