TheHighCalling.org: Service

Finding a Marketing Shoe That Fits (Personal Reflection)

Sam Van Eman — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

We live in the age of awareness. The world feels smaller, its problems are clearer, and its solutions—so they seem—are more manageable. No longer do I picture Africa as a distant place with insurmountable, unimaginable trials. I just see a $10 mosquito net. Creative framing and ingenious invitations have made getting involved a snap. And the sheer number of opportunities provides even the tiniest niche of people with something to do.

Since folks are in the market for buying causes, marketers are in the business of selling them. But not all cause marketing is created equal. Sometimes it misses, and sometimes the shoe fits just right. Here are three variations of cause marketing and why it matters that we know the difference:

Make the cause secondary
Make the cause solitary
Make the cause primary

(RED): Make the cause secondary

According to their website, “(RED) is a simple idea that transforms our incredible collective power as consumers into a financial force to help others in need. (RED) is where desire meets virtue."

Huge brands like Dell and Gap have partnered with (RED), and they claim to have helped 2.5 million lives so far. I like this. What I don’t like is making the cause secondary to the allure of becoming a celebrity.

Bob Garfield, Advertising Age ad critic, makes the following comment about Dell’s 2008 Super Bowl commercial: “The Dell commercial doesn't even try to sell people on charitable giving. It turns the (RED) laptop into a sort of chic magnet . . ., the aids crisis turned into an Axe commercial.”

This approach misses the mark.

15 BELOW JACKET: Make the cause solitary

You can't read the small text in that image, but here's what it says: "EMERGENCY BLANKET: An oversized (40" x 60") poster, printed on newsprint, is sent out to homeless shelters with each 15 Below jacket. As the poster unfolds, one side shows how the coat works with simple illustrations and instructions printed in multiple languages. The other side of the poster features a large image of a blanket. The idea is to tear the poster into strips and stuff it into the multiple pockets of the 15 Below jacket to act as insulation. Stuffed with newspaper, this jacket will insulate the body, helping to ensure survival through the night. In this sense, the medium is more than the message. For someone living on the street, it could be a lifeline."

In this very different example, the cause isn’t the secondary point or even the primary point—it’s the only point: Help the homeless. I don’t believe altruism exists, so I’d guess there are other reasons for this campaign. Nonetheless, it comes undeniably close to acting like Jesus and I like it. Marketing firm, TAXI, made this super cool, highly practical, well-made, necessary coat for the homeless. That’s it. No need to buy anything to get one. You can’t even buy one for yourself.

The campaign inspires me to be hopeful: “Then the King will say to the advertising agency on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For. . . I needed clothes and you clothed me . . .’ ” (From Matthew 25:34, 36).

Check out the site here and wait for it to load – it’s worth it.

TOMS SHOES: Make the cause primary

My third example shifts away from the selfish desires of the first and the more purely philanthropic nature of the second. TOMS Shoes, a for-profit shoe company, sells a product. But it makes a cause primary. Just read their blog. The cause fueled “Chief Shoe Giver,” Blake Mycoskie, to begin this venture, and it fuels his entire global team of employees, interns, and vagabonds. Their cause: “For every pair purchased, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One."

Like the (RED) example, TOMS relies upon our consumer power. Unlike (RED), however, it doesn’t depend upon our desire for stuff. It doesn’t make charity a residual effect to shopping. Rather, it comes first. Yes, you get your own pair of shoes, but more as a Thank You and not as an incentive.

I like this model because it shows a decent relationship between Jesus’ call to care and the room God makes for marketing in the created order. I don’t know how well Blake Mycoskie knows Jesus, but we can appreciate the way he’s found a marketing shoe that fits. And we can applaud his social media marketing agency for doing such a good job with the concept.

As your awareness grows, pick a cause (or causes) to stand on. Just don&

The Problem with Obedience (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Here’s a quote from Howard E. Butt, Jr. It’s from a staff workshop in 1998:

To practice servant leadership as modeled by the Holy Trinity—God the Father is the leader, God the Son is the servant—that's where the whole idea of servant leadership comes from. To practice servant leadership as modeled by the Holy Trinity to renew ourselves, our families, our institutions, and society—now, that's our vision.

This is a reminder that Jesus lived out what Paul wrote to the Philippians.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Jesus struggled with this type of obedience the same as we struggle with it. Being a humble, totally obedient servant is not easy. In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." Not just once. He makes the same request a few verses later: "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done" (Matt. 26:39, 42).

It’s comforting to know that God understands how difficult obedience is for us. Simple obedience, like following rules, can be difficult enough for us. But obedience that requires a blow to the ego or even suppression of the ego can be really hard. So when Jesus accepted the role of obedient servant in his prayer at Gethsemane, he understood the cost of that obedience. He knew he would face public humiliation, ridicule, and rejection. He knew his friends would abandon him. Obviously, it was painful.

The problem with obedience is that it’s hard. However, there is an up side. Obedience is what makes working together successful. If there is consistent or constant challenge to any idea anyone puts forward and no one is willing to follow or abide by the rules, then failure is certain. Someone has to follow in order to have successful leadership. Being a follower is difficult for most of us. We like to lead, or at least have others listen to us.

Another side to the problem of obedience is the fitness of the leader. A controlling, power-hungry leader who cannot share leadership is doomed to failure. The same is true of a leader who can’t step back and be obedient when appropriate.

There’s a sense of mutuality to obedience. A give and take between leader and servant is evident in healthy leadership and healthy service that encompasses obedience. Genuine care for the greater good or overall goal of the group is a mark of that healthiness. So Jesus trusted the Father. Regardless of the personal anguish Jesus anticipated, he knew that his goals and the Father’s goal were one.

Good Knight Now? (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

I was thinking about my earlier post, “Work Is Noble,” and the image of knights, squires, and pages has been flashing through my mind. Using that imagery of classic nobility helps me to see my role clearer. But it also helps me keep a healthy perspective on the role of manual labor and the idea of craftsmanship.

My brother was like a squire to our father. He assisted our father in mechanical functions. I was like a page, assisting in the most menial tasks such as handing over the appropriate tool. I never got close to the real action, not even in training. Those tasks were for the knight and his squire.

Aspiring to be a squire never interested me. Most of what I learned about all things mechanical came from junior high shop classes. There I learned enough to get by but never enough to make me in any way proficient. It became obvious that I should look elsewhere for my unique skills.

There were, however, two times where I developed enough mechanical proficiency to experience joy in the work.

First, I experienced the joy of manual labor while working on a KS-125 motorcycle that I modified enough to be a passable motocross bike. I spent hours working on the bike and learning the intricacies of the two-stroke engine. It was never enough to allow me the knighthood of being considered a mechanic, but perhaps enough to reach the level of squire.

My money and interest ran out about the same time, but I soon learned of another craft that captured my interest.

Second, I experienced the joy of craftsmanship while working on a pair of cross country skies. I enjoyed cross country skiing immensely. It was a great workout, and it got me out into the woods in the winter. I even had my own pair of classic wood skis which I learned to tar and wax for maximum performance.

In the basement of my parent’s home, I spent hours with a propane torch heating pine tar and spreading it across the bottom of the skis to seal them from moisture. Then I would apply the base coat of wax, for the glide. This provided a smooth surface for the skis to glide over the snow. Finally, I applied kick wax, a specific wax to grip the snow and meet the weather conditions for that day.

Alas, this craftsmanship was also short-lived as I soon moved to Texas. I left the skis behind and poured my energies into teaching and coaching. But the sense of physical labor and craftsmanship were an important part of how I defined myself.

Gradually, my identity shifted over time, and it was a frustrating process. I began to understand that the philosophical and theological questions of life were what motivated me and where my gifts were best suited. This was not an easy transition for a couple of reasons. Philosophy and theology tend to emphasize ideas and not products. Such intellectual pursuits conflicted with my understanding of what constitutes meaningful work.

I thought craftsmanship and physical labor were noble work. Philosophy and theology, however, were just glorified ways to describe daydreaming. This conflict took years or decades to resolve. The resolution has played out as a battle to remain faithful to what Christ was teaching me about who I was meant to be as opposed to what the world taught me about what I was supposed to be.

The first steps were the physical relocation that I described in “What You Might Become.” This latter phase of transformation has been more difficult and taken more time. I liken it to the Exodus and the uncertainty of wandering in the desert for forty years. There are times when it’s easy to become distracted and choose another direction. It’s harder to battle through the uncertainty on faith alone.

God Works Through Human Resources (Wisdom from Howard E. Butt, Jr.)

Howard Butt, Jr. — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The basic need of any enterprise is human resources. Similarly, the first essential for any program or ministry is human resources. As G. Campbell Morgan put it, "God's method is a man." God's message was a man, Jesus Christ, God in flesh and blood.

The incarnation is the unique genius of the Christian revelation. But the principle of incarnation was not abandoned when the earthly ministry of our Lord was concluded. It is the eternal task of the church to reproduce the incarnation, to clothe the spirit of the living God in human flesh. The Holy Spirit must live in the human clay of the Christian's experience and life.

God works through human resources.

God's Plan for Work (Bible Reflection)

Vera Jackson — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Everyone might like the idea of taking a permanent vacation, but in reality work has been part of God's plan for mankind from the beginning.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden." (Gen. 2:15–16)

This interaction between God and the first man took place before sin entered the earth. The Lord has always intended for us to work and eat the fruit of our labors. Idleness has never been part of his will. In fact, "having nothing to do" is part of the fall of man. We know that Jesus came to save us from sin and bring us into the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 20, he tells a parable that illustrates his call for us:

He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, "You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right." So they went. (verses 2–5)

God is calling us to labor in His vineyard. He wants to rescue us from idleness by calling us to work, and he has enough going on to keep all of us busy. Not only that, he has promised to reward us for our labor. It just does not get better than that!

It is easy to imagine that we are laboring in God's vineyard when we volunteer for our church or do other ministry work. Yet God intends that the marketplace jobs we do every day be set apart for his glory just as much as if we were pastoring a church or traveling as an evangelist. God wants us to see all the work we do as a holy calling. Paul said it this way: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Col. 3:23).

Work is a blessing. We all understand this when we are out of a job and need to find employment to keep the bills paid. Yet God's purpose for our work goes so far beyond meeting our financial needs. Each job or "assignment" we receive from Him is part of His divine plan to expand His Kingdom. Unfortunately, there are still people—and some believers are among them—who stand idle in the marketplace just like the men in the parable. Some are lazy, but others simply do not understand why they are there. They do not know God's plan for work.

God wants to make sure we are fulfilling the roles he prepared for us before we were born. The Bible teaches us that God judges us based on our stewardship of what he entrusts to us in this life. When it comes to our professional lives, we know he is interested in how we spend the money we earn and how we treat the people we meet. Do we also realize that he is just as interested in the quality of the work we do?

Passport to the Lost

Think about the lives of missionaries. They leave the comfort of their homeland to take the Gospel to people who would never have the chance to hear it otherwise. Missionaries know when they enter a new land that they may be the only representatives of Jesus Christ that the people ever see. They conduct themselves in a way that is above reproach to avoid hurting their Lord's reputation. In short, they live their lives on the mission field exactly the way we should live our lives when we go into the marketplace.

The most obvious meaning of the word missionary is "someone on a mission." That is who we are! First and foremost, our work in the marketplace is a passport that affords us entrance into the lives of lost people we would never otherwise meet. They may be struggling in their families, suffering from past hurts, or simply searching for purpose and meaning in life. They are people made in the image of God, people whom he loves dearly.

Think of it—you may be the only real Christian that the people on your job ever get to see. With every breath you take and every step you make, he is calling you to fulfill the Great Commission. Certainly our Sovereign God does not need our help, yet in his mercy he has chosen to use you and me. When we cooperate with God's plan for us to live out our faith on the job, our lives become enormously full, joyous, and purposeful.

God is calling us to take the Gospel to those we supervise, to our coworkers, and even to our superiors. That is what it means to be salt and light in the marketplace! Just as God sends missionaries overseas to bring the Gospel to other cultures, he sends each one of us to our unique professional subculture to carry his Good News. When men and women see us as loving and compassionate people who set a standard for excellence in all we do, they will be drawn to the God we serve.

In order for us to accomplish our mission, however, we must understand the importance of the positions we hold and the professional roles we play. We must understand that God will give us the wisdom and strength to please our earthly bosses and our heavenly Boss! We do not need to compromise one for the other. When we are focused on faithfully representing Jesus in our character, conduct, and work ethic, we cannot help but perform on the job with excellence.

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Used by permission. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Excerpted from:
Taking Jesus to Work: Living Out Your Faith on the Job by Vera R. Jackson
Copyright © 2008; ISBN 9780800794613
Published by Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group

Hutu Murderer (Audio)

Howard E. Butt, Jr. — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:00:00 GMT

World Vision tells a story about Deborah. Years after the genocide in Rwanda, Deborah could not get over her son's death—so she daily asked God for help. One morning a young man came to her door. He said, "I killed your son. Take me to the authorities. I cannot sleep. I see you praying, and I know it's for me."

Deborah saw before her a hurting young man—a pawn of Hutu extremists. She opened her arms to offer forgiveness and a place in her own family.

This is Howard Butt, Jr., of Laity Lodge. The Bible refers to God as "Him who has destroyed the dividing wall of hostility." Deborah knew Him. We know Him, too . . . in the high calling of our daily work.

Topical Bible Study (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Tue, 26 May 2009 06:00:00 GMT

If you're interested in taking your faith seriously in all areas of life, then Mark Roberts' Daily Reflections are for you. I find them extremely helpful. Mark's topical Bible studies illustrate the high calling of our daily work.

The current series is from the book of Exodus. Mark gives us a glimpse of Moses that we often don't reflect on. We see a less-than-confident Moses who struggles with self-doubt. This is hardly the image of an Egyptian Prince. Instead, we see a struggling Moses who is reluctant to follow God's call. It's someone we might relate to in our everyday lives.

Mark does an excellent job helping us to connect with the human side of Scripture. He delivers a transformative message. These reflections are a big part of my day. I encourage you to take a look and subscribe to the daily email or use the RSS feed to have them delivered directly to your reader.

Secret or Mystery? (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Sun, 24 May 2009 06:00:00 GMT

I'm a bit of a loquacious fellow. I come by it honestly. My mother tended to go on. Just about everything was fair game . . . just about. There were some subjects my mother said nothing about. These were her secrets.

My favorite secret was when she got her first, and only, credit card. I was a teenager, and she told me not to tell my father. That was okay by me. It's not like my dad and I spent time talking about family finances. Here's the funny thing. When my mother died, Dad came to me and said, "We can't forget to take care of that credit card your mother had."

I was at once stunned and amused. He knew about the secret credit card, and he knew that I knew. But he never let her know that he knew. He gave my mother plenty of space. She had her secrets. She always did, and he let her have them without judgment.

This was a mystery to me. Why was so much of her life based on secrets that most of the time were known to everybody else in the family? It was like she was trying to hide a piece of herself. Maybe that was the heart of the mystery.

When Jesus encounters the woman at the well, the conversation progresses along relational lines according to what the woman was able to hear and comprehend. She came to the well with her secrets. He shared with her the mystery of eternal life.

Our secrets can be damaging. They damage our relationships with others but mostly they damage our spirits. Secrets foster distrust. We can sense when someone is not being fully open to us. Secrets can make a person appear phony. There are many negative attributes that secrets can manifest in a person's behavior.

Mystery is not dependent on secrets. That's the age-old battle of Christianity. Gnosticism and its various forms throughout the centuries have sold secrets or secret knowledge. Mystery points to something beyond the obvious, but it does not depend on secrets. Devotion, knowledge, and faith may be necessary in approaching mystery, but secrets aren't.

Secrets keep us from open and honest relationships. Mystery leads to deeper truths. Secrets keep us from knowing ourselves more deeply. We understand more about ourselves when we embrace mystery.

Interview with Nancy Kehoe - Distinguished Clinician and Nun (Interview)

Becky Garrison — Sun, 03 May 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Dr. Nancy Kehoe is a nun (Religious of the Sacred Heart) and distinguished clinician and licensed psychologist. She is an Instructor in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the Cambridge Health Alliance affiliated with Harvard Medical School. In her forthcoming book Wrestling with Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness, Kehoe talks about her pioneering work in leading patient groups in the discussion of their religious beliefs and its role in their treatment.

What concerns were raised when you first proposed doing this group?

The staff thought the clients would become more delusional around religion; they feared that the religious clients would feel free to proselytize, that discussing religion in the community would be divisive; the staff feared the clients would ask them about their beliefs.

What prompted you to write Wrestling with Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness?

After the death of one of my clients, I learned that she had willed me her plastic crate of journals with the hope that I would do something with them. As I read through all her journal entries, I saw that she was on a quest to distinguish between where God was as she suffered with her mental illness and what were the symptoms of her illness. I knew then that it was important to tell her story both to give hope to those who anguished with similar questions and to teach professionals who often ignore the religious aspect of a client's life.

How does your faith affect the way you work with the mentally ill?

My grandfather was hospitalized twice for depression and my grandmother absolutely believed that the Sacred Heart of Jesus would not let her down and that my grandfather would return to his family. This family story always told me that faith and mental illness were not mutually exclusive. It was my belief that those who suffer with mental illness might also have religious backgrounds that could either be helpful to them as they struggled with their illness or that some beliefs might be problematic. That faith conviction prompted me to begin the groups. Often times in leading the groups, when I feel at a loss as to what direction I should take with a person or when I am overwhelmed by the suffering in their lives, I pray. I count on my faith for guidance.

How has working with this population informed your faith?

Working with the men and women in the day treatment program has challenged my faith and made me question what it is that I truly do believe. I search for God in the midst of the darkness and pain I see, and I've come to a new sense of mystery. I believe more strongly than ever that God is present in the community and that I see God's Presence, God's Spirit in the courage, the resilience, and the compassion of the clients.

What did your clients teach you about how they used the arts as a form of self-expression?

They taught me about how arts express their spirit. If we believe that we are made in God's image and likeness, creativity is in the deepest part of a human being. In our spirits, in the core of each one of us, God is found. That is where I see the clients expressing themselves through their art.

How did their stories unleash your own creativity?

Because I was so deeply moved by their stories, I determined to write this book. In doing so, my own creativity was unleashed in ways I never would have imagined.

In the book, you talk about Buddy and Beverly who died from cancer. How did their deaths inform your work and your faith?

It was not the deaths of Buddy and Beverly that informed my work and my faith but rather their lives. The “estate” that Beverly willed me and the discoveries I made about her life as I read through her journals made me aware of the journey she was on to discover where God was in the midst of her pain. I could only marvel at her courageous and often lonely journey, a journey I wanted to reveal to others as a sign of hope. Buddy informed my work and my faith by his persistent questions, his unwillingness to accept any response from me that didn't make sense to him. Consequently, he made me reexamine all my beliefs and how I expressed them. With both of them, I grew in my sense of how God does act in our lives, whether we name God or not in the process.

You have said that God told you to become a nun. How is what you experienced and what many Christians experience in their relationship to God different from those who experience auditory hallucinations?

Beth and Taylor, two of the women I write about in the book, can answer that better from their own experience than I can from mine as I have not suffered with auditory hallucinations. However, we want to name or experience the voice—the sense of the Other, the effect is one of peace, a sense of wholeness, Shalom as the Hebrews mean it.

That does not mean that the Voice or the experience may not have its painful, difficult, or challenging aspects, but it is not destructive. Auditory hallucinations on the other hand are experienced as disruptive, chaotic, negative, demanding, and harsh. These voices sometimes lead to self-destructive behavior.

How can we discern whether a spirit is good or destructive?

What does the spirit invite us to do? What sense accompanies the prompting of the spirit? Does the prompting lead to peace, joy, patience, long-suffering, kindness—all fruits of the good Spirit—or does the prompting lead us to a sense of disease, a turning in on the self instead of turning outward to the community, to openness toward others or toward secrecy, to acting in the dark? Are we willing to submit our sense of the spirit to another? The basic way we discern is to consider the direction of the spirit—toward life or toward death.

What did working with your clients teach you about how to love your neighbor as yourself?

They have taught me that it is critical for me to take care of myself, to love myself, to nurture myself, to stay grounded in my

Chemistry (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Chemistry is popular in sports today. I’m not talking about the kind you mix in a lab. I'm not even talking about recreational drugs. Today, chemistry is the buzzword for keeping team unity at a peak level. It’s the intangible elements that bring people together to accomplish more as a unit than they could as individuals. Chemistry is credited with uniting teams (good chemistry) or dividing teams (bad chemistry).

Sports analysts talk about team chemistry all the time. They'll speculate on what a trade will do to the chemistry in a locker room. Some players can unite a locker room thereby improving the overall team chemistry. Other players are seen as divisive, and they bring bad chemistry to a locker room. Coaches try to “build” team chemistry through shared meals and group activities.

There are other places where chemistry is important. When doing a Google search for “chemistry,” the second site listed after Wikipedia is an online-dating site. By implication, it means applying a little science to the art of finding love, or at least compatibility. Chemistry is the descriptive term used to describe how people get along with each other. Gossip columnists talk about chemistry when writing about celebrity couples.

Even in the workplace, chemistry is a growing concern. I was at a recent conference where a CEO discussed the importance of chemistry in hiring new employees. Meg A. Bond has written a book titled Workplace Chemistry. It’s about fostering healthy relationships in the workplace.

Chemistry has replaced esprit de corps for describing common devotion among group members. Morale is another term that’s lost its luster to chemistry. Of course, coming together and combining the ingredients of personalities is always an intangible, an abstraction, something physically unidentifiable. Now we can identify it: chemistry.

There is a related biblical term: spirit. Like chemistry, it can feel like an abstraction or an intangible. But our understanding of spirit is important. The Bible says there are many spirits but only one Spirit. We are encouraged to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” When Christians start talking like this, we often separate ourselves from others because our language is shocking to them. I've heard non-Christians say we sound like psychotics who hear voices. The uninitiated don’t understand discernment the same way that Christians do.

But as John points out, we are supposed to test the spirits. Not every spirit is sent by God and not every inkling is a message from God. It’s important to develop a strategy for discerning among spirits. It’s just as important to find a language to bring people closer to Christ and not drive them away. That’s what Paul did even as disciples in Jerusalem were opposed to his methods. He reached out to the Gentiles in a manner that they could understand and embrace.

The Answer in Economic Famine—Serve First (Bible Reflection)

Marlo Schalesky — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The economy. It's on everyone's mind. Will I get laid off? Will I be able to find a new job? Will my business go bankrupt? Will I be able to pay my bills? How can I make the money stretch? Those are just a few questions facing business people today.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, real GDP decreased at an annual rate of 3.8 percent, according to this report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce. Since December 2007, employment has gone down by 3.6 million, with approximately half of those jobs lost in the three months of November 2008-January 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the unemployment rate spiked to 7.6 percent in January 2009. And in the midst of these economic downturns, a November survey by the Barna Group shows that giving to churches and other charities has sharply decreased.

But is that how the Bible tells us to respond to economic hard times? Is it okay to pull in, look out for number one, take care of ourselves before we take care of others?

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:31, 33, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' . . . But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

But what does that look like in real life? How does it apply in an economic famine? Perhaps the story of Elijah and the widow from 1 Kings 17:7-24 can shed some valuable light.

Elijah tells King Ahab that there will be no dew or rain for the next few years, except by Elijah's word. The lack of rain causes a drought, which causes a famine. Economic hard times, indeed.

When Elijah's brook dries up, God sends him to Zarephath, a town on the Mediterranean, outside of Israelite territory. There, he meets a widow, the poorest of all society, and asks her for water and bread.

She responds, "I don't have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die" (v. 12). She has nothing saved up, so how can she be expected to give to Elijah? Surely God would want her to take care of her child first.

Yet, Elijah says to her, "Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son" (v. 13). He asks her to serve first, before she takes care of herself and her son. He asks her to believe that God's word is true not only in good times, but especially in bad ones.

Despite her economic circumstances, despite the fact that she's a Gentile and he's a Jew, the widow chooses to serve. The Bible tells us, "She went away and did as Elijah had told her" (v. 15). She chooses to not worry about tomorrow. Instead, she obeys before she sees God's provision. Only after she obeys do we discover that, "there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family" (v. 15).

Like the widow, God also asks us to serve first, even in economic hard times. So, what might this look like for us?

First, like the widow and Elijah, instead of pulling back, we can seek to invest more deeply in relationships. In our personal lives, we can invite more people over to share meals, share times of entertainment, and give our time more freely to help others in our areas of expertise. Can you help solve someone's computer problems? Can you help clean their house? Can you advise them with financial issues? How can you use your particular skills to serve others?

Businesses can seek to serve customers more, rather than less, during these times. We can offer extra services at reduced prices. Employees can choose to take pay cuts in order to avoid layoffs.

In tough economic times, God calls us not to draw back into ourselves, but to give more, care more, and invest more in relationships with those around us. He calls us not to worry about tomorrow, but instead to love our neighbors as ourselves, personally as well as in our business relationships.

Be Renewed, Be Transformed (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:00:00 GMT

SPIRIT —Story , Prayer , Intentionality , Reflection , Internalization , and Transformation.

When we go through the process of spiritual renewal and internalize our story, we move into the stage of transformation. This process may not be as dramatic as a caterpillar transforming to a butterfly, but then we don’t need to spend months wrapped in a cocoon.

Sometimes spiritual transformation is not outwardly obvious at all. But internally, emotionally, and spiritually, it is significant. Stacy Jackson, in “The Work Begins” writes:

Calvin Jen commented on the importance of hard work, his use of God-given abilities, and his commitment to others. However, he spent most of his time describing the ongoing work of his calling. He described how his faith required he transform his approach to business development, design, pricing, customer relationships, and the role of stewardship in creating space for others.
His descriptions became as complex and difficult as the entirety of his work. His high calling was not just a superficial attitude adjustment. He made very specific changes in his assumptions, motives, and practice as a business owner and architect.
His work in architecture and construction is different. Not only does he accept that his work is a calling, he approaches specific tasks with a different strategy. And sometimes it isn't enough to just change his strategy. Sometimes he must change the tasks that make up his work.

Calvin is quick to share where he has fallen short and how far he still must go to realize his high calling. Like all of us, his transformation is a continuing process. Transformation is a conversion. It is the deeper union with Christ. Each time we experience spiritual renewal, we are transformed. It is synonymous with the process of regeneration, the moral righting of our proverbial ship.

Think about it this way. At sea, it is very dangerous when a ship lists, or tilts. Ships sink when they list too far. When we move away from our moral center, we too can list. We too can sink.

We can read stories about transformation in the Bible. In John 3:1–8, Jesus asks Nicodemus to be born again and be transformed by water and the Spirit. Later, in that same chapter John the Baptist baptizes with water and testifies that the Spirit of God is with the Son. In Chapter 4, we see the transformation of the Samaritan woman. We know from the setting of her story that she was probably not respected in her community. But her transformation is so great that when she tells her story in the village, they believe her. Not only do they believe her, but they come meet Jesus for themselves.

In the final post of this series, we will put all the elements together to illustrate SPIRIT as a continuous process.

Internalize God’s Will for Your Life (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 06:00:00 GMT

SPIRIT —Story , Prayer , Intentionality , Reflection , Internalization, and Transformation.

When a business organization incorporates, it tries to develop a business structure that reflects its purpose. The process of personal internalization is a little bit like that. Instead of finding a structure that shows our relationship to other people, though, internalization is when I think about how the different stories of my life relate to each other. I begin to organize my stories into a larger narrative.

This should be a deeply personal process. I say “deeply personal” and not just merely “personal” because I want to emphasize the degree of intimacy. We need to feel the power of our new insights within our very being. It’s how our stories can affect our lives. We internalize the things that matter to us deeply.

That’s why topics like religion, politics, race, nationality, etc. all get us to respond so viscerally. When our deeply held convictions are attacked, we respond with fervor. The key here is to be intentional about our deeply held convictions. We don’t want to go through life on autopilot, reacting and responding to the world around us based on the assumptions we learned during our childhood. Instead, as Peter advised, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Pet. 3:15).

The process of internalization has a negative side also. We call it sin. And sin can affect how we live our lives as we separate ourselves from the love of God. Sandra Herron’s reflection “Scan Your Heart for Spiritual Viruses” examines the results of sin internalized. Her reflection asks the questions about what damage King David’s sin had on his relationships.

One has to wonder whether David's elaborate cover-up plan took a toll on his professional relationships. Did he treat his colleagues with the same dignity after killing one of their own to cover his indiscretion? Could they sense an underlying fear as he struggled with trusting others? Did the unity of his team suffer as he became more distant and built walls to hide his sin?

We internalize what we’ve learned by applying our story to God's story. We connect our mundane hopes and dreams and goals with our eternal hope. We look at what Scripture says and what culture says. We discern which hopes are rooted in God’s will and which hopes are based on the assumptions and values of our culture.

As we pray about our story, we begin the process of deep connection. God does respond to us. Learning to discern his response deepens our relationship with God. It is an intimate conversation. When we listen to God intently through prayer and reflection, we can’t help but internalize what he says. When we internalize God’s will for our lives, he will transform us.

In the next post, we’ll talk about the final part of the SPIRIT process: transformation.

Reflection Helps us Discern God’s Will (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:00:00 GMT

SPIRIT —Story , Prayer , Intentionality , Reflection, Internalization, and Transformation

When we become intentional in our reflection, we examine our stories, analyze the outcome, and remember the context—a Christ-centered context. We do what Jesus showed us how to do.

For example, read Matthew 6. Here Jesus places everything he is doing in the context of the Father. A shorter example is Matthew 11:25-30. When we select a story and pray about it, we’re intentionally connecting that story with God’s story.

A key component for this process is discernment. We might call discernment the outcome of prayerful reflection. Discernment is the combination of insight and judgment. It is a precursor, if not a prerequisite, to wisdom.

When we speak of God communicating with us, we are referring to our own discernment of God’s will through intuition and faith, tested against Scripture. Good judgment is an important part of discernment. Judgment is something we turn on ourselves, though. It is keen awareness and wisdom as opposed to oppressive determination.

Again, we should think about how we tell our stories. What emotions do we evoke? What details do we emphasize? Asking questions like these helps us analyze what our intuitions often already seem to know. We think things through so our subconscious fears and desires can become more conscious. This is the process of discernment. If we are intentional about connecting this process to God, then discernment and reflection can strengthen our relationship with him.

There’s a simple way to say all this. Just think about it. That’s it. Find a story that is important to you, pray about it, and purposely think about it. Reflection is an important discipline for spiritual renewal and transformation. Next, we’ll take what we’ve learned through reflection and internalize it.

Intentional Prayer Directs Our Purpose (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:00:00 GMT

SPIRIT—Story, Prayer, Intentionality, Reflection, Internalization, and Transformation.

Intentional prayer refers to our aim. Intentionality brings meaning to our story, so we can understand it as a symbol for something more.

Our stories aren’t merely a collection of random happenings. For each of us there is context, there is purpose, and there is meaning connected to our story. We each need to “listen in” on our own stories. Then, we intentionally move to connect those stories to God by turning to Scripture.

For example, Jesus shows this type of intentionality in his prayer from John 17. In the first five verses, Jesus connects his life with the Father. His purpose is to glorify the Father. Next in verses 6–19, Jesus tells the story of his relationship with a particular group of people—and connects that story to God as well. He prays for them to be dedicated to the Father just as he is dedicated to the Father. Jesus concludes (v. 20–26) with his hope for all believers, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you” (v. 21).

We should pray about the stories that have meaning in our life. And we should be intentional in our prayer, dedicating these stories to our relationship with God.

In the next post, we’ll talk about moving from intentional prayer to intentional reflection.

Prayer Reveals God’s Presence (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:00:00 GMT

SPIRIT —Story , Prayer, Intentionality, Reflection, Internalization, and Transformation.

The next step toward spiritual renewal is prayer. We direct our communication with God around our story, from yesterday’s post. We talk to God and allow ourselves to be in his presence as we take everything and lay it before him. As we become more and more attentive to God, we learn to discern his presence in our lives.

How do we internalize a transformative faith? That’s the question on my mind these days. So here’s how I’ve broken it down. As adults, most of us know our left from our right; without thinking about it. Somebody says turn right we make the turn without pause. It’s a learned response that we’ve internalized so we no longer have to think about it.

When we were young, we had to think about it whenever somebody gave us a left or right command. “Raise your right hand.” It’s a simple command, but the first-grader may have to think about it for a moment before responding. Pretty soon, the response is almost automatic. Internalizing knowledge like this requires repetition, and lots of it. Simple games help children learn it.

Internalization of our faith takes repetition too. We listen to the stories of our faith from Scripture, and we share our personal stories of faith. From Adam through Jesus, through my own personal mentors, these stories of faith anchor me and give me hope. They show me how to live individually and in community. Sharing our stories with one another helps us to see our faith in action in the community around us.

Reflection is a key to this process of internalization. We reflect on the meaning and see how these stories fit into our own lives. We examine and reflect on the events of the stories, the emotions we feel and understand from within the stories, and we look to the outcomes of these stories and what they tell us about our own lives. Reflection helps shape our faith, both personal and communal.

Through the repetition of stories and our reflection on those stories, we begin to internalize our faith. A shared understanding of faith emerges and becomes part of our being. This internalization transforms us as we move closer to becoming the people Christ wants us to be

Theory Versus Experience (Audio)

Howard E. Butt, Jr. — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 06:00:00 GMT

In 1974, Dr. John Coleman was president of Haverford College. He had written several books on labor relations. That year, for his six-month sabbatical, instead of hitting the speakers’ circuit, Dr. Coleman took an unusual path: He spent two months digging ditches . . . two months in a kitchen . . . and two months as a lumberjack.

He said he learned more about labor relations from ditches, pans, and lumber camps than from all the books he’d read or written.

This is Howard Butt, Jr., of Laity Lodge. John Coleman’s eye-opener reminds me—the higher we rise in any field, the more we must spend time at ground level: with employees and customers. Theories pale in the light of hands-on knowledge . . . in the high calling of our daily work.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matt. 11:29)

Your Boss Is Counting on You (Bible Reflection)

James Bohn — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Don't ask "What would Jesus do?" That's a bad question.

It leads to theological abstraction, endless debate and little or no action. The real question is "What did Jesus do?" In the gospels we have a record of Christ's completely human life lived out before his Father. We know what Jesus did. It's an excellent place to discover what Jesus had to say about work.

"My food," says Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me, and to finish his work" (John 4:34).

When he said this, Jesus had just finished speaking with the woman at the well in John 4. His disciples urged him to eat something. The disciples were big men with big appetites. Their food was probably some nice Mediterranean Olives with a few grilled fish and some bread.

Jesus says, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me." Doing his Father's work was more important than eating his daily bread. Jesus says something similar when he is tempted in the desert, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God."

In other words, Jesus does not approach his work as a grumpy malcontent.

In the eternal decrees of God, the intent of the Father was that the Son should be incarnate and redeem his people through perfect obedience. Jesus was completely human – completely obedient – working to please someone else, working to do someone else's will, and finding pleasure in it.

Our obedience in the workplace is a dim reflection of our obedience to God. What is more difficult: finishing a project for your boss or not lying? Completing a design on time or removing pornography from your computer? Meeting budget requirements or demonstrating sacrificial love to the unlovely? In truth, the requirements and demands of God far outweigh any demand of the workplace.

Your relationship to authority in the workplace speaks volumes about your spiritual maturity. If we cannot answer to the authority relationships all around us, can we truly fool ourselves into believing we are obedient to God?
Ultimately, managers do not like to work with people who fight them every step of the way. After being in the workforce for over 35 years, I have observed even the most difficult manager show grudging respect for people who cooperate with them.
If you claim to be a Christian, you should not be a chronic, habitual pain in the neck to your boss. Short of ethical challenges, your job, until you find another one, is to work with your boss and support their plans and thinking.

The first principle of work we learn from the life of Jesus is the principle of doing what someone else has sent us to do. It is the principle of cooperation. Christians should be the most willing and cooperative workers. This does not mean we blindly comply with every request, or conduct unethical behavior. But our bosses should know they can count on us to support them and work with them.

If God were to conduct a performance review for you today, on a scale of 1-10, how well would He say you are cooperating with your boss?

Career Change (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:00:00 GMT

How do we decide? When it comes to a career change, it can be a difficult period of discernment. The danger is that it may drive us into self-centeredness. This can block our ability to discern.

The first step is to realize we are here to please God and do his will and not the other way around. Self-centered prayer can dissolve into “poor me.” What we should focus on is, “How can I best serve?” We may discover that it’s right where we are. The only thing that needs to change is our attitude.

The funny thing about attitude though, it’s easy to talk about change, but it’s more difficult to accomplish change. It’s like any skill we learn. There needs to be a plan to learn the skill and focused practice to accomplish the plan. Focused practice is the key, being aware and intentional about our actions makes for effective focus.

There’s an old coaching saying about luck. Luck is where preparedness and opportunity meet. The same can be said about career change. I’d leave out the luck but focus on preparedness while being alert to possibility. That is where discernment lives—sorting through the possibilities. What is right for our unique set of skills? Sometimes things change and new possibilities emerge.

Prayer is the heart of discernment. Listening, thanking, petitioning, and reflecting all have a place in a discerning prayer life. God opens doors. They’re not always the ones we want opened. Look at Jonah. Things didn't exactly work out the way that Jonah wanted them to, but God used him to accomplish his own purpose.

Retreat, Refresh, Renew (Ramblin' Dan)

Dan Roloff — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Back in the office again after a weeklong vacation, and I feel energized and ready for a new year ahead. It was a different kind of vacation week. There was no special agenda after spending December 20 with my wife's family celebrating Christmas. We were just at home for the week. My wife and daughters were all home from school and there were no special plans.

I used several days as a personal retreat. Reading, praying, writing, and reflecting all after beginning each day with Mark Roberts' Daily Reflection. It is such an incredible resource for inspired daily living. Thanks, Mark.

This retreat did not distract from my family life. I wasn't sequestered. My family was only nominally aware of what I was doing. There was no reason to disengage from life. Simply, there was ample opportunity to be away in the midst of daily living. Using downtimes as an opportunity to be in a quiet place to pray and reflect proved sufficient to renew my soul.

Working in a retreat ministry such as Laity Lodge makes me keenly aware of the importance of retreating. Taking time to step back and be intentional about our relationship with God is essential in our spiritual maturity. Howard Butt talks about how we retreat to advance. It takes intentionality. We intentionally step back. We pray; we reflect on our prayers. We read scripture and reflect on its meaning in our lives. We take time to rejoice in the One who made us. Created for his purpose, we give thanks.

It's not always possible to get away on retreat. Where we are is just fine to stop, look, and listen for wisdom as we proceed through life. Christ is with us. Our purpose is to live in and for him. Thanks be to God.

A Theology of Service (Personal Reflection)

Lyn Baker — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Being a waitress is a challenge. I know, I did it for years. In our culture, waiting tables is just a bit above collecting garbage, with all due respect to garbage collectors. It's honest work, but let's face it, you don't get much respect. The hours are long, it's physically demanding, people can be difficult, and tips miserly. Even with all that, the biggest challenge is the challenge to your self -esteem.

Waiting on someone is the simplest example of service, and it got me thinking about the dynamics of serving. Webster's defines "to serve" as "to be of use, to furnish or supply with something needed or desired" and service as "to be of help, use, benefit, contribution to the welfare of others." Webster's also notes that the word service comes from the Latin root servitium: the condition of a slave.

Service implies there is a lack somewhere, a need to be filled. A waitress serves because someone is hungry. In a way, all service acknowledges that we live in a broken world, permeated with "not enough"—not enough food, time, money, love, attention. The variations on this theme are endless and experienced by everyone.

We live in a world of lack, surrounded by unmet needs and the walking wounded just like us. But even the poorest among us have something to offer, whether it is a smile, a kind word, or five loaves and two small fish. The smallest act of service goes toward patching a hole in the moth-eaten universe we inhabit.

Serving others is a vote for hope. In giving service to others, we ourselves experience lack. We lose something through the giving. It is as though we swing across the abyss of our own need, trusting that the thin thread of compassion will land us safely on the other side with something to offer. We are trusting that we will have "enough" time, talent, or treasure to be of service and still have our own needs met. Most of all, serving others is a vote of confidence in the Creator of the universe, acknowledging that he will provide as we give ourselves away.

Take the simple act of serving someone at a meal. If I "wait" on you, I am risking that there won't be enough food for me. If I serve you first, I am making a statement that your needs take precedence over mine. If I take the risk of serving you, I am trusting that God will provide for me, but I have no guarantee except for his character.

In Luke 9, Jesus was surrounded by thousands of hungry people. There were only the smallest of resources available . . . five loaves and two fish.

He was grateful for what he had and lifted it to heaven with a prayer of thanks. He believed and trusted his Father in heaven for both his ability and desire to provide what was needed. And then the miracle happened. He continued to give out the food. He and his disciples served the gathering of 5,000. One translation says, “They all ate to their heart's content; and when the scraps they left were picked up, they filled twelve great baskets.”

The story of the loaves and fishes illustrates the abundance available through God when we approach him with gratitude and trust. This is how Jesus lived his life, risking, trusting, serving. Let us go and do likewise.

For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:27