The Batterson Blog - Thoughts on Life and Leadership

Corn Hole on the Mall

2009-11-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

Just got a picture from LV Hanson of Catalyst fame. Had a blast hanging on with the Brad and Chad and the entire Catalyst crew this week. Good times. NCC took the corn hole tourney 8-4, but we had home field advantage. I think the Catalyst team was distracted by the Capitol. I was impressed with their corn hole skilz.

8 Inches of Perfectionism

2009-11-20T10:44:00.003-05:00

Just for posterity sake, here is a picture of all the rough drafts of Primal. Not sure how many revisions I did, but my perfectionism is at its worst when I'm writing. I measure every word. The end result? A stack of manuscripts eight inches high.

Snapped this picture before recycling.

Kindle Edition

2009-11-20T08:29:00.000-05:00

Just found out that Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity will be released in its Kindle Edition on December 22. Still thinking about converting to Kindle myself because I'm literally out of shelves! I have books stacked on top of my shelves and on the floor. The only hesitation? I love the feel of a book in my hand.

Glorified Senses

2009-11-20T08:18:00.003-05:00

I'm looking forward to my resurrection body when I cross the spacetime continuum and enter eternity. Maybe it's because I have so many issues--asthma, two reconstructed knees, ruptured intestines. But the thing I anticipate most are glorified senses.

Thank God for our fives senses, but they are very limited. We can only hear sounds between 20 and 20,000 hertz for example. Everything else is infrasound or ultrasound. That's why we can't hear angels voices. But our glorified ear drums will be able to hear their beautiful voices. And more importantly, we'll hear the voice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Our vision is limited to approximately 10,000 colors. And we are able to see a very small light spectrum. For what it's worth, there are infrared rainbows all around us all the time. We just can't see them. But someday our glorified eyes will reveal colors we never imagined on earth. Considering the fact that God is light, what a moment that is going to be. A full revelation of His beauty and majesty.

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

I Corinthians 13:12

Unauthorized Version

2009-11-19T15:38:00.002-05:00

Looking forward to hanging out with some church planters tonight. We're hosting a church planting event for the ARC at Ebenezers.

Thinking about sharing the unauthorized version of my church planting story. I'm a failed church planter. The first church I tried to plant never got off the ground. The great irony is that I put together a 25-year plan for one of my seminary classes and I actually got an A on the project. The church plant? I got a big fat F.

I had zero experience going into the plant. I had preached some, but I had never been on a church staff. I led worship and told Lora to play the keyboard real loud. I wore huge glasses that required two hands to adjust. And our first marketing campaign? Complete waste of money. Let's spend lots of money to invite as many people as possible to church so they can see how poorly we do church and insure they'll never come back again. I'm barely exaggerating. I actually designed our first direct mail marketing piece. Thankfully, not many people responded to the invitation.

There you have it. The unauthorized version.

I think God does some things BECAUSE of us. But He does more IN SPITE of us. In the words of Psalm 127: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builder labor in vain."

Everything is Interesting

2009-11-19T08:41:00.004-05:00

I just started reading What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell. Love the way he writes. And I love his philosophy of writing. "Our instinct as humans is to assume that most things are not interesting. But if you want to be a writer, you have to fight that instinct every day."

I think that is one key to being a preacher or writer. I've tried to take this approach to life: everything is interesting. Or to translate it into a preaching philosophy: everything is an illustration. You have to be careful. Obviously, you want to live your life. And your kids are your kids, not little illustrations running around saying cute things! But great preachers and writers see an illustration in everything. Why? Because they are interested in everything. And the driving motivation is a holy curiosity.

Gladwell says: "The trick to finding ideas is to convince yourself that everyone and everything has a story to tell."

Love that.

Company of Translators

2009-11-19T05:42:00.002-05:00

We have access to hundreds of Bible translations in every size and shape imaginable. So we tend to take Scripture for granted. But I'm grateful for the translators, across the centuries, who devoted their lives to translating the sacred text into new languages. I think of the 72 Jewish elders recruited by Ptolemy II to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek. I think of the 47 scholars who translated the Textus Receptus into Elizabethan English. Some translators, such as William Tyndale, even gave their lives to give us their translations.

The sacrifices they made ought to increase our appreciation for Scripture. But my point is much loftier than that: you are among the company of translators. For better or for worse, your life is your unique translation. Just like the Septuagint or King James Version, your life translates Scripture into a language those around your can read. God doesn’t just want to speak to you through Scripture; He wants to speak through you. He wants to write His-story through your life. And Scripture is the script.

I Am so NOT a Phone Person

2009-11-18T17:29:00.003-05:00

This is a little embarrassing, but I just figured out how to listen to my office phone voice mails. Some of them were a year old. I am so NOT a phone person! If you want to get a hold of me you might want to use email instead of phone. Just sayin.

Unique Voiceprint

2009-11-17T07:43:00.003-05:00

There never has been and never will be anyone like you. But that isn't a testament to you. It's a testament to the God who created you absolutely unique.

All of creation is singing a worship chorus to God. And it's not just the meadow lark with its 300 notes or the nightingale finch with its 24 songs. According to the German physicist and pianist, Arnold Summerfield, a hydrogen atom emits 100 frequencies which makes it more complex musically than a grand piano which emits 88 frequencies.

For what its worth, Pythagoras said: "A stone is frozen music." Very interesting in light of what Jesus said: "If you remain silent the stones will cry out."

My point? All of creation is singing a unique song to the Creator. And you are part of that universal chorus. No one can worship God FOR you or LIKE you. God has given you a unique voiceprint. There are millions of people praying and worshiping God in every language all the time. But your voiceprint is unique. Like a parent who knows His child's unique cry or scream or laugh, God knows your voice. He hears your voice. The Heavenly Father loves your voice.

How to Hot Wire a Car

2009-11-16T21:31:00.003-05:00

Our stolen car saga is finally over. The police released our '97 Honda Accord today. Gotta love the ending to this story. The ignition was ripped out so the guy at the police lot taught me how to hot wire our car. It was the only way I could drive the car.

The good news is that my shirts and golf clubs were still there! So was the spare change. Kind of ironic that they used our car for a bank robbery and just left the change.

I'm back in the Junky Car Club baby!

www.ThePrimalMovement.com

2009-11-15T23:55:00.003-05:00

Just launched www.ThePrimalMovement.com. The book giveaway is over, but you can download a sample chapter of Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. Check it out.

Ritual Series

2009-11-14T16:26:00.002-05:00

We continue the ritual series this weekend. The heart of the series? Make sure sacred rituals don't become empty rituals. We've talked about sabbath, communion, tithing, baptism, and confession. We continue this weekend with worship.

Cows Serenaded With Mozart

2009-11-14T10:03:00.004-05:00

You've heard of the Mozart effect right? Studies have shown that classical music has a quantitative effect on us intellectually and emotionally. According to the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Mozart music affects the electrical impulses in the brain. 23 out of 29 patients with severe epilepsy, in one study, showed reduced epileptic activity while listening to Mozart. And numerous studies have shown a similar effect.

Musicologist, Alfred Tomatis, says music is "sonic vitamin C." According to Dr. Raymond Bahr, director of the coronary care unit at Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore: "Half an hour of music produced the same effects as ten milligrams of Valium." And in case you care, there are even monasteries in Britain that play music to the animals in their care. They claim that cows serenaded with Mozart produce more milk.

Because music is so pervasive I think we take it for granted. Especially in the iPod age. But think about all the ways we use music. They range from putting babies to sleep to going to war. Almost every special occasion involves music. And that music sets the mood. We're surrounded by music all the time. Whether we're shopping or dining or stuck in an elevator, we're being serenaded by music.

The power of music should not surprise us. And it certainly didn't originate with Mozart. Long before the Mozart Effect there was the David Effect. I Samuel 16 says that when a harpist named David played his harp, it brought emotional relief to Saul. It also had a spiritual effect. The evil spirit that was tormenting Saul would leave. That is the power of music. For good or for evil, I think music is spiritual in nature. It's not a human construct. It dates all the way back to time before time. The angels, including a fallen angel named Lucifer, worshiped God with singing before the creation of man. And according to Revelation 4, there is perpetual singing on the other side of the space-time continuum.

Here is an awesome thought: you are part of an eternal chorus that is being sung to the Creator of the Universe. And no one else can take your part. No one can sing like you or for you. Maybe that is why each of us have an absolutely unique voiceprint?

Refuel Mission

2009-11-13T17:53:00.004-05:00

Went on an air-to-air refueling mission today. Sat in the cockpit for take off. Flew all the way to the Canadian border. Then while flying 350 mph at an altitude of about 21,000 feet we fueled another aircraft that was about 40 feet from us. Got to lay down right next to the boom operator as they did the fuel transfer. The back of the plane was sort of like a boat with a glass bottom. Absolutely amazing.

Hit some turbulance on the way home and cargo planes aren't as comfortable as commercial planes. Almost tossed my salad on the landing.

Feeling pretty patriotic today!

Air-to-Air Refuel

2009-11-13T05:32:00.000-05:00

Headed to Andrews Air Force Base today. Got invited to be part of an air-to-air refuel. I've been out of the office three days this week at our staff retreat so I've got lots of "catch up" work to do. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Bon Voyage.

A Little Stocking Stuffer

2009-11-12T12:21:00.002-05:00

Just got word that In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is going to its 8th printing. To celebrate, we're doing a special discount for bulk orders. Want a case of books for Christmas gifts, leaders or sermon series?

Gonna throw in a little stocking stuffer if you order either In a Pit or Wild Goose Chase in the month of November.

Email resources@theaterchurch.com.

Parenting Seminar @ Ebenezers

2009-11-12T11:48:00.002-05:00

NCC is hosting an event called Focus on Parenting: a simulcast conference by Focus on the Family this Saturday, November 14, from 9-4 @ Ebenezers Coffeehouse. Love the lineup of speakers: Dr. Kevin Leman, Phil Vischer, Elisa Morgan and others. If you're like me, you need all the help you can get as a parent. Focus on Parenting to the rescue!

You can buy tickets @ the door. For more info, email info@theaterchurch.com.

Four Retreat Reflections

2009-11-11T08:35:00.003-05:00

Just thought I'd share a few 30,000 foot reflections from our planning retreat.

1) Who you do ministry with largely determines how much you enjoy ministry. So grateful for our team. We're not without our issues and imperfections, but there is an amazing synergy.

2) Most of our ministries get stuck at the point where we're less than honest. We aren't willing to verbalize or confront an issue because it might hurt someone's feelings. That is where a ministry will stop growing. I find a greater capacity for holy candidness when I'm on a retreat. You have to cut through the issues and get to the heart of the matter.

3) It's so easy for ministry to be reduced to a "to do list." There is so much to do that we forget what is most important. You major in minors and minor in majors. I think a retreat is a way of refocusing on what is really important.

4) I live in this tension: I'm so grateful for how far we've come and I'm so cognizant of how far we have to go. You have to strike a balance. We've had so many wins in 2009. But we have so much to do in 2010. Healthy leaders have the right mixture of gratitude and dissatisfaction.

Blogging Tips

2009-11-10T21:04:00.002-05:00

I recently shot a video for ministrydirect.com on blogging. A little bit of philosophy. A little bit of practicality. Check it out.

Here are a few tips:

1) Keep it positive
2) Find your voice--be yourself
3) Keep it short and sweet--less is more
4) Tell your wife about it before you blog it
5) Find a rhythm

I think of blogging as digital discipleship. I'm on our staff retreat right now, but I'll have several thousand meetings today. A blog is a way of leveraging your time and energy. You can share what is going on in your head and in your heart with as many people as care. Honestly, the reason I started blogging with intentionality was because NCC was growing beyond my ability to connect with everyone. It was a way I could carry on a conversation all week. My blog audience has certainly morphed. The vast majority of readers are other pastors and people who have read one of my books. So now it's a way of virtually mentoring those audiences as well.

Blog on.

Book Giveaway Update

2009-11-10T07:30:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to update the book giveaway. I've offered a free advance copy to campus pastors, discipleship pastors, and lead pastors. Long story short, I'll give away about 1000 copies of Primal: A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity.

We'll send an email your way sometime in the next week. Expecting the first print run to come off the press first week of December. So assuming we get the book from the publishing elves on time, you should have your copy well before Santa's sleigh takes off from the North Pole. Consider it your first Christmas gift of 2009.

Watchtower

2009-11-09T10:23:00.006-05:00

"I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guardpost. There I will wait to see what the Lord says." Habakkuk 2:1

Everyone needs a watchtower. You need a place to go where you can get out of your routine. It doesn’t have to be far away. It might be as close as your closet. But it needs to be someplace where you get good reception. One of my watchtowers is the observation gallery at the National Cathedral. The 360-degree panoramic view of the nation’s capital gives me fresh perspective. It also helps me dream God-sized dreams. Another one of my watchtowers is the rooftop of Ebenezers. I hear God’s voice more clearly up there.

Where do you go to get perspective? What places help you dream bigger dreams? Where do you go to hear the voice of God more clearly?

Thomas Edison sat in his thinking chair with a metal ball bearing in each palm. Henry David Thoreau skipped stones on Walden Pond. Alexander Graham Bell had a “dreaming place” in a hollow of trees overlooking the Grand River.

Planning Retreat

2009-11-08T20:47:00.000-05:00

Every year our team does two staff retreats. We do a planning retreat in the fall. And we do a play & pray retreat in the summer. The play & pray is a ton of fun. The planning retreat is a ton of work. But I love both of them.

So this week we head out on our annual planning retreat. We'll spend a couple days in the inner harbor in Baltimore. Love hanging at my favorite bookstore--the Barnes & Noble that used to be the old power plant. Love hitting a few of my favorite restaurants--Cheesecake Factory and ESPN Zone. But most of all I love dreaming with our team. They are the same people I'd want to hang out with even if we didn't work together!

Inverted Christianity

2009-11-07T08:52:00.004-05:00

Two thousand years ago Jesus extended an unbelievable invitation: "follow me." And the invitation is still on the table. But let me drill down on this a little bit. I think there are lots of people who think they have accepted the invitation. They think they are following Jesus. But the reality is that they have invited Jesus to follow them. And there is a world of difference!

For the first nineteen years of my life, if I'm being totally honest, I think it was more about Jesus following me. I didn't want to go anywhere without him. But it wasn't about me serving His purposes. It was about Him serving my purposes. I think many Christians have an inverted relationship with Christ. Call it spiritual selfishness. Our relationship with Him is all about us. And then we wonder why we're unfulfilled and bored with our faith.

Are you following Jesus? Or is Jesus following you?

Off to Dallas

2009-11-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

Headed to Dallas for the Right Now conference. I'm a huge fan of rightnow.org and bluefish.tv. Excited to hang out with the crew.

This is my last speaking trip of 2009. Looking forward to a little breather before 2010. The first half of next year is going to be crazy. Along with speaking at lots of conferences I'll hit ten cities on the Primal book tour.

Free Book 4 Lead Pastors

2009-11-05T22:15:00.001-05:00

So far 500+ campus pastors and discipleship pastors have requested a free advanced copy of Primal. Might as well keep on keeping on. The next giveaway is for lead pastors. If you'd consider going through Primal with your staff or using it for a church-wide campaign, love to give you a free copy!

Email tour@theaterchurch.com.
Email name, church name, and address.

FYI. Expecting advance copies first week of December. We'll ship them as soon as we get them.