Here are some things I’m thinking about this Friday morning:

• Tiger Woods isn’t playing on the PGA Tour this week because another tournament in Dubai gave him a 1.5 million dollar appearance fee. Now, he wants appearance fees wherever he goes in addition to the opportunity to win millions for actually doing something–as a condition for him playing. Shame on Tiger, and shame on the PGA for letting him do this. I have nothing against someone wanting to make money or making a ton of it. But, all the fans at Torrey Pines this morning who stood by Tiger through his stuff deserve to see the guy play. I would have loved to see Tiger stand by the fans that stood by him–for a little while at least. It’s also not just about this tournament, but the path he’s chosen going forward. Bleh.
• Next week at New Vintage Church, we start a new series on Revelation. What an amazing book! Preachers shy away from because we know it’ll take extra study, people may disagree on certain points of doctrine, and people may find it confusing–but I find all of that a rather unconvincing. Extra study is good, it’s good for the church to learn to leave space for differing views on non-core doctrine, and we need not sell people short when it comes to either attention span or intellectual ability. I’ve always found “people in the pew” much smarter than some of us preachers give them credit for. Perhaps that’s our excuse for not wanting to do the work we need to do to teach something challenging and make it fresh…I don’t know.
• On the subject of money driving things–there has to be a better way for us to do presidential campaigns. Getting to know the candidates and hearing the President make the case for another four years is important. But, billions of dollars spent and 2-years of bludgeoning for a 4-year appointment seems a bit over the top. Keep the debates, let them get to know the country by campaigning–but give everyone a set amount of money–including the President (who will need some extra parameters because of his office). It will reduce the slime factor and make them prove they can make things happen on a set budget. They can also spend more time dealing with issues and less on fundraising–since that’s what they’ll be doing as president.
• Apple made HOW MUCH last quarter? I wonder if they’d consider a donation to a church plant in Southern California?
• This week, Pepperdine provoked a furor on campus over denying recognition to a club called “Reach Out”–which claims to be a “support group” for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender students. Click here to read coverage of the story in The Graphic–the University newspaper. Mark Davis, the Dean of Students said the decision was made to honor, “the biblical conviction that sexual activity should be reserved for a husband-wife relationship.” Now, there is a media campaign to get an online petition signed by as many as possible, and a lot of self-righteous name-calling, labeling, and threats from those who supposedly stand against such things. Pepperdine made the right decision based on principles that transcend political correctness. In university circles these days, this is uncommon–and excruciating. I’ll say some more about this next week. But, Pepperdine made the right decision as a Christian University, and I’m proud of them for doing so.

What’s on your mind this Friday?

I must have said, “Amen,” 50 times during this video. I didn’t want to keep this to myself . Dallas Willard talks us through the pillars of spiritual growth–in a typically simple yet profound way.

Churches mean well when we pursue strategic ways to reach out and help the church become all God wants it to be. Nevertheless, we also sometimes grab a bushel of strategies and consume them without careful discernment. When we do so, we risk a goose chase that can take the church off-track for years.

Great churches typically share similar traits. They have a “big God.” Community is strong. Worship is vibrant and genuine. They have a clear sense of purpose and aren’t easily distracted. Churches that try to grow share a common impulse toward strategic fads. These fads can be recognized if one steps back and simply thinks of the lack of substance they share. However, I continue to hear how much these things matter from churches all over. In my experience, and that of my colleagues in healthy, growing churches…they don’t.

We begin with this one: “Older pastors can’t reach young people.”

Hogwash. Balderdash. Poppycock. Bologna.

These days, when people say “older,” they unfortunately refer to anyone over about 45. I turned 36 a couple of months ago, and have had conversations with people at New Vintage about the potential imminent demise of my ability to reach young families. I am in my mid-thirties with a 9, 7, and 1 year-old daughter. When I was 33 and Emily was 30, I was informed I was in a completely different generation than a couple that was 29 and 26 respectively, though our children were the same age. That couple needed to be in a different small group with people “their age” I was told. Give me a break.

Here’s what I’ve found…younger people often prefer an older pastor. When I say “older,” I’m referring to someone 45 and up, probably even in their fifties. The reason–they feel the person has experienced enough of life they can teach them something. The minister is their parent’s age–but isn’t their parent.

Many of the churches that reach the most young people have pastors well into their fifties. Think about these churches with HUGE numbers of college/singles attendees who effectively plug them into ministry.

• North Point Community Church – Andy Stanley (53)
• Fellowship Church – Ed Young Jr.(50)
• Harvest Christian Fellowship – Greg Laurie (59)
• North Coast Church – Larry Osborne (I don’t remember Larry’s age, but he’s late fifties)
• Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa – Chuck Smith (84) – and the churches he’s helped start are among the best at this.
• Saddleback Church – Rick Warren (57)

Now, some will say, “yes, but those are some of the most gifted pastors and incredible churches in America.”

Exactly.

A far bigger indicator of your ability to attract and involve younger people over time will be kind of church you are…not the age of the pastor.

Of course there are some things that will help. The pastor’s age can be a very small one. If the church is completely old, putting a younger minister in there can help build a critical mass of youth in the pews–and such churches really need to find a way to put some younger people in public ministry roles to convey welcome and inclusion. Also true: left to itself, the church will drift toward looking like the people on stage over time. Nevertheless, reaching younger people for Christ is far more nuanced and complicated than that. If you’re not reaching them now, it isn’t about the age of the minister. It’s far more likely he’s not effective in general, the elders don’t want to change, the church doesn’t care about reaching young people, etc.

If you really want to learn how to reach young people, PLEASE do so. We need to do all of that we possibly can. Just know is a substantial missional undertaking…not a matter of plug-and-playing a younger model in the pulpit. In fact, if you’re older, you might be even better equipped to reach them than you’ve ever dreamed. It’ll take intentionality, but it’s completely possible if your church is willing to do what it takes.

What difference do you think the minister’s age makes?

Most of us have a psychic RAM that tries to remind us of the various things we have to do. In my former life I was a memory giant. I knew what I was supposed to do at what time, what projects I was working on, and what strategies needed to be implemented. It was all more-or-less in my head. As kids entered the picture and my ministry grew in scope my ability to keep it all in my head eroded. I found myself forgetting to make certain appointments or that the kids had a softball game.

Ministry introduces many things into our lives unexpectedly and if we don’t have a system of life that can allow for that, we’ll end up doing one of two things: performing poorly when unplanned events happen or allowing those things to occupy our thoughts because we need a place-holder. This is one reason why ministers have so perfected the art of being absent even while being present.

“You can’t fool your mind.  It’s an expert on your current personal management system, and it knows whether you can be trusted to look at what you need to at the appropriate time.  It knows if you’ve decided what the next action should be. And it knows if there is a reminder of that action placed somewhere you will actually look, when you could possibly take that action. If you have not done any of that, your mind won’t let it go. It can’t. It will endlessly keep trying to remind you of what to remember. The mind is a loyal and dedicated servant, but it needs to be given the jobs it does well–not the ones that it mismanages.”

- David Allen (from Ready for Anything)

If you don’t have a trusted system for capturing ideas, tasks and wish lists, you will attempt to keep it in your head. You will either forget potentially ministry-altering ideas, act irresponsibly and forgetfully, or live in a constant state of distraction. The frosting on the cake is when you find yourself resenting new ideas or opportunities because subliminally, you don’t want to have to remember all the data that goes with it.

Get a trusted system. I use David Allen’s Getting Things Done, with Evernote and Nozbe as tools. Use whatever works for you. But, get the stuff of ministry into a place more reliable than your head. It will make you a more energetic and reliable minister.

No more mental congestion wrought by tasks, ideas, and “ought-tos.” Free up that RAM. Give yourself the time and space to devote your head to things more important than your tasks and projects. You’ll accomplish your tasks more effectively. More importantly, you’ll do life more abundantly.

What works for you? Are you a “keep it in your head” person or a “system” person? How come?

Several months ago, the leader of a preacher search committee called me regarding a friend who had applied for their pulpit position. After a series of very good questions, he began asking a lot of questions that pertained to control.

It seemed the church recently had a minister/elder blowup. The church subsequently circled the wagons and now felt the last thing they wanted/needed was more “problems.” Here was the question he asked me about my friend:

“Can we control him?”

Hmmmm…

I asked him what he meant. As we talked, it seemed what he was really asking was, “Will he ultimately submit to the elders without incident, and resign likewise if it comes to it? Is he willing to allow the elders to “call the shots,” and disagree only modestly and briefly–as to avoid conflict? All of that seemed to be embedded in the question, “Can we control him?”

My response was, “I certainly hope not. Why would you want someone you could control?” His response, “Because we’ve had enough conflict.” I then suggested that by his definition my friend was not controllable. Not because he looks for conflict, but because he is a true preacher. Preachers who are truly called speak the truth no matter what–to whomever it must be spoken. This doesn’t mean they are brash, rude, or the proverbial bull in a china shop. It just means that a completely controllable preacher isn’t really a preacher. They are a spokesperson for the elders. These aren’t mutually exclusive, but they can be.

Being a preacher that is able to articulate effectively leadership’s vision (spokesperson) is a gift. However, simply acting however one must act to avoid disagreement or conflict is not what preaching is about. And, if such a “preacher” existed, would you really want him to occupy the pulpit every Sunday? Who wants to received biblical teaching from someone who is looks to his/her superiors first rather than to God…or worse…gets the two confused?

Churches need not look for the “controllable” preacher. Churches should look for a true preacher–one who knows when it’s time to submit to the group and time to challenge the group. They recognize when God’s Word is consistent with or violated by what is going on, and are willing to risk their “job” for integrity’s sake. They tell the truth as they see it to whomever, whenever, whatever the cost may be. Furthermore, they want to serve God in churches hungry to be what God has called them to be, not avoid conflict or wield control.

What is worse than conflict? Control with no accountability–or desire to hear the prophetic voice. Leadership without access to the prophetic voice when necessary sets itself up for moral and/or strategic failure. This failure will be born of pride, a commitment to listening within the confines of it’s own echo chamber and a desire to avoid conflict no matter what.

To be fair, some preachers believe themselves to be prophets when they are simply rude, immature, or judgmental. However, one of the worst things a church could do for it’s long-term spiritual health is bring in a “controllable” preacher. We would do better to humble ourselves and hone our ability to handle conflict in a healthy manner than to aspire to the lowest common denominator of leadership.

Do you think the church described above is unusual? How can churches synthesize a desire for peace and a desire to leave room to be challenged?

Here are some things I’m thinking about this Friday morning:

• I didn’t blog as much this week, because I spent some time with my dad on a 24-hour Father/Son trip. Emily and I are blessed to have great relationships with our dads. It sounds basic, but it’s huge.
• It makes me all the more dedicated to having the best relationship with my daughters I can.
• I got the chance to read my friend Wade Hodges’ book, When to Leave: How to Know It’s Time to Move On (Before You Stay Way Too Long). This is a really important subject, and I look forward to writing up a review next week.
• I don’t know who enjoys it more: the media attacking Newt Gingrich or Newt Gingrich attacking the media. They both seem to love it in their own way.
• I love the movie, Moneyball. It’s well acted, thought-provoking, packed with leadership lessons, and has the world’s greatest sport as it’s subject If you haven’t seen it, find a way. It’s not life-changing, but it will make you think about intrinsic problems with status quo in a variety of fields.
• I don’t understand how those upset with the political activity of the religious right can at the same time advocate for greater government involvement on a wide variety of social issues. It seems to me the issue then is policy, not political engagement itself. I wish people would just admit that.
• The other day, I was self-debating who the funniest man and woman alive are. I think the funniest woman is Kristen Wiig. The funniest guys–Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell, Adam Sandler, etc., have all tried to take on serious roles. Fine. But guys, we need Michael Scott, Lloyd (from Dumb and Dumber), and Opera Man too. Don’t forget them
• Solvang is a lesser known California city, but fantastic for getaways with your wife. The little Danish preserved town is stunningly beautiful and quaint. It’s only about an 1.5 hours north of Pepperdine. It makes a great 48 hour trip before or after the Bible Lectures.
• Christoph Waltz is the best movie bad guy since Gene Hackman and John Malkovich. No one plays and icy, unpredictable violent sociopath better.
• This year’s Cliff’s Note version of an NBA season is weird. So far, I’m not feeling it as much. Then again, I came into the season with a bad attitude because of the lockout.
• I’ve noticed I’m starting to prefer reading good articles more than books. I think it’s because I can feel like I finished reading something…and there is more variety. So, I’m planning a one-week blog/article fast soon to read only books. Because, I want to see if it’s just an ADD thing, a mere preference, or if I’m being tempted toward intellectual laziness.
• I’m willing to bet IPad 3 is coming out with a price tag of over a 1K on the top model. Give me a break, Apple.
• IMHO, Android, Google, Amazon, and others (in that order) are making serious gains on Apple. Pricing matters, and product quality continues to inch toward Apple’s…things are going to get interesting. They already are on the phone front.

For those who preach, Sunday is the greatest of all days. I absolutely love Sundays. Despite my love for them, Sundays take an enormous amount of energy.

When I began preaching, I dramatically underestimated it’s physical dimension. All of my energy went into the preparation of the soul and the sermon through study and prayer. It’s hard to fault this, at one level. However, my ignoring of the physical part of my being left me feeling irritable, tired, and useless to my family for the rest of Sundays. On Mondays, I felt as though I had been up all night–I was tired, my throat was hoarse, and I was grumpy. I also began to realize that ignoring my physical being made me a poorer preacher. I had less energy, less mental clarity, and though I’m a major extrovert–less desire to be around people. Why? I was just tired.

Some experts have put the physical toll of preaching a 30-minute sermon at an 8-hour work day (physical labor). Think about that–all of that work jammed into 30 minutes. For those who preach multiple services, the toll can be enormous. I have friends that take weekly shots of vitamins, experience chronic pain from depleted adrenaline, and a host of other physical problems because of the toll preaching takes on them. Most of them are among the most disciplined people I know–which is why they are seeking ways to solve this unsustainable pace. Nevertheless, preaching just takes a lot of energy.

Pay attention to the physical side of preaching. If you are a church member, consider passing this along to your minister, and incorporating this into your life as a worshiper. What can be said of preachers can also often be said of worshipers. If you are tired or in poor health during worship, it will impact you more than you think.

Over the years, I’ve developed a process for preparing myself physically for Sundays. It’s made a huge difference in the joy factor of Sundays–and the speed of my recovery after preaching. Here it is:

Four Ways to Prepare for Sunday Physically

Be Mindful of Your Health Every Day. If you aren’t exercising, eating properly, or sleeping enough, this isn’t just impacting your preaching. It’s impacting your entire life–whether you realize it or not. If I go into Sundays in good health, the foundation is already laid. Simply eating sanely, getting enough rest and staying active will do more for your physical well-being than a thousand sit-ups. It’s basic, but VITAL to consistent preaching.

Next, Be Mindful of Saturdays. When I was in my twenties, I loved to stay up late and watch SNL. Now, I watch it on DVR, or not at all. I also make it a point to exercise on Saturdays. It helps me sleep better, and remind me that I’m preparing myself for something physical. It’s like a baseball player putting on his cleats and glove. 90% or better of Saturday mornings, I lift weights and do some cardio training. I go to bed by 10 if at all possible, and never after 11. Spare me the “I’m a night owl” nonsense. It’s a matter of science. You don’t preach as well on five hours of sleep as you do on eight. It takes too much clarity of mind and physical energy to think sleep doesn’t matter. Exercise and go to bed on time. It sounds simple, and it is. So, do it It will make a huge difference.

Earliness is Next to Godliness. I wake up by 5:30am on Sundays–and often earlier. I used to be a the church building by 6:15am. When New Vintage Church met on Sunday evenings, I morphed the routine. Now, I begin a minimum of three hours before worship begins. I eat while going over my notes. When I get to the building, I turn on spiritual music that feeds my soul and look over them again. I then walk the building, praying and picturing who might be there and what God might do that morning. If any volunteers are on site, I greet and thank them–telling them it’s going to be a great morning. Then, I go back to my prep place, turn the music back on, and do the final run through of the sermon. I only practice delivery one time formally. Maybe twice for a really important one–because I want the sermon to sound authentic, not overly canned. My goal is to be completely finished with all prep 45 minutes before the assembly starts. Why? First, so I have plenty of time to handle any unforeseen problems. Second, so I’m not a frenetic mess and don’t see people as interruptions to my preparation. They aren’t. If you see people that way, that means you aren’t prepared. Also, if you ignore your emotional being on Sunday mornings, as Jesus said, “Thou art a fool.” In the world of preaching (and ministry in general), earliness is next to godliness. This principle is minister-law at New Vintage Church, and I would encourage you to implement something like it at your church. Worry about Sunday before Sunday or long before most people show up. Then, worship the Lord and enjoy His people without worry.

Diet. As mentioned above, I start the morning by eating plenty and hydrating while I look over my notes with fresh eyes. I eat whatever I want to within reason. Gone are the days when I would drive through Jack in the Box for tacos as my breakfast. Now, I go to a sleepy little dive of a breakfast place and eat some eggs, have some juice, begin drinking lots of water, some coffee, and make sure I have plenty of B vitamins in me. Eating early makes sure any food coma has passed by the time I preach. It also allows me to look forward to the morning knowing I get to begin this way. Guys who set their alarm clocks for an hour before church starts are crazy and miss out what can be a thoroughly enjoyable part of the Sunday morning experience.

Don’t Preach 52 Sundays A Year. Please don’t. If you do, your church is probably bored with you anyways. For a church with one service, I would recommend 48 Sundays a year max–and 46-47 is even better. Drop that number 2 weeks for every additional service beyond 1. It will preserve your creativity, your voice, and your adrenal glands. Right now, some are going, “That’s what we pay him for!” or thinking your elders will never let you do it. Maybe not. But, you should try to persuade. You should also assure them someone at least 80% as good as you in the pulpit will replace you. For most of us, it isn’t hard to find someone 120% as good as us with a little effort If you preach 52 Sundays a year, without significant time off between the Sundays, you are in a sprint my friend. You will run out of gas–especially if you prepare more than one message per week, and probably if you only prepare one weekly message.

What do you do to prepare for Sundays? What good preparation habits do you recognize in your preacher?

I attended Long Beach Poly High School in Long Beach, California. The school was located on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. and Pacific Coast Highway. Ironically, our school was nearly burned to the ground during the L.A. riots of 1992. I have wondered periodically  what Dr. King would have thought of those days.

Gratefully, I received broad exposure to Dr. King over the years of my urban upbringing. I’m still a huge fan of his preaching and writings. They continue to stoke an ongoing passion for racial reconciliation.

Many civil rights activists have come and gone…but Dr. King was the best of the best of them. He didn’t protest small things or organize ugly, hateful protests. With uncommon courage and dignity, he helped lead a nation to repentance.

So, today, I wish to offer thanks for Dr. King. We miss him. Were he alive today, I’m convinced that ours would be a better, more genuinely peaceful world. Then again, his is with us through his legacy…

• Of non-violent, civil protest
• Of faith in Jesus
• Of longsuffering and love for enemy
• Of relentless stamina for fighting the battle for justice
• Of desiring the very best for all people.

Thank you,

Dr. King