May 31, 2010

books: reframing organizations

Why am I reading books on organizational theory and leadership? Well, the convenient answer is that they are required for a class at Fuller. But to be frank, I'm faced with leadership and organizational challenges in my work just like everyone else. Honestly, I was bit surprised at how helpful I found this one in particular. It's a whopper of a book at almost 500 pages long. But below I'd like to do my best to offer a review of this tome and how I found it beneficial to my work in Christian ministry.

Reframing Organizations amalgamates the full breadth of respected research on organization and leadership. The authors summarize good leadership as that which is able to view an organization through four distinct “frames,” use these frames to assess the condition of the organization and determine how to actuate the measures necessary for achieving its goals.

The four frames offered by Bolman and Deal are structural, human resource, political and symbolic. I found the term "frame" to be a bit problematic when trying to explain this. The frames are meant to address how we perceive the organizations we work with. And not one frame will suffice. As chapter twenty illustrates well, reflecting on an organization through all four provides a more complete perception of a particular scenario allowing an increasingly creative and thorough response. With this in mind, I will often refer to the frames as "lenses."

The structural lens (Part Two) is concerned with organization, structure, hierarchy and division of labor. The human resource lens (Part Three) is concerned with the needs of those inside, and influenced by, the organization. The political lens (Part Four) looks at negotiating and leveraging power and influence to meet the goals of the organization. The symbolic lens (Part Five) assesses opportunities to create symbolism and ritual that will cast vision and raise spirits of those within the organization.

At first glance, we either automatically pigeon-hole our organization or just write off this approach as simplistic, modernistic or just plain un-churchy. But the book does offer a balanced analysis of what it means to be a thoughtful, creative leader within any organization, even a church. Their research looks at a broad spectrum of people gathered together for a particular purpose (an organization) in different arenas. The trouble is that several of the authors' lenses imply a metaphor that will make us uncomfortable in reference to the church. For some the political lens makes us uneasy. For others, the structural or human resource lens. So, would this information be helpful to a church?

Reframing Church

The answer is, yes. The book is in great part concerned with reframing how we look at situations so that we can work together better. And what Christian community doesn't need to do that? But, I also found myself taking this question down a theological rabbit trail, potentially away from the practical side. In trying to answer this question from a theological vantage point, I began to look at a book I read a few years ago, John Driver's Images of the Church in Mission. In his preface, Driver states, "The Bible employs a rich variety of metaphors that illumine our understanding of the identity and the mission of the church." He goes on to categorize the metaphors for the Church on mission into four sections: Pilgrimage Images, New-Order Images, Peoplehood Images, and Images of Transformation. While I admit they are not a perfect fit for Bolman and Deal's "frames" the images are helpful in putting the tools these authors provide into the context of the church.

A Pilgrim People

Driver's pilgrimage set, relates to images such as "The Way," "Sojourners" and "The Poor." Here Driver looks at the Scriptural metaphors that direct how the church relates to both members and those outside of itself. Applying Bolman and Deal's human resource frame, the local church is concerned with the development of people within the congregation and those impacted by its ministry. Read alongside Driver's pilgrimage images, the church leadership might determine whether or not their members are truly sojourning–on a journey–or at a place of stagnation. The church might assess their relationship to the "stranger and alien." Do they embrace a biblical image, or have they adopted another for how to address those in their midst but not of them?

Symbols of a New Order

The symbolic frame is perceivably the easiest to find a correlation with the church. Driver's new-order images of "the Kingdom of God," "New Humanity and "New Creation" seem the most appropriate. The stories in Scripture that draw out these metaphors, give us many of our rituals and invigorate our imaginations for what is to come are what has animated Christians throughout the ages. While different theological intricacies are applied in many churches, it remains that these central symbols are what make what we do important. Bolman and Deal write that when these images are communicated in a manner that is aligned with our practices it will "... deepen faith; otherwise, they become cold, empty forms that people resent and avoid."

Politics of Transformation

Bolman and Deal's political frame is concerned with power. While Driver's new-order images may seem the obvious correlation, I believe his images of transformation provide the appropriate lens for understanding the political frame within the church. These images include "Salt," "Light," "City on a Hill," "House" and "Witnesses." It is within these images that we see how the church-as-organization negotiates with the world. As Bolman and Deal write, "The question is not whether organizations are political but what kind of politics they will encompass." The images of transformation inform the church of how it engages, influences and participates in the transformation of cultures. This might ring of colonialism for some. Let me simply ask, do images such as "salt" and "witnesses"–as understood in the early church (they all died)–call us to a particular kind of engagement?

Structuring a People

I end with the frame Bolman and Deal began with, the structural frame. Within the church, Driver's peoplehood images find correlation here. Images such as "flock," "people," "family" and "body" all allude to how the church ought to be organized. Within these metaphors we find our objectives and goals; we know Who is in charge and who is to follow and how to relate to each other. It is easy for the individual to get lost when the focus is simply on getting this frame "right." The challenge is that, as Driver points out, there are several images provided by Scripture that offer a vision for how we are organized. Not one alone works. Bolman and Deal speak about finding an "equilibrium" that, in our case would take the neighborhood, specific ministries and resources of the congregation into consideration.

When I first picked up Reframing Organizations, the size was daunting and the subject matter appeared intimidating, and possibly boring. Yet, when finished, I had a deep appreciation for the content. The four frames, paired with Driver's four image sets, provide a way to “listen” to a faith community in context, discerning what is out of place, what is needed and what you can participate in reframing things.

January 29, 2010

growing deeper by chris smith

via erb.kingdomnow.org

If you haven't heard about Chris Smith's new e-book, Growing Deeper, now you have. Chris is an incredibly thoughtful and practical writer. A rare trait. Many of us had hoped Chris would write something like this after he posted his now infamous 10 ideas list years ago. I got a chance to look at this book earlier this week and was really excited about it. It's something that I will be referring to in regards to my work at First Pres' as well as the life of Hawthorn House. Check it out! It's FREE!

- Here's an interview I did w/ Chris on my blog a while back.

- And here's a link to his other book, Water, Faith and Wood (which is great).

January 19, 2010

mlk jr thoughts

via obeygiant.com

[NOTE: I did not post this yesterday because it was my day off with my kids. And as you can see, we were too busy to come inside and post this.]

In reflecting on the roots of the kind of faith that brought us a prophet such Martin Luther King Jr., Kelly Brown Douglas reflects on slave Christianity in her book, The Black Christ. Here, she writes about the differences between the faith of slaveholder and slave:

"Slave Christianity did not focus on the relationship between Jesus and God as did slaveholding Christianity... Jesus' meaning had more to do what what Jesus did in their lives. Jesus was a living being with whom the slaves had an intimate relationship... Jesus' significance for the slaves was based upon an interpretation of Christianity that stressed the centrality of Jesus' ministry and relationship to the oppressed during his own time... The crucifixion was, however, the event that most clearly demonstrated to the slaves Jesus' solidarity with them... The resurrection also revealed that the death of the cross was not the last word–freedom was."

I think the dichotomy between slave and slaveholder faith that Douglas draws is somewhat false. I'm unconvinced that the difference was whether or not a group acknowledged Jesus as God. To say, that a man that had died two thousands years ago was resurrected from the dead and was now present with them was not God seems a bit of a stretch. Though my opinion doesn't quite matter, I tend to think the difference was something else. It was whether or not they believed in this incarnate God. Slave holders gave mental ascent to this concept but were terrified of it being reality. Slaves believed in this and knew it to be reality. And they dreamed of the result. (see Dallas Willard on the issue of belief)

David Bosch wrote in A Spirituality of the Road,

"During my previous visit to the United States, in 1965, I often saw glimpses of Martin Luther King's protest marches on television. One night, as I was watching television with a white American couple, we saw the whole group of marchers all of a sudden kneel down in the street and pray. I remember the white Americans saying to me that they thought that was artificial, something calculated to create effect. It was clear, though, that for King this was genuine and natural. The trouble with us Westerners is that usually the pious are not politically inclined and the politically inclined are not pious. ... So, deep down we remain dualists, true to our Greek spiritual ancestors. It took us many, many centuries to come to the realization that man could not be subdivided into a psyche and a soma, that many illnesses involved both the one and the other... Neither have we succeeded in overcoming this dichotomy in our theology. That is why we so easily make caricatures of one another... We are, then, in need of a new understanding of spirituality–an understanding that is both deeper and broader than most of what we have had so far."

Bosch was right, most of Western spirituality still divorces things of faith from things of the world. It seems that within our minds, the temple veil has yet to be torn, the presence of God still remains within the Holy of Holies. But there are those, such as Martin Luther King Jr., that even while under great threat and personal brokenness, took the announcement of the kingdom of God to the streets. And there (as Bosch witnessed), we saw glimpses of the Kingdom.

May we too, be people that that can taste the presence of God in Christ even in the darkest of places and pray in the streets that the Kingdom of God come.

January 10, 2010

"evangelism" under a perfect sun

My new friend, Mike sent me these ancient covers (how old are you, Mike!?) from The Wittenburg Door. It pokes fun of the term "evangelism" especially as it pertains to Southern California culture. And what this points out is how shallow and self-serving people can appear as they conduct so-called evangelism.

So, what is evangelism?

One definition says, "the preaching or promulgation of the gospel; the work of an evangelist." ... You may read that and ask, "What's promulgation?" Promulgation means, "to make known by open declaration; publish; proclaim formally or put into operation."

For many Christians, we feel quite comfortable with the St. Francis of Assissi quote: "Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary." We like this, because we like the idea of our deeds mattering as much if not more than our words. And quite often, for good reason. Christians have said terrible things under the guise of evangelism. But when I read the definition above and I can't get away from the clear "use of words" in doing evangelism.

Quite frankly, I think we should take the term back from those that have tarnished it.

This isn't to dissuade us from taking up Francis' approach. Evangelism might not have such a bad rep' if more people actually backed up their words with a lifestyle that reflected Jesus' message. But at the heart of it, I think most of us are afraid. We're afraid of talking about God in the public square. We'll talk in our church buildings and in our homes, but we have no idea how to talk about Jesus in any other environment.

But maybe the public square misses the point too. In his great book, The Great Giveaway, David Fitch believes that the home, sacred space and other "third spaces" are the appropriate places of evangelism.

"They speak to an evangelism that invites one in to see the message before one hears the message in words. They speak to an evangelism that is willing to save via subtle osmosis versus immediate rational persuasion. It is an evangelism that meets [those] who do not trust individual argument, slick presentation, or scientific proofs. They want to come, see, and be confronted by the reality of Jesus Christ. The practices of postmodern evangelism therefore must converge in the living breathing spaces of the local body of Christ."

Fitch is working on a couple assumptions (in my opinion):

That we are in Christian community and willing to invite others into that community
That we are willing to live a life directed by Scripture
That we are willing to be patient and engage in the conversation (and relationship) long-term

But I also think we have to 'fess up to something many feel: being a Christian feels awkward.

I once shared a meal with a young Christian leader at a cafe and as our plates came to us, he began to eat. I asked, "Can I pray for our meal?" He stopped and said, "Sure." And I did. After I was done, he explained to me how he thought it was more missional to not pray in public. His central reason was that it made us more approachable if we didn't engage in such odd behavior in public.

I honestly don't care if people pray before a meal or not. It is often an empty, thoughtless action. I often don't. But I still find his "reason" to be more an excuse for his sense of awkwardness than missional posture. Here's the deal, the whole missional work–or evangelistic endeavor–is done so with the conviction that you are different. In other words, the very definition assumes that, as a Christian, you participate in something that others don't... but should.

Maybe part of this awkwardness stems from a misunderstanding of what evangelism is. In another great book, Evangelism After Christendom, Bryan Stone argues that, for many, evangelism is simply about the end results–or what he calls, "external goods." And that feels just plain weird.

"Once an external good (such as quantitative growth, power, and influence of the church or the number of conversions one is able to produce) has come to be substituted for the internal good of the practice, and precisely to the extent that the church becomes skilled in achieving those external goods, the church ceases to have any good reason to practice evangelism well or virtuously."

In other words, once the idea of evangelism is divorced from a way of life and simply about outcomes, it becomes pointless. In a sense, evangelism is rightly understood only as the whole of how the Christian lives... which includes how we talk about why we're Christians.

So, how do we talk about the gospel in normative ways? What has changed in our culture and in what ways can/should our promulgation of the gospel change in light of our context?

Note that I'm not asking if we should or shouldn't. I'm assuming we should. I'm interested in how folks think this is to be done appropriately.

January 8, 2010

missional spirituality class

via wipfandstock.com

As I mentioned recently, I'm starting a class on Sunday mornings here at First Pres' titled, Missional Spirituality. I wanted to mention it here and extend the invitation to anyone that:

a) is interested in seeing where (and with whom) I'm now working
b) is interested in a dialog concerning the crossroads of spiritual formation and missional church
c) is interested in finding others to dialog with on the subject above
d) has nothing to do at 9:30am on Sunday

We will be working through David J. Bosch's book, A Spirituality of the Road. If you are familiar with Bosch, don't worry, this is nothing like his epic, Transforming Mission. The book is only 5 short chapters. I will introduce the book this week and we will spend the 5 weeks following looking at one chapter each week.

I'm looking forward to this for two reasons.

First, I see too many Christian leaders involved in activism and missional/grassroots work that burn out too quickly. I've been one of them. Increasingly, I think burn out can be avoided by having a rugged, realistic spirituality that is rooted in mission. I'd say more but I'd rather wait for the class to discuss. I will say that our efforts are too important to give up too soon. Bosch addresses this topic from experience and with wisdom.

Secondly, this book comes from a series of lectures Bosch offered. He is a Reformed theologian and these lectures were given to an audience of Anabaptist missionaries. So, as a convinced Anabaptist working with a Reformed church, it seems like a great "common ground" book.

The class will start at 9:30 a.m., here at First Pres' in room A311. Please feel free to join us if you're interested.

December 7, 2009

the teaching of the 12 - epilogue reflection

We Protestant Christians have a funny relationship with ancient texts. Our entire living and understanding of God hinges upon one ancient text, the Bible. Yet at the same time, many of us enjoy taking jabs at those who site “extra-biblical” ancient books. (Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. I heard what you said about the Apocrypha.)

Tony Jones addresses one of those unfamiliar, ancient volumes, the Didache (pronounced, di-dah-kay), in his book, The Teaching of the Twelve. The Didache is one of the earliest writings we have of Christians after Pentecost. And as Jones explains, this little book was to be, “a handbook for those new to Christianity.” But what might a book written by and for Christians in the first couple of centuries be of value to Christians today?

Christianity in the West is within the throes of major shifts–amidst the Church and surrounding culture. Within the upheaval, many Christians find themselves agitated by all the hoopla that is church. Why must we do this? Why do we need that?

Simultaneously, there are those that have stripped away all that seems unnecessary, yet find themselves asking, “What now defines us and binds us? And how do we go about our life together?”

For all those unsettled and searching, Jones’ new book brings a fresh, yet age-old perspective to the conversation. As he says, we aren’t the first to find ourselves faced with such challenges:

“Of course, we’re not the first generation to quest after a raw, primitive version of the faith. At various stages over the past two millennia, Christians have questioned the traditions of “church” and “religion” in an effort to follow Jesus more authentically. ... And all along, a manual of primitive Christianity sat hidden, right in front of us.”

In The Teaching of the Twelve, Jones provides intelligent and accessible background, commentary, interpretation and reflection on the Didache. While his book is thoughtful, it is equally practical–just as the text he writes about is.

But the reader is not left with just the opinions of another Christian academic. As Jones writes, he walks alongside a Christian community in Minnesota (Cymbrogi) that has reflected on the Didache for some time. His commentary is paired with that of this rural house church and it’s truck-driving leader, Frank. The inclusion of a contemporary community attempting to interpret and apply this ancient book only makes Jones’ take even more approachable.

I found the Didache to be a refreshingly uncluttered yet challenging reflection. And I'm a bit dissapointed that I haven't been thoroughly exposed to the Didache until now. As Jones says in the first chapter, “The Didache is the most important book you’ve never heard of. ” This may be true for many of us. Today we live with countless options and opportunities, we are never short of information. In the midst of that, following Jesus can become quite complicated. The Teaching of the Twelve encourages us to get “back to the basics.” As Jones says in his Epilogue:

“Our brothers and sisters in the faith who lived in the Didache community call us away from the marginalia that consumes us today. They call us to simple community in which righteous living is taught and expected, sharing life is a way of life, visiting preachers are welcomed but not given any power in the community, baptism and Eucharist are practiced regularly, and Jesus’ return is expected and hoped for. Just a few activities, done well, shaped the Didache community.”

I like that: just a few activities, done well. Is it that simple? It never is. But maybe this little book can help you and your community focus on the essentials in order that a life may grow out of that which can better manage the complications that come along. Pick up Tony’s book and give it a shot. And check what others are saying on the book's blog tour.

December 7, 2009

advent: second sunday reflection

Anticipating the arrival of the (un)King
This is my second in a series of Advent reflections this year. You can read the first one, along with some notes, here.

Second Sunday of Advent • Luke 3:1-6
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,

"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

For Reflection
In first century Palestine, I’m pretty sure that hearing or reading this passage would bring Rome’s highway system to mind. The Roman empire is credited for it’s roads. It’s system of highways spanned across the empire. These road systems impacted everyone. It made goods and services more easily accessible. It exposed different cultures to each other. It gave Rome’s military force quick access to it’s many territories.

Could it be that God’s liberation was coming in the form of empire?

But those hearing or reading this passage in first century Palestine would also have remembered the prayers of their ancestors as well: that God would provide a clear and quick path for those dispersed among other nations to come home.

Was God going to free Israel from occupation; establish a self-governing Israel?

Still, others may have seen John’s (referenced above) ministry–calling people to change their thinking and living, to initiation into another way of life (personal repentance and baptism). For those people, maybe they heard this passage in a much more personal way.

If I don't ‘clean up my act’ will I be excluded from God’s plan?

Jesus’ entire life would be a confrontation with empire. Even as an infant, authorities tried to hunt him down. And his closest friends grew perturbed when it became clear that Jesus wasn’t going to establish a free Israel. So, it seems unlikely that the first two questions were what John the Baptist intended. Yet, I doubt the third is wholly accurate either. Jesus frequently associated with people that neither lived the right way or believed the right things.

The passage makes clear that liberation is coming. But do we know how to look for it? Am I the type of person that is so concerned with myself that I miss the kind of crowd Jesus’ is inviting into this liberation? Or am I the type of person that gets so swept up in the agenda of 'my people' that I miss the bigger picture? Or can I be so enamored with the advances of empires (whether commercial, political or digital) that I just don’t notice that something grander might be happening?

December 3, 2009

cost-effectiveness?

Source: World Christian Encyclopedia

What does this map say to you about the church in the west?

December 1, 2009

getting rich?

I'm intrigued by the themes in Douglas Rushkoff's new book, Life Inc. Initially, what caught my attention was his use of the term "radical abundance." It's a term I've heard/read (and used) to describe the intent of Jubilee and Sabbath principles in Scripture. But there's a term used in Douglas' material that grates me a bit: getting rich. Getting rich tends to imply scarcity: you take all you can of said resource–at the expense of another–because it is a limited resource. Check. Rushkoff explains scarcity well. But by ending the video clip (above) with those who get on this cluetrain will get rich, it appeals to something that doesn't seem to place as high a value on the commons. As my friend Lee put it, "Private wealth will always move into a paradigm of scarcity." Certainly, there are those that think this an appropriate view of biblical economics (see The Atlantic's recent cover article). But I'm not one of them. In the perspective from which I read Scripture, "abundance" doesn't imply excess for the few but enough for all. This is how I put it in my recent article on theOOZE.com:

In the book of Exodus we read the story of manna falling from heaven, providing the sustenance that everyone needed to survive in the wilderness. There was one problem: no preservatives. It didn't keep. You couldn't save it for tomorrow or the next day. God provided just enough for everyone, every day. In the New Testament, when Jesus teaches his friends to pray he draws upon this story when he tells them to ask God to give them their daily bread. The concept is that God provides enough for everyone. Not enough for some to hoard, or have more than others, but enough for all of us to have what we need... not necessarily what we want, but what we need. This concept runs all the way through Scripture.

Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of what Rushkoff says. And I bend towards the kind of theologically-framed economic ideals framed by people such as Ched Myers. But I am increasingly aware of how difficult this is in our culture. How do we get there? The one common thread that I see hope within is going local. Bill McKibben speaks well to this in his book Deep Economy. Without a local community trying to develop a new kind of economy together, it's going to be virtually impossible. Yet, even with that it is difficult.

All this to say, the motives to get rich don't seem to be helpful if we care about more than ourselves. But the future isn't here yet and in the meantime some of these ideals are just plain hard to live into. It's gonna require a kind of shrewdness and wisdom to balance both survival in the existing economy while attempting to live in to the emerging one. My ideals don't like hearing that, but I fear that those of us trying to establish models that function on a different set of values often teeter on too much utopianism.

... and all of that from one closing statement.

November 29, 2009

advent: first sunday reflection

As a way of reflecting on a passage, I often re-write it in my own terms and then ask myself some questions in order to see how it connects to my own life and community. As today is the first Sunday in Advent, I decided to type it out to share with the Hawthorn House folks tonight–with some additional thoughts. Here it is for you as well. Please share your thoughts.

Anticipating the arrival of the (un)King - Introduction
For Christians, the Christmas season is meant to be more than the consumer frenzy it is for most in Western culture. In fact, traditionally the season leading up to Christmas is called “Advent” which means to wait or anticipate. And what do Christians wait for? The arrival of our (un)King, Jesus Christ. The four weeks of Advent are about preparation. While waiting for our (un)King, we consider what it means to follow such a leader, to allow our lives to be directed by such a God.

Why do I call Jesus the (un)King? Because in all but title, he is unlike any human king. As you read the story of his arrival in the Gospels, you will find a very unkingly story; his first cradle a feeding trough, poor farm hands to announce his arrival and so on. As you read the Scripture passages over the next few weeks, I challenge you to reflect on what it means to follow this (un)King and in what ways that might transform you life during Advent in preparation for the coming year.

A Note
For some, the idea of Jesus as God feels like a stretch. People have often debated whether Jesus intended to say this–or if he even did. I’d ask you to set this worry aside. One thing that is clear in the Gospels is that Jesus said, “Follow me.” And he was called “Lord,” a name reserved for Caesar (or the king). Can you follow the way of Jesus? Can you consider him your leader? If you can, do that and let the rest take care of itself.

First Sunday of Advent • Luke 21:25-36
Jesus said:

“When you see great changes in the sky and land,
When governments grow anxious over these changes
When the people make shocking claims of what is to come
When the leaders of nations seem to lose their influence
Then know that a great Liberator, of both the people and and of God, is coming
And when this happens stand up and raise your heads
Your day is coming too

Just as when the leaves of trees turn color at the change of seasons, take these signs as a changing of seasons as well. Know that the dreams of God are coming near you; are closer to becoming reality. Your generation will take part in this dream-come-true.

So don’t get bogged down in the worries of life and don’t drown your worries with excess of any kind. Stay alert and ready to participate in the new way coming. Pray for strength to resist the challenges and capacity to stand with the coming Liberator.”

For Reflection
The passage of Luke is my own “remix.” I encourage you to read it in your Bible and consider putting it in your own terms as well. Don't worry about getting it right. Just write it how you would say it if explaining it to someone who had never read/heard it before. Feel free to read the passages before and after this one to help make sense of it.

When I read this passage, I feel I can relate–climate change, a shift in global power (from the west to the east)–it’s all right there. Sometimes these things can seem quite dismal. But I also see signs of hope; people around the globe doing wonderful things that imagine a different kind of world. Do you feel you can relate to the “time” Jesus is talking about in these ways?

I love doing things with tangible results. But I'm realizing if I don't do the work of preparing myself, I don't often get the results I want. If I'm not physically fit, I can't reach the goals I desire. If I'm not emotionally and spiritually centered, I'll burn out early during the hard work of activism or mission. If you choose to follow the (un)King, what do you need to do to prepare yourself?

jason evans

notes from the land under a perfect sun

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