Thinking about Laslo's hierarchy!

Maslo's Hierarchycame up in a discussion I was involved with today. In particular it made me think about the self-actualisation section at the top of the pyramid.
There were suggestions that the sort of thing that might be included in this were a payrise, a promotion and such like.
I don't know about you, but those are good external rewards, but I would feel more self-actualised if I realised I had played a part in seeing somebody else thrive in their gifting, or get master a skill/ability.
What about you?

Where are you looking ?

On Saturday evening Clayton my 9 yr old son and I trekked off to the Clacton on Sea Pier. We had a blast. With the writstband ticket He was in heaven. He went on everything numerous times. I went on mostly everything maximum twice !
Anyway I used to find the Paratrooper the hardest to stomach! The one at Clacton swings you out over the sea off the edge of the pier. And even though I knew I was safe, I was petrified. It wasn't until I fixed my gaze on the carriage in front of us that I felt safe. It occurs to me that looking at the "danger" I was in caused the fear. I able to overcome my fear by focussing on what had gone before me.
It reminded me of Hebrews 12:2 where we're reminded to fix our eyes on the one who has gone before us. Are you in fear? Where are you looking ?

Building together

Great Post by Gina about perspective.
She refers to Dr Tim Elmore's book Habituitudes. About people having different perspectives on what they're building/working towards.

It got me thinking about those that say I'm "laying a brick" - if they're laying a brick to build a house, while someone else is laying a brick that they think is part of a garden wall that would create interesting dynamics and if allowed to continue would end up with an interesting building.
This really highlights the need for a vision and vision casting.So that everyone can be on the same page and working towards the same aim.

Seeing and Answering

I like the challenge that John Johnson heard N.T. Wright make recently:-

N.T. Wright reminded us to come to the biblical text with 1st century eyes and
21st century questions, rather than 19th century eyes and 16th century
questions. Most do not want to do the hard work of exegesis (that pulls us into
the 1st century), while others are too out of touch with present culture to know
the questions they must ask. Wright notes that there is a crisis in Western
democracy. These are dangerous times—threats of terror, an ecological crisis
that should have the attention of every believer, and a wave of books by Dawkins
and others intent on attacking the credibility of Christianity. There must be
cultural critique, but it must not be in the form of bashing, but rather be
about Spirit led discernment. Reasoned discourse is what will win the battle.
And Wright models this. It was clear in each of his talks that he has spent
considerable time seeking to discern the flow of the biblical books, the world
of the authors, while discerning the times in which we presently live. A good
model for all of us.

I think we need to ask God to open our ears and eyes as well as ask God for revelation

To hear the questions people are asking today. To see the Word speak from when it happened into today. The Answerer is the same yesterday, today and for ever.

What does that look like to you ?

What if ...

At our small group last night we were discussing loving together. And said the challenge was that we don't know each other that well. We asked what it would take to get to know each other better. So ..
What if we met with our small group more regularly even every other day. Maybe these times would be prayer times, sharing communion together, annointing of oil, laying hands on each other, speaking blessings over each other and of course singing God's praises. The kids would be there of course.
Billy Ritchie over in England has thoughts on these lines too.
What does it take to make this "What if... " a reality ? Choosing to make it a priority and finding like-minded people. Anything else ? ... WHat do you think ?

Where to find joy ? Me! Me! Me!

Mark Driscoll - Helps us look for joy in the right way. Along the way he does a critique of the most popular preacher in the US. What a timely reminder for this day and age. Thanks Paul Dazet for finding that.

Spiritual Esteem

On my other blog I picked on some inspiring thoughts of Craig Groeschel around the issue of self -esteem. He points out that self-esteem is not Spiritual esteem. When working with kids in our north american culture I think it's really important to think in terms of what he call Spiritual-esteem. It's easy to slip into trying to raise a child's false esteem.

It's all about who ?

Joel Osteen has been on News TV a lot this last week. I guess he was promoting his new book. A better You I think it's called. That might be good for You but is it the gospel or the whole gospel. I like what Paul Dazet has been writing. It's not about me. It's about God as the greatest commandment reminds us. The "me" only comes in the second greatest commandment and then only as standard for loving others.
thanks Paul for redirecting our thoughts in the right direction.

I'm the 231,544,348 richest person in the world

I've checked out the www.globalrichlist.com and I'm in the top 3.8% of world's richest people. What a responsibility!

How rich are you compared to the rest of the world !

What are we doing ? let's think about this !

From http://pathwaypaloalto.blogspot.com/2007/02/church-20-series-incarnational-living.html via http://weallspeak.blogspot.com/2007/02/redesign-what-is-our-focus.html

Think for a second about what Jesus did for us. He became one of us, lived with us, then died and rose again from the dead for us. That’s the method he used to reach us. He made himself known and showed His love to us. Jesus modeled incarnation as a way of ministering to the world. He showed us the power of going to a group of people and loving and serving them as one of them.He also revealed this as the method we should use when he gave the disciples this command in Matt. 28, “Go into all the world…”

But Jesus isn’t the only one to reveal this method! Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23… 19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

This is the way the Bible reveals to us to reach people! It tells us these simple instructions: Go to people in a way they can understand. Serve them. Love them. Tell them the truth. That’s it! This is the incarnational way to reach people.

But for some reason many churches focus on the opposite way to reach people: Make them come to you. Make them become like you and learn your lingo. Get them to serve the church. Get them to love the church. If they can do all that they’ll learn how to be saved!This is the attractional way to reach people. Do you see how opposite these two ways are

to learn or unlearn that is the question :)

Have you thought about unlearning some things. There come a realization that sometimes what we think or more the way we think is not the best way. So what's the choice - keep on keeping on with the less than best way - I guess some people can do that or to unlearn the less than best way and learn a better way.


Bob Roberts shares 9 things he's learning and unlearning

Bob Roberts on church and mission:9 Things I'm Learning and Unlearning

I'm learning … that mission begins with Christology not ecclesiology. Following Jesus leads us to mission, which leads to churches gathering.

I'm unlearning … my assumption that starting churches naturally leads to mission. It doesn't. Churches default to self-focus unless a commitment to be like Jesus in the world comes first.

I'm learning … that being glocal means decentralizing power, decision making, information, all of it. The kingdom of God means ministry opportunities are available to almost everyone.

I'm unlearning … the American church's traditional focus on a super-star speaker, worship leader, educator, and shepherd, which serves mainly to attract spectators rather than igniting the power of everyone else.

I'm learning … that we serve not to convert but because we have been converted. We serve because Christ has changed us and made us servants to people who are hurting and lost.

I'm unlearning … the assumption that "Christian" is defined primarily as acknowledging a moment of conversion. Becoming a follower of Jesus depends on what happens after that.

I'm learning … to love people, which means to see them healed, educated, and given the same opportunities that we have.

I'm unlearning … that the Christian faith is all about heaven. I believe the church has denied the future by just waiting for the Second Coming. We need a story that includes the future.

I'm learning … the kingdom will be established not by human power or entertainment, but by realizing God's concern for humanity and the whole of society.

What are you learning or unlearning ?

Christian no more - what a thought

Check out these "sermons" out. A challenge to stop being a Christian and to become a Christ follower. what a thought.

Big God

How big is our God ? Mark Batterson asks us. And gives us a great quote from A.W.Tozer

I think A.W. Tozer said it best: "A low view of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils." But a person with a "high view" of God "is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems."

It reminds me of when we were kids - I remember saying my Dad is bigger than yours or some such like - my Dad can lift a cow and then the other kids would say my Dad can lift 3 cows - well - mine can lift 6 cows and so on
It's great that we can boast about our human dads and have confidence because they are bigger than us. But how much more can we have confidence with our heavenly father who made eveything else - nobody can be bigger than Him.