...not just giving for free.
Generosity is also characterized by a willingness to sell. A willingness to offer a good or service to another at a fair and worthy price.
Rabbi Daniel Lapin shares two profound and revolutionary ideas on this topic.
The first focuses on the idea that money is nothing but a certificate of good deed. The second deals with the idea that if you are taking money from someone you are a thief, but if you are making money you are a servant.
To make money means to create value, which is by definition an act of generosity.
To be clear, in a spirit of generosity we should at times give freely and openly. But if our definition of generosity is limited to only giving things for free then it is myopic at best.
Holistic generosity most also include a willingness to sell.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
An unprecedented era of (free) content...
...especially written content.
A massive percentage of the world's population now has the capability to create content and place it in a location where the recipient of their content can be almost anyone, almost anywhere.
This is amazing.
This is scary.
This is overwhelming.
This is latent with potential.
This is why it is crucial to have access to deeply rich content curators.
It is neither possible nor practical for an individual to sift through all potential content. We need people, voices, and resources who can illuminate the people, voices, and resources worth encountering. A quality set of content curators is worth literally thousands of dollars (though, if you are creative, you shouldn't have to pay for their curation).
This may seem judgmental and critical, but the reality is that there is now more content then there is capacity for and so the options are filter or drown. I choose filtration. I yearn for quality curators.
Oh and...this also means we must be bold enough to stop reading someone's work if it no longer makes the cut. Time and mental space is too precious not to.
A massive percentage of the world's population now has the capability to create content and place it in a location where the recipient of their content can be almost anyone, almost anywhere.
This is amazing.
This is scary.
This is overwhelming.
This is latent with potential.
This is why it is crucial to have access to deeply rich content curators.
It is neither possible nor practical for an individual to sift through all potential content. We need people, voices, and resources who can illuminate the people, voices, and resources worth encountering. A quality set of content curators is worth literally thousands of dollars (though, if you are creative, you shouldn't have to pay for their curation).
This may seem judgmental and critical, but the reality is that there is now more content then there is capacity for and so the options are filter or drown. I choose filtration. I yearn for quality curators.
Oh and...this also means we must be bold enough to stop reading someone's work if it no longer makes the cut. Time and mental space is too precious not to.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Small and great alike...
Masterful leadership sees and treats both as equals.
Not necessarily the same. Treating everyone/everything as the same is neither practical nor possible. "Small and great" by definition are not the same. They are uniquely different, and deserve to be seen as such. Attempting to see and treat "great and small" the same is formulaic. Impersonal. Void of work.
But rather, equally. To see and treat both "great and small" equally is one of the most compelling and captivating qualities a leader and/or organization can embody. Equally sees and validates the core uniqueness of every individual/entity completely regardless size and works to operate deeply out of that reality.
Can we/will we engage in the vitally important work of seeing and treating both "small and great" as equals?
Not necessarily the same. Treating everyone/everything as the same is neither practical nor possible. "Small and great" by definition are not the same. They are uniquely different, and deserve to be seen as such. Attempting to see and treat "great and small" the same is formulaic. Impersonal. Void of work.
But rather, equally. To see and treat both "great and small" equally is one of the most compelling and captivating qualities a leader and/or organization can embody. Equally sees and validates the core uniqueness of every individual/entity completely regardless size and works to operate deeply out of that reality.
Can we/will we engage in the vitally important work of seeing and treating both "small and great" as equals?
Monday, March 21, 2016
Why write?
Two reasons...
First, I recently heard Seth Godin (marketing guru and every day blog poster for more than 10 years) say that everyone should write a blog. Not for themselves, but for what the process of writing can and will do in them. Challenge acknowledged.
Secondly, one of the most significant things I miss about preparing to speak publicly (I worked for 10 years as a campus minister) is the challenge of thinking deeply through content and then wrestling through communicating those ideas to others in a compelling format. That regular challenge formed and shaped me immensely and to whatever extent possible, I want to continue to be challenged by that sort of wrestling. I sense that writing can replicate some of that.
So, today I begin a journey to write/post each weekday...
Honestly, it is a selfish endeavor. I believe it will make me better.
If it grows or impacts others that is icing on the proverbial cake.
Here's to writing. Cheers!
First, I recently heard Seth Godin (marketing guru and every day blog poster for more than 10 years) say that everyone should write a blog. Not for themselves, but for what the process of writing can and will do in them. Challenge acknowledged.
Secondly, one of the most significant things I miss about preparing to speak publicly (I worked for 10 years as a campus minister) is the challenge of thinking deeply through content and then wrestling through communicating those ideas to others in a compelling format. That regular challenge formed and shaped me immensely and to whatever extent possible, I want to continue to be challenged by that sort of wrestling. I sense that writing can replicate some of that.
So, today I begin a journey to write/post each weekday...
Honestly, it is a selfish endeavor. I believe it will make me better.
If it grows or impacts others that is icing on the proverbial cake.
Here's to writing. Cheers!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
The Last Howard...
cailyn and i are currently spending some time in indiana, and we spent some time last night with my dad's brother and sister. my dad's brother (my uncle), mike, was talking about a book he would love to write called The Last Howard. and it was absolutely fascinating to hear.
first...a bit of back story about mike.
my grandfather, his dad, passed away when he was around 10 years old...so he grew up most of his life without a dad. and when he was around 14 years old, he met this guy named howard at a high school basketball game. and howard, who was 65 years old at the time, took mike, and one of his other friends, under his wing.
so, apparently, over the next three years, howard took mike and his friend on numerous road trips, ranging from a weekend to two weeks, and all centered around baseball games. howard was actually a cab driver, and they would drive his brand new checkered cab on these trips. not only was the cab their mode of transportation, but it was also often their hotel for the night.
mike talked fondly about numerous memories.
about going to the astrodome, just after it had been built. they went to a Yankees game in new york...where mike caught a foul ball. and the list just seemed to go on and on. it was incredibly apparent that this guy made an enormous impact on mike's life and left memories that are literally lasting a lifetime.
but why The Last Howard? because unfortunately, in our culture today, it would be almost unheard of for a guy of his age to be allowed to go on a road trip with a couple of young boys. i don't know what exactly that could or should look like in our culture today...but what i know for sure...
WE NEED MORE HOWARDS IN OUR WORLD!!
Thanks Howard for who you were, for what you did, and for what you represented!
first...a bit of back story about mike.
my grandfather, his dad, passed away when he was around 10 years old...so he grew up most of his life without a dad. and when he was around 14 years old, he met this guy named howard at a high school basketball game. and howard, who was 65 years old at the time, took mike, and one of his other friends, under his wing.
so, apparently, over the next three years, howard took mike and his friend on numerous road trips, ranging from a weekend to two weeks, and all centered around baseball games. howard was actually a cab driver, and they would drive his brand new checkered cab on these trips. not only was the cab their mode of transportation, but it was also often their hotel for the night.
mike talked fondly about numerous memories.
about going to the astrodome, just after it had been built. they went to a Yankees game in new york...where mike caught a foul ball. and the list just seemed to go on and on. it was incredibly apparent that this guy made an enormous impact on mike's life and left memories that are literally lasting a lifetime.
but why The Last Howard? because unfortunately, in our culture today, it would be almost unheard of for a guy of his age to be allowed to go on a road trip with a couple of young boys. i don't know what exactly that could or should look like in our culture today...but what i know for sure...
WE NEED MORE HOWARDS IN OUR WORLD!!
Thanks Howard for who you were, for what you did, and for what you represented!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Our Why...
i recently watched this TEDx talk and it solidified and deepened so much of my vision for who we are and what we do at campus house. check out the video for yourself (you will not regret it)...and below it, are some of my reactionary thoughts.
How Great Leaders Inspire Action
OUR WHY:
It is our vision. "A Jesus community helping students find their way back to God." Which is based in the fact that we believe God created a perfect existence, we call Shalom, and placed us as humans, in it. But Genesis 3 happened, and when it happened, it changed everything. And Genesis 3 still happens. The rest of the Story of God, the Bible, is a repeating and continual attempt by God to put His people, His family back together...to restore Shalom...for life to be the way it was intended to be. And the story is not over...it is not complete...it is still going on today.
The pathway for this restoration IS complete...that happened when Jesus said, "It is finished"...and followed those words by conquering death. But we as individuals, as a community and as a world find ourselves in the midst of this process of needing to, and finding our way back to Shalom. Therefore, church and it's other representations, are not about a place we go or a time we sector off in order to make our lives feel right...feel like Shalom. It is not about landing us in a better place someday...a place we call heaven. It is not about a list of do's and don'ts in order to create good people. It is about journeying back to Shalom, individually and as a community...which is an every moment, all of life...thing. We exist as a ministry because we believe the world is broken, and that we are broken...not the way it was intended to be and we believe that by doing what we do, we are on a journey and leading others into a journey towards experiencing and restoring Shalom, through what God has done and continues to do.
OUR HOW:
It is through our values. Belonging. Story. Restoration. Revolution. Creativity. They must guide both what we do and DO NOT DO through the heartbeat of our why.
OUR WHAT:
There are undoubtedly other ways to see our why lived out, but we choose to live it out in a few specific ways. Weekly worship (we call DIG). Small groups (we call them Community Groups). GROW Trips (mission and spiritual development trips). Service. Community Events.
How Great Leaders Inspire Action
OUR WHY:
It is our vision. "A Jesus community helping students find their way back to God." Which is based in the fact that we believe God created a perfect existence, we call Shalom, and placed us as humans, in it. But Genesis 3 happened, and when it happened, it changed everything. And Genesis 3 still happens. The rest of the Story of God, the Bible, is a repeating and continual attempt by God to put His people, His family back together...to restore Shalom...for life to be the way it was intended to be. And the story is not over...it is not complete...it is still going on today.
The pathway for this restoration IS complete...that happened when Jesus said, "It is finished"...and followed those words by conquering death. But we as individuals, as a community and as a world find ourselves in the midst of this process of needing to, and finding our way back to Shalom. Therefore, church and it's other representations, are not about a place we go or a time we sector off in order to make our lives feel right...feel like Shalom. It is not about landing us in a better place someday...a place we call heaven. It is not about a list of do's and don'ts in order to create good people. It is about journeying back to Shalom, individually and as a community...which is an every moment, all of life...thing. We exist as a ministry because we believe the world is broken, and that we are broken...not the way it was intended to be and we believe that by doing what we do, we are on a journey and leading others into a journey towards experiencing and restoring Shalom, through what God has done and continues to do.
OUR HOW:
It is through our values. Belonging. Story. Restoration. Revolution. Creativity. They must guide both what we do and DO NOT DO through the heartbeat of our why.
OUR WHAT:
There are undoubtedly other ways to see our why lived out, but we choose to live it out in a few specific ways. Weekly worship (we call DIG). Small groups (we call them Community Groups). GROW Trips (mission and spiritual development trips). Service. Community Events.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Transition...So What's Next...
a little less than a week ago, my wife and i had our first child.
in the birth process, there is a stage called transition. basically it is the home stretch. everything changes for the woman...and in a relatively short amount of time, everything is going to be different...a new baby will enter this world.
for my wife, it was the moment she fairly calmly turned, looked at me, and said, "She's coming." to which i said, "What exactly do you mean."(i was the only one in the room at the time, and if it meant what i thought it meant...it was time for me to do something) And then, in less than 10 minutes, my wife was holding our brand new baby girl in her arms. (and don't worry...i was able to get the midwife...i did not deliver the baby myself)
in some ways, i feel like this idea of "transition" is very analogous to what is taking place at campus house right now.
our women's minister, who is finishing her 8th year on staff, is moving on at the end of this year. it is tough to see her go...and yet it is very right...God has called her and her family to a different place...a place where they can minister as a team and i believe that is absolutely where they need to be.
however, it leaves us, as a ministry in a time of transition...whether we like it or not.
i know that times like this often birth some of the best growing times and lead to places that we have never even dreamed of being.
and yet, i must admit, there is a part of me that wishes we could just continue the way things have been...keep the status quo...not have to think about what is next. which leads to my other temptation...to just pretend like things are not changing and more or less adopt an ignorance is bliss mentality (although, as much as i may like to be, i am not ignorant in this case).
so...i know neither of those approaches are right and i am trying my very best to push ahead and guide our ministry to the next right place. but honestly, it is tough to know what that place is right now. i have my thoughts and my ideas...others have their thoughts and their ideas...how do we decide which are God's thoughts and God's ideas? i know above all else that i want God's direction for this step.
which makes me think about how the story of God is littered with stories of God working in ways that were unimaginable and beyond anyone's wildest dreams. stories of people or armies, defeating people or armies, they had no business fighting, let alone beating. stories of people who were elevated to positions they logically should not have gotten and seemed completely unqualified for. stories of God working in, through, and around people to do things for which there simply is not a YouTube "how to" video. stories where greatness only comes through unprecedented work and toughness. stories where the key ingredient is a long obedience in the same direction...and where God shows up to do more than we could ever ask or imagine.
so what do i take from all of this...
what i know: we are in a time of transition...in a matter of months, things will look different...like it or not.
what it don't know: what the right next step is...what our staff will look like a few months from now.
what i want to cling to: much like the feeling that comes after transition at the end of a long and grueling birth process...God is in the business of delivering more than we can even begin to wrap our minds around...even in our best, most inspired vision casting sessions.
if this turns out even a fraction of how great my daughter did, then i am excited...and i know it will be great in the end.
in the birth process, there is a stage called transition. basically it is the home stretch. everything changes for the woman...and in a relatively short amount of time, everything is going to be different...a new baby will enter this world.
for my wife, it was the moment she fairly calmly turned, looked at me, and said, "She's coming." to which i said, "What exactly do you mean."(i was the only one in the room at the time, and if it meant what i thought it meant...it was time for me to do something) And then, in less than 10 minutes, my wife was holding our brand new baby girl in her arms. (and don't worry...i was able to get the midwife...i did not deliver the baby myself)
in some ways, i feel like this idea of "transition" is very analogous to what is taking place at campus house right now.
our women's minister, who is finishing her 8th year on staff, is moving on at the end of this year. it is tough to see her go...and yet it is very right...God has called her and her family to a different place...a place where they can minister as a team and i believe that is absolutely where they need to be.
however, it leaves us, as a ministry in a time of transition...whether we like it or not.
i know that times like this often birth some of the best growing times and lead to places that we have never even dreamed of being.
and yet, i must admit, there is a part of me that wishes we could just continue the way things have been...keep the status quo...not have to think about what is next. which leads to my other temptation...to just pretend like things are not changing and more or less adopt an ignorance is bliss mentality (although, as much as i may like to be, i am not ignorant in this case).
so...i know neither of those approaches are right and i am trying my very best to push ahead and guide our ministry to the next right place. but honestly, it is tough to know what that place is right now. i have my thoughts and my ideas...others have their thoughts and their ideas...how do we decide which are God's thoughts and God's ideas? i know above all else that i want God's direction for this step.
which makes me think about how the story of God is littered with stories of God working in ways that were unimaginable and beyond anyone's wildest dreams. stories of people or armies, defeating people or armies, they had no business fighting, let alone beating. stories of people who were elevated to positions they logically should not have gotten and seemed completely unqualified for. stories of God working in, through, and around people to do things for which there simply is not a YouTube "how to" video. stories where greatness only comes through unprecedented work and toughness. stories where the key ingredient is a long obedience in the same direction...and where God shows up to do more than we could ever ask or imagine.
so what do i take from all of this...
what i know: we are in a time of transition...in a matter of months, things will look different...like it or not.
what it don't know: what the right next step is...what our staff will look like a few months from now.
what i want to cling to: much like the feeling that comes after transition at the end of a long and grueling birth process...God is in the business of delivering more than we can even begin to wrap our minds around...even in our best, most inspired vision casting sessions.
if this turns out even a fraction of how great my daughter did, then i am excited...and i know it will be great in the end.
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