Splinter Therapy

Thomas Paine

One of my problems with orthodoxy has always been that it doesn't seem to take into account the vastness of the universe.  One of two possibilities exist - we are either God's only self-conscious creation in the universe or self-conscious beings exist(ed)/will exist on other worlds.  If the latter is true, then they are either sinless beings or they are in need of redeemer like us.  Until today, I thought I was the only person who seemed to struggle with reconciling this with our need of perfect sacrifice to simultaneously satisfy God's justness and holiness. 

Of course, there is nothing new under the sun.  I found a quote from Thomas Paine in a book I was reading this morning, The Varieties of Scientific Experience by Carl Sagan:

"From whence, then, could arise the solitary and strange conceit that the Almighty, who had millions of worlds equally dependent on his protection, should quit the care of all the rest, and come to die in our world because, they say, one man and one woman ate the apple?  And, on the other hand, are we to suppose that every world in the boundless creation had an Eve, an apple, a serpent, and a Redeemer?"

It feels good to know that I am not alone in this thought even if it does come from a deist.

2008 P.F. Change - Stewardship Package - Gifts, Talents, Skills

Today I hope to cover what I consider to be my gifts, talents, and skills.  I put these three together because I have not come up with a clear cut way to define the boundaries between gifts and talents nor talents and skills.  If I were forced, I think my definitions would include terms such as "being" and "hard-wiring" for gifts and "doing" and "developed" for talents and skills.

My Spiritual Gifts - in order of their strength

1.  Administration.  I am great at planning, organizing and supervising others.  I would make a horrible pastor or president; however, I would make a great behind-the-scenes person.  I feel that I am gifted in knowing what needs to be done and how to get it done.

 

2.  Evangelism.  I don't own a Matlock type suit; I am not planning to have any appearances on TBN; I don't own a megaphone and stand on street corners telling people they are going to hell (I do a pretty good job of this while sitting in my car!).  I don't go knock on doors during "visitation night".  I don't volunteer my services for "revivals" that are scheduled months in advance.  I don't own any "4 spiritual law" tracts.  I don't know all the words to "Just As I Am", etc. etc. etc.

However, I am wired to share good news.  If I ever find something that works for me or has impacted my ife in any meaningful way, I want to share it with others.  That is what has been so frustrating to me about my spiritual journey of recent years - I felt like I have found the holistic / integrated wordview that so many people are longing for, but I felt like my hands have been tied from sharing it with anyone.  From an integrated worldview to the joy of owning a TiVo, to an impactful book or song, I want to help others by sharing with them things that have impacted  my life.

 

3.  Discernment.  I feel that I have a pretty good ability to discern the emotional state of others in most situations.  I also feel like I can tell (most of the time) between sheep and wolves.  I have always tried to put myself in the shoes of others in any situation and wonder how I would think or feel in their situation.  Also, I have always paid very close attention to body language.  I think the combination of these two things have given me a great ability to "read" people.  I am by no means perfect at this - I have made many misreads, but in the wide majority of instances I have been proven right in my assumptions.

Talents / Skills.  I am combinging these two things since the line between them is so gray.

I am always looking for how I am different from others.  What things can I DO better than those around me.  As an example, I have learned that in a group of 100 Americans between the ages of 15 and 50, I think I could beat 95 of them in ping-pong.  I made this bold claim at one of my small group meetings one night and then ate some humble pie soon after that after when one of the guys in the group took great joy in beating me.  Tasty.  Yum. Thank you, sir.  May I have another?  But, you get the point - what talents and skills do I have in my toolbox that i can use for kingdom work - here is my list:

 

1.  Organizing.  Not the most admired of talents, but I am off the charts when it comes to organizing things - from structuring organizations and teams to the top-right hand drawer of my desk.  I was still in high school when I purchased this great little drawer container - it was 12 little drawers contained in a grey, plastic casing.  Three rows high, 4 columns wide.  I took great pleasure in putting my paper clips here, my spare lead for my mechanical pencil there, etc.  Ahhh.  Good times.  I truly think that was the beginning of what has become an obsession of mine (many would say - including my wife - that I am a little OCD).  I think the desire to be organized is driven by what seems to be this constant fight I have against time - I am always looking for ways to find more time; so, being organized allows me to find little pockets here and there, and I never lose time looking for things.  I think it also stems from my desire to create holistic patterns of thinking and living.  I am always trying to assimilate information into patterns and hierarchies that make more sense of the whole as well as become more retrievable for future reference purposes.

 

2.  Time Management.  This is a kissing cousin of the item above.  From the daily tasks to the big picture, I have deveoped a workable and practical way to manage time.  From ideas I have picked up from various authors to concepts I have developed out of necessity in my job and family life. I think I have a workable, teachable, and doable system for being good stewards of the time God has given to each of us.  Our choices are too open-ended - we suffer from paralysis by analysis.  Most people succumb to the "tyranny of the urgent".  We are looking for balance - especially between our work and family life. We don't have any direction in our life.  The list goes on and on.  I feel that I have something to share with others here, and I can tell there is a huge need for it.

 

3.  Networking People.  For reasons I don't understand, I love connecting people.  I once was the leader of community group at our church.  At the time we were trying to become a small group driven church.  I was horrible at leading the group in many ways (most people confuse gifts of administration with the gift of leadership - I think I am very strong in the former and average at the latter), but I was great at connecting people into small groups.  Nothing gave me more pleasure than to think that lives were being changed in the context of a small group because I played some small role in putting them all together.  Don't get me wrong, many times putting people together felt like herding cats, but at the end of the day things always worked out. 

I think most people want to be part of team - a team where the sum is greater than the parts by themselves.  I thrive on helping to create these teams.

I also get a great thrill when I can connect people - I love it when deals are struck at my poker table; or, when I can give a recommendation to a customer when they are looking to hire someone, etc.  I don't know why, but something comes alive in me when I do this.

 

4.  Small talk.  This is not a gift.  I am not naturally gifted at conversation.  I am an off-the-chart introvert.  I hate small-talk.  It's just so, well, small.  I want to talk about deep things and matters of the heart.  I am inerested in news, sports, weather, but in only brief doses.  However, the world is currently an extrovert world, and I have to live in it and play by their rules.  As much as I hate it, every sales call I make starts off by talking about the fish on the wall or asking, "how's your momma and them?".   

They say some of the best baseball managers are those that were only marginal players.  Since they were naturally talented they were always studying the game as players in an attempt to get an edge and thus attempt to level the playing field.  I feel that way in this "skill".  By not being good at it, I have studied the skill of making light conversation, and I now consider myself pretty good at it.  My wife knows how quickly my tanks run dry in small talk scenarios; so, she is constantly amazed at how well I do.

   

5.  Ping-pong.  Despite losing to 1 of the 12 people in my small group; I still consider myself to be in the top 5% of all American ping-pong players.

Nothing to sexy or exciting.   I really don't have the gifts that most people admire.  I don't consider myself a good leader.  I am not a good teacher (at least in the traditional methods of teaching - like lecturing or giving sermons).  I don't speak in tongues (unless you consider Pig Latin).   

I don't imagine many people crying out in desperation for God to give them the gift of administration.  But, I love that I can play that role in Kingdom work.  I am very thankful for what God has given me; I get very excited about the ideas I have for putting these things into use for the Kingdom.

The last puzzle piece of the stewardship package is experience.  We all have experiences that make up a big part of who we are as people.  I will outline some of those in my next post.

2008 P.F. Change - Stewardship Package - Passions

In my first post on this topic, I mentioned that I once heard a pastor say that your calling is the intersection of your passions and the world's needs.  Of course, upon hearing that I immediately thought I should start a ministry to Super Models. However, my passions run far deeper than the pages of Victoria's Secret.  Here is a list of my passions in life:

 

1.  The Kingdom of God
I am passionate about pursuing after God.  I think this includes always coming to a deeper understanding of who He is, and what He is doing in the world.  This involves a life of submission to Him and helping others to do the same.  I am tyring desperately to center my entire life around Kingdom Living.  All of my passions (at least the healthy ones) flow out of this one pursuit.  I am convinced that this was also the driving passion of all that Jesus did.

 

2.  Freedom.  One of the great paradoxes of a life of submission to God is the freedom it brings.  I believe God values freedom; He never forces Himself on anyone.  Therefore, I am passionate about freedom as well.  I think fighting for and maintaing freedom should be one of the core pursuits of every human - both in our personal lives and in our structure of government.  We should never force ourselves on others or allow others to force themselves on us or anyone else.  I truly believe that if Jesus were alive today he would resonate with the platform of the Libertarian party because it is only when we are free that we have the opportunity to be good.

 

3.  Learning.  Like freedom, I think a love of learning flows out of my passion for the Kingdom of God.  Everytime I learn something I feel that I gain a greater understanding of God.  I am in constant pursuit of obtaining information and analyzing experiences (mine and others) which I then attempt to assimilate / reconcile with my current understanding of reality / truth.  Interaction with others, Books (fiction and non-fiction), Documenataries, Movies, Podcasts, Sermons, The Teaching Company Productions, iTunes U, etc.  Learning is a form of worship to me.  I enter deeper levels of awe, wonder, and reverence anytime I feel like I have an understanding of reality that I didn't have before.

 

4.  Paradigm Shifts.  This is a close-cousin of the bullet point above this one.  Have you ever seen that drawing of the old hag that is also the picture of a beautiful woman when you learn to look at differently?  I love that kind of thing.  I have learned that most people react violently whenever their current understanding of truth is challenged or questioned.  I love it - more than anything else, I would say this one trait differentiates me from most people.  If my view of reality is flawed in some way, I want to know.  I have never thought that the truth needed to be afraid of anything - if it is TRUE, it will stand up to any test with flying colors and come out unscathed on the other side.  I think there is wisdom in always being open to having one's worldview change:
     -Only the scientists who were open to paradigm shifts were able to see the beauty and genius of Einstein's theories of relativity and the theories involving quantum mechanics.
     -It was only the people open to paradigm changes that were able to see the wisdom and truth taught and lived by Martin Luther
     -It was only the people who were open to seeing things in new ways that were able to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah while he walked the earth

In fact, I believe it is the people who blindly defend their current paradims who prevent Kingdom Expansion and the maturation of the human species.  Ironcially, it has always been the people who defended existing paradigms who harmed the cause they were so passionately defending.

Please note, that I am not saying that CHANGES in paradims are good things; I am just stating that we should all be open to paradigm shifts and even constantly questioning our existing paradigm so that we can come to deeper understandings of truth and therefore the character and competency of God.  Even though this passion has created more heartburn and anxiety than probably anything else in my life, I am so thankful that I am wired this way.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

5.  The Future.  I am doing a better job of living in the now, but I love to think about the future.  My interest in the future is driven by several things:
  -I love contemplating how new understandings of truth and technology will manifest themselves in the days ahead. 
  -I enjoy spotting trends, rhythms, and cycles and attempting to figure out how these things will play out
  -Like Joseph preparing for the 7 years of famine in Egypt, I want to be able to provide and protect my family in times of immense pain and suffering if such a time were to come in our lifetime (this is a topic all to itself).  Therefore, I am interested in anything that I think could initiate such a future.
  -I think I have a responsibility to prepare myself and my children for what lies ahead.  Wayne Gretzky once said, "A good hockey player plays where the puck is.  A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be."  As a follower of Christ, I feel that I have a responsibility to lead my family and anyone else who wants to follow into the future.  It feels as if non-Christian culture / secular society is pulling the church along like a Sherpa dragging someone up Mt. Everest.  Shouldn't those who follow Christ be leading our culture instead of the other way around?  There are many clues lying around as to what the future holds, but very few people seem to take notice and will thus be woefully unprepared to help themselves or others when the future becomes the now.   
  -I have always had a passion for biblical prophecy (especially end times prophecies), and I enjoy documentaries on Nostradamus, Mayan end time predictions, etc.

Like most of my passions, my passion for the future is both a blessing and a curse.  I feel that God has wired me this way to help others during transitional times.  As I contemplate what lies ahead, I am filled with so many emotions:  excitement, anxiety, anticipation, and nervousness.  Like a football player in the locker room before the game, I look forward to the start of the game - I am ready to engage with what the future holds.

 

6.  Passion to Create.  There is something deep within me that wants to create.  Creativity is simply figuring out how to manifest our thoughts and ideas into the material world.  I enjoy contemplating organizational structures that will better serve the existing needs of people.  I want to write a novel.  I enjoy the attempt to articulate my thoughts on this blog.  I have several ideas for computer programs I want to write.  The list goes on and on.  In fact, one of my greatest problems is trying to figure out where I should place my creative focus. 

 

7.  My Family.  Every passion listed above has been somewhat general.  This is my first really specific passion.  I am wildly passionate about my family.  You know those crazy parents at little league games - I "get that" now that I have kids of my own; you become irrational when it comes to your children.  Whenever I see potential arrows being shot at my wife or children's hearts, I feel the Rambo within coming to life.  I truly have to suppress rage toward little chidlren when I feel that they have said or done something that is damaging to my children in any way.  So much of what I do is driven by the irrational love and passion I have for my family.  I often wonder if they have become my idol.  I have no doubt that I would take (or deliver) a bullet if that is what it took to protect my wife and children. (By the way, I could not find a good Rambo picture; so I just used Photoshop to superimpose Sylvester Stallone's face onto  a picture of my body.)

This is a list (although probably incomplete) of passions that I have.  These drive so much of what I do.  They are core to who I am, and a big part of how I am wired. 

Tomorrow I will continue with defining my stewardship package by listing my gifts, talents, and skills; so, it should be a very short post! 
   

   

P.F. Change - Stewardship Package - Finances, Time, Place, Health

In regard to my "Stewardship Package", today I will provide some detail on four fundamental categories:  Financial Assets, Time, Place, and Health.

Financial Assets:
-We have a roof over our head and food on our table every night.
-We have lights that run on electricity, running/filtered water, and a HVAC system that keeps our home at a constant 70+ degree temperature.
-We have no consumer debt and our cars are paid for
-Be prepared to be disgusted.  We have enough disposable income to:
   -spend $35 on our cable bill each month
   -spend over $1,000 a year on babysitting (one year it was over $2,000)
   -spend over $100/month in our combined "slush" fund accounts
   -go out on a date and/or get take-out every week
   -send our children to a private pre-school
   -spend more than we should on Christmas each year
   -go on vacations each year that cost at least $1,000 - typically closer to $1,500.
   -have a membership at the Little Gym for two of our children
   -have closets with way more clothes than we need including one closet with about 100 pink outfits in it (all of which will be too small in about 3 months).
   -basically buy any book, cd, or dvd we want whenever we want it
   -pay for a subscription to Netflix
   -have a Sirius satellite radio subscription
   -spend $75 on a cell phone bill each month
   -have a wall full of elfa shelves that support bins full of toys
   -subscribe to at leat 7 (It may be more - I have lost count) magazines as a family
   -buy electronic gadgets and gizmos (ipods, 3 computers, tivo, dvd recorder, etc.)
   -pay for any home repair problems that come up on a regular basis
-We own a piece of rental property and 1/5 of another piece of rental property with 4 other investors.
-We have two safety nets - an emergency fund with enough money to provide for 6 months of bare bone living expenses and a retirement account that my company invests and controls for me
-We have a life insurance policy that would allow my wife and children to live off the interest for a lengthy period of time (at least until the kids were out of college) if I were to die sometime in the next 17 years (If I die in an one car accident, somebody check to make sure my brake fluid line isn't cut!!!)
-Several pieces of nice antique furniture that we have inherited from our families
-A jar full of loose change which includes my poker winnings
-A book and CD collection that I could sell at a used book store for several thousand dollars
-A Takamine and a 40th anniversary Fender Stratocaster.
-Our two boys have piggy banks which currently have about $15 and $5
-Baseball card collection that is probably worth a few thousand dollars 
-At some point this year we expect to win the Powerball lottery.  We buy tickets with 19 other investors whenever the lottery goes over $100M.

In regard to the safety nets (financial and life insurance), I have often wondered how biblical those are.  Am I putting my trust in my ability to take care of myself, or is God providing for us by having us invest in such things.  Birds don't stow away in barns and Jesus sent the disciples out with nothing in their pockets, but Larry Burkett and Dave Ramsey preach safety nets.  As with most things I don't think there is a yes/no - black/white answer; I am sure it is a matter of our heart.

Also, one last note on the topic of financial assets.  I believe we have to see everything we own as God's.  Thus, I own nothing.  Therefore, if I know someone who has followed after God and it has left them with nothing, the reality is that everything I own is as much his as it is mine.  I am left with the responsibility of deciding what to do with the money, but my perspective should be one of communal possession.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think the government nor even a homeowner's association should be able to pick and choose how the money entrusted to my care should be divided among others - that is strictly my responsibility - I am the steward of my finances, not the government.  However, I should see my possessions (all of them) as kingdom property and thus available to all kingdom dwellers.

Time
Unlike money, we all have the same amount of time each day.  Since this entire series (P.F. Change) is about time management, I won't post any details here.  However, how we use our time is extremely important and it is becomingly increasingly more complex as we move into the information and conceptual ages.

Place (Geography and "Place in time")
-Like you, we live now.  It is the year 2008.  It is my belief that this is a period of significant change in the history of humanity - a change only equaled in magnitude by two previous eras in all of human history.  These are transitional times and thus full of anxiety, confusion, and conflict.
-We live in Knoxville, TN - a city of about 300,000 people in the full "metropolitan" area
-We live in one of the largest neighborhoods in Knoxville (1000+ addresses on the neighborhood mailing list).  The neighborhood is old and is thus in the process of turning over.  Our next door neighbors live in a house that is 60 years old, and they are the original owners!  It is also worth noting that we have a very organized and powerful neighborhood association.
-Our entire social network consists of young (30-somethings), white, middle-class Americans (not proud of this, just stating facts)
-We attend an evangelical church which has drifted over recent years to become more like the Southern Baptist church in which I was raised as opposed to the church I joined 12 years ago which considered itself to be the merger of two great streams of faith (Word and Power).
-In comparison to most people, I woud say that I have a pretty diverse (at least philosophically) social network: 
    -I have close friends who are evangelical, agnostic, deistic, and "eastern philosophy/religion"
    -With a few exceptions, I do a pretty good job of keeping in touch with those people with whom I  have crossed paths:  high school friends, college friends, previous co-workers, co-ministry laborers from church, etc.
-My job takes me over all of East Tennessee on business.  I have been doing the same job for over 12 years.  Therefore, I have several deep relationships with customers and dotted-line co-workers within a 2 hour driving radius of our home.

Health
-I am 37 years old
-I am not in a wheelchair.
-I am in possession of all my limbs, fingers and toes
-I am not aware of having any terminal illnesses
-I am 20 pounds overweight
-With a nap on Sunday, I exist quite nicely on 6 hours of sleep each night
-I can see without glasses or contact lenses, hear without hearing aids, smell, taste, and touch.  I am not aware of having ESP, telekinesis, or X-Ray vision.
-I am not on any medication
-My pulse is 61 bpm
-My blood pressure is 120/67
-My cholesterol is just over 200
-I have been to the emergency room three times in the last 12 years with chest pains.  They tell me my heart is fine (done EKGs, stress tests, etc.), but something doesn't feel right.  In fact, I have an appointment with a cardiologist in just over a week.  Each year I have about three month long periods of chest pains (typically at night).
-With the exception of the chest pain concern and being a little overweight (working on solutions to both of those things right now), I would say that I am in pretty good health.
-I think it is worth mentioning here that I have the body of Adonis. People come over to clean their clothes on my washboard abs.  I often get mistaken for Matthew McConaughey, and I routinely turn down offers to become an underwear model.

Well, there are the first 4 pieces of my stewardship package:  Financial Assets, Place, Time, and Health.  I am guessing that this is not too different from most of the people reading this blog.  The next pieces of the package are things that help us better identify how we are all uniquely created:  Passions, Spiritual Gifts, Talents/Skills, and Experiences.  I will dig into these one at a time in the upcoming posts.