Thoughts on Leadership

Leadership is easy to say something about. It is another thing entirely to talk about leadership in a way that makes it tangible and definitive. There is a fog that often surrounds and obscures the concept. Many think they know about it or can recognize it, yet the error rate seems high.

This confusion creates many problems, chief of which can be summed up with: what makes me think that I know anything about leadership? If the concept is elusive and hard to comprehend, could I not be just another person succumbed to the delusion that leadership is something which I understand or can recognize? Yes. It’s possible. You, reader, should keep a healthy skepticism about me or anyone claiming to tell you about leadership.

Here is part of my professional background which will, if not lend credibility to what I write, at least clue you in to where I’ve been or where I’m coming from. I have been in the professional workforce for about twenty years. Over the last half, I have held various leadership positions: management of public safety communications (911), noncommissioned officer in both the United States Navy and United States Air Force, and safety/security/emergency management in the medical field.

I have employed principles of leadership to effect change in organizations, teach critical concepts used to keep employees and the public safe, and actively save lives. I have made slow, carefully considered decisions and quick, no-time-to-lose decisions. Lives have been saved, in part, because of many such decisions.

Has every decision been perfect? Of course not. I have made mistakes. The important and valuable thing about mistakes is what can be learned from them. Beware of anyone telling you something about leadership who will not bare their soul and share the mistakes they’ve made. It is the ability to share hard lessons learned that serves to maintain humility and encourage others avoid those errors. Talk to me and I will share my vault of failures with you, along with what I’ve learned from them. In this piece, however, I will scratch the surface of leadership-as-a-concept.

Through countless formal leadership books, classes, and certifications, the main question is always asked, “What is leadership?” Of course, how can I begin to discuss a thing without first defining it? As I’ve stated, it’s often misidentified or misdiagnosed. My preferred definition of leadership is “the act of shaping the goals and spurring the actions of others, while demonstrating those actions.” Simply put, followers make leaders; followers, not copycats. There’s a fundamental and crucial goal-shaping that takes place. If I am going to lead you, I must convince you that your goal should be the same as the goal I declare for myself. I must cause to stir within you an innate desire to do “the thing”, whatever that thing is. If I am going to lead you, I must also demonstrate proper action through personal example.

That is what is overlooked. To be clear, what is often confused as a leader is someone wielding a title and thinking that the title confers leadership. One can hold the title of leader and do very little, if any, in the way of leadership. People often confuse the use of power with leadership. Using power to cause a thing to happen does not make one a leader. Managers do that all the time. Managers are not necessarily leaders. Beware of anyone calling themselves a leader who does not shape goals, spur action, and hold themselves accountable to the same standards as would-be followers.

I have frequently been let down by those who would be leaders, according to their title, but who refuse to lead. It’s a refusal seemingly caused by selfishness, pride, spite, or ignorance. It has been a challenge to answer the next oft-asked question in leadership learning, “Who has been a good leader in your life?” Typically, my experience is that those anti-leaders of my past teach by example of what not to do. There is one in my life who has been and continues to shape how I view leadership: Jesus Christ. I share this unironically and unequivocally. If Jesus isn’t your “thing”, I ask you to hear me out as I explain.

Reading about the life and ministry of Jesus in the Bible, I see outstanding examples of leadership. I see someone who approaches people where they are and says, “Come and follow me,” and they do! I see someone who spends time with those he seeks to lead, teaching them, guiding them, exercising patience with them. I see someone who sends followers out in teams to share the good news, providing them with instructions. I see someone who invites followers into the goal-setting, into the thought processes, into friendship. I see the tireless exercising of patience. I see self-sacrifice, even to death on a cross. I see the patient leading post-sacrifice and the transition of followers to leaders.

This paradigm, this program is what leadership is all about: call or invitation, time spent patiently mentoring and guiding, delegating and trusting with important tasks, open and transparent planning processes, relationship-building, putting the good of the followers ahead of the good of the leader, raising up leaders from the followers to replace the leader. All of this is done with the leader personally demonstrating what ought to be done.

This is what the example of Jesus has taught me. This is what my experience in the last decade has confirmed. When all aforementioned elements are in place, goals are achieved, morale is high, and things get done. When all elements are in place, the cycle perpetuates! If you are in a position of leadership, you must lead in this way. You must be continually training your replacement. If the goal is valuable, you will. However, if instead of the goal, you are the important one, no goal will be achieved.

What is the Gospel?

What is the gospel? It’s a different question than, “What does the word, gospel, mean?” The answer to the latter question is that the word gospel means good news. In this sense, any news you receive which is good could be denotatively described as gospel. Problems arise when connotation, or ascribed meaning, of the word gospel is viewed differently by different people, specifically in a Christian context. It is that Christian context which will be the subject here. Note that this is different than Gospel, which is the proper name for the first four books, or categories of those books, of the New Testament.

Contemporary Protestant Christianity has taught that the proper answer to the question, “What is the gospel?” is to respond with a message of evangelistic salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, “by grace are you saved through faith, and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works.” That is certainly good news! It is gospel. Christians are taught to believe (not mere intellectual assent) in the facts of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that in so doing, salvation is received. That is certainly good news! It is gospel. Is that all the gospel is?

The word which is translated from Greek to English as gospel is used many times in those first three Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is written that Jesus preached the gospel and the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenged Christ’s message (Luke 20). The gospel, as described in context in the New Testament Gospels, refers not just to the message of salvation, but to the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. That kingdom is characterized by the beatitudes (Matthew 5 ff.) and by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It was a message that challenged the religious authorities who sought to retain their power. It was and is a message which communicates that the kingdom of God is not of this world, but operates within it, unseen by ordinary means. It is a message which ought to compel those who have taken hold of the salvation offered freely by God to put their faith into action.

There is little, if any, debate in the Christian community about the Great Commission: Christ’s command to go forth, share the gospel, and make disciples. How that often plays out is in a going forth and sharing of foot-in-the-door-of-heaven salvation, and not the full gospel, and not of discipleship. The message of salvation is shared. Since everything beyond that salvation message requires effort to complete, nothing beyond the message of salvation is shared. Implementing the kingdom of God in your life and teaching others to do the same, requires a holy offering of effort.

The Apostle Paul chided the Corinthians for being able to tolerate only the milk of the gospel message, when they should have been consuming the meal – the full gospel message (1 Corinthians 3 ff). Contemporary Christianity all too often focuses on the salvation message as gospel. It is. There is more that is good news. There is more to being a Christian than being “saved.” There is action being asked of you. So many are taking their talent and treasure (Matthew 25) and burying it, holding it close, not using it for good, using it for selfish means.

My encouragement to my Christian sisters and brothers is this:

  • Think of the gospel in larger terms, beyond mere salvation. (Matthew 4:23 ff)
  • Follow Christ, not as you’d follow someone on social media. Take efforted steps in the direction He has directed. (Luke 9:23)
  • Worship with your whole life, not just in song on Sunday morning. (Hebrews 12:28-13:5)
  • Live out the kingdom of God as ambassadors thereof. (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Emotions, Social Justice, the Gospel

Things that I have read and heard recently:

  • There is a War on FITB (Fill in the Blank)
  • Things are getting out of hand
  • People are reacting emotionally
  • Emotions are being stirred up in an attempt at manipulation
  • Social justice is not the gospel
  • The Church should just focus on Christ

Here are some thoughts in response to the above list:

The “War on FITB” is a rhetorical device used to summarize a cultural position in defense of a perceived attack on that position. The War on Christmas is a particularly ridiculous example of this. We live in a secular, pluralistic society in America. America is not a theocracy, thank God! Some people choose to say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” to demonstrate respect to those who may not celebrate Christmas. There are atheists and agnostics who celebrate Christmas, exchange presents, decorate a conifer, etc. Do we give people who say “Merry Christmas” a purity test to determine their brand/denomination/presence or absence of faith? No.

“Things are getting out of hand” assumes some threshold of tolerance has been crossed. This is the cry of a bystander – someone who is not engaged in whatever social or political discourse is occurring. The bystander wants it to be known that the disturbance is unwelcome. The bystander, in this case, is upset because people are upset. They are reacting to some perceived overreaction. Rest assured that there won’t be much time spent thoroughly researching, not just Googling the favored position, the topic. The bystander will likely click “Share” on some favored mouthpiece’s social media post without adding a personal position. If someone disagrees with the bystander, it’s so easy for that bystander to deflect to the mouthpiece. I’m much more interested in your thoughts. Have some skin in the game. Don’t be a bystander.

“People are reacting emotionally.” Yes. They are. If you make a claim that you react in the absence of emotion, you are a liar or a robot. If you make the claim, I’m not going to choose “robot” as my assessment. God created man with emotions. The Bible ascribes emotions to God throughout the Old Testament. Jesus wept. Aristotle taught that three things must be present in any persuasive argument: ethos, pathos, and logos. Pathos is emotion. Your claim of an emotional reaction is an attempt to dismiss. Your claim has no power here.

“Emotions are being stirred up in an attempt at manipulation.” Read above about the three requirements of a persuasive argument. An appeal to emotion is completely appropriate, especially in conjunction with ethos and logos, ethics and reason. Labeling a persuasive argument, especially one which incorporates all three aforementioned elements, as manipulation is cheap rhetoric. Your claim has no power here.

“Social justice is not the gospel.” Let’s roll up our sleeves and get into some semantics. If B includes A, then stating A is B is true; it does not mean that all of B is A. Confused by variables? If the gospel includes social justice, then stating social justice is the gospel is true; it does not mean that all of the gospel is social justice. Still confused? The gospel includes social justice. The message of the gospel is one of spiritual (re)birth and it is lived out in service to and worship of God, which includes social justice. Yes, it starts with conversion, but it is lived out in beatific and holistic life. To exclude how the gospel is to be lived out is to throw out the second half of the Great Commission to make disciples. Stop compartmentalizing the gospel. It’s not just for Sunday mornings and weekly community groups. It guides us in how we ought to treat our fellow humans, imago Dei.

“The Church should just focus on Christ.” Let me fix that sentence for you. “The Church should focus on Christ and how He leads us to live out our lives in Him.” The difference between these statements cannot be understated. In context, the original seeks to dismiss societal ills as distractions, as ancillary. Those who hold this perspective should reexamine their faith. Are they attracted to Christianity because, in it, they find solace and like-minded individuals who hold conservative social values? Or are they attracted to Christianity because of Christ? – the Christ who sat with the poor, tax collectors, and prostitutes – the Christ who literally flipped the tables of the money changers over in the Temple – the Christ who touched the “unclean”, healing lepers and all manner of illness. The gospel includes love for and toward the needy, poor, ill, imprisoned, widowed, abused, downtrodden. The gospel does not exclude. Christ is for all. He is not the mascot of your club.

Lastly for consideration in this writing, the derision ascribed by many Christians to “social justice” must stop. Social indicates our relationship between our fellow humans. God relates to us both spiritually and socially. Justice is an inextricable quality of God. Derision of social justice is a derision of God.

Thoughts on the Mess

The world is a mess. America is a mess.

People are terrible to one another. That’s not the whole picture, sure. There are good things. There is good work being done. Those good things don’t negate the mess; they exist in addition to the mess.

I’ve been carefully considering my response to the latest evidence of the mess. I could sit and mull over what to say and how to say it for a long time, but that would result in silence. Silence in the face of wrong is consent.

It seems that we tend to stack ideas and additional framework on top of basic, foundational concepts of right and wrong. We say things like, “Sure the ‘abuse of authority’ is bad, but so is looting and rioting. Actually, the latter is worse than the former.” We sugar-coat and use euphemisms for the hard language of labeling something wrong, or more appropriately what type of wrong it is. We minimize and cherry pick and deflect and use “what about”-isms. We use politics to pick teams and call the other wrong and us right. We do this to people. We pick teams and consider the other to be less than us, even inhuman. It’s much easier to rationalize violence against another human being if you don’t consider them a human – someone of equal value and worth as you.

Here are some thoughts, as incomplete as they may be or seem:

Racism exists and is wrong. No examples you can offer of individual behavior or conditions can soften or negate that truth.

The term “white privilege”, as I have been told by other white people, is a politically loaded term. Yes, it’s used in political speech. For your careful consideration, here’s my take on a definition. It doesn’t mean that a white person hasn’t, doesn’t, or can’t experience hardship. It doesn’t mean a white person was given something, per se. It means that the white person isn’t the object of, the target of racism. If you, as a white person, read that and felt anger at me or disgust with me, I recommend you re-reading from the beginning.

Most people who protest in public do so with the goal of peaceful demonstration. Others seize upon the opportunity for anonymity in a large crowd to instigate violence for their own purposes. Sometimes, a group of people can be led off course by those instigators. “If the majority of protesters are peaceful, why don’t they keep the instigators in check?” one might ask. For the same typical reason that cops who “aren’t the problem” don’t speak out against or otherwise turn a blind eye to the cops who are a problem. It’s not just a cop problem. It’s not just a protester problem. It’s a people problem. If you are a student of management, you learn something like the 10-80-10 rule. It’s stated something like this:

  • You have the 10% who will do right no matter what.
  • You have the 10% who will do wrong any chance they get.
  • You have the 80% in the middle who will tend to adopt the behavior of whichever 10% is more rewarded (either through incentive or by lack of rule enforcement).

People tend to operate using the “principle of least effort” otherwise known as laziness. It takes effort to do right no matter what. It’s easier to go with the crowd. It’s hard to take a stand. Do the hard thing.

I’ve seen the meme/post/sentiment shared that, “It’s okay to support law enforcement and also condemn officers who abuse their power.” While this seems to be a wholesome, worthy sentiment, it overlooks something. Here’s a rewrite: “Supporting law enforcement is condemning murder and abuse.” See the difference? It’s not an “and” or an add-on. It’s part and parcel. There’s a sugar-coating that goes on in the original statement. I’ve had the privilege to know many extraordinary law enforcement officers. I’ve done my best to keep them safe at work. Just like any collection of people, a slice of the collection doesn’t do what’s right when no one is looking. Many cops are good. Some cops are bad. Many protesters are good. Some protesters are bad.

Language is tricky and not everyone is keen to nuance. I look for nuance, perhaps to a fault, perhaps not. It takes time and effort to peel back the layers and see past the labels. Do the hard thing.

If you are thinking about or treating another human as anything less than how you want to be treated, you are in the wrong. It’s the golden rule. I worship the God of Truth and Justice and Love. Those qualities and concepts are not mutually exclusive. You can’t scream for justice and omit love. That’s not real justice. You can’t demonstrate love without truth. That’s not real love. You can’t find truth without finding both justice and love.

Thoughts on Kingdom Culture

By way of typical demographic phraseology, I am a white male. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. The time I grew up was a bit of a transition period of generations, if one adopts the language of contemporary American parlance. Formally I belong to Generation X, though I have some in common with Millennials. There have been attempts to set this transitional generation apart and label it, though this isn’t what this writing is about.

There were continual efforts on behalf of the education system to which I belonged to provide cross-cultural education. Assemblies in high school gave several minority groups an opportunity to inform the rest of us about their culture and heritage. I paid attention. I thought I had become rather culturally savvy. I had visited some other parts of the United States and met people from nearly every background I could imagine. I thought I knew some stuff.

It wasn’t until I left the United States in my 30’s for military duty, that I saw what it was like to be in another country as a stranger, sojourner, and foreigner. Differences of language and food and dress and custom became glaringly apparent. I’ve read stories about American behavior abroad and how Americans are considered rude. I’ve read that it was because those Americans assumed that the rest of the world is an extension of America. That those in other countries should be the ones adapting to the American tourists. It’s a lesson in ethnocentrism.

I’m not sure if most people have an “a-ha” moment the first time they leave the country. My guess is, based on the seemingly prevalent notion of American rude ethnocentrism, that they don’t.

In the last ten years, I have been to seven non-U.S. countries. Sometimes it was for military work, other times for vacation, and other times for missionary work. In some countries, I’ve been able to blend in with the population. In other countries, I’d have zero chance of being confused for a national. In some countries, I’ve been embraced. In other countries, I’ve been attacked. In a few, I have had both experiences.

It is from this brief background of cultural experience that I pose this question: what does it look like to be a citizen of the kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God exists in ways that cannot be observed, but we the citizens of that kingdom can be observed.

What is the kingdom of God like?

It is like a man sowing good seeds. It is like a mustard seed. It is like a little bit of leaven (yeast). It is like a treasure hidden in a field. It is like merchant seeking after a fine pearl. It is like a net cast into the sea, bringing up fish of every kind. It is like a housemaster bringing forth old and new treasure. It is like a housemaster hiring vineyard servants. It is like a king at a wedding feast for his son. It is like ten virgins readying for the bride to meet the bridegroom.

Jesus spoke in these parables, using figurative imagery to represent invisible truth.

Who is or will be in the kingdom of God?

The poor in spirit; those persecuted for righteousness’ sake; those who do the will of the Father; those from the east and the west; fish of every kind; those with childlike humility; tax collectors and prostitutes will be there before the chief priests and elders of Jesus’ day; the rich, with great difficulty; those producing “fruit”; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are there.

Joseph of Arimathea is there. He was a disciple of Jesus and a council member who disagreed with the crucifixion of Jesus. Joseph sought the kingdom of God. Joseph obtained the body of Jesus from Pontius Pilate and brought the body of our Lord to a grave intended to be someday occupied by the body of Joseph himself!

Think about that from Joseph’s perspective: “That grave was meant for me, but Jesus will take my place.” That profound substitution says it all.

Who will not be in the kingdom?

It’s a fair question, I suppose. 1 Corinthians 6, verses 9 & 10 list a number of sins, or more aptly, sin identities that will not inherit the kingdom of God. But verse 11 says this, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God!”

Jesus told Nicodemus, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

Be a citizen of the kingdom of God!

When we respond to the invitation of Christ with vulnerability and humility, when repent of our sins and become justified and declared righteous in Christ, our old self becomes buried with Him in death and we are risen with Him in new life!

Walking in that truth and worshiping God with our lives (Hebrews 13), not giving priority to temporary and transitory things of this life, but giving priority to the everlasting, we will be demonstrating what it looks like to be a citizen of the kingdom of God. We are too often consumed with petty differences, political opinions, and distractions. We need to focus on kingdom work! We need to be the visible representatives of that invisible kingdom. When that happens, others will look at us as if we are a stranger, sojourner, or foreigner – even in the nations of our birth! Because we have been born again, we have a kingdom of re-birth: His kingdom.

Structure during Pandemic

It’s been over a month of staying at home, working from home, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been an abandonment of previously established routine. There have been challenges of schedule and a seeming lack of structure. It is embarrassing to admit, but I am only just this week solving this problem: absence of structure and schedule.

Growing up, going to public school, I was introduced to the concept of a schedule. The schedule provided a nice structure, in which learning can occur. I was freed to learn, because I didn’t have to think about what was next, where I had to be and when. Later in high school, I had the option of choosing elective courses. I was able to direct my learning and activities to suit my taste. In college, I could create my own schedule based on availability of courses. There was structure by virtue of syllabi and the schedule of classes, even though I effectively chose which classes I took.

In the military, my schedule was largely given to me. When to wake up, when to shower, when to eat, when to work, when to exercise, and when to sleep were dictated. I had to follow the schedule. I had to be at a place, at a time, in the correct uniform and I knew up front what all of those requirements were. It was easy.

As my professional career progressed post-military, the structure of a work schedule became less dictated to me and more dictated by me. Moving up into management brought with it the expectation of self-direction and self-management. That isn’t so say that there was an absence of structure. The structure was more imposed upon me by scheduled meetings and routines of being at a place at a time.

Enter 2020, COVID-19, and the Stay-At-Home Order. Working from home became the new normal. What else changed? The landmarks of place and time evaporated. The work day, only steps away from home life, provided no transition. It less became working from home. It more became living at work.

I felt adrift and the days blurred and blended together. The week felt homogenous.

Things like exercise, reading, writing, practicing my musicianship skills, and daily devotions became options. They became things that I could do in my free, non-work time. With so many options, often times I would do nothing more than stare at my smart phone and scroll though social media. Things needed to change.

One fairly consistent thing I did, and am still doing, during this time was to host a men’s video conference group at 7:20 in the morning Monday through Friday. The group is fairly small, but God is doing big things in our lives. My commitment to this group made sure I got out of bed in the morning. It gave me a time and “place” to be.

How could I use the small success of my weekday morning meeting to give my days what they’re missing?

I decided to create a weekly schedule for myself of days and times where I would purposely do the things that I’ve been neglecting. After I created the schedule on “paper” (Microsoft Excel), I created recurring appointments for myself in my Google calendar for each of the items.

It’s working.

It’s not easy, but it’s easier. I now have reminders to do specific things at specific times. I can measure my days according to my completion of the tasks I’ve set out for myself.

This is a fairly small victory during this pandemic. But it’s a win that I needed.

COVID-19: Thoughts About the Situation and the Future

Things have been different in our world for the past few weeks. It’s only been two weeks of my state’s stay-at-home order. I’ve been working from home for three full weeks.

Communication in relatively ideal settings is challenging. Communication during situations which are less than ideal, more so.

We are learning new ways to connect with one another. We are learning how to be some sort of modern-day diaspora, albeit of a rather superficial and temporary sort.

In addition to the challenges both of life during pandemic and those that our physical separation and spiritual unity create from day to day. We experience another phenomenon. We experience a longing – a longing for all of us to reconnect in person – a longing to embrace – a longing to return to pre-pandemic normalcy.

This hope of a return to a sense of pre-pandemic normal is likely to be an elusive and illusory hope.

Nearly 20 years after the events of September 11, 2001, changes made to American society can still be seen. There was no return to September 10, 2001 – whatever that may have looked like.

What we are experiencing now with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic is merely the first wave. Unlike the rather quick events of 9/11, the events today are drawn-out. The events today are more deadly. If the deaths of just under 3,000 Americans on that Tuesday were the impetus for lasting changes in our culture, this pandemic will make that Tuesday pale in comparison.

Absent a cure or effective vaccine for COVID-19, the virus will remain contagious and potentially deadly to anyone who does not have immunity from prior exposure. Even when a stay-at-home order is lifted or if social distancing guidelines are relaxed, COVID-19 will remain a problem.

After the “flattening of the curve’, new case numbers subside, and restrictions are lifted, the effect will be a bit of a reset for our society. The virus, still among the population, will continue to pose a risk and may take hold again. This would set off another spike in cases, another need to “flatten the curve”, another need for restrictions. Over time the curves will be smaller, but there will be aftershocks from what we are experiencing now.

As a community, we must be prepared for this. It shouldn’t take us by surprise. Instead, we must anticipate and plan accordingly.

How will our get-togethers look? Will we simply extend implicit trust to others that they haven’t experienced symptoms or have been adhering to isolation and other guidelines? Will we exercise continued vigilance and diligence in the face of an unseen contagion that, for some – especially the vulnerable, exacts a terrible toll?

For those who have been comparatively cavalier in their exercising of and adherence to safety guidance, another danger exists. There’s a fair chance that those who have adopted risky behavior remain unscathed. After random chance or dumb luck have preserved such individuals, not only complacency, but hubris settles in. After all, you can run blindly across most streets and most times of the day and be just fine. The odds of there being a car directly in your path, and if there is, that it won’t stop or swerve to miss you, are actually quite low. But we still look both ways before crossing the road.

COVID-19 is just one disease from just one virus. As the world grows to be more connected, the opportunity for pathogens to travel great distances and at great speed increases. When a more dangerous virus comes around in the future, those who have brazenly thumbed their nose at “controlling restrictions” may be the first to become complicit as carriers or become victims outright. Those who have slogged through the restrictions may begin to see restrictions as no longer effective. It’s a Jenga tower. It’s a dangerous world.

The above scenarios and considerations should be part of conversations now. Just as we were caught off-guard as COVID-19 took hold in the United States, we can be caught off-guard to what lies ahead. We must keep our wits about us and not be consumed with a resumption to a state of normalcy that may no longer exist.

Thoughts on the Name of Jesus

There are some who see Jesus Christ as a brand – just like Kraft, Adidas, Coke, Sony, and Harley Davidson.

These modern-day brand names carry connotations about the quality of the product or service. Brand names also carry connotations about the culture of consumers loyal to those brands. Brand names are protected by various national and multinational trademark laws. Those laws serve to protect the integrity of the brand, to the extent those laws have effective jurisdiction. Those laws make sure that the brand name isn’t being applied to some good or service that doesn’t have the brand owner’s approval and isn’t representative of the quality of the good or service by which the brand owner wants to be known. The laws help protect the brand from mislabels and counterfeits.

Bringing this back to Jesus. The name of Jesus has been used for off-brand purposes since the days of the New Testament (Acts 19). The name of Jesus was used to justify horrible acts throughout history. The name of Jesus was used to inspire compassion on the vulnerable and marginalized. The name of Jesus continues to be used for off-brand purposes. The name of Jesus continues to be used for on-brand purposes. What defense against mislabels and counterfeits exists for our benefit when it comes to the name of Jesus? Is there no brand name trademark protection for Jesus?

It seems there is none.

The best tool at our disposal is careful consideration of Jesus Christ through the lenses of the earliest records, both Old Testament and New Testament sources of the character of Christ (i.e. Messiah) as demonstrated through His actions and personality.

If something or someone stands apart from the documented character of Jesus, then it or they should be viewed with skepticism and doubt.

If someone is touting a Jesus whose character and actions don’t align with the Jesus seen through those earliest of records, that person is purveying an off-brand Jesus.

If someone is merely promoting the name of Jesus, without demonstrating quality substance to back it up, that person may be trying to cash-in for either currency, power, or both. (Matthew 23:27) To use the name of the Lord in vain, is sin. (Exodus 20:7; Isaiah 45:18-23; Philippians 2:1-11)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

We have been given a decision matrix, a litmus test, whereby anyone can tell if someone is following Jesus and His teaching. Is someone lacking compassion? Off-brand. Is someone not reaching the lost, vulnerable, and marginalized? Off-brand. Is someone not encouraging those around them? Off-Brand. Is someone acting with compassion and love? On-brand.

Look for substance behind the brand. Beware of imitations (Matthew 25:31-46). Embrace the True Vine (John 15). Follow the real Jesus Christ.

COVID-19 and Working from Home

Quick thoughts about working remotely, with kids at home, during the COVID-19 pandemic:

First, I realize and recognize that many out there have jobs where telecommuting is not a possibility. During this pandemic, tough choices need to be made. It’s not just at the government or business level that those tough decisions are made. Every individual and family have to make choices which balance providing (financially) for family and safety through isolation or social distancing.

This is about how my family is trying to make it happen.

I’m blessed to be in a position and point in my career where I can telework. Although if staffing levels at the 9-1-1 center(s) I support take a big hit, I may have to hop off the proverbial bench and show up to answer 9-1-1 calls, etc.

My wife is doing her best to be working from home, though her company’s policy for COVID-19 still had people physically huddled in a meeting room as of yesterday. Hopefully she won’t have to go back in the office. If she does have to go back to the office, she may be able to time her arrival and departure to avoid other staff. Other options include burning through vacation time, but that isn’t always a guarantee. Businesses choose to stay open and operate. From an employee perspective, bills need to be paid.

The kids’ school has been shuttered for at least the rest of this month. They have been tasked with e-learning assignments. SAT and ACT studying still happens. Of course, video games, movies, artistic sketching, and music appreciation are interwoven into their days. There’s a mixed level of understanding of the gravity of the public health crisis.  There’s mixed reaction to our (the parents’) shelter-in-place policy. After all, they still want to see their friends. Relationships at their age (mid-teens) are so important.

Yesterday, we made a point as a family to watch both the President’s press conference and the Illinois Governor’s press conference regarding COVID-19. I think it helped to kids to see that we are taking the situation as seriously as our governments’ leaders are asking us. We could have a lively discussion about what leaders are doing, could be doing, have or haven’t done, but this writing is not an invitation to do that.

This is about how my family is trying to make it happen.

In the middle and surrounding all of this is our faith. God is not distant and has us in his hands. But I think he’s expecting us to wash our hands, and maintain responsible social distance in this time.  That’s my take-away.

Thoughts on Worship

Worship is a term which has taken on a relatively narrow meaning in American churches, especially those churches of a modern evangelical bent. In that context, when one mentions worship, one is generally referring to musical worship.

I have served as a worship team member, under the leadership of a variety of worship team leaders, under the purview one or more worship directors. By this, I mean that I have been a musician playing worship music during a church service in a church band led by another musician who receives overall guidance from one or more musical directors.

Musical worship is only one manifestation of worship. Musical worship is not mere music, not mere performance. It is an outlet. More and other things can be worship, aside from music itself. If worship is not merely music and not necessarily music, what is worship?

Simply put, worship is the real-time demonstration that God is great and I am not. Worship is heart, mind, spirit and strength with unanimity and integrity pointing away from self and toward God. Worship must come from a place of humility.

There is a word in Hebrew, “shachah”, which means to depress or prostrate oneself in homage to royalty (God), to bow oneself down, crouch, fall down flat, humbly beseech, to do or make obeisance, to demonstrate reverence, to make to stoop, to worship1. This word is used well over 100 times in the Old Testament and is often translated as “worship”. Other times you may see it as “bow down”, depending on your preferred English language translation of the Bible. The word is not used to discuss worship music, but it has been sung, as it is included in the Psalms!

Our first encounter with the word “shachah” is in Genesis: “And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He [Abraham] lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth” Genesis 18:1-2 (ESV).

Our second encounter with the Hebrew word “shachah” is in Genesis 22:5: “Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’” (ESV) Those of you who know this story know that this is Abraham’s obedience to the command of God to offer his promised son as a living sacrifice.

Worship in scripture is a humble demonstration of the proper relationship between God and man.

We must not allow our common use of the word, “worship”, to replace how God wants us to understand the concept. In better understanding the concept, we better understand Him.

God wants our offering. He wants our first. He wants our best:

“In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:3-7 (ESV).

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.” Hebrews 12:28 (ESV)

God wants our heart, mind, spirit and strength:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27 (ESV)

“in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy” 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV) In another translation, the passage reads, “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts” (KJV) It is the beginning of the Lord’s prayer, “Father, hallowed be your name” Luke 11:2 (ESV) The Lord must occupy the high seat in our hearts. He is to be the target and object of our highest praise, honor, and love.

God wants our actions:

“Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

The passage continues, showing how acceptable worship may be performed:

“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 12:28 – 13:5 (ESV) Acceptable worship is demonstrated in our conduct.

Worship must occur in His presence.

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his start when it rose and have come to worship him.’” Matthew 2:2 (ESV) To paraphrase, “Where is He that we may worship Him?”

“Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool!” Psalm 132:7 (ESV)

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” Matthew 18:20 (ESV)

He wants what is His. He is the source of all we have and by worshiping Him, by our real-time demonstration that He is who He is, we both show and tell that it all belongs to Him. He is God.

“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” Psalm 24:1 (ESV)

We worship him because He, “being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10 (ESV)

In Christ, we are co-located with Him in the heavenly places. We have access to His Presence.

We worship Him with our all, because He has given us all. We didn’t earn a thing. We must recognize what God has done by the work of Christ on the cross. Jesus was punished for our shortcomings, failures, and sins. He died as a result of that punishment, was buried, and was resurrected on the third day, according to the Scriptures. Through faith, we now have access to His gift to us. Through faith, we can worship rightly, because of who He is.