Lincoln: "The Biography of a Writer" by Fred Kaplan

Some new things, for me, this author presented about Lincoln;

• Lincoln's use of God, the Bible, and Christianity
• According to this author's writing, Lincoln was not a Christian believer
• Lincoln's purposeful planning; short and long-term
• Lincoln spent a great deal of time on the legal circuit in order to be away from his wife. Lincoln met a lot of people during this time and develop a recognition that would not have probably happened otherwise. He was also able to speak before more groups and test his thoughts.
• Lincoln wrote out his thoughts and planned almost everything he said publically

The book had more about "non-writing" based upon its title, but it does cause me to think more about how much Lincoln wrote and maybe read more about that aspect of his life. Mr. Kaplan is a Lincoln scholar and has written much about the subject of Lincoln. I would have rather read a smaller and more intense book just about Lincoln's writing style and subject matters than to have had to sort through all the history also.

Mr. Kaplan probably has a tilt of some sort about other, and more recent Presidents, that I'll look into. I say this because in his comparison's of Lincoln to other Presidents he left a gaping hole about Ronald Reagan. I'll check my source and confirm, or not, and make a comment back here.

I've read 3 or 4 other books about Lincoln and this, by far, but none of the others had much, if any, about Lincoln's thoughts and beliefs about God. Mr. Kaplan stepped out and was willing to discuss, at least a bit, openly.

So, did Mr. Kaplan succeed in what he set out to accomplish by writing this book?

In my opinion....No; not according to the title.

Book: One Heartbeat Away by Mark Cahill

Book: "Adam" by Ted Dekker

Ok. I had to Google parts of this book to be sure it was fiction, it was that real. Dekker is a great storyteller.

But, don't read the book at night. And it helps to have other people around!!!!

Book: "Good to Great in God's Eyes" by Chip Ingram

I received this book after attending a Leaderboard session at DTS this past January in which Chip Ingram was the speaker.

My son, Austen, was also there and read the book soon after. He has asked me more than once since if I'd read it yet. Not until now and I can't believe such an inspirational book has been setting unread on my desk. This is the first of Mr. Ingram's books I've read, but after just reading the introduction, I'm sure it will not be the last.

I need inspiration from time-to-time and love it when it includes scripture. I also like "lists" and Mr. Ingram lays out 10 practices great Christians have in common. Practices...Christians...in common! Right up my alley.

Here are some of my notes from the Introduction:

• Jesus never rebuked his disciples for their longing to be great (Luke 22). He gave a completely new paradigm about what greatness is, but he didn't condemn their desire.
• Mediocrity is almost no one's ambition.
• After spending three years with Jesus, the disciples didn't seem to think it was prideful to want to honor God with lives of great faith and excellent work. When they argued about which was the greatest Jesus had to redefine greatness for them, yet he didn't tell them they were being unspiritual or arrogant because of their intense desire and ambition to be great.
• Jesus himself wasn't prone to mediocrity either; in a long prayer the night before his crucifixion, he said to the Father:I have brought you glory on earth do." (John 17:4)
• When God created humanity, he proclaimed us not just good, but "very good." (Gen 1:31)
• We exist for his glory; that kind of purpose isn't served well by mediocrity or even by settling for simply being good.
• Jesus' zeal for his Father's house consumed him. (John 2:17)

Some specific points Ingram makes about the practices/principles he lays out in the book;

• They are by no means required for salvation
• They will never earn us brownie points with God
• This is not a ten-step plan to gain God's favor
• They are, however, an opportunity to fulfill the highest and best purposes God has for our life.
• Like great athletes spending years practicing because they have to, they do it because they have a dream. Christians who dream of eternal impact in the kingdom of God, who envision crossing the finish line as one of God's great saints, are motivated to do whatever it takes to be used powerfully by God.

Chip Ingrams ends his introduction with the following...

"God invites you to be a world-changing, kingdom-shaping Christian. The desire to be great was planted in your heart by the one who made you. But desires remain only desires if ther's no follow-through, no plan to accomplish them...."

Thank you Mr. Ingram. Too many people want to down play the desire to be great, to be have a great attitude. I can tell this is going to be a Great book. Thank you for allowing God to use you in his glory.

12/4/2008: there is no doubt in my heart that the Holy Spirit was driving me to this book at this time. The first chapter lays out key areas for cultivating great thoughts and Ingram uses words like positive thoughts and gives the scriptures to support. This is a tough time in the mortgage industry and we've had extra set-backs due to trust I put in some people without proper accountability. As I said before, too many people, Christians included, want to play the whoa-is-me card. But my God is a Great God and has brought me through tough times before. I don't know what he has in store for me, but I'm positive that he is Great and I know practicing Christianity includes having positive thoughts.

Ingram's Think great thoughts about challenges included a reference to James 1:2-4

12/6/2008: this book is just plain Great. I called my son yesterday and thanked him for reminding me about the book a couple of times. This is a book that I'll read a few times because there are a lot of nuggets that no one can consume in one read-through.

Book: "Learning Theology with the Church Fathers" by Christopher A. Hall

Book: "Reagan's Disciple" by Lou Cannon and Carl M. Cannon

Book: Devine Justice by David Baldacci

Book: "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper

This book was originally recommended to me by my pastor. Specifically, he recommended chapter 8 "Making Much of Christ 8 to 5." Hopefull he recommended it to solidify for him what we where discussing. Yet, quite possibly I did not to a good job clarifying my point of our discussion and the recommendation was a way to end the conversation. He was possibly wanting me to read the rest of the book and felt my pig-headedness was an adherence, but he knew I could not resist such a chapter title by this author.

This was in February of 2007 and I did read the chapter. Until almost the last paragraph, I was in near complete agreement and then Dr. Piper wrote, and I quote, "we should not assume that teachers and carpenters and......CPAs and doctors and.......should do their work in America. That very vocation may be better used in a country that is otherwise hard to get into, or a place where poverty makes access to the Gospel difficult. On this way the web of relationships created by our work is not only strategic but intentional."

Ouch. That says volumes to me; my job might not be as important to spreading the Gospel here as it would be in another country? I have to put a question mark because I'm a bit disappointed at Dr. Piper for saying such without a much better qualifying clarification.

This statement, taken in context by itself, and others that make such statements water down the importance of my job as a means of worship and ministry. With a few exceptions, any career or job that is heavenly minded is a ministry. Yet, any career or job not heavenly minded is not a ministry. As an accountant, or CEO, or janitor, or vocational minister is dependent upon one's ulitmate purpose for doing the job. Obviously, I've digressed somewhat into more personal viewpoints.

11/15/2008: Halfway through the book, I'm thoroughly enjoying the rest of it. Dr. Piper brings some good thoughts that I need to struggle through and get a grip on. The chapter on "The Goal of Life - Gladly Making Others Glad in God" was good to read. On page 103 he writes...

We cannot make anyone glad in God. "Joy in God is a fruit of the Holy Spirit" (Galatians 5:22). It is called the "the joy of the Holy Spirit" (I Thessalonians 1:6). It is the work of God: "May the God of hope fill you with all peace and joy" (Romans 15:13). It is effect of God's grace (2 Corinthians 8:1-2)......Nevertheless, even though joy in God is ultimately a fight of God, he uses means to bring people into the fullnes of it. Paul described his whole ministry as laboring for the joy of others. "Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy" (2 Corinthians 1:24).

This brings it home for me; my daily life. Right where I'm at in my sphere of influence and control. Struggling or not with the future, but not worrying about tomorrow, living my life for Christ today in the midst of LIFE. Embracing the struggles and not running from them; searching the matter out - seriously considering what God has in store for me in each event. Looking back over the past hours, days, and years and considering God's lessons.

This, I pray, is a life not wasted.

11/23/2008: Good book. Lot's to dig around in and work-out on in your head and heart. Though Dr. Piper has a bent towards foreign missions, I believe he does understand that not everyone is called to that field, but instead to be engaged where they find themselves.

Dr. Piper does a great job at laying some of the struggles we have with life and what causes it be wasteful, or not.

I pray that my best is not "sea shells" on show and tell day.

Book: Cross Country by James Patterson

Book: "On Becoming a Leader" by Warren Bennis

Mr. Bennis first published the book in 1989 and then as a paperback, with a new intro, in 1994. One of his more recent books (2003) has a similiar title and I intend to read soon, in part, to see if his views have changed.

I find Mr. Bennis' ideology rather liberal in nature and a bit objective. He does have a tendancy to "write with lists" and I like that. While he talks about leaders and leadership as one would have arrived at a point, or level, and having been crowned with the title (like a doctor or lawyer), I don't believe it is that black and white. In life, we are all influencing and leading. I see bad influencers every day, and they are leading.

So, having said that, I did enjoy the book and took lots of notes.

New Introduction

• A leader for the 21st century must 1. know that staying with the status quo is unacceptable, 2. create intellectual capital....you get the most out of people by empowering them, by supporting them, by getting out of their way, and 3. followers need from their leaders 3 basic qualities; 1. they want direction, 2. they want trust, and 3. they want hope.
• the trust factor will reign as the most pivotal factor of a leader's success
• using the metaphor of a tripod - leaders generate and sustain trust by 1. ambition, 2. competance, and 3. integrity - moral fabric
• for leaders and organizations to succeed, there are three basic ingredients; Ideas, Relationships, and Adventure
• Ideas are the basis change and intellectual capital
• Relationships have to do with outstanding people working in harmony and openness, where everyone feels empowered, where all members feel included and at the center of things, where they feel competent and significant.
• Adventure has to do with risk, with a bias toward action, with curiosity and courage.
• and the challenge of leadership is to create the social architecture where ideas, relationships, and adventure can flourish.

Introduction

• On Becoming a Leader is based on the assumption that leaders are people who are able to express themselves fully. By this I meand that they know who they are, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how to fuly deploy their strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. They also know what they want, why they want it, andhow to communicate what they want to others, in order to gain their cooperation and support. Finally, they know how to achieve their goals.
• Becoming a leader isn't easy....but learning to lead is a lot easier than most of us think it is, because each of us contains the capacity for leadership.
• ...the process of becoming a leader is much the same as the process of becoming an integrated human geing.....life itself is the career.
• those I choose for this book were not only accomplished, but multitalented.....these leaders are by no means ordinary people....as diverse as they are in terms of backgrounds, age....they are in accord on two basic points; first, they all agree that leaders are made, not born, and made more by themselves than by any external means; second, they agree that no leader sets out to be a leader per se, but rather to express himself freely and fully. That is, leaders have no interest in proving themselves, but an abiding interest in expressing themselves. The difference is crucial, for it's the difference between being driven, as too many people are today, and leading, as too few people do.
• something else they have in common is that each of these individuals has continued to grow and develp throughout life.
• Because we are still questioning the assumptions, there are no theories. But the best information we have suggests that adults learn best when they take charge of their own learning.....taking charge of your life.
• We like to think that if someone has the right stuff, he or she will naturally rise to the top....but it isn't true.
• At bottom, becoming a leader is synonymous with becoming yourself. It's precisely that simple, and it's also that difficult.

Book: "Breakthrough Companies" by Keith R. McFarland

10/14/2008 This review is done in an outline format and is intended to be a learning document. My intent is to add to this review over the next few weeks and share with bullet points and highlights with employees of Alethes. I'll begin with a brief outline and then come back and input the author's highlights, followed by any other points I find of specific interest.

Comments made by me outside the author's text will be in italics.

Also, this will not be done front-to-back; I'll skip around and first bring to light what I like the most (in case I don't finish the whole outline!).

Introduction

Throwing the Dyno

Crowning the Company

Upping the Ante

Building Company Character

Navigating the Business Bermuda Triangle

Erecting Scaffolding

Enlisting Insultants

Graduating from Tough Times U

Building Breakthrough Capabilities

Afterword: Post-Breakthrough - Avoiding Breakdown

Note: I've finished the book, but haven't typed out my notes.

Book: "A Sacred Sorrow" by Michael Card

Book: Mr. China, by Tim Clissold

At the recommendation of Dave Moore, my coach, I ordered this book a while back. It's been in my stack of unreads for a few weeks and I picked it up while looking for something I could escape into for a few hours.

This was an almost bizarre adventure the author put himself through. An obviously well educated and intelligent man, Clissold had a passion that I'm sure he and those that knew him had to question from time-to-time.

While not exactly the type of book I 'escape into' it read incredibly well for a memoir. For a memoir, Clissold left some personal aspects out that would have made the book more meaningful....for me. Yet, the book was about China, and his infatuation for the country and the people, and his work there, not about his wife and family and how they played into the picture.

If it was there, I totally missed why the he went to China the first time, nor any reason other than desire the second, but then.....that's what "callings" are sometimes about and there's little argument that Clissold felt called to China.

There's one incident Clissold tells about that describes much of the book; Clissold was living in a boarding house and he let his visiting brother sleep on the floor. The next morning he was confronted by a very angry house manager who explained that letting the brother sleep on the floor was against the rules (unwritten). For years to come, Clissold continued to find many unwritten rules in China.

This was a decent read, though a bit more about his family and how they handled it would have made it more enjoyable. My take away thoughts, a week after reading Mr. China, are 1. Clissold following his passion, his call to China and 2. it would all work better if we knew the rule; what we were accountable to and for.

Dave has another client and a friend of mine Todd Barrett that does a great deal of business in China....I can't imagine. After reading Mr. China, I'll just say that I'm glad I'm in the mortgage business in the good old US or A; even with conditions and problems being what they are.

Book: The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges

Have you ever really thought about "fearing" God?

A few months ago a co-worker was bashing a former acquaintance, making fun of him actually, and it was really bothering me. After asking him why he felt it was ok to make fun of someone, I asked him if he, the co-worker, "feared God."

The co-worker's response was "well, I'm not sure that I fear God...because He's my friend." This brought on a discussion about our difference in views of God; his of friendship and mine of a "righteous" fear of God. The conversation ended with each of us sending the other scriptures to validate our viewpoints. Follow-up conversations, initiated by me, have not been reciprocated.

Yet, it has lead me to ask a few others about their view of God and I've been surprised at the laxness (is that a word) of many others' thoughts about fearing God. One friend though, Ted Leslie, mentioned the "joy" of fearing God and this book (awesome, huh?).

Jerry Bridges is the author of two other books that I've read more than once (The Discipline of Grace and The Pursuit of Holiness). I doubt this is anything short of a good and deep read.

9/23/2008: Bridges dares to insinuate that one doesn't trust God anymore than one fears Him! That's good.

10/19/2008: I'm a bit more than half through the book. The author, in chapter 8, makes suggestions for growing in the fear of God; 1. prayer, 2. exposure of our minds to the Word of God through hearing it taught and reading and studying it ourselves, 3. he recommended some good books that direct our thoughts toward God, and 4. he then encourages us to develop the habit of thinking great thoughts about God.

11/28/2008: Chapter 10..."The Fruit of the Tree."

Here are some of what I believe to be the more profound, or at least specific points the author makes -

• page 155 - A major characteristic of one who fears God is obedience to Him.


• page 156 - Scripture also draws a frequent connection between wickedness and the absence of fearing God.


• page 159 - The bible also draws a close connection between love to God and obedience. 1 John 5:3 reads, "This is love for God: to obey his commands." And Jesus said, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me" (John 14:21).


• page 161 - To fear God by obeying Him means that we seek to follow all of His commands for us. We must not pick and choose or seek to reinterpret some of them....Too often we define sin in terms of those actions that may be least troublesome to us: drunkenness, dishonesty, sexual immorality, abortion....We see the sinfulness of society around us but not the sin in our own hearts: critical and judgemental attitudes, selfishness, gossip, back-biting, insisting on our own way, and seeking to manipulate or intimidate others.


• page 161 - The one place where Paul warns us not to grieve the Holy Spirit.....is in a section dealing with our speech and other interpersonal relationships (Ephesians 4:29)...."Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."


• page 162 - Immediately after that he says..."Do not grieve the Holy Spirit." We grieve the Holy Spirit not only with dishonesty or immorality, but also by our gossip, complaining, and sharp words.


• page 162 - If we express our fear of God by keeping all His decrees and commands as Moses said (Deut 6:2), then we must give attention to our interpersonal relationships. Consider, for example the following from Romans 12: Love sincerely (v9), Be devoted to one another in brotherly love (10), Honor others above yourself (10), Share with others in need (13), Practice hospitality (13), Bless those who persecute you (14), Rejoice with those who rejoice (15), Mourn with those who mourn (15), Live in harmony with one another (16), Do not be proud or conceited (16), Do not repay evil for evil (17), Seek to live at peace with everyone (18), Do not seek revenge (19), Overcome evil with good (21)


• page 162,3 - These words are not just moralisms from the pen of the apostle Paul; they are the words of God. IF we accept the authority of Scripture, then we must view every one of these relational actions as God's commands to be carried out in the fear of God. We honor one another above ourselves in the fear of the Lord. we practice hospitality in the fear of the Lord. We overcome evil with good in the fear of the Lord.


• page 165 - The statement "Love your neighbor as yourself" is only the last half of a sentence in its original occurrence in Scripture. The full sentence reads, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 19:18). Note that it's in the context of bearing a grudge or seeking revenge that we're told to love our neighbor as ourselves. This means love always forgives. "Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11)


• page 166 - So we both fear God and love Him by obeying His law. And we obey His law by loving others, by treating them as we want to be treated.


• page 167 - One of the most fundamental truths we must learn in Christian growth is that we are responsible, yet dependent. That is, we are responsible to obey God's commands, We are responsible for our sin. We cannot blame the devil or other people. We sin because we choose to sin. We do not obey because we choose not to obey. Yet at the same time we don not have the resources within ourselves to obey. We are completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit. Notice how this principle is taught by Paul in Philippians 2:12-13. "Therefor, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose."


• page 168 - It is an awesome thought to realize the extent of our responsibility before God and yet to be painfully aware that we don not have within ourselves the ability to carry out the least of His commandments. That's why Paul hastens to add those encouraging words of verse 13 "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Obedience to God is very much our responsibility - but a responsibility that must be carried out in utter dependence on the Holy Spirit.


• page 168 - Yet this dependence on the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to fearing God by obeying Him.


• page 168 - Always Under the Gospel. We need to also keep in mind that our obedience is never the means of earning any merit or blessing from God....This is why we must learn to live under the gospel every day. The gospel is not just for unbelievers; it is for believers also, because we are still sinners. Every day we need the reassurance that all our sins are forgiven (Colossians 2:13) because Christ paid for them all on the cross.


• page 170 - Paul was no sluggard. He neither preached nor practiced "easy believism," the erroneous connetion that because we're saved by grace, Christian discipleship is merely optional (Phil 3:12-14). Paul pressed on; he strained forward......If you and I are to fear God by keeping His commandments, we also must learn to live by faith in Jesus Christ. Otherwise our obedience will degenerate into a works-righteousness, an.d our fear of God into a slavish fear. Only as we realize that we're "sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26), and that God the Father accepts us through Christ, can we fear God in filial fear, the loving fear of a child toward his father.


• page 170 - Teaching our Children. Not only must we learn to fear God by keeping His commandments we must also teach our children to do likewise. We must not only teach them to obey; we must teach them to obey in the fear of the Lord; Deuteronomy 6:2 - "so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life."

2/1/2014: Picking the book back up this morning after going online and looking at my notes here, I'm curious as to what caused me to only include notes from Chapter 10.

11/24/2008: at this rate, I'll never finish. Too deep and too much good stuff to finish.

3/21/2009: Finishing this book has been a struggle for some reason. But I felt compelled and did finish a couple of weeks ago after a friend, Trent Egbert, talked about hearing Bridges teach 3 times over a four day period.

Did the author accomplish what he wanted to accomplish in this writing? For me he did; I have such a HUGE God; so powerful.

Another friend recently told me about how, in wanting to get closer to God, he prayed for a trial. A few months later he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. This friend's next comment was amazing -

"Danny, it's ok...it further proves that God answers prayers. This has been a blessing." 2/1/2014: I'm sorry to say that this friend ended up committing suicide 2 years later.

Now, I don't care who you are...that's a God to be feared. 2/1/2014: I almost erased this previous statement, but will leave.

3/21/2009: Did the author accomplish what he intended by writing this book? As I mentioned early on, Bridges dares to insinuate that one doesn't trust God anymore than one fears Him!

Yes, he accomplished his mission in writing this book..for me.

2/1/2014 - researching something for a friend, Gary Seal, I came back to this book for the first time in over 3 years. I have a lot of notes, underlines and journal entries in the book. I'm reminded of the purpose for writing in a book! Good to reflect, to ponder, to remember the journey, the previous struggles and how God brings us through. 2008-09 was a difficult period and I didn't realize at the time how important this read was to me.

7/24/2016 - my son, Austen, sent me a quote from his pastor this morning, "the problem with religion is that man fears man instead of man fearing God." I thought of 'the joy of fearing God' and came back to this post. That friend who committed suicide (above)....I'd forgotten I'd written about that. Do you fear God if you commit suicide? I expect not. The other friend/co-worker that considers God is friend....that should cause one to really think; is God our friend? What kind of friend? Jesus said in Joh 15 "you are My friends if you do what I command you." I quick word search for 'friend' on my Bible app shows 83 in the Old and 40 in the New Testament. There a few verses that at least eludes to God being our friend, but I know I need to be aware of the type of friend He is. I sure don't model what he says about friendship. Compared to Him, I'm too wishy-washy, too........too.......too a lot of things he is not. I don't want to confuse my friendly behaviors with Him as my friend.

1/11/2023 - I listened to an old Tim Keller sermon on “Knowing God.” I’ve heard it numbers time over there last 20 years. Keller emphasized fearing God is knowing Him. Maybe the other way around? I remembered this book, reread this post and it brought back a lot of memories. Things to pause and ponder, and not rush into the day. 

Book: "It's Not About the Coffee" by Howard Behar

Former Starbucks president Howard Behar says "Starbucks is not in the coffee business serving people. We are in the people business serving coffee."

Within 3 pages of beginning this book last night I found myself looking for a pen. Finding real deals is great and that's what I'm uncovering here. Mr. Behar has been in the trenches. Most company presidents spend their time in meetings, meetings, meetings...I know, I am one. Mr. Behar though, tried to visit as many stores each week as he could; many times 10.

This is where he learned the most about his business. This is where he was able to set and let his entrepenual thoughts take run wild and take hold. I had always assumed the President of Starbucks was one of the original owners, but not so. Mr. Behar was 44 years old and had 20 years in the retail furniture business when he came to Starbucks in 1989.

This is a great read and is puncuated with a bit of Mr. Behar's personal history as he shares the ten Leadership Principles he used to guide him through the years.

Here are some insights into his principles (just insigts, not the principles...you'll need to read the book to get those);

• Know who you are
• Know why you're here
• Develop trust in yourself
• Build trust
• Listen for the truth
• Own It
• Think like a person of action and act like a person of thought
• Trust = Truth = Accountability
• It's not rocket science, it's a lot harder
• Getting past the no book

Maybe, maybe, the most best quote in the book (I'm rereading it, again) is on page 100 and Mr. Behar is talking about truth and accountability. He quotes Harold Geneen, CEO of ITT:

"I believe it is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises - put only performance is reality. Performance alone is the best measure of your confidence, competence, and courage. Only performance will give you the freedom to grow yourself."

Good reading,

Danny

Book: "The Gift of Work" by Bill Heatley

Dallas Williard starts this book off with a high expectation of what is to come in Mr. Heatley's The Gift of Work.

Dave Moore told me about the book and was intrigued by the name; I agree. What a gift work can be; what a gift work should be; what a gift work IS!

The typical person, me included, does not properly embrace the challenge of work and thus, we run from the stress of our work; we want our work to be easy. How many times have we said...just a day without problems.

As Gary Thomas might say, "what if work was more about making us holy instead of making us money and/or happy?"

Outline and details of The Gift of Work forthcoming.

Forward

Prologue: Work - What Was God Thinking?
1. Changing Our Minds About Work

2. Kindgom Living
3. Redefining Success
4. You Are Here: God as Our Reference Point
5. Not a Trivial Pursuit
6. Training as a Disciple of Christ
7. The Nucleus of Change

Appendix A:
How God Is in Business by Dallas Willard

Appendix B:
Unto This Last by John Ruskin

Appendix C: Bussiness - A profession by Louis D. Brandeis

Book: "Water From a Deep Well" by Gerald Sittser

My "important parts" of this book is extensive and what I've notated below is at most the tip-of-the-iceberg. This is a history book that lives today.

8/16/2008: the more a read this book, and Hall's ".....with the Church Fathers," the more I realize I have not begun to touch the surface. History gives so much to learn about those that have gone before us and their struggles, triumphs, and revelations. I continue to realize how little I've been taught, and how little I'm passing on.

8/24/2008: reminder that, unless noted otherwise, what is written below is quoted from the book. I don't understand some of what the context. Much of it, like the sacrements (and most of whole window chapter) is foriegn to the teaching I've had to date.

8/20/2008: I just wrote up the notes for the chapter on "Word: The Spirtuality of the Reformers." The summary Sittser gives on the Reformers treatment of the Word is really good.

9/19/2008: I haven't finished this.....yet. The past few weeks' events have brought this book to my thoughts many times; the importance of the sacraments, church..what is it?, worship services, the importance of scripture reading in a church service?, leadership, fearing God.

3/1/2009: This book led me back to thoughts I had while reading Christopher Hall's Reading Scripture with the Church Father's. I've since gone back and listened to an interview Dave Moore had with Hall, which led me to the series Ancient Christian Commentaries on Scripture. I've purchased two, Proverbs/Ecclesiates/Song of Soloman and James, 1-2 Peter/1-3 John/Jude - what great reads!

----------------------

From the book;

Introduction -
Page 18: Every generation of believers faces the risk of becoming a prisoner to its own myopic vision of the Christian faith, assuming that how it understands and practices faith is always the best. C.S. Lewis cited this problem as a reason for reading old books. "None of us," he wrote, "can fully escape this blindness, but we shall certainly increase it, and weaken our guard against it, if we read only modern books," for modern books (as well as the ideas and practices they convey) only tell us what we already know and thus reinforce our blind spots and prejudices.

Book: "Riven" by Jerry B. Jenkins

Awesome book. Mr. Jenkins is a great novelist and what a great message. I've thought about the book every day since I finished it 5 days ago. And that is not like me.

I read novels to normally just escape into something other than TV or a movie and when I finish, that's it; done. But not this book. It leaves a mark...so far.

8/9/2008 - Update: two weeks later, I'm still thinking about the characters and still recommending the book to others. Cathy has finished it and was a bit upset with the ending - it is sobering!

After a couple of weeks, as riveting as the role of Brady is, I'm probably drawn just as much, if not more, to the Chaplain and his struggles. Yet, saying that just now, what a great and glorious God we have. Now that's a role!

Mid-September, 2008: Jenkins' story-line and characters continues to be infecting!

"What Jesus Demands of the World" by John Piper

Years ago after studying Matthew 28:18-20 I began wondering what "all" did Jesus command? He told his apostles to "teach them to observe all that I've commanded."

So, what did he command?

Piper has worked through this question and his answer, only in part he admits, is this book. While the author admits this book is not exhaustive, it is lengthy and has incredible MEAT.

I've read through parts of the book a few times. I'm now studying each of the 50 demands one week at a time.

Demand #1 - 7/20/2008: John 3: 3,5,7 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kngdom of God..Jesus answered,..do not marvel that I said to you, 'you must be born again.'"

7/25/2008: Now this is interesting that Jesus said that Nicodemus should not marvel. Even though Nicodemus was a teacher of God's word, still...not marvel? I'm pondering this some more..

7/31/2008: Some friends and I are going to be going through this book together over the next year. So, I'll continue this discussion on another blog. Let me know if you'd like to join in.

Book: "Redeeming the Routines"

I'll try to comment on this book a bit later, but it is very good. The author has obviously spent a great deal of time working out his content.

Book: "Lasting Investments" by Kent Humphreys

A thoroughly good read that left me many times wishing pastors would really read what Humphreys has to say.

The author is a former CEO and 30+ year business owner. His stories of challenges and triumphs are very encouraging and real.

The subtitle is "A Pastor's Guide for Equipping Workplace Leaders to Leave a Spiritual Legacy." While it is a great read for not just pastors, but all people in the workplace, I warn you though, you could begin wondering why your pastor isn't tuned in to the honest-to-goodness struggles you experience 40, 50, and more hours per week.

Included is a step-by-step guide on how a pastor might bring a group of business leaders through the process. The case studies at the end of the book are really good discussion topics for anyone to wrestle through.

This book is real and should leave any reader at least wondering how he or she could be better equipped to minister to his or her co-workers.

Humphreys doesn't beat-around-the-bush with what he believes. Case-in-point is the following exert from pages 53-53;

"Ministry must have as its long-term eternal focus either evangelism or discipleship as defined by Jesus in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Ministry has as its goal to enlarge and mature the body of Christ. Is feeding the hungry a ministry? Yes, if its focus is eternal. But if it is only to fill empty stomachs, then it is just a good deed. So, ministry is determined not just by what we do by why we do it."

That's good stuff. He goes on to quote a friend, Walter Henrichsen: "The secular becomes spiritual if done for the eternal, and the spiritual or religious becomes secular if done for the temporal."

Yikes. That'll keep a few people at arms-length from the book. But Humphreys is obviously more interested in the truth than selling books.

It really is a good book and should cause anyone "searching the matter out" (Proverbs 25:2) to ponder deeply. Again, the case studies, with scripture notations, at the end of the book are excellent tools for individual and group discussions.

Book: "God in the Marketplace" by Henry and Richard Blackaby

When the notice of this book came across my email (from my friend Nolan) I immediately paid attention because of the author's name. Henry Blackaby was co-author with Claude V. King on "Experiencing God" I went through a Bible Study using the workbook in 1995/6 and it changed my life. Mr. Blackaby has remained in the mainstream since.

So, when I saw this book, my first thought was "aha, this is good if the book addresses some key workplace issues. Blackaby's name should cause many pastors to pay attention the relevance of work and ministry."

The book does give more credit to their reputations (Henry and Richard). They've obviously spent a lot of time outside the church building's walls and learned what their congregational ministers need to live well.

They've written the book with a lot of questions,lots of questions, many of them I've asked myself, others, and God - many times. Blackaby then addresses the answer(s). Though some of the content is repetitive, the subject matter in which it is addresses has changed. And, I like repetitive.

Blackaby also gives source notes, scripture indexes, and additional resources at the end of each chapter. I do appreciate how the authors say this is not an exhaustive study. I also appreciate and respect how they tell the reader to "test everything" they read in their book.

This book is a re-read and one to be left hanging around your desk for quick reference to our serious questions about work and Christian principles.

And it should not be controversial when you give a copy to our pastors.

God Bless.

Book: "Sacred Marriage" by Gary Thomas

The sub-title is "What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy."

I was given this book to read as part of my "Life-Group" by Nolan and Dana Egbert. Nolan and I have exchanged a few book recommendations over the past 3 years and he hasn't let me down yet - or not that I can remember (and I do tend to move on from bad reads quickly - my opinion only on the definition of "bad" read).

The title and sub-title of this book sets the reader up for some heavy expectations and Thomas didn't let me down. My wife, Cathy, read the first few pages and wondered "what was that all about? A few others in our group have said the same thing about the first couple of chapters. Cathy has moved on into the book and tells me she is enjoying it. Thomas could have added a bit of lightness to the beginning, but he didn't and I like it; the author starts off deep and then "lightens up" some by telling a couple of gut-wrenching real-life stories before getting deep again.

June 20, 2008: So far, I'm on chapter 7, I don't believe this is a book for someone floating through their marriage relationship, or not wanting to get down to the nitty-gritty of what that relationship really is supposed to be about. This IS a book about growing closer to Jesus through your marriage relationship.

What does the bible say about the bride and groom? Gary Thomas goes a long way towards answering that question.

What if my marriage relationship COULD bring me closer to being Christ-like?

Intriguing.

July 19, 2008: I've slowed down on this reading the past month. Cathy and I have had some challenges; not necessarily with this book, but our relationship has been strained a bit lately and it appears to have started about the time we started reading Sacred Marriage.

Yet, we haven't really discussed the book with each other except for a couple of passing comments.

So....I ponder and pray about my marriage and becoming more Christ-like. Cathy is a gift and she deserves me being a better husband.

Interesting trip!

11/15/2008: we, Cathy and I, have started back on the book, but going slowly.

July/2009: while I've finished the book, it remains by my nightstand for an occasional review. Subtitle continues to capture my thoughts on a regular basis, and not just about marriage, but all aspects of life...."what if work, was more about making me holy instead of many my money to make me happy?" Or, "what if challenges with people were more about making me holy instead of.....?"

Book: "Made to Stick" by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

This book was recommended to me by a Randy Watson.

In the introduction the authors ask "are ideas born interesting or made interesting? They then go on to make a compelling arguement for "made."

The authors are a graduate school professor and a research consultant. Their arguement is based upon six principles they found from their research:

• Principle 1: Simplicity
• Principle 2: Unexpectedness
• Principle 3: Concreteness
• Principle 4: Credibility
• Principle 5: Emotions
• Principle 6: Stories

Good book that I'm sure I'll circle back to for insight many times.

Book: The Whole Truth by David Baldacci

Book: The Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell

Wild at Heart at its best. Period-the-end.

I've been intrigued by Navy Seals since I first heard about them in 1973 as a brand new Navy E-1 (that's low of the lowly). The company commander in the barracks next to ours was a decorated Seal and I still to this day have never seen anyone that brought about such respect just by his presence. You notice I said "seen" and not met - I never met the man, just saw him. I later met another Seal while in Submarine school and was also struck by something about him.

So, my judgement of the book could be a bit tainted, but there have been few books I've read that drew from me such emotion.

Petty Officer Luttrell, and others such as him...Thank you for doing what you've done.

God Bless.

Danny

Book: John Newton - From Disgrace to Amazing Grace" by Johathan Aitken

What a remarkable man, life, and testimony. This is an incredible story of God's mercy and grace; rebelish as youngster and young adult, absent father he was trying to please, and slave-trader, enslaved himself who came to know Christ after numerous near-death experiences.

Newton turned pastor with a strong bent to be ordained by England's mainline church and later strongly influenced Member of Parliament William Wilberforce in Wilberforce who was later responsible for the abolishment of slavery in England and set the stage for President Lincoln's plan for the United States.

Newton can be described as persistent and purposeful. He knew he was called by the Caller to his life, his marriage, and his vocation. That vocation wasn't just in a pulpit, but to a life dedicated to Christ and that is the way he lived.

Few men have changed history the way John Newton has done and yet, he has managed to evade much of the publicity.

This book is must read for anyone interested in developing his or her leadership abilities.

Book: "The Last Men's Book You'll Ever Need" by David Moore

The Last Men's Book You'll Ever Need.

It's a great read - I don't care who you are."

Now, that statement could be a bit slanted because the author is my executive coach. The reader will understand the title is "tongue-in-cheek" (Dave points this out in the intro). The book itself flows quickly and should leave the reader pondering much.

The intro's first paragraphs tells the reader "Men are odd creatures and women need to read the book to be more aware of the sorry excuses men are." Oh wait...I miss-read that....it's "sorry excuses men give." The intro ends with "God is salubrious." After looking up salubrious my reaction was Ouch, then...gulp; I'm odd and God is totally healthy. That's humbling at any depth.

With chapter titles such as Pooping Elephants, Lose Your Job Everyday, and Sin I.Q. you have to know the read will be either the stupidest thing you've ever read, or......well, profound.

Every chapter leaves the reader with notes, suggested readings, and a Discuss and Apply session. I'm sure Dave would welcome any challenge the reader might want to send his way about the book.

This is another book I've given away many of and will more.

The Last Men's Book You'll Ever Need can be challenging, but removing elephants usually are.

Danny

The Ultimate Sales Machine

By Chet Holmes

"Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies"

The summary of the original text discusses

• Mastering... the 12 strategies that will enable you to out-manage, out-market, and out-sell any competitor any day and every day
• Discover... a proven technique for hiring superstars by rejecting them during the interview to see how they will respond to adversity
• Double... your sales by using the "education-based marketing" approach that will make every potential buyer truly want to hear what you have to say
• Target...your "dream clients" - the small number of customers who buy the vast majority of the products and services in your market
• Improve...your marketing ROI by using seven weapons more strategically: advertising; direct mail; corporate literature; PR; personal contact; market education; and the Internet.

Originally, I only read the Book Summary, but after reading a respected author's review I've since bought the book. "Maximizing Productivity" has become a new term for me..replacing time management and anything about organization. In my recent Round Tables I've been asking participants "what are the 3 things you need to improve on?" Around 30% (of 70+) have said either time managment or organization (training and communication tied for #1). In one group, when I turned the term to "maximizing productivity" the discussions became very passionate about what a difference the term did to their viewpoint.

Training and education as a business building block also hits close to home.

Holmes seems to have a great deal of hands-on experience and puts a really good spin on his message about having pig-headed discipline and determination. Though I wondered at first about the title; The Ultimate Sales Machine, I remembered a sales consultant we talked to last year who claimed we were not a sales organization! Yikes...that hurt - who doesn't want more sales?

His fresh perspective on some old ideas are good and refreshing.

I like the book and have added a stack of them to my office for give-aways.

Pig-headed!

Danny

Book: "Doing God's Business" by R. Paul Stevens

This book is one the required reading list for the Theology of Work coursework at Bakke Graduate University. Stevens is the professor for the course and has been writing about the importance of God and work for over 4o years. A former pastor turned carpenter working as a "lay" pastor turned theology professor, he has hit me between the eyes, the gut, and the groin with this book.

While I normally make notes and underline any book I'm reading, I journal in some of the books I read and especially so when I feel God speaking to me through the author's words. This book spoke a great deal to me and reading back now through my notes I find myself myself humbled by how much I'm not leading well in my work.

Stevens causes me to really think about church; what is it, or what has it become? Is the way I do church the way God intended? Am I paying attention to church correctly? Is it equipping me to be a better CEO?

I'm questioning what I think about work, and some will tell you've I've got a different slant to that subject.

I find myself, while reading this book, wondering about my company's culture? Are we having problems because of our sowing? Am I purposeful enough about the company's mission statement (page 165)? Or the values? Am I living them out myself? Do I demand excellence from my executive team?

I wonder if I'm spread too thin? Do I give my executive team the right amount of time? Do I have too many direct reports? How well am I serving God as the CEO? Am "I" trying to do too much?

How well am I glorifying God (page 166)? Do I let problems go on and on and not deal with them correctly; am I offering bandaids to ripped jugular?

Stevens states (page 208) that "at every stage of life, but particularly at crucial transitions, we are challenged to rediscover vocation and to go deeper." Well, just read this book and he'll take you there.

This is probably the most overall profound book about God and work I've read yet. This book gets down to the life of God and work and what makes work so worshiplike.

Yet, and this is what is so extremely sad.....Stevens is teaching things I've not been taught before, and I'm one that has been looking.

Maybe I've been looking in the wrong places.

We'll see.

Book: "The Other Six Days" by R. Paul Stevens

This is another required reading for the Theology of Work class at Bakke Graduate University. The author is also the Professor at BGU and Regents College.

From the back cover......"Stevens challenges the idea that a select few are called to minister to others and argues that the clergy-laity division is not only biblically wrong but practically counterproductive."

Professor Stevens lays out the complete aurguement that a person's "calling" is a call to salvation, holiness, and to service. He also insists that "calling" is to before do.

Anyone wrestling with whether or not their work is their ministry will want to read this book and consider the Stevens' points and and references. In this 255 page read, scripture is referenced over 800 times and at least 50 different pages mentions the Holy Spirit.

In particular, chapter 2, Reinventing Laity and Clergy is a must read. He starts the chapter out with this provocative quote from Karl Barth....

Theology is not a private reserve of theologians. It is not a private affair for professors....Nor is it a private affair for pastors...Theology is a matter for the church. It does not get on well without professors and pastors. But its problem, the purity of the church's service, is put to the whole church. The term 'laity' is one of the worst in the vocabular of religion and ought to be banished from Christian conversation.

Stevens: The Other Six Days: Vocation, Work, and Ministry in Biblical Perspective
See document: Theology of Work.mmap
1 Part I: A People Without 'Laity and Clergy'
1.1 1. Doing People Theology
1.1.1 1. 'Of' the Whole People of God: Beyond Clericalized Theology
1.1.2 2. 'For' the Whole People of God: Beyond Unapplied Theology
1.1.3 3. 'By' the Whole People of God: Beyond Academic Theology
1.2 2. Reinventing Laity and Clergy
Karl Barth: Theology is not a private reserve of theologians. It is not a private affair for professors....Nor is it a private affair for pastors...Theology is a matter for the church. It does not get on well without professors and pastors. But its problem, the purity of the church's serice, is put to the whole church. The term 'laity' is one of the worst in the vocabulary of religion and ought to be banished from Christian conversation.
1.2.1 1. A People without 'Laity'
Introduction
Lay is defined as (though slippery and usually in terms of negatives) by...
Function - does not administer the Word and sacraments
Status - does not have a 'Rev'
Location - - serves primarily in the world
Education - is not theologically trained
Remuneration - is not full-time and paid
Lifestyle - is not religious but occupied with secular life
The Laos of God
Laos originally meant 'the crowd' and 'the people as a nation'
The Greek translation of the Old Testament employed is as the universal designation for 'the people of God' translating the Hebrew 'am.
Acts 15:14 - James makes the deliberate connection of the OT national Israel with the newly reconstituted people of God in Christ
This word does not mean 'untrained' or 'ordinary'.
Laos means a truly extraordinary people
Contrary to the most church, we discover in the NT one ministering people with leaders, also members of the laos, serving them to equip the people for the work of the ministry Ehp 4:11-12)
The people of God laos) is one people composed (miraculously) of Jews and Gentils, men and women, rich and poor, bond and free - all being together the chosen inheritance of God.
Clergy under the Old Covenant had functions abolished in the New Covenant; rather universalized in the 'people of God.'
The reason has to do with the lordship and mediatorship of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Thus, the New Testament use of the word "clergy.'
1.2.2 2. A People without 'Clergy'
Contemporary concept of clergy
1: the vicarious function - service is redndered representatively not only on behalf of, but instead of the people
2: the ontological difference usually associated iwth abslute ordination - namely that a person becomes a priest or religious in virtue of ordination and not in virtue of character (can't resign from ministy: ? ds)
3: the sacramental function whereby the term sacerdos is used routinely for the bishop
4: the professional status which implies a quasi-unique function with social significance, specialized functions which are interchangeable and with the assumption that a well-trained profession can do it better than an amateur or volunteer.
A church full of clegy
Kleros - the Greek work from which clergy is dervided is used to describe aspects of being the whole people of God
In no situation do the apostles use this term to describe appointment to an ecclesiastical office
This term was only used by Ignatuius of Antioch prior to the third century.
The church in the New Testament has no 'laypersons' in the usual sense of that word, and is full of 'clergy' in the true sense of that word.
The New Testament opens up a world of universal giftedness, universal empowerment of the people of God through the gift of the Holy Spirit, universal ministry, and the universal experience of the call of God by all the people of God.
Old Testament Sources: see page 33 for an Old vs New Covenant Ministry chart
Old
limited Word ministry (Jer 31:34)
scerdotal mediation of priests (Ex 30)
occasional and exceptional spiritual giftedness (Ex 31:3)
unique and special 'calls' to service (1 Sam 3)
occasional gift of wisdom - the wise person (1 kgs 3:16-28)
New
unlimited Word ministry (Acts 2:18)
total/life priesthood (Rom 12:1-2)
unlimited spiritual giftedness (1Cor 12:7; Eph 4:7)
unlimited call to service and ministry (Eph 4:1)
wisdom available to all (James 1:5)
There are strands of revelation that suggest non-clergy ministry in the Old Testament (page 34)
Implicit Old Testament Clericalism
...viewing Adam and Eve as priests of creation and prototypes for the human vocation; experiencing corporateness and peoplehood and not merely making ministry an individual activity; envisioning the servant of the Lord as the paradigm for ministry by the los of God; seeing sabath (the threefolds rest of God, humankind, and creation) as the goal of the salvation story; and finally making covenant the relational basis of vocation, work and ministry.
The fuliflled Old Testament
In sum, under the OT the entire people were called to belong to GOd, to be God's people and to serve God's purposes (Ex 19:6)
Within that people only a few - prophets, priests, wise men, and princes - experienced a special call to ive leadership to God's people, to speak God's word and to minister on behalf of God (Is 6:8)
The apostles firmly believed that the promised day came with the arival of Jesus and the outpouring of God's Pirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-21)
Three great theological realities brought about the transformation of th OT laos into a newly reconstituted peopl in which all minister
The lordship of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:36)
The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church for ethical living and ministry (1Cor 12:13)
The dawning of the end, by which believers 'already' live 'in the heavenly realms' - the way things will eventually become (Eph 1:3-4 - as we wait for Christ's second coming
The apostles used the Gree word kleros (clergy) to describe a wholly new reality; the dignity, calling and privilege of every member of the family of God
The Church as Ministering People
With the lordship of Christ, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the dawning of the end/last days (Acts 2:17), the whole church, according to Scripture, is the true ministerium, a community of prophets, priests and princes or princesses, serving God through Jesus in the power of the Spirit seven days a week.
All are appointed by God to service and dignified as God's inhertance
All have a share in the power and blessing of the age of the Spirit
All are laity in the sense of having their identity rooted in the people of God
All give ministry
All receive ministry
1.2.3 3. The Emergence of the Clergy
First century was marked by a people without clergy or laity
Second and third centuries brought about a fefinite clergy-lay distinction
1. imitation of the secular structures of the Gree-Roman world not unlike the professional-lay distinctions in the modern world
2. the transference of the OT peiesthood model to the leadership of the church
3. popular piety which elevated the Lord's Supper to a mystery which required priestly adminstration
The Church Fathers
Page 40...(Ignatius, Clement, Origen)....a develpment that led to...."from this time onward, the layman's function was to release the priest and levite form all his material concerns, thus enabling him to devote himself exclusively to the servie of the altar, a task that was necessary for everyone's salvation."
Priests within the priesthood
By the end of the second century we had moved from a community priesthood to a separated clergy that vicariously represents both the priestly and the kingly rule of the people in Christ
The mystique of the ministry
Chrysostom elimiantes all women from the priesthood of the church, and most men
Progressive clericalization
Form the fourth to the sixteenth centuries the clergy-lay distinction deepened; page 44-45
In due course the clergy-lay distinction became institutionalized in religious orders, priestly ordination and the seminary system.
Even the Protestant Reformation with its call to recover 'the priesthood of all believers' did not succeed in reinstating laity as one dignified serving people.
The Incomplete Protestant Reformation
Why the full implications of the Refrmation were not realized in the non-Catholic community is a fascinating and important question:
The Reformation was more concerned about soteriology (salvation) than ecclesiology. The priesthood of all believers was interpreted according to its effect on individual salvation, but with regard to the collective Christian experience it was 'business as usual.'
page 45
· buying indulges
· Luther mainly focused on how the gospel of personal salvation had been lost.
· Stevens is saying that it is good that Luther brought back the gospel. YET, he did not deal with "what the church was doing."
·
The preacher replaced the priest. The sermon became the central acto of Protestand worship. This event ultimately involved taking the Bible out of the hands of the layperson again and putting it into the hands of the biblical scholar. As early as the eighth century the languale of shcolarship and worship had ceased to be the language of the people.
Inadequate structures for renewal. The Protestant Reformation spawned denominations that took seriously the ministry of all believers. Quaker, Puritan, Baptists, Methodist - all or primarily lay oriented. But even denominations stemming from the so-called radical reformation have now 'gravitated' to the pre-Reformation clergy-lay distinction.
The Catholic seminary system was eventually adopted. Theological education remains, by and large, the exclusive preoccupation of those intending a career in the clergy.
Kingdom ministry has been almost totally eclipsed by church ministry. Ministry is viewed as advancing the church rather than the Kingdom. The letters are the primary guide; the gospels have been eclipsed.
Ordination is still retained almost universally for the full-time supported church worker; no adequate recognition of lay ministries in society exists.
An adequate lay spirituality has hardly ever been taught and promoted. The Reformation rejected the two-level spirituality of the monastery and the common Christian. With few exceptions Protestant spirituality has mostly focused either on charismatice and mystical experiences or the deeper life of outstanding Christian leaders. Instead we should have been exploring th holiness of the ordinary Christian in the totality of his or her life; eating, working, buying and selling, playing having sexual relations and dying. The Western church has never become free of Greek dualism which relegates bodily life to a lower level.
1.2.4 For further study / discussions
1 Read the whole of Paul's letter to the Ephesians as letter addressed to the people as a whole rather than to you personally and individually. Record your discoveries.
Subtopic
1.3 3. One God - One People
1.3.1 1. Two Peoples or One?
1.3.2 2. One God - Three Persons
1.3.3 3. Communion or Union?
2 Part II: Summoned and Equipped by God
2.1 4. Calling in a Post-Vocational Age
2.1.1 1. Personal Vocation
Personal Vocation in Scripture
Calling means that God is providentially involved in our lives so we are not a collection of accidents
The magisterial Reformers
Christian perfection is to be found in normal daily tasks
Secularization of the particular call
Luther: God, with all his angels and creatures, is smiling - not because that father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith
Is there a personal call to everyone?
First: effectual call of Christ to become a disciple
Second: providential call. Lives are not accidentts. Discerning the proviedential hand of God in our lives, birth, family, education, personality, opportunities, is part of discovering our personal vocation.
Third: charismatic call.
The Father gives us the mandate to subdue and develop the earth
The Son calls us to discipleship and summons us with the Great Commission
The Spirit equips us for a task
Forth: Heart Call
The Spirit equips And constrains
The Spirit provides ability and creates a desire for a particular service: the place God calls me to is the place where my deep gladness and the world's deep hungerr meet
we experience an inner oughtness
in is bigger than ourselves
it brings great satisfaction and joy
Summary: Vocational guidance is not discerning our 'call' but, in the context of our call to discipleship, holiness and service, discerning the guidance of God in our lives and learning how to live in every dimension to please him.
2.1.2 2. Christian Vocation
Old Testament "Call": use primarily for the people of God who are summoned to participate in God's grand purpose for the world. It is a call to salvation, holiness, and service
New Testament "Call"
Greek: kaleo - to call/summon forth and klesis - calling/vocation
Gospels: Jesus called as an invitation to repent, to turn to him, to live the Kingdom of God
Peter used 'call' to describe the initiative of God in our salvation
Paul's Letters - "Call"
First: Paul used call language to express the invitation of God experience salvation.
Rom 1:6, to belong to Jesus Christ
Rom 1:7, to be saints
Rom 8:28, according to his purpose
1 Cor 1:9, into fellowship with his son
1 Cor 1:2, to be holy
Phil 3:14, heavenward
2 Thess 2:14, to salvation
1 Tim 6:12, to eternal life
Eph 1:18, to hope
Eph 4:1, we must live a life worthy of the calling we have received (to which you have been called
Second: Paul uses call language to describe the summons of God to holy corporate living. His letters show the people of God are not a self-elected community but a called people
Corporate context, not individual
Called live in peace (1 Cor 7:15, Col 3:15
Called to be free (Gal 5:13)
Called to one hope when you were called (Eph 4:4
Called to live a holy life (1 Thes 4:7, 2 Tim 1:9)
Third:: Paul uses call language for the 'place in life we occupy (slave, free, married, single. Such life situations are in God's call (1 Cor 7:17, 24) and transformed by it. The call of God comes to us in these situations (1 Cor 7:20) and is much more than occupation, marital status or social position
Forth: other NT writings show where call is used for the leading of God to a specific ministry, it is questionable whether one can make a doctrine of calling to a specific ministry from such scanty references (87). What can be confirmed from NT is the desire of God to 'lead' each believer.
Summary of entire NT witness: call is used for the invitation to salvation through discipleship to Christ, summons to a holy corporate and personal living, and the call to serve. All are called. All are called together. All are called for the totality of everyday life.
Belonging, being and doing. The call of God is threefold
First: the call is to belong to God (1 Pet 2:10). This is the call to discipleship
Second: the call to be God's people in life. A holy people that exists for the praise of his glory in all aspects of life in the church and the world. This is the call to holiness
Third: the call to do God's work, to enter into God's service to fulfil his purposes in both the church and the world. THis involves gifts, talents, ministries, occupations, roles, work and mission - the call to service.
Christian vocation and human vocation
2.1.3 3. Human Vocation
2.2 5. Doing God's Work
2.2.1 1. Changes in Work
2.2.2 2. Work Yesterday and Today
2.2.3 3. Work in Scripture
2.2.4 4. God's Work
2.2.5 5. Good Work
2.3 6. Ministry - Transcending Clericalism
2.3.1 1. Ministry Today
2.3.2 2. Ministry in Scripture
2.3.3 Trinitarian Service
2.3.4 4. Ministering Leaders
Subtopic
3 Part III: For the Life of the World
3.1 7. Prophets, Priests and Kings
3.1.1 1. Three Leadership Roles
3.1.2 2. The Prophetic People
3.1.3 3. The Priestly People
3.1.4 4. The Kingly People
3.1.5 5. Prophets, Priests and Princes in the World
3.2 8. Mission - A people Sent by God
3.2.1 1. The Sending God
3.2.2 2. The Mission of God
3.2.3 3. The Sending
3.2.4 4. The Sent People
3.2.5 5. Equipping for Mission
3.3 9. Resistance - Grappling with the Powers
3.3.1 1. Describing the Powers: Contemporary Confusion
3.3.2 2. Experiencing the Powers: Multi-level Resistance
3.3.3 3. Understanding the Powers: Biblical Theology
3.3.4 4. Grappling with the Powers: Mission and Ministry
3.3.5 5. The Final Pacification of the Powers: Eschatology
4 Epilogue: Living Theologically
4.1 Comments
4.2 1. Orthodoxy
4.2.1 Redeeming the routines
4.2.2 The danger of unapplied theology
4.2.3 Truthful living for God's glory
4.3 2. Orthopraxy
4.3.1 Humanizing theological living
4.3.2 Inside Christian practice
4.4 3. Orthopathy
4.4.1 Educating the Heart
4.4.2 Neighbour as educator
4.4.3 Passion for God

Book: "Humility: True Greatness" by C.J. Mahaney

This book was a Christmas gift from Nolan Egbert. I'm not sure if he's trying to tell me something?!

What an inspiring book. Mahaney does an incredible job of cautiously laying out some attributes of a humble person. His "humility-inducing" practices are especially good, though not new - which makes them all the more good. Though Mahaney does show them in a list, they are seperated in categories and have a feel they're meant to be blend and not a "this plus that."

As Mahaney says that writing about humility is a humbling experience; it would have to be.

The book is divided up into three sections and starts with The Battle of Humilty (our greatest friend) vs Pride (our greatest enemy). I'm reminded of Guinesses The Call where he tells us how close "converted" is to "conceited."

If you can get a grip on this first section, I believe the rest of the book would be easier. How closely related; humility and pride.

Gulp.

Thanks C.J. Mahaney

Update

After reading both of John Miller's books last year we ended with spending around $10,000 on QBQ training.

While practicing QBQ has been challenging, I believe it was worth the money and we have received the benefits of the investment well beyond the cost.

Reading a book of month should be a minimum for anyone, such a program has proven more than we can handle at Alethes when we want to put the principles in "play."

So, we'll continue to recommend books, and talk about what we've learned, and even revisit those books that prove to have meaning, we'll not pretend to have a monthly book!

Thanks for those of you that pay attention.

Danny