First Week of One Prayer

Posted June 22, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Lifepoint, Message Series

Lifepoint is a wonderful place. Can I say it again? Lifepoint is a wonderful place. The first week of One Prayer was great. Hearing from someone else and matrixing their point of view with our own has a magical quality about it. Sometimes a whole new perspective is gleaned. Sometimes when we hear something from a third party it carries more weight and we respond better. Think about (if you have kids) when you have told your child to do something and their response was let’s say…lacking.

Now think of times when the same words that come out of your mouth, came out of another adult’s mouth and your children reacted as though that were the first time they had ever heard those words. Same thing when hearing from someone somewhere else. We listen with different ears, and the results can be amazing.

We accomplished the change in the set by using a stencil of one of the One Prayer logos. The effect on the floor was done by using a gloss paint over a flat of the same color.

One of the things I loved about this morning was the baptisms. They have to be my favorite aspect of displayed Christianity. It is such a visceral moment to watch someone you know be baptized. I’m so very grateful to be part of the large story God is telling through the lives and events at Lifepoint.

Can’t wait until next week! I’ll tell you more about what’s coming up later in the week.

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One Prayer

Posted June 21, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Lifepoint, Message Series

We are starting the series One Prayer tomorrow. We are one week behind other churches because of our own church schedule, but we are excited about this experiment of using messages by video from other churches around the country.

This will be a first for us, but I think it will have a great impact and also let our attenders take a look into other churches and hear other communicators. I can’t wait, it should be great!

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What does it mean to improve?

Posted June 20, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Books I'm Reading, Creativity, Cultural Ideas, Life

As a staff we have been to many conferences at or about Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta. During one of these [DRIVE Conference 2005], they shared that the momentum in an organization increases by either “new, improved or improving” ideas/facilities/volunteers/programs/etc.

This is a great idea, and one that continues to be a benchmark at Lifepoint when we evaluate whether to add to or subtract from some aspect of the church.

But what does it mean to improve? We can begin to think that to improve a program/ministry we need to add something to it. John Maeda, a favorite author/artist of mine in his book The Laws of Simplicity, explores in detail the notion of “improved” meaning to add on. In contrast he posits that to “improve” many times requires us to simplify and take away.

As you look at your life today, think of how you can improve one area by subtraction instead of addition. 

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Anthony De Mello in conversation

Posted June 18, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Awareness, Belief, Cultural Ideas, Life

In a couple of weeks I’ll be speaking about my One Prayer. I’ll let it out now and say that my One Prayer is that we be Aware. This is a concept that has been a part of my thinking for several years now. One of the books and authors that has had a great impact has been Awareness by Anthony De Mello.

This week a section of the book came up in a conversation with Mike our Executive Pastor here at Lifepoint. I thought I would share this liberating section with you.

“The great Socrates said, ‘The unaware life is not worth living.’ That’s a self-evident truth. Most people don’t live aware lives. They live mechanical lives…’My that’s a lovely shirt.’ You feel good hearing that. For a shirt for heaven’s sake! You feel proud of yourself when you hear that. People come over to my center in India and they say, ‘What a lovely place, these lovely trees’ (for which I’m not responsible at all), ‘this lovely climate.’ And already I’m feeling good, until I catch myself feeling good, and I say, ‘Hey, can you imagine anything as stupid as that?’ I’m not responsible for those trees; I wasn’t responsible for choosing the location. I didn’t order the weather; it just happened. But “me got in there, so I’m feeling good about “my” culture and “my” nation. How stupid can you get?….Indian culture has produced great mystics. I didn’t produce them. I’m not responsible for them. They tell me, ‘ That country of yours and it’s poverty – it’s disgusting.’ I feel ashamed. But I didn’t create it. What’s going on? Did you ever start to think? People say, ‘I think you’re charming’, so I feel wonderful. I get a positive stroke …I’m going to write a book someday and the title will be . “I’m an Ass, You’re an Ass”. That’s the most liberating, wonderful thing in the world, when you openly admit you’re an ass. It’s wonderful. When people tell me, ‘You’re wrong.’ I say, ‘What can you expect of an ass?”

Hope this helped to lighten your load as much as it did mine!

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Father’s Day

Posted June 15, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Influence, Life, Me

How can I not write about Father’s Day. I am a father and it is the best thing in life to have two (I have two) charming princesses to love and help through the heights and depths of life. They teach me about myself and how to receive love, and hopefully I teach them what love is supposed to be about and give them the confidence to reach for the stars.

As I watch them grow and become young ladies I am amazed at the way the word “blossom” is not a cliche, it’s truth. They are becoming masters of subtlety both in observing and interacting. They see things in a different way and consistently astound me. Of course they are both different, but I see their mother in each one and know that because of that they will grow up to be women who know themselves and don’t cower to a set mold. They will be individual, independant and incredible.

As a father, how can I say more, but that each day I am thankful and grateful to be close enough to and aware enough of my girls to watch them transform from girls to women.  What a beautiful mystery to see each day weave the intricate tapestry of my “two princesses of Georgia”.

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Insultants

Posted June 14, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Creativity, Influence, Life, Me

Last week I read a book in which a key way to produce action and innovation within an organization is to activate “insultants”. I have to admit, at first I thought he was talking about having people who are free enough to tell you, the leader, the hard things and in fact, insult you. I was wrong.

The author used a different point of view on the idea of “consultants”. Typically consultants originate outside of an organization. They provide valuable insight because they are outsiders, however, that same reason – coming from the outside – blinds consultants from culture nuances and unsaid generally accepted protocols unique to different businesses.

The suggestion of “insultants” – consultants from within the business structure – is a great idea that has implications far beyond work environments. By giving some a responsibility to become aware and constructively question practices and actions, a wealth of information can be gleaned.

We can turn this practice to our own lives. If we do not have someone who knows our quirks and also has the freedom to tell us when we vear close to or cross the line, we should look at our relationship account and consider it lacking and in the red. The most valuable asset we can have are people who can constructively view our lives through the “who we are now” while looking toward the “who we want to be” and help us to get there.

If you don’t have a personal “insultant” hire one and you’ll be amazed at the difference a shift in perspective and a new voice can make.

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Rich Mullins

Posted June 12, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Influence, Me, Music, People

Do you ever find things on your iPod that surprise you? Apparently I had put Rich Mullins’ album A Liturgy, A Legacy & A Ragamuffin Bandin my playlist. So I decided to take a listen. Now the album is a number of years old and has a decidedly early 90’s Christian music folk sound, but…it floored me.

There I am sitting in the car and my eyes are welling up and emotions are bombarding me and the freshness of Rich’s delivery and lyrics has taken over. I heard “Hold Me Jesus” like it was the first time I had ever heard it.

Perhaps it was the first time I really heard what Rich was trying to say in those words. Whatever the case I had to pull into Barnes & Nobles and get out of the car to pull myself together. Emotions are such powerful things. They can be allies or adversaries.

I am thankful that my day was invaded by the late Rich Mullins. A liturgy is a path to God’s presence; a legacy is something that lives on after we are gone. I’d say Rich’s album title was prophetic and true – at least today, long after Rich’s too early passing, it brought me to God’s presence, and let me know Him just a little more.

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Real Success

Posted June 10, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Awareness, Context, Goals, Influence, Life, Strengths

I’m a quote guy. I love quotes. In fact, I think quotes are better than just rattling off some thought or idea because they have come out of someone else’s mouth. How many times, parents, have you told and retold your child something only to have them come back after hearing the same thing from another individual…and doing it.

Somehow hearing things from outside our normal “tribe” gives the words more meaning. David McCullough says that “real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.”

When you have found a way to do something you love and get paid doing it, you have found true success. Look at your situation right now and ask the hard question, “Do I love, really love what I’m doing?” “Is what I’m doing something I would do even if I didn’t receive a paycheck?”

The answers to those questions will reveal the reality of your situation. It may be that you are not where you want to be. If you are young, you have time to find what really gives you joy. If you are older, you know what gives you joy, but it may not be the same thing you are employed to do.

Re-evaluation is key in all of the processes of life. Culture and time move on and we must adjust to remain relevant and able to contribute. Ask the hard questions and resolve to put action behind the answers. As Rob Schneider says in every Adam Sandler movie, “You can do it!”

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Are we acting?

Posted June 9, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Belief, Context, Influence

Johnny Depp has proven himself time and time again as a great actor. His ability to invest himself into a part and “become” the character he has been asked to play is a credit to his talent, preparation and quest for more than just “playing a part”.

He is quoted as saying, “With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it’s just not acting. It’s lying.”

We all have people in our lives who require a different context for our interaction with them. We are different with family than we are with business associates; we modify our language around customers as opposed to co-workers. Throughout our lives we shift in different modes when faced with different situations and different people.

We must maintain ourselves in those transitions. Authenticity is not defined by the minute actions and information exchanged, it is defined by the inner force behind those actions. People know when we are faking. Not because the don’t believe the words we are saying, but because they don’t believe the “we” that are saying them.

When we don’t believe what we say we mutiny against ourselves. Subliminal sabotage results as we embark in conversations, relationships or proposals that we are not confidently secure in at the onset.

When Paul spoke of being “all things to all people”, methods and decorum were the items that changed, not the authenticity of the message. Center yourself around your message, only when you believe it will you have any chance of securing belief from others.

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What Are We Here For?

Posted June 8, 2008 by Chris
Categories: Context, Creativity, Influence, Lifepoint, Me, Message Series

Today we finish out the series “God and Your Bod”. We’ve discussed the eyes, ears, mouth, feet and conclude with the hands. How to glorify God with our hands.

I’m writing this after the musical portion of the first of our three services. The last song we sang was “Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)” made popular by Chris Tomlin. Louie Giglio the founder of the Passion movement spoke about how this song came about. Chris had been asked to remake “Amazing Grace” for the movie of the same name about William Wilberforce’s struggle to end slavery in England.

Talk about a tall order. Remake the most familiar song in the world? As it turned out, Chris did remake the song, and by all accounts did a great job. Louie jokes that some of the kids listening to Chris and his contemporaries will think he (Chris) wrote “Amazing Grace”. In the chorus, Chris took the context of the song and put it into words of action – “My chains are gone, I’ve been set free.” 

I have to be honest, as a Creative Pastor, it is a great thing to plan services and create environments condusive for people to meet God, but what is greater than that is seeing it happen right before your eyes. Greater still is to be able to experience it alongside the people whose stories you are familiar with, and know that their chains are gone and they have been set free.

No greater joy is there than when you have done all that you can do and then see God take it a quantum step further. None of it would be possible without a team of people – musicians, singers, tech people – who have the same desire of creating environments that help people “tune in” to God.

Today we talk about using our hands to glorify God. I’m grateful for those who use their “hands” each Sunday to glorify God.

Thanks to: Gerry Marshall, Kevin Kinkade, Joe Booker, Kim Hague, Chris McCray, Gary Lane, Amy Hildreth (who gives me more support and love than I think I’m worth), John Sloan, Eli Hoffman, Jed Broussard, Lauren Evans, Casey Leeb, Lauren Gill, Bianca Broussard, Laura Kinkade and all of the other volunteers who make Sundays run so smoothly.

What are we here for? We are here to use what we have for the greater good, in the moment, to glorify God by actively pursuing God’s “kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven”.

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