Wednesday, September 24, 2008

“Leadership is influence.” John C. Maxwell

We gathered and prayed at the Fairview flagpole this morning. In preparing for our time, I reviewed the story of the biblical character Samuel. One verse stood out and seemed to sum up his life, 1 Samuel 3:9b “Speak, Lord for your servant is listening.” Samuel was a leader of leaders—a chief advisor to the kings and military captains of Israel; a judge and prophet of the people. When he spoke, everyone listened. As a prophet of God, Samuel anointed kings; as the interpreter of the divine Word, he counseled and challenged kings. He served as a judge in Israel prior to Saul’s monarchy.

While Samuel was young, he lived in the Temple. One night God called Samuel’s name, but he thought it was Eli. After this happened several times, Eli realized the truth and told Samuel to go back to bed and if he heard the voice again to respond by saying . . . “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!” 1 Samuel 3:9b God did call and Samuel listened. This began a relationship with God that went on throughout Samuel’s life. His commitment and devotion to God is illustrated in 1 Samuel 3:19 where it says, “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of His [God’s] words fall to the ground.”

Have you ever wondered what gave Samuel such credibility? When he spoke, people listened. John Maxwell in his book “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” describes this kind of persuasion as “The Law of E.F. Hutton.” Do you remember E. F. Hutton? E.F. Hutton found a brokerage firm in 1904. It became one of the most respected financial firms in the United States and for several decades was the second largest brokerage firm in the United States. The firm was best known for its commercials in the ‘70s and ‘80s based on the phrase, "When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen" (which usually involved a young professional remarking at a dinner party that his broker was E.F. Hutton, which caused the moderately loud party to stop all conversation to listen to him). Samuel had the kind of leadership that made heads turn, that drew people to listen. I believe the reason he had so much influence was that he looked to God for direction. Near the end of his life Samuel as an old man addressed Israel saying, “I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand.” The people agreed that Samuel had led them with integrity and honor all his years. It all started for Samuel when he made a connection with God at an early age.

It is tough being a Christian student today. Students are faced with so many choices and they are not always sure which direction to take. Following God in a world that misunderstands Christianity and tolerates its principles less and less all the time is difficult. What if, like Samuel our students made a connection with God, and never let any of God’s words “fall to the ground?” How do you think their lives would be different? How do you think the lives of those around them would be different? The nation of Israel was influenced by the life of Samuel and his choice to listen and follow God. Our time this morning at the flagpole was a great time for each of us to connect with God and with other believers. May we by our example inspire students to say what Samuel did so long ago…”Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

“You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” Motto, Massachusetts Humane Society

On the island of Nantucket there is a museum dedicated to celebrating the unique maritime heritage of the island. Located next to important shipping lanes running along the East Coast when maritime travel was in its heyday, Nantucket Island saw hundreds of vessels passing by each day—all navigating without the advantages of modern technology. There have been over 700 shipwrecks in the area dubbing it as the “graveyard of the Atlantic.” Contained within the museum are artifacts and stories of those who sailed, and those who risked their lives to rescue those whose ships were sinking. I have never visited Nantucket, but I would like to someday. As I was reading about the museum one story stood out, and I want to summarize it for you here. It is the story of the Massachusetts Humane Society.

Formally established in 1786, the Massachusetts Humane Society was concerned about the needless deaths resulting from shipwrecks and drowning and wanted to find ways to save lives. From the outset, it focused on recognizing the selfless lifesaving rescues and preventing such tragedies. Volunteers would spend hours at a time in huts that overlooked the ocean watching for any ship that might be in peril. They stationed equipment at certain vantage points to be ready at a moments notice to go and attempt rescue. This heroic group of volunteers adopted the motto, “You have to go out, but you don’t have to come back.” Soon, other groups like the United States Life Saving Association, and the United States Coast Guard, joined the efforts to save lives. For a while, the volunteers and the paid workers worked side-by-side risking life and limb to rescue, but in time that would change. Barriers would start to form between the groups. The volunteers started to make statements like, “We don’t have the right training, or equipment;” and, “Maybe we should let the professionals do this”; and later, “Why should we risk our lives volunteering when they are the ones getting paid?” This group once dedicated to selfless lifesaving rescues quit watching for ships in peril. They quit going out to help with rescues, and lost their purpose. A few members of the group still meet today, but not to save lives, to have fellowship. It is interesting to me how things change…

This year our school theme is focused upon Servanthood. When we talk about servanthood, we mean more than just doing work for someone else. After all, people who are not connected with Jesus can serve. People can do good deeds for others, but that is not what we mean by servanthood. People can also serve out of wrong motives—to gain self-worth, to call attention to themselves, to alleviate guilt, etc. Serving from wrong motives is not servanthood. True servanthood flows out of a deep friendship with Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit as a result of an abiding in Christ (John 15:5), producing spiritual, eternal fruit in becoming more like Jesus. Yet sometimes barriers stop people from serving. My hope is that we will be able to begin to live 1 Peter 4:10-11 this school year, and that we will not lose our purpose.

Thanks for reading.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5(NCV)

When I last wrote, I began to tell about an exhilarating experience I had this past summer that involved water. Here is the rest of the story. Previously, I had left off with water streaming into the room with only my thumb trying to stop the flow. As I began to yell for help, I soon realized that no one was around to hear me. There are times when being alone is great, this was not one of those times. Water was beginning to fill the room. I had to do something. If only I could get the water shut off, but the shutoff valve was downstairs. I had no choice…I had to make a run for it. I let go of the pipe, and in a split second, water was hitting me squarely in the chest. Startled I jumped up and went for the door. As I ran out into the hall, I shot a glance back into the bathroom. The water jet was so strong it was spraying the wall six feet away like a pressure washer clearing a path. I leaped jumping down our steps nearly crashing through the wall at the bottom of the stair. My middle son met me at the doorway and asked what was going on. All I could say was, “Get the shop-vac!” I turned every valve I could find, but the water would not stop. Ryan immediately started using the shop-vac trying to minimize the mess, but now the water was running under the baseboard through the walls and coming out into the carpet in the basement. Finally, I found the valve that turned off all of the water, but there was still at least three inches of water on the bathroom floor, and who knows how much that had seeped through the walls down into the basement. What a mess that all started with a small insignificant drop of water.

Have you ever been caught off guard? Sideswiped? In a position where instead of controlling your thoughts and frustrations you were controlled by them? This was definitely one of those times for me. What do you do when times get the best of you? Max Lucado writes, “Today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions. Today’s jealousy is tomorrow’s temper tantrum. Today’s bigotry is tomorrow’s hate crime. Today’s anger is tomorrow’s abuse. Today’s lust is tomorrow’s adultery. Today’s greed is tomorrow’s embezzlement. Today’s guilt is tomorrow’s fear.” My plumbing problem started as a small drop of water that within minutes turned into a uncontrollable flood. You do not have to be a victim of your thoughts. You have a vote. You have a voice. You can exercise thought prevention. You can also exercise thought permission. Change the thoughts, and you change the person. If today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions, what happens when we fill our minds with thoughts of God’s love? Will standing beneath the downpour of his grace change the way we feel about others? Absolutely! Philippians 4:8 helps me stay focused, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (RSV). Thinking conveys the idea of pondering—studying and focusing, allowing what is viewed to have an impact on us. Fill up on the good things, and take stock of the negative…make it become obedient to the authority of Christ, and those watching will learn to do the same.

Thanks for reading.