Re-claiming Christmas

Our theme at church this Advent is "Re-claiming Christmas."  For me, that would look like putting the focus back where it's supposed to be - with the expectation and arrival of the birth of Jesus Christ.  And actually, I've been forced to all but forget the commercialism of Christmas this year.  Truthfully, haven't really had time to shop or decorate due to final papers being due in this first semester of grad school.  Ok that's one small step.  

I've carved out purposeful time reflecting on what this whole season means to me.  And, I've spent time in this wonderful devotional a woman in my church community creates each year (you can find it here: http://easter.org/wordpress/advent-devotional-2012-re-claiming-christmas/  ).  The hidden blessing in all of this is that through these simple acts, I've taken the long journey from my head to my heart, where the joy and hope of Advent and Christmas seemed to have lodged themselves securely.  

How are you re-claiming Christmas? If you're not Christian, I'm sure there's something in your life you need to re-claim. What is it?  How are you going about that?

May the peace and joy of this season, Hanukkah, Christmas, or otherwise, fill you, your family, and your corner of the world.

Differences Unite

I've heard this phrase twice this week from two different people:  differences unite.  Hmmm... sounds rather pollyanna-ish, especially after enduring a couple months of other-bashing election rhetoric. But wouldn't it be great if it were true?

So under what circumstances can differences unite?  When there's a purpose or core value bigger than the differences, for one.  I've heard a few government leaders this week, republican and democratic alike, say they are ready to set aside differences so that we can move this country forward.  Bravo.

We can also find unity when we set aside the need to win, be right, or place blame - when we focus on finding common ground, such as a social justice issue, or a core theological idea on which all parties can agree.  It's from this uniting common ground that we move forward.

We can unite when we realize that differences are really good - that we all bring something important to the table; that when carefully navigated, the end result can be better than what was originally imagined.  It takes patience and strong leadership, but it's possible.  And possibilities unite people too...


P.S:  The Greek have a saying - "why should like know like?"  Anaxagora said, "What is not different is to the other who is no different a matter of indifference."  and "We come to know the cold by the hot, the sweet by the sour, what is light through what is dark."  Maybe this is, at the core, why differences unite.

A Distinction: Purpose vs. Vision

Here's a distinction to consider:
Purpose answers the question: Why do we exist?
Vision answers the question: Where are we going?

Has your organization answered both questions?  

One of my favorite quotes - a Japanese proverb - is "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."  But preceding vision AND action is purpose.

Lines in the Sand

Uncle Dick, a retired theologian in my Lutheran congregation once said, "if you draw a line in the sand, you can be sure Jesus is on the other side of it."  

There are a lot of sand lines right now, and two are breaking my heart. 

Close to home, we are approaching the day on which we vote on the marriage amendment.  The state is drawing lines in the sand about who has the right to marry whom.  How did we get here? Haven't we learned?  This is a civil rights issue, like equality for all races, like women's rights, like slavery. This is a self-determination issue - allowing people to choose their own path in life.  Why should the state get to decide who or whether a person marries - for generations to come?  And if you're one to bring the Bible into the discussion, well then now we're talking about the separation of church and state and isn't that just one more reason to not have the state decide?  Truly, we don't even have to get to discussions of theology - government just shouldn't have its fingers in this one.  

I heard an interview with Chris Kluwe, Minnesota Vikings punter, standing up on this issue. Wow! Bravo!  And I THINK Senator Amy Klobuchar is for the ability for all people to choose who they can marry, but I haven't heard her, a leader with strong influence, take a strong stand on the issue.  Leaders, stand up! It's your job!

A little farther away but even more heart breaking is the world-wide unrest because of a video that right-wing Christians created exclaiming their distain for Muslims.  These Christians drew a rather bold line in the sand.  Were they being the hands and feet of Jesus in their actions? NO.  Jesus is grace and love for ALL people. Jesus walked this earth with ALL people.  Jesus loves ALL people. Christians are called to act as Jesus acts.  To anyone who's been offended by the actions of a so-called Christian, in this incident or another, I'm sorry. My heart breaks for you, and for Christians who believe those acts are sin.

No more lines in the sand.  I'm quite sure Jesus' heart is broken every time one is drawn.

What's Unacceptable?

What's unacceptable to you in this world? What breaks your heart? What makes you angry?  

When I'm working with leadership teams on visioning, these are questions I ask.  Try this with your team.  Not only will you begin to understand where the hearts and minds are of your team, but also you'll bring the team closer together - especially when a common theme emerges and you can begin to rally around a cause, no matter what that looks like.

Broken hearts and holy anger are fuel that ignite passion in the soul.  If something breaks a collective team's heart, or makes the collective angry, it becomes impossible to sit still, and the seemingly impossible roadblocks become molehills instead of mountains.  

The poet Jean de La Fontaine said, "Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish."  

May the collective in which you're a part be so impassioned that the fire in your soul ignites an unstoppable movement of change for the better.