New Definitions of "Hip"

I now have a commute (a fairly easy hour up Interstate 25 from Colorado Springs to Denver) to my new job with Colorado Christian University. I, of course, like to fill my time on the road productively so I played around with downloading some podcasts the other day. Yesterday I listened to a couple; one in particular really left me questioning where we are going as a culture.

The podcast was from NPR dealing with educational issues. Part of it was an interview done by Michele Martin of Lincoln Chaffee, currently Independent Governor of Rhode Island and former Republican Senator from that same state. Amongst several issues, the following interaction took place:

MARTIN: And, finally, one other national issue that's obviously being visited and addressed in Rhode Island is the whole question of same-sex unions. Earlier this month, you signed a law authorizing same-sex civil unions. Now, obviously, you know, issues like this obviously around the country, really, around the world, have generated a tremendous amount of intense feeling on all sides now.

Some people say that the law doesn't go far enough. Some people on the other side say that, you know, marriage should be between a man and a woman, one man, one woman. That they feel that this really undermines kind of core value. How did you come to a decision on this?

CHAFEE: Well, I'm embarrassed to say that Rhode Island does not have full marriage equality. And we're the state founded by Roger Williams. And the greatest liberties ever granted to any colony in the world back in 1663, I now - we're trailing on other New England states. New Hampshire legislature passed it. Vermont, of course, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York recently, and Rhode Island, just not giving full marriage equality.

But when you factor in the demographics of Rhode Island, we're a very high elderly state. And so change comes a little more slowly and we are the highest in the country, a Roman Catholic state. And so those two demographics certainly came to play in just getting that half (unintelligible) civil unions.

MARTIN: So you would've preferred full marriage equality. You just felt, what, the votes weren't there?

CHAFEE: Yes. I was pushing for it. I believe it could've gotten through the House of Representatives and maybe not through the Senate. But I would've liked to seen the roll called and see whether these members of our legislature want to be on the right side or the wrong side of history. And I think it's a - Rhode Island, we want the state to be a hip, happening place. And certainly marriage equality is part of that.

The Governor is "embarrassed" that his state is behind other northeastern states... and that makes his argument right (everyone else is doing it)? Roger Williams would have approved of same sex marriages? Not if I read history correctly, he would fight hard for the rights of all individuals to be fair and balanced and not dictated by the church. However there is a dangerous assumption that religious people are the only ones who want traditional marriages. Not true.

Oh this gets better. He faults old people and Catholics as retarding progress and keeping Rhode Island from being "hip" and on the "wrong side of history." Insert Rhode Island joke here.

I am heartily offended that Governor Chaffee governs from this type of supposedly enlightened ivory tower. It is a brilliant rhetorical trick; marginalize everyone who happens to disagree with you and make them seem like they are to be ashamed of having a particular view. Regardless of what you think about the issue of same sex marriage, this type of marginalization is NOT what guys like Roger Williams had in mind.

My big issue is that striving for "marriage equality" is an assumed legislative move to redefine marriages as civil unions and assumes that the only way individual and relational rights can be protected is by overhauling the entire institution of marriage. Secular research has held for over 60 years that in society's that are built on the traditional model of marriage (one man and one woman) then those communities gain multiple benefits. There is no research that says if you happen to approve of non-traditional models then there are a host of detriments, but we do see over and over that there are benefits to this traditional set of roles. (See Maggie Gallagher's work as well as others).

Finally, the Governor hits on the key ideological issue; we want to be on the "right" side of history and we want to be "hip and happening". The danger is that those that are defining that world are not always very good at seeing beyond "new and improved" when it is neither.

Doc

Leadership 222

I just read a stat that over 1800 pastors in one denomination in this country left the ministry last year. They didn't just change churches or go to work for other ministries, but they LEFT the ministry to seek something in the private sector. That's a bunch of folks. If we dig a bit deeper it seems to stem from burnout, but why? What is happening that keeps allowing ministry leaders to burnout? We have a great many resources (books, web, conferences, retreats, training, etc.) that are supposed to accomplish three things for them; refresh, re-energize, and retool. Unfortunately there is one aspect that is not being addressed; the paradigm of the church is broken.

There have been a vast number of books written lately that address this broken paradigm. Radical, Crazy Love, Hole in our Gospel, UnChristian, etc. have all addressed the idea that we are stuck in a mind-set that allows me to sit in the pews (or whatever your seating set up is), write a check, and let the staff do the work of the church. In our consumeristic culture that paradigm makes total sense. It is based on the postmodern idea that it is all about MY experience that matters. Jean Twenge in a book called, Generation Me, even addresses how the ideas have shifted in our call to missions. She points out that church messages used to be, "go on a mission trip and bless others." Then it shifted to, "go on a mission trip, bless others and you will be blessed." Finally it became, "go on a mission trip, be blessed and by the way others will be blessed." That demonstrates a radical shift in thinking. Seems so subtle doesn't it?

So how does this impact ministry leaders? What we appear to be doing, is lifting them out of their mild burnout, patching them up, and sending them back into the same old paradigm that continues to burn them out. Scriptures don't point to that model in any way, shape or form. 2 Timothy 2:2 reflects upon the fact that it is essential to equip leaders to be facilitators of those in the church to DO the work of the church. "...and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (vs. 2).

Rest and recovery is an important aspect of leadership, no doubt. But in the work of the church, I contend that we must find a better way to equip the leaders to lead us, not do the work for us. Leads must find ways to be trained in how to help the church change that paradigm. We need to find those that are doing it well and let them coach the rest of us.

Changing paradigms is tough work. Let us encourage those that lead us, by allowing them to change our paradigms. Jesus didn't do the work of the church. He did His part (to be read, uniquely qualified to do those things alone) but then sent others to lead, facilitate and equip others. Leadership 222 - the next course we all should sign up for!

Doc

Finding balance in the tension

I have not posted for some time (you can see that clearly from the last date posted on the side over there) and mainly because there has been so little time. I was busy leading up a a college Institute and trying to keep its head above water during the last two years (and it has). I was busy trying to be a dad to my four boys (one of which turns 18 today - and I'm having some issues with that...) :) I was busy speaking to churches, college campuses and audiences who would listen about the importance of maintaining a civil Christian worldview in a culture that is hostile to some of our ways of thinking. I have more time on my hands now, but more on that later...

Until recently I was working as Vice President for College Student Ministries with the Focus Leadership Institute (a division of Focus on the Family) and while there had to opportunity to watch the transition from our found Dr. James Dobson to the new CEO Jim Daly. I have been a huge supporter of both men for very different reasons. I respect a great deal the standards by which Dr. Dobson set up the ministry and helped found the Institute. When Jim Daly came on, I used to introduce him to the students of the Institute as the right guy for the right time. I meant it. Still do. I have appreciated his willingness to reach out into the culture and talk with those that most in the conservative Christian culture have never reached out to. As human beings we DO share a great deal of the same conclusions about how to treat others.

However, Jim is walking a very thin line that creates a tension from time to time. In this morning's Colorado Springs Independent (http://www.csindy.com/colorado/change-of-focus/Content?oid=2244124) there was one of those lines that worries me a bit. The article is about (if you haven't clicked over and read it already) how those in all circles agree that foster kids should find homes with loving families. In the middle of the article, there is a line where Daly says, (on the question of gay adoption) "So in the context of same-sex marriage, or adoption by same-sex couples, the culture will go in the direction its going to go.We [the church] can't control that. But for the Christian in the Christian community, we want to do our job..."

But isn't that the point of the Gospel is that it is for everyone? As a "worldview guy" I worry that in the midst of this tension we perhaps make rhetorical statements that seem as if we are throwing our hands up about where the culture is headed and essentially say, we can only influence our own house. I don't think that is Jim's heart, but again we have to be careful with that line of tension. There is a design for marriage and family that isn't just for the church or Christians it is for all people, at all times, across cultures. That is the nature of God's Truth and Design for things. Follow the path of research on the strength of communities as it relates to the strength of traditional families (defined as a husband/wife and children). Over years and across cultures the message has been (and not just for the Church) that when you have cultures built on that model, they have any number of advantages (educationally, socially, economically, etc). When you have cultures based on non-traditional families, there isn't evidence that horrible things occur but that you don't have those advantages. Where do you want to live? Which type of culture? That transcendent truth about God's design isn't because some organization said it was so or some political approach claimed it was good, but because He designed it that way.

Be careful when walking the line. Sometimes the tension pulls too far away from the Truth.

Doc

Jobs

My hats off to Lindy Keffer who is our FLI Internship Coordinator for sparking the ideas below... she spent some time with the students today explaining what her past jobs were and what she learned from them - in hopes that they would use the internship as a truly educational experience. That got me thinking about my past jobs...

Cook/Busboy - Sirloin Stockade Steakhouse

What did I learn? That people can be picky and rude and to live out "the customer is always right" was really hard some days. Also I learned that there are jobs that are dirty, disgusting, have to be done and have to be done every day. I used to not entirely understand why I had to clean the grill every night when it was going to be fired back up in less than six hours for the breakfast shift. I ultimately learned an appreciation for people in the food service industry and how hard the work is.

Retail Sales - Montgomery Ward (are they still around?); Dillards

What did learn? Same principle of the customer always being right was reiterated. Additionally I learned that there are times you don't say what is on your mind - even if it makes total sense in your head. When Wards would switch over its garden center to toys for Christmas, I usually got extended hours helping folks pick out toys for their little ones. One of the little guys took off around the entire store in one of the Big Wheels that had a clicker on the wheel. He was screaming as he went. The grandmother pondered what to get a five year old for Christmas? My response, "That five year old? Get him a cage!" I had a pretty severe talking to by the store manager after that, even though he agreed with the sentiment, it just wasn't what one said. I also learned about being a customer and hopefully don't treat the people on the other side of the register the way I see some people treating sales people.

Secretary - University of Arkansas

I spent a short stint working in the Student Services department and supporting a couple friends of mine in their work with Student Government. What did I learn? I learned that detail matters. When typing up minutes from meetings it was always good to get it right and to just report the facts, not people's opinions about the work they were doing. I also learned not to accept calls from those running for political office that you happen to volunteering for. Local reporters eat that stuff up. I also learned a life long appreciation for the folks that do this work for me now. It shouldn't be one day a year we appreciate them either -

Radio - Disc Jockey

When they had disc jockey positions still... What did I learn? I learned the value of working your way up the ladder. Very seldom does someone in media start with the prime slots. I went from being a part time fill in on the weekends, to regular part time, to overnights, to day shifts. I also learned the politics of organizations when I got fired by a program director who needed a job for his buddy coming back from the Navy. It was cool that I got hired by one of the competition within a day! I also learned that you can have a lot of fun with a job. Playing the music you like (and some that you don't like) talking with listeners, etc. - just fun. Pay is nothing, but it was fun.

Teacher - Univ. of Arkansas; Univ. of Oklahoma; Wichita State Univ.; Huntington College; Focus Leadership Institute and various shorter stints with churches, colleges and international ministries...

What did I learn (or am I learning)? I have learned that it is important to find the thing that makes you come alive and do it. When I stand in front of the classroom, I am so energized. The venue becomes unimportant as long as I am teaching. My encouragement for you; think long and hard about what you are doing when you feel the most alive and figure out a way to do it. You may need credentials. You may need guidance from others. You may need opportunities. Move toward it, whatever it is.

Happy Day!

Doc

Team Leland Christmas

Below is an electronic version of the Team Leland "Christmas Letter."

Christmas 2010

Greetings from Colorado! As this year comes to a close I realize that we never sent out any greeting last year (insert look of shame here). We hope and pray that your 2010 has been joyous, whatever the circumstances, and that 2011 will be filled with hope and blessings!

Team Leland continues to live lives that are very “full.” A quick update:

Matthew (age 9) is a 4^th grader at The Classical Academy. Loves reading, math, sports (especially basketball and baseball), plays piano and his highlight this year was going to Florida’s Disney World in October (six days, four parks, and some tired feet!) where he loved the “magic” of the rides, shows, food, and made great memories. Favorite memory: conquering the roller coasters – especially Rock and Roll Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studies.

Christopher (age 12) is a 6^th grader at TCA. He loves reading, sports, math, sports, playing piano, sports … was a Little League All-Star and made it to the State Championships, was voted as “lineman of the year” for his football team (for some reason he LOVES to play center – and has gotten pretty good!), and his highlight of the year was also going to Disney World. Other than the triple chocolate and caramel apple he savored, his favorite memory was conquering the Hollywood Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studies.

Nicolas (age 15) is a sophomore at TCA. If he isn’t studying (anatomy, Latin, or AP European History) or playing baseball (both high school and club teams) he is found playing guitar or watching reruns of Prison Break. His baseball interests took him to many different states, and played well over 100 games – which is tough on a catcher/pitcher. Getting his picture taken with his favorite “princess” – Sleeping Beauty, topped off his family trip to Disney. The pictures are priceless!

Stephen (age 17) is a senior at TCA who getting ready to head off to college this next year. Though we don’t have final decisions made yet, there is a strong possibility he’ll end up at one of his five top choices studying International Relations, possibly playing baseball, and participating in ROTC. He spends his time playing baseball (again high school and club) but most of his time studying (what senior takes four AP classes?) and working at his new job at Glazier Football Clinics. Stephen has a memorable moment from Disney (not necessarily a favorite though); that would be the ride “Dinosaur” at Animal Kingdom – when confronted with a T-Rex coming out of the wall at us, promptly ducked and covered his head. It was just as the ride camera takes your group photo. Only one we bought since the two oldest boys are legitimately terrified, as the younger two look remarkably calm!

Becca continues to balance life for all of us as she plays taxi driver, baseball mom, teaches classes for Webster University, works part time at Glazier Football Clinics, volunteers with the boy’s school, leads a small group of college women for the Focus Institute, and keeps us on track. When she can relax she loves to read, catch up on Lost, and enjoy time with family friends. The entire trip to Disney was a great memory for her, but a highlight had to be the fireworks over the castle at Magic Kingdom on the final night of our trip. It topped off a wonderful week that we will never forget.

Chris (and no I didn’t “forget” the ages on the last two…) J continues to head up the Focus Leadership Institute at Focus on the Family. The college students who come through this program are the blessing, yet the situation with the economy as well as some other issues have made 2010 a challenging year for FLI. We know that God is not done with the ministry of the Institute, yet it may look very different in the next couple years. His time is also spent heading up the local Little League (even got to coach Christopher this year in All-Stars), working with the boy’s school, traveling and speaking around the country to colleges, churches, and companies. His highlight at Disney was getting his picture taken with one of his favorite childhood heroes – Winnie the Pooh!

We have been blessed to have family and friends visiting the Rockies from time to time and love to share in the memories! Most of all we have been blessed by the gift of an infinite God becoming finite and coming to us as a baby. The miracle of the incarnation can never be lost on us! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Team Leland

P.S. For your records our home phone (719) 282-3727 will no longer exist after January 1. Please feel free to contact us at (719) 310-4967 (Chris); (719) 440-1547 (Becca). Also we’d love to “friend” you on Facebook – Doc Leland, Becca Bailey Leland, Stephen Leland, and Nicolas Leland. Our family email is teamleland@comcast.net. It IS indeed the digital age!

Joy that lasts...

This weekend I was prompted to think about this concept of 'joy.' Let me be honest, in the past couple weeks, between challenges at work, at home, and battling pneumonia, my body and spirit were just wiped out. I sat at a stoplight on Friday and just let God know that I felt totally defeated. I don't usually "hear" from the Lord, but as I sat there that still voice inside me popped up almost immediately and said, "I know you FEEL that way, but you are NOT defeated." That started a weekend of some reflection and looking around my life.

The final result was one haunting question that I now share with you (please ask it honestly of yourself): Are you happy? Sounds simple, but it is not. Are you happy? And if you answer no, then what is standing in your way? Are you blaming others for your unhappiness? Are you blaming your circumstances? What became immediately visible to me as I looked around at friends and family was that if we weren't acting happy, or actually happy, it was reflected in how we saw everything and everyone. It is almost as if our subconscious says, "Hey if I'm not happy then I am going to make everyone else miserable too." How unfair.

Now as a Christian for many years I have always been around this idea of joy. It is one of the fruit of the Spirit; it is constantly referred to in Scripture as something that seems too good to be true, etc. But what does it really mean to by happy or joyful?

First, I have come to consider that Joy is a Choice. Psalm 51:12 says, "Restore to me the JOY or your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me." Some of the words in there make me believe that I can choose to turn my back on it, ask for God to restore it and it requires a willing spirit on my part to hold on to it. I can choose today whether I will live in JOY or not. Every day, every moment... What do I choose?

Second, I have come to consider that only God can Strengthen my joy. The Psalmist once again writes, "Sing for JOY to God our strength..." (81:1). I may want JOY and somehow I believe that I can make my own JOY, or that others are responsible for my JOY, or that my circumstances dictate my JOY. Once I choose it, I need to rely on God's strength to provide it and sustain it.

Finally, IT TAKES WORK! When Paul is writing to the Colossian church, he says, "We pray that you'll have the strength to stick to it over the long haul...It is strength that endures the unedurable and spills over into JOY..." (1:11). I sat at the stoplight pondering my circumstances, my health, my weakness, and my failures and effectively threw my hands in the air and was ready to give up. I was ready to give up on being happy or joyful.

Are you happy? And if you are not, then what is standing in your way? If you are honest, I think you'll find that answer most days is "me." I am standing in the way of God's plan for me to be happy. Not without trial, and not without challenges, but to live in the shadow of His Joy. It is a Joy that lasts!

Don't worry, be happy! :)

Doc

Is free speech really free?

This has been one of those years where I honestly wonder where the time has gone. Every week I would think of new things to blog about and then life would happen and the next week was upon me... I have recommitted to making this blog thing work. Hopefully it is not only useful to others but to me as well.

It has taken "big" things to get me motivated enough to write/blog about, and yesterday one of them happened. I turned up the volume as Fox News began to cover the scene outside the Supreme Court building where a distraught father of a deceased military son was in court against Westboro Baptist Church from Kansas. If you are unfamiliar with them, you have been living under a rock. They have protested us here at Focus. They have shown up a any number of times here in the Springs to protest at military funerals. They seem to show up all over the country ranting and raving about how God hates us, hates gays, hates our country and that we are all headed to hell.

Off the top may I say that I am immensely embarrassed that they call themselves Christians and that somehow lumps them in with me. They do not act or sound like the Christ I follow. I would like to remind them of the section of Mark where Jesus comes upon the woman caught in adultery who is about to be stoned. Quick aside question: Anyone else wondering where the guy is? Regardless she's about to be stoned because she did something wrong. Jesus steps in, comforts here, confronts the legalistic Pharisees and then writes something in the dirt that causes those same folks holding stones to scatter. My thought: he might have been writing the names of the women that each of them had been in adulterous relationships with... speculation I know and highly doubtful but it would make for great drama! He then turns to her and says the exact thing they wanted to; namely 'what you did was wrong - don't do it anymore'. Same conclusion but VERY different approach. I wish the Phelps family and the mindless people who follow them would pay a bit more attention to that than there picketing.

Now, all of that said this case in the Supreme Court will be decided on the basis of our First Amendment. Interestingly enough our Founders were bright enough to protect the Phelps and others like them by granting free speech rights. However free speech has never been (and was never intended to be) absolute and line that determines where it stops is where it begins to harm others. There are responsibilities that go with rights and Westboro has forgotten that. I believe the Court will decide in the church's favor - not because they are "right" but because it would mean a massive re-write of both free speech law but privacy law (the other issue at odds here).

Culture has been a wonderful arbiter of when that line is crossed. The single greatest way to get Westboro to stop doing what they are doing is to totally marginalize them. If the law helps do that then wonderful. News stations stop covering their protests even though it makes for compelling "art" for the evening news. Newspapers - stop printing anything from them. We had a ranting editorial from the Phelp's daughter in our local paper and I don't why they printed it - it is called editorial discretion. Even bloggers should stop using any bandwidth to even mention their names. I know I know, I have just violated that one but in an effort to start the momentum.

What is even more egregious in these cases is that they are protesting military funerals of those who are fighting and dying to preserve the very rights they are pushing the limits of. Free speech is theirs because of the long line of young men and women who have sacrificed to allow them to live free. I beg and plead with them to not only responsibly handle that right but to be a much more compelling vision of Christ to a culture that needs it.

Back in the saddle...
Doc