good sports

The day I become a sports fan is the day Bill Maher becomes a Christian.

Or so I thought until two weeks ago, when a powerful combo of the charming Bob Costas, the unintelligible Bela Karolyi, and the unbeatable Michael Phelps triggered my Olympics addiction. Also that really tall lady with the deep voice who reported on acupuncture and may, I suspect, be a man.

Sure, I loved seeing Phelps make history and watching Americans take gold in beach volleyball and gymnastics, but I also found myself willingly tuning in for sports like pole vaulting, water polo, and table tennis. I was captivated by the drama, both real (retiring athletes with one last chance at a medal, come-from-behind last-minute performances to clinch glory by fractions of points) and manufactured ("It's the dive of her life, Al. It's simply the dive of her life.")

Even the 9-times-a-night broadcast of that McDonald's chicken sandwich ad could not dim my enthusiasm, although I did begin muting every commercial break.

So I'm thinking I might start watching sports now and then. Not football--I don't understand it and don't want to. Not baseball--too slow. NOT golf. But........something. Suggestions are welcome. And look for Bill Maher in a church near you.

lead me on

Sorry--I'm not going to take some big controversial position regarding women leading in the church. Maybe it's because I don't aspire to a pastor or elder role (so I have less emotion invested in it) or maybe it's because I've always experienced ample opportunities to express my gifts in the local church. Or maybe I'm just tired of the debate.

Whatever the reason, I don't feel a need to be defensive about either "side" and I applaud Christian Standard for the two open, respectful position papers they published on the topic this week. I find areas of insight in both of them, often around the very same point.

For instance, "...we must note that women had limited involvement in Jesus' ministry," Joe Harvey writes in his article. "There were no women among the twelve (even though Jesus was willing to be scandalized in other ways)." That's true, I thought. Jesus never shied away from conflict when it advanced the kingdom; there must have been a reason he selected only men.

Then I read Lana West's paper. "Jesus chose twelve free Jewish males to represent the twelve patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel," she writes. "The choice of the twelve indicated the importance of the new covenant being founded on the old. Gentiles and slaves were not among the select twelve, but there is no expectation that they could not serve in church leadership."

That makes sense, too.

I'm glad CS published this and I'm glad thoughtful people are contributing two-way dialogue instead of one-way diatribe. It's also nice to see a focus on broad Biblical principles rather than hair-splitting details; the remark by one leader I know, that a woman could direct the choir but could not turn around and lead the congregation in the same song, makes about as much sense as the church of Christ bride who positioned a piano outside the church sanctuary—but near an open window—so she could still march up the aisle to music.

Neither legalistic boundaries nor creative ways to dodge them appeal to me. Instead, I'm content to let my actions and gifts speak for themselves. Could I lead better than some men I know? Yep, and far worse than others. But in both situations my submission to their authority honors God. 

"When you are invited, take the lowest place," Jesus teaches in Luke 14, "so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.'" My ministers and elders may invite me or other women to a higher place. They may not. That choice is part of their own leadership responsibility and I'm satisfied to leave it between them and God. In a culture encouraging women to take the lead--to seize the lead--perhaps my position is controversial after all.

buy the book

Today I received this email:

Jennifer,

I was brokenhearted last night at our small group Bible Study when my friend poured out her heart and tears concerning the drain she feels because she has trouble drawing lines between her job as the church secretary, her personal ("off the clock") ministry to the church, and her responsibilities of home and husband. Her struggle is amplified because, even as a relatively new Christian, she can identify the gap between the Biblical counsel of the church leaders and the reality of their own lives. I feel my advice to her was helpful but painfully inadequate. I am having a terrible time finding any articles about the ministry to the ministers, or helping the helpers.

With all you do, you must have personally come to some conclusion on this matter, and I respect your opinion and advice. Have you written any articles or are you aware of any resources that may help my friend and her husband separate employment from ministry from family, but yet stay connected to them all?  How do you define the line between devotion to a ministry and workaholism (by your choice) or abuse (by the choice of others)?

I would appreciate any references to which you can direct me.

Your brother in Christ,
-----

There are very few people or organizations I recommend without qualification, but Cloud Townsend Resources is one. Cloud and Townsend wrote the masterpiece Boundaries and have separately authored other great books including Changes that Heal, Handling Difficult People, and 9 Things You Simply Must Do.

Henry Cloud, whose dry sense of humor in live presentations makes him my favorite half of the duo, just released his new book, The One-Life Solution: Reclaim your personal life while achieving greater professional success. I haven't read it yet, but I trust Cloud so much I recommended it to my friend immediately.

"The author hones in on common weaknesses—overdeveloped needs for security, approval and perfectionism—and leads readers through a plan for regaining control of themselves, their work and their lives with easy-to-follow activities to implement changes as personal policies," writes Publishers Weekly. "Unfailingly encouraging, Cloud is a fine advocate for the benefit of gaining control and protecting boundaries and his book is a must-have life management bible." A PW review is one of the reviews that matters, especially in "secular" publishing, so this is quite an endorsement.

So much of life has to do with boundaries: setting them, respecting them, communicating them. Improvement in these areas almost guarantees better quality of personal and professional life. I'm glad to know those of us still working on our needs for security, approval and perfectionism-- that would be all of us--have another resource to help.

city planning

Like most of you, I live in the suburbs. Unlike you, perhaps, it's not by choice--I'm a country girl at heart. But I can't yet afford that 1935 farmhouse on five acres, so for now I reluctantly join you in the land of strip malls and subdivisions.

And megachurches. Although the 'burbs lack personality, they don't lack pews. Nashville, I've heard, has more churches per capita than any other city in America, but I also found plenty of places to worship during my years living in suburban Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Orange County.

This isn't always true in an urban environment. In the first lines of his article in this week's Christian Standard, Steve Carr gets right to the point: "By sometime this summer half of the world's population will live in cities. For Restoration Movement churches in America this fact is problematic because our presence in cities is anemic."

He cites several reasons for this anemia, including ministerial isolation and financial issues, and graciously writes, "A reason our movement has struggled to embrace urban ministry is it doesn't fit neatly within our pre-established paradigms of church growth. While the suburban model has proven to be reproducible in many areas of the country, there is no dominant urban model for success." (I'll be more blunt: many of our suburban churches are as alike as the O'Charley's restaurants where the members eat lunch after services.)

Carr's article goes on to report the encouraging February gathering of 40 urban ministry leaders from across the country. He writes that, to his knowledge, this "Urban Conversation" was the first of its kind in our movement.

But it won't be the last, or the biggest. Yesterday's mail brought the Johnson Bible College "Blue & White" newsletter, in which president Gary Weedman wrote about the recent petition from thirty students wanting JBC to add an urban studies program. Another article described the work of the college's students in homeless ministry, English tutoring for Ukrainian families in downtown Knoxville, and Sarah Sykes' organization of everything from grocery shopping to driver training to holiday celebrations for nearby Burundian refugees. (Sarah, I'll be calling you soon to schedule an interview for Buzz.)

These efforts involve 200 students serving radically different people groups with very different needs--and this is in Knoxville, not typically thought of as a major urban center. Carr makes this point, as well. "We discovered [at our meeting] that virtually none of our contexts is similar," he writes. "Scott Jewell's ministry among the urban poor in inner-city St. Louis is nothing like Steve Denney's ministry with City Walk Christian Church in a gentrified area of San Diego."

These differences will require more partnership, more creativity, and more work than maintaining the surburban status quo--but it will also take the financial and human resources of our suburban churches to make a difference. Carr and team, let us know how we can help. And when I get that big farmhouse I'm happy to host a rural retreat.

life on loan

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the poverty and disease in Africa, and to wonder if normal two-name people (that is, the non-Bono and non-Oprah) can make any difference. A variety of complex factors created this crisis, and no one solution can fix everything. But microloans are a good way to start.

Microloans aren't new, but they've gained new attention in recent years. Like so many good ideas, this one is simple: reputable organizations identify potential loan recipients in the developing world and share info about these folks with richer Americans, Europeans, etc. who then loan a few dozen or few hundred dollars. The recipient uses this money to start a small business (like a food market, general store, or transportation business) and eventually repays the loan in full. The rich American can then loan the money to another 2/3 world entrepreneur, theoretically repeating the cycle indefinitely and using the same money to give freedom and dignity to many different people.

Microloans also help prevent the spread of HIV; many recipients are women and the income generated from their small businesses dramatically reduces the likelihood they'll barter their bodies for food. (One recent study in Botswana and Swaziland reports women who lack sufficient food are 80% more likely to engage in "survival sex.")

It takes so little money to lower that percentage--for the cost of a nice restaurant meal you can help someone eat well for a long time. And although most of us could easily afford to give that amount outright, the recipients almost always repay the loans in full.

Alice Mbithe is in that category. Despite only receiving a primary school education, she's successfully run her own small grocery business for years to supplement her husband's income. As I type, this sweet lady is using the money my brother, sister-in-law and I loaned her to set up a fruit and vegetable stand that will support her family of five, pay hospital bills, and provide medication for her youngest daughter.

We connected with Alice through Christian Missionary Fellowship. Their microenterprise program provides a 27-hour training course for prospective microloan recipients (covering everything from bookkeeping and saving to integrity and faithfulness) and coordinates weekly meetings for accountability and support. Loans range from $8 to $400 and the program already has 190 clients.

I make part of my living writing advertising copy, so I try to avoid the trite. But I have to say it: while no one, even Bono, can change the world alone, you can change one person's world. And it's a blast.