"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know
Medium for Communication // 11-19-08
So you've been selling 24 oz. large size beverages for years when some upstart, fly-by-night beverage outlet starts selling 32 oz. large size beverages and your customers start defecting. Sucks, but what are you gonna do?
Last weekend I attended a conference on using the internet for evangelism and discipleship: Ministry 2.0. A name as catchy as that must be good right? Well it wasn't.
These frickin' whipper-snappers are the ones that told me that my 24 oz. large wasn't good enough. They said that basically my "large" was really a "medium." Who do they think they are calling things in relation to reality and such?
"Are you gonna be happy to continue to sell your 24 oz. larges as your customer base dwindles?" I imagined they said, which is to say they didn't say.
Let me speak for you. "Dude, I'm not gonna give in to the pressure of these upstarts and start renaming and reclassifying all my beverages. Just because they call themselves something doesn't mean that they really are that thing." you said, "Take for instance "July." Just because a bunch of people start calling it "Duly" because that's when you "Duly-fully go on vacation(tm)" doesn't mean its really "Duly."
Well, sure. But what if all my customer's (if I even have any) come in and order a "large" and they get what they believe to be a "medium?" What then? Refund? Apologize? Tell them to go down the street where "they have a beverage that would suit them better."
What the heck kind of company are you?
"We are radical, dangerous, live-on-the-edge-of-your-seats-while-eating-popcorn kinda company!" you say in my mind through telepathy.
" " I answer back.
So you've been selling your 24 oz. large beverages for like two thousand years, your store is empty, and your customers are all at the other stores or (gasp) not even buying beverages anymore at all...
Your glasses fall off your face and break, leaving you with a lifetime of books to read but no glasses to see them. You moan a low, long moan of anguish!
But no one hears you because your store is empty so who cares.
Is that really the vision of your company? Didn't it used to be "Go into all the world and make beverage drinkers of all peeps? (MSG)" Didn't you used to believe that in the marketplace of beverages that yours was clearly the most refreshing, satisfying one?
So I took a hard look at my beverages. (Literally since they aren't really beverages and therefore are hard to see as all imaginary things tend to be.)
I want the peeps to buy my beverages.
So, without changing the flavors or the ingredients, I change my 24 oz. into a medium and introduce a new 64 oz. large and I say to the other companies:
"Bring it on."
Then I do a cheer dance and all my customers roar to their feet, chanting, "64 oz! 64 oz! 64 oz!" because my peeps rock.
epecho
| the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." John 8:31, 32
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What I'm reading >>
"Always two there are... A master and an apprentice."
| The Shack by Wm. Paul Young
I first noticed the Shack on Amazon when it was rocketing to the top of several best-seller charts. Unfortunately, I read the negative reviews and was put off from reading it. Until one of my friends at work, who is going to a be a Pastor, stopped by my desk and told me that I had to read it. I trust him so I picked it up. I am so glad I did!
This is a story about one man, suffering over the loss of one of his children and a seeming disconnection from God and how God steps into this man's life to renew his faith and his heart. I have never "seen" God portrayed like this and yet when I read it I realized this is as much God as the other aspects of God that I am accustomed to. This is God as love. A god who wants to have relationship with us.
Some reviews suggest that this book is heretical for several reasons. I suggest that you find out for yourself. I highly recommend this book.
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Becoming a Contagious Church by Mark Mittleberg
I found this in the $5 bin at LifeWay and had to pick it up; the cover was too cool to pass on! :) What I didn't know at the time is that it may have been a divine appointment. This book has hit me at just the right time. As Smyrna Assembly gets ready to launch small groups next year this book has challenged me to verify the evangelistic goals of the groups and clarified some of my calling. No I wont go door to door, but evangelism isn't just that. It's a way of life. This book helps to focus how a church can live that.
It's from the Willow Creek guys so it's got pedigree. Highly recommended.
If you aren't looking for something so large in scope, I recommend Becoming a Contagious Christian by the same author and Bill Hybels. I'll be facilitating that class early in 2009, probably as a part of the small groups launch. You are welcome to join me!
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What I'm listening to >>
| Drive It Home by Paul Alan
WAY FM started playing Alan's "To Bring You Back" infrequently and it hooked me. I checked out the rest of the album and I found that I enjoyed it very much. His high tenor is hard to sing along to - but you'll be tempted to try!
Rhapsody has it for $7.99 full album download (DRM-free) at vzw.com/rhapsody. Can't go wrong at that price. I'll put this on at Facebook as soon as it's available.
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