July 30, 2010

Reading the Bible with the damned (Bob Ekblad)

This book has been part of my summer reading. I am really digging Bob Ekblad. It reads like a person's struggles to contextualise and incarnate the good news - thank the Heavens it's not another stale volume on evangelism or missional churches!!!

What touched me the most - apart from the obvious fact that this guy is actually out there doing the stuff - is his intentional reading of the scriptures, looking for good news in the biblical narrative. I found his approach very refreshing, even though at times I was taken aback by the raw presentation of language at the margins of society - expletives included. I see real possibilities opening up for the reading of the bible in those "damned" places - at the margins, in the outback, among the very least of these.

Surely this is the place where the bible has belonged all along.

July 29, 2010

Leadership, passion and life lessons through classical music?

I am not one for classical music. In fact, much to my embarrassment I am a total philistine when it comes to classical music - I am among those who enjoy a little bit of Escala-type cross-over into the pop genre but little more. Much to my surprise I was really touched by the following TED talk by Benjamin Zander on music and passion and leadership. True passion is contagious you know. This guy exudes passion for classical music, and before you know it you are tracking with him, longing to know more about Chopin and really secretly hoping you can love something like he loves his music - that you can have "shinning eyes" with regards to some issue in your own life. This is to be truly alive to something.

May we all become "one-buttock" players in life! Enjoy.

July 29, 2010

Aloha from the Baw Family!!!!!!

We had an awesome time in our cruise to Hawaii !!!!!!! No, scrap that. No cruise unfortunately. BUT we DID have an incredible time in our Rowing Club's Hawaiian BBQ night. We took a few pictures......

Click here to download:

aloha-from-the-baw-family-qEHk0nTVguXhcDELuUEL.zip (6365 KB)

July 28, 2010

Raving against the know-it-all

I often get asked by people to explain what the vision is for my church. In our western society we place a lot of capital on the vision, the strategy, the plan, the timetable, all complete with Gantt charts showing key milestones and accomplishments. In my reading of scripture I am seeing something that goes against this grain of rational laid-out plans that attempts to show that we leaders and pastors have it all together. To be seen as not having a detailed vision and plan is akin to being weak, lost, directionless and incompetent. The modern leader needs to be a know-it-all. The modern leader is full of cr@p.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8 emphasis mine)

WOW! The Father of the faith.... not knowing where he was going! I can see it now, Abraham, that great man of God summoning his family/tribe and urging them to follow him from UR of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan: "Follow me!!! I have a mission!! I have a promise!!!! There is a land that is full of promise!!!!!!! Follow me!!!!" ... only to be asked OK Abraham, where are we going? What is the vision?" "I HAVE NO IDEA!!!!"

No self-respecting pastor or leader would dare to go out and lead a tribe..... not knowing where he is going.

The language of the scriptures, and I suspect the culture of that day too, valued mystery, the embracing of the journey, and experience as a dance, over and above the results-oriented, quota-meeting culture of our western mindset. I am learning to de-toxify myself of results, and I am learning to embrace mystery ..... not knowing where I am going, but learning to embrace the adventure and the mystery of dancing with the God who hides himself in a dark cloud.

July 28, 2010

Explaining the EU debt problem!!!!!

July 26, 2010

If you want to know whether you are a person of honour ask yourself: "Do people around me feel powerful?" #CultureOfHonour #ServantLeaders

July 22, 2010

On Children

~ Following is a beautiful work of poetry by Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran:

Children

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

July 22, 2010

“Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you” ~Khalil Gibran #Quote #Poetry

July 21, 2010

"The brave may not live forever, but the cautious don't live at all" ~Timothy Luce #Quote #Leadership

July 19, 2010

"True leadership looks like Jesus kneeling before his disciples and washing their feet!" #Quote #ServantLeaders

WildOx Blog

The Blog of John K. Baw - Gibraltar