OK. Confession: I didn’t actually read Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. My wife and I listened to it as we drove up to Seattle and back … with the characters from Cars playing on the DVD player for the kids in the back. I need a hard copy of this book because I couldn’t take notes on my CD. I found it a fascinating study, however, on how cultural phenomena become, well, phenomenal.
I wish I could unpack it all, but it had great insight, particularly on different kinds of people and how they relate to social phenomena. There are people who are passionate about a topic – even as a hobby – that, while they may seem obnoxious, serve as great resources for making those products better. For example (I think I read this in a different book), somebody sends Google emails with a number on it. Nothing else. The folks at Google discovered it was when the word count on their homepage is getting too high. They want to keep things simple so they appreciate the emails to keep them in check. These folks are called Mavens, I believe.
Others are connectors. They may not have the deep knowledge, but they have social networks that get the right people together to make a movement happen.
There’s one more. I can’t remember what it is, but it is those who are influential. It might even be ‘influencers.’ These are the people that move people to doing something. The cool kids in some ways.
Jotting these notes down makes me want to really get a hard copy and mark it up because it has some good insights for leadership. Sometimes, when identifying leaders, I think in singular categories. It could be any one of Gladwell’s categories at a given time, but this book is really a challenge to see the value in the myriad of different people and their giftings and contributions. Sounds almost biblical (see 1 Corinthians 12 or Romans 12).
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Back to it again … The Last Nine Innings
I had the best intentions of keeping up on my blogging by catching up on the books I’ve read lately and not reflected and blogged upon. It’s now been almost a week since I’ve thought about it. But here goes…
I brought The Last Nine Innings by Charles Euchner on our trip to Kenya this summer in the event that I needed a break from all the studying I was doing on the trip. I started it on that trip, but didn’t really get into it. I think I finished it during vacation in Washington in August. It was a book that I was excited to read quite a while. I think I saw it recommended on the USS Mariner Reading List when it was a thread that several people were contributing to.
Over the last few years I’ve enjoyed reading a baseball book or two each year. I’ve enjoyed Out of Left Field, Weaver on Strategy, Cheater’s Guide to Baseball, and Moneyball (my favorite). I don’t know if I’ve reached baseball fatigue, the writing wasn’t that great, or what, but I wasn’t thrilled with this book. I didn’t devour it.
The organization of the book is interesting. Euchner uses Game 7 of the Yankees – Diamondbacks 2001 World Series as an opportunity to speak about different aspects of the game. For instance, he talks about starting pitching in the first inning – unpacking pitching in general with Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens as his examples. Then he talks about fielding in the bottom of the inning, highlighting Derek Jeter and Steve Finley … and so he goes through the nine innings with relief pitching, hitting, managing, etc…
I don’t know why I didn’t love it. It had everything. Randy Johnson winning. Yankees losing. Fascinating discussions on the science of hitting and pitching (the most violent action in all of sports!). An explanation of international scouting. Debates on pitching and fielding. A lot of great stuff, but, like I said, I wouldn’t enthusiastically endorse it like I would Moneyball or Weaver on Strategy. But if you like baseball, you’d probably like it. So … consider it endorsed, just not heartily endorsed.
I brought The Last Nine Innings by Charles Euchner on our trip to Kenya this summer in the event that I needed a break from all the studying I was doing on the trip. I started it on that trip, but didn’t really get into it. I think I finished it during vacation in Washington in August. It was a book that I was excited to read quite a while. I think I saw it recommended on the USS Mariner Reading List when it was a thread that several people were contributing to.
Over the last few years I’ve enjoyed reading a baseball book or two each year. I’ve enjoyed Out of Left Field, Weaver on Strategy, Cheater’s Guide to Baseball, and Moneyball (my favorite). I don’t know if I’ve reached baseball fatigue, the writing wasn’t that great, or what, but I wasn’t thrilled with this book. I didn’t devour it.
The organization of the book is interesting. Euchner uses Game 7 of the Yankees – Diamondbacks 2001 World Series as an opportunity to speak about different aspects of the game. For instance, he talks about starting pitching in the first inning – unpacking pitching in general with Curt Schilling and Roger Clemens as his examples. Then he talks about fielding in the bottom of the inning, highlighting Derek Jeter and Steve Finley … and so he goes through the nine innings with relief pitching, hitting, managing, etc…
I don’t know why I didn’t love it. It had everything. Randy Johnson winning. Yankees losing. Fascinating discussions on the science of hitting and pitching (the most violent action in all of sports!). An explanation of international scouting. Debates on pitching and fielding. A lot of great stuff, but, like I said, I wouldn’t enthusiastically endorse it like I would Moneyball or Weaver on Strategy. But if you like baseball, you’d probably like it. So … consider it endorsed, just not heartily endorsed.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Nibelungenlied
The Nibelungenlied is a German medieval epic. Track the storyline here. To answer the first question, I’m reading it because, while I feel like I had a sufficient education, there seems like a lot of classic stuff I’m missing out on. Also, I’d like to be broadly read rather than have tunnel vision on a particular area. Sometimes it means I read stuff I have little interest in. Other times, I find gems that I never would have thought I’d have any interest in. This is one of them … for the most part.
The Nibelungenlied was too long, but it was a great walk through medieval honor and chivalry – as well as treachery. I don’t know why, but I often expect books like these – even the Odyssey and the Illiad – to be boring because they’re old, but the passion and fury of battle in them is always exciting. Tarantino could get some mileage out of these books – helmets splitting, blood spurting. Epic battles.
Anyway, I come away from these books impressed with the honor and courage of many of these knights and their brotherhood. Something to aspire to and to instill in my boy. The flip side of this honor and brotherhood is sometimes the demeaning of their sisters or wives and the refusal to confront the treachery of their brothers due to their commitment to one another. I only read through one of these “classics” each year (my ‘to read’ categories are pretty long) so I won’t get to King Arthur and his guys for a couple years, but I’m looking forward to see how/if honor and faithfulness develops more thoroughly.
Either way, there was a lot of good stuff. I don’t know if I brought it out in the series of “Just War?” blog posts, but I distinctly remember the author of When God Says War is Right mentions the medieval warriors who were fierce in battle and honorable off the battlefield. The Nibelungenlied does not fit that mold specifically, but there are traces of it.
This wouldn’t be my most recommended book of the year, but if you’re into medieval lit – or curious about it (you’ve probably read it already if you’re into it) – you might like it.
The Nibelungenlied was too long, but it was a great walk through medieval honor and chivalry – as well as treachery. I don’t know why, but I often expect books like these – even the Odyssey and the Illiad – to be boring because they’re old, but the passion and fury of battle in them is always exciting. Tarantino could get some mileage out of these books – helmets splitting, blood spurting. Epic battles.
Anyway, I come away from these books impressed with the honor and courage of many of these knights and their brotherhood. Something to aspire to and to instill in my boy. The flip side of this honor and brotherhood is sometimes the demeaning of their sisters or wives and the refusal to confront the treachery of their brothers due to their commitment to one another. I only read through one of these “classics” each year (my ‘to read’ categories are pretty long) so I won’t get to King Arthur and his guys for a couple years, but I’m looking forward to see how/if honor and faithfulness develops more thoroughly.
Either way, there was a lot of good stuff. I don’t know if I brought it out in the series of “Just War?” blog posts, but I distinctly remember the author of When God Says War is Right mentions the medieval warriors who were fierce in battle and honorable off the battlefield. The Nibelungenlied does not fit that mold specifically, but there are traces of it.
This wouldn’t be my most recommended book of the year, but if you’re into medieval lit – or curious about it (you’ve probably read it already if you’re into it) – you might like it.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Back to Blogging
As you can tell by the date, it’s been too long since I’ve last blogged. I’ve been busy, to be sure. But one of the reasons I like to blog is that I like to read. Too much. One year I consumed 50+ books, but couldn’t remember much of what I read. Given the dearth of good material, some may say, it may be better forgotten.
But I’m not the most discerning reader. I often like, or end up liking, much of what I read. And yet, I can read a ton and not get much from it or retain much. Maybe that’s what happens when Tom Clancy novels turn you into a reader. The stories make you move fast and you skip over all those Russian names. Anyway, blogging is my way to slow down and process my reading. Sometimes it keeps me in books too long because I’m so obsessive compulsive that I need to do a thorough blogging of a book.
Well I’ve read a bunch since my last blog, but I haven’t gotten any of it down. Instead of a thorough blogging of the books I’ve done, I’ll just give a brief sketch on what I’ve taken from the book.
I’ll probably try to find a happy medium between the exhaustive blogging I was doing before and not blogging, which I’ve been doing more recently. I hope to return this to a helpful, refreshing outlet for myself instead of a burden and, at the same time, keep my reading from being such an escape that it escapes my head without being processed. We’ll see how it goes.
A post on The Nibelungenlied tomorrow! Points for anyone who knows what that is!
But I’m not the most discerning reader. I often like, or end up liking, much of what I read. And yet, I can read a ton and not get much from it or retain much. Maybe that’s what happens when Tom Clancy novels turn you into a reader. The stories make you move fast and you skip over all those Russian names. Anyway, blogging is my way to slow down and process my reading. Sometimes it keeps me in books too long because I’m so obsessive compulsive that I need to do a thorough blogging of a book.
Well I’ve read a bunch since my last blog, but I haven’t gotten any of it down. Instead of a thorough blogging of the books I’ve done, I’ll just give a brief sketch on what I’ve taken from the book.
I’ll probably try to find a happy medium between the exhaustive blogging I was doing before and not blogging, which I’ve been doing more recently. I hope to return this to a helpful, refreshing outlet for myself instead of a burden and, at the same time, keep my reading from being such an escape that it escapes my head without being processed. We’ll see how it goes.
A post on The Nibelungenlied tomorrow! Points for anyone who knows what that is!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Kenya Review Day 4 (June 20)
We traveled back to Nairobi today and visited an organization called New Life Children’s Home. It was a well-run ministry taking care of the abandoned babies in Nairobi. Their ministry has been blessed to the degree that they have several satellite homes throughout Kenya. Whether they find the babies, or people bring them to the home, or if police bring them, they take 50 or so children in at a time. I think they had 47 during our visit. They’ll take them from birth to three years before they go to an orphanage.
This ministry is vital because orphanages often don’t take babies because they are so labor intensive. So this is a specialized ministry where the helpless are helped. Our task was to play with children and encourage the staff by sharing from the Scriptures. I shared from Luke 13 (it was my go-to devotional for the week). It is where Jesus sees a woman who had been suffering for years. Everyone else overlooked her or looked out for her to stay away from her. She was unclean. But Jesus, the text says, “saw her.” And then He brought her up so others could see her. And He healed her. They got upset that he healed on the Sabbath, but Jesus said this woman is more valuable than the ox they’d feed on the Sabbath so relax.
I encouraged these workers that they are taking care of those who are overlooked. The idea of abandoned babies pulls at our heartstrings, but few see them to the degree that we’ll actually give our lives to taking care of them. But Jesus sees them and these workers are being His hands as they care for these who are in such dire need.
It was a beautiful place where kids are played with and cared for, but it is run with great efficiency and discipline as well. I’ve never seen toddlers eat so much or so quickly. They get the kids cleaned up as well as put down for naps. It was a clean, efficient ministry meeting the basic needs of the most helpless among us.
I posted some of these pics on my facebook account and several people commented on how they were moved to tears. While I may be a bit hard-hearted, I left more encouraged. And I know that fifty kids are a drop in the bucket for the great needs in Nairobi, let alone Kenya, Africa, or the world. And yet, there’s a common theme I’m seeing in the last couple trips I’ve gone on in the last couple years.
God raises up people to meet the needs around them. Fifty kids may not solve the problem, but it is a group of people committed to doing what they can. They can’t solve the problem by themselves, but they’re part of the solution. They’re doing their part. I’m always inspired by people who are doing that and it is what is motivating me to build a ministry that ministers to and alongside those who are in need in our local community here in Cypress. I’ve seen great examples in Kenya (we’ll look at others throughout the trip) and in Ecuador and I’m sure they’re all around the world.
Church tomorrow!
This ministry is vital because orphanages often don’t take babies because they are so labor intensive. So this is a specialized ministry where the helpless are helped. Our task was to play with children and encourage the staff by sharing from the Scriptures. I shared from Luke 13 (it was my go-to devotional for the week). It is where Jesus sees a woman who had been suffering for years. Everyone else overlooked her or looked out for her to stay away from her. She was unclean. But Jesus, the text says, “saw her.” And then He brought her up so others could see her. And He healed her. They got upset that he healed on the Sabbath, but Jesus said this woman is more valuable than the ox they’d feed on the Sabbath so relax.
I encouraged these workers that they are taking care of those who are overlooked. The idea of abandoned babies pulls at our heartstrings, but few see them to the degree that we’ll actually give our lives to taking care of them. But Jesus sees them and these workers are being His hands as they care for these who are in such dire need.
It was a beautiful place where kids are played with and cared for, but it is run with great efficiency and discipline as well. I’ve never seen toddlers eat so much or so quickly. They get the kids cleaned up as well as put down for naps. It was a clean, efficient ministry meeting the basic needs of the most helpless among us.
I posted some of these pics on my facebook account and several people commented on how they were moved to tears. While I may be a bit hard-hearted, I left more encouraged. And I know that fifty kids are a drop in the bucket for the great needs in Nairobi, let alone Kenya, Africa, or the world. And yet, there’s a common theme I’m seeing in the last couple trips I’ve gone on in the last couple years.
God raises up people to meet the needs around them. Fifty kids may not solve the problem, but it is a group of people committed to doing what they can. They can’t solve the problem by themselves, but they’re part of the solution. They’re doing their part. I’m always inspired by people who are doing that and it is what is motivating me to build a ministry that ministers to and alongside those who are in need in our local community here in Cypress. I’ve seen great examples in Kenya (we’ll look at others throughout the trip) and in Ecuador and I’m sure they’re all around the world.
Church tomorrow!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
How do you prepare for worship?
I raised a few basic ideas on how we can prepare better to engage God in worship with His people on Sunday mornings, to build anticipation for worshiping God with the church. Get up earlier, go to bed earlier. But I’m counting on you to have better ideas. There’s one more I didn’t share – just to get the conversation going on here. But please add because my ideas need some help. Here’s what I do.
I’m a channel surfer when I drive. I don’t have a particular station that I camp on. Sometimes it’s talk radio. Other times it is classic rock, sometimes 80s music – the sound of my youth, other times I’ll stop in at the Christian station or listen to CDs. But I bounce around.
I have about a 5-7 minute commute on Sunday mornings so it doesn’t work as well as it used to when we lived in Long Beach, but I don’t channel surf on Sunday mornings. 95.9, the Fish, offers a great service of commercial-free worship. So I tune in each Sunday morning on my way to church. Helps get me a little more focused than my usual channel-surfing.
What do you do to get ready to worship on Sunday mornings? Discuss.
I’m a channel surfer when I drive. I don’t have a particular station that I camp on. Sometimes it’s talk radio. Other times it is classic rock, sometimes 80s music – the sound of my youth, other times I’ll stop in at the Christian station or listen to CDs. But I bounce around.
I have about a 5-7 minute commute on Sunday mornings so it doesn’t work as well as it used to when we lived in Long Beach, but I don’t channel surf on Sunday mornings. 95.9, the Fish, offers a great service of commercial-free worship. So I tune in each Sunday morning on my way to church. Helps get me a little more focused than my usual channel-surfing.
What do you do to get ready to worship on Sunday mornings? Discuss.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Kenya Review Day 3 (June19)
This was Friday in Kenya and it was a lighter day. It is amazing how things slip one’s mind, but the schedule was clear apart from preparation and a cookout with some Moffat faculty. I don’t remember a day feeling so “open,” but I think that was pretty much all we did this day. This doesn’t mean it was a relaxing day. I don’t think we had one of those. Instead, we worked on the lessons we’d be teaching during the coming 10 days. Actually, we were probably just focused on the weekend ahead of us.
The evening cookout with the Harrells was nice. We were able to meet some of the professors at Moffat Bible College. One of the American missionaries had been a pastor for 20+ years before coming to Moffat to teach church history. He had done enough short term trips that he was familiar with how to see the sights in London in five hours. His tour came in handy on our return trip.
One of the great things about Moffat is the Kenya to expatriate ratio. They are careful to keep the staff 50% Kenyan, including the Academic Dean and the Principal of the college, I believe. This keeps it from being paternalistic. The Western missionaries are working under the leadership of Kenyans and it maintains a good balance. At the same time, the Western missionaries help give a different angle on ministry and training as well as help keep tuition costs down, which is important. Because Western missionaries are supported, the students don’t have to pay for their salaries with their tuition.
We met some great folks at the cookout and even discussed the possibility of spending a trimester there as a teacher during my next sabbatical, which is a ways away. But still something to look forward to.
Tomorrow (in Kenya) we get to work! That day will show up on the blog on Monday – a special church post tomorrow!
The evening cookout with the Harrells was nice. We were able to meet some of the professors at Moffat Bible College. One of the American missionaries had been a pastor for 20+ years before coming to Moffat to teach church history. He had done enough short term trips that he was familiar with how to see the sights in London in five hours. His tour came in handy on our return trip.
One of the great things about Moffat is the Kenya to expatriate ratio. They are careful to keep the staff 50% Kenyan, including the Academic Dean and the Principal of the college, I believe. This keeps it from being paternalistic. The Western missionaries are working under the leadership of Kenyans and it maintains a good balance. At the same time, the Western missionaries help give a different angle on ministry and training as well as help keep tuition costs down, which is important. Because Western missionaries are supported, the students don’t have to pay for their salaries with their tuition.
We met some great folks at the cookout and even discussed the possibility of spending a trimester there as a teacher during my next sabbatical, which is a ways away. But still something to look forward to.
Tomorrow (in Kenya) we get to work! That day will show up on the blog on Monday – a special church post tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
