Happy Holidays Everyone

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Dear readers,

This is a massive holiday week. Schools are on winter break in the Northern Hemisphere and summer break in the Southern Hemisphere. Some adults are on break in all spheres. It is Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Years (I know one of those isn't religious). It is, for most of us, a well needed and earned break.

I wish you well this break. May you find rest, joy, peace and love. Whether you be on wintry slopes or sunny beaches, relish the difference in schedule and pace. Relish each other. May your kids not drive you crazy; may siblings even get along (ok, maybe that's too much a miracle to ask!)

I'll be taking a break myself from writing until the new year.

But until then, in the hope of my faith, may Jesus bless you with peace, love and joy.

To all you readers happy holidays. Bless you all.

Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker: A Door's Howl Review (No Specific Spoilers)

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Door's Howl Review: Star Wars Episode IX: Rise of Skywalker

A spoiler alert: I have tried to write this review without any specific spoilers, especially of movie plot lines. However, I do reference generalized thoughts and directorial decisions which may be viewed by some as spoilers. Therefore, move ahead under caution.

Synopsis

It is the last of the Star Wars main story arc movies. Faced with outrage from the Episode VIII poor performance (at least to purists), J.J. Abrams returns as director. The movie is fast paced with typical humor inserted elements for which Abrams is known. It pays homage to past characters, past battles and even revisits planets and scenes from previous movies.

As I said, it is fast paced. The movie is 2h21m, and doesn't let up in action all the way through. At times it feels squeezed and everything is being crammed into a predetermined time limit. It possibly could have benefitted from an extra 20 minutes. We follow the resistance across the galaxy as they fight the First Order and once again we see the two sides of the force at war.

I found the movie choppy and rushed and personally didn't think it was good. On the other hand, my family all loved it and thought it was great. Perhaps this is what happens with a movie arc that is 42 years long. Star Wars is a movie for kids, and the kid within us. It's fantastic, spectacular and amazing, but when you engage your disbelief, it kind of fails. Perhaps my own joy would have increased with a more emphatic audience (no cheers, no celebration, no shock, just...silence...even at the end with a muted smattering of applause led by one of my own children, which never went further than that). Maybe, it is better than I thought. You be your own judge.

There was one phrase, that repeats throughout the movie that seemed to be a prophetic challenge to the ordinary person: there are more of us than they want you to think there are. We are not victims and at the mercy of armies, tyrants and leaders...we have power...together. This was a moment worth cheering for in the movie (but alas...our audience was quiet)! I found this little piece of commentary on our times well done and powerfully displayed. We can always resist evil, and there are more good people than bad...we just need to realize we are not alone.

Perhaps I need to see it again to get a better experience!

As IMDB stated for the plot line: the resistance faces the First Order in the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga.

That sums it up quite well.

I hope you go and enjoy it!

P.S. I am sure Lego will make another small fortune off the figures and models from this movie...there are tons!

Score

Episode IX scores a New Moon.

Scoring System

Wolves are thought to commonly howl at the moon. So, the better the moon, the greater the howl. Description of scoring system below.

Full Moon - best you can get, must watch and must own
New Moon - great movie, worth seeing and buying
Crescent Moon - average to above average, good to watch, but may want to wait for DVD
Sliver Moon - below average, not worth seeing and only get it on DVD when you have nothing better to do, like having a root canal
Moonless Night -not even worth mentioning - avoid at all costs!

Are the polls accurate about Biden?

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Joe Biden continues to lead the national polls. Are these polls accurate?

The impeachment process continues in the House, with a Senate hearing coming. In the meantime, Democratic candidates work to win the nomination for presidency. The national polls all show Biden in the lead (by as much as 8-9%). Can they be trusted? These same polls showed Hillary Clinton winning in 2016. They were wrong.

While these polls are of Democratic voters, are they reliable?

I'm thinking not. This is not a comment on Biden's platform or presidency. It is a comment on the reliability of polls. Polls are, in my opinion, a projection of our intentions as voters. But, intentions don't get votes. Votes are cast by those who show up and vote. So, I don't think I trust these polls or the conclusions you might draw from them for a possible winner in the Democratic Race.

I'm interested in your thoughts. Do you think these polls are reliable?

Is Lamar the Real Deal?

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Just watched a story by Erin Andrews on Fox Sports about Lamar Jackson. It was brilliantly done. Everyone is wondering: is he the real deal? Most people I speak to wonder about when and if he will survive at his current pace. Most people, including me, wonder when he will be injured.

The Fox story on him was inspiring. A powerful selection of clips, great background music and a video take of Lamar sitting while his team mate, Mark Ingram 2nd speaks about him. I had to watch it again. I don't think Lamar said more than 4-5 sentences.

I watched it again. I was wrong...he said 10 sentences. Mark Ingram spoke more about him than he spoke in total. And the one word after incredible that people are using about Lamar is "humble". I hope he stays that way. I hope he continues to succeed and continues to inspire children. Apparently his jersey was the highest sold jersey on Black Friday across the country. We need heroes like that.

And the response about whether Lamar is breaking the trend of quarterbacks and introducing a new age of quarterbacking...both Lamar and Mark speak humbly: the story is still being written.

Well, I think he is the real deal. I'm a fan right now. He's incredible to watch, and his stats are incredible to read.

Injuries sideline all players. I don't wish him injury and I hope he leads the NFL into a new era as the GOAT retires soon.

Cat Litter and Bad Leadership

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I was wondering around a wholesale store today trying to find the cat litter. In fairness, it isn't my regular chore. I usually do the grocery shopping, but not the wholesale shopping. So the aisles were foreign to me. I spent ages wandering from one row to the next trying to find cat litter. The aisle titles gave no hints about cat litter. They didn't reveal hints or suggestions. I was lost.

After at least the fifth time around the store I looked up and saw the aisle titled "Pet Care". I felt...foolish! I had walked past that aisle five times...at least. I was looking for "Cat Litter" and all the time the data was there, but under another heading.

Leaders have a habit of doing that...focusing themselves on what they want, while missing what is there. It's a classic example of the blind spot (in this case literally). I wanted cat litter, and no matter what I saw in some aisles, I went back again and again, trying to wish the boxes into existence. Leaders do this all the time with their plans, visions, goals and strategies. They try to force what isn't there into existence and ignore what is already there that will help.

I remember Bono saying this once, many years ago: why do I keep asking God to bless what I'm doing. Instead, why don't I find what he is already blessing, and do that.

Leaders, more than ever today, our task is to pay attention to what is already there, and work with what exists, rather than forcing what doesn't. Our blind spots wreck our plans. We need people who will point them out to us so we can find what is already clear and start succeeding at what is needed.

Do you have someone who is your blind spot revealer?

Anyone care to share what mine are?

And yes, don't go shopping with me for cat litter!

Impeachment and Our Work Going Forward

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Articles of Impeachment were unveiled today against President Trump.

• Article 1: Abuse of power
• Article 2: Obstruction of congress 

The spin cycles are already working overtime. Each side selects their facts and argues their position. None of this is new to us.

Yet what is the impact on the voter?

I was involved in a brief discussion today about how people are feeling as the impeachment process continues. The discussion was around how stressed people are. I think they are very stressed. Emotions are high; tolerance is low and frustration is growing.  With it a level of vitriol and dehumanization is growing that is causing damage to our personal and national psyche that will take years to address. What is happening to us is damaging us.

I implore you, regardless of your position on parties or issues respect the dignity of yourself, the dignity of others and the dignity of our world to speak with grace, truth and respect. Don't allow the political war to dictate your battles, your weapons or your victims. Choose a better way. At the end of the political year we are about to enter, we will have to look each other in the eye and commit to building our lives and our communities together. Let's not tear it down before we get there and drive a wedge so deep between us that we cannot unite again.

Maybe, this year we could build something stronger, despite our political differences.
Maybe this year we could be better, stronger, smarter.
Maybe this year we could be what we are: free people with the privilege to vote, but the mandate to love.

You know you're spiritually mature when...(a sort of spiritual direction parody).

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Warning: this is a parody post. Do not take literally.

It has become quite popular these days to name a spiritual activity using a Latin phrase. Of course, these activities are spiritual disciplines that are centuries old, but you know when you're spiritually mature when you can use the latin phrase for the activity.

For example, lectio divina, which means divine reading (or sacred reading) is a method of reading the Bible that leads to insights and contemplation different from study or research. There is also visio divina (divine seeing) where you look at art or pictures and meditate on what God is saying through it. Recently, I was led in audio divina (divine hearing), where you listen to a recording and meditate on it. So, these are simple activities or reading, looking and hearing.

While doing this audio divina exercise, I had this funny thought. It seems like naming an activity with the latin terms endows it with spiritual depth.  What if I named other activities with their latin terms (I did do 5 years of latin in high school, of which I remember almost none of it), I could create a new spiritual direction booklet and lead people to new depths of spiritual maturity.

Here are some ideas:

Somnio Divina: sacred sleeping - close your eyes, breathe deeply and...sleep. The very act makes you mature already.
Cocio Divina: sacred cooking - play with spices, food types and methods to create new foods, then practice...
Sapio Divina: sacred tasting - taste the food for new insights into spiritual activity. This exercise is best done with...
Potio Divina: sacred drinking - drink measured drafts of your selected liquid, savoring the flavor and relishing the new insights. After all these spiritual acts, you will need to do...
Exercitio Divina: sacred exercise - work your body in sweat, learning through pain what God is teaching. Now you are ready for...
Opio Divina: sacred work - do your work well, or just start at the beginning again with Somnio Divina.

They must be deep...they're in Latin.

So, which spiritual activity sounds like your next new one to try?

Quicksand, quagmire and quag: a leadership rant

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Making decisions as leaders is incredibly complex today. 

Personally, I, sometimes, envy those leaders who seem to make decisions so easily. They seem certain, clear in their minds about what is right and wrong, living in a two-tone world of black and white. They lead forward with what some call decisiveness, vision, boldness and power. 

And they are often wrong, and the trail of the bodies behind their decisions are left for others to clean up.

These leaders, aren't clear, certain or decisive. They are apathetic, self-serving and ignorant or unwilling to learn. They don't lead well. At least, not in this new world.

We live in a world where decision making needs to factor in a variety of issues: culture, world-views, facts, impact (global, local, personal and personnel), and outcomes. Some of those issues are easy to determine, others are much harder, and a few are completely hidden from us.

Savvy leaders today take in as much information as they can. Then they empower the right people to make the decision. This is a critical step. Leaders don't make decisions. That is not a philosophy that works today. Leaders empower the right people to make the decision. And sometimes that is the leader, but more often it is the person most impacted by the decision, or most knowledgeable, or most aware. Empowering the right people is essential. Then, together, leader and team step with caution into the future. 

I am often wary of leaders who claim to know how to solve problems and lead with certainty. Even more so of consultants who claim this. I am more open to leaders who claim the "I don't know" space.

In light of these complexities: how would you advice leaders to guide their teams and organizations as they seek to make decisions?

To speak or not to speak, that is the question.

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Politics and the Church have a long history. They have been linked for generations and some of the greatest evils have been perpetuated when religion and politics have mixed together and endorsed each other.

A Pew Research Center article from November 15, 2019 reveals that 2/3 of those surveyed want churches to stay out of politics, while 1/3 want churches to express their view on day-to-day social and political questions. (Pew Research Center Article: Americans Have Positive Views about Religion's Role in Society but Want it Out of Politics)

I have seen or heard of churches (this is beyond just a preacher, but also charities supported, issues addressed, topics promoted or resisted in a church) doing following:

• actively endorse a candidate even handing out mock voting documents to guide people in how to vote for the endorsed candidate
• critique members of their congregation for voting opposite to the expressed view of the preacher
• remain silent on all things political (apolitical)
• actively endorse, or passively support, a specific political worldview
• lose and gain members for being silent or speaking out on political issues

Churches, through their culture, issues they focus on or avoid, posters, displays or promotions in their lobby, newsletter or social media profile, address politics all the time. Even those churches that choose to be apolitical are involved in politics, even unintentionally. I served as a volunteer in a church that chose to be apolitical during the Apartheid years in South Africa. It suffered a terrorist attack for being silent where 11 people were killed and dozens injured. The church was seen as a "soft-white" target, and supportive of Apartheid for failing to speak out about it.

In the midst of this challenge is also the call of the church to be prophetic in the culture it exists. Does this mean in politics too?

This makes me wonder what you think. Should a church engage in addressing political concepts and events? Should a church speak about this or not? 

What do you think?

Death, doubt and the role of guts

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The congregation I pastor has experienced several deaths lately. Not of congregation members, but rather of love ones close to congregation members. Each one, whether expected or not, brings grief and confusion. Each one brings questions and the need for care, love and support. But there is more.

As a pastor, familiar with death, these moments bring me...

...anger.

Just this past weekend I prayed with our people for a young boy's mom to get well.
Twenty four hours later she was dead. Yes, it leaves me angry.

Yes, there is shepherding, care, listening and companionship. Those are the pastoral tools and skills that people need at this time. But, beyond the work of the pastor there is this deep anger...anger that death is even in the equation.

I think Jesus understands my anger. He felt it too.

In John 11:33 and 11:38 Jesus is recorded as feeling a specific emotion around death. The NIV translates it as "deeply moved". The Message paraphrase describes a deep anger welling up within Jesus. The word in Greek is commonly translated as "indignant", and the root word means "to snort with anger". It means to be moved from deep within, to be moved in your guts so to speak. Translators struggle to give Jesus this emotion and so change it to "deeply moved" or "compassionate". I think he is angry.

He is angry at the presence of death and the sorrow and grief it brings with it. I feel this too. I wish God had answered our prayer for that young boy's mom differently. I wish the other loved ones had not passed away. I wish death wasn't needed to transition to what is next for us. Jesus was angry at the pain and loss death left behind, especially because he knows of a better existence without pain and loss.

It is tough to manage this anger because there is no direction to send it. You can't be angry at the dead person or those left behind. You can't be angry at death (it's too abstract a concept to be angry at for me). You can't be angry at God, because it's not his desire or plan for us. But you know what, I find God is willing to be the recipient of our anger because he gets it. He knows, he feels it and he's willing to bear that burden with us. So, yes be angry at God.

People can often misunderstand this anger as lack of faith or doubt. It is none of those things. It is simply frustration at our current context of living and a deep desire for what is next.

For those suffering the grief of recent lost ones, I pray for you regularly. I grief with you. And God bears my anger and in his time, brings consolation and understanding.

I leave you with the ancient word of hope, Maranatha!

Because death sucks, and losing loved ones sucks and feeling that distance and gap sucks, but maranatha so we can experience reunion and eternity together. Maranatha.