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The Last Shall Be First

I don’t think it’s what Jesus had in mind, but I just finished reading Steven Pressfield’s Do the Work, and a major takeaway is that “the last shall be first.” Pressfield encourages the reader to determine where it is you want to end up with your project, weight loss, book…or whatever…and then plan how you are going to get there. Start at the end and then plot your journey. Set your goal. Get there. Do not pass go. Do not collect $100.


Resistance will get in the way, try to stop you, do everything It can to keep you from getting to the end goal. But it is your job to keep plowing through, don’t stop, don’t quit, don’t listen to the voices that will most certainly drag you down or keep you from crossing the finish line.

Seems to be to be a great way to start each day. Where do you want to be at the end of the day? What do you want to accomplish? Where do you want to be? Now go get there.

Start with the last and the first will be easy to determine. With the goal in mind the first steps are more obvious and easier to take. At the end of the day, the month, or the year you will find yourself right where you always knew you were headed.

The very One who said “the last will be first” is the One who already knew in eternity what the end goal was and had to be. In the manger  the end was already in sight. On the morning of Good Friday it was already known what the end would, could, and should be. With His eye on the only goal He came to accomplish, Jesus began with the end in mind and went ahead and accomplished it for the world. The First became last for you.

He was perfect and we, of course, are not. Our nature often keeps us from following through and making it all the way to the ends that are important for life and faith. But He promises to be with you always, even in seeming minutiae. He is there to help you plow through, keep going, and overcome the voices that would overtake. He wants what’s best for you. And what is often best for you is to follow through all the way to the end…to do what needs to be done for your own good, for the good of others, and for the good of the Kingdom.

I challenge you today to make the last first. Where do you want to be at the end of the day today? Get there. Where do you want to go this month? Get there. Where do you want find yourself at the end of this year? Write down the end, envision what the final scene will look like, and allow yourself to have a taste of the final feast. Now go take the first steps toward getting there.

How can putting the last first make a difference in your life?

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Cellophane Transparency

Whenever we’re in a restaurant together my dad claims to be “Mr. Cellophane.” He says that people will look through him or past him just like he doesn’t exist. The problem is, he’s usually right. In his case, being transparent is not a good thing.

In the case of any leader, speaker, or writer, transparency is a good thing. These days people want genuine, honest, open, transparent leaders, speakers, and writers. Fake and formulaic is so “80’s.” Secrecy and false fronts are no longer acceptable after the days of Enron, the scandals of the Catholic Church, and internet viruses and spam.

I have noticed that in preaching sermons people have appreciated a generous peek into my less-than-perfect life. The day I spoke of the “terrible, horrible, no good, absolutely awful” week I had, and how the Word brought light and life into my darkness, positive comments about it almost doubled in comparison to many other sermons I preach. I was transparent. People were connected.

I have also observed people being very suspicious of leaders who seem to keep secrets. Secret keeping causes back room gossip, speculation, and anxiety. The more secrets the less cohesive a team or unit tends to be. The more secrets the less trust.

If you want to connect with an audience, team, or congregation, be transparent and honest. A number of years ago the local district of our church body had a budget that was deeply in the red. A new president came in and immediately instituted an open and transparent policy regarding budgeting, spending, and decision-making. Within a few short years the budget was back in balance and trust was developed throughout the district.

Granted, people don’t need to know every scar and wart of one’s background. Too much information is off-putting and just plain uncomfortable for an audience or team. But carefully chosen transparency is endearing and trust-building.

Being Mr. Cellophane in a restaurant may not be a good thing. Being Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Cellophane as a leader, speaker, or writer builds trust, confidence, and connection.

What insights do you have about transparency?

 

 

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The Confidence of a Confidant

I’m certain you’ve never had a difficult week, but this one has been particularly so for me. There have been any number of personal and professional frustrations, difficulties, disappointments, and failures. The easiest thing would be to throw up my hands, crawl into a hole, and raise the white flag.

Unfortunately, that’s just not possible. Life has to go on. There is work to be done. There are mountains to be climbed and enemies to be overtaken. Frustration may try to win the day, but surrender is not an option.

I would have been lost this week without the perfect confidant: the person that calms, supports, listens, and even fiercely defends against any and all enemies. For me it is my wife. I have the confidence of knowing that my spousal confidant will be the resting place for words that need go no further than her ears.

Since I am a pastor, I have taken a vow to never divulge the sins confessed to me. And I never have. But as a human being there are plenty of other things that ought not remain bottled up inside. They need to be released, given wings, and shared with another. Burdens are never meant to be borne alone. Bearing burdens alone is to be buried under darkness with nary a ray of light to be seen. It’s quicksand, a whirlpool, a cyclone that floods that floods and drowns the soul.

Jesus Himself recognized the importance of sharing the bearing of burdens, of finding confidence in a confidant. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28, 30). There is no One greater with whom to share one’s burden.

But He also provides flesh and blood people to be His ears, His shoulders, and His defense from the quicksand, whirlpools, and cyclones of life. I don’t know what I would have done this week had I not had the listening ears and support of someone who loves and cares for me. The Navy seals, who raided Osama bin Laden’s compound, took two helicopters on the mission because, they say, “Two is one. One is none.”

If you don’t have a confidant with whom to share confidences, please do whatever you can to make sure that you do. It will be good for your psyche. She will lift the burden. He will be the rope that brings you out of the quicksand, the lifesaver tossed into the whirlpool, and the high ground protecting you from the floods of frustrations.

Who has been the confidant with whom you share confidences?

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What’s the Inspiration?

Recently I’ve been thinking a great deal about inspiration. I guess that’s because I’ve been inspired in many and various ways in the past few weeks: I saw a weekend of theatre; I discovered a blog that’s all about inspiration; I saw The King’s Speech.


I’ve even been inspired by playing Words with Friends.

I’ve been inspired by a friend who got a brand new job…the kind of job that fits him perfectly…the kind of job for which he has dreamed. I’ve been inspired by watching hard working young men see their dreams come true in the NFL draft.

I’ve been inspired by some Twitter friends who are currently attending a seminar to improve their public speaking. I’ve been inspired by a friend who recently celebrated the one year anniversary of starting her own business.

I’ve been inspired by looking out at a congregation on Easter Sunday morning filled with people of different ages, races, and financial backgrounds. I’ve been inspired by someone bravely facing serious illness and surgery.

I’ve been inspired by Seth Godin whose book I just read. I’ve been inspired by a brand new baseball season and a brand new computer that makes my work so much easier.

I’ve been inspired by the college students I teach. I’ve been inspired by the men I have the privilege of mentoring.

I’ve even been inspired by two new windshield wipers on my car. (I’m a little obsessed with a perfectly clean windshield on a rainy day.)

But today I’m really curious as to what it is that has recently inspired you. I genuinely want to be inspired by your inspirations.

Would you please leave a comment below and let me know how you have been inspired in the past days and weeks?

 

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It’s Live!

When was the last time you went to see a play, musical, or show? I sincerely hope it hasn’t been too long. If it’s been a while, there’s a piece of you that needs to be awakened…and will be as a result.

I liken seeing the live performance of a play or musical to having something resurrected within me. As I sit and watch I feel joy, get chills, experience pathos and sadness, and see myself reflected in the story. I get to view life from a different perspective. I see the human experience up close. I am a richer person having had the opportunity to lose myself in a live story, re-presented by living, breathing people.

One of my favorite quotes about theatre comes from Cathleen McGuigan, who wrote a piece for Newsweek:

The experience of theater is one of the few satisfying live entertainments available in our virtual culture. There’s nothing quite like the risky thrill of sharing a space with breathing, sweating actors—with no possibility of editing, photoshopping, voice dubbing or blue-screen special effects. The relationship between the characters onstage and each member of the audience who’s willing to suspend disbelief is a unique, delicate and deeply personal experience.

I got to experience that again recently as I watched a young lady do a cabaret type performance the Senior Project of her B.F.A. in acting. (Disclaimer: No, it wasn’t my daughter…although she did have a small part in one of the pieces.) The actress used the cabaret format to explore love and relationships from the female perspective. She did songs from 110 in the Shade, Guys and Dolls, The Last Five Years, Into the Woods, Avenue Q, and Legally Blonde. I learned some new songs. I was drawn in by her emotion. I thought about life in a different way. As the actors said on an old Saturday Night Live skit: “I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats.”

The great thing about live theatre is just that: It’s Live! It not only brings a story to life, it brings life to a story. It draws the audience in and asks each member to do two seemingly contradictory things at the same time: 1. Suspend disbelief; and 2. Believe that the story is her or his own.

I guess that’s why whenever I watch most any kind of (good) live performance I feel more alive myself. I feel tears welling up as the performance brings to the surface heartaches and hard times in my own life. I feel exhilaration as the performance brings to the surface particular joys from my own life. I find myself re-thinking a situation in my own life as I see it literally being played out on stage. I even feel melancholy as the performance drudges up my own regrets, failures, or simply a time that has long since passed. Even the melancholy that I feel makes me feel living and alive.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that theatre expresses emotion and shows the diamond facets of life. It’s living. And it’s live. And I love it.

What is it that makes you feel truly alive? What particular performance drew something new out of you?

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Back to the Backstory

I love a good backstory. It’s surprising. It’s scintillating. It takes the hard edges of a story and makes them soft.

ESPN and former Sports Illustrated writer, Rick Reilly, is the master of the backstory. I was reminded of it again when I read this. It’s the story of Chris Paul, the NBA star, who lost his beloved grandfather to a brutal beating by some early teen-aged hoodlums, just to get the man’s wallet.

The surprising part is the backstory about Chris Paul himself. The backstory is about Paul’s grief; about his humility; about his compassion. He was the president of his high school class three years running. He’s the one other people want around at important moments of life. And now, even though some of the criminals have been sentenced to life in prison, he wants the people who killed his grandfather to be set free.

He hates that they’re in prison. He hates that they will never see the outside world again. He hates that their lives are ruined.

It’s surprising. It’s scintillating. It takes the hard edges off of the story and makes them soft.

I’m the last person in the world to care one whit about NBA basketball. I don’t like the personalities. I don’t like the perceived laziness. I just don’t like the game.

But through the backstory of Chris Paul, Rick Reilly has made me care. He’s made me care about at least one NBA player who seems to be a genuinely good guy. I don’t necessarily agree with what Paul is pushing for, but it’s not mine to have a say one way or another. It was Chris’s grandfather that was murdered. Not mine.

I found all that surprising and scintillating. It took the hard edges off of just another NBA story and made them soft enough for me to care.

It’s an important lesson for writers and creatives:

  • Dig a little bit
  • Everyone has a story
  • People love stories
  • Stories connect
  • Stories draw people in
  • Surprising stories bring surprising reactions from readers

Go check out Rick Reilly’s writing. It’s filled with wonderful backstories.

Someday I’ll tell you the backstory about the mini-bike crash that made me lie to my parents. It’s surprising. It’s scintillating. It takes the hard edges of a story and makes them soft.

What’s a good backstory you’ve heard? How do you use backstories to enhance your creativity?

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Reading is Key

A couple of weeks ago I attended a “literacy night” put on by the day school operated by our church. It was a popular event for the students and families of our school. There was dinner, free books for the kids, breakout sessions by age group, and a special guest speaker named Jane Marko. Although Jane was gearing her remarks toward the kids who were present, what she presented was applicable to most everyone.

As a speaker myself, I was impressed by her energy, and her knowledge of the topic. The topic for the night was, of course, reading. Jane Marko made a compelling case that we all ought to be reading, reading more, and reading often.

According to Jane, reading is the key to:

  • Success
  • Knowledge
  • Being who you want to be

Who couldn’t, wouldn’t, or doesn’t, need those things? In fact, all three of them go together: knowledge brings success in being who you want to be. But it takes time and commitment to be a reader.

Here’s what Jane Marko recommends in order to make it happen in your home:

  • Turn off the TV
  • Have lots of books around
  • Create a book shelf just for kids’ books
  • Read the books that your children are reading
  • Read with your child
  • Set aside time for reading each day
  • “Make it a date” to go to the library weekly

Jane makes clear what we already know, but need to be reminded: When you read you get smarter. We need to know everything we can about the world. In this day and age, when information explodes exponentially literally every minute, filling our brains with knowledge is critical not only to treading water in school or our career, it is critical to get ahead in an extremely competitive world.

It’s a good idea to make reading a habit. Jane Marko recommends reading at least (or just!) twenty minutes a day. Those twenty minutes every day add up and put one ahead of those who read less, or are not reading at all. At our literacy night Jane appealed to my competitive nature. She challenged everyone present to commit to reading more than the next person. I took it as a challenge to read more than I already do.

According to Jane it takes twenty-one days of consistent change to make something a habit. If you’re already in the habit of reading twenty minutes a day, good for you! If not, I challenge you to commit, along with me, to reading at least twenty minutes every day for the next twenty-one days. That takes us to May 18th. That would be only seven hours of reading between now and then. You can do it!

If you’re going to accept my challenge to read consistently these next twenty-one days, please post a comment below.

Let’s make ourselves smarter than our next door neighbors, co-workers, and fellow students these next twenty-one days. What tips do you have for making reading a habit in your home?


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The First 10 Minutes

The other day a student from a class before mine came out of the classroom and said, “Did I miss anything the first ten minutes I wasn’t there?” And the student to whom he was speaking said, “No. Not really.”

Oh, really?!


I hope no one says that about the classes I teach. I try not only to fill every minute of every class with something worthwhile, with some great “takeaway,” but I also try to see to it that each class begins with something valuable. It’s always important to pique interest, create anticipation, and provide continuity at the beginning of any new undertaking, including a seemingly run-of-the-mill class, task, or meeting.

I begin most of my classes with a ten-minute “starter” I call “Protocol.” Protocol is an opportunity for a student to review the contents of the previous class period, and then in some way carry that contents and those thoughts forward into the current class period. Over the years students have conducted game shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, they have created their own media presentations, or they have used crossword puzzles or fun quizzes.

The results have been very positive:

  • The students making the presentation have had to engage the material and learn it better themselves.
  • The students in the classroom receive the benefit of reviewing material in a fun atmosphere.
  • All material along the way is reviewed so that there is less “cramming” when it is time for an exam.
  • The first ten minutes of each class period are advantageous to the entire class.
  • Protocol is a springboard for new material.

This method works well in many areas of life, business, or ministry. A good book always has a great first sentence. A good meeting always has an energizing and creative start. A good sermon has an interesting introduction.

Books, meetings, sermons, and many other things in life benefit from reviewing older material and springboarding into new. The whole idea is to build on things we know so that we retain the old, engage the present material, and look forward to what we are yet to learn. I’m working through that process right now while I am learning all about creating and maintaining a self-hosted blog. It’s both frustrating and exhilarating, but boy, have I learned a great deal. And I can’t wait to learn more…building on top of what I already know.

How can you use the concept of “Protocol” in your work or daily life? How do you take advantage of the first ten minutes? I’d love to hear your ideas.

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What a Weekend

The disciples have supped. The feet have been washed. The betrayal has gone according to plan.

The arraignment is complete. The sentence has been rendered. The denials – all three of them – have been uttered.

The blood, sweat, and tears have flowed. The nails have pierced hands and feet. The criminals and crowd have wagged their tongues.

The sky has darkened. The cry has been wailed. The dead body has slumped.

The tomb has been borrowed. The corpse has been wrapped. The stone has been rolled. The guard has been posted. The night has become silent.

For you.

…And Sunday morning brings certain Triumph.

 

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I’m a Time Traveler

It happens most every holiday season: Christmas, Easter…even Pentecost. As a pastor, I become a time traveler. Today is the Monday of Holy Week and I am already celebrating the Resurrection. Because I have to prepare it all, I’ve already been at the Table on Thursday. I’ve cried at the foot of the cross on Friday. I’ve smelled the lilies of the Easter Vigil already a week before it happens. I’ve been humming Easter hymns all day today.

On the one hand it takes the anticipation out of it all. I know what’s going to happen before it already does. I know which hymns will be sung, what the liturgy will look like, and even what the theme of the sermons will be. I know that Jesus goes to the Upper Room, institutes the Lord’s Supper, washes His disciples’ feet, and then goes to Gethsemane to pray.  I know that He will end up going to trial before Pilate, be whipped and beaten, and be crucified on a cross.  I know that He will rest in the tomb Friday night, all day Saturday, and into the wee hours of Sunday morning.

And I know that He will rise again from the dead.

On the other hand, I get to anticipate the journey for all the members of the congregation. I know which members won’t miss a single one of the Holy Week services. I can already tell you the people who will really enjoy certain hymns. I have a heart for the congregants who will hear this years’ messages with an eye toward eternity…anticipating its arrival sooner than later.

In the end, Holy Week reminds us that all Christians are time travelers. We were present for the Fall in the Garden. We were rescued from the slavery of Egypt through the parted waters of the Red Sea. We were exiled in Babylon. We made the journey back home to Jerusalem. We were at the Manger. We witnessed the Miracles and listened to the Teaching. We supped in the Upper Room, cried at the Cross, and peeked into the Empty Tomb.

But the key to the time travel is the anticipation. As we walk the Via Dolorosa this week, we will be walking through the gem studded gates. We will walk the streets of gold. We will cast our crowns upon the glassy sea. We will circle the throne of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

The pastor isn’t the only time traveler in Holy Week. We all go back to the beginning of time and feel the effects of the Fall. We all cry at the cross. We all rejoice at the empty tomb. And we all feel the cool, smooth streets of gold beneath our bare feet.

Get ready for a journey of epic proportions. It will all end in the place where time never ends.

What does Holy Week mean to you?