The Consequence of Attitude

Attitude is contagious! Want a great (an humorous) illustration? Try this recent DirectTV commercial. Now don’t get offended. I’m not poking fun at cultural differences or preferences. I just think this is a good example of how attitude is caught by those around us and ultimately influences personal choice. While extreme in example, you’ll get the picture. Since we’ve been talking about attitude on Sundays, I think this is right in line with the discussion.

If God is For Us...

You have to love the song, “Our God.” Composed by Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Jesse Reeves, and Jonas Myrin, the lyrics are based in part on Romans 8:31 and serve as an awesome reminder and testimony to our incredible God. If God is for us, who can be against us?

An Old Wound

I am fortunate and blessed. I’ve both known and live in God’s peculiar protection. While difficult to understand, this protection is amazing. I’m incredibly grateful for this care. God kept me from things and delivered me out of things. I continue to this day residing in this powerful protection. Recently, I was engaged in a couple of conversations which opened up an old forgotten but familiar wound. As a leader, I have pretty thick skin - a prerequisite for ministry. But in this particular situation, I was frequently and intentionally injured by another. I never understood why, just accepted it. I attempted to let it roll off my back, tried to dismissed it, and just chose not to think about it. Most never even knew about the incidents as I intentionally didn’t talk about the events. As I look back, I’m not entirely sure that was healthy, but none the less it’s how I dealt with it.

In the couple of recent conversations, the sense the anguish, pain, and frustration that I once knew began to resurface. I didn’t expect that at all! While I thought the effects were long gone, this old wound bled again. It’s real, it hurts, and personally I don’t like it - the past or resurfaced pain. I had some decisions to make.

1. I chose forgiveness even though no one ever apologized. My ability to forgive is not apology dependent. I chose to forgive, remember (yes), and release the offender from the liability of their actions and words. I’m not sure this person will ever really understand the depth or implication of their actions. I choose not to hold the individual accountable. It’s not about forgetting, just forgiving. I don’t keep a score.

2. I chose care. I asked God for the ability to see the other person through eyes of compassion. Instead of wishing less than good, I choose to see them through eyes of care and concern. I see the insecurities, hurts, and needs of the offender. I chose compassion. This person is a victim in as much as they’ve learned somewhere along the way that injurious behavior is acceptable and appropriate.

3. I chose surrender. I chose to surrender the pain, the past, and the person to God. I can’t change the past, but I can give Him the future. I choose to surrender a future I’m unable to create, influence, and control. It’s God’s future and I’ll trust Him in it. I reside myself to God’s leadership and intervention.

4. I chose freedom. I chose not to be held captive or controlled by past events. The past binds; I choose to live a future in freedom. I choose not to go there again. I choose not to allow another person’s actions or words to control my feelings or thoughts - other than Christ.

Why do I share this? Because we all get injured in life. This is real faith and real life. Life and faith will intersect in your neighborhood. You may have been injured and will never hear an apology. You must do something with the thoughts and feelings. Even if you’ve forgotten them, they’ll resurface from time to time. The apology isn’t essential for the injured in order to grow and heal. Are you having a difficult time forgiving? Thought you already forgave? Do you need to remind yourself of the forgiveness you previously extended? Challenged by an old wound resurfacing? Something yet to be dealt with? Choose to forgive (again in some cases), care, surrender, and take hold of freedom. It all begins with a decision.

For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Matthew 6:14-15

This Election Stuff Has to Change

Politics - Presidential Elections - Campaigns - It’s all out of whack. I stumbled upon the USA Today article reporting the DNC and Obama campaign have amassed a $240 million dollar stockpile to fuel his re-election campaign. Did you catch that - $240 million dollars! Really?!? We live in a nation with a damaged credit score because of too much debt. Today our elected leaders are preparing to raise the debt ceiling again - another example of financial malfeasance. In our nation of opportunity, one-in-four children will go to bed hungry tonight. Families will sleep in a space unpowered by electricity or without oil to fuel the furnace. Lenders repossessed over 65,000 properties alone in October 2011. Unemployment rates and jobless benefit claims are staggering. Approximately 50,000 people annually are trafficked into or transited through America as slaves (sex, domestics, garment, and agricultural). As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets in America. While your reading this post, homeless shelters are turning away clients for a bed tonight - too many needs and not enough space. I can go on and on regarding the social injustice and societal ills facing our nation.

I’m ashamed we can gather stockpiles of cash to play politics - making mockery of real America - and we can’t learn to control our spending or even begin the process of investing in people. Has the power hunger elitist elected lost all sense of sanity and morality? Will someone please check the magnet on this country’s moral compass? If I were packing meals for the hungry with that money, I could feed nearly a billion people. We could shelter thousands and thousands. We could create private sector jobs initiatives to put America back to work. We could truly make America a better place to live by making a difference. But instead, others play politics as this nation slithers ever so close to the brink of collapse - both morally and financially.

To be fair, I don’t know what the GOP or its candidates have raised. I can only assume its total dollar figure is similarly offensive. In the last presidential election, between the front runner candidates more than a billion dollars was raised and spent. In all actuality, the DNC and Obama campaign out raised and spent the GOP and McCain camp more than two-to-one. Something is definitely wrong here - fundamentally, ethically, and morally. We need a return to sanity, to civility, to social consciousness, and to social responsibility. It’s irresponsible for our candidates to frivolously exhaust enormous resources while the nation’s needs go unaddressed and unmet. Will we ever have election and financing reform? Will we ever have a candidate who’ll cry foul and awaken a true moral consciousness in our nation? I can only hope!

Here’s my suggestion: I say in the future let’s give every qualified candidate $1000, a Flip camcorder, an iPhone with unlimited data and texting, a YouTube account, Facebook account, free blog space, and a Twitter account. Now, may the best man or woman win! Just a thought!

3 Questions for Every Leader

Leaders ask questions. Every leader should ask three questions on a regular basis. What are these three questions?

1. When am I dreaming? Effective leaders spend time dreaming, creatively thinking, and visioning. Schedule it! If you don’t, you won’t dream. Get away from familiarity - walk out of the office into a space where you can think and dream. Talk to God, but most of all listen. Find a space, place, and time where you can see, hear, and dream God’s vision. Dare to think, dream, and believe bigger things. Make sure it is bigger than you. Are you dreaming a dream?

2. How am I communicating? If you want people to follow with you, you have to share the destination. Visions, dreams, and creative ideas aren’t understood through osmosis. You have to share it - speak it, write about it, and paint great pictures. Every leader has a dream, but it’ll never become reality unless it is shared and acted upon. Allow time for others to process, formulate, and collaborate the details of the dream. Create moments for buy in and ownership. Are you communicating a vision?

3. What am I learning? Leaders are life long learners. Every effective leader I know is a student. They read, listen, observe, memorize, and study. Learning should never cease for the leader. Stale leaders teach a passionless truth. What are you reading? What are you studying? Who are you listening to or following? Keep learning!

Ask yourself these questions on a regular basis. Keep on the leader track. Leaders are dreamers. Leaders are communicators. Leaders are learners.

Christianity: Peddling or Promoting

Sometimes I struggle with Christianity’s commercialism. We’re slick, self-promoted, and marketed. So what’s the difference between peddling the message and promoting the message? Do we package faith for a profit? I understand marketing. I’m a published author with a book on Amazon and bookstore shelves. I’ve got a dog in the fight and yet it’s a real struggle. I watch and I wonder at the difference between promoting and peddling. The message needs to get out, but not at the price of bogo offers or a free gift with any donation (tax deductible gift). Send us money and we’ll share this wisdom. I realize people have to make a living - bills have to be paid. But, the gospel is free - isn’t it? It’s a gift. We need to know the difference between promoting it or peddling it. Peddlers are a definite turnoff. Are we prophets or profits?

Here’s the case. I was driving down the road in my wife’s Jeep and tuned to a couple of Christian stations. Rarely do I ever listen to the radio, but tonight I listened to some programming. I think it’s a control thing as I like to choose what I listen to rather than have someone else randomly decide for me. I listened to a little bit of music and then switched to another station. I caught the tail end of a teaching ministry’s program - sales and gimmicks. The message was fairly typical. Keep this program on the air tomorrow by giving today. If we receive your gift today, we’ll send you an autograph copy of the latest book. It’s yours today for a donation of any size. Really? I missed the teaching, but caught the timeshare sales pitch on the infomercial. I thought to myself, there’s got to be a better way. I was unsettled; this was peddling and not promoting in my opinion. Where do you draw the line? What's the difference?

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! A new year is a fresh opportunity. It's a chance to start again. It's like a round of golf with friends - you're grateful for the mulligan. A New Year is an opportunity to act on the do-over. Where will you begin? What is your first step?

When Comedy Loses Its Laugh... on Bill Maher and Tim Tebow

Here is another example of our culture’s warped sense of political correctness: be a respecter of all others except those of the Christian faith. Bill Maher’s sent his offensive tweet last weekend after Denver’s dismal performance, “Wow, Jesus just f---- #TimTebow bad! And on Xmas Eve! Somewhere in hell Satan is tebowing, saying to Hitler, “Hey, Buffalo’s killing them.” As a Christian, I’m repulsed - beyond offended by the tweet. I’m further disenchanted with Fox News’ Andy Levy who dismissed the remark as Maher’s job, “He’s a comedian, who cares!” That’s a ridiculous pass!

Remember Rick Sanchez? CNN fired him because he referred to Jon Stewart as a bigot and referenced Comedy Central among other networks as run by Jews. Remember Juan Williams? He was fired from NPR after commenting about people wearing Muslim apparel on airplanes made him nervous or worried. Isn’t is amazing how others lost their employment for lesser offensive remarks. It’s one thing to utter an opinion that’s unpopular, it’s a whole other thing to intentionally degrade, injure, or make incredibly offensive statements with the purpose to inflict harm.

While I certainly don’t dismiss Bill Maher’s actions, I’m not sure he has the capacity to understand the repulsive nature of his statement. As an irreligious commentator, Maher displays contempt for Christians (and the Christian faith) which is evidenced by numerous previous remarks and spots. Here’s the sting Bill - to reference my Lord in a degrading, foul, and demeaning fashion is injurious, blasphemous, and ought not happen. I don’t advocate unemployment for Maher, but he should be censored and the network should yank his chain. I believe Maher should make a sincere public apology to both Tim Tebow and other Christ followers both on Twitter and before a camera. There should be consequences for bad behavior especially for purposefully offensive, repulsive, demeaning, and injurious remarks. Just because you’re a pseudo comedian doesn’t give you permission. Comedy is supposedly funny. This incident is far from humorous - it’s sad.

So What's the Real Reason for a Southern Baptist Convention Name Change?

Sometime after February we should have more concrete information pertaining to a proposed name change for the Southern Baptist Convention. I’m a Southern Baptist by identification and choice - even a pastor of a Southern Baptist Church. I really don’t have a preference (at this point) one way or another either for keeping or for changing the name. There’s value in both positions. New name supporters say they want to remove any “barriers” in reaching people for Christ. I’d really like to learn of the barriers they’ve identified and hope committee members will be forthcoming with both rationale and reasons. Is it a question of relevance? Is it that we’ve behaved badly (at times) over the decades? Is it because of a less than stellar reputation with outsiders? There’s a lot of stuff you can’t sweep under the carpet with just a new name - we really need heart change. You don’t change organizational culture, direction, or perception (bigger than reality) without implementing intentional and strategic shift. What’s at the core? What’s at the heart? Whitewashing an exterior does little for a deteriorating interior. If there is to be genuine change it must begin with significant heart change. I just want to make sure we’re as concerned about being the church as we are about the tag/label on the stationary and building. Just a thought.

On Lowe's, FFA, MPAC, and the All-American Muslim

I want to shop at Lowe’s! With all the recent (negative) publicity and threat of a boycott, the rebel in me wants to buy just in spite (wrong attitude I know). If you haven’t heard already, Lowe’s Home Improvement pulled advertising from TLC’s All-American Muslim reality show. Polarizing organizations on both sides of the debate are fuming. The Florida Family Association takes credit for the retailer’s advertising yank. Pro-Islamic organizations such as the Muslim Public Affairs Council are crying foul as they yell, “Boycott Lowe’s!” The MPAC is actually threatening legal action. Even more crazy - California Senator Ted Lieu informed the Associated Press that he is considering legislative action if Lowe's doesn't apologize to Muslims and reinstate its advertising with All-American Muslim. Makes me wonder, “Where’s my Senator when I get offended?” Where’s Ted Lieu when California Christians are offended? This whole deal is way over the top! Some folks here ought to sit in time out! 

Boycotts do not work! Historically these benign efforts do nothing but fuel a retailer’s receipts. It’s actually great advertising since people seem to love controversy. Regardless of whether it’s termed good or bad press; it’s all press. Lowe’s should actually cut a check to MPAC and FFA for an outstanding marketing scheme. Additionally, advertising dollars are the sole responsibility of the retailer. Lowe’s alone is responsible on how their advertising budgets are spent. No state or national government has the right to dictate advertising campaigns or venues!

To be totally upfront, the All-American Muslim reality show is poor entertainment. I’ve watched an episode. I found the context to be less than authentic. The characters in the reality show are Muslim by culture, not by faith - it’s an identity tag. What I did find offensive in the episode I previewed was the pressure placed on a Catholic fiancé to convert to Islam in order to be accepted by his nominally Muslim future family - a classic example of proselytizing and coercion.

I’d liken the All-American Muslim reality show to an imaginary All-American Christian reality show. The cast would be made up of people who would claim to be Christian and yet rarely attend church - noticeably absent from any meaningful Christian community. Maybe they went to church at some point or attend Church at Christmas and Easter - an attendance based on tradition rather than conviction. The real problem here - there’s no demonstrated evidence of conversion, change, or commitment in terms of faith or in the following of Jesus Christ. These so called All-American Christians actually refute faith and experiment in questionable behaviors while living self-absorbed lives. That scenario would not be a true representation of genuine faith - the Christian faith. Christianity is about surrender, abandonment, commitment, faith, trust, repentance, life, love, generosity, peace, and grace - it’s about following Jesus Christ.

The All-American Muslim is basically a public relations attempt to marginalize or soften the “typical” non-Muslim American’s perspective on Islam. It’s an attempt to simple say, “We’re just like you!” The biggest problem here is that story line - it’s a false view of Islam. This is a show depicting marginal or nominal Muslims to put the American conscious at ease. I guess with the show’s poor quality and dismal performance we don’t have to endure much longer this option on TLC’s program lineup. That's the best news of all in this story line.

The New Homeless

I ran across this piece a couple of weeks ago while researching. The context is Seminole County (Central Florida). Jo and I lived in Seminole County on two separate occasions in the shadow of the Mouse. Born and raised in Central Florida, I recognized the landscape. I know the exact location of the school mentioned in the report. As I listened to the stories, my heart ached. Listen to the statistics for yourself. See the faces of children, the conditions, and the challenges faced on a daily basis. Listen to the fears of the parents. I’m amazed at the resolve and resourcefulness. The face of homelessness is real and changing. People in crisis don’t necessarily make good decisions. Eviction leads to temporary housing. Friends are the first exhaust; it gets old pretty fast. The next stop is a cheap motel. The inability to pay daily or weekly rates leaves a family with no choice but to choose other limited options like an automobile. Survival is now daily. Shelters are full. Public housing waiting lists are extensive. Deposit and fee requirements price apartments beyond reach. Misfortune fosters the cycle of homeless plight. So what do we do? We must do something! It can’t be swept under a carpet nor ignored. We must choose to embrace people in crisis and need. My mind immediately thinks of CARITAS (a local Richmond effort) helping people move from shelter to stability. It’s an example of creativity in bridging the gap - making a difference. How else can we adequately address the homeless epidemic?

Looking for a Gift Idea this Christmas?

Looking for gift ideas this year? Here’s a suggestion - at least it’s what we’re doing as a family. We’re trying a little something different this year in the Hoffmann household. We’re changing up the way we give gifts in our house. Instead of buying a lot of stuff for each other which often goes increasingly unappreciated as the year goes on, we’ve decided to do something that makes a difference for others. Everyone will still get a nice gift and maybe even a couple of smaller gifts. But, instead of spending what we normally spend on each other as a family, we want to give a portion of it away to others. Here’s how it will works. Each child receives a sum of money. It’s the difference in what we’d typically spend and what we’ve chosen to spend this Christmas. This money - the difference - is to be given away. Each child will choose where to give the money. It can go to a local charity, mission project, needy individual, or organization whose sole purpose is to assist others by meeting needs. Christmas isn’t about spending on ourselves, but is best lived out in generosity. Think about it, Christmas is the time we consider the incredible generosity of God in that He sent His Son - God with us - Immanuel. This Christmas think about creative gift giving scenarios where you can give it away rather than store stuff up for self and family.

Stop Hunger Now @ Cool Spring - Looking Back

Last week approximately 500 people gathered to pack 40,000 meals in under an hour for Stop Hunger Now. I was thrilled by the Cool Spring response. As you view the quick two-minute time-lapse version of the evening, you’ll see people of all ages working together to accomplish the goal. I appreciate Bryan’s hard work to film and finalize the video. Cool Spring Baptist Church made a difference in world hunger last week. We didn’t just talk about it; we did something about it – the gospel in action – the hands and feet of Jesus.

I Attended My First AA Meeting This Week

Did the title grab you? I thought it would! I really did attend my first ever AA meeting this week and it was amazing. Due to the invitation of a church member, I attended the group which meets on Tuesday nights at Cool Spring for a special occasion - the annual Thanksgiving Celebration. A bunch of people were present as the celebration filled up the Old Fellowship Hall while overflowing into the New Fellowship Hall. The room was alive with conversation as I arrived. People were eating compliments of a classic covered dish dinner. After a few introductions (most by first name only), I walked over to grab a Diet Coke and worked my way to the rear of the room to gain a perspective for the evening. The program began. A man collects a chip for 30 days sobriety and another for 90 days; people applaud and cheer. I thought to myself, God rescued one, and another, and another. A new life - a sober life - was now being lived. There were so many stories in the room with most experiencing God’s rescue. Even though I hardly knew anyone in the room, I was proud of each one for their desire to change, a fresh determination, and a willful perseverance. God was in the process of rewriting stories; new pages penned daily.

I was mesmerized by the transparency of the participants at the celebration that evening. One by one each person stood admitting past faults, claiming new life, sharing tales of thanksgiving, and praising God. An addict stands verbalizing his thankfulness for family as his wife sits by his side celebrating this sobriety moment. Another stands to share his thankfulness for this Thanksgiving and that when Friday comes this will be a holiday he’ll remember. Another stood thanking God for second, third, and tenth chances. A mother stood thankful for her family, especially her children, who were present to support mom in her new sobriety. Fifteen second "thankful" testimonies continued throughout the evening. Each one similar, but each one unique. Lives were changed, families restored, and a verbal appreciation shared for all the little things we so often take for granted. So many in that room had been down and out and were now up and coming.

As I walked out of the Fellowship Hall toward my office to gather things and head home, I couldn’t help but think this was an example of the church at work - this was real ministry. It’s not the clean, neat, and polished stuff we sometimes try to surround ourselves with at church. These were real people, suffering real challenges, and God was at work in each circumstance. Each life that night was touched by another who came along side to journey during a dark life season. I’m thankful for the invite to attend my first AA meeting this week. What a fresh perspective of God’s moving!

"Lord, I know people are struggling, hurting, and trying to escape the grip of bondage. Please, please, please, never let this broken heart heal that I would be cold or indifferent to the struggles of others. May you use me to be balm, light, help, encouragement to the struggling and injured along this journey. Amen"

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. May this day remind you of all God has done and is doing for you regardless of Life’s season. Always remember - He is yours and you are His. As the Psalmist says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. (Psalm 118:1)