WHY SHOULD I CARE? DISEASE
Building a successful ministry team, especially a volunteer one, is about everyone caring to the same degree. Wonderful things happen when a group of individuals with the capacity to care deeply come together and participate fully in a team. What follows is often a season I like to refer to as the glory days!
I have experienced the glory days several times in my life so far. They have been some of the best, joy-filled days of my ministry career. During the past twenty years I have made it my personal goal to study the body of Christ in action, to observe how spiritual gifts work and then to intentionally create structures in which individuals have an opportunity to experience it. In my journey I have discovered that the whole is much greater than the parts and we can do more when we work together! Much can be accomplished and God receives even more glory!
Seasons of team building have been some of the best days of my ministry career and to be honest also some of the worst. All it takes to ruin a vibrant team is for one individual to become sick with why should I care? disease and then infect the rest of the team. Once infected this particular sickness is devastating. It strikes at the heart of what makes a team successful, the ability of each member to care deeply, and then weakens the entire team to the point of eventually destroying it.
What is there to do about this malady that attacks and destroys successful teams? Perhaps a further exploration of the actual words involved will shed some light.
WHY - refers to the reason or purpose something exists.
SHOULD - expresses a sense of obligation (binding in law or conscience), propriety (acceptable conduct or speech) or expediency (suited to the end in view).
I - refers to someone possessing personal individuality.
CARE - refers to desire or esteem that causes a troubled or engrossed state of mind.
? - an interrogative expression used to test knowledge.
DISEASE - a condition which impairs the performance of a vital function: SICKNESS, MALADY.
What causes why should I care? disease? It is caused by a virus which grows and multiplies in living cells and eventually poisons the desire to care deeply. It is the virus of self-interest above the shared interests of the team. Since self-interest must justify itself, it gains a foothold by asking Why should I care about your interest? Note that it is no longer "our" interest but "your" interest. Self-interest then spreads infectiously throughout the whole team.
Before entering the world of team building I need to ask myself are the glory days worth the pain of watching a team die? The bottom line, of course, is nothing lasts forever. So how do I know when my team is terminally ill? It is when the signs and symptoms of disease are present. It is when I make the diagnosis that distractions of self-interest are prevailing. Then I know it is time to let go. It is time to step back and grieve because the ravages of why should I care? disease are fatal.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Thursday, December 20, 2012
I've been thinking about direction...
GO THIS WAY!
There are times in life when the right direction could not be more obvious. Paul Sailhamer snapped this image while driving home from Arizona to California recently which got me thinking.
Growing up in Iowa, I remember the phenomenon of the cattle chute. Cattle were loaded into trucks or railroad cars using this method. The cattle entered single file into the chute and then were propelled
through a sloping channel into waiting vehicles. Once they were in the chute they could not turn back or entertain any other options. They could only move forward into their destiny.
through a sloping channel into waiting vehicles. Once they were in the chute they could not turn back or entertain any other options. They could only move forward into their destiny.
Sometimes I feel like one of those cattle. A force outside myself is propelling me forward while keeping me boxed in on all other sides. This is disconcerting to say the least and in the larger sense extremely frustrating to navigate with a submissive attitude. Do you ever feel like I do? If you do, then read on.
In many life situations there are choices which include good, bad or neutral options. Situations involving choice always require wisdom. Then there are situations in which the will of God is clear and unmistakable like the arrow above. When God's will and my will align we are good to go because I don't care about other options.
A big problem shows up when I do care about other options. I struggle when the way ahead does not align with my will but nevertheless is clearly the obvious direction I am to go. Remind you of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? At this point I wish I had not heard Darryl's definition of maturity. He says that the more mature the person - the quicker the repent. Bummer! I can't get away with anything less than humble submission and retain my mature status!
The bottom line is that no purpose of God can be thwarted (Job 42:2). I eventually acknowledge God as the force propelling me forward. Unfortunately that admission does not necessarily bring comfort right away. I am left to press on just like Paul in Philippians 3:13&14, Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Faith is the heroic effort of your life,
as you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.
- Oswald Chambers
So, here is the deal. I have been recognizing signs of change over the last year which were directing me to resign from my position as Executive Director of the Center for Women with Vision at Phoenix Seminary. As much as I have enjoyed my playground there, it is time to transition through the chute to my destiny. If this sounds mysterious - well, it is! I cannot fully explain it or even understand it all right now, but I am a cow in the chute and I have nowhere else to go but to fling myself in reckless confidence on God. Onward!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
I've been thinking about pressure...
AVOIDING THE SPIRITUAL BENDS
DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS or DCS is caused by a reduction in surrounding pressure that produces micro bubbles of gases, similar to the fizzing of a carbonated drink, within the body. It can happen when leaving a high-pressure environment like ascending from depth or ascending to altitude.
In scuba dives micro bubbles are eliminated through the lungs. If they are not given enough time the bubbles grow in size and number causing DCS. You might be familiar with the earliest descriptions of DCS, like the term "bends" for joint or skeletal pain; "chokes" for breathing problems; and "staggers" for neurological problems.
Decompression During Ascent
This is how it works. When a diver descends in the water column the pressure rises. Breathing gas is supplied at the same pressure as the surrounding water and some of this gas dissolves into a diver's blood and other fluids. As a diver moves up the water column, with ascent interrupted by stops at intervals for decompression, the surrounding pressure of the breathing gas is reduced until the inert gases are dissolved in the tissues and start diffusing out again.
Decompression at the Surface
It is also interesting to note that the period at surface pressure after a dive is an important part of decompression and can be thought of as the last decompression stop of a dive. This is because it typically takes up to 24 hours for the body to return to its normal atmosphere levels.
DCS Risk Factors
There are two principal factors which control the risk of a diver suffering DCS:
1. the deeper or longer the dive the more gas is absorbed into body tissue in higher concentrations than normal;
2. the faster the ascent and the shorter the interval between dives the less time there is for absorbed gas to be offloaded safely through the lungs.
Why all this information about decompression?
Decompression seems to be a good analogy for dramatic, high-energy sequences of life events which are often followed by rapid descents into deep discouragement and bone-numbing fatigue. So often I have experienced the "spiritual bends" all the while not understanding what was happening to me. If I had known, I could have planned a more gradual recovery by staging "decompression stops" for myself. I now understand that adequate decompression is absolutely vital and necessary after a particularly taxing season of high energy output. In addition, here is a new thought. It is quite possible I might require more decompression even when I think I feel fine!
What does decompression look like in the Scriptures?
Remember how God allowed Elijah to decompress after his very dramatic public battle with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18? Remember how Elijah wanted to die in chapter 19? One commentary explained Elijah's state of mind this way, "His despondency was deeper than personal. It was despair of the world; despair of the fate of true worship; despair about the future of faith and righteousness; despair of everything." Please note that God tenderly allowed Elijah to decompress by providing ample rest before giving him his new assignment and sending him on his way.
Treatment of DCS
In the event of physical bends, treatment is by hyperbaric oxygen therapy using greater than normal pressure in a re-compression chamber. In the event of spiritual bends, treatment is by greater than normal amounts of rest and refreshment in a safe and peaceful environment. Both kinds of bends, if treated early, have a significantly higher chance of recovery. Our hero, Elijah, survived spiritual bends and modeled the way back for us to renewed vigor and purpose after a near-death experience!
DECOMPRESSION SICKNESS or DCS is caused by a reduction in surrounding pressure that produces micro bubbles of gases, similar to the fizzing of a carbonated drink, within the body. It can happen when leaving a high-pressure environment like ascending from depth or ascending to altitude.
In scuba dives micro bubbles are eliminated through the lungs. If they are not given enough time the bubbles grow in size and number causing DCS. You might be familiar with the earliest descriptions of DCS, like the term "bends" for joint or skeletal pain; "chokes" for breathing problems; and "staggers" for neurological problems.
Decompression During Ascent
This is how it works. When a diver descends in the water column the pressure rises. Breathing gas is supplied at the same pressure as the surrounding water and some of this gas dissolves into a diver's blood and other fluids. As a diver moves up the water column, with ascent interrupted by stops at intervals for decompression, the surrounding pressure of the breathing gas is reduced until the inert gases are dissolved in the tissues and start diffusing out again.
Decompression at the Surface
It is also interesting to note that the period at surface pressure after a dive is an important part of decompression and can be thought of as the last decompression stop of a dive. This is because it typically takes up to 24 hours for the body to return to its normal atmosphere levels.
DCS Risk Factors
There are two principal factors which control the risk of a diver suffering DCS:
1. the deeper or longer the dive the more gas is absorbed into body tissue in higher concentrations than normal;
2. the faster the ascent and the shorter the interval between dives the less time there is for absorbed gas to be offloaded safely through the lungs.
Why all this information about decompression?
Decompression seems to be a good analogy for dramatic, high-energy sequences of life events which are often followed by rapid descents into deep discouragement and bone-numbing fatigue. So often I have experienced the "spiritual bends" all the while not understanding what was happening to me. If I had known, I could have planned a more gradual recovery by staging "decompression stops" for myself. I now understand that adequate decompression is absolutely vital and necessary after a particularly taxing season of high energy output. In addition, here is a new thought. It is quite possible I might require more decompression even when I think I feel fine!
What does decompression look like in the Scriptures?
Remember how God allowed Elijah to decompress after his very dramatic public battle with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings chapter 18? Remember how Elijah wanted to die in chapter 19? One commentary explained Elijah's state of mind this way, "His despondency was deeper than personal. It was despair of the world; despair of the fate of true worship; despair about the future of faith and righteousness; despair of everything." Please note that God tenderly allowed Elijah to decompress by providing ample rest before giving him his new assignment and sending him on his way.
Treatment of DCS
In the event of physical bends, treatment is by hyperbaric oxygen therapy using greater than normal pressure in a re-compression chamber. In the event of spiritual bends, treatment is by greater than normal amounts of rest and refreshment in a safe and peaceful environment. Both kinds of bends, if treated early, have a significantly higher chance of recovery. Our hero, Elijah, survived spiritual bends and modeled the way back for us to renewed vigor and purpose after a near-death experience!
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