V - I - M

I wanted to pass on something that has been very helpful to me over the last several years. It is a framework for change from my favorite author, Dallas Willard. The idea is that change requires:

Vision

Intention

Means


I love this because it is simple enough to remember. Whether it is the AA 12 steps, or any other number of methods for change, they can all be boiled down to these three things. This idea applies to both personal and organizational change. In fact, there is a book coming out called 'Switch' written by MBA types that looks at change. I heard the authors speak at the Willow Leadership Summit, and guess what? After all their research they came up with a metaphor that when you look at it, is just restating these three points.



So here are the points:



Vision - we must have an idea of a preferred future. We must admit we are not where we want to be, and then figure out where it is we want to go. The metaphor used by the authors of 'Switch' refers to this part as the 'Rider' on an elephant. It is the brains, the logical part of ourselves that thinks about where we should go.



Intention - we must actually intend to obtain the preferred future. In my opinion, this is where change almost always gets stuck. We never actually make choices to get us to change because we never really intend to do it. We just 'try harder'. At the Leadership Summit this was referred to as the 'Elephant'. It is the emotional, finicky, hard-to-get-moving part of us. At some point, we must get the elephant in us to actually want to move rather than just telling it to 'try harder'.



Means - we must know how to do go about achieving the change we want. The Bible gives us excellent tips here in the spiritual disciplines like solitude, reflection, prayer, Bible reading, confession, and real relationships. However, we in the church too often get confused and view these as the end goals rather than the means. We must realize that reading the Bible every day means nothing, if I'm not using it to change me. The whole idea of spiritual disciplines is not to appear spiritual, but to use them to lead us to where we want to go, or to who we want to become. In 'Switch' this was referred to as the 'Path'. In the metaphor, we must clear the path to make it easy for the Elephant to move across it.



So there you have it. If you get a handle on Vision (the rider), Intention (the elephant), and Means (the pathway) you can change. Simple, right?

Downward Mobility

Read about this concept at lunch today in "Organic Leadership" by Neil Cole, and thought it was good enough to share.

A good leader shows downward mobility - meaning the longer a person is in a position of leadership, the less an organization should be dependent upon him or her.

I like it! Now - I only have to apply it. That's more difficult.

Any thoughts?

My troubles with Sunday Services

Here are two questions I have been thinking about lately:

1. What have been the most effective things in my life that God has used to grow me spiritually?
2. Does that match my current priorities?

I think it is likely that the answer to the first question would be different for everyone. I would also bet that all of us have fallen into the trap of prioritizing what everyone else says to prioritize, rather than what actually helps us grow. It seems that in many ways we may have traded religious tradition for growth- at least I have.

Here is my ranking of things I feel have been most effective for my own spiritual growth:

1. Taking big steps of faith to serve Jesus.
2. Giving of myself to help others move closer to Jesus
3. Giving of myself to help others in times of need (poor, homeless, etc.)
4. My personal times of prayer and reflection
5. Attending retreats and conferences that present a lot of information at once, and allow for time to process it.
6. Reading good books.
7. Spending time with a small group of people being accountable and developing real relationships.
8. Attending other weekly Bible studies or teaching times where a sermon or talk is presented.
9. Attending Sunday services.

The very disturbing part to me is that I think I have tended to prioritize these things in my life in reverse order! So I am asking myself, why am I prioritizing going to church on Sunday morning over helping people in need? Shouldn't I be willing to skip Sunday morning if it would give me time to do one of the things higher on my list? Am I really that much of a slave to tradition?

What about you? In your life, do your priorities match up with what helps you grow?

Disclaimer: In my mind, Sunday morning service DOES NOT equal church. I consider almost all of these things to be done in the context of 'church'. I am not saying that I need to ditch the church.