Bud Simon

Some Reflections on Grace and Forgiveness…

A few years ago, an interesting situation happened to our family. We had a dear friend who was in our home all of the time, watching our kids, helping out, and just being around. One day, we noticed there was money disappearing from the house. Large amounts of money. Brazil, being a cash based society, makes it common to keep a lot of cash on hand. So we hid some video cameras, using our computer. And, there our friend was on video, going the desk drawers and file cabinet, looking for money. We felt terribly betrayed and deceived.

The one phrase that sticks with me from the Lord’s Prayer is “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”.

Maintaining a life of forgiveness is a constant struggle. Forgiveness extends grace and mercy to others. Forgiveness is Gracious. Understand. A spirit of reconciliation. Kindness. Bridging differences. Love. Compassion. Consideration. Honoring others, even in their weakness.

The catch is that we receive as we give. Life in the Kingdom of God is an exchange, a giving and receiving. It is always true. Planting and reaping. Reaching out and having others reach out to us. The Kingdom works in the supernatural. I can forgive here and receive grace and forgiveness from some other person that I never imagined.

Is there something more powerful than giving forgiveness when forgiveness is not expected nor deserved? Forgiveness surprises, forgiveness delights, forgiveness humbles.

That is how I received forgiveness. And it had the power to change my life. And it still is changing my life today. The foundations of the Kingdom of God are built on His Grace. I want to extend grace as well as receive it.

Earlier this year, I read two books in tandem. “Free of Charge”, which is an exploration in the theology of giving and forgiving and “The Shack”, which is a fictional account of one man’s struggle to forgive. The two books together provided a powerful insight into ministry of forgiveness, moving both my heart and my mind. I would highly recommend both of these books.

Forgiveness is understood as it is applied. Giving forgiveness releases in us a more mature understanding of forgiveness.

Put forgiveness into action we enter into this season of Christmas. God is calling us to a higher place.

Books

I am an avid reader. 

I enjoy reading but I also read as a discipline. 

The discipline of reading helps to provide different perspectives and insights that shape and form my thinking and actions. 

Here are a few of the books that I have read in the first six months of 2009 ( in no particular order). 

Know What You Don't Know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They Happen
This book is an insightful and helps me to think in a new way about problems and issues that arise.  It helps to move from a reactive place to a proactive place.  The book is written from a business perspective.  The priciples are sound and practical for pretty much any forum of life.  A quick and easy read and I highly recommend it for those that want to think differently about problem solving. 

The Message Bible Large Print Burg Lthr Lk: Large Print Edition
This is a new Bible I purchased.  I love it.  The Message, of course, is a paraphrase Bible.  But, the print for my 45 year old eyes is fantastic.  I also have always preferred the single, wide column filling the page as opposed to multiply columns on a page.  It makes the reading quick and easy.  The Bible is high also well made, being of a good quality.  I recommend this for those that enjoy the Message Bible. 

Tell It Slant: A Conversation on the Language of Jesus in His Stories and Prayers
A wonderful book by Eugene Peterson.  In it, he explains the parables that are unique in the Gospel of Luke as well as the prayers of Christ.  I know, it may not sound too exciting.  However, it is eminently practical and applicable to daily life.  I have enjoed the book immensely for reflective reading and highly recommend it. 

Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication
An excellent book for those that speak on a regular basis, especially as teachers or preachers.  It will help to improve your communications by focusing your thinking.  It is an easy read and very practical. 

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
This was written by a couple of professors.  They explain in the book why some ideas and thoughts are easy to remember.  This is a must read for anyone that communicates or presents in any context.  If you are interested in people remembering what you say:)  I highly recommend this.  Funny, interesting and practical. 

Outliers: The Story of Success
Fascinating.  It covers a wide range of subjects and provides for a much wider perspective into all kinds of subjects.  It provides a creative way to perceive things that intuitively you understand as correct.  It will widen your understanding and insight.  Gladwell is an excellent writer. 

Adventures of a Bystander
This is the closest thing to an autobiography of Peter Drucker that you will find.  He tells dozens of stories from his life and interactions with famous and not so famous individuals through the years.  He shares the lessons and insights gained from those times.  A great book, if you know who Drucker is and want something that provides a totally different perspective. 

Take a look at the links to Amazon.com for more indepth reviews and information.  I got a load of other books also, but these are just a few that I found interesting and insightful. 

Good reading!

Where We Need to Go

I like C.S. Lewis.  I always have.  From the first time I picked "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" back in Middle School to this present moment. 

I always amazed at how relevant and thought provoking his books are. 

 

"A Year With C.S. Lewis" is mind stretching and spirit stretching.  It takes me where I need to go.  After getting there, I am glad that Lewis provoked my thoughts to travel in a new direction or reexamine a half forgotten line of thinking.  The book is a 365 day devotion, with snippets from most of Lewis' books.  The readings are short and concise, but this is the way Lewis wrote. 

Profoundness is the ability to concisely say what needs to be said.  Lewis understood this clearly.  Many mistakenly believe that by say more and saying it loudly, that we strengthen our arguments.  Quite the contrary. 

There are books that make us uncomfortable because we do not like the way an author treats a subject.  And there are other books that make us uncomfortable because we need to think, ponder and reconsider some of the ideas and images we have in our head.  Lewis' writings clearly fall into the second category. 

Lewis' book is a wonderful challenge on a daily basis.  It is a delightful departure from most of the easy reading that is so common.  And the relevance transcends cultures and eras.  This is a mark of a great writer. 

Take the time to enjoy this book.  The pleasure is that there is a morsel of insight every day.  The book just may turn into a long term companion on your bookshelf. 

"It" & Kindle

Craig Groeschel, founder and senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv in Oklahoma, wrote a great book called "It" .

The book is addresses the ability and lack of ability of churches (as well as other institutions) to get " it" , keep " it"  or lose " it" .

The guy knows what he is talking about, both from experience and from the contacts that he has.  He uses many practical examples and illustrations as well as making them relevant to those that want to apply them in their lives and ministry. 

He moves through a series of characteristics that help contribute to " it" , that intangible benefit of growth.  He speaks about vision, divine focus, camaraderie, innovation, risk taking, outward focus, & Kingdom mindedness. 

He also speaks about the ability to gain, produce, transfer, and maintain " it" . 

So, bottom line?

A little hard to read because of the abstract sense.  If you can deal with that and make it work for you, it is an excellent and practical book on putting into place things that will help your ministry grow and multiply. 

I highly recommend this book.  I recommend the book because it is a different perspective on a common subject and the writer is a productive practitioner of that which he writes about.

ABOUT KINDLE...

I am curious if anyone uses the Kindle reader from Amazon.com?  How does it work?  Are you happy with it?

I am wondering if it is worth trying.  Give me your feed back, I would love to hear what you think.

Book Review: Heroic Leadership

 

I had the opportunity this last month to read the book, Heroic Leadership.  It is an excellent and interesting view of how the Jesuit Society of Missionaries has impacted the world over the last 450 years. 

They book describes four transferable concepts that are connected to the success of the Jesuit movement. 

1) Self awareness - understanding your strengths, weaknesses, values, and world view
2) Ingenuity - confidently innovating and adapting to embrace a changing world
3) Love - engaging others with a positive, loving attitude
4) Heroism - energizing yourself and others with outstanding ambitions

I was impressed with two main thoughts communicated in the book.  One, the author unashamedly explains how these concepts can work in the secular market place.  He makes clear that how loving you people (team, employees, etc) works for everyone's benefit, which is impressive.  Two, the author also unashamedly uses relevant examples from the lives of a variety of Jesuits and their varied experiences from around the world.  These examples help clarify how these principles can work, even in extreme situations. 

I recommend this as an excellent leadership book with a different perspective that is worthwhile to read and explore.  Pick up a copy if you have the chance. 

Books

I changed most of the selections on my sidebar of "recently read books".  Take a look there to see some of what I have been reading.  Let me highlight a few.

Two books stayed on, Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels.  I find this is a book that I refer to time and time again.  Great book.

The other book is more unique - Flabbergasted by Ray Blackston.  This is probably the funniest story I have ever read on being single and the struggles and desires that are faced AND wanting to be a missionary.  Totally unique.  The first of a trilogy, I recommend all three of these books.

Another book, not on the list, is "Band of Brothers" an excellent book.  I also watched the DVD movie series with my wife and it was wonderful.

I have been listening to some CDs, "Church Planting, God's Heart for Expansion".  This is a series of teaching by John Wimber, the founder of the Vineyard movement.  He lays out clear principles for church planting and church growth.  The material is relevant and practical.  Great stuff. 

The one book I have read these last six months that has most impacted my life is Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson.  It is a life changer.  It is a book that has transformed the way I think of the Bible, the way I read the Bible, and the way I communicate the Bible. 

Eugene Peterson wrote the Bible paraphrase, "The Message".  He also discussed his approach and the birth of that project. 

I recommend this book for a better perspective and understanding of the Bible.  I will be reading this again in the near future. 

The Man in the Arena

The front of the boat slices through the smooth water during a recent trip

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919), "Man in the Arena" Speech given April 23, 1910

I bumped into this quote again recently while doing some personal development research.  This time, it struck me in a different way.  I think I was impressed by it because recently I had read the book The Path Between the Seas (which I highly recommend) about the construction of the Panama Canal and Roosevelt's work to make the project happen.  His immense involvement and dedication to "doing" and "getting his hands dirty" is fascinating.  Another great book, The River of Doubt, also chronicles Roosevelt's passion to be a man of action. 

It rang the similar concept that springs from Scripture, "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only..."(James 1:22)  There is a desire on the part of our Lord to see us as a people of action.  God is stirring us to be practitioners, to be initiators, to be doers.  To me, this is the essence of faith, to put into practice the things we believe and to "dare" to try the principles that we have heard and studied. 

Here are a few more photos from a recent trip...

Fading to Blue, the sky and the water merge as the daylight fades

One of the many children that live along the rivers.  We were in this community to show the "Jesus" film recently. 

I had the pleasure to met this man on a recent trip and he was glad to have his picture taken. 

An Emerging Missional Church

This book is funny.  But the humor flows from a transparent heart and a man who isn't afraid to talk about his mistakes. 

This is the first book in a long time that made me laugh out loud.  I mean really laugh (the last was a Dave Barry book).  I can totally relate as a former youth pastor, as someone who plants churches, and as a guy. 

Driscoll talks openly about his life, his struggles and his successes.  He is direct and clear and has some great insights into what God is doing and why. 

He also clearly delineates some of the thoughts and strategies that he discerns from Scripture. 

He is also a man who is polarizing.  There is not alot of room for middle ground.  It is all black and white. 

A quick and easy read.  If you are interested in church planting, church growth, strategies, and contemporary issues, I recommend this book. 

Cultural Intelligence

I recently read this book on the recommendation of a friend and have found it extremely interesting.  After living on the mission field for 13 years and leading a number of short term missions prior to that, I found this book intriguing. 

The term "Cultural Intelligence" speaks to the desire to serve in the context of the cultural being served.  It becomes amazingly easy to overwhelm the people and the culture which we want to serve with our presence and our preconceived ideas.   Every culture has their strengths and weaknesses.  The clash comes when people tend to think in the context of their own frame of reference without regards to the culture in which they are serving. 

It is easy to fall back to the basic idea of "everyone must think as I do". 

This book provides intelligent discussion of how many difficulties and misunderstanding on short-terms missions (and longer term missions also) can wisely be avoided.  It is enlightening and insightful.  I also found it unique in that it is the first book on short-term missions that focuses on the culture and the people going to be served as opposed to either the short-termer or the ex-pat.  I highly recommend this book. 

Helping Resolve Conflict

Welcome to 2008...

HELPING RESOLVE CONFLICT is a book I read recently.  It is an interesting, little (96 pages) book written by I.M. Friedmann, a former missionary and translator.  His style of concise writing and summations lead the reader to examine the manner in which we approach conflict and seek to resolve difficult situations.  It is not a discussion of the Biblical basis for conflict resolution, but rather a look at his personal experiences and thoughts in this area. 

He sets forth a variety of his personal experiences, which are wide ranging.  He then puts forth questions at the end of each chapter to provoke the reader to thoughtful consideration in the manner in which conflicts are resolved. 

The writer works from the classic Anabaptist/Mennonite position of seeking peaceful resolutions to conflicts at every level.  The book achieves it purpose of making the reader think through the ways in which controversy and conflict can be resolved.  I recommend this book as a good read, especially for those involved in ministry and missions to catch insight into successful resolutions in the world of conflict.  One last note - this book does seem to be out of print, but available as a used book or through some lending libraries.