Bud Simon

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. 

Dealing with Uncertainity on the Mission Field (aka 5 Principles of Missionary Living -Part 3)

 I have previously shared some thoughts on missionary living in prior posts.  This is the third part in that series.  The series has been awhile in development and delayed with other events.  I encourage you to check out the other posts.  Here they are:

Part 1 - Calling

Part 2 - Convenience

A major adjustment in dealing with life on the mission field (and living in third world countries in general)  is dealing with the lack of certainty.  We, as North Americans, love certainty.  We embrace and celebrate it.  We really do.  We recognize it and reward it.  We want things and people to be on time.  Our culture awards consistency.

We like knowing that the car will start in the morning, that the store will be open when you go there, that the store will have what they said they would have, that they will deliver things when they say they will, and that the bank machine will give money out when we use our debit card.  But, reality in the third world is that certainty is a scarce commodity.  Things that are normal and things that we are accustomed to as being reliable, consistent and certain in the context of a North American culture, just are not in many other parts of the world.  We come to take for granted that type of dependability and it becomes glaringly obvious when it is lacking. 

Or, think of it from a different angle.  Like, I am certain I will need patience, that things will not go exactly as I plan, that I will be delayed, that other people will mess up my plans, and that circumstances will make things difficult.  Most everything here has a lack of certainty that provides for a greater dependence on God, and not our own abilities or ingenuity.  On the mission field, there is a degree and element of uncertainty virtually every day and in most events.  Things like having consistent water and electricity, getting the mail, the gas station having gas, the phones working, cell phones working - the list goes on and on.

And there is an effect that comes into play when these simple tasks become complex, uncertain, and unreliable.  It is the principle of compounding inefficiencies.  The effort of dealing with all the uncertainty can become overwhelming. 

It can seem that all of life is consumed in dealing with and resolving in innovative ways all of these situations that do not even exist in the context of the North American culture.  Many simple things need contingency plans built into the thinking and planning. 

And this is where we can see God revealed in our living.  Do we have the strength of character to deal with these issues?  Are we focused on how things delay and inconvenience us, or are we focused on what God is doing in each and every situation?  On what do we set our eyes?  Or maybe it is better to ask, on whom?  The lack of certainty is an obvious reality of life on the mission field and may be one of the most difficult adjustments to make. 

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. 

5 Principles of Missionary Living - Part 2

 The landscape near Altamira being lit by lighting

A couple of weeks ago, I shared the first principle of missionary living, Calling.  It would be good to check that out as a prequel to this post.  Because of some changes in the server where I store my blog, I was delayed a bit in post the second part.
 
Convenience

Convenience – There is NOTHING convenient about being a missionary.  Nothing.  The weather stinks.  The bugs bug you.  The culture and language will mess with your mind.  You will be cranky, irate, and agitated.  You will have mysterious sicknesses and pains.  You will miss people, places, foods, things, and the order of society.  Mold grows where you never thought possible.  The people you came to help will steal from you. 

Nope, there is nothing convenient about missions, and even less so here in Altamira.  Here, you are just one step away from the ends of the earth and you notice it.  The cars break constantly.  The electricity goes out.  Computers burn up.  It is a struggle, and don’t be fooled, there will surely be troubles and difficulties.  Going to Brazil isn’t the same as going to heaven.  In heaven, everything is great.  On the mission field, it is tough and you must be resilient in all areas of your life to stand up to the challenge.  

Our American society is deluded and deluged with convenience.  When something is tough or difficult, we seek an easier, less painful way.  There are very few things that are easy or convenient out here.   

And it is never a convenient time to be a missionary.  There are always legitimate reasons to put off missions work.   

• We want to finish school.
• We want to start a family.
• We just want a few years of job experience.
• We want to save a bit more money before we go.
• We want to see Europe first (or travel more).
• We want to first get married.

You get the idea.  There is a large list of good reasons that stand in the way of doing that which God is calling us to do.  These are not wrong things, but they quickly become convenient reasons to avoid the mission field.

These are all appropriate things in the context of when God tells us to do them and in the order which He tells us.  But, too often we grab onto them (and other reasons) to prop up our “reasonable arguments”.  Sometimes doing the unreasonable thing is what God is putting before us.

The idea of convenience is contrary to the reality of missionary living.  This realization that missions takes us into areas out side of our comfort zone and outside of our normal routines is one of the main principles in a realistic perspective on missionary life.

5 Principles of Missionary Living

I have had it on my heart to share some principles involved in “being a missionary” and specifically as it applies to work overseas and in third world countries.  I want to share these views and principles that have served me (and others) well through the years. 

From time to time people contact me wondering what it means to be a missionary or interested in aspects of missionary life.  So, over the next few weeks I will share five principles that apply to missionary life.  And while I am applying these principles specifically to missions, they apply in many ways in a wider context to other areas also.

Calling

First and foremost, being a missionary is a calling.  It is not a job, it is not an employment alternative, it is not one more option or possibility to consider.  It is a calling.  A calling is defined as a clear conviction that this is what God wants you to do.  With that clear conviction there is the ability to act in confidence, with authority, and with assurance, focused on the reality that things will work out.  They may not work out exactly in the way we think or in the way that we want, but they will work out in the way that God thinks is best and that is ultimately best for us.  And a calling keeps us on track when our emotions, our circumstances, or our finances want to derail us.  This is typical in the life of the disciples, when Christ turns to them and says, “Hey, are you going to leave me also?” And Peter replies, “Well, where would we go?  What would we do?  We are gonna stick it out no matter what!!”  (Bud Simon revised version). 

That is conviction.  Peter was committed to Christ, yes, but he was also committed to a calling, being a disciple, being a leader, being a church planter and builder.  He was committed until the end. 

One significant key in the area of calling is to pursue the calling passionately.  That is, we should not be easily put off nor distracted.  But, we need to think in terms of the overall big picture that God has placed before us and the calling that He is putting on our hearts. 

This is the first principle that will help see a person through many trials, troubles and difficulties.

Love and Respect

Normally, I share material that I read or other thoughts on the ministry here in Brazil. Today, I want to share a couple of insights about the Love and Respect DVD Series.  I recently had the pleasure of sharing this material with our missionary team here in Altamira. 

Dr Emerson & Sarah Eggerichs have put together a seven hour conference on DVD that is just an amazing resource for every marriage. 

They discuss the marriage relationship in a relevant way, integrating the reality of our society  and focusing on the marriage couple as being equally responsible for the success of the relationship. 

The take away for every couple is well worth the investment.  Both speakers are engaging, dramatic, funny and pertinent.  For myself, the biggest take away is the fact that we need to focus on God in our relationship, not ourselves and not our spouse.  I am to seek to honor God, just as in every relationship.  I know, it doesn't sound either profound nor like I would need seven hours of DVD to know that.  Reality is that I constantly need tune-ups in every area of my life. 

The paradigm of focusing on glorifying God in the marriage relationship, of honor Him in each situation, is a powerful concept for the Christian couple.  The practicality of what is taught is amazing, regardless of belief systems.

I appreciate my friends, Steve & Jill, for making this resource available to us.  I also appreciate my friend, Dennis, for his endorsement of the material.  I strongly encourage this material for every couple that wants to improve their relationship.  The applications and examples are challenging. 

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. 

Leadership Training

Three of the leaders from different communities

Sharing some time playing soccer together

Once a month, I invite all of the  church leaders, pastors, and church planters to share a short day together.

Our meeting runs from Friday evening at 6pm until Saturday afternoon at 4pm.  The time together is intentionally directed towards spiritual refreshment.

Why?

Because for those that are normally "in front" and responsible, there is rarely a time when someone else is caring for the leader.  And this is the time set aside for building up.  Normally a pastor or leader goes to church and he is concerned about the preaching, the offering, the worship, who's there, who isn't, the audio/visual, etc, etc, etc.  It is important to develop a time of refreshment based around a community of leaders, people that share similar concerns and experiences. 

Here are some of the areas that to focus on.  These are adapted from Acts 2:42+.

Eating together - There is something powerful in sharing a meal together.  Eating together is a sign of brotherhood and friendship.  It nurtures openness and transparency.  It is a sign of celebration.  North American culture tends to eat in a rush and has lost the value and impact of eating together. 

Worshiping together - Worship brings us into God's presence and invites His presence into us.  It is a moment of exchange.  We give up the burdens that weigh us down and take on a "light & easy burden".  Leaders often miss out on the worship because they are thinking of "the next thing" in the meeting.  But, for this one day, they are unfettered with those concerns.

Praying together - It is often difficult to share the concerns of the heart and being in a group of peers nurtures openness.  There are things that are hard to share, especially about the life of the church or family.  But this provides a safe environment for meeting those needs in prayer.  This is also a time to hear what God is saying, sharing together in listening prayer to help each other connect with our Lord. 

Learning together - It is a time of instruction and learning from God's Word.  It is a time to minister on topics that pertain to leadership and other topics that are unique to church leaders. It is a moment when the teachers are being taught. 

Fellowship together - Building in time for visiting and sharing what's going on in each other's lives.  Also building in time to play together, games and activities, and build a base of shared experiences.  An important part of any relationship is to have times that are just fun and relaxed.

Organizing together - Finally, we also share a bit of time to organize our schedules and planning, especially for those events that impact the movement.

Leadership training is not only about the transfer of knowledge, it is about the transfer of life.  And that is what we work to focus on and see happen on a regular basis.
Leaders worshiping together at our Training Center