August 13, 2006 Newsong

At the Dawning

At the dawning of a new life
At the dawning of a new day
Here we see the early morning light
We find hope in a new and living way.
The night is finally over
The day shines bright and clear
The shadows flee eternally
For our new day is here.
The Glory of the Lord is risen like the Son
So arise shine, for your light has come.
Let us wake from our sleep
Deep is calling unto deep
As the Dayspring breaks forth, death now dies
So let us arise and shine
Come embrace the day divine
As the rising of the Son falls on our eyes
In this dawning all is revealed
And we gain a different view
Truths we've never seen come on the scene
As our eyes this light renews.

August 11, 2007
Anthony Foster

Classic refrigerator posting

How to Squelch Pride as a Leader: Do the Word

"Be ye kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

Philippians 2:33...Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

The key verse is Luke 22:25ff And he said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. 27For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

My new Leadership motto.

DISCUSSIONS - 09:32pm Aug 14, 2007 EST - I left the room and came back- guess I will go ahead and post before the break from the 15th - end of month...

If good managers impose order on chaos, they are fulfilling their given role as administrators- Actually creativity and leadership can flourish better with some sort of order than in a chaotic situation.

I agree with Lorie that the stifling really becomes an issue when pride and disregard for maximizing the potentials of others is driving the top. Managers who desire lockstep compliance with the established order can squelch innovation.Leaders are perhaps as likely to be stifled by their followers as by their own superiors. The ability to motivate and influence others cuts in a 360 degree circle.So a good leader will influence his bean counting managerial superior in all likelihood.

I turn to the interplay we had in class about the best way to get someone off the bus. I can name examples where the derelict bus rider was offering nothing to the journey, filling a seat and consuming resources that could have been used productively by someone who had half a work ethic. I hate firing people, but after extending an environment of grace time and again, firing is unavoidable if they are hurting the team and detracting from the mission, yet are not willing to take advantage of the grace extended of their own accord. Some malingerers will NOT go quietly into that good night, and it is up to the leader to discipline or even separate the false team member from the fold. Sometimes the most loving thing and the greatest good is to get that person off the bus even if it means drastic action. But the drastic action is the last defense after a long line of grace, I think.

Reformation as Concensus breaking...DISCUSSIONS - 06:04pm Aug 13, 2007 EST - I would say the consensus among interpreters of Scripture at the time of Luther was quite different than what he proposed. With the later reformers, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, and Sola Gratia went against the consensus of Sola Eccelsia.

The other point is that I am not aware of overt examples of consensus building by leaders in the early church- maybe it is there, transparent due to its nature, but it is not evident to me on first glance. I suppose a biblical form requires thinking in terms of winning one heart at a time - turning the trim tab which turns the rudder which turns the ship.

I am playing devil's advocate here,if you will, as I agree that some sort of consensus is necessary else gridlock will reign; I just wonder if we approach pursuing it correctly in the postmodern church. Test all things, hold to the good. 1 Thess 5:21. I think consensus building ideally has to begin with the establishment of authority- the educational exposition of the Scriptures on any given issue. Then submission comes.

I am thinking out loud again.

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From the personal weblog of Anthony Foster @http://anthonyfoster.com/blog/