The Unexpected Jesus READ Mark 11:12-19 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.” Mark 11:17

When Jesus entered the Temple on the day after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, those who had welcomed him the day before no doubt expected something big to happen. Perhaps Jesus was going to announce the beginning of his kingship. Perhaps he was going to raise up an army to oust the Romans. Perhaps something even more amazing. But nobody would have expected Jesus to do what he actually did in the Temple. There, in the holy place of God, in the center of Jewish religion, Jesus drove out the people who were selling sacrificial animals and overturned the tables of the money changers who enabled foreign visitors to purchase sacrifices. In effect, Jesus shut down the operation of the Temple. How shocking this must have been to all, even Jesus’ closest followers. He explained his actions by quoting Scripture. First he cited a portion of Isaiah 56:7 that referred to the Temple as a “house of prayer.” In fact, this prophecy spoke of the Temple as a house of prayer for the Gentiles. Jesus connected this passage with one from Jeremiah that referred to the Temple as a “den of thieves” (Jer. 7:11). In context, this phrase revealed that the Jewish people had been thinking that they were safe from God’s judgment because they could “hide out” in the Temple, even though they were egregiously violating God’s law. Through Jeremiah, God predicted that he would destroy the Temple in Jerusalem and send his people into exile (Jer. 7:14-15). Thus, Jesus not only ransacked the Temple courts and interrupted its sacrificial function, but also quoted a passage of Scripture that pointed to the destruction of the Temple itself. This unexpected action and explanation no doubt distressed those who supported Jesus. It gave his opponents reason and perhaps even the opportunity to have Jesus killed. Even today, when we seek to take Jesus seriously, he does the unexpected. Sometimes this happens as we wrestle with his words and see something that we have overlooked before. Sometimes this happens as Jesus, through the Spirit, calls us out of our comfort zone and into risky discipleship. In these and so many other ways, Jesus overturns our expectations as he seeks to mold us and use us for his purposes. QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: When have you experienced the unexpected Jesus? Do you sense that, even now, Jesus is calling you to something that you had not anticipated? How are you responding? Why?

                     Rethinking Scarcity: Infinite Grace in Finite Settings

Scarcity was already on my mind this morning when, as I waited to order coffee, I overheard a couple whose two young children were fighting over a single water bottle. The little girl would snatch the drink, gulping greedily until it was yanked away by her older brother, who filled his little cheeks with water and glared at his sister as she tried to pull the water bottle back her way.

“Why are they so thirsty?” the dad asked, somewhat concerned. “Should we get them another cup?” The mom smiled knowingly. “Oh, they’re not that thirsty,” she answered. “Don’t get another cup; the water is really good for them, and they drink a lot more when they’re worried about running out.”

I chuckled to myself as I moved away, thinking that scarcity is a powerful motivator. This savvy mom was harnessing that power for good, to keep her children hydrated on a hot summer day. But it’s just as easy to see how scarcity can be a harmful force in the world and in the workplace. Research shows that the ways in which toddlers and mature educated adults react to scarcity—actual or perceived—aren’t all that different. It has real power to shape our perceptions of reality, our priorities, and our overall sense of wellbeing. Yet we live and work in a world that is in many ways defined by scarcity. All earthly resources are finite, and therefore “scarce” in some context.

Marketplace Scarcity

The marketplace around us may be ruled by scarcity of time, talent, or resources, but we need not be. As Christians in the workplace, we have the freedom to reject the scarcity mindset because our ultimate goals and purposes are not tied to any finite resource but to an infinite God.

As Christians at work, there should be “something different” about the way we conduct ourselves. Instead of being constrained by the fear of what we might lose or never attain, we find our ultimate worth and security in our relationship with God. We are, therefore, free to leave fear behind and see opportunities in a resource-constrained environment.

Some of the most important statements I will make about the kind of person (and Christian) I am come in the form of personnel decisions—a manager’s most precious and limited resource. Once when I was working for Trammell Crow Company in Dallas, I was responsible for hiring someone to lead a large portion of our business. The person I hired relocated his family to Dallas to take the job, and he was a hard worker with a great attitude. He was knowledgeable and well connected in the business, but it became apparent that he was simply wrong for the position. Not long after he started, my boss directed me to fire him. I felt terrible and more than a little responsible.

As I look back as a multinational company, I had the authority to fire and hire employees. Although it would have been perfectly acceptable business practice and best for my career to follow my manager’s instruction, I knew that it would be wrong of me, personally, to fire this employee without trying to find him a better fit within the company. While he wasn’t a fit for this job, I knew that he would be a fit for a job within the company, and I started looking for the right opportunity for him. I went out on a limb, and I convinced our CEO to let me move him to another line of business. That was over ten years ago.  Today, that same employee is still with the company, and he’s become a key leader in that new business line. Even though it wasn’t the easy or comfortable thing to do at the time, it turned out to be the right decision not just for me but for my company as well.

Finite Resources or Infinite God?

Over the years, I’ve had many opportunities like this to live out my faith at work in ways that reject the fears and anxieties that scarcity dictates. I certainly haven’t always made perfect choices. Looking back though, I can see that I made my best decisions when my eyes were firmly fixed on the infinite God of the universe, rather than on any finite prize or what was in my immediate best interest.

Liberated from the constraints of scarcity, we enjoy the freedom to go “all out” and to make mistakes. We have the freedom to make the nonstrategic—but right—choice, to turn down the promotion that’s wrong for your family, or to offer forgiveness to a colleague who maybe doesn’t deserve it. Your responses to difficult situations and attitudes at work will say more to people about your faith than words ever could.

Four Tips for Sharing Your Faith at Work

Do you want to share Christ in your workplace and/or marketplace? It may seem like a tricky proposition and perhaps a bit scary, but all it takes is a humble, caring heart and a desire to glorify the One you love so much. Here are four tips for sharing your faith at work.

1. Comfort People in Need

Paul opens his second letter to the Corinthians praising God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (1:3-4).

I wonder how many times we miss blessing others and ourselves because we simply find ourselves too busy—deadlines, long to-do lists, or quotas to make. As a non-believer, I remember when a coworker unexpectedly visited my hospital room. He prayed for me that all would go well. What an impact that made! Obviously, I am writing about it today. Years later, as a pastor, I visited people who were sick or hospitalized because of the impression it left on me.

2. Carefully Share What God is Teaching You

Paul tells his young apprentice Timothy to share his teachings to other reliable people so that they might teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).  

As a young Christian, I wanted to learn everything I could about Jesus and what He wanted for my life. My wife and I were involved in everything from individual to group bible study, scripture memory, and quiet time. I shared with anyone who would listen about what God was teaching me. I learned quickly that not everyone (church member or not) was open to my enthusiasm. Rejection is a cruel teacher, particularly when it is family. Jesus words came to me, “be careful how and to whom you share” because not everyone is open, seeking, or friendly toward things of God (Matthew 7:6).  

3. Willingly Show People Your Shortcomings and Hardships

The great apostle Paul wanted to be like Jesus in every way, but he admitted, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Philippians 3:12). And the honest truth is that we become more like Jesus when we suffer, “because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-5).

Both non-believers and churchgoers have to see that there is a real difference between how they face life’s problems and sufferings without Christ and how a true believer faces these same issues with Christ. We all know that talk is cheap. People need to see how we apply the scriptures to real life situations.

They want to know that what we believe is actually what we believe. They need to see if what we believe truly makes a difference. They are watching to see if what we believe has direct application to life’s situations. They are skeptically watching to see if what we believe is genuine and not just buzzwords, slogans, or catch phrases.

4. Witness to the Gospel by What You Do (and NOT Do)

The writer of Proverbs 6:16-19 reveals seven things that God finds “detestable.”

Some of these are pretty easy to steer away from in our work settings. As much as we might want to, we probably won’t be killing any of our coworkers. But some of these are much easier to succumb to at work. God hates “haughty eyes” (a look of pride or arrogance), deception (lying), scheming to get ahead of somebody else (devising wicked plans), spreading gossip (a false witness who breathes out lies), or openly stirring up conflict for other Christians (sowing discord among brothers).

Non-believers are gleeful at the prospect of the seeing Christians compromising their beliefs through nonverbal miscues and the contradictions between what we say and what we do! They notice when Christians easily use curse words at work. They scoff at Christians who are lazy in their assignments. They think Christianity is a joke if we are participating in office politics or gossip.

This reminds me of two college girls who were excited about their mission trip overseas. The trip was all they could talk about in and out of the classroom. At the same time, there was a girl in one of the classes which they openly treated with contempt. A teacher called them aside and pointed out the incongruity. At that moment, they realized that the explicit message of their words and the implicit message of their conduct were different. They were sending conflicting messages to other students.

We really do the cause of Christ no good when we go to church on Sunday and compromise our beliefs Monday and throughout the week.  As representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must be careful what we communicate to those around us.

HEARING GOD

A Guide on How To Hear God In Psalm 46, God tells us, "Be still and know that I am God", "Cease striving, let go, relax, and know that I am God." To hear God you first need to learn to be still. When you're still it's much easier to draw near to God and begin to hear Him speak in your heart. His promptings are gentle and if you're not still, you'll miss them. • Remove distractions • Find a place where you can be alone and undisturbed • Quiet the voices and thoughts fighting for your attention If you struggle with this and your mind's busy, try jotting down the thoughts that come so that they're out of your head. If you become conscious of sin, confess it so it's no longer in the way. If your mind is still busy, visualize Jesus there with you. The key is to be so focused on God that everything else fades into the background. When you become still you'll begin to sense God's presence. By being still, I mean not doing anything other than making it possible to be in touch with God and experience Him. When you become still it's easier to hear God. Spontaneous images will begin to come and you'll begin to hear God's voice in your heart as spontaneous thoughts. When you enter the quiet place, take the first few minutes to become still. When you're still, you'll begin to sense God's presence. Once you're still and you've quieted your thoughts, focus on the Lord. Visualise Him there with you and wait for Him to speak. The more you practise becoming still, the easier it gets and the more quickly it all comes together. God speaks in many ways and different people hear God in different ways. For many of us, God speaks through spontaneous thoughts, pictures, feelings or impressions. He rarely speaks in an audible voice. Mark Virkler tells us that "the definition of paga, the Greek word for intercession, is a 'chance encounter or an accidental intersecting.'" When God speaks to you, showing you what He wants you to know or pray about, He often does it through paga, thoughts that come spontaneously, interrupting your own thought processes. As you still yourself and wait, spontaneous thoughts will begin to flow and you'll find yourself having an inner conversation with God. Look for the Lord there with you, and watch Him as He speaks to you. You'll find that if you look, you'll see. You'll begin to see spontaneous images in the same way that you receive spontaneous inner thoughts. You might find that inner vision comes so easily that you want to reject it, thinking that it's just you. If you persevere and record what you see and hear, your doubts will soon give way to faith as you begin to recognise that what you're seeing and hearing is mostly from God. It's a good idea to have a journal with you and record what you see and hear. Your journal is your way of saying to God "I value what you say to me." It's also a step of faith, showing that you expect Him to speak. Write in faith, simply believing that it's God speajing to you. Don't censor what you're receiving. Let it flow. You can test it later, making sure that what you're hearing lines up with Scripture and even running what you've heard by a trusted friend. You'll be surprised at how much you hear when you start to journal. You'll probably realise that God has been speaking all along but you just didn't recognise it. Put aside any doubts you might have and trust that you really are hearing God. Trust that God is with you and speaking to you. Are you ready to wait, look and listen? Are you ready to discover the joy of hearing God? • Find a quite place and spend some time in worship. • Sit quietly, visualise yourself with Jesus. • Talk to Him and ask Him questions. Listen and sense His reply. • Write down His answers Afterwards, Test What You Hear Things to consider when evaluating what you've heard: • Is it biblical - does what you've heard line up with Scripture? • God hasn't given you a spirit of fear, His word tells you to be 'anxious for nothing'. If what you've heard causes fear and anxiety it probably isn't from God. • Is it convicting or is it condemning? He may convict you of sin but condemnation is never from God. • If what you've heard involves a major decision, look for confirmation and seek the counsel of mature Christians before taking action Father teach me how to listen. Help me to be like Samuel who said, 'Speak for your servant is listening.' Let me be one of those who hear you in their heart. Help me to get used to the sound of your voice so that I can easily recognise when you're speaking to me. Help me to still and quieten my soul so that I can hear you more. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Enjoy the adventure of learning to hear God's voice.

HOPE IN TIME OF CRISIS

A Place of Hope for Professionals in Crisis

by Christine A. Scheller

Shame is a burden for many people who struggle with mental illness, but for leaders it can be especially intense, says Dr. Michael Groat, director of theProfessionals in Crisis (PIC) program at The Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas. Doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and other high achievers, by definition, are driven, ambitious, and accomplished. They have high expectations of themselves and others have high expectations for them.

“A lot of our folks are used to being successful in various endeavors and having a sense of mastery. When they come up against something that overwhelms their ordinary capacities to cope, we often see the sense of failure...They describe worries about the stigma, and I think stigma is a code word oftentimes linked to shame, because of worry about the way status or reputation is going to be marred or tarnished because of the experience of mental illness,” said Groat.

Leaders, especially prominent leaders, are so demanding of themselves that they don’t allow for illness and psychiatric illness in particular, added Menninger Clinic senior staff psychologist Jon G. Allen. “They’re very resilient people, but we all have limits in how much we can be self-reliant and manage on our own. They hit those limits and then they are out of luck in a way, because they’re so used to managing on their own that they’re deficient in being able to rely on other people.”

Many leaders entering PIC are dealing with social isolation, said Groat. “Those are the people I worry most about. I worry when someone says they’re suicidal, but I worry most about the person who is alone in their despair,” he said.

PIC is unique, both men said, in that it allows professionals adequate time to immerse themselves in a therapeutic community. Residents receive individual therapy, medication management, and group therapy during their six-to-eight week stay.

In group meetings people are taught “shame resilience,” Groat said. They learn that shame is an experience common to all human beings and are taught how to move out of it and into a state of belonging. “As we’re vulnerable and we’re received by other people with empathy and compassion, that is the route whereby we move out of shame, because being received with empathy, being understood, and being cared about helps us become reconnected,” he said.

Some professionals must overcome family or community cultures that hold negative views of psychiatry and mental illness, Allen said. “In a sense, we’ve sort of won the battle once they’ve walked in the door. But we struggle with ambivalence and resistance. ..The patients have a huge role in … allowing themselves to be vulnerable...When one person moves along, that brings other people along with them,” he said.

Therapists also encourage people to repair and/or reconnect with their primary relationships at home. “We help them use relationships outside of work to give them the sense of security, confidence, and well-being that is essential for them to sustain that work,” said Allen. “When you can depend on other people emotionally, then you’re more able to be self-reliant.”

Reevaluating priorities while in treatment is common, as it would be for anyone facing a health crisis, Allen said. “Patients really need to rethink their careers. Of course, that is a major, wrenching process.”

Finding safe people with whom to share struggles at work can aid in recovery for those who do return to their former vocations, said Groat. “I don’t expect, nor is it reasonable, for the patients to be vulnerable to everyone. In terms of the workplace, we have frank discussions about identifying those individuals with whom they can be vulnerable,” he said. For example, a physician who went through the PIC  program remembered an anesthesiologist who had described himself as “a friend of Bill.” This phrase can be code for members of Alcoholics Anonymous. The physician reached out to this AA member and was introduced to other coworkers who provided support.

“Those kinds of experiences of people finding allies, people finding safe havens, people finding a secure base to turn to does involve discernment. It does involve taking a risk and having it flop, then picking yourself back up and realizing that there are people who can benevolently and compassionately relate to you,” said Groat. “Recovery involves risk and I don’t see how any of us can grow without it...But, the more connected people are, the more likely it is that they’re going to have a solid recovery and the more likely it is that they’re going to remain healthy.”

While The Menninger Clinic is not a religious institution, it was founded by Presbyterians, and a chaplain is available for those who want spiritual guidance. Last year, Mark Roberts and other Foundations for Laity Renewal representatives visited the clinic to learn more about the PIC program. “The facility is beautiful, peaceful, and welcoming. The staff includes top professionals in several disciplines (psychiatry, chaplaincy, nursing, internal medicine, social work, psychology). Their teamwork approach maximizes the benefit for the people they serve,” said Roberts. “What impressed me most of all during my visit was the quality of the staff: highly-trained, experienced, deeply caring, collegial, and committed to an integrated approach to healing that includes psychological, relational, physical, and spiritual elements.”

Asked what he would say to a struggling professional who is ambivalent about investing six-to-eight weeks in the intensive PIC program, Groat said, “Ambivalence is very normal, and so I would expect that most people come here with ambivalence. The reason to consider The Menninger Clinic is that we can start with where you are, work with your ambivalence, and try to improve your life.”

How to Cope with a Toxic Boss

I’ve counted 24 bosses over the course of my career. The longest I ever worked for one boss was four years. The shortest was for a few months.

I’ve had good bosses and bad. I’ve had capable, competent bosses, and bosses who – weren’t. I’ve had bosses I liked, and ones I didn’t. I’ve had bosses who were scrupulously fair, and ones who played favorites.

Of all the varieties of bosses and boss experiences, there were two – fortunately, only two – that I would call toxic.

At first glance, they seemed to have nothing in common. Different genders, different organizations, different leadership styles. One micro-managed; the other barely managed. One had a reputation for being rather wicked; the other was known as a great person.

A Few Critical Characteristics

However, they did share a few critical characteristics. They both had a tendency to lie; and when caught lying, their response was to brazen it out with bigger lies. Both shifted blame for their mistakes on to others. Both engaged in character assassination. Both had been promoted far beyond their capabilities. And both felt threatened.

Separated by the passage of years, I can look back and say this with some level of dispassion: both of these bosses hurt me and my career. Both did it intentionally. One did it overtly; the other subtly. Working for both of them was an exercise in awfulness.

The usual thought is to go to someone – like in Human Resources – who can help. That can pose problems, though. Understand that what you’re talking about is a problem boss, yes, but in talking to HR you’re also suggesting that management has made a mistake, and you’re implying that HR hasn’t done its job, either. So caution is the watchword here.

Or, you can quit and find another job. That may or may not be an option. In my case, it wasn’t.

How Do You Do It?

If you have to report to a toxic boss, even for a temporary period of time, how do you do it? How did I do it?

I will say that there was a period, often an extended period, of shock, hurt and grieving. And anger. None of those emotions ever completely goes away. Even now, I can recall certain situations and feel them begin to bubble.

I learned that forgiveness was an everyday thing. There were days when some new outrage seemed to pop up every hour. Some situations lingered for days or months, unresolved and unspoken.

I prayed. And I learned something through prayer. Often, prayer became an unanswered plea, and what became more important wasn’t the specific request or plea but the fact I was praying.

I sought out wise counsel. I asked for advice, but outside the organization. I needed someone with more – and perhaps a more distant – perspective.

I read Psalms and the two books of Samuel. David’s life is marked by triumph, achievement, persecution, stupid mistakes, near-disaster and people wanting to kill him. Much can be learned by studying the life of David.

I worked hard to see the situations as gifts. This didn’t always work; it’s difficult to see meanness, and sometimes viciousness, as a gift. But I think of that plaintive statement from Job – am I only glad to accept the good from God?

WHAT TO DO TODAY

Thou hast made the moon to mark the seasons, the sun knows it’s time for setting.

Psalm 104:19 RSV
Today is the last day of 2010. Tomorrow dawns a brand new year! Are you ready for it? Well, before the New Year is upon us, here’s an important reminder: Don’t overlook today! Today, you were handed from God 24 hours to live life to the fullest. That's 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. Sometimes we get so busy and distracted we miss the fact that each rising, sun brings new opportunities and adventures on this planet we call Earth. God gives us one new day at a time so that we aren't distracted by the future or paralyzed by the past. So, today may be the last day of the year, but today is also the first day of the rest of your life. Make the most of today! Enjoy God's gift to you on this New Year's Eve. You can accomplish a great deal with the 1440 minutes in a day. Today, stop and take advantage of all that God has provided for you.

The greatest commodity you have at your fingertips is time. Everyone has the same amount of time to use or waste today. The happiness in your life depends on how you use your time. Periodically I need to take an evaluation of how I am using my time. This little list helps me keep perspective:

Take time to THINK — it is the source of power.
Take time to PLAY — it is the secret of perpetual youth.
Take time to be FRIENDLY — it is the road to happiness.
Take time to LOVE — it is a God-given privilege.
Take time to READ — it is a fountain of wisdom.
Take time to PRAY — it is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to LAUGH — it is the music of the soul.
Take time to GIVE — it is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to WORK — it is the price of success.