Less Than the Best

I needed to send a fax from work last week. I grabbed a cover sheet from the stack and begin to complete the information on the sheet. And then I noticed the poor quality of the cover sheet. It was obviously a copy of a copy of a copy and, to make matters worse, it had been copied at an angle so that it was off-center. It had about 347 (more or less) pixely dots all over the sheet. To top it off, there was a stray pencil mark in the middle of the page (or possibly, disgustingly, a stray hair that had been copied on to the page sometime in the past).

The last time I needed to fax something a few weeks back, I had seen the same cover sheet, noticed its poor condition, used it in a hurry and then went on my way thinking that someone should place a clean cover sheet next to the fax machine. Someone should have done it. I didn't do. And nobody do it.

But last week, that fax cover sheet took on extra significance for me. Because I recognized that it wasn't just a poor quality cover sheet; that page represented our organization to outside vendors. When we fax a company a request for information, when we fax in a recommendation for someone, when we send something to another church, that cover sheet is the first thing others see. It makes a first impression and represents us as a church. And it was poor quality and it was an embarrassment.

Over the course of time, each of us on staff, myself included, had ignored the poor quality of the cover sheet and waited for someone else to make it better. We had each settled for less than the best. When I decided to address the situation, it took about 2 minutes to print a clean cover sheet, make several copies and throw out the old ones.

Later that day, in our weekly staff meeting, I challenged our staff to be pay attention to details. To not take things for granted. To try to look for ways to make things better. To not settle for less than the best.

Dominance: Good or Bad?

Is being dominant a good thing? If you are part of a team or an organization that is dominating, it's a great thing. But to those on the outside looking in, it seems that it may depend on your point of view. Why are those who dominate often viewed so differently?

The Connecticut women's basketball team just won its 71st straight game; setting a new record for consecutive wins in women's college basketball . If Connecticut doesn't win the national championship in a few weeks, it will be deemed a major upset.

Coca-Cola historically commands the lion's share in every soft drink market, consistently outselling all other brands. Its percentage of the market share is unrivaled.

Prior to recent revelations of marital infidelity, Tiger Woods was the top-ranked player in professional golf. He was consistently among the final pairings playing on Sundays. When he did not win a tournament, especially a major, that often seemed surprising.

Jimmie Johnson has won the past four Sprint Cup championships. By winning last year's Sprint Cup, Johnson set a new record for consecutive championships.

But when considering each of these examples of dominance, it's interesting to note how each is received:
The Connecticut women are often disliked (somewhat due to their head coach's seeming arrogance), though their winning is almost expected;
Coca-Cola is so synonymous with the phrase "soft drink" that people will often order a "Coke" without any thought that a restaurant may serve Pepsi products;
Many golf fans will ignore the final rounds of a tournament if Tiger Woods is not in contention and will not even watch a tournament in which he does not participate. Often, he seems more popular than the field;
Thousands of NASCAR fans seem bored with the unprecedented efforts of Jimmie Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe's car as witnessed by lower TV ratings and declining attendance at NASCAR races.

Is dominance good or bad? In a society that often loves the underdog, I guess it just depends. Sometimes dominance is celebrated while other times it is ignored or disliked.

Alvin Reid

Dr. Alvin Reid, Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, spoke at my home church last weekend. He really challenged our church to focus on the next generation. Speaking in conjunction with a DiscipleNow weekend, Dr. Reid shared in the morning service from Acts 2 on "Movements". Here is some of what he shared:

The American church has reduced a movement to the maintenance of an institution.

Personal preference is not the Truth of the Gospel.

Everyone is living a life that is different from what they thought their life would be, but everyone wants their life to matter.

Many people treat Christianity as a factory and as a result they are raising their children to be atheists.

Later that evening, Dr. Reid taught from Acts 11:19-26 on the topic "Reaching the Next Generation". To reach the next generation, he challenged us to:

1. Share unchanging truth, but differently- v. 19-22
2. Focus less on behavior and more on wonder- v. 23
3. Focus less on rules and more on relationships- v. 24
4. Focus less on institutions and more on a movement- v. 25, 26

People don't necessarily reject the Gospel, but because of the way many Christians live, they just find it irrelevant.

Fun on Friday

With gas prices as low as they've been in awhile, I wish I could stock up for later this year, like around summer vacation time, when prices always seem to go up. Unfortunately, some things like gas and milk you just can't really stock up on.

Recently, Tonya and I ate at Pancho's Mexican Restaurant. We love Mexican food. But let's just say that if you wear your coat into the restaurant (it has been quite cold), unless you have it cleaned, your coat will smell like a Mexican restaurant for days afterward.

Fun on Friday- The Winter Olympics (Week 2)

I wonder about those countries that only send one athlete to the Winter Games (Albania's lone athlete is an alpine skier; Bermuda sent one cross-country skier; Jamaica's only participant is a freestyle skier; while Chinese Taipei's single athlete is a luger). In each of these countries, do they only send one athlete due to funding issues? Did the freestyle skier from Jamaica have to win a "national championship"? Has the cross-country skier from Bermuda ever skied on snow? Is the luger from Chinese Taipei really the best luger in the country or is he just a rich kid whose family bought him a sled so he could be an Olympian?

All the figure skating must bring in major TV ratings. But it sure would be nice to see some hockey in prime time.

Vancouver looks like a beautiful city but it has certainly had some awkward weather over the past two weeks- snow had to be trucked in prior to the Games; lots of fog caused competition delays; no snow was then followed by snowstorms which caused delays; then rain melted the existing snow; and Vancouver has experienced 45 degree temperatures throughout the Games (or warmer than it's been in Knoxville).

Saying Goodbye

One of the most difficult parts of my job is when I go to a hospital to visit a member of our church who is dying. Barring a miracle, and they do happen, sometimes it's quite clear that the end is near for a friend from church. And saying goodbye is tough.

Attending a funeral or a graveside service is difficult in its own way, but there my role is to comfort the family. The death has already occurred.

But when I go to tell someone goodbye (of course never using the actual word), I am often at a loss for what to say. Does the patient know they are gravely ill? Do we talk about death? Heaven? The past and shared memories? Do I try to be upbeat and encouraging or quiet and somber because we all know what is happening?

Saying goodbye is hard. I had to do that last week.

Happy Birthday Parker

Happy 6th Birthday Parker.

I thank God everyday for you and your great big beautiful heart.

Daddy loves you, P. You make my heart smile.