Obama is a Great Communicator

Chancellor Merkle of Germany looks askance at Mr. Obama

Senator Obama became President Obama because he was able to communicate well in speeches. The talks were well written, well delivered and well received. They had almost no content and many people loved the fact that he said so little. He did it in a way that allowed them to fill in the blanks about hope and change with their own projections about hope and change.

Now, however, President Obama must talk about and act on actual events and so far he has not fared well. He loves to talk and he is giving a lecture almost every day to some group or another. It is as though he won the race by talking well so he thinks he can govern the same way. Most people disagree.

His base of Left Wing radicals are not happy because they thought he would disavow everything Bush did and said but he has not. They are ticked off that he promised to close Gitmo and release the prisoners but he discovered to is chagrin that those people are dangerous terrorists. (Gasp!)

Now Obama is expected to take a stand for freedom and democracy. He took a trip to China recently and spoke to college students. Here was his chance to really show his ability to challenge the Chinese leaders to open up the Internet, radio and TV to honest reporting. But he struck out by swinging like a little girl rather than with the power of the leader of the strongest and greatest nation on earth.

His wishy, washy manner came out during the town hall and were directed at China's Internet controls.

"I'm a big supporter of non-censorship. I recognize that different countries have different traditions. I can tell you that in the United States, the fact that we have free Internet--or unrestricted Internet access--is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged."

Chinese bloggers who saw it were grateful that he addressed censorship, but many zeroed in on what they considered Obama's waffling language. Wang Pei, a writer based in eastern China's Hangzhou, twittered, "Learn English from Obama: Instead of saying 'I want to eat,' say 'I am a big supporter of non-hunger."

Where is the cheese? Obama wants more than anything to be liked and affirmed by Europeans and Europeans hate strong directive Americans. They call us "Cowboys". Ronald Reagan was a cowboy and so was George W. Bush and they could not stand either of them. Europe loves the passive voice and the passive politician and Obama is fitting right in with their preferences. Unfortunately, for him, he is not President of Europe but of the USA and Americans like strong leaders.

What do you think about this kind of mushy mouthed speech?

Growing up in Christ

As I reviewed this blog I grew to like it a lot. This topic, helping people grow in maturity and use their God given gifts more effectively, has been my focus for decades. I think we did a very good job of it back at College Hill Presbyterian Church in the late Seventies and all the Eighties.

I am biased, of course, but there are many people who were never at CHPC who agree with my assessment because they have seen the fruit of our ministry all over Greater Cincinnati and the the world. In fact, just this morning I heard from another Seasoned Believer that CHPC was unique in training and releasing lay men and women into all kind of ministries. They went on to say that we were still a model for a lot of churches today.

What was it we did that worked? First, we had a balanced ministry of preaching, teaching and practicing the ministry of Jesus. Before the Ascension, Jesus told His followers to "Go into the world and teach everything He taught and do everything He did. Well, we tried.

There are four things that every successful congregation covers if it wants to have balanced ministry.

1. God's truth in scripture and in the world

2. Practice and teach the fruit of the Spirit

3. Facilitate understanding of and the universal practice of the gifts of the Spirit

4. Promote the understanding and release of God's power in every way possible

We clearly attempted to not only practice these four aspects of Christianity but we also told our members what we were attempting to do. We made our intentions clear. We did not skip the "hard teachings" or water down the controversial aspects of our approach. Additionally, we asked people to go to another church if they disagreed with our stands.

Go to my other active blog

Brave Heart

http://garysweetenblogspotcom.blogspot.com for additional information on my ideas.

Taking Every Thought Captive

I am again teaching the classic course, Rational Christian Thinking, that I first developed and wrote back in the eighties. Pastor Brad Rosenberg asked me to train his staff and Lay leaders how to live in the freedom of Christ and I agreed.

Because his wife Angie had gotten so much out of the training before she asked Brad to let everyone attend so young mothers like her could benefit from the training and rear their children free of fear and anxiety. So, we are teaching over 100 adults each Wednesday evening at Tri County Assembly of God in Fair field, Ohio north of Cincinnati.

It is a thrill to be able to "Equip the saints to DO the work of ministry" and I love training them in ways to "Renew their minds" according to the Bible. The students are eagerly lapping up the information and responding with great interactions in the class.

Over the next few posts I will write some of the basic principles of biblically renewing the mind so the readers can start getting free from cultural, social and devilish ideas. I am amazed at how many Spirit filled Christians are ensnared in old fleshly ways to thinking, feeling and acting yet believe they "Have the mind of Christ."

A mind of Christ is a peaceful mind. It is Free from worry, free from anxiety and free from letting others put them down. They could care less what others think because they know what Jesus thinks.

So, read and reflect on how Gos can set us free from the "Stinking Thinking" that keeps us in bondage.

On Vacation

I have placed this blog on hold and will be posting to the Brave Heart Blog at http://garysweetenblogspotcom.blogspot.com So, move on over to my oldest blog and post til your heart's content.

I have a new web at www.sweetenlife.com and may put up a blog with the sweetenlife moniker. We shall see what the future holds.

There is a story about a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student who spent one entire summer walking 2 miles to the Harvard football stadium and 2 miles back each day. He wore a black and white striped shirt and when he reached the stadium he acted still more strangely. The young man walked up and down the field for about fifteen minutes throwing birdseed all over the place while blowing a whistle.

What was he doing? The answer!

Harvard and MIT are serious rivals. That guy from MIT was setting a booby trap for the Harvard Crimson Football Team. At the first home game at Harvard Field the officials began the game by assembling on the field and blowing a whistle. Can you guess what happened next?

A thousand birds decended upon the field stopping the game.

Our daily habits sow future events. Are you praying for crop failure?

Sow and Reap

There is a story about a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student who spent one entire summer walking 2 miles to the Harvard football stadium and 2 miles back each day. He wore a black and white striped shirt and when he reached the stadium he acted still more strangely. The young man walked up and down the field for about fifteen minutes throwing birdseed all over the place while blowing a whistle.

What was he doing? Want to guess?

Generation to Generation

Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Luke 1:16

This is the promise of what the Messiah would accomplish. He will "Turn the hearts of the fathers to their children..." Isn't it a great thing to behold? We desperately need God to accomplish this promise. Our families are in trouble.

Is it true? Have fathers hearts been turned from their children to other things? Are men more interested in money than their offspring? Are men spending more time at the golf course than at home? Are daddy's absent from the lives of their wives and their children?

Promise Keepers as an organization accomplished many great things. One was an emphasis on loving our wives and children. Another has been the need to spend quality and a quantity of time with the kids.

But PK is not enough. Why is every church in the world not teaching and training their males about the call of Messiah? Jesus came to reconcile men with their families!

Take a look at the second part of this passage. Jesus is going to "reconcile the disobedient to the wisdom of righteousness." Wow! More on this promise later.

Win a Book or Two

I have written several books and done numerous workshops on topics that emphasize developing A lifetime of---GREAT RELATIONSHIPS
Now it is your turn to nominate some person or church or school that is developing great relationships with God, neighbors and self.
Steve Sjogren, for example, developed one of the most original and creative ways to evangelize unchurched folks and it is also a cool but simple way to build GREAT RELATIONSHIPS. Steve calls it, Servant Evangelism and it has taken hold all over the world. (See the blog link)

Who else is innovative and simple in the ways they are training folks to love and care for one another? I am teaching tomorrow night at the Vineyard on building great relationships as parents and grand parents.

The person who offers the best suggestion or makes the best nomination as judged by me, after all I am the king of this blog, will get to choose two of my books as prizes.

Core Values

It has become apparent to me that the Gorilla Glue of organizations can be boiled down to a common commitment to core values. The several ministries I have founded, and not a few still survive, have always focused on the importance of building A Lifetime of Great Relationships.

As long as my colleagues and I operated on those values things went along smoothly. When we violated any of the core values the Glue lost its Gorilla and things fell apart. It has been my very sad experience to see a few relationships become toxic and destructive and the organization dedicated to good relationships come apart like to kite made from tissues.

There are many reasons relationships fail. First, there must be a balance. Jesus said that the greatest commandment was "Love God with all our heart, soul and mind and secondly our neighbor like ourselves." If an organization worships and serves God but forgets to love the people at work things come to a sad end.

If a group loves the people who serve there but forgets to worship and love God it will be a clanging bell whose sound is off key. Finally, love and care of one's own soul is essential to a healthy ministry.

Sweeten Life Systems has a tag line to remind us of the importance of these things. It is: "A lifetime of great relationships" and by that we mean relating well with God, neighbor and self. I confess that building good relationships does not come naturally to me. It is something I must work on and practice.

I attended a workshop led by Dr. Rich Walters in 1974 that turned my life around. Dr. Walters I was convinced by that I could not be successful in helping my clients grow and change unless I learned and practiced good relational skills. From that time until now I have applied myself to learning, applying and teaching others the essentials of healthy interpersonal relationships.

I turned Seventy last Monday on May 5 and am more convinced than ever that when St. Paul told us to "Speak the truth in love" he was unleashing the secret power of leadership. Unfortunately, well over 90% of all Americans have never, ever had a class that taught the most basic skills of relating to other people.

There are untold billions of dollars spent annually and needlessly because of this lack in our churches and educational systems. It is the secret of successful marriages, successful parenting and successful businesses. Why are we so foolishly throwing our money away and causing so much misery in homes, schools, businesses and churches?

Conflict is inevitable!

Misery is optional!

Donations greatfully accepted

We have no sugar daddy

Retire? Not Me!

Garrison Keeler, despite being a Left Wing Nut, is a pretty good writer with terrific insights and wisdom. I get a pod cast of his "Prairie Home Companion" radio broadcast each week and I enjoy his funny, acerbic and homey sketches.

I also get a weekly newsletter from Garrison and his team of intrepid organizers. A Prairie Home Companion newsletter@americanpublicmedia.org Garrison had a neat article in today's newsletter about why retiring doesn't sound too good to him.

In my parents' home we sat down to our Cheerios and toast and ate it and conversed in small declarative sentence fragments and jumped up and out the door, and I still do, and that's why I don't intend to retire: What do you do after breakfast? Do you have to hang out for hours with other geezers and geezerettes and reminisce about the days when it was fun to fly from place to place — remember? When you walked through the airport and out the door onto the tarmac and up the stairs to the plane, just like Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca"? I don't care to.

What do retired people do after breakfast other than reminisce about old movies and watch more at Turner Classics? Actually retiring to do nothing but sit and whittle is passe anyhow. Our generations have far too many talents, gifts and wise experiences to stop living.

So, find something important to do and do it. Dry rot sets in if we sit and rot with no physical, mental or spiritual challenges. Our generations have changed the world and it is too much fun to stop now. (Why not write your life's story?)

Application of Our Faith

Some recent articles in the Journal of Philanthropy got me to thinking a lot about the need for Believers to plan their tithes and offerings carefully and yes, even, strategically. When we think about the history of our nation it is obvious that the strength of America has often been because of the direct influence of Seasoned Believers.

Ruminate for a bit over the following colleges. Harvard, Yale, Brown, Temple, etc. What comes to your mind? Was it the fact that each was founded to train an educated and committed citizenry? Did you remember that the goal was to preach the gospel, carry our missions to the people and prepare each American to read the Bible?

If these were not your thoughts, think again. Those were exactly the ideas of the men and women who founded the Ivy League Schools. And, each has left its core values behind and we can see the results in all aspects of our nation and its culture.

We need a strategy to educate, train and mobilize smart, tough, capable youth into vital places of leadership. We must carefully prepare people for work in government, the arts, education, business and industry. Take a look at the following article for insight on how others are using their experience and wisdom to take the USA in a different direction.

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The White House Project

Despite Sen. Hillary Clinton’s historic run for the presidency, women are greatly underrepresented in the U.S. political system – -a scenario the White House Project is attempting to change.

Marie Wilson, the group’s president, told a conference session about her group’s efforts to train women across the country to run for political office, calling it an example of nonpartisan political activity that is permitted under the tax code governing charities.

The United States ranks 71st in the world in the percentage of women serving in parliament (here, the House of Representatives). “It is not really a representative democracy,” said Ms. Wilson.

Ms. Wilson, who headed the Ms. Foundation for almost two decades before starting the White House Project in 1998, said many of the women who received grants from the foundation were creating innovative social programs that focused on HIV/AIDS, health care, small loans, and promoting a “living wage.”

“That’s the government in exile,” she thought, and wanted to find a way to give them more power. The White House Project, in New York, has trained 1,700 women over the past three years in the mechanics of running for office, touching on campaigning, communications, and fund raising, Ms. Wilson said.

But it has found the most effective way to persuade them to become candidates is to give them examples of other women who have made that leap — for example, by showing a documentary about Shirley Chisholm, a black congresswoman who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Many women are reluctant to step forward because they see so few other politicians who look like them, she said.

In that sense, she said, Senator Clinton has inspired more women to want to try politics, showing “you can get to the highest level.”

These folks are ingenious, committed and strategic. Are Believers doing as well?

How Do You See It?

Every week I get a podcast from Stanford University that focuses on educating students about "Social Innovation" and developing "Social Entrepreneurs". http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/exed/epse/

The pod casts are very exciting because they offer case studies of people who have decided to "Do good while doing well". In fact, Stanford seems to be ahead of Christian colleges and universities in the respect that they are tirelessly and ceaselessly pursuing charitable goals while operating on sound business principles. I rarely see Christians who are so intentionally and thoughtfully pursuing such a holistic vision. (Let me know if I am wrong!)

However, all is not well in this arena. Some are upset that business entrepreneurs are now getting into charity. Read the story below from "The Journal of Philanthropy". http://philanthropy.com/giveandtake/

The debate about so-called philanthrocapitalism has jumped the Atlantic.
In an opinion article in The Guardian newspaper, in London, Tristram Hunt, a history professor, writes that Google.org, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and other groups that mix philanthropy and business practices will not solve health inequities and global poverty.

Such donors have “little engagement with the kind of structural injustices — racial, economic, social — or broader environmental, demographic or strategic challenges that require political advocacy. Having made their riches from the existing free-market model, venture philanthropists see little need to confront its problematic aspects,” he writes.

In a letter to the editor, Kurt Hoffman, director of the Shell Foundation, disagrees because “Many of these new actors have been motivated precisely because governments and charities have failed for decades to deliver, particularly in the developing world, where the delivery of aid has an atrocious record. Do we want to continue with the status quo or apply some fresh, inherently efficient and potentially very effective thinking to find new solutions to old problems?” he asks.
What do you think?
— Ian Wilhelm

I think we need a lot of new and fresh models. Many of the new and the old models failed and are failing. However, that is one reason we desperately need business practices that experiment and then evaluate what works. I have a simple philosophy:

"If it works-Do more of it."

"If it does not work-Stop it."

"If it ain't broke-Don't fix it."

Boomers and Builders

It is estimated that over 100 million people over 45 are alive today in the USA. Here is Greater Cincinnati, there are about 860,000 of these folks and they are a low hanging fruit for any church that would like to have them among the parishioners.

Folks over 45 or 50 are thinking differently than we did at 15, 25 or 35. We have hit Mid-Life and either made it into a crazy experience of adolescence or the opposite and starting obsessing about getting old. These issues tend to get us thinking about eternity and meeting our Maker.

It is estimated that some 60 to 70% of this cohort is un-churched, de-churched or church alumni. Despite that fact, many would like to return to church and are waiting to be asked.

Here is the sad fact; nobody is asking them to go to church with them. They want to be invited and they want something that is spiritual and strong and good but no body is saying, "Why not visit with us at church this Sunday?"

People invite me to golf and to lunch but not to church. What's up with that?

A Documentary for Us

I saw a glimpse of an interesting movie the other night. It is a documentary of some older Americans who are singing Rock and Roll. I was amazed at their abilities and energy.

Here is the home page for Young at Heart. http://www.foxsearchlight.com/youngatheart/

Take a look.

Gary Sweeten
www.sweetenlife.com

WATCH Prayer--Talk to one another and to God

Be filled with the Spirit and speak to one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for every reason giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father."

Talking is the one aspect that most of us think about when we hear the word "prayer." However, in my experience, silence and listening are much more important than talking.

Singing, praising and readings are important parts of the Talking process. When we attend to others in the group we sometimes talk but not always. Watching and Spirit led discernment are more important than talking as we develop an understanding of others. However, talking can be an important part of a Dialogue Prayer Group. For example, by asking others what they are experiencing we gather information about what God is doing right then.

Dialogue prayer is two-way communication with God at the center of the group as a Counselor and Guide. When we think that the Lord is speaking to us about a situation, a plan or a person, the best thing to do is to stop and discuss what the group is thinking on that specific topic. For example, if I think that the Lord has a "word" for my friend Maury, I could ask him and the others if they are experiencing something similar. In this way we will get confirmation about God's guidance.We ought never move into a specific plan or program without the sense that the group confirms that they believe that it is God's will.

This is a continuation of the socialization process, which requires a group dialogue about their sense of the Lord's "Still small voice" at that particular time. This discussion or dialogue will keep members from "going off the deep end" with an idea or dream that is not from God. It also teaches younger Christians how to discern more accurately the Lord's voice. It provides a safe place for interpersonal discipline to take place. Talking during Dialogue Prayer is not rude or intrusive it we stay on the same topic.

Talk also involves teaching, sharing, scripture discussion or questions about a topic. We recently experienced a powerful time of God's voice when a member shared insights about the return of Christ. After a few minutes, others told of similar insights and words so the group focused on that as a particular theme. Later, I mentioned that a thought continued in my head and I wanted to know if others could confirm it. The thought was, "Don't look back" and I knew what it meant to me.

Immediately a group member said, "The hair is standing on the back of my neck. I got the Scripture Luke 17: 32 but I didn't know what to do with it. You read it Gary, I think it must be for you.

"I opened up the Bible and read "Do not be like Lot's wife." Well, the hair on my neck also stood on end! No biblical character is better known for looking back than Lot's wife. She is the most common metaphor for disobeying God and not trusting His deliverance when she turned around and longed for Gomorrah. She turned to salt as a result.

I took that as confirmation. Then, another member said, "I kept thinking, 'Where do you want to go today?' and I think that means to look ahead."

This is an example of Welcoming, Attending and Talking.

Stages of Growth

Do you believe that adults can be a widely varying places in their spiritual, mental and relational development? Or, do you think all adult Christians ought to receive the exact same spiritual food?

Hebrews 5:11 Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your hearing. 12 For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you need someone to teach you over again the first principles of God's Word. You need milk, not solid food. 13 For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness, for he is a mere infant!

•14 But solid food is for full-grown Believers for those whose senses and mental faculties have been trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

After reading these passages it is relevant to ask:"What did the author of hebrews think about adult development?"

A Friend and Mentor Meets Jesus

'A mighty warrior for Jesus'
BY REBECCA GOODMAN RGOODMAN@ENQUIRER.COM

MOUNT WASHINGTON - In 1994, the Rev. F. Murray Hastings quit the priesthood to form a new church because he felt the Episcopal denomination was no longer true to its calling. At the time, he was rector of the Church of the Advent in Walnut Hills. Most of the congregation followed him and became members of the nondenominational Fellowship of Jesus Christ. Rev. Hastings served as pastor until 2005.

"He was a mighty warrior for Jesus," said his wife, Alixe.

Rev. Hastings died Monday at Mercy Anderson Hospital of undetermined causes. The Mount Washington resident was 78.

"He always stood for truth, justice and equality for all," said his daughter Joyce Pasley, of College Hill. "He spoke out on many occasions in defense of these principles."

He was a local leader in the ecumenical movement, according to Gary Sweeten of Symmes Township. "He's been one of the most influential ministers in Cincinnati in the area of taking the church out of the four walls of the church and into people's lives," he said.

Back in the 1960s, Rev. Hastings invited African-American pastors and their congregations to the Church of the Advent, which was an upper-middle class, mostly white church.

"He was very much a change agent," Sweeten said. "Anything that went on in Cincinnati from the point of the ecumenical movement, Murray was on the forefront. From Billy Graham's work here to every large movement, he was on the steering committee. He was one of the wise people and networkers that brought people together."

Rev. Hastings was rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Bond Hill from 1955 until 1960, when he went to Church of the Advent.

After leaving the Episcopal ministry, he created a ministry at Fellowship of Jesus Christ that was a blend of evangelical preaching; charismatic prayer that included speaking in tongues; and social outreach for the mentally ill, hungry, homeless and pregnant teenagers. He championed holistic health, healing and pastoral care, Sweeten said.

"He made everyone around him feel important and loved," said his daughter.
His wife said, "He was a man before his time - a leader for racial reconciliation. He was resolutely firm in his faith."

The Boston native was a graduate of Phillips Academy and Trinity College. He was ordained at St. Matthew's Church in 1955 after receiving a master's of divinity from Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Mass.

He enjoyed sailing, golf and classical music.

Other survivors include daughters, Cinny Roy of Sycamore Township, Kit Campbell of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Jennifer Williamson of West Chester Township; and 10 grandchildren.

The funeral was 11 a.m. Friday at Norman Chapel at Spring Grove Cemetery.
Memorials: CityCure, 1947 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45219 or Eve Center, P.O. Box 36483, Cincinnati, OH 45236.--

>http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NEWS0104/804250411/1060&template=printpicart-->

Day of Prayer Coming

My dear friend Donna Thomas, who is using her "extra innings" of longevity and God's wisdom to write, teach and bless thousands, has a word from the Lord for us.

May is such a wonderful month. It is special that it starts with the National Day of Prayer. Hearing all this “stuff” on TV as to who should be our next president, I feel the urgency for all Christians to call on our Lord to help us get a leader that will be on his knees for guidance and wisdom.

The Proclamation written by Abraham Lincoln for the first National Day of Prayer in 1863 is as timely today as it was 145 years ago:

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.”
Lincoln, you see, knew of God’s promise to King Solomon in II Chronicles 7:14-16 that. “ … If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

What a blessing that the Lord gives us his promise if we will humble ourselves and pray. Then he gives us hope, expectancy, and the ability to look forward. I have my plans but my comfort is in knowing that the Lord has his plans for me as his child and they are better than mine.

Thanks Donna.

Healthy vs Unhealthy Lives

Most are living longer but in some regions of the country folks are dying sooner. This is an opportunity for ministry.

Study Highlights Regional Declines in Life Expectancy
Apr 22, 2008

A study published Monday in PLoS Medicine indicates that, although overall average life expectancy in the United States increased by more than seven years for men and six years for women between 1960 and 2000, the life expectancy for many underserved Americans has declined or remained static, the New York Times reports.

To analyze long-term mortality trends, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington reviewed mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau collected between 1959 and 2001. They found that 4 percent of males and 19 percent of females experienced a decline or stagnation in life expectancy beginning in the 1980s, with the most significant downward trends concentrated in Appalachia, the Southeast, Texas, the southern Midwest and along the Mississippi River.

Specifically, the disparity in life expectancy between men in counties with the longest life expectancies and men in counties with the shortest life expectancies grew from nine years in 1983 to 11 years in 1999. The disparity in life expectancy between women in counties with the highest and lowest life expectancies, meanwhile, increased from 6.7 years to 7.5 years across the same period.

Using disease-specific mortality data, researchers determined that the stagnation or drops in life expectancy stemmed largely from an increase in diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as a lack of improvement in cardiovascular mortality. Noting that those conditions are closely related to smoking, high blood pressure and obesity, all of which can be controlled "through both personal and population strategies," the study's lead author says that "there is good evidence on relatively low-cost and effective ways of dealing with these issues if one of the health system's imperatives becomes to close this widening life expectancy gap."

Acknowledging, meanwhile, that the "life expectancy decline is something that has traditionally been considered a sign that the health and social systems have failed," the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, who also co-authored the report, suggests that the findings "should be a sign that the U.S. health system needs serious rethinking."

(Bakalar, New York Times, 4/22/08 [registration required]; Harvard release, 4/21/08; Ezzati et al., PLoS Medicine, 4/22/08)

My comments: These diseases and early deaths are related to overeating, drinking, smoking and other lifestyle choices. They are not related to failure sin the delivery of health care.

Facing Death and Eternity with God

Steve Judah has been a good friend as well as a professional colleague for many years. Although he and I grew up across the Wabash River from each other, he in Indiana and I in Illinois, we met in Columbus, Ohio. I became involved with Steve Griebling, a Clinical Counselor at Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in Columbus, and that led to a long friendship with Dr. Judah.


Steve Judah is a Clinical Psychologist with a fine practice in Columbus. He has developed some of the most innovative and creative approaches to mental and emotional health in the World. Steve's commitment to Christ with integration of psychology and theology have been liberating and a witness to Christ. It matched perfectly with that which Steve Griebling and I were doing so we worked together to bring the love, truth and mercy of God to people in pain.


Dr. Judah came down with a terrible form of cancer last year and we have been praying for him, his wife Sharon and kids since we got the news. However, unless God does a radical miracle, Steve will not survive. He is in Hospice and is facing eternity with courage and faith. He recently wrote the following statement on his blog.

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Greeting beloved.


This is the most important message I've yet sent to you from my perspective. This morning I had a most surpassing spiritual experience. I want to place it into three parts: (1) the context, (2) the message, (3) and the experience.


(1) The context is that we just decided to pursue hospice care in order to have quality of life for the remainder of my life rather than further treatments or interventions since my diagnosis is terminal. I see this as an opportunity to celebrate the transition between earth and eternity. So with this backdrop I went to sleep at 12:30 am and awakened at 5:30 am with an incredibly crystal clear message.


The message follows: (2) Peace.Life Death. Live a Good Life. Do Good. Accept Salvation through Christ. Die. Live Eternally. Peace.


(3) Lastly let me convey the experience. I had the most overwhelming experience of PEACE that I have ever had in my life. So my wish for you is that you too find Peace as God calls unto you.


Steve, thanks so much for your testimony and thanks be to God for His marvellous grace. May the God of peace keep your heart and soul in His hands.

Gary Sweeten

WATCH PRAYERS

Over time I am writing a few posts on the concept and Process of Dialogue Prayers. In a previous post I covered W for Welcoming one another and the Lord. Now let us take a look at Attending one another and the Lord.

A-Attend to one another and Attend to the Lord: Paying attention to what is happening to each other is crucial in the Dialogue Prayer process. We focus on what each member is experiencing as we welcome God into our gathering. It is here that the group is built into a community. If one member begins to confess a sin the entire focus of the rest of the group will be on her or him until that facet of ministry is completed. Attending means that we minister fully in the same direction until the Lord nudges us to move in a different direction. Have we not all experienced times when the anxiety of a leader or member moved the focus before God was finished?

By attending to God's work in the group we are beginning to operate in a manner described in I Corn. 12, 13 and 14 when the church functions as the integrated "Body of Christ." If the focus is on individual, isolated and personal prayers this unity will never develop.

In Dialogue Prayer Group the Holy Spirit is at work making all the various "parts" of the "body" moves together in unity. The gifts of the Spirit are not primarily intended to be individual characteristics that a person can carry around to use at her will. One does not transport the "gift of teaching" in his back pocket or in her purse to pull out at random.

Rather these gifts are to operate within the context of the gathered community. I am not always an "ear" in the body but I am an "ear" whenever the body is moving together in the unity of the Spirit and I am led by the Lord to be an "ear." Thus, I may minister at one time with the gift of healing and at another time in the role of confessor.

Maurie may manage the group process one week and facilitate worship through spontaneous singing the next. By attending to the Lord's voice and to the people's voices I can more appropriately judge the exact nature of my call to function at this particular time.

The current emphasis on spiritual gifts is a wholesome addition to the days when Christians failed to recognize gifts other than a clergyman. However, our westernized version has members filling out "gifts tests" that supposedly inform us what God has done once and for all for all time in the same way we can identify whether we are good in mathematics. Additionally, check lists are purported to work for us whether or not we have ever been in a group that operated as an integrated community as described in I Corinthians 12. In fact, many of the churches that use these gift checklists do not even believe that all gifts are possible or permitted. It is similar to selecting someone to be on the baseball team because he checked that, as a child, he really like hitting things with sticks. A gifts-check list might show that he had the gift of batting even though he had never even been to a ball game let alone played in one.

This is what happens when leadership gifts are removed from the life of a real community. What kind of test will reveal that my daughter is ready to baby sit? What kind of checklist tells me that my son was gifted in music presentations? There is no test for relating to others and to God. The only way any of us decides when a child is mature enough to carry out a relational ministry or function is when we have observed them in action and have had an opportunity to disciple them.

And how do they discover those gifts? By reading a book or by watching, trying and being supervised?Attending requires that we focus our attention on what God is doing in the group with particular reference to what He is doing with and to the individuals and the group as a whole. The group has a life in addition to the individuals within the group. Most of the commands in scripture are to the gathered community and not to the individuals who "attend" church. In fact, attending church is not even a biblical notion. Rather, we are the church and when we gather in his name we are His family whose job is to listen to His directions. As a family we must learn how to carry out His instructions.

Attending requires us to take risks and ideas that we think the Lord is raising up for whole group. For example, I was once impressed to suggest that a group go on a "prayer walk and servant evangelism outreach". The group rejected my suggestion because they thought we were too immature. However, they encouraged me to share the thought more in the future.

This is the biblical model for discipleship. We call it "socialization learning" rather than "schoolization learning." Children learn to use chop sticks rather than spoons and by watching, talking, and many trials and errors. Some of my Chinese friends are extremely talented in the use of chopsticks while others do not have that particular gift.

Socialization learning demands that we change the way we think about church and ministry. It will require us to carefully attend to one another.

Boomer Tsunami Requires A Response

Here is an article in an online training magazine about the possible crisis that faces US organizations and businesses with the retirement of so many Boomers and Builders.

Preparing Your Workforce Today to Meet Tomorrow's Challenges
By Alisa Blum, MSW
Employees will be retiring in record rates in the next 10 years. The baby boomer generation compromises approximately 75 million people or 45% of the workforce. Many are in management positions and are preparing to retire.

The generation right behind the boomers are a much smaller group of about 45 million people Since many of the employees preparing to retire are in senior management positions, we are likely to see a dearth of employees ready to fill these positions. Added to this, a new generation has recently entered the workforce, with its own unique characteristics.

By looking at the needs of the different generations in the workplace, we can develop strategies to better prepare our workforce. The following are tips that can aid in this process:
1. Develop mentoring programs. Older workers tend to be motivated by having opportunities to pass on their knowledge. Younger workers benefit from the career development opportunities they gain as mentees and learn critical skills needed to prepare for advancement.
2. Create flexible work schedules. Many older workers either don't want to retire full time or cannot afford to retire full time. Organizations can reap the benefits of their experience by creating part-time, on-call or consultant opportunities. Younger employees that are balancing work and family needs will be more likely to want to work for your organization if they have the option to work from home or work part-time.
3. Use a strengths-based approach to promotions. Develop a career ladder where employees can be promoted on the basis of their strengths. Younger employees often want to be promoted but tend to reject the traditional career ladder. For example, a superb technician may not have the inclination to be a manager, but would make an excellent “technical advisor”.
4. Focus on your high potential employees. Pay attention to your high performers. Let them know how much they mean to your organization. Determine the qualities typically seen in your high performers, find out why they like to work for you and use this information to develop strategies for recruitment and retention.
5. Provide opportunities for ongoing education. Our technological advancements mean that employee's skills need to continually be updated. Additionally, employees are often more inclined to work for you if they have opportunities for higher education. Organizations that provide in-house educational opportunities or tuition reimbursement programs will be more likely to attract and retain their employees. Younger employees, in particular, are frequently motivated by opportunities for continued learning.
6. Encourage managers to regularly have career development discussions with their employees. Research on employee retention shows that employees are more likely to stay at if they have opportunities for career development. Managers should have periodic discussions about where the employee wants to grow in their career and how the employee's needs fit with the organization's needs.
7. Design a program to preserve the knowledge of your key employees. Evaluate the processes that are in place or need to be in place in order to preserve and pass on essential knowledge. Determine how you will preserve and pass on essential processes, procedures and practices.

In order to avoid the myriad of problems associated with the impending losses that will occur as we lose a large percentage of our experienced workforce, it will be essential for organizations to take action without delay. By working now to create new ways of working with your employees, you can prepare your workforce today to meet tomorrow's challenges.
© 2008, Alisa Blum & Associates
Alisa Blum is President of Alisa Blum & Associates, a training and consulting company specializing in helping organizations develop a motivated & productive workforce. Training programs are offered both live and via webinar. More information can be found at http://www.retentionsolutions.org/. Alisa can be reached at (503) 524-3470 or alisa@retentionsolutions.org.

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Now, instead of thinking just of your company, consider the implications of these demographics on your church. What age group has provided the bulk of volunteers, donors and leadership for you? Where will they go after retirement? Where will they give after retirement? Who will teach Sunday school and be on the trustees?

Are you prepared for a mass exodus?
Sweeten Life Systems has a ministry of consultation to faith based groups. Let us know how we can assist you.

What Do Seasoned Believers Want?

After our Seasoned Believer Gathering last October we sent out a survey asking attendees what kinds of things would help them as Christians. The following answers are not scientific but they do give us a snapshot of the felt needs of our people.

Zoomerang Survey
1. 26% We are "at the wall and looking for new ways to grow in Christ."
2. 41% "I want to help others who are at the wall."
3. 33% "I have moved beyond the wall and am looking for a new personal ministry."
Topics of key interest - % reporting 'Very Interested + Extremely Interested'
1. 95% - Learning to hear God
2. 90% - Christian coaching and mentoring
3. 90% - Learning to rest in God's love and grace
4. 70% - Learning to 'just be' in Christ, and not always 'doing' for Christ
5. 70% - Learning new ways to be a better influence
6. 68% - Breaking free from your 'leashes'
7. 63% - Health and Wellness
8. 60% - Christian leadership
9. 58% - Improving my own and others marriages and family life
10. 55% - Developing better relationships with my family
11. 53% - Helping my church become healthy and grow
12. 50% - How do I connect with other folks in a common purpose and ministry
13. 50% - Discovering where I am in my spiritual, emotional, and relational growth
14. 45% - Preventing burnout
15. 43% - Getting my financial house in order
16. 40% - Negotiation skills
17. 37% - Christian collaboration skills
18. 25% - Finding a place of worship
19. 20% - Hospitality and hosting
20. 10% - Developing a ministry in my workplace

As you can see, a very high percentage of the respondents want to learn better how to "Grow in Christ". This is a great opportunity for Christian leaders. The three top issues are 1. Learning to hear God's voice; 2. How to be a Christian Coach; and 3. Learning to rest in Christ's love.

In March we acted upon this information and had a half day workshop on "Hearing God in Prayer". About fifty people came and we will repeat it this year.

I have been considering the need to do some Coach Training. Let me know if you are interested.

Demographics are the Future

Our ministry focuses a great deal of our time and energy on the mature or Seasoned members of our society. Despite the fact that businesses, futurists and government planners are working hard to prepare themselves for the incredible rise in older Americans, Christians are still obsessed with youth. Maybe the following thoughts from a futurist will shock us into action.

The Demographic Hour Glass

The demographic concentration of boomers at the top of the population pyramid, backed by their vast reservoirs of disposable income, represents the next American gold rush. Ten years from now, the cover of this magazine (Fast Company) will be graced with the smiling faces of the entrepreneurs and corporate leaders who unlocked the elder boomers' hearts and minds---.

It's hard to overstate the weight of the numbers: Boomers now represent a U.S. market of some 36 million, or about 12% of the population, and as they move up the pyramid, the number of seniors is going to rise dramatically. By 2011, the 65-and-over population will be growing faster than the population as a whole in each of the 50 states. The Boomer Binge will have begun.

Opportunities

Businesses aren't confused about the opportunity that growth represents: Consumer electronics firms such as Vodafone are investing in mobile phones with designs tweaked to the requirements of older customers; IBM has developed a computer mouse that compensates for the tremors that sometimes affect seniors' hands; and Gap Inc. recently unveiled Forth & Towne, a new clothing line for women who fall into the vast retail void between the navel-pierced teen and the librarian in a twin set.

And those examples are just a foretaste. The real breakthroughs are going to come from companies helping boomers to hold on to their youth---. Boomers have never met a life stage they didn't want to remake in their own image, and their golden years will be no exception. (Fast Company; Futurist Andrew Zolli is the founder of Z + Partners, a strategy consulting firm, and curator of the annual PopTech conference.)

American Christians are not stupid so why are they refusing to plan for the future? Why are they acting against their best interests and the best interest of the church and the Kingdom of God?

I prefer to think it is a lack of awareness. That is one reason we are attempting to educate them the data and alert them to the implications and opportunities that lie ahead.

The churches can easily make the changes necessary to bring Seasoned Citizens back into the church. In fact, that group of people have been in positions of leadership for decades so they can lead themselves on their own. These people have been innovators and entrepreneurs leading the economic surge for a long time.

Why are Christians so slow to adapt?

Write me your comments on this topic.

Answered Prayers

Not long after Dallas Seminary was founded in 1942, bankruptcy knocked at its doors. By noon on one particular day, every creditor threatened foreclosure. That morning, the founders of the Seminary met to pray in president Lewis Sperry Chafer's office. They asked God to provide the needed funds.

Harry Ironside was part of that prayer meeting. When it was his turn to pray, he prayed in his characteristically pointed manner: "Lord, we know that the cattle on a thousand hills are thine. Please sell some of them and send us the money."

Meanwhile, as these men were praying, into the seminary's business office came a tall Texan. Addressing a secretary, he said, "I just sold two carloads of cattle in Fort Worth. I've been trying to make a business deal go through and it won't work, and I feel that God is compelling me to give this money to the seminary. I don't know if you need it or not, but here's the check."

Well aware of the seriousness of the seminary's financial situation, and knowing that it was for that purpose the founders were gathered in prayer, the secretary took the check to the door of the president's office and timidly knocked. When she finally got a response, Chafer took the check out of her hand and stared at it with amazement. The amount matched the exact size of the seminary's debt. Looking at the signature on the check, he recognized the name of the cattle
rancher.

Turning to Harry Ironside, he said, "Harry, God sold the cattle!"

Source: Howard Hendricks in Stories for the Heart

compiled by Alice Gray