RadioLabs, Quantum Leap and Christanity

Recently RadioLabs had this story of two improv comics who ​start off with no script and literally create a fifty minute one act play as they go along. It is amazing, and I wish I could see this happen in real time.

In the interview the comics were asked what happens to them if a story does not materialize? I mean what if they are off one night and they are not able to come up with a story on the spot for a paying crowd? How do you avoid being without a story? 

The response was beautiful and I leave it to you to listen to the actual quote but the essence is this - We don't make the story we only step into a story that is already in progress. We live the story for just a bit then, when our time is up, we let the story continue without us. The characters live on after we see them, the story goes on after our time.​

I could not articulate a better theology.​

​If you are not going to listen to the RadioLabs show, then just think about the show, "Quantum Leap". A show that I only vaguely remember. 

A show about a guy who has the ability/gift/curse/task of being beamed into some situation. He literally takes on the body of another person for a time in order to affect a situation. This really dates before me, but I hope I am right in that summary. ​

You and I only embody this world (aka - God's Story) for a period of time. We are not responsible for creating the story, just responsible to step into the story that is already in progress. We embody the Story for a while then, when we die, the Story lives on.

The improv comics were liberated by the idea that they are not responsible to create a story, but just to find one already in progress. Their liberation allows them to have the freedom and creativity to do the show for fifty minutes even without knowing each step. ​

Contrary to popular thought, Christianity teaches that you and I are not the protagonist of our lives. We are not the creator of stories. We are the stewards of the Story of God. We do not own our individual stories. Everyone's story belongs to God. 

We get the opportunity to live it for a bit of time. ​

Why most money talk makes the throw up

There is a lot of talk these days among the UMC circles that I move in and out of about the decline of money and membership among the UMC. I find myself in conversations with other clergy (old and young) and we swap stories about how to better raise money.

We share personal stories as well as little "tips" and "tricks" we have learned along the way. We attend training sessions to hear from experts on how we can raise more money for our ministry. We read books that articulate the best practices of asking people for money.​

We pull from the world of business in some ways, but lately business models are beginning to meet some resistance. So we pull from other philanthropic organizations to hear how they do what they do. 

In all the conversation and commotion, I fear we in the UMC are loosing sight of something critical. And more money talk in the Church makes me throw up.

The Church is not a fundraising organization. We are not seeking to "break into the giving market". We are not in competition with other non-profits or great causes. There is not a scarcity of resources in our pews that we have to scrap and fight for every penny. (These are symptoms of a theology of scarcity, which is in direct contradiction to the theology of enough.)

We are not called to get more money or find more people to give. 

We are called to cultivate generosity in the world.  ​

​I don't care about deploying the latest tricks to get people to give money. I am not interested in learning best practices on getting people to open their wallets. I am not interested in more money.

I am interested in cultivating generous hearts. Overflowing spirits. Abundant love. Faith in knowing there is enough to do what God is calling us to do.  ​

It is easy to get people to give money - read and hear from the experts. But just because we can get people to give money does not mean we have generous people. With all the knowledge and technology around us these days, it is easy to get people to give. It is far more difficult to foster the spiritual disciplines of generosity - hospitality, openness, flexibility, simplicity, etc.

So to all my UMC friends and leaders, I want to ask you: "How do you cultivate generosity?"

Art + Philosphy = A great belated birthday gift*

Back in October (2012) I had this little post which was inspired by an artists who takes complex philosophical theories and displays them in basic shapes. My post was a lame attempt to spark the inner artist in all of us. 

Needless to say, it was not a well thought out experiment. 

Anyway, the artist has a new book coming out and has crushed his fundraising goals. He has taken 95 ideas and put them into shapes. ​

Yes, it is very awesome. ​

*I was going to suggest that if anyone wanted to give me a belated birthday gift that this would be a good one, however I cannot say that anymore. I wrote this post on April 29th and scheduled it to post on May 1st. My wife, unaware of this post all together, woke me up on my birthday (April 30th) with a gift. Needless to say, it looks like I will be getting this book. More importantly, I am scared of my wife's clairvoyance powers.