LIFT :: Leadership Institute for Transformation

It's easy to get caught up doing good stuff... All the while not realize the atrophy that's beginning to take place deep within one's soul.

Moreover, it can be challenging to find venues conducive for helping us to facilitate on-going learning and spiritual formation. The LIFT courses are a great way to be challenged as a leader, interact with others on the same journey and engage spiritual practices for a healthy soul and sustainable rhythms of life and ministry.

Learning How to Read

Scripture never ceases to amaze me. I love how the Spirit of God can take a well worn passage and familiar story and bring it to life again - as if for the first time. This is the power of Scripture. Yet, there is a danger in coming to well worn and familiar portions of text. There is a tendency to come to the text as the teacher, rather than the student. If we are not careful, we can impose on the text what we already know (or think we know). In doing so, what we know may become the very stumbling block that keeps us from learning something we don't know (at least experientially). Therefore, we must approach the text as a student, as one who listens more than speaks.

The Nativity Story is one of these such passages - one filled with insight, power and relevance that can burst into our very present circumstances, but we mustn't assume we know what's going to happen. The more "familiar" a text has become to us cognitively, the more cautious and slowly we should approach it. Perhaps, as one would approach a dove - slowly, softly, gently, quietly - so as not to startle it and miss the close encounter that is at hand. I intentionally and prayerfully try to engage the text of Scripture in such manner, especially with passages that have become well learned (or at least well-heard) like the nativity passages.

On that note, I'm pretty excited about the new series we began last night called Nativity Reflections.

The Greatest Compliment

Who doesn't like a good compliment? 

 We all like a little affirmation here and there, it doesn't matter who you are. Unfortunately, it's easy to fall into the trap of living for the compliment or into the head-spin of asking yourself, what was wrong when you don't get your quota. But let's not kid ourselves, compliments, can at times be like Christmas presents to distant family members, it's just something we do.

There are, however, compliments that push beyond the veneer of superficiality and obligated courtesy. Recently, I recieved such a compliment. Two days after last week's teaching, Drawing a Prayer to God, I was visiting my sons school and was approached by a fourth-grade teacher. She begin to communicate:

I'm always looking for ways to engage my students in new and creative ways. Constantly, I'm asking God for ways to help my students engage God in real and authentic ways. Yesterday, I retaught your whole teaching on prayer from Wednesday night. Then I handed out paper and markers and instructed them to begin drawing a prayer to God. I was amazed at what transpired. Students were fully engaged in what they were doing. Some were actually weeping as they drew. Others, that I've not seen engage outwardly in prayer or worship, became some of the most focused in the room...

This is one of the greatest compliments, I think, that a communicator/teacher/preacher can receive. "I listened, was influenced, practiced myself, then went and taught another and actually lead them to engage it as well..."

Pass on what you heard from me--
the whole congregation saying Amen!-
to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others.

2 Timothy 2:2 MSG

The Power of a Storytelling

Stories have enormous power, unfortunately the very essence of that power is often crippled in the telling. True storytellers simply know how to communicate old stories in new ways. And, even when they use the same plot as before, it always seems to take on new life. This life flows not from some new fabrication of the events at hand, rather the outworking of a life that's actually been there. The aliveness comes from the life the story has within them, it just simply can't be contained.

Martin Buber once commented about the power of stories:

"A story must be told in such a way that it constitutes help in itself.

My grandfather was lame. Once they asked him to tell a story about his teacher. And he related how his teacher used to hop and dance while he prayed. My grandfather rose as he spoke, and he was so swept away by his story that he began to hop and dance to show how the master had done. From that hour he was cured of his lameness.

That's how to tell a story."

I'm fascinated not only how our very lives have been shaped by stories, but how powerful stories become in the authentic creative telling. Creativity is often simply pausing long enough to allow new ways to emerge for telling an old story. It is the very pause of contemplation that becomes the path that simply takes one deeper into the story itself.

The following is a short video by Storyteller Jay O'Callahan talking and demonstrating the power of stories.

The Learning Revolution

A while back, I referenced one of my favorite talks by Sir Ken Robinson. In this talk, he explores the idea of - Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Recently, Robinson gave another talk Bring on the Learning Revolution. Here, he makes several interesting comments that have great relevance on education, creativity and personal pursuit of passion(s). Several of his later remarks would make great conversation pieces as it relates to the Church. Rather than extract various thoughts and quotes, I've simply posted the 18:00 presentation.

The Role of a Teacher

"We are not asked to teach a discipline like mathematics, physics, history or languages, but we are called to make our own faith available to others as the source of learning. To be a teacher means indeed to lay down your life for your friends, to become a 'martyr' in the original sense of witness. To be a teacher means to offer your own faith experience, your loneliness and intimacy, your doubts and hopes, your failures and successes to your students as a context in which they can struggle with their own quest for meaning. To be a teacher means to have the same boldness as Paul, who said to the Corinthians: 'Take me as a model as I take Christ' (1 Cor. 11:1). To be a teacher means to say as those who want to learn what Jesus said to his disciples: 'Come and see' (John 1:39)" - Henri J.M. Nouwen (cited in Wounded Prophet by Michael Ford, 106-107)

The True Quest of Reading

Reading is a lost art in our contemporary education. Most students relate to reading as a method to collect information that they can use at some later time. It often has the quality of arming oneself for the battle that is coming.

Books—the Bible included—then become the sought-after resources to actively participate in the competition and rivalry of the world. I continue to be surprised how often books are read with a conquering mind-set.

Usually there are time pressures, exam pressures, grade pressures, and peer pressures, and words written to peacefully dwell with are quickly received, summarized, remembered, and reproduced without ever having reached the human heart

(From ―Theology as Doxology,‖ in Caring for the Commonweal, edited by Palmer, Wheeler & Fowler [Mercer University Press, 1990)] 105-106).

New Series :: Faith & Doubt

Faith & Doubt :: Intro from Jerrell Jobe on Vimeo.

Statistics are not Boring, Neither Should We...

We've all sat through our share of boring lectures, classes, even sermons.

Frequently I'm amazed at how subjects that are multi-layered and awe inspiring like the Story of Scripture, the wonder of creation or the dynamics of human history can be flattened down to a mere linear-monotone-humdrum captivity, resulting in what feels like a fatal death by bullet-point.

Let's face it, communicating to a group of people, regardless of the size can be a challenging undertaking. Further, there are certain subjects that seem to not leave much room for creative interpretation or innovative and engaging communication.

Statistics could be one of those subjects.

After all, how much can one do with numbers and graphs to captivate an audience? Hans Rosling is one of those aforementioned persons who deals with copious amounts of data. He is a professor of International Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Rosling is however, an example of someone who can take a subject as seemingly mundane and sleep inducing as statistics and communicate it in a way that is humorous, informative, entertaining, no to mention inspiring.

Recently, Hans gave a talk at TEDIndia in which he vividly demonstrates that statistics are not boring. He brilliantly presents more than numbers, data and statistical predictions. He conveys the story that is actually behind the statistics and the names behind the numbers.

His video is one worth watching. (link)

Hans' video causes me to imaginatively wonder what other subjects have we marginalized to boring, irrelevant, or simply unappealing? Subjects and topics, that if only communicated in the form of a story could come to live with penetrating power?

Creative Inducing Stocking Stuffers

Looking for a stocking stuffer or gift for family members or co-workers?

Perhaps, you should consider a set of juggling balls.

Juggling actually increases learning and can serve to develop new neurosigntures and grooves in the brain. Juggling can actually enhance creativity.

Research has shown that working with one's hands while thinking, increases brain activity and generates greater creative flow.

Juggling is a fun clinical approach to improving one's mental, emotional and of course physical well-being. It is form of activity that works to balance both hemispheres of the brain (right brain & left brain) to improve motor-skill functions, reading, writing, creativity and ability to focus on tasks. It can help reduce and prevent the development of Anxiety, Alzheimer's and depression.

While you're at it, grab a classical CD. According to numerous studies have shown that classical music has a quantitative effect on us intellectually and emotionally. It's referred to as the "Mozart Effect."

It even works with cows.

Psychologists at the University of Leicester, UK, played music of different tempos to herds of Friesian cattle. Dairy cows produce more milk when listening to relaxing music, say researchers. They believe farmers could get an extra pint from their charges by playing classical music or smoochy numbers in the cowshed.

So, if your stumped for economical, actually useful gifts ideas. Grab a set of juggling balls and a Mozart CD and make someone in your life a little brighter, smarter, neurologically healthy, not to mention creative.

If you're cheap... The dollar store typically has classical CD's, as well as medium size bouncy balls. Do a little creative wrap-job and presto...

Juggling Enhances Brain Power

A study shows learning how to juggle can actually change the structure of the brain in adults and increase areas involved in thought and processing.

Researchers say the findings challenge the notion that the structure of the adult brain does not change except for negative changes caused by aging or disease. Instead, the study suggests that learning produces not only functional but structural changes in the brain.

Juggling Actually Boosts Brain Power

In order to see if the structure of the adult brain changes in response to demands, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to look at the brains of adults who have learned to juggle.

In the study, published in the Jan. 22 issue of Nature, researchers divided a group of young adults who had no experience in juggling into two groups. One group was given three months to learn how to juggle three balls simultaneously, and the others remained non-jugglers.

MRI scans were performed at the start of the study, after the jugglers became skilled performers and could juggle for at least 60 seconds, and three months later. During that three-month period, the jugglers did not practice or attempt to extend their skills.

Although the participants had similar brain scans at the start of the study, the second scan revealed that the jugglers experienced significant expansion in the area of the brain associated with the processing and storage of complex visual motion.

The amount of expansion also correlated with the juggler's performance. The more skilled they became, the greater growth they experienced.

The increased areas seen on brain scans among the jugglers declined by the third brain scan. The non-jugglers showed no change in brain structure during the study.

Researchers say the temporary brain structure changes occurred in motion-selective areas of the brain, and the mechanism behind these changes is unclear and merits further study.

[SOURCE: Draganski, B. Nature, Jan. 22, 2004; vol 427: pp 311-312.]

How's Your Neurosignature?

Our brain is a small amount of mass weighing about 3 lbs. It's a collection of 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons. Yet, it is estimated that the brain can store more facts, impressions and information than are contained in the entire nine million volumes of the Library of Congress.

Mark Twain wrote, "What a wee little part of a person’s life are his acts and his words! His real life is led in his head, and is known to none but himself. All day long, the mill of his brain is grinding, and his thoughts, not those other things, are his history."Jonathan Edwards put it this way:

“The ideas and images in men’s minds are the invisible powers that constantly govern them.”

Scientists, who study the brain tell us that when a thought is triggered, synapses fire and send the message of that thought to another part of the brain that influences emotions, responses, attitudes etc.

Any pattern of thought or action repeated many times results in a habit with a corresponding neurosignature, or brain groove. If a similar synapses fire happens consistently over a period of time, actual, visible grooves literally form on the surface of the brain. A brain groove is a series of interconnected neurons that carry the thought patterns of a particular habit.

After these grooves are formed, one’s thoughts begin to automatically flow in a certain pattern – they follow the groove. Before long, no matter what the situation. No matter how hopeful and optimistic the outcome may look. Our thoughts will still flow down the groove of lest resistance, much like water in an arid desert.

The question then becomes, what does our individual "neurosignature" look like?

Psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihaly has done years of research in which thousands of subjects are given pagers that go off at random intervals. People have to write down what they are doing and thinking and feeling when that happens. One of the most striking findings of these studies involves the effect of solitude.

When people are alone, undistracted by noise or activity, their minds naturally drift toward an awareness of discontentment, a sense of inadequacy, anxiety about the future, and a chronic sense of self-preoccupation.

Csikszentmihalyi writes,

Contrary to what we tend to assume, the normal state of the mind is chaos… When we are left alone, with no demands on attention, the basic disorder of the mind reveals itself. With nothing t do, it begins to follow random patterns, usually stopping to consider something painful or disturbing… entropy is the normal state of consciousness.

To avoid this condition, people are naturally eager to fill their minds with whatever information is readily available, as long as it distracts attention from turning inward and dwelling on negative feelings. This explains why such a huge proportion of time is invested in watching television, despite the fact that it is very rarely enjoyed.

The good news is that we can actually restructure our own neurosignatures.

"The mind controlled by the sinful nature is death,

but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."
(Romans 8:6)


"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
(Philippians 4:8)

Forming New Grooves

Our minds are fascinating and complex.

The average human process over 10,000 thoughts a day. Interestingly it's said that, “as much as 77% of everything we think is negative and counterproductive and works against us,” writes Dr. Shad Helmstetter, in his book, What to Say When You Talk to Yourself.

This week, as we continue tracking through the Book of Philippians, we explore what the Bible says about our thought-life, the power of meditating on Scripture and its correlation to our growing to become more like Christ.

Forming New Grooves from Jerrell Jobe on Vimeo.

Influencing Others When We Least Expect It

For the next week, it's just me and Micah home at the ranch. Charissa and the girls ventured north early yesterday monring. It's amazing how excited Micah is to simply spend the next nine days with just me. I'm looking forward as well to being with him and hopefully experiencing some long-lasting memories.

All this got me to reflecting on the impact we have on our children and other's in general. What's daunting is that often the greatest influence we have on others happens when we're unaware its happening - when we least expect it.

The following videos vividly portray this reality.

The Responsibility of Teachers and Learners

As a communicator/teacher of Scripture, part of the responsibility is help people see Scripture, perhaps in a new light, with the prayer that God will not only show them something new, but continue to work within, "carrying on" that which He's "begun (a reference to Philippians 1:6).

Scripture seems to illustrate this happens in a variety of ways. Jesus often told stories with little or no explanation, while the Pauline epistles often include very little, if no stories at all.

Often communicators can become trapped in a particular style of communicating. Part of this may be entrenched in training, education or personality, but as communicators our communication aptitude must extent beyond our own personal tendencies.

Intentional communication takes into consideration there are multiple people with a variety of learning preferences. Our prayerful aspiration is to make a meaningful, memorable and transformative learning encounter.

Teachers should also be perpetual learners and students. Being a student/learner isn't merely a passive endeavor. Learning requires not only humility, but intentionality as well.

Jesus expected people to wrestle back through the story, like one would turn a gem, seeking to extract as much application and insight as possible. On the other hand, Paul would often weave key words and themes throughout his letters, while addressing needs at hand, thus rendering a more focused destination to ponder.

For both, learning and discovery happened as the audience would listen, reflect and pray. And, the same it true today. Optimal communication transpires as teachers are responsible to engage the audience and the audience is intentional about engaging the message.

However, regardless of the setting, ultimately, whether we are in the role of the teacher or the posture of the learner, we are responsible.

Understanding Dreams: Recognizing God's Voice in the Night

Last night, we finished up a 3-week learning experiment, The Art of Hearing God & Speaking to Others. Some of the stories that began to emerge were inspiring. God is present and active within our daily circumstances, unfortunately, often we are simply unaware.

There is another place God is present that we are often unaware... Our sleep.

The average person dreams multiple times each night. Is there more to a dream than too much pizza or the stress of one’s day? Throughout Scripture God uses dreams often to speak to His people. Chances are He’s speaking to you through dreams as well.

Join us for a two-week study in understanding dreams, what the mean and how God speaks to us through them.

Understanding Dreams: Recognizing God's Voice in the Night
Dates: March 25 & April 1
Time: 7:00-8:30
Place: Southgate Church

Living on One-Buttock

Ealier this week, I did a post around Malcolm Gladwell’s insights from his recently released book Outliners. Part of his thesis explores the various ways in which our culture squanders talent and human potential. Benjamin Zander is another individual who has much to say about human potential. He has dedicated his life to “pulling out” and developing aspiring musicians to excel beyond the status quo. Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. He has some inspiring and provoking thoughts on our view of the world, possibility, leadership and personal transformation.

Zander contends that many people in the world approach life from one of two vantage points. One group sees the world as a place of “the downward spiral”. Regardless of the situation, they are predisposed to see what’s wrong. The other, look at the exact same circumstances, yet conclude that this is a situation of “radiating possibility”.


He shares the following story in regards to our view of situations.

There once were “two salesmen who went to Africa in the 1900s: they were sent down to see if there was any opportunity for selling shoes and they wrote telegrams back to Manchester. And one of them wrote: ‘Situation hopeless. Stop. They don’t wear shoes.’ And the other one wrote: ‘Glorious opportunity, they don’t have any shoes yet.’”

Recently, Zander gave a presentation at the Pop! Tech 2008 conference. It is a brilliant presentation! It is one of the most passionate, authentic and inspiring presentations I can remember seeing in some time. He models what it means to give way to your passions and do what he calls “playing on buttock.”

It is not enough to know a piece of music intellectually. It is not even enough to play it without any mistakes, which is all most ever aspire to. Zander says that beyond the notes of the page, you have to convey the true language of the music emotionally. Something happens, Zander observes, when a musician goes beyond the notes and the score on the page and begin to play the music from the heart with emotion. Such playing deeply moves the audience. When the music flows through a musician like this, it begins to take over their very bodies, they sway, they move side to side and back and forth, there’s a rhythm and a groove. As they play, their bodies lean, even to the point of being on “one buttock.” They become “one-buttock players.”

In doing so, one allows the music flow through their bodies, causing them to lean and to move from one buttock to the other. If you’re a musician, or making a performance of virtually any kind, and you are totally in the moment and connecting with the language of the music and the audience, there is no way you can be a “two-buttock player.” You’ve got to move, you’ve got to connect, and you must not hold back your passion but instead let the audience have a taste of the commitment, energy, and passion you have for the music. To play on “one-buttock” means we allow ourselves to give way to God-given passion(s). This doesn’t only apply to musicians. It applies to all of us.

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy,
a quickening that is translated through you into action,
and because there is only one of you in all of time,
this expression is unique.
And if you block it, it will never exist through
any other medium and it will be lost.
The world will not have it.
It is not your business to determine how good it is
nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly,
to keep the channel open.”

~Martha Graham quoted in
The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander

Each of us has a choice. We can give way to passion and live on “one-buttock” or we can hold back, aim not to make an error and play life on “two-buttocks.” One life is lived in mono black and white, while the other resounds in full colors and stereo surround sound. One is safe, the other is risky. One is dead and decaying, the other is alive and vivrant.

As Ben Zander said to one of his talented students while encouraging them to play it in the “one-buttock” style:

“If you play that way,
they won’t be able to resist you.
You will be a compelling force
behind which everyone
will be inspired to play their best.”

~Ben Zander

Below is Zander’s phenomenal presentation at Pop!Teck 2008 given back in October.

Outliners: The Story of Success

Have you ever wondered why some people succeed and others don't? What causes a person to become truly extraordinary? What role does environments play into this? What role does one's own choices affect this?

Just before Thanksgiving, Malcolm Gladwell's new book Outliners: The Story of Success hit the bookstores. The aim of the book revolves around the question, "what separates extraordinary and average people?" Gladwell explores various ways in which we're squandering human potential everywhere from the football field to the classroom - and what we can do to change it.

The following is a presentation given by Gladwell at the Pop!Tech 2008 conference this past October. In it he introduces the ideas found in Outliners.

What are your reflections to Gladwell's presentation?

I wonder how this could influence our understanding of spiritual formation and how environments could be designed to intentionally see people fulfill their God-given purpose for their lives.

unLearning...

"Half of learning is learning," writes Mark Batterson, in his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. "The other half of learning is unlearning. Unfortunately, unlearning is twice as hard as learning. It’s like missing your exit on the freeway. You have to drive to the next exit and then double back. Every mile you go in the wrong direction is really a two-mile error. Unlearning is twice as hard, and it often takes twice as long. It is harder to get old thoughts out of your mind than it is to get new thoughts into your mind.

If you study the teachings of Christ, you’ll realize that learning wasn’t his primary goal. His primary goal was unlearning. He was reverse engineering religious minds. And those can be the toughest minds to change. That is why two phrases are repeated over and over again in the Sermon on the Mount. “You have heard that it was said…”, “But I tell you…”

This seems to be especially true in the most significant arenas of life: family, relationships, our spirituality and most certainly church.

What are the things God is currently trying to help you "unlearn"...?

Obama and McCain Miss Oppurtunity for Grand-Slam...

By in large, last night's presidential debate was a series of pointing fingers and telling America what the "other-guy" really stands for and plans on doing if elected.

Of course, in between the pointing of the finger and the "you gotta be kidding me" courtesy smiles, there was quite a bit of "When I'm elected I promise to -fill in the blank-..."

For the most part, the questions were all about the economy crisis and war overseas. I suppose we can thank Tom B. for the questions selections...

Personally, it wasn't all that exciting, nor insightful, at least until the last question.

The very last question of the night, in my opinion, was a blank canvas for either of these men to really put something on the table that could set them apart, show them distinct and come real close to at least persuading this voter in their direction.

The question was something to the tune of, "What do you not know, and how do you plan to learn about that...?"

Obama, took this as a springboard for one last jab at President Bush's decision to go to war, along with Senator McCain's backing and then took us down memory lane in an attempt to communicate, "I know what it's like to be poor, etc etc etc..."

McCain, returned the favor, gave a verbal jab and also preceded to take us down memory lane of what it was like to be without a dad around, thus he too could relate to the average bear.

What both of the presidential canidates failed to do was simply answer the question.

"What don't you know....?"
And,
"How do you plan to learn...?"

Perhaps the easiest question of the evening, yet also the hardest.

On the one hand, you have to in humility admit, "I don't know what I don't know..." Which none of us do, at least alone...

But, what was most disappointing for me was, neither of them could (or choose) to tell us how they "learn." How will they as president make well informed decisions? How they plan to bring people to the table with skills that they themselves do not possess. How they as a leader are constantly challenging themselves, what they know and the conclusions they've arrived at to this point. That they know how to resource information and people to discover what they don't know and how it's affecting what they do know...

I simply wish, the would have convinced me they were a life long learner.

This in and of itself would have outweighed all the arm-wrestling, finger-pointing, circle-talking, promising-giving, know-all-the-answers-but-not-saying-anything talking that went on during most of the debate exchange. This, I think was an optimal opportunity for either Obama or McCain to finish the night with a Grand Slam... Instead, two strikes...