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A recent report from the the UK charity The Children's Society suggest that the UK's social ills are caused to some degree by the "aggressive selfishness" and "excess individualism" of parents leaving neglected children feeling unloved or insignificant.
They cite the following symptoms: high family break-up, teenage unkindness, commercial pressures towards premature sexualisation, unprincipled advertising, too much competition in education and acceptance of income inequality.
It is easy when you are a business owner and parent to allow schedules to become out-of-whack with our values. This report is a stark reminder of the potential outcomes of an unbalanced approach to life.
"I need some ME time" is often spoken and heard - life is certainly challenging especially in times of economic harshness. As a father, the temptation is always to concentrate on the commercial / professional "duty" to our family, customers and employees fearful of stepping off the gas should we be seen as less than a pro, rather than investing the time necessary for healthy relationships with our children.
Even now as I have found the TED conference talks on YouTube I am trying to keep my one year old from the keyboard! BAD DAD! Selfish Dad!
"Balance" is itself hard to pin down. Most families take a vacation every year for at least a 2 week stretch - i.e. No work at all for a whole two weeks - that too is not balanced. So how are we to acheive this balance?
Looking at the bible's teaching on the Sabbath could be a good start - that to rest from all toil for at least one day per week (whenever fits your life) can bring the necessary gap in the incessant noise of the marketplace in order to reflect on the why-I-ams of life and not just the I-shoulds.
I often explain to my wife that I need to have a switch-over time - where I come down off the treadmill and into a state where I can give myself fully to the family.
Please feel free to give me any suggestions - we're all on a journey...
Link for more discussion on the report click here.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Annie's Mad Ramblings
...are not so mad.
In her latest blog Annie examines church culture and challenges existing stereotypes. She is a leader by nature and has spiritual insight that causes her to live accordingly.
I recently visited a church in the Pacific North West USA, Newlife Kitsap one of the fastest growing in the area. Why is it growing so fast? Because they are "on the journey".
Whilst much of the church in the UK are waking up to community - that we are to support the community of believers and the local community, Wes Davis, Senior pastor of Newlife suggests that we should be aiming for "Communitas" - a community with a shared mission, a shared ordeal.
I'll update this blog soon when I can find Wes' source - but they are really living it out. The pastors who are planting the churches - reaching the 170k unchurched residents of Kitsap County - are volunteering sometimes up to 2 years before they are sustained financially by the organisation. That's sacrifice in my book.
Jesus said to those who believed and even demonstrated the power of God through their lives "Get away from me, I did not know you.."
I am reminded of those soldiers in WW1 who faught side by side in the trenches - the servicemen fighting the worlds current battles. When they return often they find that their fellow soldiers are the only ones who "know", who fully "understand" them.
The New Testament word for "know" in this passage suggests an intimate knowing. So unless we are out there on the front lines, walking like, doing like, leading like Jesus - how can we know him as he desires?
Through the parables Annie is right - he is asking us to reach for the truth (not wait for it). The lady at the well was encouraged to take a journey to revelation - to reach for it. Jesus asked us to reach for him, for abundant life.
Lean in fellow humans. Grasp the nettle. Thoughtfully, prayerfully challenge the status quo - study revivals - those who led led them reached for it and did the new thing that God was revealing at that time.
Who knows - with her approach to life Annie (or you?) could be the one to lead the next movement of God.
In her latest blog Annie examines church culture and challenges existing stereotypes. She is a leader by nature and has spiritual insight that causes her to live accordingly.
I recently visited a church in the Pacific North West USA, Newlife Kitsap one of the fastest growing in the area. Why is it growing so fast? Because they are "on the journey".
Whilst much of the church in the UK are waking up to community - that we are to support the community of believers and the local community, Wes Davis, Senior pastor of Newlife suggests that we should be aiming for "Communitas" - a community with a shared mission, a shared ordeal.
I'll update this blog soon when I can find Wes' source - but they are really living it out. The pastors who are planting the churches - reaching the 170k unchurched residents of Kitsap County - are volunteering sometimes up to 2 years before they are sustained financially by the organisation. That's sacrifice in my book.
Jesus said to those who believed and even demonstrated the power of God through their lives "Get away from me, I did not know you.."
I am reminded of those soldiers in WW1 who faught side by side in the trenches - the servicemen fighting the worlds current battles. When they return often they find that their fellow soldiers are the only ones who "know", who fully "understand" them.
The New Testament word for "know" in this passage suggests an intimate knowing. So unless we are out there on the front lines, walking like, doing like, leading like Jesus - how can we know him as he desires?
Through the parables Annie is right - he is asking us to reach for the truth (not wait for it). The lady at the well was encouraged to take a journey to revelation - to reach for it. Jesus asked us to reach for him, for abundant life.
Lean in fellow humans. Grasp the nettle. Thoughtfully, prayerfully challenge the status quo - study revivals - those who led led them reached for it and did the new thing that God was revealing at that time.
Who knows - with her approach to life Annie (or you?) could be the one to lead the next movement of God.
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