New Address...

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True, Not Popular

Yeah… I know. I didn’t blog last week. Blame it on the general pace of life this January! Something had to give. But it’s been a good month. I’ve been preaching through a series called ‘Happily Ever After’ at Mavuno. Carol & I have taught marriage seminars for years but this is the first time we’re actually doing a sermon series on the subject. She hasn’t been well enough to co-teach but has helped work on the sermons. It’s gone really well; great to see so many coming wanting to hear God’s word. Part two begins this Sunday and it will be great to teach together.

Over the last couple of weeks, we also launched our biggest ever Mizizi cohort with 500 people! And our School of Prayer class with around 200. Confirming something I’ve believed for a long time; that most people in this generation are not anti-God. They’re actually hungry. Not for religion but for a real encounter with a real God.

Of course that creates a good problem. The need for passionate leaders. I feel Jesus when he says ‘the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few’. And I’m praying that the Lord of the harvest raises many laborers for Mavuno.

I'm greatly enjoying reading through the book of Luke. The first four books (aka gospels) are biographies about Jesus, two by eyewitnesses (Matthew & John) and two by journalists who interviewed the eyewitnesses (Mark & Luke). They sound similar and yet each has a unique angle. Like watching the news on four different stations!

Matthew, former taxman, wrote mainly to the Jews to show how everything in their history found fulfillment in Jesus’ life and how we too are completed in Jesus. Mark, who probably got his story from Peter, has the simplest story with no digressions but gets straight to the point, eager to share the great news that God is here right now and on our side. Luke, a medic and one of Paul’s companions, writes like a historian, giving much attention to detail, but also as a non-Jew is passionate to show how the good news is relevant to all those typically treated as ‘on the outside’ because of their gender, ethnicity, health status or poverty. John, who was one of Jesus’ closest friends, sounds most different from the others. As the only survivor of Jesus’ inner core, he writes not only to recollect what happened but to interpret it in the light of his understanding of Jesus as the eternal Creator who takes on human form.

So… now you know! I thank God for the rain. And pray it will bring an end to the drought. But with it I pray God will also end our drought of leadership. And raise up godly leaders in for Kenya. In government, parliament, the judiciary, the media, the church, industry etc. Of course God often answers our prayers through us. I’m praying He will use me to raise up many godly men and women who will give godly leadership in every sector of society. What are you praying for yourself?

Let me leave you with Luke 6:26 which has stood out for me this week…

‘There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests – look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.’

Have a great week!

Naivasha Musings...

Am in Naivasha (my favorite place in the whole world) on retreat with the Mavuno staff team (best staff team in the whole world)! Our objective is to connect on our vision, values and goals for the year as well and to invest in the relationships that will carry us through it. One of my strong beliefs is that we spend so many of our best hours with our workmates that it would be tragic to work with people we don’t enjoy! I’m amazed when I reflect on how God has grown us as a team and some of the incredible moments we’ve shared together. I look forward to some great times this week.

We kicked our new series at Mavuno ‘Happily Ever After’ last Sunday. We’re looking at marriage from the bible’s point of view. From the great response, it’s clearly a live subject for this generation. I look forward to seeing God @ work during the rest of the series.

Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the New Testament read-thru. This week we’ll finish the book of Matthew and start on Mark, which is definitely my favorite eye-witness account of Jesus’ life. Matthew aka Levi, was a former tax-collector who gave it all up to follow Jesus (Matthew 9:9). Back in the day, tax-collectors were not very popular (some things never change!) and were reviled for their corruption.

Matthew was so amazed that Jesus would accept a person like him that he asked him for dinner and invited all his buddies – referred to as ‘disreputable characters’ or ‘notorious sinners’ depending on which version you’re reading! The religious leaders of the day were scandalized that Jesus would socialize with such people. Jesus’ reply to them was characteristically no-nonsense…

“Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders”. Or as another version puts it, “I’ve come to call sinners, not those who already think they are good enough”.

Walala! How affirming for Matthew and people like him through the ages, who came to Jesus knowing they had ‘issues’ that desperately needed fixing! And how uncomfortable for us Christians when we think we have our act together, and work hard not to 'contaminate' ourselves by hanging out with ‘sinners’!

I like this quote; ‘the church is a hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints.’

More Than Bread…

I began my 3 month New Testament Challenge. Along with all the other Kenyans joining gyms, going on diets and starting to attend church, hopefully some of you who are reading this are doing it with me! This time round, I’m using a paraphrase of the bible (not an exact translation but more of an informal rewrite in contemporary language) called 'The Message'. If you’re doing The Challenge, please invest in an easy to understand version or paraphrase; maybe one you haven’t read through before. You’ll be amazed how the dramatic story comes alive as you read it!

Some of you who take The Challenge will struggle with the reading plan. You’ll come to a great idea or difficult verse and want to stop and camp there; figure out what it means. But while this is a great thing to do, you need to take care not to miss the forest for the trees. Reading through as we’re doing every once in a while is a great way to get the big picture; a bird’s eye view of God’s word. And as Matthew 4:4 puts it, ‘It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God’s mouth’

Of course the main challenge will involve time. Ensuring you set aside enough time to do this every day. With this one, if you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail. So right from the beginning, set aside a time when you’ll do this daily. And if you miss a couple of readings, don’t beat yourself up! You can catch up by reading on the off-days or even extending the 3 months a bit.

Here are some of my favorite quotes (ala The Message) so far followed by some my resulting random thoughts (that I turned into prayer)…

Matthew 3:17 ‘This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life’

Matthew 5:18 Not only that – count yourself blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer even! For though they don’t like it I do!

Matthew 4:23 ‘God’s kingdom was (Jesus’) theme – that beginning right now they were under God’s government – a good government! He also healed people of their diseases and the bad effects of their lives’.

Matthew 5:1 ‘When Jesus saw his ministry was drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions.’

If you’re doing God’s work God’s way, expect critics! I tend to get discouraged whenever I’m criticized especially if I perceive it to be unfair. Yet I feel affirmed and encouraged by my Heavenly Father to keep going in 2009 despite what any critics or haters may say. Say after me... I have the Father’s blessing and that’s what counts.

Jesus’ message to his generation was that God is now here to take over. Their only hope of survival lay in their giving their lives over to Him completely. Moving from the driver’s seat and surrendering not only the keys but the logbook as well (not minor repairs but a total overhaul). This is the message of the Kingdom. It's a coup against my self-directed life. It’s not ‘say this prayer and you’ll be safe forever’. God isn’t interested in just taking over the religious sphere of our lives; in our Sunday piety… in turning us into ‘nice Christians. He wants it all, including Monday to Saturday. Secular and spiritual. It’s only when He has control over everything in our lives that He can deal with our issues and turn us into Fearless Influencers; who in turn take over on His behalf, not just the ‘spiritual’ and ‘religious’ areas but every sector of society.

When people realized he had a life-giving message, crowds were the result. Jesus raised the bar though. He took it a notch higher so that only those who were willing to go further could. I need to ensure that I’m not just following Him when it’s convenient. Instead I must move from being a consumer Christian and follow Him into those quiet and sometimes lonely places where I’ll hear Him most clearly.

If you’re taking The Challenge, please feel free to add a comment and share what you’re learning with the rest of us!

New Year Challenge

Ready or not, 2009 is practically here! Interesting how as soon as you leave high school, time begins to really fly! I like this quote by Charles Lamb, ‘every New Year’s day is everyone’s birthday’. I guess he meant we all have a chance to change; to leave the old behind and start with a clean slate. To cut off from old toxic ways and to make new life-giving decisions. Thank God for the New Year!

It’s in that spirit that I’d like to invite you to join me in my New Year’s resolution. To read through the New Testament in the first three months of the year! I’ve done this before and was really blessed by the practice.

The daily readings will be anywhere from 3-6 chapters and should take around 15-20 minutes. So there’s definitely a time requirement. The plan is spread over 5 days of each week though, so there are two days to ‘catch up’ in case you fell behind somewhere! My plan is to read the daily section each morning during my Quiet Time and then meditate on/pray about the one thought that stood out while I read.

So… I’d like to invite you to join me! If you’re interested, please download the reading plan from here. It’s in pdf format so you might need to download a pdf reader if you don’t already have one. And if you're willing to take the challenge with me, I'd greatly appreciate your letting me know. Please leave a comment on this post!

Happy New Year!

Reflections of A Couch Potato

This has been a great year. And as it comes to an end, I have much to be grateful for. God has been gracious to me and 2008 will certainly go down as one of the most memorable years in my life so far!

Met a friend from the Coast who’s here on vacation; its funny how in Dec, Coastarians come to Nairobi for holiday, because the Coast is so hot and crowded - on account of all the Nairobians being down there! Am glad we got out before the crowds descended. This week I’m taking it easy at home with the family, sleeping in, and learning how to be a couch potato. I enjoyed watching the Village Christmas concert on different TV stations. If you missed it, you can still catch it on Wednesday 31^st (KBC after 6pm).

Speaking of TV, our daughter church Mavuno Downtown (MDT) also got some great press on the KTN news this last Sunday, as well as a fabulous article in the Daily Nation.

I am grateful to God for the wonderful family, friends and congregation He has blessed me and my family with. Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a memorable Christmas and a purposeful and prosperous 2009. Thank you for the part that you have played in our lives!

Village Christmas

This Saturday at the Mavuno Dome, don't miss Mavuno's annual Christmas concert. Doors open at 5pm and show begins 5.30. Please come and bring all your friends. I suspect you'll be glad you did!

Oh and tonight (Thu 18th), Atemi's concert at the Carnivore begins at 7pm. Hope to see you there...

Christmas Controversies

2000 years ago was born a man who arguably became the most controversial figure in history. He was controversial while he lived and remains so to date. I bet you this month as we remember his birth that there’ll be the usual news articles giving some brand new ‘evidence’ that that he was married to Mary Magdalene or that some church or political leaders made the whole thing up!

The message of Christmas is not conventional. Not quite what I’d make up if I was trying to get people to believe a yarn I made up. A girl who claims to be a virgin becomes pregnant. The baby she’s carrying is apparently God’s son, the True King. This is not just blasphemous to the spiritual leaders but treasonous to the political class. He is born to a poor family and grows up in a small town. He later receives a death sentence and is executed for being a public enemy. But not before causing quite an upheaval!

I sometimes wonder whether Jesus stirred up some of the controversy on purpose. Apart from healing sick people at inappropriate times, he often ruffled religious sensibilities by claiming to forgive sins. He attended parties so much he was referred to by the religious elite as a glutton, and he hang out with all the politically incorrect people. It drove his critics mad to no end that call girls and corrupt government officials liked being around him.

I believe though that there was good reason why he deliberately went against the grain. Sometimes we church-folk get so comfortable about religion we need to be shaken up. We forget to ask the real questions. We focus on non-issues. Why they sing certain songs or why the sermon was a certain length and why that guy was wearing dreadlocks in church and how dare that girl wear a tight dress.

Meanwhile, the good news remains un-preached to the poor, captives remain un-released, the spiritual blind remain blind and the downtrodden in society remain oppressed (see Jesus’ controversial mission statement in Luke 4:18. His life was completely other-centered!)

Has the church that seeks to represent Him become so predictable and uncontroversial that we’re in danger of becoming completely irrelevant to this generation? Are there some controversies that we need to start to deliberately engage in? Not merely for controversies sake but in order to get us out of our comfort zones into focusing on what’s really important?

I wonder….

December...

Had a great weekend. It’s always good to come back to Mavuno and Pst Esther Obasike did a great job with a message about Christmas and forgiveness. Then on Sunday evening, we attended the concert of the year, as Kanjii launched his new album ‘Stories’. It was a phenomenal event that set a new standard for concert excellence. We were tishwad by the sound, lights, video displays, and the ambience. And of course the great music that addressed the themes of everyday life ~ love, marriage, money, politics, paying taxes etc. Thanks Kanjii & crew for creating wholesome entertainment for our generation that isn’t lewd, suggestive or X-rated.

Speaking of great entertainment, I can’t wait for Aaron’s concert tomorrow evening at Simba Saloon as well as our Village Christmas concert on the 19^th & 20^th at the Dome. Please come and bring a friend.

I love December!

This morning, I met with a group of men at 5am in a men’s-only prayer event called Gideon’s Torch. This spartan, no-frills, weekly event held at the Mavuno Dome is a great time to connect with other men and to pray together as well as get prayed over. Last one for 2008 takes place next Wednesday and if you’re reading this and you’re a man, consider yourself invited.

The Night The Heaven’s Smiled

So… I completely missed it because I was in Mombasa and apparently the sky here is completely different. But last night, residents of Nairobi were treated to a rare sight; Jupiter and Venus aligned themselves above the moon’s crescent to form a heavenly smiley face. I saw the pictures - amazing! Though I don’t subscribe to horoscopes, I have several guesses as to what the omens signified. It probably had something to do with our government intervening (finally) to keeping maize meal prices affordable. Or maybe it was about fuel pump prices finally beginning to inch lower! Wow… talk about good news to all mankind (at least of the Kenyan variety!) Now imagine what would happen if our MP’s finally did the right thing and paid their taxes. And not in 2012!

Okay… time to end the daydream. Apart from the heat (34C and about 1000% humidity), Mombasa is quite the place to be. It seems everybody is heading this way; traffic’s picking up, prices rising ~ it’s the annual high season. Lots of reasons to smile for local business as guests pour in from all over.

Our days here are sort of predictable. We wake up around 8am (would sleep in much longer if we didn’t have kids), have a leisurely breakfast, read newspapers and generally relax as the kids play or watch a movie. Oops… before you know it, it’s already lunchtime! After lunch, we pile into the car and go swimming at Mombasa Beach Hotel. The kids stay in water for as long as we’ll let them. Today we got to hang out at Mama Ngina Drive afterwards and drank madafu (coconut juice drank with a straw straight from the coconut) and cassava crisps (drenched in lemon juice and chili). Definitely a must-do if you’re in Mombasa. Mmmh… there’s quite a lot you can do/eat here that actually doesn’t cost that much.

All too soon, its home time. 8.30pm and the city looks like it’s just waking up. Only in Mombasa. The kids are already asking ‘Do we have to go home?’ ‘Ever?’ ‘Can’t we just live here?’

Sigh… maybe we can hold on to that daydream for a few more days…

Away

So... am back in Mombasa, my favorite vacation spot in the entire world! Only am not on vacation, but attending the annual retreat of the Nairobi Chapel lead pastors. Great to catch up and to hear what God is doing in all the other churches. As well as to synchronize plans for 2009…Am definitely privileged to be part of the Chapel family; what a great team of leaders!

More and more I’m realizing that one of my biggest responsibilities is developing other leaders around me. An ancient Chinese proverb supposedly (not quite sure how ancient or how Chinese) says, ‘If you are planning for one year, grow rice. If you are planning for twenty years, grow trees. If you are planning for centuries, grow men’. I’m the product of much investment by others and I pray that God will use me to invest in and develop great leaders around me in my lifetime.

Next week though, I do get to stay behind and vacation @ the Coast for a few days with Carol & the kids. We’ll be staying with some good friends and I look forward to some R & R. Changing the world can hold off till next year!

Media Revolution

Kudos to Citizen TV for kicking off a renaissance of Kenyan content on our TV screens. The other stations are paying attention and working hard to catch up! Several years ago, Carol & I ran a video production company and it was very difficult to sell local content to our TV stations then. They preferred cheap Hollywood (or Bollywood or Nollywood) re-runs.

The current situation is really a win-win-win though. We get (hopefully) more relevant TV programs, local production skills increase, more jobs are created in the sector, and TV stations can focus on their core business; transmission of programs and production of news shows.

Though we don’t watch much TV, we treat ourselves every week to my favorite program; Citizen’s ‘Mother In Law’ and Carol’s; NTV’s ‘Wash & Set’. We have also both enjoyed ‘Churchill Live’ another NTV show. Very glad to see Churchill, a Christian comedian, building a name across our country for clean comedy.

Media and the arts are such powerful tools. I believe the time has come for radical kingdom minded Christians to proactively engage them. As musicians, actors, dancers, DJ’s, writers, editors, graphic artists, event organizers, record label executives, TV producers, movie makers, media station owners etc. And not necessarily through ‘Christian media stations' or by producing ‘Christian programs’. But as undercover agents, in every media outlet, set quietly in place to win the battle for hearts and minds of our generation…

The current situation is a great opportunity for Christians to get in at the ground level and to set the agenda. Let’s produce creative & entertaining content that will promote healthy societal values.

And while I’m going on about media, two really great movies made by Christians that are ‘must watch’ (neither is local). One is ‘Faith Like Potatoes’ (www.faithlikepotatoes.com) shot in SA. And the other is ‘Amazing Grace’ (www.amazinggracemovie.com), about British MP Wilberforce, an amazing man who changed his generation.

Have a great week!

Summit

This week the Mavuno pastoral team is attending the Global Leadership Summit, a training event for Christian leaders hosted by the Nairobi Baptist Church. It’s a good bonding event for us as a team and also a time to network with other Christian leaders from across the city. For me, also a great time to sit at the feet of great Christian leaders and just learn…

My treat of the day yesterday was hearing Bill Hybels speak. He’s senior pastor of Willow Creek Church, which puts together the annual Summit all around the world. For some reason I’d expected his address would be on video then I realized he was there in the flesh! Anyhow, it was great to see, hear and even shake the hand of this great man who’s had a huge impact on church leaders across the world, myself included. He’s the one from whom I gained the conviction that the church is the hope of the world. It was great observing this mature leader who God has used to accomplish so much. He spoke about some of his leadership mentors and the things he’s learnt from them.

The rest of the speakers were on video. Jim Collins, of ‘Good To Great’ fame, spoke about the qualities of a Level 5 leader. [His bestselling book was an exposition of a 5-year research on the companies that have had extraordinary results over several decades. One of his findings was that there was a qualitative difference between leaders of these companies when compared to leaders of similar companies that hadn’t had the same longevity. His ‘Level 5 leader’, who displays both genuine personal humility and ferocious determination to accomplish the organizations goals, very closely resembles Jesus’ own model of leadership!] Anyway he challenged us about the Level 5 decisions we are facing at work; those that require us to make personal sacrifices for the cause. Good stuff.

Interestingly, Jim sees having charisma as a liability for leaders! Because charismatic leaders often get used to leading based on their own gifts as opposed to building systems that will accomplish the organizations goals long after they’re gone. So he taught how to overcome ‘the curse of charisma’!

God really spoke to me through Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission, who talked about leading people in the things that matter to God. Just because I’m leading and people are following doesn’t mean I’m leading in the things God is passionate about. If I want my leadership to matter, then I need to lead in the things that matter to God. His was a very challenging call for Christian's to be involved in the work of justice, with some practical pointers about how do so.

Am blessed to love what I do. And to be part of Mavuno’s incredible staff team. And to belong to such a fun church where God is at work and anything is possible.

Peace

Back

Am back to work after a week of rest. It was one of those breaks where I didn’t do any travel, errands or projects but simply lounged and recuperated. And I feel much better for it. Great to be back to Mavuno though, after a month away. And to begin a new series called True North, about living lives of purpose.
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This week, we might as well be the 51st state of the US; all our national attention is focused westwards on that country’s elections. Despite myself, it’s hard to not get caught up with the Obamamania, a word that could easily make it into next year’s dictionaries! I suspect that as a nation, Obama gives us an opportunity to vicariously participate in an election that leaves us all united and feeling good about ourselves. The kind of experience we wish we could have had in January...

He also gives us a respite from the uncertainties and hard realities of how to deal with the Waki report. Wishing this report away is clearly not going to help us in the long run. And while it’s important not to condemn anyone without sufficient proof, its equally important to demonstrate to our political leaders that they can’t cause mayhem and bloodshed and then hide behind tribal politics. This is certainly a test of leadership for our president/prime minister duo and I pray that they will be bold and not cave in to pressure.

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward this Friday to ‘Dress To Address’, a dinner/dance event this Friday 7.30pm at the Mavuno Dome. Hosted by ZanaA, proceeds will go towards an initiative to provide sanitary towels to Kenyan school girls who can’t afford them. I plan to be there. Please come and let’s support a great cause!

Faith Paradox

The Waki report is a reminder for us about how fragile our peace really is. And about our need as a nation to deal with the real issues that brought us to the precipice in January. So that by God's grace, we'll be at a very different place in 2012. It’s not the only sobering reality facing us right now though.

Columnist Robert Shaw in an article in one of our dailies recently listed some of the massive economic problems we are currently facing as a nation...

• The havoc wrecked by the post-election violence earlier in the year that adversely affected our economy
• Two deficient rainy seasons in succession that have negatively affected agriculture, which is the source of most jobs in our economy
• Escalating global food, fuel and fertilizer prices, resulting in inflation of 25% or more and reducing purchasing power and increasing poverty
• Decline in Diaspora remittances (due to the economic crisis in the West), an important source of foreign currency inflow.
• Financial pressure in developed economies that will likely lead to a setback in tourism numbers here.
• A likelihood that the problems in the global financial system will infect our own
• The IMF warning that the world is “on the cusp of a recession” and that there will be zero growth in the developed economies next year.

He concludes that it’s not a question as to whether Kenya will be affected by global recession but how much.

Most of us are already feeling the consequences; increased cost of living (I discovered over the weekend that a gas cylinder that cost 1200/- a year ago now costs 1800/-), higher interest rates, and a generally harder business environment.

Walala! It’s easy to slowly sink into a general malaise of low-grade depression amidst all the gathering storm clouds. To wonder how we got ourselves here. To live fearful and anxious lives, wondering whether we will survive. And yet I believe the challenges facing us as individuals present us with an opportunity.

The problem is that fear limits what God can do in our lives. But the opposite is true; faith allows God to carry out His purpose in our lives. That’s why Paul is able to say in 2Cor.12:9, ‘Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake I delight in weaknesses…. For when I am weak, then I am strong’.

I call this the ‘paradox of faith’. When we’re strong, we tend to trust in our resources & hold back from trusting in God. We forfeit His divine power and end up limited to our own inadequate resources. When we’re weak however, we (hopefully) cling to God with all we have knowing that we have no other resource. We’re freed by faith to tap into His divine strength & perspective. We’re no longer afraid of what the future holds.

So here’s the paradoxical good news. If you’re feeling weak & helpless – that may be exactly where God wants you! Begin to call out to the Lord, knowing that only He can save you. The good news is that your faith is will not only please Him (Heb.11:6), but will create opportunities to experience God’s strength & victory during the rest of 2008. And God willing, you’ll have some amazing testimonies to share come the end of the year!

Decongesting Life

I greatly enjoyed the long weekend; hanging out with family members as well as kicking back and watching a couple of high-octane-low-intelligence-required movies. As much as I enjoy hard work, I also enjoy hard rest, and three public holidays in one month is pretty cool! Being forced to slow down often reminds me that work is a part of life and not the sum of it. And that the journey is just as important as the destination.

Here's an interesting article by Tim Ferris who wrote 'The Four Day Workweek' on 9 habits in order to simplify congested lifestyles.

The Responsibility Of Leadership

Is it just me or does there seem to be an increase of terrible accidents on our roads? It feels like deja vu ~ a flashback to a time in the past when it was nothing exceptional to read headlines about horrible bus and matatu crashes resulting in massive life losses. And that's not suprising because whatever highway I'm on nowadays, there's a PSV hurtling by at 100km/h or more. We buried the Michuki-rules and now, we're burying Kenyans everyday. I wonder - does our transport minister still feel like Pilate, that the deaths of these Kenyans are not his business?

Being a far from perfect leader myself, I hate to complain; but I just had to vent about that one! It's hard to sit back and watch the wanton suffering brought about by such avoidable causes. Anyone else feeling me?

So... here's to God raising some great leaders in our generation who will change this nation. In politics, governance, business, media, education, etc. Some great quotes for those reading this that are part of the change...

• The measure of a man is what he does with power (Pittacus)
• Leadership is action, not position (Donald McGannon)
• All power is trust (Benjamin Disraeli)
• It's amazing how much people can get done if they do not worry about who gets the credit (Sandra Surnney)
• One test of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency (unknown)

May we be faithful stewards of whatever leadership responsibility God has entrusted to us this week!

Gratitude Adjustment

This month I’m preaching at KC3 (Kileleshwa Covenant Community Church), a church that resulted from a merger between Kileleshwa Community Church and The Covenant Church, a fellow daughter church of Nairobi Chapel. I’m doing a four-week series on Greatness which, those of you who know me well have probably figured out, is a subject I’m quite passionate about! KC3 is a great church, and I suspect one that will have tremendous impact on our city in the not-distant-future.

Meanwhile, Pst. Simon Mbevi kicks off a series at Mavuno called ‘Attitudes for Altitude’. It’s a great series as we come to the end of the year and evaluate what was and could have been. It’s so easy to see or blame the external factors that affected or limited where we end up. But by looking within, we can discover attitudes that played a huge role in the outcomes we saw. And we can adjust course so they don’t limit us any more. I have an inkling this series will have a great impact on careers, marriages, and families at Mavuno.

So, Sunday he spoke about gratitude. Very convicting…

Heard about a public speaker who held up a large piece of white paper. He used a marker to make a large black spot in the middle of it. Then he held the paper up before the group he was addressing and asked them what they saw. They all agreed there was a black mark.

"Right", the preacher replied. “What else do you see?”
Complete silence.
“Don't you see anything else?”
Blank stares and heads shaking.
"I'm surprised that you have overlooked the most important thing of all - the sheet of paper!”

The adversities of life often monopolize my attention and cause me to forget or assume God’s blessings. I so easily develop the proverbial ‘glass half-full’ perspective. All I can see is the black mark!

I’m learning to command myself everyday “Bless the Lord oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalms 103:2)

Hey, have a grateful week, won’t you?

Life Happens

It’s been an uncommonly busy two weeks. Life just happened! Hence my absence in blogosphere.

Interesting experience a couple of weeks back. I’m coming home from the gym in a mat. Get off at a bus-stop about 10 minutes walk from home. So far so good. But just as the mathree pulls away, a huge raindrop falls on the ground at my feet. I look up and the sky looks all funny. I get this uneasy feeling that it’s about to throw up all over me.

So I start hurrying as fast as I can but almost like a cat playing with a mouse, it starts to growl mischievously yet menacingly. I call my sweetie whose home and ask her to drive and meet me, but I have a sinking feeling that I won’t make it! I pray to reach home dry, then intensify my prayers and finally command the skies to hold up. All in vain... In less than a few minutes, the weather moves from a gentle drizzle to a soft shower then a raging downpour. Walala! I don’t even try and run as it won’t make a difference - there’s no shelter anywhere! Soon, I’m drenched to the t-bone. By the time she finally reaches where I am, I’m of the mind to just swim home as it won’t make a difference!

So, why does it rain on praying people? Or as someone once asked, why do bad things happen to good people? Okay, I’m not saying I’m perfect. But I was coming from serving God (at least before I stopped by the gym). At the very least He should have waited for me to get home before the downpour!

Why does a loving God allow the suffering we encounter in the world? Getting drenched hardly qualifies as ‘suffering’, but this question has troubled many people through history. Some have concluded that God can’t be that loving after all. Others that if God is all-loving, He/She or It can’t be all-powerful. Others that there is no God after all.

No pat or trite answers to this one. It’s definitely an easier question to answer from a theoretical point of view as opposed to when you’re in the middle of a heart-piercing or gut-wrenching situation. One thing though; the bible never promises us that now we’re Christ followers, suffering is a thing of the past. On the contrary it says that we will suffer at times because of being Christ followers (2Timothy 3:12). The question is not whether I’ll face suffering, but with whom I’ll face it when it does come. And knowing God is at work to make all things work out for my good (Romans 8:28) makes it at least bearable when it does happen.