Missional Leadership and Business Ethics

Hey friends,


  Amanda and I are enjoying some time with family in Ohio!  We have also dodged a few tornadoes and got to catch up with some of Amanda's High School friends who are super cool.  I even had a bunch of fun jamming with some of Amanda's old band-mates!


   This blog is about money and the flow of it in and out of church families.  This is always a touchy subject because most folks don't want to talk about money.  I thought and prayed about whether to bring up this topic and came to the conclusion it was pretty important and that this post might make a little difference in my sphere of friendship.  I believe that money is only an uncomfortable subject to talk about if you are embarrassed.  We generally get embarrassed about it for 3 reasons:  1.  We are embarrassed about how much we have (lots or little)  2.  We are embarrassed about how we procure it    3.  We are embarrassed about how we spend it.  Its also worth noting that sometimes we SHOULD be embarrassed about one of these 3 categories and are not because of ignorance or sin.  Regardless of where each of us currently stands, how we spend money is generally a good indicator of what we care about most.   I have found that this is not only true of individuals but also of organizations like churches too.


   Churches exist to fulfill the great commandment:  Love God and love people.  Often times, money is a helpful tool to do this.  The Bible teaches that Christians are to bring tithes and offerings to the church so that it may be used for ministry.  Churches use money to do different things.  Regardless if a church is 5,000 or 50, the deciding factor on how money is allocated should be "how do the funds we have been entrusted with functionally help us to love God and love people well".  


   Because every follower of Jesus Christ is a missionary and every church family is a missionary organization, every aspect of life, every word spoken, every moment spent, and every dollar invested is a proclamation of to whom we live for and who we trust.  This means people, and church families, need to speak, spend, and live well to the Glory of God and the good of people.  


   I know some church families that have a high level of accountability in these areas and go to great lengths to filter everything through the great commandment.  However, I have honestly seen a lot of failures over the years.  Strangely enough these failures haven't been the kind that make the news like embezzlement or something.  They have been "little"acts of dishonesty or greed.


   If you are a church leader responsible for sub-contracting labor, it is your responsibility to use church funds well.  Often times this is looked at as arguing down a contractor to the cheapest price to the Glory of God.  Its a noble desire to save the church family money but one must count the cost of doing so.  In the name of "being a good steward" I have seen church leaders pay sub-contractors sub par wages.  A lot of contractors are happy to get in a bid due to the poor economy and will take the job anyway right now.  Refusing to pay them a fair market value hurts their families and is a silent testimony that "we care more about our needs than your family's":   This is not loving people.  Its impossible to love God fully and treat people this way.  


    Paying contractors a fair wage is important.  Its also important to pay them on time.  Smart business contracts have clearly defined expectations, deadlines, and compensation.  When a contractor meets his end of the bargain the church needs to meet theirs.  I have often encountered an attitude among church leaders that when it comes to "business" they are some sort of exception to the rule.  Churches are not only required to honor contracts by law but also because the way they handle business is a testimony to the community and other business leaders that thy love Jesus and because of that, value integrity, character, and people:  one of the primary ways we worship Jesus is by valuing and caring for people!  Church leaders and churches should set the standard for ethical business practices.  When a contractor is not paid on time or paid unfairly, he may be unable to pay his bills on time and feed his family especially in today's economy.  You can be sure that when a creditor calls him to account he won't be able to use "I'm sorry that church I did the dry wall for had a low offering last week and its summer so they are in a hard spot anyway." as an excuse for why he can't pay up........neither should we as church leaders.  If you are a church doing a building project or putting on a big event, you need to have the amount set aside to pay in full before you begin.  Jesus even told a parable about this once.  If you can't afford to get something done and pay fairly for it, Jesus is not calling you to do it.  Jesus is not about screwing over one group of people to help another.......thats not integrity.  


      Its also worth noting that just because a guy that does framing or sheet rock or is a plumber goes to your church, it doesn't mean he should do any amount of labor for your church family for free:  this is how he provides for his family.  I was once sharing the gospel with a contractor and ended up inviting him to church.  He was not so much against the idea of Jesus and worshiping him but really didn't want to go to church.  When I asked him why, he said it was because every church he went to in the past had always hit him up for a bunch of free work.  Some church leaders hit contractors up for free or heavily discounted work with whom they don't even have a relationship.  Doing this may result in shaving some serious money off of your building project but pushing a soul away from the kingdom of God!  Some contractors have told me they believe they will be able to go to heaven on the merit of dollars and time they have invested into houses of worship.  This is not the gospel and we have got to share some of the responsibility for this dangerous false assumption.  


   Similar problems arise between the church and service industry .  Many of my friends who wait tables hate to wait tables on Sunday.  They claim that "church people" consistently tip poorly or not at all and that this goes for pastors too.  I recall delivering pizzas once to a big event a large downtown church was holding in a civic center.  As a manager I took care of the whole order and gave them a very deep discount because I believed in their outreach event, even though I was not a member of their church.  Their order total should have been somewhere around $350.  I was able to get it done for a little over $200.  When I delivered all the pizzas, the pastor smiled and gave me a $5 dollar tip.  Thats 2.5% on $200!  In the restaurant and pizza delivery world 10% and is considered a pretty bad tip.


   During our time of transition Amanda and I are doing all kinds of odd jobs.  We are thankful for the work.  However, now being "sub-contractors" has shown us some real problems the church has relating to people.  The other day Amanda received a sealed envelope with her check in it for playing at a church event (a church we don't normally frequent).  When we opened the envelope later that evening it was half the agreed upon amount.  I have had this happen to me several times before when I have played "homecomings" or "revivals" for small country churches when I was a college student at BCF.  Right now I'm also still out a few hundred dollars from another church I provided music for recently.  Jesus has been very kind to us and is providing for our needs, largely through the generosity of faithful churches like First Methodist Samson and The Dothan Vineyard who employ us and faithfully honor the agreements we have made together.  Its a blessing to serve such great folks and their faithfulness in business is a testimony to their relationship with Jesus and their love for people. 


  The point I am making is this:  the way we spend our money is a testimony to what we care about most.  A church that cares most about people will not always get the best deal, but they will make the most impact for the Kingdom of God.  A church that cares deeply about people will honor contracts and pay them out in a timely fashion because they know that this has an effect on the people they hired to do the job.  


   So if you are a follower Jesus, a church leader, Christian business leader, or contractor, do your job well, tip well, pay well, love well, worship well!  The world will see how much you care about people by the way you treat them.


   So what are some ways you have been able to care for people in the way you conduct business?  Where do you draw the line when "getting a deal", "being a good steward", and paying a fair wage?  How does quality of service affect your tipping?  Do you tip bad waiters (why or why not)?


  Gods Peace
   +walker

Preacher Boy

  Some years ago I played a gig with my friends Andrew and Adam on the lawn of a small church in front of a highway in Florida.   We were billed as "the preacher boys" for some reason haha........a few people showed up to eat fried chicken, but mostly people just seemed to be confused about what we where trying to accomplish, passing by with looks of strange consternation.  All in all it was kind of a lame experience but still fun hanging out with those two crazy guys!  Andrew was the only one that "preached" that day.  I never really wanted to preach because growing up, "preaching" was something my mom did when I was in trouble.......it seemed like "preaching" was something you did to someone who "deserved it" and would do their best not to find themselves in that situation again.


  Five years later I've found myself a "preacher boy" again.  This time around I'm not always just singing.  Sometimes I talk to folks.  Sometimes there is a mic involved.  I hope what I am saying resonates with the folks I'm speaking to.  I wonder where this gift will intersect with my life and the ministry Jesus does through me.  As of right now I'm not totally sure what to make of it.  I want my words to be the kinds of things that help to strengthen the faith of my friends and offer hope to the down and out.  I hope that Jesus will make a difference with my words. I really love words and I want to use them for His glory.


  So, bellow are some things I've spoken about in the last year or so.  Would you pray for me as I work through the dude and minister Jesus is forming in me?


  Do you find yourself speaking into people's lives?  How did it all begin?  Did you ever think you would find yourself in this place?


    Gods Peace
     +walker

"Listen to the preacher"   

 

How to fast like a hypocrite   

   

Repentance  

Q+ A (The Problem of Evil?  Modern day prophets?) 

      

Worship (Bring it)   

A re-write examined

Hello Folks,

  One of the things I care deeply about is song writing.  Songs are special because they can convey ideas, beauty, and emotion.  These are the things in life that can only be truly conveyed by good art.  As artists we should always be after an expression in its purest and most beautiful form.

  Because art is often such an emotional expression, its easy for an artist to create, admire, and leave it alone.  However, truly beautiful art, often takes a lot of crafting and reworking to get it into its purest form.  This is even more so the case when the artist creates to move beyond expression alone to the realm of communication.

   I recall sending some copies of very raw song lyrics to a mentor of mine; expressions written out of a very formative and emotional time in my life.  My friend graciously thanked me for sharing my heart with him and then asked me what my purpose in writing was:  to express myself, to communicate, or both?  My first thought was that I wanted to express myself, but secondly to help others learn from the pain I went through:  to write something they could identify with.  My third thought was that I wanted songwriting to be a career path.   "Ah, well if that is the case, we have a long way to go" he replied.  Huh?  What a jerk!  Who was he to judge my expression, after all it came out of such a painful time in my life!

  My friend was kind enough to endure the quick temper of a 22 yr old dude with a smart mouth and a lot to learn.  I am glad he did because I learned a lot from what he said next.  "There are a lot of people who work really hard for a living.  People dig ditches everyday in the heat and barely make enough money to make ends meet.  If they don't dig the ditch right, they have to start over and work at it till the job is done well."  "So, you can't expect to just write down a bunch of stuff that comes out of an emotional time and just leave it.  You have to work at it.  You have to dig the ditch right, because its not just about how you feel anymore its about God using how you feel to affect people's lives.  People need songs that help them put words to their life experiences and emotions and they deserve our best.  You know I once heard someone say a good song doesn't make someone say "man I never thought of that before", it makes them say "I have been thinking about that my whole life but have never been able to put it into words; thank you".

  Since that conversation my songs have not been the same.  I want my lyrics and music to connect, to express, to teach, and to offer hope.  Crafting thoughts into their purest and most beautiful form usually means a lot of re-writing.  I once heard an acclaimed writer say "great songs are never written, they are re-written", and in that spirit I'd like to examine a recent re-write I have been working on.

  "You are Holy" is a song I started writing in 2005 and had previously thought it was in its purest form and "finished".  Its not like any of my songs are sweeping the nation or anything, but this tune has often been liked in various churches I have sung it in across several denominations, age groups, and cultures, and I've already had it recorded at a pretty decent studio.  So why would I rewrite it?  I thought I could connect ideas better, say things more clearly, and make a bigger impact on the personal theology of those who sing it regularly.

Here are the original lyrics (visit walkersherman.com for a free copy of the old version recording)

You are Holy    

you are beautiful

you are an all consuming flame

you are wonderful

i am burning i will never be the same

you are Holy - you are good

let your mercy run - Holy Spirit come

you are Holy  - you are good            

let your fire burn - Lamb of God return

cause you are Holy

you are mysterious

you are a raging stream of life

you are dangerous

i am drowning inundated by your light

how bountiful

how merciful      

is the love of Christ

how beautiful

how wonderful

is the blood of Christ

   

so pour it over me

pour it over me

i wanna be Holy

like you are

Words and music Copyright Walker Sherman 2005 all rights reserved used by permission.

  

  The songwriting mentor I mentioned earlier once mentioned that it was helpful to be able to state the main idea of a song in one simple sentence. For "You are Holy" the idea was "God is both holy and good". I found the lyrics in the chorus to make that clear but the lyrics in the verse not so much. At times it seemed like I was just naming random attributes of God while making sure some of them ended in "ful". There were some elements I really like though, like the idea of God being dangerous. I decided that the verses would be more powerful if one line gave an example of God's character of goodness while another of his holiness. Lets look at the old and new verses stacked.

You are holy

you are beautiful   you are an all consuming flame (Old)

           (holiness)                      (holiness metaphor)

you are powerful   you are an all consuming flame (new)

you are wonderful  I am burning I will never be the same  (old)

     (goodness)    (paradox that expands on metaphor:  fire is a way to die but in this case it brings life)

you are merciful     I am burning I will never be the same  (new)

You are Holy, You are Good,  Let your mercy run Holy Spirit come

You are Holy, You are Good, Let your fire burn Lamb of God

You are mysterious  you are a raging stream of life (old)

             (holiness)                 (holiness metaphor)

You are dangerous you are  a raging stream of life  (new)

You are  dangerous             I am drowning inundated by your life  (old)

 (goodness)                     (paradox that expands on metaphor:  drowning is a way to die but in this case it brings life)

You are  compassionate       I am drowning inundated by your life  (new)

I liked the idea of the paradox because life by death is a central them in the Christian message.

Its also worth mentioning that the bridge has undergone some changes over time as well.  It originally read:

how bountiful  

how merciful      

is the love of Christ

how beautiful

how wonderful

is the blood of Christ

   

  One day I was worshiping in my room with the use of this song. I was overwhelmed with the idea of Jesus blood and how gross blood is. There is this tradition in the south where when a boy kills his first deer, all the older men at the hunting camp pour the deers blood all over him and he becomes absolutely disgusting. I was thinking about the hold Hymn that talks about being covered in the blood of Jesus and how when you think about it that is pretty nasty. Yet in this final paradox blood makes us clean instead of filthy. I decided to add:

   

so pour it over me

pour it over me

i wanna be Holy  (my response to the goodness and holiness of Jesus)

like you are

The final edit I did was to tweak the bridge so the ideas locked with the verses

Here it is in what I believe is its purest form.

   

You are Holy    

you are powerful

you are an all consuming flame

you are merciful

i am burning i will never be the same

you are Holy - you are good

let your mercy run - Holy Spirit come

you are Holy  - you are good            

let your fire burn - Lamb of God return

cause you are Holy

you are dangerous

you are a raging stream of life

you are compassionate

i am drowning inundated by your light

how powerful

how merciful      

is the love of Christ

how beautiful

how wonderful

is the blood of Christ

   

so pour it over me

pour it over me

i wanna be Holy

like you are

Words and music Copyright Walker Sherman 2005 all rights reserved used by permission.

   Thanks for thinking through some of these ideas with me. I hope they help improve your expression and communication in song crafting! Have any concepts that you use when songwriting? Do you worship through songs you are writing privately before trying them out publicly? Have you ever been tempted to leave a song as it is because "digging the ditch right" has become to difficult or emotionally trying?  Know of any good songwriting resources that might help the community? Join the conversation!

  Gods Peace
+walker