Disconnected

Sometime last year, I received a copy of John Maxwell's book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect.  It was a freebie that Michael Hyatt was giving away on his blog.  (side note: if I ever get to be a famous blogger, I'll give away more books than I do now.  Right now, I'm a receiver on this, and hope to someday give.)

As I've read this book, I've seen something in me that I don't like, and that I'm striving to change.  It's actually summarized in the parenthetical above about books.  Often in communication, I'm taking more than I'm giving.  I have a broadcast mentality, and that's not all that effective for building relationships.

That's a change I want to make.  Right now, I broadcast. Really. I write blog posts that people, at least a few, read.  I preach sermons.  I teach longer-than-necessary Sunday School lessons.  My sermons go out as podcasts.  This is all one-directional communication.

I see this blending into my personal life as well.  There are times when my wife and I should be having a conversation, but really we end up exchanging monologues. I get involved in the homeschool process to give a lecture, but rarely to do questions and answers.  And when I do, it's still one sided.

So, one of my goals, resolutions perhaps, in the coming year is that I will work to be more interactive.  Move into, well, the 21st Century.  I do remember when the web was a one-sided thing, and now it's a two-way conversation.

My efforts will certainly fall short, and I'm not going to abandon the traditional sermon and go to a groovy new format.  I am well aware that mass communication is a part of life, and a useful part at that.  However, that can't be all of life.  So, I want to sit down and listen.  Respond to the questions being asked.

This will be a challenge for me.  It's much easier to trade broadsides, but that will never draw close to others.

So, for you, dear readers, two questions and a request:

1.  Generally speaking: what do you think are the more important parts of communication between people?

2.  Specifically: What can you do to help your life contain conversations and not broadsides?

3. Personally, a request: How can I communicate better with you?

 

Doug

Pros, Cons, Progress and Congress

"If pro and con are opposites, what does that say about progress and Congress?"

Today, the new Congress gathers.  For the last 2 years, the ruling party of Democrats have claimed the Republicans have blocked them from doing what they wanted.  The Republicans have claimed the Democrats have done what they wanted, and that's why they're now in charge, to fix the mess.  To both of them, here's what I have to say:

1.  Shut up and get to work.  Both of you spend so much time attacking each other that you can't possibly be also listening to the people you're supposed to represent.  You know, the citizens? That whole "For the people" concept?

2.  Alongside that: cut out the "procedural vote" method of hiding what you voted for.  Seriously.  Bring the actual bills to the floor and vote on them, rather than killing them through votes that aren't actual votes.  Do something to produce an actual record.

3.  We have 10% unemployment, and something like an additional 15% under-employed.  Taking more money from the people that have jobs will not help the unemployed.

4.  Neither will allowing companies to book giant profits and tax breaks for moving more jobs overseas.

5.  Free trade is great, except when it allows companies to destroy people's lives and the environment by manufacturing in non-regulated environments.

6. Part of the marriage debate centers over the idea that there are some 1500 or more federal benefits to being 'married' over being in a 'civil union' or whatever.  If the government is capable of handing out 1500 benefits to married people, the government is doing too much. Seriously.  I don't know where those benefits are, but that's insane.  The ability to file 1 tax return that combines her deduction and mine is 1 that makes sense, and survivor benefits for Social Security makes sense, but what else are you doing?

7.  You can't keep spending more than you take in. You probably can't take in any more than you are now without paralyzing the economy. You think you can't spend less without paralyzing the economy. Something's got to give. 

8.  We know that you all ran for your jobs claiming certain ideals.  We also know that you probably won't keep half of your promises.  We are watching you.

9. Especially to my Republican friends: I've said this before "treat as you would be treated, not as you were treated."  You've complained about a lack of respect, a lack of compromise, a lack of work with.  Revenge is for later.  Play a football game or something for that revenge. Be what you wish the other side had been.

10.  You are all supposed to be there for the good of the country.  Guess what? The country expects it from you. Leave the regional battling, the my area first bickering, and what-not for college football. Congress does not exist to help 1 state or 1 of 435 districts.  The Fed exists to help 50 states, all 435 districts.

 

Now, get to work.

 

Doug

Book Review—The Quotable Chesterton

For the record: this book was received free from Booksneeze, part of Thomas Nelson Publishers.  They send the free book, I write the free review, and everybody's happy. Check it out for yourself if you're so inclined.

The Quotable Chesterton: The Wit and Wisdom of G.K. Chesterton

As you can tell by the above graphic and the oh-so-not deceptive blog title, today we're looking at Kevin Belmonte's The Quotable Chesterton. 

If you're like me, your first question was: Chesterwho?  Well, Belmonte has another book out right now that's a biography of Chesterton, so I'll just give you a short bio.  Chesterton was primarily a literary critic at the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th.  He was also a Christian. He wrote, spoke, and was renowned for his insights into a great many things. The main thing I remember his name attached to was that, when a London newspaper asked the question "What is wrong with the world? Who is to blame for our problems?" and Chesterton replied: "I am."  (or something of the sort.) Wit, wisdom, and writing make for the three parts of Chesterton, from what I can tell.

So, this book is actually a collection of quotes from Chesterton's various writings.  They are organized by topic and listed alphabetically.  A few of them are more than two paragraphs, but most of the quotes are a paragraph or shorter.

Strengths? The first is by nature of the book: the short quips and condensed wisdom are there to be found without having to read the whole books.  The second is that Belmonte has endnoted each quote for reference purposes.  There can be no question if Chesterton wrote each thing attributed to him, since it can be easily referenced.

Weaknesses?  Just a couple that I noticed.  1.) Context issues.  Just as an observation, Chesterton lived in England, and much of his commentary comes from the perspective of a lifelong Londoner.  I'd like to see a few footnotes to clear up historical context where the quotes reference a definite geographic location or current event in Chesterton's time.  2.) Also a type of context issue, and that is there are some quotes lifted from Chesterton's novels.  Having not read them, it's hard to place the character names referenced.  Now, I recognize that this is the fault of my own barbaric lack of reading, but many other readers might have slipped in this manner as well.  I'm not sure how Belmonte could have remedied this short of providing synopses of each novel, so it's probably just going to remain a drawback.  Instead, since many Chesterton's complete works are free on Kindle, I'll be catching up that way.

The question of usefulness of this book is kind of a toss-up.  If you're looking for a good quote or two to fill in a speech or spice up your writing, it's a good source.  However, in some circles, you'll be met with the same opening question you had for me: Chesterwho?

If you've got time to enlighten your audience, though, it's worth it for them to know him, because it's well worth you reading him.

Doug

New Blog Title

As you may have noticed, I've re-titled the blog.  It was "Doug Hibbard's Blog" and now it's "Obvious and Ordinary---The Online Musings of Doug Hibbard."  If you haven't noticed, that's ok.  If you don't change the link on your blog, I probably won't notice yours either. 

Why the change?  Well, I'm kind of trying it out.  I started blogging as "BubbatheRev" and then decided that wasn't really the title I wanted to go by.  So, I went to "Doug Hibbard" since, well, that's my name.  It's also still my web address: http://www.doughibbard.com will be my web address for as long as I can afford to keep it renewed.  I like having my own name.  Someday, hopefully, I'll get the .net too. 

However, I decided that perhaps "Doug's Blog" was a bit boring or maybe just bland.  Anyway, it's an option to go back to.  However, I was looking for something catchy.  Wade Burleson has "Grace and Truth to You," and Dan Phillips has "Biblical Christianity," and the various other great bloggers all use some type of name.  Well, except Tim Challies, but he's "The World's Most Famous Christian Blogger" according to some people, so he's the exception that proves the rule.

What did I come up with? "Obvious and Ordinary."  Why?  Here's some reasons:

1.  One of my nicknames in high school was Captain Obvious.  I'm sure some of you qualified for the same name.  Statements like "It's hot" in an Arkansas summer are pre-qualifiers.  I had such moments as "when the lights go out, it gets dark out here" at a high school football game.  I even had a hat with my name and title.  Was the only specific gift I remember from my 16th birthday.  So, there's part of the Obvious.

2.  There's also this: much of what I write is about seeing the things that, in hindsight, are obvious in how God works and who He is.  Not all of it is, and, in fact, much of it's not so obvious on the front end.  It's perhaps more of a "That should have been obvious" feeling, but I was aiming for a short title.

3.  Ordinary.  I have wanted, and still often do want, to be famous, amazing, or important.  Not just to be important to my children and amazing to my wife, but world-renowned for something.  Or for several things.  One part of how I'm seeing God correct me is to point out that I am called to be quite the opposite.  I'm ordinary.  And this isn't a bad thing.  I'm an ordinary pastor of a mostly ordinary church.  We aren't setting records at giving or baptisms or missions, and I'm not setting records with blog readers or using up all my free podcasting bandwidth.  I haven't been invited to preach at great conferences (or mediocre ones).  Neither have I been nominated for high offices in the denomination.  In fact, last year I was initially informed I had been placed on one of the most influential committees, and then was put on something much lower.

And I'm learning to be ok with this.  Part of what I want to blog about is how God is at work through ordinary people like me and like most of my readers.  How God works through ordinary activities, ordinary jobs, ordinary life circumstances. Not that I'd turn down that speaking gig, mind you, but rather that I need to not need to get it.  I need to go through life happy if it never comes.

4.  Ordinary, also, because it's a liturgical term, and many of my readers don't get liturgical.  You're going to have to look that word up, aren't you?  A liturgy is an organized, formal order of worship that is standard throughout a group of people.  That's the short form definition.  The typical liturgy has the Ordinary and the Proper, the latter of which changes based on times, seasons, and church historical events.  The ordinary is nearly the same every time, every place.  It's the root, the grounding, of the worship service.  Through all times and seasons, there are things we need reminded of.  So, ordinary.  And those who know me know that Proper wouldn't have worked.  Plus, being Baptist, I didn't want to mislead my Orthodox brethren by using Ordinary, Proper, and Common and have them thinking I was one of them.  You're welcome to be here if you're not Baptist, but I shouldn't con you into thinking I'm not.  We all have our faults, after all…

5.  Obvious and Ordinary: Basically, the blog of a normal person, seeking to serve the One True God, in ways that aren't really meant to attract worldwide fame and fortune.

Now, dear readers that have gotten this far: I need your opinions.  Does it work? Should I just go back? What other ideas have you got?

Doug

 

PS---In my search for fame and fortune, I am available on Amazon Kindle for $0.99 a month.  Here's the link: .  I don't think anyone's ever even looked at it, and the graphic is 3 blog changes behind.  I need to fix that.

January 3 Sermons

Morning Audio link is here.

Evening Audio link is here.

 

Here is the AM Outline.  There isn't one for the evening.

Where knowledge begins: Proverbs 1:1-7

I. The fear of the God

a. Notice here: the small caps. This shows us that it is God’s covenant name used, indicating specifically which God we’re talking about

b. It is not a generic fear of some unknown deity that begins wisdom

c. It is fear of the One True God

d. Fear:

i. Respect

ii. Honor

iii. Worship

iv. And, yes, intimidation: He is all-powerful and perfect and holy.

II. From knowing and fearing God, we then move to understand:

a. Righteousness: living a right life

b. Justice: helping others understand what’s right

c. Equity: doing right for others

d. Prudence: making right choices in a chaotic world

e. Wise behavior: the decisions that sustain life

III. Good for all ages:

a. Youths: those who have not learned from experience

i. Discretion: when not to do what the urge is to do

ii. Knowledge: the things that need to be known

b. Wise man: those who have learned

i. From the Word

ii. From experience

iii. Increase in understanding: it doesn’t stop

iv. Beware of feeling like you don’t need to learn/grow

IV. Act on the wisdom

a. Solomon had wisdom

b. He laid out many proverbs (1 Kings 4:32 mentions 3000)

c. He had a little bit of difficulty following them all.

d. Why? Eventually, the fear of one of his many wives outweighed the fear of the Lord (1 Kings 11:4)

e. Wisdom that we fail to act on is worse than ignorance

V. How to act?

a. Read the Word: there is no substitute for reading the Word. Well, except hearing the Word: audio is as good, sometimes better, if you actually listen!

b. Study the Word: don’t be stagnant or flippant to rush it through: strive to understand. Find a good way to learn what you don’t yet comprehend

c. Memorize the Word: while you won’t be asked to quote Scripture at the pearly gates, it’s of great benefit in this world. We’re memorizing Philippians---yes, the whole book. Memorize spot verses, but try a challenge: read, and re-read.

d. Share the Word: with like-minded folks, speak of and discuss the Scriptures and what you’re learning. And how you intend to turn that learning into actions

e. Spread the Word: to those who don’t know: we must spread the Word of God

f. Accept the Word: if none of these sound like what you would want, if you have no interest in growing in His wisdom, understanding His Word---have you accepted His Word in the first place? God’s grace calls you to accept that the Word became flesh and died for our sins, and to surrender to Christ as Lord. Unconditional Surrender to the Risen Lord: it’s a great way to start the year.

Philippians and #P2R

Memorizing Scripture, word-for-word and with references, has not been one of my strong suits.  Sure, I can tell you about the Word, and I can tell you some of what's in the Word, but generally I need a copy in front of me.

That's not all bad, because right now there are few times in America that reproducing Scripture from memory is all that necessary.  However, in an effort to think more on the things of God and grow in my understanding, I've wanted to do better memorizing.

In the great milieu of Christians that blog, I caught a link to Timmy Brister's blog, where he put out a challenge to join him in memorizing Philippians between January 1 and Easter.  He created an easy to use document that you cut out, paste in a little pocket-sized notebook, and use to help with the process.  The document, found here, is a PDF that most computers can open.  Included are tips to help with memorization, and the complete ESV Bible text of Philippians, allocated into weeks. Ann and I used small notebooks that we had available, and I bought this 3-pack to make notebooks for the kids (they're sold out now, but $3.99 was a good price, and we get free shipping on Amazon. Wal-Mart may have something, the 3x5 size is the main thing).  There's enough space to take notes on the verses and also take notes on prayer requests or other needs in the notebooks.

So, I'll pass on the challenge: anyone else want to memorize Philippians with the Hibbard Family? I told Ann what I was doing, and she decided to do it.  The girls saw me making the notebooks and asked what was going on, and they said they wanted to do it.  Steven then asked where his notebook was when we were making the girls'! So, we're all in.  Steven may have Philippians memorized before he can read.

I would love to fill the choir loft at church with people reciting Philippians the Sunday after Easter (well, I started yesterday, but you didn't, so we can add a week).  Call me, email me, see me for details or help if you need it.

Meanwhile, I'll be occasionally blogging thoughts on Philippians and the process.

Philippians 1:1 (ESV): Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, along with the overseers and deacons:

Among the messages in this verse is this very important one: God speaks to the whole church.  While there is a necessity of a leadership in the body of Christ, we see here that there are no private messages where the overseers and deacons are privy to God's will and "all the saints" are not.

This challenges leaders: if what you are telling your church is God's direction for the church and no one else sees it; if you are giving them interpretations of Scripture that no one else gets; if you are taking a walk and think you're leading: Get back with your people.  They are also recipients of the Word.

This challenges the individual saint: if you are constantly the one in disunity, you need to ask some questions: 1.) Am I filled with the Spirit and able to hear the Word? Keep in mind that an unsaved person hears one basic message from God: Repent and surrender to Christ! If you are saved, are you surrendered to His will and full of His Word? 2.) Am I in a church that is actually trying to follow God's Word? Sometimes we have differing interpretations, and that's ok.  However, if you're constantly irritated by those differences,  you may not be in the right place.  3.) Have I really searched the Scripture on this one?

This challenges the church, saints and leaders: Keep in mind that leaders are a part of the church.  I remember playing games in PE in elementary school, and we would run races where there were groups of kids inside large hula-hoops (or something like that).  One kid was the leader at the front of the hoop, but we were all in the hoop, and we all had to run.  Churches are similar: somebody's in the front of the hoop, but everybody's got to run, and run in the same direction.  Are we (or is your church) running together? Are we at a pace that challenges us without tripping the guy in the back? Who is moving with us, and who is being dragged?

There's some basic thoughts on the first of Philippians.  I'll be back with more thoughts, and no, I'm not preaching Philippians this year, at least not according to plan.  We'll see what happens.

 

Doug

Starting the year off right

Looking over the past decade, one thing I want to express a thankfulness for is the number of people I'm grateful to still have in my life.  You see, my birthday comes before too much longer, and one thing I know is that the older I get, the older the people I look up to get, and the closer to their reward they become.  Now, for some, that reward is simply to retire and disappear somewhere, unbothered by the likes of me, but for others that reward has been to go home. The latter was the case with my speech professor in college, Dr. Buckelew.

So, I'm going to express some personal sentiment here about people I'm glad are starting the new year alive.  Except saving the best for last, there's no order.  Also: this is about ministry mentors and teachers.  Just because you're not mentioned by name doesn't mean I'm not thankful for you to be alive too.

1.  The old cohort of OBU professors: Drs. Hays, Duvall, Carter, and Vang, even though Dr. Vang has relocated to Florida.  These men were a strong influence in my OBU days, and 3 of them are still in Arkadelphia.  I learn almost as much going to the 1 day pastor's conference they put together as I do any other time. Dr. Vang still has many good things to say on Facebook, and was his usual cheerfully challenging self when I saw him last summer.  I don't doubt that I could email any of them with an issue and get a good opinion.

2.  Larry Romack: my old youth minister who is now a pastor.  And who has had to have his heart re-done this year.  Not his heart in the semi-spiritual concept, but the real blood-pumping muscle.  I need to get together with him more, if only virtually, but it just seems a little hard. Anyway, he and Lyndra have been one of my prime examples of a life in ministry.

3.  Emil Turner: Dr. Turner at the ABSC has become one of the prime shapers of how I look at life in Arkansas Baptist-dom, as well as helping shape how I've handled several things in ministry.  While there are others at the Baptist Building that I am glad to count as a friend and who I know I can call on, Dr. Turner is one I strongly look up to.  Except for that whole LSU thing.

4.  This spot should be filled with someone, but I can't nail a name down.  There are quite a few individuals that I interact with that help me grow, and I hope I help them grow.  Some are real-life friends, some are blog friends that I think would be real-life friends if they moved to the Promised Land.

5.  Finally, it's good to have Dad still around.  More and more of my friends talk about missing their fathers, how challenging life is without dads around.  And since the older I get, the smarter Dad is, I can see that it will someday be a problem.  For right now, though, I'm glad I don't have that.

 

Cherish the people you have around you, and stop to consider who you're glad to have in your life.  Don't wait to see how much you cry at their funeral, but show it now.

Doug