The perfect organization

Posted on June 30, 2010 by donrecord

Recently, I read the story of the woman who annointed Jesus’ feet with perfume and dried them with her hair at a dinner party. (John 12) In the middle of imagining what a socially awkward moment that must have been, I noticed something that I have missed in the many other times I have read this story. Check it out:

⁴ But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, ⁵ “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” ⁶ Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. John 12:4-6

Jesus hired a thief. Of the 12 men Jesus chose to represent him and run his organization, one of them was a thief. Now you may say (correctly) that Jesus knew what Judas was up to, and needed him there to fulfill prophecy and betray him…but the fact remains that if you gave money to Jesus’ organization, some of it was going to wind up in Judas’ robe pockets. (Ok, I’m not 100% sure that they had pockets back then, but otherwise I don’t even want to think where he put his wallet.)

Nothing makes me angrier than when churches, charities, and other organizations waste or misuse money that is given to them to help others. I often hear stories from people who are now hesitant to donate, because of waste a fraud they have seen in other organizations. I want to make sure that no one EVER steals or wastes money that generous people have given to actionchurch!

Here’s what struck me though, as I read those verses. There is no “Perfect” organization. Jesus Christ himself wasn’t surrounded by a perfect organization. There was waste and fraud going on at “Disciples Inc.” As a church we’re going to try to be wise in what charitable organizations we partner with. We’ll do our best to investigate and make sure that money and resources we give is used properly. I think you should do the same in your finances. I think you should ask questions and check out any organization (including actionchurch) that you trust with your resources.

I don’t think any of us should use the excuse that we don’t serve and give to others because we can’t find the “perfect” organization. If the one perfect man who ever walked the earth wasn’t surrounded by the perfect organization…it probably isn’t going to exist.

The story behind Toy Story

Posted on June 29, 2010 by donrecord

I’m looking forward to seeing Toy Story 3 with my daughter. I love taking her to pixar filmsbecause their stories are interesting and moving, whether you are 4 or 40. (Pretty much the opposite of Barbie: Fairytopia, which made me want to remove my eyes with my overpriced movie theatre soda straw).

I have always thought of Pixar as sort of an “overnight success” as a company. I remember when their first (and “THE FIRST”) computer animated film,Toy Story came out in 95, it became the highest grossing film of the year. Not a bad first attempt for a “new company”. They took a new technology and completely revolutionized the filmaking industry.

Here’s something I didn’t know about Pixar. Toy Story came out NINE YEARS after their initial start up. Until Toy Story, they never made a profit. In fact, for five years, one of their most notable early investors; Steve Jobs, LOST over one million dollars A YEAR keeping the dream of Pixar films alive.

The team at Pixar had the right idea. They set out to do something no one else had ever seen. They had a vision to tell timeless stories with a new technology. They persevered and sacrificed in even the most discouraging times, until technology and culture “caught up” with their vision. Their refusal to quit made them an “overnight success”.

There’s something really inspiring about that…something that makes me more certain than ever that the best days are yet to come for actionchurch. Now, I just wonder if Steve Jobs would be interested…

How to "spend" your life.

Posted on June 28, 2010 by donrecord

This Sunday at actionchurch we talked about a difficult subject, from a difficult scripture, at the end of a difficult week, and I’m so glad we did! Honestly, last week sermon prep felt like “digging at place marked X” from a treasure map…and digging…and digging…and just before giving up, finally finding the “buried treasure.”

In Luke 16 Jesus talked about a highly unlikely “hero”, a dishonest business manager who is about to be fired for wasting his bosses assets. Because his options for further employment look dismal, the shady employee decides to “make friends” who will help him later by “cooking the books” and erasing part of the debts they owe to his employer. He hopes that, in appreciation of his creative accounting, they will take care of him after he is fired.

The amazing thing about this passage in Luke is that Jesus said that we could learn something from this “dishonest rascal”

.⁹ Here’s the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.” Luke 16:9

I’ve been struggling with this parable. It sounds like “buying your way into heaven”, which contradicts so much of the other teaching of scripture. I’ve come to understand though that Jesus was talking about “trading the things we can’t keep, for the things we can’t lose”. Jesus was discribing an amazing opportunity to “spend” our life…our money…our time…our abilities and connections, to make sure that some day many friends would welcome us when we get to heaven. We can “befriend” Jesus by helping “the least of these” (Matt. 25:31-46) and in the process invite many other friends to be with us in heaven.

actionchurch exists to “benefit others and make friends…in Heaven”. I am so thankful for all of you who chose to “spend your life” being part of the action.

Thanks so much to all of you who stepped up to volunteer this week. Thanks to all of you who donate your time, money, and talent every week. As I said yesterday, I think the best is truly yet to come. I think that someday we will gather together with many new and old friends in heaven because of what we do together at actionchurch. Most of all, I believe that someday we all will settle our account of “what we did with what we have”. I am so thankful for the opportunity we’ve all been given to have friendly faces welcoming us in that moment.