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Tag Archives: purpose

Purpose and Meaning

15 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by laceduplutheran in Church, Humanity, Theology

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Church, meaning, purpose, questions

Have you ever driven through sections of town that raise questions?  When you look around, you can’t help but wonder what happened?  Have you driven through a city to a section where you can literally see a lack of hope and future in the faces of the people and the properties and the landscaping?  The entire area just looks and feels empty of life.  There is survival, but that’s about it.  And often it gets summed up as this – Why am I still here?

So often we look to government to provide for people who are poor – and government does to some degree.  But government is limited – it can only touch on people’s material needs.  It can’t touch the intangibles.

These are intangibles like community, spiritual needs, existential needs.  I don’t care who you are, we all have these needs and often these needs are going unmet.

This is an opportunity for the church.  This is one area that the church has a unique opportunity and role in the lives of people – to do something that no one else can do.  To help people answer the question of why they are still here.

There are many people who seek purpose and meaning.  It’s as if they are waiting for an answer to just show up.  They don’t know where to search for the answer to the age-old question – and so they just exist.  And after you have done that for a long time, you forget that you were searching.  And instead, you bide your time, you distract yourself, and you find ways to fill the void in life.  Too many turn to unhealthy distractions of drugs, alcohol, sex, and entertainment.  Others turn to work and materialism.

But none of these can offer the answer to these deep questions about life.  And this is where the church can step in and help people with these questions.  It’s what makes the church unique.  But it requires a long-term commitment.  It requires an outward focus.  It requires trust and a willingness to ask difficult questions and sit with uncomfortable questions.  It takes time.

Purpose and meaning – even people who we think don’t care about these things really do.  Purpose and meaning are the difference between existing today and having direction.

The purpose of life

09 Thursday Feb 2017

Posted by laceduplutheran in Humanity, Society, Theology

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contentment, happiness, Joy, life, purpose

There are many people who argue that the purpose of life is to be happy.

I say that’s a bunch of bull.

Happiness is a fleeting emotion.  It comes and goes.  If our purpose in life is to be happy, then we will miss out on experiencing the fullness of life and life’s emotions.

There are times when we should be sad, angry, and a host of other things.  There are appropriate times for these things.  And they are not bad all the time.  They are a part of life.

I think there are more important things in life than being happy.

That’s not to say that happiness isn’t a good thing – it is.  Who doesn’t like to be happy anyway?  But to base one’s entire purpose in life on being happy?  Well, that just seems lacking the full experience of life.

Maybe some better options would be joy or contentment.  These are states of being.  You can experience sadness, yet still have joy.

Maybe the purpose of life goes beyond emotions and feelings.

Maybe it goes beyond states of being too.

Maybe the purpose of life is to live it as fully as we can.  Maybe the purpose of life has more to do with relationships – to God, to others, to self, and to the rest of creation.

Maybe the purpose of life is more than just seeking an emotion that comes and goes.

The purpose of life

26 Thursday May 2016

Posted by laceduplutheran in Humanity, Theology

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

answers, life, purpose, questions

What is the purpose of life?  It’s a question many contemplate, some offer answers and many avoid – too afraid of what the answer might be, or afraid of the lack of answer.

Is happiness the purpose of life?  I don’t think so.  Happiness is a fleeting emotion that comes and goes.  It seems like purpose would be involved something more long-term.

Is power the purpose of life?  I don’t think so, although we certainly see plenty of people seeking it, thinking that it will give them everything they need.

Is the pursuit of money the purpose of life?  I don’t think so.  I have read about too many people who sought money and once they obtained it were more miserable than when they lacked money.

Is sex the purpose of life?  I don’t think so.

Is working the purpose of life?  Really?  You even have to ask?

What is the purpose of life?  Family?  Pleasure?  Relaxation?  Sport?  Health?  Entertainment?  What?

People seek out so many things that they think are the purpose of life – as if the purpose of life were some kind of object or destination.

I believe that the purpose of life is the pursuit of life – it’s the process by which we live.  It’s what guides us each day – not to obtain anything or get anywhere, but to live our life to its fullest – to be fully oneself, unlike anyone else.  This will be different for each person because we have been given different gifts and talents by God.  We are stewards of these gifts and we are called on to use them in life to their fullest.  I think God gives us these things and watches and urges us in directions and is full of joy to see what we make of these gifts in our own creative ways.  This is one way of looking at it – certainly not the only way.  Maybe not even the best way, but its one way.

How would you answer the question – what is the purpose of life?

Link

Is Too Much Collaboration a Bad Thing?

22 Thursday May 2014

Posted by laceduplutheran in Organizational theory

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bill Clinton, campaign, collaboration, goal, James Carville, Jason Fried, meetings, mission, organization, politics, purpose, TED

Is Too Much Collaboration a Bad Thing?

I listened to a very interesting TED radio hour yesterday as I was driving.  It is called “Is Too Much Collaboration a Bad Thing?”  The link to the segment is above.  This segment involved Jason Fried.  I found the segment very interesting, and I thought it was on target.  I think collaboration can be a good thing, but like anything, too much of it is just that, too much.  I did find it interesting that Mr. Fried essentially equated meetings with collaboration.  I think the two are different, but that’s a minor point frankly.  Meetings are terrible.  I fall in line with the idea that meetings are usually way too long, unfocused, and excuses to not do work.  Most people have a small part to play in a meeting then sit there bored out of their mind just waiting for the meeting to be over so they can get back to work.  Work doesn’t happen in meetings.  Decisions can happen in meetings, but often they can happen in other ways too.  Now that I’ve ripped on meetings, let me say there are times when meetings are useful.

I remember reading a book by James Carville, a political guy who ran Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.  Leave his politics aside, that doesn’t matter for the purpose of this post.  The guy is a campaign genius though and I have great respect for that.  He knows how to run campaigns and do messaging for campaigns.  There’s something to learn from that even if you don’t like his politics.  At any rate, I remember reading in one of his books that he said that he believed that no meeting should ever go longer than 10 minutes.  10 minutes.  I’ll let that sink in for a moment.

Here’s a guy running a presidential campaign.  It’s a nationwide organization.  And he never let a meeting go past 10 minutes.  Hmmm.  And we have small organizations that can’t get out of a meeting in under two hours.  Something’s wrong with that picture.

Collaboration can be good.  It can be too much.  Meetings can be good or too much.  But just like anything, they are tools.  The point is to keep the main point in mind and in focus.  Will a meeting at this juncture assist the organization if accomplishing its goal/mission/purpose/etc.?  Or are we doing a meeting because we don’t what to do next?  How can we collaborate effectively so people can get stuff done without interrupting them?  How can we think outside of the box?  What is the easiest answer?  What’s holding us back from doing it?  Is it a good reason?

Questions are usually pretty good at helping to bring things to light.  Enjoy.  The TED talk is about eight minutes.

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laceduplutheran

laceduplutheran

I believe that God, church, and theology are approachable, enjoyable, and relevant for everyone. I write about this a lot because people need to hear it. So many people feel lost, hopeless, alone, and are searching for identity and meaning. I'm an ELCA Pastor (Lutheran) who has a background in politics, business, and the non-profit worlds. I take churchy theological ideas and words and communicate them in everyday language that people can understand, in ways that relate, and show that God, church, and theology matter a great deal. Oh, and it doesn't have to be boring either - mostly because it's the best news ever!

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