TimSpivey.com

Why Don't People Like LeBron?

Now that the NBA Finals is in the books, I want to ask: Why do some people loathe LeBron James? I'm not sure those busy dancing on LeBron's grave this morning are all that sure. For many, they just know there's something about him they don't like. Ironically, the same was/is true of Dirk Nowitzki. Every year, Dirk and the Mavericks have endured the infamous and overblown "can't win the big one," "soft," or "choker" label. This year, though, everyone began rooting for them--largely because they were facing LeBron James and the Heat. Why?

Here's my crack at it:

I actually really, really liked LeBron until his move to the Heat. I loved the idea of an awful franchise getting a home-grown player--the greatest since Jordan--and parlaying that into urban renewal and a championship. LeBron, though, doesn't live to impress me. It's his choice what team to play for, so I didn't really resent his decision other than to view it as a possible attempt at a shortcut. However, it felt like I watched him change before my eyes. Predicting the 8 championships. The TV special on his "Decision," and the presumption that by taking a shortcut (and that's what it was), that makes one a champion. You could see this attitude at play in LeBron and Wade's premature celebration during game 2 of the Finals and making fun of Nowitzki's illness after game 4. Immature, foolish, and not a good way to endear people to you.

One more thing: the Heat's assembly of a team felt like all the biggest kids in the schoolyard conspiring to up on the same team, beating everyone else at basketball, and acting like the match was fair. It felt like a Heavyweight boxing in the Welterweight division--or TEAM USA joining the NBA. The Heat didn't draft those players, nor did they play together over time and have to work for it. Thus, the Heat were loathed for the same reason the Yankees are: not because they're good...because their great...the wrong way...by design of the star players and ownership involved. Now, LeBron is hated for the same reason Alex Rodriguez is--he's the face of what people believe is wrong with sports today--lack of parody, egos, shortcuts. If he stays a long time, he'll be respected like Jeter, Posada, and Rivera are.

Even so, there's a way to carry yourself. I call it, "Acting like a champion." This is why people see Derek Jeter as a champion and generally like him despite the fact that he plays for the Great Evil. It's not just the championships. It's how he plays, and how he carries himself. It's not even about quiet or loud. It's about maturity. The reality of the 2011 NBA Finals was...the Heat were "outmatured" by the Mavericks. Even Mark Cuban wasn't doing his normal routine. They won because they were better--better by being older, wiser and better unit. It was Team Tortoise beating Team Hare. To be sure, the Mavs had lot's of talent--but not Heat-level talent. They won because they "out-matured" the Heat. The Heat were a bundle of grapes and the Mavs were wine.

I don't think people's loathing of LeBron is totally fair to LeBron. He lives a generally clean life, he does a lot for charity, and may even go down as the greatest player ever by the time it's done. But, to earn the respect of the masses, he'll have to not only get a ring, but have to "earn it." That may mean failing a few times with the Heat. It may mean taking heat from the press without talking about how much pressure you play under all the time. Dirk has been fileted by the media since LeBron was in Junior High and never received a quarter of the accolades. But, he never even talks about it. He just plays.

To Dirk, Jason Kidd, and the Mavericks, congratulations. LeBron, you'll get yours. In the mean time, strive to act like a champion so that when you are one, we can cheer for you. We want to. It means doing what Dirk and Kidd did last night. Dirk had his John Elway moment last night. And now, he went from being a great player to being a real champion. I, for one, hope LeBron has that moment, too.

Tomorrow we'll actually offer some theological reflections on the NBA Finals...if that's possible :)

Give me your thoughts. Why do you think some people don't like LeBron? Is how we assess people like LeBron fair, or is it simply jealousy?

 

Baseball Flow Chart

As the dawn of baseball nears...here's a fun little exercise: the baseball flow chart. Answer the questions on the flow chart and see what baseball team you should be a fan of. Thanks to Mike Cope for this one. Click on the photo to see it at original size.

Things that Changed my 2010, part 1 - Books and Resources

The series on leadership and NVC updates will continue this week as well. However, it's also that time of year again...time for the "best of" lists. Here are some of the books and miscellany I enjoyed particularly this year. There are other books read, and other resources implemented, but these were some of my favorites. I welcome yours.

Books

• Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne. Quite simply one of the best, accessible leadership books around. The focus is on building healthy leadership teams as a/the highest priority of your ministry. Without health in leadership teams, the other stuff really won't happen. I agree completely. I nodded my neck sore reading it, and will vouch for North Coast's implementation of it's principles. 
• Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll. A church-planting memoir, the planting of Mars Hill Church in Seattle is a fascinating, humorous, frightening, and triumphal story of God's work in one of America's most difficult cities to evangelize. I had read this book shortly after it came out, and recently reread it. It's a must-read for church planters who really want to get a biographical look at the grand journey.
• Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion, by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. A practical apologetic rebuking the Emergent church movement. If you have some concerns about the Emergent movement or if you just want to hear another voice, this is a good read from two thoughtful young guys. I'm one who is sympathetic to some of the concerns raised by the Emergent movement, but one who believe it's quite dangerous to the Church in it's newer forms.
• Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ Through Community, by James Wilhoit. I loved this book. It's a wonderful mixture of theological rationale for spiritual formation and how-to knowledge for those seeking systematic ways to shape people into the image of Christ over time. His version of the spiral curriculum became a key component in my doctoral project, and will be a part of NVC's spiritual formation processes.
• Why Jesus?, by William Willimon. I love nearly everything Willimon says or writes. This is his newest, and Why Jesus addresses many of the biggest questions surrounding the nature and supremacy of Christ in language that is easy to understand. Any time a book helps you see Jesus in new ways and will help others do the same...it's a winner. Willimon simply deserves to be on here for lifetime achievement as well. His writings have had a significant influence on my ministry over the years.
• Conspicuously absent from the list...books on preaching. 2010 was an off (or at least quiet) year in preaching books in my opinion. There were new editions of Craddock and Long that came out...but we need some new voices in preaching that really have something to say. Get writing friends :) If there was a book on preaching you particularly enjoyed, please drop it in the comments section.

Miscellany 

• Ipad. It replaced my paper planner and news source. I now preach from it, read all books on it, and waste immense amounts of time on it with sheer glee.
• Kindle for IPad. Kindle still rules the E-book world. Their books are still a hair cheaper, but the feature that allows you to view highlights and notes online is priceless for preachers who can cut and paste them into Word docs or Powerpoint slides. IBooks looks cooler. But, it's all hat, and no cattle--fewer, more expensive books, and no online feature. Kindle doesn't look as flashy...but has more game. It's the Pittsburgh Steelers of the E-book world. My wife also has a Kindle, and we get to share libraries.
• GMail. I know this one sounds duh. But, I vowed to become a black belt at GMail and after many months of finding my groove and adapting it for Spivey life, it transformed my ability to work on-the-go. GMail smokes any other email/task/chat/etc. program out there. And, it's free
• Evernote. Great way to organize life for those who embrace David Allen's Getting Things Done time managment principles. If you haven't read Getting Things Done, you need to. Evernote is available and syncable in virtually every format you can imagine to. So, life is easy to manage and keep current.

Give me some of your best of 2010.

Are You Listening? Election Night Lessons

Regardless of spin, last night's election results were a rebuke to our President and the existing Congress. Somehow the President has gone from the super mandate (super majorities in both houses of Congress and the Presidency) to nearly losing both houses and falling to "one-term" status in current presidential polls.

The political stuff here should be read through a ministry lens. I'm sure you can apply what I'm saying to your context.

Here's why I think last night happened:

It happened because people feel like no one is listening. They also feel like their leaders think they are dumb and that they know better--so they are passing things most people don't want. Yes, it has to do with policy, etc. But, the volume of the shout America gave last night came because they want government to listen. Current government isn't listening well, and so, the people are speaking more loudly. That's my take: decline via deafness.

In his fantastic book, How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins observes the first step in the process of decline is what he calls "The Hubris Born of Success." Brilliant, and, unfortunately, fitting. At a variety of levels, our President has acted with hubris born of his own success. It's what we hear as he insults his predecessor, and what we sense as he critiques his opponents. Nothing illustrates this hubris better than his statement to his Republican opponents during the health care debate, "Elections have consequences." Indeed they do.

The second phase of decline, according to Collins: Undisciplined Pursuit of More. Nuff said.

The third phase: Denial of risk and peril. Even into the evening last night, Nancy Pelosi still claimed the Democrats were in position to hold the House.

The fourth: Grasping for salvation.

The fifth: Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death.

Sadly, our President has provided a master class in how to speed through the first 3 phases. I'm hopeful he will, at stage 4, learn from the experience and change course. What does that look like?

If I were Obama, here's what I would do (not that he cares what I think):

• Be quiet about your predecessor unless you are going to say something respectful. Be gracious, not ugly or vicious. Why? Because it's unbecoming and, as you're learning, it's a more difficult job than it looked like. True, you've been dealt a difficult hand...but your predecessor had to deal with the awful Bush-Gore voting mess, the bursting of the tech bubble and 9-11 within his first year. No violins for either of you. Don't demand credit for anything yet. Get the country through this and you may get credit. If not, you're in a service occupation anyway.
• Stop calling everything you do "unprecedented." First of all, it's usually not. Second, other people need to say that for you.
• Throw the other side a bone every now and then. You can't lead by polls, but you can't lead against the will of the people all the time. In each of these cases the strong majority of the country disagreed with you--Ft. Hood, trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, Arizona, Ground-Zero Mosque, health-care, stimulus, bailouts, etc.---pick one...any one...and throw the other side a bone. Just one of those would have helped you out a lot.
• Chill with the class and race warfare rhetoric. No "back of the bus" or "enemies" stuff. Head back to more hopeful rhetoric. Help us believe you, at times, like us and you like America. Right now, it feels to some like you don't.

All of these can happen without compromising your core beliefs. All of them are about attitude, pastoral heart, and leadership. Our President has these traits in him, but he needs to listen to the voice of the people, love them, and lead them. Whether it's a church or a country, last night's lessons are the same. Listen, lead, love.

How to you interpret last night's results? What advice would you give the President? What mistake or virtue do you see in our President and typical church leaders? Note: Only comments that are appropriate in tone and content will be posted. I would love to hear your observations.

 

Where Did all the Men Go?

I’ve shared before that I think many churches do a very poor job of reaching men. Women attend church over men by a 61-39 margin. Why is this? No, it’s not because women are just more spiritual—though there are certainly some amazing women of God out there.

I think it could be in large part because the church seems to have only 2 things to say to men: 1) don’t do porn and 2) be a better husband and father than you are. I think some men might even say the church is maternalistic rather than challenging and blaming rather than welcoming to them. In essence, the church lacks a serious vision of biblical manhood they can communicate with relevance.  This is such a shame, because men have so much to offer the Church and can do so much to further the Kingdom.

This of course isn’t to knock on the Sisters. I could (and will eventually) write on the importance of women in the church. However, the ugly reality of male disappearance from our churches should give us all pause and give us the opportunity to examine the subject. We need to come to terms with the fact that many men not only hate going to church...they view Christianity itself is suspect. They don’t feel like they can be a "man" and a Christian at the same time. Such men feel like being a Christian somehow makes you more feminine…and, truthfully, the church sends messages unintentionally that ratifies that fact.

I heard someone (a minister actually) say of Jesus last week, “I can’t worship a guy I can beat up.” It's an absurd comment on a number of levels. First of all, you couldn’t beat up Jesus. Secondly, why would you want to? Third, what difference does it make? However, to be fair, what does it say about the way Jesus has been portrayed that a mortal human would make such a statement? It isn't just the church, it's sometimes Jesus that some men fear following because are afraid they would have to turn in their man-card to do so. At one level, we all turn in all our cards when we follow Jesus. At another level, Jesus doesn't call men to stop being men in order to follow him. He created them as men and calls them to follow Him as men.

Again, statistically, women outnumber men 61% to 39% in America’s churches.  It’s time for us to consider why, and what we plant to do about it. Churches without men are churches that are missing something.

There are a number of churches (e.g., Mars Hill in Seattle and CCV in Peoria, AZ) that really take this seriously. At NCCC, we work really hard on this, and, thanks be to God, we beat the national average of female-male by a ways. I'm sure there are churches doing a much better job, but here are a few things we’ve done to try to call men to be all God wants them to be:

• Our men’s ministry, ManPowerTeam, is…well…manly. I know some will say, “Well, Tim, define manly.” I don’t need to. Most of us know when something is masculine, and when it’s feminine. Less pink, more black. More meat and adventure, less quiche and conversation (not that there's anything wrong with that, ladies :). True, men do come in different types (golf-type, Starbucks type, grease-monkey type, desert-rat type, sports-nut type, hunter/fishing guy, accountant/business guy, and artistic/creative guy), however, they are threads that runs through most/all men. We try to help men become Christ-following men.
• The foundation of the ministry is the ManPowerTeam breakfast. It's every 3rd Saturday of the month at 7:01am. About 150 men come every time. It's a melting pot in every way, but everyone wears their gear. It's branded like the logo above. The homeless guys wear it, the corporate guys wear it. We have hoodies, t-shirts, water bottles, cups, flags, decals...you name it. It's like a jersey in sports--group identity. Notice the 2 Timothy 1:7 imprint under the eagle. "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline." Boom.
• We keep it fun. Guys like challenges and they like to laugh. We do things like Man vs. Breakfast ... an eating competition involving 4-pound Carne Asada breakfast burritos or 2-foot stacks of pancakes. It's outstanding! Video is also a big part of what we do. We have a ball making videos that make fun of something...or satire something like the A-Team, 24, or such shows.
• After breakfast, we spend about 45 minutes in devotional and some encouraging things I'll lay out tomorrow.
• I can't even cover the breakfast in one post. So, I'll pick some of that up tomorrow. But, MPT (ManPower Team) is much more than a breakfast. We are involved in a ton of ministry as well.
• This week, Thabit Jubran, our Men's Ministry leader will join me for a podcast talking about ministry to men.

More tomorrow...

What does your church do to reach men and develop them spiritually?

What do you wish your church would do to reach men more effectively?

Why do you think women outnumber men 61%-39% in American churches?

 

Win Forever – Pete Carroll on Leadership

Last week, Emily and I were on vacation in Arizona. We go to the desert in the summers because the rates go down, and our kids are at peak pool age. We do a lot of relaxing and reading between times playing with the kids in the pool.

Among the books I read this past week was Win Forever, by Pete Carroll. I picked it up with great enthusiasm as a member of the Trojan faithful. There are some cynics who will take some cheap shots at Carroll, but as best I could ever tell, he did his best to run a clean, classy program that has done wonders for the inner city of Los Angeles. He had a player who made bad decisions that has cost the program dearly, but those who have watched the program up close over the years know what kind of man Pete Carroll is…and so do his peers.

Pete Carroll took over a USC football program mired in mediocrity and a tepid response to his hire from the fan base. The 2008 season culminated in USC's seventh straight Pac-10 Championship, seventh straight BCS bowl appearance (he went 6-1 in those BCS bowls) and seventh straight finish in the top 4 in college football. That's enduring winning. That's excellence over time…and something I'd love to bring to my ministry. I don't want the quality of my ministry to ebb and flow. I want to give God the best I can year after year after year. Win forever is Carroll's philosophy of winning. Here are some of the principles he puts forth, and you'll probably be able to see the applications for ministry fairly easily. Here are just a couple quick principles:

Carroll has a deep love for John Wooden, perhaps the greatest coach that's ever lived. Carroll, who credits Wooden's for being both influential and inspirational in his life, writes on Page 109, "At USC I introduced 'Three Rules,' which became the foundational elements of our program: Rule 1. Always Protect the Team; Rule 2. No Whining, No Complaining, No Excuses; Rule 3. Be Early."

Beyond fleshing those ideas out, he talks about the importance of creating an environment in which the gifts that each player brings can be fully set free. He also points out the importance of practice (allowing you not to tense up or worry because you are ridiculously prepared).

Those of us in ministry underestimate preparation (spiritual and practical) for events, weekends, and opportunities the Lord sets before us. We would do well to prepare. We harp on this all the time at NCCC, and it serves us well. We don't go into Sundays tense any more, because we're there early, prepared for God to move. Saturday night specials (sermons) are not good for preachers, and last-minute ministry tends to give you half the quality with twice the anxiety. Throwing things together at the last minute isn't good ministry. Be early.

On staff, we really work to put people in a position to shine for the Kingdom by putting them where they are gifted and where they enjoy serving. We work to remove the things that discourage and hinder full release of a minister's gifts for Kingdom purposes. We do the same with volunteers. Anyone who leads or serves anywhere will be most effective when they are prepared and released to serve according to the gifts they were given, "Just as the Spirit chose" (1 Cor. 12:11).

Always Protect the Team. This means more than just looking out for one another as Carroll fleshes it out. It means conducting yourself in such a way on and off the field that you never do anything that might reflect poorly on the team or cause a distraction that might take the team off mission. If you swap in "church" or "staff" for "team," it makes a lot of sense, doesn't it. How many times has staff turmoil or misconduct hurt a church or held it's effectiveness hostage?

There's an awful lot more in the book worth blogging, but you can read it for yourself. Win Forever is obviously a must-read for Trojan fans. However, it's also worth reading for those interested in the John Wooden stream of leadership. If you are interested in consistent quality and learning how a successful team is built and functions...the book will be a relatively quick and entertaining read during which you'll learn some good stuff from a seasoned leader.

Vin Scully Announces John Wooden's Passing

Vin Scully announces John Wooden's passing during the Dodger Game.

Call ‘em like you see ‘em

It's no secret to most of you that I am a big baseball fan. I played from the time I was 4 through a brief stint in college and other than the strike in the 1990s that led to the cancellation of the World Series—never veered away from being a rabid fan. Two fairly important things happened in baseball yesterday.

First, Ken Griffey Jr. retired. He is the best outfielder I've ever seen…including Barry Bonds. Willie Mays is my favorite player of all time, and the Mantle fans will come after me…but one can easily make the case that he's the greatest center-fielder ever. In the steroid era, he kept himself clean, and dominated with the glove, the arm, the bat, and speed. He absolutely loved playing. I wish him the best and if you ever need someone to point your kids to as an example of the complete player who played for the love of the game…point to Griffey.

Second, Jim Joyce made one of the worst officiating calls I've ever seen. Armando Galarraga took a perfect game 8 2/3 innings. One out away from the perfect game, Galarraga delivered the pitch which was grounded to the right side. Galarraga went to cover first, caught the throw and touched the bag at least a complete step ahead of the runner…who was called safe. 

Good-bye perfect game. 

The call was blown. 

Jim Joyce admitted it after the game and literally gave Gallaraga a hug and apologized. Today, he is the boob of America…called everything from blind, to stupid, to things which I cannot name on this humble blog. 

Hmmm…

I was blessed to throw and be a part of several no-hitters and perfect games over the years, and there is simply nothing like it. To do it at the Major League level is a feat that is nearly impossible...and I am really, really, really, really, bummed for Armando Gallaraga. 

I don't like umpires, referees, etc. Mostly because when I have played sports, some allow their attitudes toward players and coaches to skew their calls...pay back, etc. I learned from the time I was a kid not to let a bad call phase me visibly, because I would pay for it later. Having said that, I feel really bad for Jim Joyce today. I think he simply called it like he saw it, and blew it.

At one level...that's not OK. It cost someone a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At another level, that's OK. Nobody's perfect. Galarraga had it right in the post-game interviews. When asked for his thoughts about the call, he said, "Nobody's perfect." Atta boy. I hope he throws another perfecto next time out.

When leaders make mistakes...we need to admit it...and not in a forced, insincere way. When people make mistakes that cost us, we need to accept those apologies and show grace...because next week, it could be us, O Lord, standin' in the need of prayer.

I've made a number of mistakes over the years, and it has never served me well to cling to my pride or to pretend it didn't hurt anyone. Sure, there are people who won't accept sincere apologies, or think leaders should be perfect. You can't worry about them. You just have to call 'em like you see 'em...and when you blow a call...try to make it right if you can . If you can't, there's a crazy little thing called grace we all need and all give and receive as Christians. Whatever you do...don't hide, don't deny it when it's indisputable that you blew it. Own it, and keep calling' 'em like you see 'em. Jim Joyce probably made hundreds of correct calls before blowing that huge call. That doesn't change the ugliness of the call he made, I just don't think it means he's necessarily a terrible umpire. I do believe he's probably a capable, and, we learned, an honest umpire...and that has to count for something.

A really interesting summer read for you might be, "As They See 'Em: A Fan's Travels in the Land of Umpires. As the author, Bruce Weber, writes, "Who would volunteer for this duty? And why? By now I’ve asked two dozen umpires this, and there is no consensus. Many umpires use the word “calling” to describe their profession—“It’s just like being called to the ministry, as far as I’m concerned,” said Jim Evans, though that is perhaps to give the job a gravity that is hard to justify outside the church of baseball."

 

Dude Perfect

Recently came across these guys... making extremely difficult basketball shots to help needy children. I'd love to say I taught them everything they know. These shots were made at a Christian summer camp. Awesome. My favorite is the first one :)

Their motto: "Just because it's hard doesn't mean it can't be done."

True dat.

Don't ever challenge these guys to a game of HORSE.

Remember When Sports Were Family-Friendly?

I attended my first professional baseball game with my dad when I was about 5 years old. We headed to Chavez Ravine to see the Dodgers take on the Pirates. All I remember is that we were in left field somewhere and the old side-armer, Kent Tekulve, closed the Dodgers out for a Pirates victory (Boooo). In those days baseball was clearly a family affair. Among the major sports, it still may be the most family-friendly. However…

On Saturday night, I took my daughters to Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres for a game. Petco is well known as one of the most family-friendly parks in baseball. The clientele is generally thug-free, and there are all sorts of cool things for kids—like a miniature ball field for kids to play on, and a seating section called "the Beach" with bleacher like seating in right-center field with an enormous sand pit for kids to play in. That's where we were sitting.

It was David Eckstein bobble-head night and the girls were looking forward to getting a "google-head" as Olivia put it. We got there in time to each get one, and had a blast at the game. The girls played in the sand. Dad gorged himself on ballpark fair while watching the game. But, when it came time to leave, we discovered that 2 of our 3 bobble-heads were missing. The one left behind was broken. The girls handled it remarkably well…but I thought to myself, "Who steals bobble-heads from kids at a game at Petco Park? May those bobble-heads be as Achan's goblet in their home J"

Here's another question: Who intentionally pukes on a dad and his 11-year-old daughter at a baseball game? The answer: Matthew Clemmens (pictured left). What a tool! Click here to read the awful story.

On opening day in Anaheim, on the field level, a man was tossed for spitting on fans a row behind me. This is Orange County. Usually people argue about whose Broker is better. They don't spit on each other.

Anyone been to Left-Field Pavilion at Dodger Stadium recently?

Now that I'm starting to sound like Andy Rooney, here's the point: I think sports are a good thing and something families should be able to share together. They should be able to afford it, and they should be able to come and go without being thrown up on, intimidated, robbed, or something else. I'm running out of options. Can't take my daughters to an NFL game. The NBA is pretty expensive, and soccer would kill me from boredom. Hockey…yeah, sure.

That brings me back to baseball. Cheap tickets (if you'll sit a ways away), lots of promotions (like fireworks and "googleheads" J) and lots of history. I guess I'll head back to the ballpark again soon with the girls…and keep an eye out.

What's the best family spectator sport? I'm going baseball, but there's a difference depending on where you live. Petco and Anaheim are great parks despite recent experiences. Here's the other question: What is the least family-friendly sport to attend?