This year has been a year of change. \u00a0After much prayer, I started my doctoral journey with anticipation. \u00a0My vision of what life would look like this year\u00a0was very different than it has actually turned out. \u00a0It has been a good year, but a tiring year. \u00a0A restless spirit seems to be hovering over me, as I grow and learn.\u00a0 My experience has taught me that this restlessness is a sign that God is beginning to lead\u00a0me in a new direction.\u00a0Knowing that the Lord had called me into this program for a reason, I shouldn’t be too surprised at the changes that have come since.<\/p>\n
My journey commenced with a transformational trip to Cape Town, South Africa. \u00a0\u00a0Romans 12:2 (ESV) says, \u201cdo not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.\u201d I\u2019ve come to see that sometimes one needs to venture out of their comfort zone into new territories for \u201cmind renewal\u201d to happen. \u00a0Cape Town was the start of a mind renewal process that I know is shaping me for future work that the Lord will call me to.\u00a0\u00a0As my career has unfolded over the past twenty years in the corporate world, I’ve seen God’s hand in each position. I’ve grown from\u00a0each new experience and am\u00a0honored to have learned\u00a0from some great leaders. \u00a0I’m still uncertain of the specific\u00a0work the Lord\u00a0is calling me to do, however He\u00a0has\u00a0opened\u00a0doors\u00a0for me to work\u00a0with\u00a0different types of organizations and to increase my teaching this year.<\/p>\n
Throughout my consulting work this year, I’ve been exposed to both good and bad within Christian organizations. \u00a0I’ve seen, first hand, the Protestant work ethic at play. \u00a0Weber, in his book\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism,<\/em>\u00a0asserts that our Protestant ethic has helped to shape Western capitalistic ideals. [1]<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0It is this same work ethic that contributes to the American mentality of more work and less play. \u00a0I’ve been greatly bothered by the demands that I’ve seen\u00a0placed on workers. \u00a0In many cases, workers are being exploited with the excuse of “sacrificing for the Lord”. \u00a0They are often underpaid and left feeling devalued. \u00a0Tension in the work or church environment is often high. \u00a0Christian workers are burning out. \u00a0\u00a0Our modern lifestyle is moving at a pace in which people\u00a0often find it difficult to have and maintain healthy social structures.\u00a0Bauman, in\u00a0Collateral Damage\u00a0[2]<\/a><\/em>, examines social inequality and the implications, or cost to humanity. We should, and must, intentionally consider the choices that we make and how they impact others. \u00a0As a society, we have placed value on\u00a0things<\/em>\u00a0over human lives. Culturally and within the church, I am seeing dangerous trends that contribute to a general\u00a0devaluation\u00a0of people.<\/p>\n My research this year\u00a0has focused on\u00a0shalom<\/em> within an organization. \u00a0It is in the day-to-day interactions of an organization that one can see the fingerprints of God demonstrated. It is unfortunate that some organizations do not reflect Christ clearly to their workers or to the world around them, often due to poor culture or operational issues. Many have good intentions; yet fail to produce intended outcomes. \u00a0In my work this year, I’ve been challenged\u00a0to lead and navigate through some very difficult circumstances. I’ve also been in situations where my influence to effect positive change has been limited by things that have been outside of my control. \u00a0Sometimes this has been frustrating. \u00a0In these situations, I’ve realized that I\u00a0need to work on developing a stronger presence so that I can more effectively speak into\u00a0the situation. \u00a0Marykate Morse\u2019s book,\u00a0Making Room for Leadership: Power, Space, and Influence,<\/em>\u00a0talks about the importance of having presence.\u00a0\u201cPresence is deeply connected to power. The more presence you have, the more influencing capacity you have. People with presence have the ability to walk into a room and get the attention and respect of its occupants.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n The past year has been transformational. I feel I’m on a journey with an unknown destination. \u00a0Yet, I know that this is a time of preparation for a greater work that I am called to do. \u00a0In time, I know that the Lord will reveal the details and provide me with needed direction. \u00a0I’m grateful to be making this journey\u00a0alongside some amazing leaders who offer me grace, while pushing me to become better. \u00a0“Iron sharpens iron, as one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).<\/p>\n [1]<\/a>\u00a0Max Weber,\u00a0The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism<\/em>, Routledge Classics (London: Routledge, 2001), 17.<\/p>\n<\/h1>\n