Thanks to Andrew and others for their feedback on rebranding the LEAD class.
My current best thinking is:
- Title: Growing Church Leaders
- Subtitle: Foundational Bible Studies for the Next Generation
- Volumes:
- Think Biblically
- Live Wisely
- Serve Faithfully
I like the idea that we are encouraging existing leaders to teach a new generation that is “Biblical, Wise, and Faithful.”
My only regret is that it doesn’t have a useful “short name” or acronym. “GCL: FBS-NG” isn’t nearly as clever as LEAD!, though the title is much more searchable and self-explanatory.
Anyone have any better ideas?
Rebranding the LEAD Class
January 30, 2010
While exploring publication options, one key piece of advice that jumped out at me was to choose an appropriate title, since that influences keywords, URLs, and everything else that people will use to find a book. I’ve never been entirely happy with “Leadership Enrichment and Development” because of its extreme generic-ness, despite the catchy acronym ‘LEAD’.
The two themes that I’d like to emphasize are:
- Training Church Leaders
- Interlinear Bible Study
The challenge is finding a viable name that isn’t already taken. Here’s what I’ve found in use so far:
- Growing Church Leaders | Articles | BuildingChurchLeaders.com
- Amazon.com: Growing Church Leaders (9781931551038): Robert H. Ramey: Books
- ScholarlyCommons@AUT: Nurturing servant leaders in religious education
- Amazon.com: Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership …
- Church Leadership Training Institute – clti.org
- Church Leadership Development International – Home
- Church Transformation Ministries – Church Leadership Development … (many uses of that term — good or bad?)
After naming the series, we also need to title the individual volumes, currently:
- Theological Foundations
- Christian Character
- Skills for Service
Not bad, but somewhat unbalanced (not fully alliterative, or evocative). For alliteration, we could change the first to “Thinking Theologically“. Conversely, to pursue the construction metaphor, we could make the last two “Constructing Character” and “Sharpened for Service.” But that might be too cheesy even for me…
Any suggestions?
Cleansing Streams Retreat Review
January 17, 2010
On November 13th and 14th, Sandhya I attended the Retreat portion of the Cleansing Streams Seminar. Since there isn’t a lot of information about this online, I thought I should document our experience. Plus, God did some significant things in my life that I want to memorialize…
Thoughts on Sleep Training and the love of God
January 15, 2010
LEAD! Part A, Revisited
August 14, 2009
The LEAD! course format evolved considerably during the time I wrote it, especially in the first 3 months. We are working to publish it as a three-volume bible study, which means I need to go back and make the first few lessons consistent with the latter ones. So, I’ll try to rewrite each of the lessons from Part A at the rate of at least one per week.
The new lessons will replace the ones currently in the syllabus; links to the original lessons are archived below.
Redemption: A Vision in Many Pieces
August 5, 2009
Redemption
A Vision in Many Pieces
Ernest Prabhakar
June 8th, 2001
“God, its too big for me to carry!”
“I know, my son.”
We sat at the bottom of my heart, facing the dark, concrete-like slab which was my need for love, my desire for human intimacy to the fill the void in my life and give me meaning. We had been doing some Spring Cleaning of my soul. It had been a while since I’d talked with God, and when I finally got around to it again I was surprised to discover lots of worries and fears weighing me down. The stuff on top was relatively easy – I handed over issues at work, my marriage, relations with family. But then we got down to things which had been undisturbed for years, maybe decades, and I realized I couldn’t move these myself.
“Will you carry it out?”
“Of course, but I will not do it alone. You must be a part of the process. It is yours, after all”
Song: Gratitude
August 3, 2009
Part 3 of the Guilt-Grace-Gratitude musical trilogy, from my 1996 meditations on The Grace Cycle.
Song: That’s Grace
August 3, 2009
Part 2 of the Guilt-Grace-Gratitude musical trilogy, from my 1996 meditations on The Grace Cycle.
Song: From Guilt to Grace
August 3, 2009
The following song is a lyrical version of “Graphical Theology: The Grace Cycle“, part of my burst of artistic exploration in 1996. It was the first element of a trilogy on the Reformation themes of Guilt-Grace-Gratitude, but unlike the other two I never was happy enough with it to put it to music.
If Only In My Youth
August 1, 2009
This is a another poem from my old site, written back in 2004 as I was beginning my current voyage of self-discovery. It starts out a bit whiny, but that’s where I was back then. :-)
The meter is loosely based on Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven, and the plot is partly inspired by Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis.
Song: No Longer Alone
July 31, 2009
This is a song I wrote back in 1996 in my post-college, pre-Apple days in Pasadena, California. It was for a girl I knew — heck, it fit pretty much all the girls I hung out with and/or was interested in during that decade.
I also sang it during a “Christian Connection” (online dating site) cruise back in 1999, just before I met Sandhya. By God’s grace I got to perform for the ship talent show. I said I was part of a Christian singles group with 80 women and 15 men — and I was having a *great* time! (as was reported almost daily on the ship’s TV :-).
“But being single wasn’t always fun and games — and that’s why I wrote this song.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Unforgiven: A Testimony in Three Persons
July 30, 2009
I’m in the process of cleaning up my “personal” site on DrErnie.com, and as part of that I’m moving some of my earlier writings to this site.
To start with, I present “Unforgiven”, a more-or-less accurate transcript of the first time God really dealt with me about anger…
Unforgiven
A testimony in three persons
The stage appears empty except for a single chair, center, facing right. A man sits on it backwards, facing left, hugging the back of the chair. His expression is grim. A single spotlight shines down on him. Another man walk out from right, and stands looking at him from the semi-darkness. The first man speaks, but remains facing left.
Good News for Modern Nerds
July 29, 2009
The Nerd Bible (pdf) started with my sermon notes from 1985 at Park Street Church in Boston, where I was an MIT sophomore. Our college pastor Tony DeOrio used phrases like “integrating faith into our lives” and “love should differentiate Christians from the world.” Being intrinsically lazy — not to mention nerdly — I wrote those phrases down using calculus (#7 and #9).
When MIT made available a new-fangled Postscript printer capable of math symbols, I decided to learn the formatting language LaTeX to try it out. Just for the fun of it, I started with my sermon notes, then added other verses which used the different math functions available (#2, #3, #6 and #8). The Fourier transform (#6) is the only formula not recognizable by most first-year calculus students, but it makes such a beautiful mathematical/theological statement I feel it is worth the confusion it causes.
In the fall of 1986, I was studying cultural contextualization in the “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” missions class. I realized my equations formed something pretty close to a gospel outline in math. To fill in the holes, I came up with several theological and Christological statements (#1, #4,and #5). “Lamb’ de God” probably represents the pinnacle of my efforts at combining bad puns and good theology.
The final touch (#10) was based on a challenge my lab partner Scott Beasley issued after seeing my first draft. “Yeah, but could you ever represent the Song of Solomon in calculus?” You be the judge.
Update: Also available as a T-shirt.
LEAD! C.12 Joy in the Journey
June 21, 2009
In Which We Begin to Pursue the End…
This is the final lesson in our series, but hopefully just the beginning of your journey in understanding what it means to lead others — and yourself — into the “name” of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As we proceed to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling” (cf Philippians 2:12), it is essential to continually rejoice (cf. Philippians 4:4), because the “joy of the Lord is our strength” (cf. Nehemiah 8:10). We may occasionally become discouraged when we realize we will never reach complete perfection, either in our discipline, our character, or even our theology (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:9). On the other hand, the good news is that this means we will always have room for improvement!
This course has tried to give you the basics, but there are even more wonderful truths about Christ to be understood, deeper works of the Holy Spirit to be experienced, and greater glories for the Father to be won.
May we persevere together in that pursuit until the day we are all finally united with our Beloved Bridegroom, to celebrate His matchless “name” for all eternity.
Memory Verse: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” — Matthew 25:13 (NKJV)
-
Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- 13. Celebration
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Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 13. Perseverance
-
Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 8. Joy: “We Laughed, We Sang”
- 11. Perseverance: “They Never Could Keep Me Down!”
- A Long Obedience: Epilogue
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Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms
- 9. A Rule of Life: Cultivating Rhythms for Spiritual Transformation
LEAD! C.11 Discerning Direction
June 16, 2009
In Which We Hear to Obey, and Obey to Hear
Few questions are more fraught with promise and peril for the believer than “What is God’s will for my life?” While we know the textbook answers, we still long for more specific, personal guidance — and rightly so. Properly hearing God’s voice can open the door to dramatic transformation of people, relationships, and society; alas, mishearing God’s voice can result in darkest tragedy.
There is no simple answer, but there is a sure promise: if we entrust our ways to the Lord by faithfully pursuing the disciplines in submission to the Spirit, the Word, and the Body, He will ultimately lead us in a way that glorifies His name…
Memory Verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
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Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- 12. Guidance
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Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 12. Learning
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Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 3. Providence: “God Guards You from Every Evil”
- 14. Obedience: “How He Promised God”
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Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms
- 7. Discernment: Recognizing and Responding to the Presence of God
State Estimation and The Meaning of Life
June 12, 2009
My friend Leland Brown recently found an amazing mathematical theory book called Optimal State Estimation: Kalman, H_infinity, and Nonlinear Approaches, by Dan Simon. In addition to being a great resource for a math problem Leland is working on, Appendix C turns out to have some fascinating meditations on the Christian Life — inspired by math! See below for some excerpts.
There’s also an essay on Professor Simon’s website that touches on similar themes:
Christianity and Control Theory
Read the rest of this entry »
LEAD! C.10 World-Changing Worship
June 10, 2009
In Which We Give Up the World for God, So We Can Give God to the World
Worship is simultaneously the most personal and the most all-encompassing of all human experiences. True worship is to encounter the Divine Presence in the very depths of our being, in a posture of absolute stillness and submission.
Yet such an encounter doesn’t merely empower and inspire us; it also requires us to manifest that same Presence amidst the frenzy and confusion of this present darkness (cf. Ephesians 6:12). Even to those we think least likely to respond…
Memory Verse: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”" — John 4:24 (NKJV)
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Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- 11. Worship
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Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 5. Worship
- 6. Evangelism
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Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 4. Worship: “Let’s Go to the House of God!”
- 16. Blessing: “Lift Your Praising Hands”
LEAD! C.9 Confrontation and Confession
June 4, 2009
In Which We Speak The Truth, Even If It Hurts
Early we discussed reconciliation and forgiveness in the light of Christ’s salvation. This week, we dig into the disciplines which enables all of those: confession, and its handmaiden confrontation.
Though we love to be forgiven, we generally hate to confess, and are terrified of confrontation. Though we are ready to face persecution and death for the sake of Christ, we find ourselves paralyzed at the thought of admitting our sins to another — never mind confronting them face-to-face with their own sin!
Yet these two disciplines have the potential to break individual and community strongholds of sin that otherwise would not fall despite years of bible study, prayer, and fasting. They may be a heavy cross to bear, but if we persevere in them we shall find a glorious resurrection at the end…
Memory Verse: “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” — James 5:20 (NKJV)
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Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- Part III. The Corporate Disciplines
- 10. Confession
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Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 11. Journaling
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Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 2. Repentance: “I’m Doomed to Live in Meshech”
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Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms
- 6. Self-Examination: Bringing My Whole Self Before God
LEAD! C.8 Submission and Service
May 27, 2009
In Which We Triumph By Surrendering
Submission is the key to understanding and exercising divine authority. Not merely submitting to God, but also to other humans — even those we might be tempted to count our inferiors — in order to serve them.
Crucially, our service must not spring from codependency or a need to be liked, but from a single-minded devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ, who made Himself a servant for our sake.
For only if we serve as Jesus served can we triumph as He triumphs.
Memory Verse: “For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.” — 2 Corinthians 4:5 (NKJV)
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Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- 8. Submission
- 9. Service
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Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 7. Serving
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Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 5. Service: “Like Servants . . . We’re Watching & Waiting”
- 15. Community: “Like Costly Anointing Oil Flowing Down Head & Beard”
-
Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms
- N/A
LEAD! C.7 Silence and Solitude
May 20, 2009
In Which We Withdraw From The World To Draw Near To God
The modern world considers solitary confinement and enforced silence as among the worst long-term punishments — with good reason; it is a terrifying thing to be cut off from the consolations and diversions of society. And yet, the very severity of that terror hints at the fertile spiritual soil to be uncovered when we deliberately cultivate time away from the distractions of ordinary human life…
Memory Verse: “Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, ‘I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.’ “ — Luke 4:42-43 (NKJV)
-
Richard Foster: Celebration of Discipline
- 7. Solitude
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Donald Whitney: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life
- 10. Silence and Solitude
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Eugene Peterson: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
- 7. Security: “God Encircles His People”
-
Ruth Haley Barton: Sacred Rhythms
- 2. Solitude: Creating Space for God
