The Glocal Church

As I continue to read Bill Hybels’ book, Holy Discontent, I am reminded over and over again, that the greatest movements in history came about because someone reached a tipping point, they had enough, and were motivated by a holy discontent, or a “Popeye Moment,” and thus they worked to change their world.

Hybels expands on the fact that throughout the years, many have preached about the importance of contentment. In many ways they were right. Jesus and Paul, both preached about importance of contentment, especially regarding finances and circumstances.             

(See Luke 3:14; Philippians 4:11-12; 1 Timothy 6:6-8 & Hebrews 13:5).

However, as I continue to read Hybels’ book and God’s Word, I am convinced that while remaining content with your circumstances, is essential to living a victorious Christian life, we must also guard ourselves from becoming obesely content and lazy. Both of which lead to greed and selfishness. If we don’t, we can give Satan a seam in which to exploit us and make our hearts bitter and full of envy, and jealously or we can easily become grotesquely lazy!!! Jesus stated in Matthew 15:11 that “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’”  Christ went on to say in Matthew 15:18:  But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’

Basically, trash in, trash out!  

Furthermore, it’s just as much of a sin to remain complacent, which by the way, the dictionary defines complacency as being pleased with one’s own merits. That is just as sinful as lack of content regarding those things which Jesus and Paul identified.

As a student of leadership, having studying the various leadership styles of great leaders, one leader, stands out to me, as one of the most influential and visionary of his time. I am writing of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King had an incredible moment of holy discontent. I recently watched a documentary on this visionary leader, and it described in detail, his “Popeye Moment.” On the day that Dr. King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. King’s associates, had copies of the speech, and the draft from which he was to speak. However, mid-way through the speech, he had reached his moment of holy discontent, and that moment will be felt, heard and lived for years to come. At the very centerpiece of his manuscript, Dr. King abandoned his written draft, and spoke from a heart that was burdened for an unjustly oppressed people…It was truly an inspiring “Popeye Moment,” and one that forever changed the civil rights movement and one that eventually cost Dr. King his life. However, he so believed in his words and his cause, he was prepared to lose his life, as he received many death threats, yet he still carried on!

Hybels said this of Dr. King’s holy discontent “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew that his activism would probably cost him his life…I tend to think that the holy discontent that had taken up residence inside him wouldn’t allow him to give anything less than his entire life-mind, spirit, soul, and body, for such a worthy goal.” 

If we have nothing in our life worth dying for, then what is our reason for living?

My six year old daughter never ceases to amaze me…She’s so resilient, yet so imaginative…It seems nothing gets her down!

Here’s what I’ve learned from her that is more valuable than gold.

First she holds on to her Mississippi roots, at least on her Daddy’s side of the family.  

Second, she loves music, and third, she loves Faith Hill, a good ole’ Mississippi girl.

However, my lesson goes far beyond my little girl’s taste in music. It lies in one of her favorite songs, which is by Faith Hill, titled “Fireflies”…In the song, Faith Hill captures the beauty and innocence of a child’s capacity to still dream big dreams…That is something that we in the Glocal church, and adults alike, have often lost, our ability to dream big dreams…Typically, because we’ve been hit with the brutality and struggles of ever-day life.

Please, take a moment to read the lyrics to “Fireflies” and remember, most of the greatest movements in our world have begun because someone refused to give up on his or her dream.

Blessings to you all, and never, never, never forget to dream!

Oh, one more thing…Faith Hill didn’t write the song, a stay-at-home mother did!

 “Fireflies”

“Before you met me I was a fairy princess
I caught frogs and called them prince
And made myself a queen
And before you knew me I’d traveled ’round the world
And I slept in castles
And fell in love
Because I was taught to dream

I found mayonnaise bottles and poked holes on top
To capture Tinker Bell
And they were just fireflies to the untrained eye
But I could always tell                                                                                               Cause I believe in fairy tales
And dreamer’s dreams
Like bedsheet sails
And I believe in Peter Pan
And miracles, anything I can to get by
And Fireflies                                                                                                                     

Now before I grew up I saw you on a cloud
And I could bless myself in your name
And pat you on your wings
And before I grew up I heard you whisper so loud
Well life is hard and so is love
Child, believe in all these things

I found mayonnaise bottles and poked holes on top
To capture Tinker Bell
And they were just fireflies to the untrained eye
But I could always tell Cause I believe in fairy tales
And dreamer’s dreams
Like bedsheet sails
And I believe in Peter Pan
And miracles, anything I can to get by . . .
And fireflies . . .Before you met me I was a fairy princess
I caught frogs and called them prince
And made myself a queen
And before you knew me I’d traveled ’round the world
And I slept in castles
And fell in love
Because I was taught to dream”      

George Bernard Shaw said it best when he said:

“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, “Why not?”’

“That’s All I Can Stands, and I Can’t Stands No More!” 

I’m currently reading Bill Hybels’ latest book titled Holy Discontent. In the book Hybels builds the case that the majority of the greatest movements and inventions, both sacred and secular, came from people who finally had enough of the status quo (regarding their circumstances), and decided to do something about it.

Hybles, allegorically, uses a character, with which most busters and boomers can identify, “Popeye the Sailor Man.” Through his use of allegory, Hybels took me back to my childhood as he described Popeye, whom most people over 30 remember. Popeye had a special goil (to use Popeye’s vernacular) named Olive Oyl. However, in every episode, Olive Oyl always seemed to find herself in the throes of peril. However, Popeye, who usually remained cool and level-headed, would erupt with righteous anger, and would always announce “That’s all I can stands, and I can’t stands no more!” These words, always accompanied with a can of spinach, would give Popeye super human muscles, and he would always crush his sinister opposition, and rescue his “goil.”

So I ask you two questions. First, have you ever had a moment of “holy discontent”…where you finally had “all you can stands?” If so, what fueled your “Popeye Moment?” Did your heart finally snap over those who don’t know Jesus, or did you become burdened for those living in extreme poverty, or did your heart brake over a broken relationship, to name just a few.

Hybels went on to write that people who experience a “Popeye moment,” or a moment of “holy discontent” chose to do good because there is something wrong in the world around them. A “Popeye moment” moves you from a tail-gaiter to a pace-setter, from the sideline to the goal line.   

My prayer for the Glocal church is that we would all experience moments of holy discontent, and act on them. Also, that through these epiphanies and struggles, Christ would be glorified in individual’s lives, in their families, in the ministry within the Glocal church, and the mission of the Glocal church around the world!