Simple Life is a big book. That was my first impression. My second was this: those authors must have a sense of humor if they think I have the time to read this book on creating a Simple Life!
The reality is this, something is wrong with how people are living life and the Rainer's (father and son) have not only put their finger on the problem, as many have, but, have even done research into the issue with a strong sample and a margin of error of 2.9%.
Their research showed them four areas that people generally find themselves yearning for something simpler: Time, Relationships, Money, and God. The interesting thing about people who are mired in the morass of busyness is this: what of what they are doing can truly be called bad? Work to provide for family? Sports to stay healthy and active? Schoolwork to get good grades and get into college? These are the very issues that church pastors and leaders bump up against all the time... and your members' level of church involvement is not going to figure large into their future earnings or the school their child is going to get into... so what we are left with is a diagnosis that we hear all the time as church leaders. We're TOO BUSY! So, what to do about it? Yell louder, lay bigger guilt trips? Close up shop?
Well, first thing, get this book... read it. Yes, it is thick; but it reads fast. Even the analogies make sense; I'm sure a couple of them will show up in a future sermon or two.
The authors have four core ideas around which the four areas for simplification circle. The foundational key is to remember that this process is a *journey* and that in itself is a freeing idea!
The first idea is *clarity*. Clarity means we know where we are going. The authors challenge the readers to develop an actual plan, when one follows a plan change results. When we don't the status quo reigns supreme.
The second idea is *movement*. Congestion is bad. A congested sinus will get infected. Congested traffic causes heart attacks. The authors show the readers how to use intentionality and incrementality to knock down the roadblocks to change and simplification. We all know that one big systemic change is way too tiring and scary to attempt and here is a way to get at real change in small, noticeable ways.
The third idea is *alignment*. Lives get out of alignment slowly and usually unnoticeably. Debt doesn't just show up overnight just like my spare tire didn't. You don't get overbusy in one day either. Eliminating some of the GOOD STUFF is key to aligning our lives around what really matters to us!
The final idea is *focus*. Focus means that some things just don't get done no matter how good they are.
The entire book is written about the dash. The dash. You know, that hash mark between your birth and death date that will appear on your grave marker one day? How are you going to live your life in that dash? And, when the sleep of blessed death comes to you one day, how will you be remembered? As one who was overbusy or one who learned how to life a life that mattered, a life that was lived according to why God created us in the first place?
Technorati Tags: Simple Life, Thom Rainer and Art Rainer
I really enjoyed the point about congestion. It is hard to be a fully engaged Christian and not get congested with social justice, reading books, etc. There seems to be a simplicity that the church is currently searching for in the emergent movement, house churches, etc. This search is crossing many different denominations and boundaries.
Posted by: Onleilove | November 22, 2009 at 09:36 PM
I really enjoyed this post especially the point about congestion. It appears that the church is in search of simplicity and I think this is a good thing, though hard to achieve.
Posted by: Onleilove | November 22, 2009 at 09:38 PM