I've neglected to provide updates on my attempts at reading. I'm not a slow reader, but sometimes I'm an A.D.D. reader. If I set aside large enough blocks I do okay. It takes me a good 30 or 40 minutes, though, to get the "fidget" out of my system. After that I'm a bit more able to hunker down.
Excuses aside, I've completed Now, Discover Your Strengths and found it helpful for giving me new ways to consider things I need to do to facilitate a healthier work environment for staff. Grandview Administrative Minister (the most redundant title we could conjure), John, is off for the next couple of weeks and will be cruising with his wife down the Atlantic Coast and then over to Cozumel. I gave the book to him, because I would value his input on the subject. Now that I think about it, maybe I should have waited until he returned. Healthy staff doesn't read leadership books on vacation!
The thesis of the book is that, for all of us, our areas of greatest potential are our strengths. The authors have developed some specialized language to enable people to discuss strengths with less ambiguity (what does someone mean when someone says, "She's good with people"? there are many possible strengths in that statement). Once we know our strengths, and the strengths of staff, then we can intentionally put people in position to succeed by doing the things they naturally enjoy.
As part of the book I took an on-line survey to help me discover my top five strengths. Number one strength? Adaptability. That concerned me at first, then I almost immediately got used to the idea.
Meanwhile, I've started the workbook, The Seven Deadly Sins by Maxie Dunnam and Kimberly Dunnam Reisman. This is something I'm supposed to be taking time to do each day. I keep forgetting to do it, though. I hope one of the deadly sins isn't forgetfulness. The first week's focus is "Taking Sin Seriously." More (or less) on this workbook as the reading and activities warrant.
Lastly, John Cassian's Institutes is my current reading project. Cassian was an early Christian monk (360-430) who spent time traveling from monk to monk mining the spiritual knowledge and experiences each possessed. I read Cassian's book Conferences back in seminary for Dr. Norris' class, the History of Christian Spirituality. So far the best part of this book is that it is the first one on the DMin list that feels like seminary again. The worst part is that I disagree with Cassian so much more than I used to. The chapter on fasting/avoiding gluttony is good and it inspires me to be better about such things. On the other hand, Cassian seems to believe that it is a bad thing to enjoy the gift of food. I'm not sure that refusing to enjoy God's gifts makes one more spiritual. I suspect that enjoying food in a reasonable and wise fashion is the more spiritual path.
I'll comment much more on this book as I read it. Thanks for listening.
No comments:
Post a Comment