Know Your IdentityWhen we first began to minister in Norway we encountered a strange and overwhelming national attitude: A fear of success. Paul Anderson wrote an interesting article about what is called, "The Law of Jante".
WHAT IT ISHere is the Law of Jante which Sandemose wrote after observing it in the culture:
Do not think you are anything special.
Do not think you are as important as we are.
Do not think you are wiser than we are.
Do not fool yourself into thinking you are better than we are.
Do not think you know more than we do.
Do not think you are more than we are.
Do not think that you are good at anything.
Do not laugh at us.
Do not think that anyone cares about you.
Do not think you can teach us anything.
WHAT IT DOESThe Law of Jante has the effect of creating:
An appearance of humility which is, in fact, pride
A passive rather than an active faith (Fatalism replaces faith.)
A lethargy that is difficult to overcome
A lie which engenders a false religious spirit
A uniformity rather than a true unity (Unity requires diversity.)
A stifling of courageous leadership
A resistance toward doing good works
A legalism that opposes grace
A spirit of judgment and suspicion rather than of Christian fellowship
A cap on emotions, making a person feel emotionally restrained
A climate in which prophets are not welcome
HOW TO OVERCOME IT1. I identify the stronghold. People of Scandinavian heritage in particular have most likely been influenced by the Law of Jante, although the whole culture of the upper American Midwest has been impacted by a Jante spirit. Acknowledging a stronghold, a habitual and unhealthy way of responding to life, begins the process of deliverance. I acknowledge that some of my responses to life come more from the culture than from the living God.
2. I confess my attachment to the stronghold. I acknowledge that I have been influenced by lies more than by the truth, by laws of the flesh rather than by laws of the Spirit. I have been held back by a false humility, by passivity, by a spirit of lethargy, and by cowardice, rather than obeying the Word of the Lord. I acknowledge that these lies have brought some bondage to me.
3. I renounce the lies. I refuse the lies of the Law of Jante. I renounce their impact on me, my family, and my heritage. A baptismal liturgy reads, "I renounce all the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises." Instead of clinging to the lies, I expose them and resist them actively. I don't give in passively as if I have no other option. I come against the lethargy that the Jante spirit produces.
4. I forgive others. Where I have been wounded because of a Jante spirit, I extend forgiveness to anyone who has hurt me, including pastors, the church, my heritage, or my parents.
5. I affirm the truth. Standing in the truth invites the Spirit of truth to work in my life. Clinging to lies invites the devil to work me over. I make the choice to move in the opposite spirit. I walk in boldness rather than in timidity. I give appropriate expression to my emotions rather than keeping them capped. I step out and do what God is leading me to do, inviting Him to change my heart as I bring forth the fruit of repentance. I embrace and live the truth, and I set my mind to be controlled by the Spirit (Romans 8:6).
Gary Sweeten wrote a response to the Jante Law, which he called the
Law of the Spirit:
o I am a person of worth, created in God's imageo I am as good asanyone else because God says soo I have the wisdom of God's Spirito God has gifted me to be a winnero I am filled with the knowledge of Godo God honors me as much as anyone on eartho I have God's destiny and plan for my lifeo What others think or do will not control meo God loves me and so do His peopleo I have a teachable spirit.6. I receive deliverance. We pray (for ourselves or others): "In the strong name of Jesus, I command the Jante spirit and any spirits associated with it to leave. They have no power or right in my life. I lay claim to the freedom that is in Christ Jesus. I lay hold of the inheritance that belongs to me as a child of God purchased by the blood of Christ. I break off the influence of an unhealthy inheritance. I cling to Jesus as my true stronghold."
7. I ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I reject all wrong spirits, and I invite the Holy Spirit to fill me. I rely on the power of the Spirit to overcome the negative impact of the Law of Jante in my life. I learn to walk in the Spirit day by day, moment by moment, yielding my life, my destiny, my time, and my choices to Him. I make decisions that keep me open to Christ's work in my life. Deliverance is both an act and a process. I must establish new thought patterns and resist old ones.
http://www.generals.org/index.php?id=70
Surprised by Compassion?Look at Everyday MinistryIf the average North American congregation were to bill its community for the social services it provides, the tab would run about $184,000 per year. We've known that congregations help the needy. Now—thanks to a social-science study—we know just how much they do. (Note: This is from congregations of around 100 persons.)
The source of this and other surprising findings is a study spearheaded by Ram A. Cnaan, published in his book
The Invisible Caring Hand: American Congregations and the Provision of Welfare (New York University Press, 2002). Cnaan, an Israeli-born secular Jew, is professor of social work and founding director of the Program for the Study of Organized Religion and Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania.
In a Christianity Today article, Cnaan says:
The biggest surprise is that it's really a norm for a congregation in America to provide social services. It took me awhile to find out how pervasive this norm is. The respondents said, "Of course, we're a congregation, so we [care for the needy]." No one even questions it. Sometimes they apologized to me. "You know, we're just a young congregation. We just started. We don't do much. We should have done more."
Half the time they would ask me, "Can you tell me how we can do more of what we are doing?" And I would look at them and I would think, "You are asking me?" Nobody told me, "No, we cannot do it" or "It's not our job."
It's a major power for our society. We don't know exactly how many congregations there are nationwide, but even if you take a conservative number of 300,000, then there are 300,000 groups that assume that it's their responsibility to help people.
On the first anniversary of Katrina we saw tens of thousands of churches, groups and Christians pitched in to clean up, tear down, serve food and nurture the victims. I saw the same kind of compassionate volunteering at Ground Zero. Almost every group and volunteer was a Christian or representing a church group.
This is our most basic and normal activity. We ought not get great kudos for doing that which Jesus called us to, but it does show that we are still trying to show the love of God to a hurting world.
New Ministry BlogTake a look at my new ministry blog at
http://gsweetenministryblogspotcom.blogspot.comHere you will find teaching and ideas about Life Way Ministries, Inc. a non-profit ministry that supports Christian leaders around the world. I discuss the church, ministry, healing, equipping and counseling.
At this stage of my life I am doing less direct ministry to beginners of the faith walk and doing much more to support and guide veterans. The greatest resource we have is people. Folks are living longer, healthier, wealthier lives.
The Nobel Prize winning economist Robert Fogel says that we are currently living in the Fourth Great Awakening. Previous spiritual Awakenings have come from spiritual revivals and led to social, political and economic changes. This one will be the spreading of spiritual freedom to the masses.
Almost 80 million Baby Boomers are reaching retirement with experiences and finances unknown before in human history. Mobilizing those people into significant and satisfying service is the key to this Awakening.
Life Way Ministries is committed to be part of that mobilization. Come and read about the adventure on my blog.
TYPICALLY GODPrayer creates openness for gospel
The pastor of a Christian church in Phoenix, Arizona, asked the members of his church to randomly choose 80 people from the telephone book. He then asked them to pray for each of the 80 names every day for 90 days.
At the same time, he asked them to choose another 80 names from the telephone book
who were simply laid aside, and nobody prayed for the people. After 90 days, church members called all 160 people and asked them whether they would allow Christians to visit them to pray for them.
"The amazing result," says Alvin Vander Griend, was this:
only one person on the list of people who did not receive prayer was prepared to allow Christians to visit, whereas 69 of the 80 people for whom the church members prayed were open to allow Christians to visit. Also, 45 even invited them into their house, offered coffee and named special prayer requests. Prayer was clearly the decisive factor causing these people to open their houses for personal prayer," he says.
Got Prayer?Source: Mission America, www.lighthousemovement.com
Mt. Vernon High School Class of 56
The Holiday Inn saw about 200 of us from the 56 graduating class plus our spouses and "significant others" as we chatted, sang and remembered the past 50 years.
Some have passed on, some went on to do well and many went on to do very good.
All in all the sons and daughters of farmers, bankers, retail merchants, lawyers, doctors and gandy dancers as well as the offspring of teachers and preachers, truck drivers and boiler makers have made the region proud.
Jefferson County looked pretty good to me but the world is a wonderful place, and with God's grace, with many exotic nooks and crannies yet to be explored.
Mother, Gary, Mom Taylor and TommyMy Grandmother
Taylor lived next door to us most of my childhood and youth. She was very influential in my life and the lives of all the Sweeten family. My middle name is Ray after Grandad Taylor and Tommy's Middle name is Taylor.
In this photo I am about 17, Tom is 10, Mother is Mid-Forties and Mom Taylor is in her Sixties. She lived to be 90.
Mom was very religious and very spiritually minded. I learned many things from her and much of my spiritual heritage is through her.
Each succeeding generation is living longer and healthier lives. Just think about how much the next generations will be living together and relating as family members. We need to prepare people to relate well and honor their fathers and mothers.
Talk About Prevention!I just got off the telephone with Galina Chentsova, the Director of the Liferoute Program in Russia. I first met Galina in 1992 when I visited Moscow to discuss setting up a Christian school of psychology there. She came to Cincinnati and studied with us at the Christ-centered in-patient unit we ran at Emerson North Hospital next to CHPC.
After her visit my predilection to continue training pastors and lay helpers was increased ten fold. What the Russians clearly needed was NOT more professionals with credentials but no practical experience and no ability to integrate prayer, scripture and Christian values with insights from counseling. As Galina said after meeting with our lay helpers, "These men and women are much better counselors than our professionals."
Here we are 14 years later and we see clearly the consequences of our decision. The pastors and lay leaders are finally getting the picture that prevention and peer support are the keys to a healthy church.
I will travel to Moscow next January, brrrr, to train more leaders. One seminary looks very promising and another huge church has seen the power of our programs. Evangelism without follow up and discipleship is empty, especially in Russia.
Please pray for Galina and her team. Pray for finances to buy her the computer, scanner and materials she needs. Pray for the release of the Listening book in Russian.
A Stitch in Time...Saves NineThis is an old saying that I have not heard recently. I wish I were hearing it a lot.
Putting a stitch in a garment at the right time will save the one sewing nine stitches later, after the garment falls apart.
Prevention is better than crisis management.
That is a good and proper attitude but it seems to have fallen on hard times recently. I do not know why but my profession and the dramatic increase in miracle drugs and massive rescue programs may be partially responsible.
There is no doubt that researchers have developed many
"miracle drugs" over the past century or so. The findings about anti-psychotic and newer classes of anti-depression medications are stunning and have emptied the old psychiatric hospitals that once dotted our landscapes.
Perhaps no place have we seen the practices of prevention applied and forgotten more than in the fields of personal health. The "Biggie Sized" meals and buffet bars found in every city in America has led me and millions of others to overeat and gain weight. But hold on a minute. There must be a "miracle drug" I can take to make me slim again.
Nope, the rule is this same as it has always been:
"A second on the lips and forever on the hips."In my professional field, mental health and spiritual maturity,
prevention has also been largely forgotten. Prevent my problems? Nope, I'll just wait until a good doctor with a powerful pill can cure me of my ADD and my kid of ADHD. Self discipline and developing peaceful habits of prayer and meditation with God is too difficult.
For example, we know quite well how to prevent major problems and reduce divorces. The church can develop required premarital preparation classes and teach what we know, but almost no Protestant churches do it. Or, if they do the curriculum fails to include that which we know to work. Why?
In Hamilton County over
40 Million Dollars is spent each year on Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Over 99% of that goes to professionals to treat the smallest group of the most impaired people. Almost nothing is spent to do prevention. It is much harder to get people excited about prevention but we can always raise money for the group that functions most poorly. What about putting in a stitch or two to save nine or so million?
Several churches and pare-Church groups have banded together recently to set up an inner city treatment center. It is very expensive and will touch only those already most deeply mired in difficulties. Would prevention and building personal and family strengths be a better use of time and money?
During my trip to Kenya East Africa I saw prevention at work in a wonderful way. Several years before I arrived a couple from Seattle who saw the terrible health problems of the people living in the bush and decided to do something to help them.
Tim Fairman, a Presbyterian Missionary from Pennsylvania, had been evangelizing and doing medical/social work with the group for several years. He had the trust of the tribal leaders.
Tim wisely asked the couple to meet with them to discuss the best course of action. Those meetings went on and on while the Chiefs, Tim and the authorities thoughtfully considered how to proceed. The couple flew in annually to carry our small projects among the people.
Many strategies were considered. A new medical office; visits from medical personnel; A new church building; etc. After several years the decision was made.
"We will run a water pipe from the mountain ten miles away to the village."
When considering options for health care we must always think about available resources. To put it bluntly, how do we get the "Biggest bang for the buck?" By treating the sick we can help stop many children and adults from dying but it requires a great deal of money and professional expertise to accomplish.
Water, however, that is fresh, free of bacteria and easily used by both animals and people will solve numerous problems and prevent many diseases. Women are the burden bearers who had to walk ten miles each week to carry water back to the village. Now that back breaking and inefficient work was unnecessary. Now cattle can be raised for they have water for the first time. Crops can be irrigated.
This was a relatively cheap intervention that solved many problems and prevented many more. And, the tribe decided they needed to pay for the project in order to really "own it". Fresh food, meat, eggs and so forth could be marketed. Women were not only saved from a terrible job they had time to better rear children and perform other economically positive tasks.
Unlike professional interventions after sickness develops or a government handout that requires constant upkeep and money, it is a one time expenditure but lasts a long time.
Programs in churches that prevent spiritual, mental, emotional and family problems are easily implemented, inexpensive, long lasting and have many payoffs for all concerned. Why not try it?
Listening and CaringOne of several projects to come from my doctoral dissertation in 1975 was a book series called,
Apples of Gold and later as
Listening for Heaven's Sake. The Listening book is still being sold and used widely as a training manual for "Equipping church members with skills of caring and understanding". Since that first version in the Seventies the combined sales have been well over 300,000 copies.
I should be rich but frankly most of the money goes to support our ministries and many books are simply given away. The Lord told us in the beginning that, "Freely you have received so freely give." So, we gladly give.
I was praying about the Listening book this week and heard a clear call to write a new version. I have already begun to write and I am excited about making it simpler and more focused on listening and caring in daily life than in pastoral care and counseling.
It has been over 31 years since I did my research about the "Core Conditions of Counseling". The data were clear then and have not changed. In order to be an effective "Helper" one needs to relate with
Genuineness, Respect, Empathy and Warmth.A Helper is any person that comes alongside another to offer pastoral care, wisdom, counsel, advice, support, management, leadership or parenting. Many books and articles are written every day about how to influence others but nothing has replaced the four Core Conditions: Genuineness, Respect, Empathy and Warmth; the
GREW attitudes and skills.
There have been reams and reams of new data about the importance of relationships in life and professional success. All of it points to GREW. Oh, the writes have come up with new and fancy names but it boils down to GREW.
Many people have come up with new interventions and resurrected old ones but without GREW those prayers, cognitive manipulations and guided truth probes are unsuccessful.
If you have not purchased
Listening for Heaven's Sake and taken the skill training you are living below the poverty line in care and concern. Reading alone is inadequate. The training is essential.
Remember the song, "What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet Love"? Love is best packaged with the GREW attitudes and skills. Get with it; get going and get together.
Listen-For Heaven's Sake!Gary SweetenPs I will sign your copy, free.
Current Thoughts and InsightsI have not posted for a few days and I miss it. I have been pretty busy and having so much fun working with pastors, elders and churches I forget to tell you what I have been up to.
First, I was able to speak at the Life Gate Church two Sundays in a row. Dennis Cole and wife Sheila took a group from Life Gate to minister to the Navaho Indians and I was the guest speaker. Here is the connection to Life Gate online. You can listen to both sermons with streaming audio.
http://www.lifegatenky.org/ Go to sermons and look for my short series of two talks.
Cyndi Wineinger and I had the joy of Consulting with an Elder Council and Pastor on planning for the upcoming year. The group was smart, creative and open to new ideas. It was a joy.
I spent two nights with Trinity Christian in Williamsburg doing focus groups with members of the congregation and the Elders to discern new direction for the future. We had a great time of sharing and listening to the hearts of God's people.
Additionally, I am continuing to Coach/Mentor several mature Christians as they seek the next stage of spiritual and personal development. I see many of them being liberated and falling back in love with ministry after experiencing some burnout.
Counseling: Helping people with psychological problems find healingCoaching: Helping people who want to plan, grow personally or prevent problems (This is sometimes called Mentoring)Consulting: Helping leaders with organizational issues problems and/or growth planningAt his stage in life I am trying to do more Coaching and Consulting and less Counseling. I love to see people grow.
Count it All Joy
"Our worst things are often our best things. As there is a curse wrapped up in the wicked man's mercies, so there is a blessing concealed in the righteous man's crosses, losses, and sorrows. The trials of the saint are a divine husbandry, by which he grows and brings forth abundant fruit." Spurgeon about Psalm 1 in Treasury of DavidAbout ten years ago I stepped down as President of EMI and also from Life Way Counseling Centers. I had experienced my first round of cardiac problems and the doctor warned me that death or severe disability awaited me if I refused to slow down from my workaholic lifestyle.
The changes had dramatic impact on our finances since I had no income at all for several months. If the humiliation of losing my life's work was not enough I also had to sell our new home and move into a small condo. We counted every penny and squeezed it until the copper cried uncle.
A bit later I did have a severe heart problem and lost about a third of the muscle that will never return without a miracle. Thankfully, God has touched my heart and there is more strength now than before but it is still less than 100%. You may pray for a full recovery.
Looking back I am thankful for the pain and difficulties. Oh, I do wish I had been wise enough to slow down on my own without having to be forced into it by health and stress. But, I was too much a workaholic to break free from the cycle of pain. God allowed my body to do the work for me. I was too deeply dependent upon the myth of control, my control of the universe.
Now I am glad to have a small house with no mortgage payments. I am happy we know how to scrimp and save. It is exciting to know that I am not dependent upon my work but upon God. And, I am very happy to be out of the trap of my former work.
Had God not allowed me to hit the wall, I may still be working 90 hours a week. It was the fear of death that stopped me in my tracks. When I collapsed at the office and then at church and finally had severe chest pains at 35,000 feet I had had enough.
Can you voluntarily stop before you hit the wall at warp speed? Can you learn from my stubborn behavior and go gently to God for relief? If not, God can still use you and put you back together again, Humpty. I am stronger, healthier and better off today than I was ten years ago. PTL!
You will never find Jesus so precious as when the world is one vast howling wilderness. Then he is like a rose blooming in the midst of the desolation, a rock rising above the storm. Robert Murray McCheyne, letter: 9 March 1843
Shame or Guilt; Which Concept Guides Us?©Gary Sweeten
Not long ago I read an article by Bob Blincoe about Islam's concept of honor and shame. It is a simple but powerful insight into the clash of civilizations we are encountering today as we fight the war on Islamic terror and as Israel and Hezbollah fight in Lebanon. America is a nation that was founded on the traditional understanding of scripture by Jews and Christians. We believe that people who break the law are guilty and must pay for that guilt. However, guilt, justice, forgiveness and forgiveness is not the basis of Islamic law and culture.
Islamic culture operates on Shame and Honor; defilement and cleansing. As David Pryce-Jones says in The Closed Circle:
Honor is what makes life worthwhile; shame a living death, not to be endured, requiring that it be avenged. What otherwise seems self-destructive in Arab society is explained by the anxiety to be honored and respected at all costs, and by whatever means (p. 35).
The word sharif (honor) is a common name for males throughout the Muslim world. The word for shame
ayb means a dirty garment to be cast off. To remain in shame is worse than death. Only when we understand this fact will we begin to see why some Muslims hate us.
Rthat a Muslim man killed his teenage daughter because she was raped. This is completely unthinkable to westerners steeped in Christian ideas. But in Islam, women must acquire and maintain honor for the whole family; otherwise, they bring disgrace, which only their deaths may erase. The rape shamed the young girl and the only way to restore honor to the family was to kill her. This is not true for all Muslims but it is for many.
In some cultures a shamed person will kill himself. In a Muslim society, the one disgraced often needs to kill the one who brought them shame. Thus, fathers kill daughters who were raped since she defiled the family. She is not punished because of her guilt but removed because she is unclean and that defiled the entire family.
The recent events at Abu Ghraib Prison have upset many of us. The prisoners were shamed and embarrassed. That was probably the intent of the guards who know that Arab men can be motivated to talk if shamed. One of the ploys used by Americans during the early days of the Iraq War was the use of loud speakers to call the men cowards who hid behind women's skirts and would not fight. This so enraged them that they attacked tanks with pistols and rifles.
Americans have gone off the deep end with multiple confessions, calls for punishment and a desire to make Donald Rumsfeld resign. President Bush appeared on international TV and apologized. In my view, this will be seen by Muslims as a sign of extreme weakness and will be used to step up their attacks on civilians. Arab Muslim leaders intend to never, ever, show weakness for it would indicate dishonor for the entire nation.
As a rule, shame-based people, groups and nations do not apologize, confess, repent or ask forgiveness. Japan has never admitted she started WWII or that she committed massive war crimes. The leaders never have admitted, let alone apologized, for the rape of Nanking or any other atrocities. I do not expect them to ever confess for confession is designed to assuage guilt and the Japanese are intent on dealing with shame not guilt.
Many Muslims hate us because we shamed them. How?Read the next blog.
A New Topic: Muslim Hatred of Christians and JewsThis morning during our golf game we discussed the current Middle Eastern conflicts. I attempted to explain the significance of the history of Islamic/Christian conflict and the fact that some Muslims hate us because they feel deeply ashamed and dishonored by the Crusades.
Yes, I said the Crusades that happened several hundred years ago. Because the Western Christians defeated the Muslim armies these people are driven compulsively and unthinkably to destroy every vestige of Christian life on earth. For them, it is the only way they can restore their honor, dignity and self respect.
Many current media types and politicians are so ignorant they think the Islamic attacks are due to our current policies and desire for oil. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is shame from hundreds of years ago. Read this story for some key insights.
Christopher Hitchens Guardian Unlimited Wednesday October 3, 2001The search continues for the numinous or hieroglyphic significance of the date September 11. Often, it is a date that only meant something to a very limited or arcane circle until its true value was unveiled to a stunned world.
I can provide a ... Persuasive explanation...
It was on September 11, 1683 that the conquering armies of Islam were met, held, and thrown back at the gates of Vienna. Now this, of course, is not a date that has only obscure or sectarian significance. It can rightly, if tritely, be called
a hinge-event in human history.
The Ottoman empire never recovered from the defeat; from then on it was more likely that Christian or western powers would dominate the Muslim world than the other way.
In our culture, the episode is often forgotten or downplayed, except by Catholic propagandists like Hilaire Belloc and GK Chesterton. But in the Islamic world, and especially among the extremists, it is remembered as a humiliation in itself and a prelude to later ones. (The forces of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza once published a statement saying that they could not be satisfied until all of Spanish Andalusia had been restored to the faithful as well.)
Ben Ladin and the current Hezbollah leaders are getting themselves all juiced up over a humiliating defeat that occurred in 1683; 318 years a before the twin towers were attacked.
Advice to BoomersDownsize! Save your money!Develop good relationships with your children and grandchildren!The financial implications of so many people retiring are enormous. Christians who look ahead need to understand that retirement systems are shaky at best. Most of us have not saved enough to live well unless we make some dramatic changes in our lifestyles.
It is not too late to start saving money. People are complaining about the high price of gasoline but few are driving less or buying small cars. Karen and I sold our home and bought a small condo several years ago. We have no mortgage and no car payments. The banks hate us because we do not borrow but they love us when we have savings.
Since we are living so much longer and our kids will extend even that we had better learn to get along with each other. Take some classes on genealogy and family relationships; find a good family counselor; learn to have fun together. After all, we may all be living together in a Pueblo before long.
Find a church that will involve your mind, wisdom and insights. The near future belongs to your generation. Enjoy it with the Lord.
