Al Rossi's blog

Reality TV consumes much of television programming.  We seem to have gotten tired of the fake or fictional for the authentic even if it reminds us of all that is wrong with life.  Authenticity is powerful.  When we see real life whether inspirational or discouraging we are changed.  Over the years I have seen and experienced how authenticity is a powerful leadership tool.&nb

While preparing for my message this week on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem I was reminded that Jesus instructed his disciples to borrow the donkey that he would be riding into the city.  The King of the Jews, their Messiah didn’t own his own donkey.

The mantra of many modern churches is that people matter to God.  This includes those who have not yet believed and those who have already crossed the line of faith in Christ.  The pendulum swing of the local church towards seeker driven ministry over the past twenty five years has caused some leaders to question its effect on the health of their sheep.

I watched some of the New Years Eve events on the major networks. The celebrations are filled with so much optimism as the calendar turns to 2013.  The problems, struggles and challenges that existed in 2012 and long before travel with us into the new calendar.  Although we believe we have the ability to see a greater potential for change simply because we cross over into a new year.

Recently while attending a leadership conference one of the presenters said the following. "Sometimes we go through some tough times and there seems to be no explanation, no answers, just pain. God is taking you somewhere." I don’t like pain! I suppose you don’t either. Pain without any apparent purpose is even more unbearable.

Albert Einstein called it “sitzen denken” or “ sit thinking”. It is said that he would stop what he was doing no matter how important and take time to sit and think. This consistent discipline was not at all meditation, which can be defined as the relaxation of the mind with the hope to gain clarity. But "Sitzen Denken" is something very different.

Currently I am traveling and while it can be fun there are parts of it that I don’t like. Being away from my family of course is number one on the list. The delays are a significant irritation to me as well.  You feel like life has stopped.  My wife often jokes with me about my need for efficiency, especially when driving somewhere.  Getting some place efficiently as possible is a huge thing to me.  I would like to think that it comes from a desire to never waste time and bring God the maximum effort from my life.  Ok the real reason is that I am very impatient.  Not a good quality!  It does not get any easier even though I know that every journey requires patience.

I serve on the board of World Ministries an organization that has missionaries in the Philippines and India. One of our staff members is a woman who was previously a successful architect in the United States. After a visit to the Philippines where she saw poverty, disease and hunger she made a bold decision.

It’s not easy to define the term economic justice. I searched for an adequate definition but didn’t find much agreement on what it means. Sometimes it’s synonymous with social justice. I became familiar with the term as a result of teaching on what the bible says about money and possessions. Justice speaks to fairness and equality.

Most evenings involve the routine of walking our dog Buddy. He loves his walks and being a big dog needs a lot of exercise. I must admit that my wife does a majority of the dog walking but I have also come accustomed to going with her or taking him myself. He is rather demanding when it comes to his walks so he lets us know when he is overdue.

I was watching the President’s state of the union address this past week. I am drawn to speeches like that since they provide an overview of where we are and the leader’s thoughts on where we should be going. If done well the leader should be able to cast a vision that people can see and understand enough to get excited about and support.

Recently I was talking to a guy who was unemployed. Like so many others he had been searching for so long and felt frustrated and even hopeless. I asked him what the most challenging thing about his situation was. I thought he would say the financial challenges. He told me it was his feelings of worthlessness. His sense of worth had been stripped from him when his job was lost.

Lately I have given much thought to my view of God’s grace. I believe that my salvation is a gift from God. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 Can it be any more clear?

Christmas is upon us and so is the pressure to over buy. I love the season but each year I am more aware of how we all can get caught in the materialistic whirlwind that is gift giving. At the core of our giving is love but what also exists is the belief that love must be shown though material gifts.

Why is gratitude a struggle for most of us? As a Pastor I have plenty of conversations with people in good and bad circumstances of life. I have seen some of the most genuine expressions of gratitude from those who have the least of what this world has to offer.

He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God.

He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God. Micah 6:8

Have you been confused about someone’s expectations for you? Maybe a boss, a parent or even a spouse have placed unrealistic expectations on your relationship with them. This happens all the time and keeps us from enjoying our relationships to the fullest. Marriage is a great example of how differing expectations can cause disunity and confusion.

Jesus stated many tough things. He made statements that are challenging and cause us to think about our dedication to him. One statement in particular that often comes to mind is found in Matthew chapter 10.

By this time we all heard or seen the news coverage about the Florida Pastor who planned to burn a copy of the Quran. The news coverage was unending. It never ceases to amaze me how we Christ followers just don’t get it. Do we think that God in any way shape or form would be pleased with such a display?

Labor Day is coming and we all look forward to a day off from work. The day is set aside to celebrate the hard work that Americans perform making America the most productive place on the earth. It’s good to take a break from our work to enjoy some rest and a slower pace even if it is for a brief time.

Generous Living!

Men of Compassion Over the years I have realized that developing a heart of compassion has been a needed area of growth in my life. It can be easy for me to go so fast through life and run by those who have great needs. I began to realize that being a compassionate person is an intentional act. It’s not driven from emotion but rather the realization that God has been so good to me.

I have been following the daily updates on the horrible oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. No matter your political persuasion or environmental views the pictures of oil drenched wild life and stained beaches are disturbing and discouraging. Watching the news reports reminded me just how much we all rely on God’s creation to sustain us.

I have always been drawn to the first chapter of Proverbs. More specifically the verses 20-21, “Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech”. Solomon knew a thing or two about wisdom. He asked God for it and God granted his request.

Is there more of a manly story in scripture than David and Goliath? Warriors, amour, trash talking giants etc… it’s a story guys can get into. Is there a better story of perfect faith and courage in scripture? Now that’s where we guys get a little intimidated. It’s easy to believe that men need to be flawless in faith and courage to do anything for God but that’s not the case.