Spin….Success...Significance
Barclay Bank’s new tower in Canary Wharf is nearly finished. I used to lay awake with the pulse beat of Canary Wharf tower flashing into our bedroom. Now courtesy of neighbouring HSBC tower I can almost read without putting the light on. The last few years has seen bigger and brighter towers going up as some statement of success.
Last year the HSBC chairman flew into London and over Canary Wharf and was stunned that his tower was not as bright as it’s neighbouring tower Citigroup. The story goes that he had the lights in the top of the tower doubled! All in the name of being bigger and brighter.
BBC’s Hand Of God this week looked at Religion and Politics. One political commentator observed on the whole it wasn’t a good thing to have religious leaders govern but pointed out the advantage that “at least religious leaders would be less prone to spin…”
C’mon religious leaders are the kings of spin! Ask any minister, pastor how many are in their congregation and you’ll get, "if everyone was there!!!” Visit another church to preach and you are greeted with “there are quite a few away today!”. Then there are the more blatant forms like keeping a blog or a website for the world to look at!! ;o)
“Many churches are seeking to become great churches. Entire ministry industries exist to help the process. In every community there’s at least one great church measured by numbers and facilities….but there is a troubling secret, size is not enough…churches now want to move from ‘success to significance’. Acts 10:38 ‘Jesus went around going good’ We need to trade chasing greatness for doing good. Swanson (2003).
Last year the HSBC chairman flew into London and over Canary Wharf and was stunned that his tower was not as bright as it’s neighbouring tower Citigroup. The story goes that he had the lights in the top of the tower doubled! All in the name of being bigger and brighter.
BBC’s Hand Of God this week looked at Religion and Politics. One political commentator observed on the whole it wasn’t a good thing to have religious leaders govern but pointed out the advantage that “at least religious leaders would be less prone to spin…”
C’mon religious leaders are the kings of spin! Ask any minister, pastor how many are in their congregation and you’ll get, "if everyone was there!!!” Visit another church to preach and you are greeted with “there are quite a few away today!”. Then there are the more blatant forms like keeping a blog or a website for the world to look at!! ;o)
“Many churches are seeking to become great churches. Entire ministry industries exist to help the process. In every community there’s at least one great church measured by numbers and facilities….but there is a troubling secret, size is not enough…churches now want to move from ‘success to significance’. Acts 10:38 ‘Jesus went around going good’ We need to trade chasing greatness for doing good. Swanson (2003).
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