Wednesday, October 21, 2009

mad church disease...

I just finished reading a book called Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic by Anne Jackson. It’s an interesting book because you don’t often find books written about the propensity of pastor or ministerial burnout. It is a taboo subject. Yet I personally know more pastors who have experience burned out than I can count on all my appendages. Having experience burnout and nearly a nervous breakdown myself, I think it is about time we talk about how a pastor’s heart has a propensity to give itself into brokenness.

I appreciate the frankness of this book and the self-help concepts that can be gleaned. Anne herself has experienced burnout so she speaks from experience. The book also utilizes multiple voices. Anne interviews other people at the end of each chapter, which builds on her points.

She starts the book by comparing burnout to mad cow disease.

Mad cow disease has 4 unique characteristics.
1 The disease lies dormant for a given amount of time, going unnoticed. It can be a period of months to a few years before the disease is found.
2 Mad cow disease is cause by a mutated protein that attaches itself to the cow’s central nervous system, thus affecting the cow’s brain and responses (hence the name). Essentially, it turns the cows brain and spinal cord into a spongy-type matter. Slowly, the cow’s mental and physical health begin to deteriorate.
3 Mad cow disease is transmitted by cows eating the suspect protein. Since are often fed the remains of other cattle (something yummy called meat and bone meal), its easy for an entire herd to become infected at once if they share the same food source.
4 Mad cow disease ultimately leads to the infected cow’s death. There is no cure.

Jackson then draws on this compelling metaphor for the burnout she or we experience. By chapter six, she starts talking about getting better, something a cow infected with mad cow disease can not do.

Anne gives 5 principles of recovery
1 Accept responsibility for your decisions: “the effect of the decision you have made over time has led you now to burnout.” We are responsible for the decisions we have made. (The late nights. The double doubles (in and out speak for quick death J, the neglect of study, prayer and meditation, family time etc. These were our decisions ) One of the things I appreciate about this book is that she does take the time to address the exception to all the rules she creates. In this one she takes time out to address those that were physically, sexually, or emotionally abused.
2 Change you purpose: what are you chasing after? Is your purpose messed up? Jackson reiterates that the best purpose is to love God and love neighbor as yourself.
3 Make a plan: it is essential that you make plans to change and then commit to follow through with these plans.
4 Create Boundaries: even Jesus took breaks to rest and rejuvenate. What, you think your better than Jesus? Lol
5 Find accountability: we need others to hold us up, to keep us committed to our goals.

I know this seems pretty basic. The truth is, the book is pretty basic which is nice for such a topic. It gives space to ask questions and to think through her simple process.

The last part of the book she chooses to talk about spiritual, emotion, mental, physical and relational health . I like that she isn’t afraid to speak of the physical health of pastors. I can’t tell you how many overweight (fat) unhealthy pastors I know. Me included. I may not be overweight but I’m definitely not healthy. It’s about time people start talking about that our own lack of health maybe the only thing keeping us from a lifetime of service to god and humanity.

A few years ago, through yoga, I learned to start listening to my body. This has been one of the most profound lessons of my life. I need to just shut up sometimes and listen to my body. It is communicating with me what health looks like.

This is a decent book. The most compelling part is the stories of those who have faced this powerful destruction and came out on the other side. You can check out more of these stories and share your own on her website madchurchdisease.com

Monday, October 12, 2009

architecture of worship

I’m reading this book on church architecture. It was given to me by a good friend and mentor, named Pr. Sam Platts. It’s a classic book called Architecture for Worship by E.A Sovik

He starts out by suggesting that one of the most important times to analyze in church architecture is the most often over looked: the architecture of the first church. Sovik’s thesis is that “we ought to stop building cultic buildings in favor of better alternatives.”

He states that Jesus didn’t ask his follower to build anything. In fact on the mount of transfiguration he persuaded his disciples to not build shrines that they thought were appropriate. I would argue that what Jesus wanted his followers to build was the kingdom of God here on earth to which, I don’t think Sovik would argue.

Sovik’s principle point is “worship involves persons not places.“ (10) Persons are the new temple Christ came to build. And the universality of the gospel means that the gospel was for all people, jew, gentile, rich, poor, male and female. It was about a faith committed to service not to sacrifice.


Hippolytus wrote in 230 in the Apostolic Tradition: “it is not a place that is called ‘church’ nor a house made of stones and earth…. What then is the church? It is the holy assembly of those who live in righteousness.”

He argues that as Constantine made Christianity the religion of the empire that faith had to accommodate the state. Thus swelling congregations meant that homes and ad hoc locations were no longer adequate.

I love this quote:
“The house of worship is not a shelter for an alter, it is a shelter for people. It is not the table that makes a sacrament; it is the people and what they do. “ Thus church becomes hospital… a concept I really enjoy.


Sovik continues in a vain that I have a bit of an argument with or need some further clarification.

“The place which is ultimately faithful to the Christian vision will be one in which the room is devoid of any explicitly cultic images or furnishings. “ First I am personally leery of anyone who suggest that there is one Christian vision. Second , I would question what he defines as cultic images, does this include crosses, etc. If not why wouldn’t he include those?

He makes the argument the church should be built for use by the community. We are meant to be a people of service so our buildings should be places of service, where our community can use them. I totally agree with this and am often thinking of new ways we can use our space for the benefit of the community.

I think overall this book is a powerful look at how we use the architecture of the church. It reminds us of the intentionality we should have when we think about worship space.

His challenges to connect the community in worship by how we arrange our buildings is a powerful reminder and one I think we often overlook especially in traditional architecture.

On the other hand I think people, The Church, are looking for sanctuary. This can mean a multitude of things but is something that cannot merely be replaced for function. 'Cultic' symbols may actually draw us near to god at times and have a place and purpose. To have our worship spaces look like our living rooms may draw us to worship more as we enter our own living rooms, but it may also do the opposite. I worshiped in places throughout my life that had lost all sense of transcendence. Now that I am in a building that tries to draw people toward transcendence and I see a deep value in the lofty yet simple architecture.

I wonder if there is a balance between the ways of Sovik and the classic church architecture. Is there a third way… A way that embodies usefulness, transcendence, a balance of symbol and service?

I also wonder if he were to write the book today if there would be a section on sustainability. Churches seem to be places of waste when it comes to the electric grid and water. What about the transcendence that nature provides?