He requires very little prep or much info on the specific topic.
Just tell me when and where and flip my on switch, and I'm good to go.
I always appreciated that when I needed a "piece" on theology or leadership which he could always provide.
But I also kind of resented that because it seemed kind of rote and maybe not necessarily heartfelt.
I remember hearing Tony Campolo for the first time speak at a couple of events at a church and feeling that he too had an on switch that somebody flipped. He did his schtick and was on his way.
It felt a bit inauthentic. A little icky.
I've come to think that not only is the on switch a ok thing: it's kind of important to have your "go to" talk that you can share about at a moment's notice.
Your personal core values of ministry, where they came from, and why you believe them, and where they are going.
Hopefully once you develop your on switch "ministry take", you'll be able to rattle it off with little or no notice.
But the next time you hear mine: I hope it'll be a little different and maybe even slightly contradictory to what you heard the last time.
Otherwise it's just a schtick.
And that's not funny.
2 comments:
This is not unlike a musician is it?
Same songs every night, but what separates the pros from the amateurs is the daring, risk and willingness to set yourself on fire every time.
I think we sense when someone is phoning it in. Don't you?
So with the musician metaphor: is the song playing you or are you playing song (in my parlance phoning it in)?
There does seem to be a noticeable difference.
But then again, you have to learn how to play the song before it can play you. DARNED PARADOX!
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