I am currently in a doctoral program, studying semiotics—cultural symbols—which requires a great deal of reading. Probably the greatest benefit of an education is the wise guide (teacher) who can give a curated tour of the best there is in any given subject, and such is the case with this program. Dr. Leonard Sweet has opened the door to an entire world of scholars and theologians who look beneath the surface of things and reveal mysteries. Now I would like to open that world to you.
Being Unconventional
I learned this little jingle when I was probably about 13: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.”
I think, when doubling down on the eccentric, Fletcher’s advice to ask experts to explain what can not be done, then put forward what they have not shot down with “cannot” is the way to go.
People are rightfully cautious with the unconventional because it is not tested, and therefore the risk is real. So, managing the risk might help people get over the hump.
- “What is the worst that could happen?”
- “How hard would it be to recover from that?”
- “What’s the cost/benefit ratio?”
I often pull monsters out into the open because they always seem a lot smaller when the light hits them. Like mildew, they grow in the dark.
Corporate Worship
I remember, as a young believer, wondering why what Paul described as a corporate worship service was nothing like the Sunday morning services I went to (1 Corinthians 14:26-33). I had, by that time, visited literally dozens and dozens of churches of every possible variety—Pentecostal, Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian, nondenominational, you name it. It was really the same, underneath.
Songs
There would be singing with professional musicians as the centerpiece (the choir, soloists, and instrumentalists).
Bible
There would be reading from the Bible (that checked, at least, with Paul’s instructions), and some prayers or antiphonal interaction.
Talking Head
Then one person, a man, and always the same man (or between a couple of men) would dominate the time with a spiel. Whether robed or suited, whether in a pulpit, on a stage, or down on the floor, it was the same. Whether formal, or jazzy, or ululations and hands in the air, this was always The Way.
What I was looking for and never found was this:
“When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.” And also this: “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.”
Mostly, from what I saw, people pretty much came in, sat down for the show, sometimes participated in highly scripted ways, and left money. In fact, there was a real guilt-and-shame aspect to the money part, because if the plate or basket or bag passed and a person did not put anything in there, it was a red-cheeked moment.
Worship Deconstruction
I got pretty jaded pretty early with the whole church scenario, but for the longest time I thought it really was The Way for inscrutable reasons, and whatever Paul had written was just not relevant anymore.
But, you see, the church is not the professionals who put on the show and it is not the money, either. The church is the people, and their stories are the reality, what they experience with God, the wonder of God and of God’s love, goodness, and power, that is the undying church. Right there.
It is what I pray for all the time for the church in the U.S., that God would bring us back to the primitive church’s way of doing things that recognized the Spirit’s voice and work in every member of the assembly, and invited the Lord to speak through each one.
The Power of Surprise
Fletcher’s discourse on the power of surprise resonated. As I thought over some of the more vivid and memorable of my life experiences, I could see where the negative or positive jolt left a lasting impact on my worldview and self-view. Page 135 brought to mind the story of the Forgiven Woman in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus loved and forgave her, and it changed her life completely. As Fletcher says, “the greater the negative, the more surprising the positive twist.” So it was for this woman who was forgiven much, so she loved much.
In fact, the whole chapter on resilience reminded me of a book I have done a review on: How We Choose To Be Happy, which is among the top titles that have changed me.
Turns out being a jack-of-all-trades is a good survival tool, better than being specialist (which goes extinct if the environment changes). That is the whole point of Who Moved My Cheese.
(am sure you all remember that humorous fable).
Fletcher’s challenge to make new plans when the environment changes, and to junk our must successful plans (that was then, this is now) is bracing counsel that sits well, as is his exhortation to be bold. A mentor of mine once urged me to “fail fast and fall hard,” or something like that. “Cut away the tried-and-true and double down on the eccentric, until you make a breakthrough” (p 154). Yes.
The Curated Stream
I dog-eared lots of pages, as usual, but page 163 stands out concerning the power of ads. We are already moving into a “two worlds” culture due to the power of our social media algorithms, deep fake, and tailored ads and news streams: what I click on, what I seem to pay attention to will now so color what I am given as news and reality that what I think is the “real” world will only be an interpretation tailored to my taste. The same event reported to me may look like an entirely different event to my neighbor.
This is happening right now.
The ensuing descriptions of how to tell a story were gripping—I am in the throes of writing a novel, and trying to figure out how to tell the story. Start in the middle! Prompt my audience to ask “why” Then explain it to them, but back off enough to allow them to imagine “what if.”
A Leads to B
I spent some real time mulling over the A-leads-to-B uniqueness of human imagination, and the “what if” that happens as “current place” neural branches reach out to “future destination” neural branches until the magic happens and an innovation forms (p 188). And then, in delightful serendipitous synchronicity, this came up on my newsfeed: “Researchers confirm brains use frequency waves to recruit ad hoc groups of neurons for cognitive tasks; process enables fast and flexible thinking”
Next up were pages 214–215, summary thoughts on who is a true leader (everyone) and what it means to have the internal confidence to lead well. That is another thing my mentor told me. Get to a place where satisfaction comes in doing the job well. You do not need thanks. But, be generous with thanks and appreciation for your team.
In fact, page 215 holds the key as to why so many discipling programs are such duds. Think about it.
Shakespeare’s Brain
Fletcher is mad in love with Shakespeare, who became Fletcher’s own brain research project, and who ended up being a hot favorite of all the innovators Fletcher praises throughout this book. At first, I felt restless with that. Reading Shakespeare is not going to make us amazing, it is not going to turn on any special lights in our heads or unleash the secret power of our ancient primal intelligence anymore than reading the Bible will make someone a believer.
But also, though I like Shakespeare (especially The Tempest), it is understanding what Shakespeare was up to, and recognizing how he did what he did that counts.
Beethoven, Michelangelo, and Blake, Oh My!
Fletcher mentioned Beethoven too, and that is the same deal. Beethoven is my favorite, he is a unique bridge between musical eras. Same deal with Michelangelo (who I prefer over da Vinci for reasons). And then my heart did a double beat when I started reading about William Blake on page 232. Blake is one of my heart friends, I love him so much, in all his beautiful spiritual weirdness that is also profound and wonderful. Blake saw what people miss All. The. Time. In the Bible. Genesis 4! Job! Jacob’s Ladder!
So now I get it.
Fletcher has a totem, it is /Shakespeare/, whose works contain a key that, if discovered, unlocks the power of primal intelligence in a way that any innovator’s or artist’s body of work would do if studied in the way Fletcher (and the innovators he highlights) did.
Page 242 made me think of my Professor, Leonard Sweet’s comparison of dissecting the bird versus observing the bird in its natural habitat (which is pretty much exactly what Fletcher was getting at in this chapter). Semiotics is a naturalist’s discipline, not a numbers game.
