Recently a fellow pastor asked me if I was a story guy or a
data guy. I thought a moment, then
answered saying, “I’m a data guy who works on stories.” He said he is a data guy as well. Both of us
were headed toward engineering careers before the call to ministry changed the
directions of our lives, so perhaps that explains our affinity with data. On my way home after that lunch I began to
think about pastors I know who began as engineers or, like me, changed their
educational plans at some point to study for the pastorate. We think, solve problems, and often even
communicate differently.
Data is the result of a process that extracts and organizes
information from smaller stories to rewrite a larger story to help create
desired results. I agree with observers who say there is a cultural shift going
on that reflects the journey shift from truth to facts to data.
During this year at the Oasis of Reconciliation, I want to
do some exploration. I want to look at data and the culture it produces and how
it intersects with Christian discipleship – in the fullest and broadest sense
of the meaning of discipleship.
Let me begin with two examples that show how I have been a
data guy in ministry. One example is related to budget formation and one is
from preparing a sermon on Psalm 95.
Over the years as an Air Force chaplain, I helped many
chapel communities create budgets. In
the Air Force, a chapel budge had to pass many tests. There were AF audit agency rules and
guidelines as well as AF Chaplain Service guidelines and regulations. Your wing
chaplain had to sign-off on the budget. It needed to balance income and savings
with expenses. And, very importantly, the chapel communities needed to
understand and support it.
Budgets tell a story that connects people, processes, and
events. The language of a budget is
money – a form of data. If we use results-based ministry planning to build a
budget, then that budget will tell the story we hope to live out in the next
year.
Take the story of a budget’s line item of Sunday
school. The line item brings together
the support for the people, the process, and event called Sunday school with
what people desire to see happen by the
end of the year. People includes
the staff, teachers, families, students, and the possibility of outside
resource people. These people can
represent needed information – data – for the cost estimates for supplies,
salaries, food, needed space, and teaching materials. Processes
supported represents teacher training – how often and by whom, actual
teaching and the tasks involved while teaching a class. These tasks include
time needs, single or team teaching, as well as teacher/student/family
relationships outside the classroom.
Events outside the classroom might include teacher training and
recruiting, or church or community activities.
Many churches have a Sunday school budget line that reflects
the past, not the future, and is not based on results/data based decision and
planning. The data we use to create and
tell the story of what we want to accomplish gives us the desired results of
that budget. Sometimes the data will ask
you to choose between ministries because of the lack of resources. We may not be able to support the past today
– or a particular ministry might no longer be effective or needed. I see churches tending to deal with expected
shortfalls by cutting everything across the board. Looking at the data stories of the various
ministries is a more appropriate means of doing planning. Churches need data guys on their leadership
teams.
I also see my affinity with data when I prepare sermons. I
did some reflection on this characteristic of mine after I prepared a recent
sermon from Psalm 95. This Psalm has
the historical background of Exodus 15,
and is quoted in Hebrews 3 & 4. I
built an argument based on repetition – The Psalm 95 reference “Today, if you
hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” is referenced/quoted three times –
in Hebrews 3:7, 15 and 4:7. Then, the warning, “They will not enter my rest”
appears three times as the author writes it in 3:11, 4:3 and 5. These repetitions lead me to understand that
Psalm 95 has a special place of importance, not only because of the number of
quotes, but also the density of those quotes.
I used the numerical data from Hebrew’s Psalm 95 references
and the background story of Exodus 17 with the question, “Is God amongst us?”
to create a bridge both of interest and importance for my text Psalm. I asked the question, “How many other
passages are quoted so often in so short of a text by another author?” My
answer: The numerical data based on the text presses us to pay attention to the
text and the stated application – entering into God’s rest.
I also used numbers in making the point that we are invited to corporate worship. “Let us”
is used four times in verses 1 and 2, and again two times in verse 8. In six reference points about the corporate
nature of worship we are invited by the God who is amongst his people. The corporate concept is reinforced in verse
7 with the use of “our” and “we.”
Congregations will, of course, have a mix of data people and
story people. How I explain a text needs
to take this population “given” into account.
Illustrations need to include both data and stories. The best are
illustrations are a mix. When it comes
to application of God’s word, stories should dominate because data applications
often can be reduced into “do lists” of observable rules or behaviors and
checklists that produce legalism and performance-based Christianity.
The word count date tells me it is time to wrap up this
posting. I will return with comments
about data and stories as they relate to following Jesus as a disciple. Questions, comments, or wisecracks are always
welcome. Welcome to 2014 at data point.
