Leaders get things done. They don't merely mobilize others to accomplish great things, they know how to work hard and are willing to keep their head down to do whatever it takes. The only problem is that if you keep your nose to the grindstone too long, you get blood in your eyes. The ability to lead with sustained creativity and clarity requires time and space for reflection.

I know, it sounds like the language of a circus barker, "Come see the Flying Zucchini Brothers as they defy gravity." However, I am talking about much more than entertaining circus talk. "Defying gravity," is a terrific description of the way effective leadership teams learn to operate.

In this world of complexity, we need to re-discover the essence of what it means to be the church. I'd like to offer a suggestion-a new attempt at definition, if you will.

Much of the time, the church is like people inside a one-room building who are busy rearranging the furniture but ignoring the real question.

Sometimes sending an email is really stupid. I know, my Mom tried to teach me that calling someone or something stupid is not very nice. But, I can’t think of any better way to say it. Simply put, there are occasions when you are being stupid to send an email.

A friend said to me, "Some days I feel like I spend my life clicking keys on a keyboard.” Personally, I have a love-hate relationship with email. I use it all the time. It gives me a simple way to share information, ideas, and documents. But, every time I open my mail software it feels like I am putting my lips up to a fire hose. What is a manageable way forward?

What were your books of the year? My runner's up for book of the year honors are: Tribes by Seth Godin; and Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero.

At the end of the day we thought our Christian life would be more than this—-somehow larger, more significant, more vivid, more glorious. But driving to church on Sunday often feels a bit like the movie, Ground Hog Day,