Donald Miller is quickly becoming one of my favorite Christian leaders/speakers/authors. It's not because I've read his books or because he's an incredible communicator. He is a wonderful writer, and a gifted speaker, but he is becoming one of my favorites because of who he seems (I say seems because I really don't know) to be when he's off the stage and not hidden mysteriously behind the pages of a book.
Yesterday I found myself at a lunch table with him. I really shouldn't have been at a lunch table with Donald Miller, but there I was. Since I really shouldn't have been at a lunch table with Donald Miller, I decided not to talk.....only to listen. What I heard, and what I didn't hear, was refreshing. I heard humility, gentleness, vulnerability and honesty. I heard him asking more questions than he answered. I didn't hear arrogance, hyperbole, brashness or sarcasm.
He was such a regular guy that if I didn't know he was Donald Miller I know myself well enough to know what I would have thought: "How did this guy get a seat at MY lunch table?"
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3 comments:
Sounds like you fared better than I did... but I did try.
Kurt,
I got to see and hear Don at SHIFT. He is refreshing to me because of his stark honesty (you can tell he's never been on a church staff!) and lack of political correctness. It's not because he is just out there trying to ruffle people per se, but because he keeps it so simple. E.g. last year, he gave a talk about equating evangelism as simply introducing people to their real dad & family. With people being so starved for that relationship, it was a great talk. (I think you can get it thru the WCA. It was at the Small Groups Conference.)
Also, Kurt, I got to meet you through Jason Raitz after one of the sessions. Thank you for signing your book that will be a gift to a student.
I want to ask you, you seemed surprised that we do a Jr High (and all-ages) ministry to children of divorce and single-parented kids; so, does Saddleback intentionally incorporate that paradigm/approach in Wildside? Or, rather, HOW do you guys deal with that stuff? I think one thing I'm struggling with is raising the awareness level concerning some of the unique needs of COD to the other student ministries on campus.
Any thoughts?
Thanks again,
Ben Wilcox
gentlebenj@gmail.com
umm Donald Miller is by far my favorite author. I am so jealous right now!!!!
well not really jealous, because that would be wrong and unbiblical. Two things that I am not.
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