MIN 5310 Book Report Dr.

Roy King Winter 2011

Keng Lim Box #309

An Interactive Review of Orbiting the Giant Hairball: Gordon MacKenzie The issue of creativity in the church is not a new subject. In my review of Orbiting the Giant Hairball by Gordon MacKenzie, I have taken the approach of interacting with his book and where appropriate, apply his insights to the enterprise we love, namely, the church. MacKenzies main thesis in his book is that creativity can be rigorously pursued in a responsible manner. By that, he suggests that everyone who is creatively inclined should have the freedom to explore and operate beyond what he terms as the Hairball which is defined as the corporate mindset of accepted models, patterns, and standards. However, Mackenzie is a firm believer that such freedom from the orthopraxis of the organization must be exercised responsibly; that is, the genius must remain in orbit, counteracting the pull of the corporate gravity with a measured assertion of their own individuality. In other words, creativity should be encouraged and explored but individuals must remain connected to the spirit of the organizations mission. A few notable companies that have successfully applied this principle includes Genentech, 3M, and Google.1 What about the church? Can we foster an environment of encouraging responsible creativity and connecting the creative forces to the mission of the church? Mackenzie is frank in his assessment that geniuses often threaten authority. Authority figures typically neither validate nor welcome ingenuity. There is a natural preference towards information and methods that have been verified, confirmed, and accepted by the establishment. Correctness is prized over authenticity and originality. The history of the church since the first century shows that the church is not insulated from such tendencies of human enterprises. When the gospel expanded its reach to the Gentiles, the Jewish leadership initially resisted the advance of the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 8:1, 10:1-11:18, 15:1-35). Such resistance in church leadership is also seen in the Reformation movement. In todays context, we must learn to embrace creativity and resist the mindset of always sticking with the tried and true. When we have a let go mentality as suggested by MacKenzie, we open up our leadership to a plethora of possibilities that would have otherwise been hemmed in by biases, grievances, and fears of the unchartered territories. MacKenzie will be quick to point out that letting go is not the same as rejecting the entire corporate culture of the church but it is an attitude of being willing to compassionately listen in a non-judgmental way when presented with new and possibly wild ideas (James 1:19).

http://www.eepulse.com/documents/pdfs/workforce_management-4-26-06.pdf

I want to conclude this review by applying some takeaway points from the book within the setting of the enterprise we love, namely, the church: Understand what creativity entails. Creativity comes in two parts, the measurable evidence of creativity and the invisible creative activity. The invisible portion does not have direct measurable consequences and requires trust and time to allow it to develop. A practical step towards practicing this understanding is to allow church staff and church members to have the freedom to carry out pet projects that are aligned with the mission of the church. Church staff should also be encouraged to go on retreats, and have downtime in order to refuel. Foster an environment that promotes creativity Creativity normally takes place when the environment has room for fluidity, and non-linear flow. It is also characterized by diffusion, spontaneity, playfulness, and holism. Take a gradual approach to instill these elements into all church meetings. Form a Creative Department of like-minded people who can help inject creativity in all aspects of the church life. Exercise responsible creativity that does not contradict the churchs mission. As leaders, never make decisions or permit activities, no matter how creative or original, that would contradict the spirit of the mission of the church. Responsible creativity is harmonious with the existence of the church and its mission. Creativity should never be an end in itself but a means to the greater good of the mission of the church. Work with the pull of the church gravity Every church will have it unique gravity pull, made up of denomination governance, local governance, traditions, and values. The gravity is not all bad and it is essential as leaders that we invest enough in our individuality to explore our God given creativity but do not orbit out of the institutional mass called the church gravity. Exert gravitational pull with stories and anecdotes. Learn to be creative with stories, whether real or make-belief in order to incarnate principles that you want to communicate.2 Be a champion for the church renegades The creative people of the church are typically the renegades, the nonconformists. Church renegades need someone who can champion for them, MacKenzie demonstrates this method throughout his book, and cites his boss, McCloskey as a master practitioner.
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building the bridge between their creative forces and the church leadership. Embrace originality, rule-breaking, non-conformity, experimentation and innovation as values for spurring creativity. Nevertheless, always apply these values with the mission of the church in plain sight. Live in the delicate tension of two extremes The established order provides a cocoon, an emotional security, but it can also bind and cripple creativity. Resist the hypnotic spell of the churchs corporate culture, but at the same time remain committed from the heart to the goals of the church.3 Be ever mindful to work slowly, deliberately, and intentionally with the church, moving towards greater freedom from the constraints of job descriptions, traditions, and the norm of the way we do things around here. Take risk to venture beyond your job descriptions. Creativity can also be applied to how we view our roles as leaders in the church. Job descriptions are meant to hold us accountable but they also have a tendency put up a restrictive boundary. Take the risk of leaving your container-turned-cages (job descriptions) and find the grace to dance without stepping on others toes. Sometimes, in being culturally appropriate by fitting to the job description, you can become functionally inappropriate; a failure to excel in fulfilling your role. As a leader, understand that your role is much bigger than your job description.

Total freedom from the Hairball is suicide.