First Class

If you are looking for this week's Ten Things I Think I Think, it's two posts down.... I'm writing at a prolific pace this week.

Just received the first syllabus from my first Doctoral class, DM818 - The Spirituality of Leading, with Dr. Steve Martyn. The reading list includes....

• The Arbinger Institute, Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting: Out of the Box. San Francisco, BK Publishers, 2002. (180 pages)
• Buckingham, Marcus and Donald Clifton, Now, Discover Your Strengths. New York, The Free Press, 2001. (260 pages)
• Cassian, John. The Institutes. (Ancient Christian Writers series #58) New York: The Newman Press, 2000. (287 pages) Please note: Read pages 113-274. [As in most ancient texts there are time bound cultural accretions that should be ignored.]
• Dunnam, Maxie & Kimberly Dunnam Reisman, The Workbook on the 7 Deadly Sins. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 1997. (185 pages)
• Harnish, James A, You Only Have To Die: Leading Your Congregation to New Life. Nashville, Abingdon Press: 2004. (193 pages)
• Kouzes, James and Barry Posner, The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1995. (405
  pages)
• MacDonald, Gordon, Rebuilding Your Broken World (Expanded Edition With Study Guide). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990. (235 pages)
• Muto, Susan & Adrian van Kaam, Growing through the Stress of Ministry. Totowa, New Jersey: Resurrection Press, 2005. (92 pages)
• Stott, John, Basic Christian Leadership: Biblical Models of Church, Gospel and Ministry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002. (127 pages)

That's 1964 pages of required reading, for all you keeping score. Now, here's the secondary reading:

• Clinton, Robert J. The Making of a Leader: Recognizing the Lessons and Stages Of Leadership Development. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988.
• Herrington, Jim, Mike Bonem, James H. Furr. Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide for The Transformational Journey. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000.
• Egan, Gerard. Working the Shadow Side: A Guide to Positive Behind-the-Scenes Management. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1994.
• McNeal, Reggie. The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.
• St. Gregory the Great, Pastoral Care (Ancient Christian Writers No. 11). New York: Newman Press, 1950.
• Thrall, Bill, Bruce McNicol, Ken McElrath. The Ascent of a Leader: How Ordinary
  Relationships Develop Extraordinary Character and Influence. San Francisco:
  Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.
• Van Kaam, Adrian, and Susan Muto. Foundations of Christian Formation: Formation Theology Volume One. Pittsburgh: Epiphany Association, 2004.
• Van Kaam, Adrian, and Susan Muto. Christian Articulation of the Mystery: Formation Theology Volume Two. Pittsburgh: Epiphany Association, 2005
• Willard, Dallas. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1998.

Now, to be perfectly honest, I've never been much of a student. I remember, for example, that Dr. Robert Tannahill gave me a "C----------------------------------------.... you passed (barely)" grade on the final exam of my intro Bible class at Methesco (quite possibly the most sarcastic grade given in the history of that institution). Of course, that class, which taught us how to diagram biblical scripture from a literary critical point of view, turned out to have, um (how should I say this), a limited application once I actually got into the pastor business. But, there's no describing my past academic performance any other way than "you passed (barely)".

Of course, passing (barely) this coming year isn't an option. This might be, quite possibly, the first time a student's grades will be passed on to a Staff-Parish Relations Committee, a Senior Pastor, a District Superintendent, and a Bishop. And to think there was a time when only my mother had to sign off on my report card.

So, if you wondered what I'll be doing the next 12 months, the answer is reading, outlining my reading, and writing papers about the reading that I outlined. If I come across any particularly invigorating books or articles in the process, I'll pass it on. And we'll see if an old dog can do the sufficient studying to learn new tricks.