Many Albert Einstein sayings and quotes are highly applicable to missions and church planting. The following are my "top ten" favorites...10. "The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them."
9. "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."
8. "The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it."
7. "The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."
6. "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."
5. "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious."
4. "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
3. "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."
2. "The important thing is not to stop questioning."
1. "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Have any other favorites or comments about any of the above you'd like to share?
5 comments:
Guy,
#4 really got me to thinking. "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
There certainly is a constant tendency to try and quantify the growth and health of our churches with numbers that can be counted--baptisms, SS attendance, worship attendance, # of folks in discipleship programs, choir members, etc. There is a sense of course in which these statistics do matter insofar as they indicate people being reached with the Gospel and lives being transformed.
The problem is that the number of people present isn't necessarily a legitimate measurement of spiritual maturity being attained, love being communicated in word and deed, and so many other intangible aspects of service.
I'm going to have to ponder that quote a bit more. Thanks for sharing the list.
Guy,
I had a good visit this evening with Ray Turner at Acton Baptist Church. I'm down for an Inside-Out Weekend that they're doing that WorldconneX is facilitating. Your name came up in the conversation and he mentioned you had stayed with them when your folks had been stateside.
Gary,
Thanks for stopping by. I know in our own work #4 is so true, yet somehow we humans have to have ways of measuring and evaluating our work. Counting may not be the best way, but until a better way is shown us of how to evaluate our work, #4 will stay in place.
Uncle Ray may have forgotten that I lived my Senior year of high school with him and his family. My parents lived three hours away and the Turners graciously invited me to live with them so I could go to school in Quito. They are very special people and I have the highest regard for them.
I finally made a blog... :)
Michelle,
Welcome to the blog world! I left a comment on your blog. Hope you were able to get in contact with Barbara about mission opportunities in Guayaquil this December.
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