Excerpt from Acts 8:1b-8

"The believers who were scattered went everywhere, preaching the message."

Reflection by William C. Green

Google and Microsoft inspire creativity by asking their employees to observe "hack time" and use 20 percent of their work day on projects that most interest them, regardless of regular tasks. This scatters thinking and imagination, helps employees feel less pressure and encourages them to take risks, thus giving rise to new ideas like Google News or the social network Orkut.

What kind of hack time does the church encourage? The church could model in its own program and practice another way of observing the Sabbath.

Often church leaders think of effectiveness in terms of better organization and correct procedure. Innovation apart from approved channels is suspect. Council priorities and church committees can inhibit or marginalize scattershots of fresh thinking and new initiative. They may be accommodated as long as they don't get in the way of what's already in place.

Growing corporations know that what's already in place is never enough. While the church is not just a business surely it shouldn't be less than good business. Imagination and innovation cannot be constrained by established procedure.

Early believers were scattered because in their circumstances it was hard to gather together. But God's unbounded Spirit of healing and hope in Jesus also has a scattering effect. Like the wind, this Spirit needs room to "blow wherever it pleases" (John 3:8) far beyond anything we can contain and control.

Prayer

God, may I, and the church, always leave room for new and different ways you want us to live and work in your Spirit. Amen.

About the Author William C. Green is Vice-President for Strategy and Development, Moral Courage Project, NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and the author of 52 Ways to Ignite Your Congregation: Generous Giving.