%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20241123072356+00'00') /ModDate (D:20241123072356+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2410 >> stream xXMsWTih~K˔w띩lf=l"!+=`fp^ԇmJ%9\DHn4~ͫ8]շ,+E\FYb5>g*_tPRݠ4V??>_5㲧|<RWxeVVBFo;6HC{ 18B]"h!mYDٺxTIۉ-Kx6hs3ϣ0V,AmM<-p ]Qa嫀+]p:Zн]e+; -S9Ag(lnFZnFZYIRPW؏|rm(C5 i7AP"+'q.d5@?-ʦe;ۉ!(T5w&@nb5ō}QIOTg^Q )_i+'ЎaF~enD];5!/BA[@4(<n;#{~yt}/{%(cgȵ% BE//Qf"Fu9o@v5YpZ=zw3ɒu?a$Z-cY]`Ms<"*֫h 5{ԙٖKx?k9Cdkvo@:PV($^.|C~Ot |Mc/|&4xs m:{WqGeHqU?NlԞV#6XFG^Jd}CҴQ+J@(k ;C{*Բ8%!nPA@z,:gU;@%kR#)#uc,hthpF? b''~,-E.9MB+ggrkŁٕ{b$%4ڼn#c(Zz|OY%8<"os)RWg83dZuC/"\W̧}ȝ"8LjF`4=䣨@k <.w0'yF KJ8ų AϽg/d:VOrJ(L X30 D즟r^%)`_4.~bxZBE9/lQCօ}ZYDxM4y/͐y++smh}6#^0ON}Q `jǞjbSgiʫmPB/.u*t#JByߓmF}]P7%oB1$),p,_Euʭ]d!l}瑻Y Vӌ >%sMOê-4NV.׈a!̅%䦡&Z+2.Ńv(-PyЋ8Y2(cw[13س;FKh+@q7Yg4v9l5WwF*$Y>.σ1y推`DvoX=; Hp#9$ǡdnr@=+9@S/4 (t^@0#c 8 =W,*c15ņ_fsGi'zfP%@"~s@K#<D^w9&BpӽOpi}^sG 4 W sZK:à`ZI9}ݪIhv\er  ۭphU-[Ls;4!ú}pe |h0i b@ #/QgXJ4[RڠPyYI->yyHZ(/O改mˮߧ/ E +u1wUI|s}]qjzHcF> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Times-Italic /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1012 >> stream xVێ6}WLZ%Y/m((4XKCRx#-`^ŮVp̙9CRV gw7g’$ۿz?i¿TiVe &F1ؼ_67{U*AF~>|wlo` s)^Jz`g`[I^l;zq[e[/7hP[} V9+< j0} @݊ā"h> 7iVﱧ79MWJ%$$ G(m+-Z5Cmȭs" Ԓ>mY|` gh<K0qh tvk8֝-vY-Y^G&g_ˊE>~B_B>a>:1 '!a0QP֧Fs]'w_Dͯ3wk\^qINREoyrNJv@<hyݺd4_9G|Ȇ՜&Suɲѹ^*vhT樌 mc rx0Zj昻B-A7WO48VBHN@c*iy\(|ZcHJ> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000003233 00000 n 0000003342 00000 n 0000003449 00000 n 0000003558 00000 n 0000003671 00000 n 0000003782 00000 n 0000003811 00000 n 0000003921 00000 n 0000009496 00000 n 0000010627 00000 n 0000010686 00000 n 0000010745 00000 n 0000010850 00000 n 0000011936 00000 n 0000011993 00000 n 0000012050 00000 n 0000017625 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 18756 %%EOF Two contemporary parables | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Two contemporary parables

January 26, 2001
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

by Lt. Colonel Raymond PeacockSeven years from the end of January, Carolyn and I retire. What is all that loud cheering? It can’t be those standing in line wanting to be program secretary. That line is too short.

Will we survive or thrive by grace in our remaining years of active officership? Will we be able to keep our covenant and our commitments until 2008?

A lot of questions, wouldn’t you agree? A friend of mine says the 50s are the age of discontent, the time when you take stock and begin to question your contribution, your place in the pantheon. Maybe there are some others out there experiencing similar divine discontent.

Early on we were challenged by Army leaders to “give your best,” that “anything for Jesus,” just wasn’t enough. So, we hope to finish strong, still committed to maintaining a standard of excellence in our ministry.

It’s not easy though. This dear old Army is rapidly changing. There is a fair amount of doom and gloom round and about. So, we need some help here. We think we found some in two contemporary parables, short stories pregnant with meaning. They are from a crazy book by Gordon Mackenzie called Orbiting the Giant Hairball ­ A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace.

The first parable is about how to avoid a chicken’s fate. Gordon tells about his cousin who one day selected a fine white hen, produced a piece of chalk and drew a short line on the porch. He stood the chicken over the chalk line and held her beak to it. After a moment or so, the cousin slowly removed his hands. The chicken stood motionless, beak to the chalk line, hypnotized.

Same thing can happen to us. We can be taken by the back of the neck until our beak is on a line ­ not a chalk line, but a company line. And the company says, “This is our history. This is our philosophy. These are our policies. These are our procedures. These are our politics. This is simply the way we are.”

We can be hypnotized by this line and forget something very important. We can forget that what we each bring into our Army is our own uniqueness. We can contribute what no one else can. Mackenzie reminds:

“But if you are hypnotized by an organizations’ culture, you become separated from your personal magic and cannot tap it to help achieve the goals of the organization…. It is a delicate balance, resisting the hypnotic spell of an organization’s culture and, at the same time, remaining committed from the heart to the personally relevant goals of the organization.”

Retaining heart commitment to relevant goals takes work. Part of thriving and continuing to contribute meaningfully is to remember God not only created the organization, he created each one of us, and no one else can contribute what we can. Our work, our service, our commitment, our creativity, our moments of fruitful friction and creative criticism comprise that contribution.

There is another parable that has encouraged us as well. It’s the parable of the pyramid and the palm tree. Mackenzie was asked to tell his employer, Hallmark Cards, how it might more effectively organize itself. What fun. Something we Salvationists engage in evermore. Remaking the Army, that is. Of course, with our visioning process, we are encouraged to do so.

Anyway, Mackenzie talked about two organizational models, the pyramid and the palm tree, both in the desert. Hmm, the desert of discontent? His childlike drawings of the pyramid show top management at the top, middle management and supervisors in the middle, and the product creators and producers underneath the pyramid. In his second drawing, they talk to one another and top management says, “We must grow or die,” middle management “We must motivate the workers to produce more. You down there! How can we motivate you?” And the creator/producers “Let us out from under this crushing mountain.”

Then, there is the palm tree drawing. The cash crop is at the top, the managers and supervisors are the branches, and top management is the trunk giving central support. Organizational resources flow up from the roots to management and further on up to product creators. A pyramid is a tomb. A palm tree is a living organism.

So, I guess part of our commitment to excellence is to plant trees and not build pyramids in the time that remains. Also, to remember that God not only created the Army, he created each of us to make a unique contribution. I think we have rediscovered two positive ideas to keep us thriving and contributing right up to retirement, and beyond. I hope the cheers we hear will be from those still tending the vineyard.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like