This is me! Thanks for writing this!

I know that's how we use the analogy, but actually, the most important person on traditional totem pole is on the bottom. So, the literal "low man on the totem pole" in traditional American Indian culture, is the most important person. I use that to remind me that is true in the analogy as well. People can love my sermon, but if the toilets are stopped-up and the pre-school area isn't clean and safe, they won't come back (but they might listen to my pod-cast).

I second "Love & Respect" this is the only book I've read that actually addresses "both sides" MOST "fix your marriage" type books appeal to men to understand women, very few also address how women need to accommodate a man's needs. Our culture want to make men into women, and I'm afraid most Christian books go down that road as well.

This was timely... I literally just got this email and I'm considering how to respond:

"By changing Sunday School around to accommodate possible new members, let's not forget that the mature Christians need a place to still grow in the Lord... I think it would be a bad idea to be teaching elementary Christian principles to Christians who need to feed on meat. I know our church is big on outreach, but it's also about the Members. "

Perhaps also "a superior who has a smaller vision" can hold you back as well...

#6 - do it in a poem. It's hard to be mad at a rhyme (and it's memorable)

I preached a sermon once called "When The Church Is Missing an 'I'" somewhat along these lines. You can watch here... http://1lord.org/sermons

#6 accountability - have someone (or a group of someones) that you get together with regularly (weekly, monthly, etc.) to discuss briefly what you've been doing and how it's effected your life.

Write's mini-article is pretty much spot on, though some of the interpretation of "in the air" I take differently, but not like most of us think "way up in the sky" it's the word for our very breath, the air around us. I think it speaks more to a state or reality, not an "up up and away" idea...

Sometimes space is an issue. That also means there are other factors going on (not thinking outside the box) but sometimes that is the case.