I love reading books, and like many of you, I read a lot of books in the last 10 years. Half of the decade I spent in graduate school (finishing up my Doctor of Ministry degree) so there were a lot of books to be read and I just really enjoy reading anyways. I read about 500 books this last decade and there were a lot of great ones….some good ones….and some not so good ones. But there were definitely some books that stood out and really changed my life.
There are many books that I consider to have greatly been a part of spiritually transforming my life. When I chose my books there were some basic criteria that I considered:
I didn’t list the bible, because I’m hoping you assume that that is the book that has spiritually transformed me the most.
They were memorable (some books are just forgettable, and these were not)
They didn’t have to be written this decade
They are ones that I recommend to everyone
They are leading works in their field
They are ones that I have read multiple times, or are back on the reading rotation to read again
They needed to have fundamentally shifted some area of my thinking–paradigm shifting influence
They transformed me spiritually (my theology, my ministry, my prayer life, my leadership, my preaching, my counseling, my pastoring, my understanding of humanity, my relationship with God, etc.)
Additionally, since I have so many recommendations, I’ve decided to break them down into the following categories: Church Growth, Theology, Christian Living, Leadership, Self-Improvement, Business, Sociology, and African-American Studies. I will devote blog space to cover each category in subsequent posts.
Fraternity is commonly defined by Webster as the state of being Brothers, a brotherly relationship within a student organization formed chiefly to promote friendship and welfare among the members.
The opening of the school year, 1905-1906, found at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, a group of students distributed in the various colleges of the University, who were desirous of maintaining more intimate contacts with one another than their classroom study permitted. They often met in groups during the Autumn of 1905 and talked of the possibilities of closer contacts among themselves. Different ones among them took the lead in calling these meetings, which were informal in ever detail.
After several meetings, on December 4, 1906 those in attendance decided to become a fraternity and Alpha Phi Alpha was born. It came as an evolution through trial and struggle. It was not spontaneous, but gradual in its growth. Alpha Phi Alpha has not always been the great fraternity that it is today. Its founders, however, were always great men with keen vision, undaunted courage, indomitable fortitude, and unparalleled tenacity.
There were seven men who founded Alpha Phi Alpha in 1906. Each of these men were destined to play a highly significant role in the formative years of our great fraternity. The members of Alpha Phi Alpha have decreed that the Founders be designated as JEWELS of the Fraternity. The Founders (Jewels) of Alpha Phi Alpha are as follows:
The original seven who remained steadfast to the idea of a Greek-letter Fraternity, during the months of uncertainty, did not waiver in their effforts to bring about the realization of their vision. Therefore, I salute all the men who’ve crossed the burning sands and proudly call themselves “Alphas.” Happy Birthday dear brothers & always remember:
Manly deeds, scholarship, & love for all mankind…
Onward & Upward – ’06
Brother Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
Jackson State University
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Delta Phi Chapter – Spring 1987
“The Naughty 9”
In case you’ve wondered what happened to my blog, rest assured because all is well! I had to take time and prepare for my doctoral thesis defense. Consequently, I’ve had to steal away and prepare. I’ve been sort of “micro-blogging” primarily through facebook andTwitter.
I just started reading a book by Jim Collins (author of Good to Great) titled, How the Mighty Fall. Collins unveils several years’ worth of research on why great companies collapse. These are companies like Zenith, Circuit City, Bank of America, Merck, IBM, etc. They were at some point leaders in the industry and seemingly invincible, but they have all suffered horrendous falls. Collins says there are five stages of decline.
Here is an interesting quote:
“I’ve come to see institutional decline like a staged disease: harder to detect but easier to cure in the earlier stages, easier to detect but harder to cure in the later stages. An institution can look strong on the outside but already be sick on the inside, dangerously on the cusp of a precipitous fall.”
Here is what struck me in the first few chapters: stage 1 of decline is “”Hubris Born of Success”, i.e. pride. Collins is not writing from a Christian perspective, but his research states that great companies begin a skid to irrelevancy and death by pride. The insidious cocktail of entitlement and arrogance begins to course through the company’s veins and eventually seduces it into stage 2, and thus, the decline is well under way.
What is true for the organizations we work for and serve is also true about our own lives. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Or perhaps Proverbs 11:2, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Lastly, Mark 7:20-22 says, “And he said, ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come…pride.”
Dictionary.com defines “pride” as, “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.” The antidote for pride is humility. Humility is the root of any virtue and all graces flow from it. The purest form of humility was displayed in the life and death of Jesus Christ. The One who deserves all accolades and praise came to serve. The One who is esteemed above all else emptied himself and died on a cross (Phil. 2:1-11). He laid down his life for the proud, but then, our pride is what keeps us from seeing and savoring this.
As a preacher’s kid (P.K) & pastor, I’ve heard many great messages throughout my lifetime. Some messages were quick cures for insomnia while others made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Dr. S.M. Lockridge preached a sermon 25 years ago that rocked my world!
Dr. Shadrach Meshach (S.M.) Lockridge (March 7, 1913 – April 4, 2000) was the Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, a prominent African-American congregation located in San Diego, CA.
King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived provides an excellent jumping off point for developing the character qualities essential to good leadership. Leaders cultivate character by acquiring wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 2:1-11). Of course, those possessions don’t come without a price. They require the kind of dedicated and patient labor exercised in raising godly children. Leaders must diligently “search” for the wisdom that is buried within God’s Word like diamonds covered by layers of earth and rock.
How leaders deal with the circumstances of life reveals much about their character.
ADVERSITY IS A CROSSROADS THAT MAKES A PERSON CHOOSE ONE OF TWO PATHS:
CHARACTER OR COMPROMISE
Consequently, that means using the right tools and exercising patience and diligence as we spend time immersed within this life-changing book. The writer uses words that call his readers to energetic and passionate action. Take a moment to reread verses 1-4 and note the quality of effort Solomon is talking about here.
As we dig, we must ask God to provide us with insight and understanding. Ultimately, only God can open our eyes to see spiritual truth and then enable us to apply that truth to our lives (see Ephesians 1:18). As God fills our minds with wisdom, our character will develop so that we’ll possess the ability to consistently make right choices – choices that are just, fair, and moral.
As we seek to possess God’s wisdom we’ll be able to move beyond simply expressing the vision and values of a leader. We’ll possess the kind of character which lofty visions and values flow. Our character will be truly godly, so that others will delight in following us.
WHAT WE MUST KNOW ABOUT CHARACTER?
1. Character is more than TALK.
Anyone can say they have integrity, but action is the real indicator of character.Your character determines who you are and determines what you see.
2. Talent is a Gift, but Character is a CHOICE.
We don’t get to choose our parents, circumstances of our birth and upbringing, But we do choose our character.
3. Character brings with LASTING SUCCESS with people.
True leadership involves others and people do not trust leaders whose character they know to be flawed.
4. Leaders cannot rise above the LIMITATIONS of their character.
Steven Berglas, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School and author of The Success Syndrome, says that people who achieve great heights but lack the bedrock of character to sustain them through the stress are headed for disaster.
He believes they are destined for one or more of the four A’s: ARROGANCE ALONENESS ADVENTURE-SEEKING (IN A DESTRUCTIVE WAY), OR ADULTERY.
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Best regards,
Clarence E. Stowers, Jr.
