Monday, September 15, 2008

It is a matter of context!

This morning I met with the spiritual leaders of a small church in eastern Oklahoma to consult with them about the church building they hoped to build. They did not want my firm to design it. The design was already finished and engineered by another architect. They just could not understand why the architect had drawn what he did. There were things on the drawings that they did not want, but he added them anyway! It was a communication problem.

I listened to their story and was at first appalled that the architect would not explain his actions to them. Then, as the story unfolded, other facts came to play. 1. He did all the design and engineering for free! (about $15,000 worth of fees). The architect paid for the Fire Marshall review! (about $400.00). But he did not explain the changes he made to the drawings!

I reviewed the drawings and was surprised to see that it was a complete set of construction drawings!

While there were some things that should have been explained, most items were code issues.
When I explained why the various things were done, the comments were: "None of the other churches in our town meet code! They get away with it! How can the Fire Marshall tell us how to build our buildings. Is this a free country or what?" These are almost direct quotes.

You know how after a meeting you say to yourself I wished I had said "XXXX" Well I thought of what I wanted to say as they were saying it! I just couldn't say it.

I was thinking: Change the subject and they might understand. "Everybody I know cheats. They get away with it! No one should tell me how to live! Is this a free country or what?" Everybody I know takes drugs! Everybody I know beats his wife! Everybody I know breaks the law!

Spiritual advice is not just for sinners! Sometimes to is for church leaders.

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