do politics and christmas mesh

In answer to mine own rhetorical question, probably not, but for the purposes of this post - they will!

-=-=-=-

Just a brief commentary on the state of the world...
The United States is Insolvent
The Top Ten Stories You Missed in 2006

If those two articles don't make you want to either move out of the US entirely, or at least scream at the federal government, then you must be dead. Well, to be fair, the other possibility is that you don't fully understand some of the finer points of fiscal responsibility and economics. I'm no expert, but I know enough to get by, and this kind of stuff just burns me up.

Essentially, think of it like this: while a few government agencies attempt to crack down on predatory lending practices by banks and credit companies that are fueling the ability of Americans to live above their means by racking up insurmountable debt, the government itself is living so far above it's means that expenditures and debt total up to 400% of the entire country's market value (value of all goods/services produced == theoretical "national income"). Then, to top it all off, while they are burning money like it's going out of style, they gloss over arms races and foreign dealings in order to push other foreign policy agendas. Personally, I don't care what the president might have to say over the next 2 years... the actions of the US government over the past 6 years have not made the American public safer or more secure -- especially fiscally. We have more enemies, and upcoming generations have a very bleak economic future. If future candidates want my vote, they better have more than just words when it comes to environmental, fiscal, political, and foreign policy reform.

-=-=-=-

On a more upbeat note --- Merry Christmas! I hope that you have a safe and happy holiday spending time with loved ones. While I recognize that for Christians this time of year represents a celebration of the birth of Jesus, I also would encourage you to look at this time of year as a time to focus on family, friends, and lending a hand to those less fortunate than ourselves. My wife and I decided that if we were going to go broke during Christmas, it was going to be because we poured extra money into local charitable giving efforts.

Unless something jumps up... see you next year! Cheers!

fluidity of time

No, I haven't change topics for the blog to quantum-multi-dimensional physics; it's time for another update and "I'm not dead" post. I could of course ask, nay beg, your pardon for my lack of writing and information, but I'm sure many of you will understand anyway.

Time is money. Time is of the essence. Time is on my side. Time is a piece of wax, fallen on a termite, that's choking on a splinter. Time is running out. Time to make the donuts. Time is a precious commodity. Time is irrelevant. Time heals all wounds. Time is... annoying!

I'm not normally a "not enough hours in the day" kind of person, but lately I could convince myself to be. Between the mountain of work I have to finish before my holiday vacation time, the preparations that go along with those holidays, and both recent and looming business travel to contend with, I want to know what happened to my 4th quarter lull. The increased demand on my time, conflicting schedules, and the ever unpredictable illnesses have made it extremely difficult to make forward progress with starting up ReGroup. I have been thinking about it a lot, and gathering bits of information here and there in anticipation of some possible areas of discussion. However, for the moment it is looking like ReGroup will not launch until 2007.

Time waits for no man, but...

James 5:7
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.

going back to the lyrics

So, I know in the past I've plugged my cousin-in-law's band, this is necessarily one of those posts. However, one of their songs is the subject of the day; let's face it music and song lyrics are a powerful influence in many people's lives. If you jump over to the MySpace page for Jo Henley, you can listen to 3 songs on the built-in player; listen to If God's My Pilot, I really like the lyrics. Here's the chorus...

If God's my pilot, someone wake Him up behind the wheel
If God's my compass, how come his direction's brought me here
It's long been said, that faith is all we get
So if God's my captain, what is there to fear...

I'd have to say, there was a long time (and some times still) where this is exactly how I felt. There are days I wish I were the least bit talented at songwriting, because there is just something more raw about the way the message comes across... well that's the way it is for me anyway.

of greed and falling morality

Work is keeping me busy, but I'll be back blogging with something in a day or two, or three... basically, hang tight!

In the interim, sometimes I wonder if there is something fundamentally wrong with American society and morals. Check out this story about one guy's Black Friday Nintendo Wii story.

Now, I saw all the news about the Playstation 3 and the violence that ensued with its release. Believe me, that made me question some people's sanity. I could never see myself standing in line overnight to purchase electronics, I don't need them that badly; let alone robbing someone at gun point, or beating them up and stealing $600 worth of electronics from them. However, I think the story above is even worse, this woman had the gall to prey upon someone's generous nature in order to cheat someone else out of money! The Nintendo Wii had the fortune of being a video game console that did not suffer from the ills of violence and extortion upon release, until I read this story. I honestly think that place like eBay should start cracking down on this kind of predatory auctioning of newly released, high demand consumer products -- especially leading up to a holiday that should be about generosity, family, and love (yes, I know, and Jesus). However, since I know that eBay will never do such a thing, I would hope that at least people would let go of the greed and violence... it is after all, just a video game.

I debated about jumping on the trend after I saw last year's debacle with the Xbox360, but I didn't; I'm just not that kind of guy. Plus, I don't think it helps the situation... companies get free press from these situations (the old, there's no such thing as bad press), and it promotes instant gratification at any cost. Am I interested in the Nintendo Wii, yes; am I willing to wait until they are actually available from any store on any given day if I buy one, yes.

Enough ranting... more on spiritual stuff later.

the un-meeting

In this instance, "un-meeting" does not refer to some interesting aspect of how ReGroup is different from other types of groups that exist out there. No, last night we had an non-meeting; or to put simply, there was no meeting. Due to some extenuating circumstances, the couple who had offered their home to host ReGroup for the evening had to cancel. The good news, is that things just like this -- life getting in the way -- are to be expected and must be given room. Sometimes other things just have to take priority, which can be a good thing. So, I'll be looking to reschedule this postponed kickoff for sometime after Thanksgiving when schedules allow. I hope to have at least one meeting, preferably two, before people start to disappear for Christmas.

So for those who were waiting on word, there it is... I appreciate your thoughts and prayers, hopefully it won't be much longer.

the saga begins

Nope, this isn't a random post about Star Wars, though I have been known to throw a couple of those in from time to time. This is about mustering the troops and circling the wagons. In other words, the very first ReGroup gathering is happening this weekend. Obviously, the first ever meeting will be a bit structured since there is some housekeeping to take care of -- primarily explaining what exactly is going on.

You see, the people who are going to be a part of this pilot experiment don't really know what to expect because they came to me with concerns and requests, from which I cobbled together this concept. From one person came the concern about lack of faith and lack of answers to tough questions, while another is fed up with the lack of meaning in an existing church community. I was asked to put together a Bible study by one, and told that I should start a new church by yet another. I will be pulling together these people, with widely varying stories and stages of faith, and nurturing a community. However, I have to first explain to everyone what crackpot ideas I came up with and what exactly this "ReGroup" thing is. I have some book excerpts to read, some scriptures to share, some questions to discuss, and in the end an informal poll to take. The idea is to introduce the idea of what our community is going to be and the limitless possibilities for where we can take it. Once that is covered, I can finish up by asking each person some of their specific questions they'd like to explore, topics they'd like to discuss, and activities they'd like to organize... you get the idea. Basically, the first meeting is really an introduction and information gathering session. But, don't get me wrong, if some of the exploratory discussion questions really ramp up, then we can throw away script and riff.

I'm excited and just a little nervous -- the nerves are mostly because I hope they don't all think I'm nuts when I unveil this rather unconventional idea instead of some other expectation they might have. We shall see...

group flexibility

A semi-quick word on flexibility, seeing as I haven't posted much lately.

There are many ways to interpret flexibility, especially as it relates to church and spiritual matters. There is flexibility in doctrine; while in some instances this can be useful for maintaining unity and avoiding judgmentalism, as they say, there can be too much of a good thing. There is flexibility in meeting; I touched on this earlier, mostly from the frame of reference that gathering together is not limited to a single time and place. There is flexibility in format; again, this topic I touched on before, maintaining the position that changing up the content and activities of a meeting is a good thing. Lastly (for now), there is flexibility in the medium. This is what I'd like to elaborate on.

Medium: singular of media, the format through which communication is achieved. Since ReGroup is by its very definition something that must emerge from its surrounding cultural and societal context, the medium or media used for communication within and for the group will range widely. However, as with flexibility in doctrine, there is a limitation to how flexible a group can be with the media used to communicate. First and foremost, there is one aspect of ReGroup that is fundamental and unchangeable for it to function and succeed. People who join ReGroup must be located geographically near each other so they can meet face-to-face on a regular basis. This personal contact is a must, especially in a time when digital interactions are a major part of mainstream communication - instant messaging, texting, chat rooms, blogs, myspace pages, cell phones, etc. This is not to say that any of those technologies are bad, they have their uses. However, to truly know someone and be a part of each other's lives requires that fundamental human need -- to be with others, not be alone, and know you are loved.

Now, the flexibility in medium comes from the communication that takes place between meetings. Sure one could go so far as to say that meaningful conversation should only ever take place face-to-face, which might lead to many impromptu calls to meet for coffee, but there obviously are other options. If the group so decides, they could choose any one or more (or none) of the myriad communication technologies to keep each other up to date, or perhaps discuss ideas for future meetings. Anything goes, so long as it works for everyone: a private or public group blog, a group website (like Yahoo! or MSN Groups), myspace, a mailed newsletter, phone calls, text messages, etc. How a group communicates will emerge from within the context of how they live their lives. There is no defined template of how a ReGroup should be formatted, and thusly there is no template as to how a ReGroup will communicate.

Cheers!

Reminder: Keep that feedback coming, as much as it might help you to have questions or concerns addressed, it helps me even more by forcing me to think about things that I might never have thought of...

round one responses

A couple of weeks, a couple of questions, and now some responses. I'll apologize in advance, as I must not have been getting a refreshed page each time I checked the site (possibly a side-effect of migrating my blog to the new beta interface). Here I went a full week thinking no one had responded!

Trust and Openness
In response to my previous post, church regrouping, Jim brought up some key points of what will make ReGroup sink or sail. Trust and openness go hand in hand when attempting to create a safe environment for people to share and grow. Obviously, trust is something earned, so part of that process means that everyone understands the ground rules and someone has to start the cycle. Those ground rules being something of the variety: we respect each other's opinions even if we don't agree; we don't pass judgment on each other's personal decisions; criticism is to be done from an honest and loving attitude, without bitterness or vindictiveness; stories shared in confidence are to be kept within the group, only to be shared outside the group with the permission of the one who shared. When I say someone needs to start the cycle, I mean that openness starts with someone opening up. Since I'm going to be the initiator of the first ever incarnation of ReGroup, my most important job is to share my story honestly in small bites and ensure that others begin to feel they can trust me and each other to share their own stories and experiences. And obviously, as Jim mentioned, trust also comes from getting to know each other in different scenarios, so the ability to change up the format and venue allows different people's personality to shine through.

Living the Busy Life
As a response to a brief additional comment that Jim made, I felt it would be good to bring up that constant nagging aspect of the current American way of life: over-scheduling. We can get so busy in our lives that we often feel we couldn't possibly fit another thing into our schedules. However, it is interesting to note that we often find time to squeeze in things that we want to do, and use the "busy" excuse when something we should do comes up but don't necessarily want to do it. In order to avoid falling prey to the over-scheduling aspect, I think the ability to keep things flexible becomes crucial. Setting a regular day and time should be done, but with the caveat that should the need arise to move to another day or time it can be done to accommodate the group. As for the want/need problems... my advice would be the same for say, golf. If you want to play more golf, but don't often have time, you have to make the time. If it is something important to you, then you will find the time to do it. In this instance, you have to be willing to break the cycle of your life. Another golf analogy: you'd like to buy new clubs, but you don't play that often due to your schedule so you don't feel you can rationalize new clubs; however, if you bought the new clubs, wouldn't you make time in your schedule for more golf the next year in order to make the purchase worthwhile? Short version, you're only as busy as you allow yourself to become, and you are in charge of your schedule -- your schedule is not in charge of you. (Then again, I am an optimist...)

Keeping it Intimate
I think ideally that if the group can stay under 10 people, it would be to a greater benefit to the group's self-determined goals. I say this because smaller groups have a tendency to foster greater intimacy and stronger relationships between people. However, that doesn't mean that the group couldn't swell to above 15 people for a given meeting or event. One of the other important aspects is that the group should always feel open and inviting to anyone and everyone, so obviously there wouldn't be a group bouncer who turned the 16th person away. The key here is that the small nature of the group is designed to foster relationships and encourage strong bonds so that we can help each other in our journeys.

Evolving with Change
In order for the group to remain flexible, authentic, and relevant, it needs to be able to cope with change in group dynamics. One of the most obvious kinds of change is the fluid nature of the group. Everyone in the group, especially those committed to the community for the long haul, need to recognize that the group may serve some people for a short time. Hopefully, those we help will stay in touch, but we don't require them to stay in the group forever. Another kind of change to deal with is change brought on by growth, when the group starts getting close to 15 people or above on a regular basis. At that point, the best scenario is for at least 3 or 4 people to make the commitment to spin off another group. They wouldn't have to spin into a completely autonomous entity if they didn't want to; as Jim mentioned, I think drifting between groups would be good and occasional multi-group organized activities would be even better. Another kind of change might even be a group deciding that rather than spinning another networked-yet-independent group from itself, they choose to set down roots and form a somewhat more traditional church body -- weekly services, classes, leadership team, preacher(s), and of course ReGroups.

I like to think of the growth process like gardening; tomatoes for example. You plant the seeds, water them, ensure they get proper sunlight, remove weeds that would impede growth, and in the end you hopefully have a healthy plant that bears ripe tomatoes. But that's not the end, those tomatoes are chock full of seeds, which you could reserve during meal preparation for a couple of purposes. You could use the seeds to increase your yield of tomatoes next year, you could share the seeds with a friend to help them establish their own tomato garden, you could give the seeds to a school and offer to help teach children about how plants grow with them, etc and so on. The only limitation is the the self-placed one.

Keep the questions, ideas, and comments coming... they only help to further define an explore the many facets of ReGroup!

polling in spirit

Considering that I've been told that there are some people out there who are reading this blog to hear more about ReGroup as I weave things together in preparation for an official kickoff, I figured information about it should be gathered in the spirit of the idea.

What do I mean by that exactly? Quite simply, rather than you passively reading my blog and wondering when I'll next toss some intellectual and practical morsels about ReGroup, it's your opportunity to contribute and interact. I want to know, those of you who are intrigued by the concept or excited about the idea, what questions do you have? What comments or concerns come to mind when you think about this endeavor? Or to put a different spin on things, did you read or hear my initial description and think that it was something you would love to start or join yourself? Let me know!

I could keep writing things as I think of them and work them out, but the fact that there are people wanting to know more and not knowing what questions they have makes it hard for me to write more about ReGroup. If I don't hear much, then I'll shift to some other topics that I've back-burnered for a while. If I hear a lot, maybe I'll consider spinning off a separate blog to tackle the subject in-depth -- which I may do eventually anyway.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing all your questions and comments, constructive feedback is always appreciated!

church regrouping

So, I know I have some people out there who have been waiting to hear more about this whole ReGroup thing that I am hashing out, so I guess I have a bit more worked out that I can share. So I'd like to share 2 things: how does one introduce the concept; and when I say ReGroup isn't church but at the same time it is church, what exactly does that mean?

For those who might have heard Paul and I speak at the ACU Lectureship, obviously the final day was one way that the concept can be shared. Essentially, I read an abridged version of my post, the time of regrouping. However, as some have expressed to me, that explanation really only whets the appetite for more information. Because of this, I've been working on a flexible agenda that I can use to kickoff the first ever meeting of a ReGroup community. As I've seen, sometimes the best way to start something is to make sure everyone understands what defines the mission. The first and most important items on my kickoff meeting agenda are: What is ReGroup? What is ReGroup NOT?

So what is ReGroup?

• A community where one can safely explore issues of life and faith.
• A community which supports one another in the face of great joy and terrible pain.
• A community that accepts people for who/where they are in their journey.
• A community which stands ready to help each other take the next step in their journey.
• A community who welcomes in those hurting from the abuses of today's society.
• A community that values who you are and who you want to be, more than who you were.
• A community that can change and adapt to meet the needs of the group.
• Whatever you want and need ReGroup to be...
  

(Catching a trend there...)
Obviously, in order for a lot of that to work in practice, a ReGroup community probably can't grow much larger than say 15 people before it starts to compromise the intimate dynamics that a smaller group can offer. Also, when I say ReGroup can be whatever you want/need it to be, I mean exactly that. Which leads me to the next question...

In that case, what is ReGroup NOT?

• A Bible study.
• A church small group.
• A discussion group.
• A book club.
• A devotional.
• A social outing or event.
• An informal counseling session.
  

However, at the same time, it can take the form of any of those should the need arise. One thing that ReGroup can never be though, is an exclusive group of friends. Building friendships is core to the growth and success of ReGroup, but exclusivity will stop it dead in its tracks and undermine everything it stands for. I suppose one other thing ReGroup can never become is some form of a 3/6/12 step program for fixing your faith. If there's anything I've learned through my own spiritual wrestling, it's that there is no single, guaranteed way to find and build a faith that works for everyone. There are common threads, but weaving those threads into a living faith is different for everyone.

So, now that the basic idea has been laid out there, why is ReGroup not church and yet still church? What makes this community a new and different kind of church? Honestly, I make no claim that this idea of mine is some kind of new and revolutionary form of church that I alone invented. There are threads of ideas that I have taken and woven together into a vision of a community built on faith that meets a need that I see being overlooked. Take the idea of organic church for instance, the concept of taking the kingdom of God into places where life happens and culture is formed -- instead of taking people out of those places. There's a book on the topic that I've heard quite a bit about that I want to check out: Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil Cole. Then there's always a favorite book of mine, No Perfect People Allowed: creating a Come As You Are culture in the church by John Burke, which describes how Gateway Community Church came about in the Austin, TX area and began building bridges to cross the cultural divide between church and life in a "postmodern" world. Now think about the terms that have also floated around about liquid or fluid church, wherein the idea is that church flows out and fills into new spaces that it couldn't get to as a "solid" church -- it's flexible. Then there's the house church movement, which at times can look exactly like a mainstream church in form and function, but located outside a stereotypical church building, typically in someone's house (or rotating amongst the homes of the community members). Lastly, I suppose I reflected on how youth groups and college groups typically interact within existing church communities, and I asked myself the questions: "Why is it that in most churches only the teenagers and college students have organized activities beyond Bible studies and devotionals? Why are the youth the only ones who gather on a regular basis outside the walls of the church building for friendship building activities?"

Those are some of the church related ideas that lead me to believe that ReGroup is a form of church, albeit a very different form. After all, I doubt very much that ReGroup will ever have anything that resembles a worship service, at least in the traditional sense of the term. Then again, nothing says ReGroup couldn't have a dedicated time of semi-traditional worship, if that's something a ReGroup community had the gifts, resources, and desire to do. However, the principle that I think drives ReGroup is the understanding that you are gathering together in order to share and express your faith, while helping each other live out the Way and the Life that Christ's message painted for us.

Cheers! And thanks for reading...

all about books

I was "tagged" to answer these questions, and so without any ado, here they are with my answers...

A book that changed my life: I would have to say, that in recent memory a book that has changed my life would be A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren. The main reason is because in reading it, I saw a reflection of some of my own struggles with questions for which I didn't know the answers or had developed unconventional answers. After reading that book, I began my current book binge that includes a much healthier mix of NY Times best-sellers, Star Wars novels, and new Christian authors.

A book I’ve read more than once: Surprisingly, there are very few books that I've read more than once, primarily because I have a fairly decent memory for a book's major plot line once I've read it. After that the reading becomes a refresher course in the details. However, I have read I, Jedi by Michael A. Stackpole a couple of times, and I'm about halfway through A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren for the second reading.

A book I would take with me if I were stuck on a desert island: As a nod to a comedian I once heard, Ardal O'Hanlon; "She asked me for two books I'd take with me to a desert island, and I didn't like the threat implied in the question. I said that the first would be a big, inflatable book, and the second would be How to make oars out of sand." Honestly though, I think I would hope that before becoming stranded on a desert island that I had in my possession a copy of either The Lord of the Rings, or the original Star Wars trilogy (both of which are available with the entire trilogy in a single volume).

A book that made me laugh: I know I've read a couple, but I can't remember which ones, but basically any Dave Barry book is hilarious. I also love his articles at the Miami Herald.

A book that I wish had been written: "Facing the Truth: Realizing you can't be right about everything all the time and learning that this is okay"

A book that I wish had never been written: Honestly, I can't think of a book that I disliked enough to wish its existence undone. I try to only read books that I feel will be a good read, or that friends have recommended. Although I will say, The Fingerprint of God by Hugh Ross nearly put me to sleep and Hard Times by Charles Dickens DID put me to sleep. I wouldn't necessarily wish they never were written though.

A book I’ve been meaning to read: I actually have a few on my site here already, but I will add here Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell. I've heard a lot of good things about it, and I now have a copy of it (thanks Allen!). I just need to find time to read it.

I’m currently reading: I'm still reading Emerging Churches (by Gibbs & Bolger), and I am about to start The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl. I also have A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren, which when I am in-between books I pick up and continue reading my way through for a second time. While I could also start up Velvet Elvis, I'm going to wait until I finish Emerging Churches... and I am getting a craving for a good Star Wars series, which I have not been reading lately – I think picking up where I left off in the New Jedi Order series is probably in order.

I’m Tagging the Following Bloggers to answer these questions:
Anyone who reads my blog and feels like answering the questions.

I'm not big on chain mail or chain email forwards, I always "break" them. Why should I be any different with this chain blog topic? So feel free to take these questions back to your own blog to answer or if you don't have a blog and want to respond, leave your answers in a comment. If you do answer them at your blog, please drop me a comment letting me know; I'd love to read what books influence you.

post-lectureship reflection

So I've been back from Lectureship for about a week now, and a post about the experience is probably long overdue. So here's a brief one... I hope.

First, I have to say that my expectations going into the whole Lectureship thing were relatively low. This isn't because I have some low level of respect for it or anything, it's more because I attended a couple out of requirement while in college so I knew the basics of what went on and I didn't expect anything to be different. So with that as a primer, my expectations were blown out of the water - in multiple ways.

I heard most of the evening keynote speakers, and they were awesome. There was a huge narrative aspect to the speeches they gave, which rather than making the experience feel like a lecture or a political speech gave the presentations a more personalized and involved feel. Plus, it didn't hurt that most of what I heard was a cage-rattling, table overturning rhetoric that was calling for people to wake up and smell the change in the air before it's too late. It really made me feel like what I was there to present fit into the subtle yet over-arching theme I discerned.

Speaking of why I was there; Paul and I both agreed, our sessions were a smashing success if we do say so ourselves. Our student panelists (Jordan Swim and Jordan Wesley) added so much valuable insight from their unique experiences, and most of the topics we brought up were met with what I can only describe as a warm and welcoming attitude. Each day was success in my mind, because each day we touched someone in the audience on an emotional level with the stories and ideas that we shared. However, the first day we might have struck a few tender nerves by touching on the inter-generational communication gap and Catholicism; neither of which was part of the original plan, but it seemed the Spirit moved us that direction. This turned out to be a good thing in the end though, as it levelset a few things and provided a model of how we intended the sessions to be considered a safe environment for discussion and sharing.

I am a firm believer in God sending people places, in a seemingly innocuous manner, so they might touch certain people's lives. I experienced it in college, I've experienced it in travels, and I've experienced it at Lectureship. While some might think that I would say I was sent to Lectureship to share my story and help others, I would say I was brought to Lectureship to share my story so that others could help me. Sharing some of myself and my aspirations for ReGroup was a liberating experience because of the outpouring of positive comments that I received, which makes me even more excited and driven to make sure it gets off the ground successfully. I am still planning and working out the many ideas that are swirling around in my mind, but things are firming up little by little and I hope to have the group up and in full swing before Christmas.

For any new visitors from Lectureship, welcome and thank you for stopping by. If you attended our sessions, Paul and I thank you for your time, attention and valuable discussions. And for those that offered your blessings and comments on ReGroup - especially Kathy, Allen, and Ray - I thank you.

more on groups

So I know that I've been tagged to whip up a list of influential books in my life, but I've got to get this out of my head and into print before I forget it. So bear with me, the books will come next week sometime.

So my last post fleshed out this concept of a spiritual support and healing group, sort of like a Casa Blanca of the church world. However, I got to thinking that the scope could be even broader than my initial thoughts on the subject, primarily because the entire concept is very flexible. I was referred to a series of multimedia articles that follows recent college graduates trying to find their way in the world, and shortly after that I read a blog post about how 75% of teenagers active in church will abandon church in their 20's. The combination of the two got me thinking about how spiritual formation in teenagers tends to lack a reality check about what life is like after high school and college as a Christian. It's a wonder the rate of disillusionment isn't higher... We give them what to believe, but the why is a pointer to scripture with no current day contextual equivalent. Most likely those who make their way back after abandoning church, do so because they grappled with the questions they couldn't answer at first and found a peace. It may sound dangerous, but I think teens need to wrestle with the hard questions... even if they do trip up along the way, at least this way they have a support structure around them to help them back on their feet when they are ready.

For those who are already beyond their teen years and leaving college, ReGroup would serve them as well. It could serve as a landing place for graduates, a place to take a breather and get oriented. Hitting the real world after college can feel a bit like having been shot from a cannon, dusting yourself off and figuring out where you are without a map or a sign.

Just another in a litany of possibilities...

Cheers!

On a different note -- anyone planning on attending the ACU Lectureship next week, I would encourage you to come hear Paul Clark and myself in our 3:00pm session as we lead "Emerging Conversations with the Next Generation of Christians"... or so that's what the brochure describes it as. Come check it out, it's going to be a great discussion!

the time of regrouping

Retreat, recover, reevaluate, relearn, refresh, renew, recharge, rebuild, repair, rebound...
ReGroup!

No, I don't have a sudden fetish with words starting with re, but I have had a recent epiphany. I've mentioned in the recent past that I've had this overwhelming feeling that there is something I need to be doing, or something that was coming I needed to be prepared for; I think I found it. It seems that over the past year I've been meeting a slowly increasing number of people who are caught in a state of limbo with regards to church. They've become completely disillusioned, disenfranchised, disgruntled, or just plain dissatisfied with the faith they find themselves with and the church they were raised in. At the moment the demographic is mainly people around my own age, and they are all coming from the same doctrinal church heritage; however, the whole situation got me thinking.

I've come to realize that there seems to be a need, in my area at least, for a group where people can fall back when they feel their faith losing step with the local church they belong to. Or in another situation, a place to run to when their faith is fine, but they have been hurt by their local church and need a place to figure out what to do now. A meta-church so to speak; a group of people committed to each other for the purpose of spiritual formation, growth, learning, encouragement, conversation, fun, and healing outside the walls of the available church communities. Your denominational affiliation wouldn't matter, it would be a spiritual melting pot where ideas are shared, good news rejoiced, and pains comforted. There wouldn't be a building, because people would be free to remain or become active members of other communities of faith, but for those uncomfortable in traditional churches we would be their spiritual family (like a house church). Money wouldn't be a focus, since as each is able to contribute, they can do so; whether that contribution is providing a meal, opening their home, paying for an outing, helping out a friend in a financial bind, or organizing a charity fundraiser. Also, leadership isn't really an issue since all it takes are a few people with the strength to start it, the courage to share their stories, and the patience and understanding to listen to others; after that, the group kind of runs itself so long as someone is willing to schedule a time and start the conversation for the evening, where it goes from there is determined by group dynamics of that evening.

The more I think about it, the less nervous and more excited about it I get. In my mind, the possibilities are endless; what could begin as a Bible study, could change to a movie night, group excursion, coffee conversation, weekly meal, or anything you can think of. It's not church, but at the same time, it is church - a different kind of church. It provides a safety net for people falling out of today's churches, where previously no net existed. And it is your choice whether to stay in the net and help others who fall, to climb back up to your local church, climb over to a different local church, or jump out of the net and find a different path altogether (of course there is the possibility you could miss/avoid the net in the first place, too). I've got some work to do, some ideas to polish, and some time to wait on, but I plan on going forward with this... it just feels right.

Quick book update - as you can see to the right, I have been reading 3 books at once! Shocking! It appears that you are rubbing off on me, Paul. I finished up Dear Church - Letters from a Disillusioned Generation by Sarah Cunningham rather quickly, and I must say there were many parts that felt like a mirror to my own thoughts at times. It's an excellent book for those who don't prescribe to the status quo, and leaders who want to understand them. When it comes to Emerging Churches, sometimes its hard to find time to sit down with it, because the book has so many good things in it I don't want to miss it because I was distracted while reading. As I've said, I have to keep my pen handy with that one. Those two books probably have been fueling my alternative approach to church ideas, and have also given me the confidence that I could start formulating a plan of action to meet this need I see. Lastly, on a less academic level I suppose, I have been reading Joshua and The City. So far, I would say that it's not as good as the original Joshua, but it is still entertaining to read - with a little bit of insight thrown in from time to time.

You keep reading... I'll keep writing... perhaps more so now that I have this idea I need to flesh out somewhere.

Cheers!

working and testing

It has been nice to finally have made it through the longest part of my summer of work, and now I get a reprieve from travel and special assignments for a little while. Next year is a whole other animal that has not been let out of the cage yet. In the meantime, I've been catching up on some normal everyday work, preparing for some up and coming new work, and trying to get myself back into a more spiritually focused frame of mind. The latter bit of that is the difficult part, since I've been so focused in other areas of life; mainly work and family.

Spiritually, I have a lot to accomplish in a fairly short amount of time. It is just a few short weeks until I throw myself before a vast gathering of Christians for a few days of classes, discussions, and probably networking. This will be the first time I've been speaking in front of any kind of audience in quite some time, and it will be the first time ever that I've spoken publicly in front of spiritual peers. I'll most likely handle myself well (with help from my co-presenter), but it seems a bit daunting at the moment. There are some other non-speaking spiritual goals I also have on my plate, those ones of a personal nature; God and me stuff. Those might take longer, He just doesn't seem to feel the need to explain this deep-seated and completely unrecognizable desire that is within me lately. If I could put words to it, I might be able to figure out what it is I need to do. So far, all I know is that I think I am heading the right direction, but as I've said before, I have no idea what direction that is or where it leads. It feels a bit like paddling a canoe at night, when the moon is not out, clouds block the stars from view, there are no lights along the shore that you can see, and you have no light of your own. You have nothing but your hearing and intuition to guide you...

Also, I kind of coerced this post out of myself. I did this partially just to write something and keep the blog alive, but I also did it because I am testing out Writely. I had heard about it before Google bought them up and closed down the registration while they migrated/upgraded things, and now that registration is open again I wanted to check out how it all worked. It is a great online, collaborative document creation tool, plus it also handles publishing documents to a few different formats - one of which is to a blog. So far, I like it, but the integration with my blog isn't optimal. The fonts are different sizes and the titling doesn't seem to take. I might use it for drafts or something.

Cheers!

impending change

I weep for the inevitable restrictions in personal liberties and increase in travel hindrances around the world as a result of terrorist actions... despite world leaders stating that: changing our way of life, means the terrorists have succeeded.

I really wish that some intelligent people would step forward and find the real solution for making travel safer, without making travel more and more difficult and inconvenient. Or maybe I just want the world on a plate because I believe that safety and security should not automatically mean I have to give up convenience and comfort.

</rant>

be still for patience prevails

Sometimes I struggle with it, sometimes I wrestle with, and sometimes I give in to it...

The pleas of Job... (Job 6:11-13)

What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?

Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?

Do I have any power to help myself,
now that success has been driven from me?

The laments of David... (Psalm 40:1,11-13)

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

[...]

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me.

For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

The words of Jesus... (Matthew 6:25-34)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

My take...
Have patience; be still, and do not let your worries keep you down. You are not alone in your struggles, there is always One who is by your side. You only need to slow down and take stock of where you are and where you need to be...

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31

preaching reviewed

Found an interesting article at the ooze this morning. It's a review of Doug Pagitt's Preaching Re-Imagined. Granted, the book was published last September, so the review could seem a bit late in coming. However, since I've not read the book, have not heard a lot about it, but have been attempting to rethink various aspects of church community life, the review was very interesting to read. I might have to pick up the book one of these days. That or recommend it to a few friends of mine...

Preaching Re-Imagined: A Review - Mark Shivers

Enjoy!

on a grail quest

In an attempt to toss something out here that I have been thinking about, please accept this rather rough and poetically formed spiritual thought of the day. It is something that correlates a bit with the whole Da Vinci Code hoopla, primarily because the book/movie brought the whole mystery of the grail back into the limelight.

Enjoy!

Grail Quest.
I'm on a grail quest; to places unknown I go, in search of the mystery that awaits me.
To find the cup that Christ used, in which he gave his blood, my salvation will be found.

San Greal, Holy Grail.
O sacred chalice, O revered vessel, in ages past you were lost.
Many have tried, many have failed, but one day my struggles will bear fruit.

Sang Real, Royal Blood.
The cup, it was an idol; your blood was the real treasure.
You came to establish your kingdom; not one built on power, but one built on love.

Sacrificial Blood.
Many rejected your kingdom, they refused to hear the truth.
You placed yourself on the altar, you walked right into their grasp, and you did it for love.

Saving Blood.
Your sacrifice was the plan, it was the way to save us all.
We can't seem to fix our problems, but with you everything seems to work out in the end.

Saving Grace.
We try to earn your love, and we attempt to work our way into your good graces.
Try as we might, we will always fall short, but your love comes with no price.

Grace Quest.
Your grace is free to all, your teachings and actions model a better way of life.
I've given up on the grail, it's a fruitless search. I'm on a grace quest.
Everyone who seeks, will find.

to be completely fair

Just to provide a fair and balanced perspective, and so those reading don't think that I would completely bash and discard current forms of church community, I point you over to Mike Lewis's blog -- which has a very timely and relevant article today.

Let Us Not Completely Abandon...

Enjoy!

disconnected drifting

For someone who typically is connected all the time via technology (within limits), sometimes I start to feel... disconnected. Not disconnected in the positive sense, as in unplugging from everything for a while to keep myself focused, but as in feeling like I am isolated. I suppose in this case, it sort of works out for the better since my current mode of inspiration and spiritual exploration has been coming in waves; a crest here (lots of thoughts), a trough there (nothing at all). With not a whole lot of cohesive material to put together, my disconnected feeling is forcing me to try and wade through the randomly scattered bits of information and discern some kind of pattern.

Part of my mental drifting lately has been influenced by the currents of thought coming from Emerging Churches (see author info at left). Some of the experiences, stories, and testimonials in the book are really forcing me to stop, reflect, and re-think everything about what it means to be and do church. I know I've talked about it in the past, at times with some strange ideas, but some of what is actually going on out in the wider world (beyond the U.S.) is pushing the envelope further and bringing the focus back to where I had been leaning -- however, I think I had often failed to fully understand the possibilities of just what it was I thinking. For instance...

I've said before that I really don't like the term church, not because its a bad term, but because it is so tied up with the historical context it has been rooted in for the past millennia. So many people equate church with a building, even if they know that the church isn't the building. I've said, and many people know, that the church is the community of people committed to God's kingdom and Jesus's teachings. However, I think even that can get muddled up, because some people while attempting to avoid equating church with the building, end up subconsciously equating church with worship service (whether that is Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday.. whatever). While that is a good step, eliminating the focus on the building and shifting it back to the people, it still misses the point -- worship service isn't the church either (well not the only component anyway). Church; ekklesia; the calling together of people; congregation; assembly; a gathered community...

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am with them.

Wherever I am in the future, should I be asked where I go to church - my answer is:
Here.
If ever I am asked, what kind of people are at my church - my response:
At the moment, they are just like you and me.
And if someone were to ask me what worship looks like at my church - I would reply:
Frequently, it looks a lot like what we're doing right now.

Church - it doesn't always need a building, or a schedule, or a formal leader (other than Him), or chairs, or scripture readings, or songs - it needs people, a love of God, and a desire to be in community.

Cheers!

(So I guess I wrote my way out of my drifting and into something that actually makes sense, I think.)

personal perspective

Ever feel like this is where you are in life, the view from where you stand?


Photo by: Me!
Location: Notre Dame de Paris
Date: 06 July 2006

of experiencing faith in new places

I'm not Anglican, Catholic, Druidic or Celtic, and yet in places that are traditionally thought of as homes to these vast arrays of faith I found peace, awe, and spiritual stillness. There is just something humbling and uplifting about entering a beautifully architected grand cathedral or a simplistic and quiet sanctuary. Aside from the ability to work on technology I love and travel to interesting events, the ability to take time abroad has to be one of the major upsides to my job. Just recently Claire and I spent some time in London and Paris, and while we probably saw way too much to actually share in this entry, there were some spiritual high points that I really want to share.

Temple Church


Yes, I know it seems very Da Vinci Code to have visited Temple Church, but honestly there is something about this somewhat hard to find, unique building. The first thing that you will notice that is very different from other cathedrals in London, is that while a fair number of people will visit it to take pictures and do the tourist thing (like us), it remains quiet, still, and peaceful. I found that while there were those of us who took pictures, no one spoke above a slight whisper, no one crowded around and it felt calming to be there. Now granted, we did visit on a weekday afternoon, which I suppose would be my tip to anyone going to visit it, but overall I highly recommend going to see it just to balance out any other larger cathedral visits. We did visit Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, and while it is quite the awesome architectural masterpiece with beautiful architecture and stonework, it was neat to see something on a more moderate scale with older architecture. Obviously the picture above is not the typical picture you might see of Temple Church, with its life-size stone effigies of the interred knights, but like many things there is more too it if you can get beyond the outer appearance and stereotypes.

Stonehenge


An ancient, pagan rock formation of which we hardly know the true purpose or meaning behind its construction! Surely, I must be nutty if I found spiritual nourishment here right?!?! Wrong. I love the outdoors, I love nature, and I love beautiful things. Aside from the backroad highway that runs by Stonehenge, there is nothing but rolling hills, pastures, and trees in the region that surrounds this ancient and mysterious location. Like many historical places in Europe, there was an audio-guide that we received to inform us what is known about the site, its construction, and some possible uses for it. However, I let Claire handle the guided part and fill me in later because I was drawn in by everything that was around me and before me. The design and overall appearance might not compare at all to the cathedrals and castles that we saw, but the achievement and basic meaning is no less significant. Someone gathered together people to build something massive and more important than themselves, and they brought craftsmanship to the job when they did it. You see this is more than just a pile of big rocks sticking out of the ground, they are planned out and engineered. One side of the stones has been worked on until it is nearly flat, while the other is left rough; the entire setup is designed in a series of concentric circles with a pathway that leads from the north into the center. The top stones are not just laid to rest on the upright stones holding them aloft, they are engineered in place using notched tongue and groove interlocking; and the most well-known aspect is that being at Stonehenge during the summer/winter solstice and vernal/autumnal equinox during sunrise shows its alignment with the Earth's movements. Say what you will about why it was built, but go there and experience it before you discard its significance.

Saint Sulpice


Again, I know it is another Da Vinci Code reference, but you know what - the church was here before the book, so let it go. On a positive note, it seems the interest generated in the church by the book could possibly be fueling a renovation effort on this beautiful cathedral (as we learned, this was what happened with Notre Dame de Paris after Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame became enormously popular). While it might not have the soaring flying buttresses and massive rose windows, Saint Sulpice is beautiful and intriguing. While we did take time to check out the roseline and the scientific information about how the sun at noon slowly works its way across the church through the year (the gnomon), you could easily overlook that aspect if you were not looking for it. There is a whole lot more to see, such as the gorgeous and sacred Maria chapel that resides behind the high altar in the apse, and as most cathedrals have - intricate stained glass windows. Since we again visited on a weekday, there were not a lot of people there and those who were present took seriously the signs requesting that people observe a respectful silence since it is a place of worship and spiritual solace. In retrospect, I wish I had taken a few moments to kneel in prayer as I felt the urge to do so, but being in tourist mode I opted not to. I say in retrospect because the next day we visited Notre Dame de Paris, and I felt absolutely nothing while there. Sure, it is a great example of Gothic architecture, has beautiful stained glass rose windows, and an intricately decorated high altar... but the crowds, oh the crowds! It was as if you were in a massive river of people, all slowly flowing around the cathedral in a predetermined route, each group with their designated photographers jockeying for position to capture a poorly lit and out of focus memory. There were memorable places and interesting things to photograph, but the possibility that existed in Notre Dame for spiritual nourishment was suffocated by the throngs of people who felt the need to talk constantly while they explored, resulting in a physical river of people that created a constant, loud murmur throughout. I would love to go back again to visit both cathedrals, after Saint Sulpice has had a chance to finish up some restoration and so I could visit Notre Dame earlier in the day (it was a weekday that we went) to see if perhaps it would be quieter and more peaceful.

I suppose my experiences all come down to the idea that I prefer tranquil spaces for spiritual reflection. I do enjoy more lively environments from time to time, but not usually when I am looking to sit down and ponder the meaning for my existence, God's artistic creation, and the best way to put my talents to use for the Kingdom.

Cheers!

eye of the storm

A bit on the melodramatic side as far as titles go, but for this time in my life a rather appropriate one. For my valued readers, an apology for the lack of content recently, I have been otherwise disposed as of late -- I've been busy. In the current, if fleetingly, moment of calm let me throw out some quick updates.

I finally started reading Emerging Churches, and all I can say so far is wow! Normally I burn through the pages of good book at a blistering rate, but this is the first book in a while that I've slowed down intentionally and have read it with pen in hand. That's right, I'm writing and notating and highlighting in a book -- something I haven't done since college. And there are stretches where I could swear I have been marking something on every page. To date, I have only read through the first 4 chapters but they are packed full of interesting material. I'll write more about it later on, either after I get through more of the book or after I finish it.

As for the reason I have been slack on the blog, the past 4 weeks I have been out of the country. I spent 2 weeks in London working on some pre-tournament setup work for Wimbledon (website stuff). After that the wife flew over the pond and we spent 5 days touring around London (including Windsor Castle and Stonehenge) and then another 5 days in Paris. We had a fabulous time, and there are some parts of the trip that I will be blogging about later as there were some really interesting spiritual things that I experienced. However, the vacation has ended and very soon work will be spinning up rapidly with another grand adventure -- the jointly authored technical book!

Cheers!

pharisees revisited

Something a bit more spiritual in nature, I absolutely loved this current day re-telling of scripture that Wade Hodges whipped up. I think he captured in much fewer words, something I was trying to say in my previous article about modern day pharisees. Definitely check it out and read the comments...

A Retelling of an Old Story

Enjoy!

i'm not a parent but

Something about this article just trips my "common sense" alarm.

TV's can kill, study says

I don't mean to be crass and uncaring about children, as one day I plan on having some myself, but I think there are better things to be doing than adding more idiot-proofing to consumer products. One would think that the concept of children climbing on or around a television should set off a parenting alarm in most people. Rule #1: TV's are not furniture, as such don't sit on them, climb on them or otherwise attempt to misuse them. Rule #2: Most TV's are heavy, and thus should be afforded some level of caution when moving or in the "I might bump it" proximity of one. While I think it is tragic that children are being hurt from unstable TV's, but I wholeheartedly ascribe to the real life experience learning method. This method follows this logic: there is nothing dangerous to children in keeping a large, heavy TV on a wobbly or unstable piece of furniture -- when you tell them not to touch the TV they should understand its for their own benefit. If they so choose to pull the TV on top of them a few times... they'll learn not to do that. This also applies to hot stoves, electrical outlets, and pets.

Of course you should know, that yes I am being snarky and perhaps sarcastic, I would never leave dangerous objects or anything lying about for children to be hurt by. However, the concept of parental supervision and discipline is something I think is falling by the wayside in the U.S. I mean seriously, we should strap down our televisions because they are heavy and often weighted towards the front?!?! I swear, if this grows beyond the current level of media coverage to the point of legislative lobbying for regulation I will go insane. Some days I truly believe that we are dumbing down society in America... I might need to put a big, flashy, unavoidable warning label on this blog so people who don't want to examine some of the more philosophical and spiritual aspects of their life aren't harmed by reading the material it contains.

Thus endeth the rant....
Cheers!

intriguing world of video and marketing

I came across some interesting things today that I decided I needed to take the time to share, and share my thoughts. So without any further ado...

Healing, Sick and Dying Churches
"Perhaps local churches aren't meant to last forever, but the universal Church is, and so it will continue growing in some way."
I really like this article for the main reason that it highlights the facts that:

1. church growth does NOT correlate directly to church health.
2. church decline does NOT always have to be a negative experience.

A New Law
A rather poignant music video by Derek Webb, thanks to Matt Ritchie for the link. At first I thought that the main thrust was "a new law" from a political point of view, meaning the tug of war between Republican and Democratic influence on our nation's laws; some of which remove our need to think and see for ourselves. However, as I continued watching I started to see another aspect -- a new Law, as in give me a new set of guidelines in the tradition of The Law and Prophets, that I can follow blindly without having to think about how my faith can truly be an impact (good or bad) for my life and those around me.

Dance Monkey, Dance!
An eye opening look at humanity, link courtesy of Rev Dan of Outchurched. Warning, the content of this video could be offensive to some viewers. Not offensive because of language, explicit content, or other stereotypical content that gets labeled as questionable, but rather this could be offensive because it smacks you in the face with ideas you may find uncomfortable. It is not funny, it is not scary, and it is not inspirational; it is, however, insightful...

Enjoy!

scattered, frazzled, but sane

It seems my penchant for blogging drags when it rains, and blogging drought during continuous rainfall if you will. However, things have been complicated lately by the comings and goings of work and life. So to be fair to those who stop by to see what controversial, enlightening, or just plain stupid things I write, I thought it was time for at least an update of what I've been up to and what I will be up to in the coming months.

To get the boring stuff out of the way (for some not all), I have had a ton of opportunity and good fortune fall my way at work lately. Aside from the obvious "love my job, happy to blessed with employment and excellent management" type of stuff, I've also been selected for some interesting career opportunities. Essentially, for 5 weeks in July/August I will be up to my ears in techie goodness as I work with a few other people from around the world to research and write a technical book. I won't pretend that many of you will understand what the book entails, but for me it is a great opportunity to share my knowledge of best practices for a product I've used for 5 years and also learn about the latest and greatest version that we are writing about. So I'll won't just be a techie, I'll be a published techie and contributing to some of the same series of books that I learned from early in my career. So combine that with some vacation and I will possibly be somewhat silent in the next few months on the blog front -- not necessarily being still but more like being busy.

To something a bit more fun, Sunday I had the chance to swing by Boston and check out Jo Henley. They were awesome, and while they list their musical influences on their site, I found I had my own take based upon my musical tastes. To my ear, I heard influences from Johnny Cash, Dave Matthews, Live, James Taylor, Jack Johnson, and maybe some Jars of Clay. Basically, they have a really sweet sound that rolls along smoothly, and yet still jolts with you the energy that they produce. The music is an awesome blend of rock, country, folk, and alternative styles that just hits home -- and this coming from a guy who grew up listening to grunge, hard rock, alternative and avoiding country like the plague, I guess time changes tastes. You can listen to some of their music either by downloading from johenley.com or listening with the built-in player on their mySpace site. However, as it is most times, they put on an awesome live show -- and in this case the recorded stuff they have at the moment doesn't include their full band. And in case you are wondering why I would throw this in my blog -- the lead singer is my cousin-in-law (wife's cousin's husband), this was the first time I ever heard him really play, and I was totally blown away. So if you are in the Boston area, or will be, and want some good live tunes -- check out Jo Henley at one of their gigs.

For the spiritual side of things, I've officially kicked off work with my friend Paul on our material we'll be presenting at the ACU Lectureship in September. I think we're slotted under the "Missional Leadership" category, though that's not quite what we'll be discussing. I think it would be a little more accurate to describe it as "how to live as a missional church". Some of the material will perhaps ruffle some feathers, but then again to water down what we want to say would be inauthentic -- and I am not about to put myself in front of a large group of people so I can present material I don't truly believe in. Also, the work on my own material has been slow going, mostly because its tough to find time to dedicate to it. It's a good thing I chose not to post it in a blog series, since I'd be way behind if I had. Maybe by the end of the summer I'll have enough to decide what to do with it. Prayers on both these fronts would be appreciated; while it's not exactly the direction I thought I'd be headed in my spiritual life, so far it seems to be working and feels right.

So basically, I'll try to get some controversial, inspired, or lame spiritual thoughts up when I can, just don't expect a regular flow of posts for a little while. Cheers!

on a lighter note

I've been saying this for years! Too bad I'm not some biological scientist-type that could have published the idea with some kind of authoritative supporting material.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The egg!

Oh well, at least I can say a philosophical, evolutionary geneticist agrees with me...
;)

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! May the weather be agreeable, memories be shared with family, and those that served the world in an effort to maintain peace and prevent oppression be honored.

modern day pharisees

As a quick disclaimer, those who read regularly will probably know this already, but I pull no punches in this post. Read at your own risk, and possible discomfort.

Philosopher, poet, and critic, George Santayana, once wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It is a saying that has become cliche, often repeated (or misstated) and often glazed over. Sadly, today we could re-work that saying to perhaps be stated as, those who obsess on the past are blinded to the parallels that can be drawn with the present. By thoroughly understanding something in its true historical context, we can often inadvertently place it solely in the past and avoid confronting similar circumstances in our own lives. Let's think about this for a moment.

Have Christians come full circle? Are many of us now the modern incarnation of the Pharisees? What about Zealots? Or Herodians and Sadducees?

Don't be too hasty in forming your answer, think about it, a casual dismissal of the idea could be just as telling. Let's look at the Pharisees first: highly righteous, adhered to strict laws of purity, abhorred sinners and would not associate with sinners except to publicly show their benevolence, and they believed that God would send the Messiah only once everyone stopped sinning. How different is that from people today? Of any group out there, who are most often labeled as having "holier than thou" attitudes? Why exactly is it that some people feel that people seeking faith have to check their sins and worldly ways at the door of the church, often before even being baptized?

You want to know how I could possibly think Zealots relate to today? How popular is that Left Behind book series, and what are they about? Oh, yeah something about Jesus coming back to resurrect the faithful, judge and persecute the unfaithful, establish an earthly kingdom, and lead a final battle to defeat evil. Sound like the Zealots to you, with their hope for a violent overthrowing of their enemies and establishment of a righteous political entity?

Herodians and Sadducees should be fairly obvious by now, right? Let's see, Herodians and Sadducees were both collaborators with the Roman occupiers, essentially playing nice with the powers that be in order to gain influence to maintain their status quo. The Sadducees went even a few steps further and were even more elitist and righteous than the Pharisees, as they rejected many of the newer teachings of the day (resurrection, afterlife, spirits, etc). To me, that smacks of the stereotypical fundamental/conservative/right-wing Christian political lobbyist groups that are in the news more and more frequently.

I told you I wasn't going to pull any punches here, and it's not because I think I am somehow better than anyone else. I'd be the first in line to pronounce that I am not perfect, I don't have all the answers, and I struggle with sin and Jesus' way of life. However, I find it troubling to think that we have come so far, only to find ourselves right back where we started. I often wonder if Jesus were to come back again today, would he try to come to the various Christian groups first, only to find our reaction to him reminiscent of how the Jews responded two thousand years ago? Makes you wonder...

secrets of joy and despair

After what seemed like an interminably long wait (but I was probably more impatient than anything), I received my replacement copy of Brian McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus. I debated about going back and re-reading the entire book, but I chose instead to back up one chapter to get back into the book. Since I am by no means a professional book reviewer, my review is simple. It is a great book that I would recommend to everyone who wants to get up close and personal with the message that Jesus shared with us. By up close and personal, I mean by examining all the aspects - historical, political, religious, etc - and then seeing how Jesus' teachings in scripture speak to us. As with many of McLaren's previous books, for me this was another page turner that I rarely wanted to put down (but often did so as not to shirk other duties and people). Since I don't read every book out there by Christian authors, and I rarely find myself interested in reading a lot of heavy theology and history, The Secret Message of Jesus offers a satisfying, simple, and short introduction to the meaning of the message and how powerful it truly was when Jesus first delivered it. I say this is an introduction, because quite aptly the final appendix chapter begins with a bit of what I felt when I finished reading the book.

"I hope this book has not satisfied your curiosity about the secret message of Jesus. Instead, I hope it has stoked the flame of your curiosity as never before. I hope, as a result, that you'll want to continue exploring the message and its meaning for your life and for our world."

In other words, this is not an answer book, though it does provide some suggestions for further growth and exploration. I guess this would be the mixed emotion portion for me, often as I read these books, they expose me to different ways that Jesus' message impacts our lives. From this I feel an inner joy and longing, which often leads to a bit of personal despair. The joy comes from knowing and reaffirming my belief in a better way and the God who loves us, but I despair at my feeling of disorientation and confusion -- perhaps best summed up as feeling a bit lost. My head swirls with possibilities, callings, ideas, revelations, connections, desires, and a heavy dose of doubt. Could it be that I am being called to speak, teach, and shepherd? I doubt it; who do I think I am, why should they listen, and to whom would I speak to anyway? There is certainly more to me than blogging, since my ideas span far and wide, but who would be willing to follow them or take a chance on them besides me? Where is the place for someone who is tired of being taught the same thing year after year, but not in a position to teach even if they were not hesitant to do so? Certainly, I could continue to be a one man think-tank, with a limited audience to which his words are broadcast. I could for months on end continue to produce writings that might inspire people, provide food for thought, nourish the spirit, perhaps entertain or merely be tolerated. But what is the point? There is little community in that, there is no advancement of Jesus' revolutionary message, there is barely any living of the revolutionary message in that. I do appreciate those of you who read, and hearing that something I wrote helped someone makes it worthwhile, but isn't there - shouldn't there - be something more?

I stand in a clearing, with a note in my hand. I have been invited to a celebration thrown by the most loving, generous, and gracious host of all, I need only follow the path laid before me to get there -- in fact the invitation has informed me that "the more the merrier". Only there are many paths in front of me, each one different, and I am frozen in place by my inability to find my way. A few have passed me in their comings and goings; they have shared wonderful stories of the celebration and they have offered words of encouragement and advice. But their path is not necessarily my path, so there I stand pondering my situation. There is nothing left to do it seems, but step onto a path and pray I keep my footing along the way...

I have read the message, I have heard the message, but can I live it??

[Note: much of this is a meandering, rhetorical question - a public yet personal prayer if you will.]

mclaren on the code

Excellent interview over at Sojourners today. They interviewed Brian McLaren to get his thoughts about Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, in light of the upcoming movie release.

Check it out -- Brian McLaren on The Da Vinvi Code

sacred space prayer

This weekend as I quickly reviewed my frequently visited blogs, I saved one in particular for revisiting today (I tend to spend very little time on the computer on weekends when possible). Matt Ritchie posted a link to the Sacred Space website, a prayer site produced by the Irish Jesuits, and mentioned how he found it was a great way to dedicate about 10 minutes to prayer and meditation with God everyday. The simplest and most direct way I can describe it is, it works. And as my more recent deeply spiritual experiences have shown me, it works extremely well. This morning alone, sitting down and going through the guided prayer and meditation helped me find an answer to a question I didn't even ask, gave me a feeling of lightness and refreshment, and probably imparted a bit of what I might call emotional cleansing.

Prayer is powerful, sometimes we forget that and sometimes we forget how much it helps to lean on that power. Check it out -- Sacred Space Prayer for Today

Peace be with you...

open letter from a fan

For my regular readers, I hope you'll pardon the somewhat out of the ordinary subject. For anyone else new, welcome!

An open letter to Johnny Damon

Johnny,

I watched Monday night's game, which brought about a number of momentous events: the return of Doug Mirabelli to the Red Sox, just in time to catch for Tim Wakefield once again; and your return to Fenway Park, in the uniform of the archrival. These events sparked a polar opposite set of feelings for me, joy at the return of a valuable player, and a bittersweet reminder that a valuable player is truly gone.

I must confess, while I understand the overwhelming majority reaction you did get, baseball being a competitive spectator sport at times, I felt you were given an undeserved hard time. From what I understand in following the off season reports, it's not like you left because you didn't want to be part of the Red Sox anymore. You were the unfortunate casualty of the business of baseball. With the mission to rebuild a championship team based on defense, speed, and long term staying power (i.e. young, fresh players), your desire for a long term contract that reflected your continual contributions to the team didn't fit the mission unfortunately. You continue to be one of the best lead-off hitters in the game, you have the speed to be a threat to steal, and you can cover a lot of ground in center field. However, I can understand from a business side of things the concerns with a long term contract: you are not getting any younger and last season saw you battling shoulder issues.

That being said, I want to thank you. Thank you for hustling every day and giving the Red Sox everything you had on the field. Thank you for your endurance and ability to play through the pain. Thank you for your constant smile and love of the game. You have been one of my favorite players these past few years, and if I actually still collected baseball cards I might even consider adding your 2006 card to the mix. I wish you luck in this season and continued success. However, I hope you understand if that luck and success is only extended when you are NOT playing against the Red Sox, in which case I'd rather you not be a factor in the game. I wouldn't want you to play horribly or be useless at the plate, but I also wouldn't want you to be the one driving in the winning runs - which turns bittersweet to sour.

Thank you Johnny, you are missed.

Sincerely,
A life-long Red Sox fan

how not to be loving

While the title of this entry might result in a resounding "well duh" as you read it, sometimes stating the obvious can be educational. Since I am still wrestling with a particularly mountainous topic, my ears have been open as always for interesting things to point out to my friendly readers. So without further ado...

First Church of the Ambivalent -- Steve Chastain, StupidChurchPeople.com

There are some things in there that I completely agree with, but overall I think it serves mainly as a great reminder to Christians that we can sometimes be the worst hypocrites out there. Firstly, I don't necessarily condone the consumeristic mentality of church shopping (i.e. looking for a church that perfectly meets your needs for a certain look/feel/theology/etc, thereby making church all about you), but I do believe in finding a community that you fit into well (i.e. you are served well, and your gifts meet the needs of that community as well). However, regardless of that situation, our response when people choose to leave can be soul revealing -- and sometimes it is ugly. As for the leaving the church for a time, I agree whole heartedly, so long as there is a reason and a purpose. What is it that people say, when you start to get depressed/bored in the daily grind, it might be time to break up the routine for a while? Besides, sometimes the most beneficial soul searching is done when we can isolate ourselves for a time.

jason clark - rethinking

Good stuff on Jason Clark's blog... check it out
Rethinking the Gospel Message

Enjoy!

tired, not dead

Been a while since I've posted anything of interest, but I wanted to post something. For the moment, I can say that I am anxiously awaiting my replacement copy of Brian McLaren's The Secret Message of Jesus. I say replacement copy because the one I ordered apparently decided to leave out chapters 14-16 in favor of a reprinting of chapters 3-7. But no harm, no foul; a fresh copy should be zipping its way through the mail to my door, passing the one-off copy I mailed back along the way. As a preview to a review I will be doing, let me just say everything I've read so far has been excellent. I may be somewhat of a McLaren fanboy at times, but to be quite frank I've yet to read a book of his that hasn't caused me to stop, think, and re-evaluate my spiritual life and faith in general -- and I mean that in a positive way.

On other fronts, I am exploring brand new territory in my life. I am actively brainstorming material on being a missional church for public co-presentation with a friend in September. And when I say missional think along the lines of emerging, relational, communal, post-postmodern, and active. Strangely enough, I've also been compiling some material on my own on some other topics that I am mulling over -- whether they will become blog content or something else entirely, I don't know yet. All I do know, is that no matter how tired I get from doing my normal, everyday stuff (you know, that career of mine that I enjoy), I always seem to have the energy to churn through these new ideas in my head. Now taking that and putting it down on paper (or digital document as the case may be), that takes a little more effort and a little planning...

the kite runner

As I've said in the past, when it comes to reviewing books, I'm not the most eloquent. I tend to ramble on or give too much away. However, I think I've come up with a good formula now that I've finished another book.

The Kite Runner -- by Khaled Hosseini

Visceral. Eye-opening. Intriguing. Gripping. Heart-wrenching.
Although each of the previous is descriptive, raw would have to be far and away the single-most fitting adjective I could tag this novel with. There is so much raw emotion bared throughout the story that explaining it any other way is tough. Set initially in Kabul, Afghanistan prior to the Russian invasion, the story introduces you to the culture that existed through the eyes and life of a young boy, Amir. Amir is the son of a wealthy businessman, and his best friend Hassan is their servant's son - a Hazara, a Shi'a Muslim of primarily Mongolian descent, both attributes which marked them as despised minorities. You follow Amir's life, as he encounters bullies, tension with his father, exodus from his home after the Russians have invaded, immigration to California, and eventually returning to visit his home (under Taliban rule) for one last time. This lifelong journey exposes the many internal struggles he deals with, the torturous secret he carries with him, and the self-redemptive awakening he reflects on. I also say the book is raw because Hosseini held nothing back in describing some of the most gruesome events in Amir's life, but he also expresses the sheer joy and lightness that comes from those moments of bliss. The book is real; real as in the ending is not quite happy, but it is not quite sad or tragic either, the book conveys life as we experience it. There is tragedy, victory, emotional scarring, danger, joy, and anything else you could think of; in the end Amir and his family must learn to live with the consequences of it all, both positive and negative. Though, in my estimation, things were beginning to look up for them all... and I closed the book with a hopeful grin.

I recommend checking it out, it's a great book. As for me, on to the next book... Cheers!

cope on homosexuality

Mike Cope (PreacherMike - Homosexuality) has an excellently written, well thought out and researched post on homosexuality and how we as Christians are in many cases not living out the kingdom when it comes to gays and lesbians. I highly recommend reading it if you haven't already. My wife and I, along with many of our friends, have sought to be loving and accepting of this highly ostracized community -- but as Christians, remembering that our acceptance of their orientation is not an endorsement of sexual behavior that does not honor marriage (Hebrews 13).

Cheers!

what about judas

It was covered in The New York Times, and was talked about on the Today show -- The Gospel of Judas. A manuscript that has been long sought after, since historically it is mentioned by name and its contents have been hinted at or surmised by scholars, a copy was finally tracked down, analyzed, and translated. Read the article that I linked to above to find out the wandering route this document took in recent history before finally landing in the hands of researchers (NYTimes requires you to register to read it now that its past the initial publishing).

I considered posting about this when I first read the article, but hesitated since I wanted to really grapple with the various perspectives that exist. Obviously, the article and the Today feature focused on the more 'warm-fuzzy' aspects that are revealed -- Judas was told by Jesus in private that he would betray him, Judas recognized that Jesus was God incarnate, and that Judas was told he would exceed the other apostles by sacrificing Jesus. I say those are the warm-fuzzies because some of the rest of the gospel's writings get very strange. There is a translation available for download through the NYTimes article, which I grabbed and read through. There is a portion where the 11 other disciples relate a dream they have, which Jesus interprets as their resistance to his true message and their possible hand in leading people astray. That is followed up by Judas relating his own dream of being stoned by the other 12 (the 11 plus his replacement), and then approaching the realm of God. Jesus interprets this as his persecution by the apostles and future generations, but that eventually he will rightly have his place with God as the 13th and greatest apostle. And if that isn't difficult enough for you to struggle with, the manuscript then takes a turn for the truly difficult. What I can only come up with at the moment is that the manuscript records an account of Jesus showing Judas how Creation takes place from a divine perspective, since it has a lot of angels, aeons, generations, Adam, Eve, and continues with the account right on through to the end of days.

Obviously, that kind of information can seem awfully far-fetched, especially when we've had nearly two millennia of church history that makes no mention of any of this -- partly due to early church leaders considering it and other accounts as heresy, you can read a bit about that here. However, what the manuscript does present is further weight to the idea that Jesus had told Judas about the betrayal before the supper with the rest of the apostles -- see John 13:18-30. It would also explain why Judas was so wrought with grief and guilt that he committed suicide (which is oddly only recorded in Matthew and Acts). While a lot of what the Gospel of Judas presents is something that I will probably grapple with for a long while, I think when you boil it down there is a core truth that should pop out to everyone. Jesus knew that Judas would betray him, and knew that because of this he would be hated by many. However, as he taught and as God shows us, Jesus loved Judas before, during, and after the betrayal -- God loves Judas, and it is not our place to denigrate him for his part in bringing about what Christ knew must occur.