books and blogging

Sometimes I wonder if anyone still stops by anymore, what with my continually decreasing frequency of posts. However, for today I will not wonder and will instead get to the point.

There exists the distinct possibility that I will be published for the second time in my life, though my name will not be on the cover. I've been contacted about my participation in a blog book collaboration that I participated in, specifically it was a series of blog-type discussions about a variety of spiritual topics. I think I've mentioned it in the past: A New Kind of Conversation. Turns out they just finished editing the book, and in that process decided that some of my contributions would be included. Per the expectations that were set at the beginning of this experiment, I'll be receiving a complimentary copy of the book in return for my thoughts and writings being included. I'm fairly excited about it, especially since I had almost completely forgotten about the whole thing. The book should be up for pre-order at your favorite online booksellers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Buy.com, etc) if you're interested. Otherwise, maybe I'll keep ye olde blog around a little longer and give you a review when I have the book in hand and read it.

On that topic, seeing as my blogging has become more and more sparse, I've been debating about officially closing up this shop; maybe take an archival copy for my own writing bag of tricks, post one last piece and move on to something else. Lately, it just seems no matter how much I try to slow my life down, things get more complicated and my schedule fills up leaving very little time for much else. I haven't decided, and maybe I never will, but I don't know that this little blog will get back to the type of content and purpose that it had at the beginning for quite some time. But then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing...

the long pause

And with baited breath, they waited until they could wait no more. One by one they visited with dwindling frequency, losing hope that anything would change. I like to think that's the case, since my lack of writing leaves me as parched for deep thought exercises as just about anyone else. As is the usual case, my only pitiful excuse for my lack of any written words is of course my crazy schedule between life and work. A few short updates on those topics...

Work continues to keep me busy, such is the norm. Between career building tasks, project assignments, and the daily grind of maintenance I do not lack for things to do. At times I find this a blessing, and other times a curse -- the curse portion is usually when I am inundated by tedious, repetitious tasks which drives the creative side of me up a wall scrambling for some kind of relief.

In other areas of life, I've found a whole new arena of spiritual nourishment that I've been enjoying immensely. I've gotten involved in a new church plant in my area. And when I say involved, I mean that I am working with the core team of people who are forming the worship, generating the marketing, and overall doing a lot of organizing. In particular, my areas of influence have become designing and maintaining the website (duh!), as well as working with the Tech-A/V team which supports the audio and video aspects of worship. I've been discovering that I have a real knack for working the audio mixer for the worship team, and as a result I'm becoming a bit of the go-to guy in that arena. Of course, its hard to discover a new talent if you don't have talented people to work with, and it amazes me how quickly the worship team came together to create beautiful music which I love helping fine-tune. Maybe once I get a few more people up to speed on operating the board, which is 50% art since you need to have an ear for it, I might try my hand at joining the worship team. My guitar skills are rusty and spotty, but I think I could get them up to par enough to lend a hand. Check out the website, I'm excited about this whole endeavor.

Northwest Hills Community Church

On a slightly different topic, I'll leave you with a couple of thoughtful morsels to ponder. Why do certain Christians feel the need to use overly religious, or pseudo-righteous, and biblical language and/or trite phrases when they talk amongst themselves? For example: for the cause of Christ; remember, be holy as He is holy; etc and so on, you get the picture. I'm certain there are probably situations where this might not seem out of context, but when things get tossed in the mix of normal conversation it just sounds odd. Or maybe it's just me and I have a cynical side that just cringes every time I hear phrases that are just dripping with religious overtones and "Christianese." Just to clear things up right away, I'm not criticizing the people who do this or passing judgment, there are some really nice people who I've met who do this from time to time -- I just silently cringe and move on. So maybe the second question is, whenever we find a situation where we might normally toss out some religious/spiritual/biblical phrase, should we stop and think for a moment to ask the question: could I say this with plain speech, without religious overtones, and still make the same point?

Personally, I don't have much use for overtly religious phrases, I think they just cloud any issue you discuss. I find it much more constructive to take the insights we gain from scripture, apply them to the world around us, and use the resulting knowledge as our language and point of reference.

Oh, and on the ReGroup front, things are currently in stasis. Everyone who is involved is being pulled in a lot of different directions, so scheduling another meeting has been tough. We definitely will, it just might be a while... like, we're talking end of summer or into the fall.

regroup has begun

So it only took about 3 months longer than I anticipated, but ReGroup finally made it off the paper and into reality. Honestly, I couldn't be more pleased. I was organized, I was ready, and our house was open and ready for some of our friends to come over and join in this new experience. Once we all sat down and got the ball rolling, everything I planned was tossed right out the window.

At first I was concerned that getting started was going to be like being back in college, you know the times when the professor is practically pulling teeth to get something, anything, out of the students. But, since the whole point of getting this group together was to provide a safe place to talk about whatever topics we might not be comfortable bringing up in other environments, that's where I started. Luckily, once the first topic was tossed out there the conversation flowed and twisted and moved under its own power so that I only pulled a couple of items from my jotted down ideas (which I had up my sleeve in case nobody could think of anything). Interestingly enough, we spent a good part of the night discussing a few topics that all sort of hovered around the grander topic of death; things like predestination, heaven and hell, divine influence on lives, and that ultimate question, "why do bad things happen to good people?" We didn't end up bringing any scripture into the discussion, since this was more of an introductory gathering and involved a little bit of probing as to where people sat on certain issues. However, the discussions have spurred me to gather more information, seek advice, and I'll eventually pull together some scripture references to help provide some food for thought on the topics we discussed.

We've already decided that we do want to continue meeting; everyone seemed to have a good time and thought the time was well spent. For now I think we'll be meeting on a monthly basis, since anything more frequent I think would feel oppressive. From my perspective, it gives me more time to find information to add more depth to previous discussions, and maybe find material that will transition to a new topic. I think it would be fairly obvious that getting stuck on something for a long period could be detrimental, unless we're all enjoying the continual discussion that is. In some ways the first ever ReGroup meeting was anticlimactic for me, but that was actually a good thing. I didn't feel a lot of pressure, and I never really talked through any of the finer structural points of where I wanted to go with the group. Honestly, I never even brought the name ReGroup up, and I think it was better for it. I've stated from the beginning that ReGroup should be about meeting the ever-changing needs of people seeking answers and faith with a "come as you are" mentality; I think the first meeting did just that.

terribly exciting business

When you have a few spare moments and want to read something exciting about the state of business and finance in America today, check out this article.

Terribly Exciting -- by Ben Stein (yes, THAT Ben Stein)

Exciting enough for you? I won't ruin it for you, but let's just say I thought he nailed it.

nothing beats a live performance

There are some truths I cling to fiercely, and two of the more fun and experiential ones that I love go something like this:

Beer tastes better on tap.
Music is better experienced live by a band that knows how to play live.

Last night, I had the absolute pleasure of catching Switchfoot live, as their tour swung in through Hartford. To put it bluntly, they rocked the place hard and had a great audience. The Webster Theatre may not be in the greatest part of Hartford and its standing room only, but it keeps you close to the band and the music was loud. Having never seen Switchfoot in concert before, I was hoping for a good show; after all, they had to live up to my experiences of shows like Smashing Pumpkins, Live, Counting Crows, Korn, Billy Joel, The Dixie Chicks, and countless Dave Matthews Band performances. Switchfoot blew my expectations out of the water! They fed off the crowd's energy, had some interaction, played awesome renditions of many of my favorites, and the music was loud (I know I said that already). Their warm-up band, Copeland, wasn't too bad either, but their was that obvious difference between the rookie and veteran tour performances. Copeland's music was loud and the songs were good, but to me it sounded like they were overcompensating with volume because the whole time it sounded like blown out speakers in my ears (that kind of scratchy, peaked noise). I would have attributed it to the large speaker in a small space, but I didn't get any of the same during Switchfoot's set.

More importantly than the technical aspects of the show, there is just something spiritually uplifting for me when I experience my favorite bands live - well maybe not all of them, Korn is a bit harsh for spiritual nourishment. Being in a crowd, singing along at the top of my lungs, cheering the band, and just letting myself experience the music - the sound, the feel, the emotions - it all just invigorates you and recharges your soul. Even the temporary partial-deafness after the show is worth it. I could have milled around in the crowd after the show to pick up some merchandise or my official bootleg CD (Switchfoot has been recording the first few songs and giving them away at the end of the show), but I had to get back and there's a site out there where people are making the bootlegs available online (again legally, Switchfoot even mentioned and encouraged it in their newsletter). I might still order some tour schwag from their site, it was an awesome show and worth a t-shirt.

Cheers!

progress via calamity

This article furthers my belief that most major scientific breakthroughs begin with the words, "Well, now that's odd?!" Or as in the title of Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes book, though probably not the intention he was going for, Scientific Progress Goes "Boink".

Lab disaster may lead to new cancer drug

The ideal quote supporting my belief...

"I made a calculation error and used a lot more than I should have. And my cells died," Schaefer said.

A colleague overheard her complaining. "The co-author on my paper said, 'Did I hear you say you killed some cancer?' I said 'Oh', and took a closer look."

Somewhere in all this, it feels like there is a story to be told about the humbling nature of divine intervention, but I'm thinking I'll leave that to each of you to fill in.

domains and kingdoms

Good article today posted by Jason Clark, give it a read when you have 5 minutes.

A tale of two kingdoms: 3 Domains

Enjoy!

mindset of success

I can't really put my finger on when exactly these ideas popped into my head, but I'd say somewhere in the past month I heard or read messages that revolved around the rich man and entering the kingdom of God. Pick your favorite Bible translation, online or from your shelf, and read the following passages: Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30. I'll wait.

Alright, you're back; and yes, I do realize that you just read 3 nearly identical versions of the same story. Here's the rub, most times when people preach these scriptures, it's because they are trying to remind people about the importance of charity, tithing, and other concepts related to giving away money. On the surface, that is a very valid point to make, but there's more there and you have to want to wrestle with the idea a bit. Jesus never said the wealthy couldn't enter into the kingdom of God, he only says that it is extremely difficult by juxtaposing the largest common animal in the region with the smallest opening most people would know of readily. Jesus also tells the rich young man (or ruler) to give away everything he had and then follow him, but the man refused the offer. The problem isn't that he wasn't a charitable person, he might even have consistently tithed; the problem is his mindset.

The implication is that the young man is successful, which is kind of a no-brainer given that we're told he's wealthy and possibly some kind of ruler or local leader. His entrance into the kingdom isn't difficult because being rich and successful is a bad thing, and one might even pose the theory that he need not give away everything he owns immediately (if he were not going to be one of Jesus' disciples). Being wealthy makes joining the kingdom of God difficult because it requires a complete and total shift in focus for your life. This is important so I'll say it again: being wealthy makes joining the kingdom of God difficult because it requires a complete and total shift in focus for your life. The fact that someone is rich is usually a sign that they have been very successful in the world and its economy, but to be successful in God's kingdom requires a completely different perspective. God's kingdom isn't driven by the pursuit of money, power, and influence; it's about building relationships, fostering community, and loving God and neighbors. Godly pursuits are relational, God's economy is built on love, and money is a low priority commodity in the kingdom. Worldly success is built up by gathering power around yourself, obtaining influence among others to bolster your position in society, and using these in combination with your skills to stockpile wealth. Kingdom success turns that economy on its head: power isn't gathered, but utilized when opportunities are presented to better a community; influence doesn't bolster personal stature nor is it exploited, but is used for the benefit of others; and the primary pursuit isn't money, it's God's work in the world - money just comes in handy.

If I can pull together some other things that I've had back-burnered for a while, I'll try to get into a more regular rhythm of posting. Until then, I hope you continue enjoy the twisting and sporadic journey though these things I think about.

Cheers!

being intentional

While I was in Australia this year, I had some interesting thoughts running around in my head. It's funny what you can think about when you have 24 hours of nothing but one-way air travel on your hands. I've been reading quite a few blogs over the past couple of years, and with many of them I keep hearing this recurring theme of communities being authentic and being intentional. Authenticity I have thought about in the past since that is a key trademark of my generation; we love authenticity and the feeling of knowing complete honesty, but we absolutely despite fake-ness (terrible word, but inauthentic is kind of redundant) or doing something with a hidden agenda. However, the concept of being intentional is something that has really started to click with me.

Let's start with what being intentional in this context really means. To be intentional implies that one has determination to bring about something by design or plan. In other words, doing something you set your mind to doing. I think this is such a great concept because it applies to everything in our lives, and sometimes we can let that slide a little too much with our faith.

We need to be intentional in our relationships. Not in who we form relationships with, but in forming them period. People like to say that marriage is hard work and that you only get out what you put in, but I think the same applies to every relationship we form. Being part of a community means forming bonds with the people who comprise it, and skirting in and out along the fringes does not build up that community. So to that end, we have to take time and be intentional about forming relationships with people: our neighbors, friends, families, co-workers, and especially people we worship and fellowship with. I don't know about you, but I know the world always seems a little brighter and friendlier when I visit a place where I know someone. And to be honest, I'll be the first (since I'm writing this anyway) to say I fail at this all this time because often I'm not intentional in the way I handle relationship building. This is partly because sometimes I don't feel it will be worth the effort, partly it is because I am not willing to invest the time, and sometimes (or often, depending on your outlook) it is because I don't feel I have the time I feel I would need to genuinely build that bond.

We need to be intentional in our commitments. I've sort of touched on this topic in the past, especially when it came to the early planning stages of ReGroup. I find it odd that we can so easily over-commit ourselves at work, and under-commit ourselves to the things we enjoy. Things can get so bad that we eventually cannot add anything new to our schedules, because to do so would leave us with the feeling that we have no time to relax or no time to ourselves. I know I can get this way, though I do try to avoid it. I think being intentional in our commitments is a huge step to take, but one that can benefit us. First, being intentional about commitments means investing ourselves in tasks we are passionate about. At work, if I am passionate about the security of our infrastructure, committing my time to maintaining and enhancing the security methods we employ does not feel like a burden. I am passionate about ReGroup, so by the same logic the energy I am investing in trying to get it organized and the time I am willing to set aside for gathering with people does not feel like a sacrifice. Secondly, it means committing ourselves to endeavors we feel called to be a part of. I've experienced the opposite of this at work and it drives me nuts; you meet people who are perfectly matched for a particular assignment, but they refuse to step to the plate because they have already stretched themselves so thin they couldn't commit to the task if they tried. Which sort of leads to the counterpoint, that sometimes being intentional about commitments means being intentional about refusing commitments; this way we have time when something truly important does come our way. And yes, I know, there will always be something that we do not truly enjoy that we cannot refuse, but we take those in stride when we must. Overall, we shouldn't make commitments we are not willing to give ourselves over to, it just cheats us and the other people involved.

We need to be intentional about prayer. This one is a bit more obvious, and yet I still struggle with it. What really drives this home for me, is that being intentional about prayer directly relates to being intentional about our relationships. Prayer is part of our relationship with God; it is our most intimate form of communication. If we are not determined to pray, then we are not determined to build our bond with God. Praying intentionally is also about commitment; if we are not willing to commit time to conversing with God, it exposes a gap in the passion of our faith. And let me tell you, writing these words is painful; like I said, I struggle with prayer, so it hits home... hard.

I've written about how working with ReGroup is going to take patience and how it will require the people involved to foster an environment of authenticity and love, but the one thing it will truly take to get it off the ground is intentionality -- and people who are passionate, committed, and prayful.

simple yet difficult

I'd apologize for the lack of posting, but unfortunately I have no excuse save the lack of new ideas and new progress on the various things going on in my life. On the book front however, I have finally gotten around to reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell -- suffice it to say, it is an awesome book. I am consistently amazed at what I perceive as God's influence in shaping the appropriate times in my life for me to stumble upon information that directly impacts things I am thinking about or experiencing. And as you might have surmised, Velvet Elvis was a book filled with ideas and concepts and stories that directly related to a lot of stuff going on with me or around me lately.

I think that if I were to take all of the information that I have absorbed from various books, including another perspective as added by Rob Bell, I could boil down my current insight to the following statement.

Being a Christian - following the way of life that Jesus taught - can be, more often than not, a difficult life... but it is very simple.

I know, I know... that sounds so contradictory and confusing, but let me give a quick illustration from my Christmas holiday. We gave my aunt and my mom a small puzzle, it consists of 9 squares that you must arrange into a 3x3 grid. The puzzle when completed will look like a Pennsylvania Dutch quilting pattern. Each square forms a portion of the pattern, and in order to connect to squares into the 3x3 grid that reveals the pattern, you need to match up some pictures. The squares' four sides have each have 1 of 8 images: the bottom or top of a blue "tulip", the bottom or top of a blue "rose", the bottom or top of a red heart flower, the bottom or top of a red "rose". There is only one solution to the puzzle. The concept is extremely simple, arrange the squares in a 3x3 grid so that the sides of the squares that touch form a complete flower (matched tops and bottoms). Would you guess that even after having 2 medical professionals, an engineer and computer scientist, a teacher, an environmental manager, and 2 quilters all try separately and teamed together in various combinations, we still haven't been able to solve that stupid puzzle! The game is simple, solving it is difficult. There are many combinations that nearly solve it and come up short by one square; also, there are times where you think you've gotten it licked, only to realize that you mismatched one element by mistake. However, there is an upside to this simple yet difficult puzzle -- we spent time together, we laughed, we talked while we played with it, we helped each other, we pointed out mistakes each other's mistakes when we noticed them to save future frustration. In short, no one got it perfect, but by simply knowing the guiding principles and giving it our best shot, we had some fun together.

The way of life that Jesus taught is an extremely simple life, but actually living it out everyday can be extremely difficult. Love your neighbor. How much more simple can it get? It's a profound statement with wide ranging implications, and yet we screw it up all the time. Certainly, we could ask what has already been asked; who is my neighbor? But there are even more complex situations that make that principle difficult to live out. I know my neighbor includes everyone that I come into contact with throughout my life, but how could I possibly love someone who wrongs me deeply? Say a loved one was killed by a repeat drunk driver; could you suppress your grief, anger, rage, loneliness, and utter sense of loss and love that neighbor? What if you were the victim of identity theft which then resulted in your house being foreclosed on, car repossessed, and required you to file bankruptcy before they caught the person responsible; could you love that neighbor?

Such a simple way of life, and yet so difficult to live it....