Friday, December 31, 2004

2005

I'm in the EST zone and celebrated new year's early compared to normal. I'm going to stay up till at least three so that I can celebrate the new year in my new homeland...this was a shorter year for me, by three hours...

This is supposed to be a super introspective time and all, planing for the new year and making resolutions to break. But since I am on such a great vacation I haven't had a lot of time for quiet and introspection. A few years ago I would have felt guilty, Lord knows the old quiet times haven't been amazing, or daily. But these days I am much more relaxed and secure in my salvation and relationship with Jesus. I follow him, meaning I orient my life to do what he did and learn what he taught. It's not a set of practices that have to be kept (legalism rules, right), but it is my close friend, who creates a universe when he is bored. What a nut. And yes, I just called Jesus a nut...

So it's a new year and we're going to give this another whirl.

This year I hope to learn some real spiritual practices. Develpop a rule of life. Become even more mellow....or i will seem to those who look at me....they don't see the intense fire on the inside.

I'm out like 2004.

Saturday, December 18, 2004

Poll

So here's a relevant poll:

Are people who write the word "effing" (in blogs, etc.) really just pansies for not writing what they really mean to say?



Vote by commenting. I'll vote while I am off in the north.

Emergence

I got thinking about this a bit from a statement that Tony Jones made saying that the emerging church will be missional. He talks about this in the context of church polity and government. His main thrust is that the emerging church must have a thin organizational chart in order to have thick relevance. Think Carl George.

I wonder if the emerging church will be missional or if the missional church will emerge. It's a little chicken and egg. It's also possibly limited. But it may be a way to know who is truly emergent and who is masked evangelicalism.

That is, I think one can test the emergence of any particular church/movement to see why it is emerging. Some possibilities may include: marketing, prosytltism, booming population, and missional posture.

Many churches will emerge. I think what needs to be said is that those which are emergent are missional in their reason for emerging.

I see missional as meaning relevantly engaging the world/culture and giving redemptive life away.

So, is a commercial ministry missional?
Is a Christian t-shirt missional?
Is James missional?
Are you missional?

If you aren't you die. Simple as that. You might look really alive. Really really alive.

But you and your religion are dead.

Therapy 2

I just emailed my best man from when I got married 5.5 years ago. Crazy, we ain't hardly talked since, b/c I moved, b/c...

I also think I have a fear that I have offended people when I haven't talked to them in a long time. I think it's stupid. I think it's the devil. I got to beat that.

Where's the friggin monkeys?
-lj

Therapy

I think the best thing about me is that I no longer think I am really great. I never would have said it, but if you knew me, you knew I believed it.

I think the worst thing about me is my memory. I can't remember anything unless I read it or see it. Only things that go in the eyes gets remembered by old James. Drives me crazy. I go to a movie and forget what I am watching during the previews.

Monday, December 13, 2004

Online Advent Calander



via Jonny Baker

This is a great daily site with online meditations and such in the form of an online advent calander. Much ups to the Episcopal Church, especially in comparison to the business model exhibited in my conference's website. When we were kids we used to get these with little chocolates in them. This version has a stained glass with different pieces having numbers on them.

Each meditation has a modern day icon, an opportunity for giving, a written meditation and links to the daily office.

Today's meditation contains the above picture of Joseph from a Russian nativity scene. I love how the internet is being used to help me become more spiritual. To think all that porn technology is helping people follow Jesus.


Eat it Satan.

Friday, December 10, 2004

Parables

I am having a bit of a borderline obsession with the parables. I think they might be where we can find the eternity of our faith. Which is an important question as we are struggling with the reorientation into a new way to be Xn.

So, those fantastic episcopals, with their homosexual ducks in northeast GA (another story), have a really cool online gallery of pictures of the parables. It's another great way to use art to connect you to the revolution.


Christmas Promo

Most Christmas, heck, most church, promotion is borderline cheesy clip art crap. Looking in on Jonny Baker I found a link to this promo line, that is actually interesting. And Mary is black - call me crazy, but that is so refreshing.

So, here's the picture that got me hooked:



And there is a whole gallery of them that will help people have proper reflection in the Christmas season. It's all pictures of Mary that will help you to think through what she expereinced in order to give mankind their Savior.

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Sean Dayton

I've added some more blogs to the links on the right - needing to simplify my life y'know -

Also - this is a website for a kid who was in the first youth group I ever volunteered with. Great kid, although he is 20something now.

Anyways - you can enjoy some music and such from the great white north.

Monday, December 06, 2004

Great Weekend Part Three

Finally -

We had just a great neXus last night. A great group and did some Sacred Reading, I think it may have been the first time for everyone in the room, but Heather and I....but most people were sharing and all.

I tried doing some in small groups and had never done that - so it was pretty exciting...even though the focus was lost for a bit! I really enjoyed it though.

Just regular spirituality and community.

Not bad.

Great Weekend Part Two

Lj had a birthday on the weekend! He's two now and can already give the story of salvation and has a good theology of God's soveriegnty and the Satan's ultimate destiny. What a smart kid.

We got him a drum set that I'm sure our neighbors will come to love over the coming years.

He had a great time and had a bunch of little people running around our house with him.

Great Weekend Part One

Just had a great weekend -

Had an overnight retreat (advance!?) with the students in the invert program - it was all about exploring Jesus and his life on earth. Spent time in a mall, praying at 4 am, in a cemetary,at a bock dock, chasing a Santa parade.

It was a great weekend with a lot of growth.

And my team dominated the Cranium game!