There are no words

You can no longer ever say that what I say from the pulpit is the craziest stuff you've ever heard. I cannot believe that this lady is serious - is she inebriated?

A holy ghost enema!!!

Sweet 9

What aspects and manifestations of the beauty of God drew you to God? What is it about God’s beauty that keeps you coming back for more of God’s presence?

I think what first drew me was the ‘not going to hell’ deal. I guess that’s God’s mercy…the better response here is what keeps brining me back is the complete selflessness that I see over and over in Jesus. The way that He completely valued (values) people who were genuine in their pursuit of Truth/God was so remarkable. Also, I live in Oregon, God’s favorite state. I know that’s true because I live there. You can look at the pictures and just believe me and believe in God.

Sweet 8

Most of us spent our growing-up years in the bell-curve world, where the bulk of the human population resided in the middle. But think about your personal aspirations when you were young. Did you dream about getting average grades, playing on an average team, and getting lost in the crowd? Even when the bell curve was said to be the norm, few people set a goal to carve out a niche in the middle.

Nope, I never wanted to be average. But this is a leading question…and I think many people would love to live in the middle. They grow tired and give up their dreams and settle. And then they are even willing to drink lousy gas station coffee.

Sweet 7

What factors made your most enjoyable experience of the week authentic? What kept it from seeming fabricated, forced or synthetic?

Each of my experiences had no known outcome – there was no agenda to be taken care of. They each included people with whom I have authentic relationships, especially my family, with whom I am more me than ever. And none of the experiences were based on someone else’s experiences. I didn’t copy some other idea from somewhere else – each was in the moment with the only expectation being that of loving relationships.

Sweet 6

Think about the most enjoyable experience you’ve had in the past week. What was it about that experience that made it “feel right”? Who else was involved? What were the circumstances that contributed to everything coming together just right?

I have an awesome life. I know this is true because, as a pastor, I get to see the worst of people (self-centeredness, greed, abusive power, sin…) and I get to see the best of people (self-giving, discovery, redemption, love…). So I can easily identify 4 amazing experiences this week that I would collect if I could; memories of experiences that God has given me to live. These are: late Sunday night at the invert retreat as I watched the students help an individual student work to the core of some very hard realities, buying a pool with my son and sneaking around to fill it, spending Thursday afternoon watching a move with my wife and laughing together, waking up to the feeling of Khobi’s head on my neck. These experiences “felt right” because I was able to experience little joys that remind me of the joy that is in the kingdom of God. In every case, people I love very much are involved and the experiences all have struggle to get there. From working a whole year at invert, to working through things with my kids to blocking out the demands of the world to focus on my lovely – each experience costs and each was worth more that the cost.

Sweet 5

Think about you. What is least about you? Identify the dregs of your life. Now trust the EPIC gospel, which demonstrates that God wants to turn you upside down. God wants to take what is worst in you and turn it into a source of healing, wholeness and redemption. That is how your ordinary, seemingly insignificant life can become an EPIC life.

I had to look up the word ‘dregs’ in order to figure this one out. It has to do with waste, sediment, scum and trash. So…what is the crap at the bottom of my barrel? (I write this hesitantly, because I don’t desire to turn my blog into a techno-confessional) What’s least about me is probably my disability to remember things – it’s funny to me, but it makes other people feel like I don’t care about them, which isn’t true.
This is kind of a hard question because I’ve got a lot of self-confidence. I don’t go around wishing I wasn’t me. I really like who I am and I love my life. So maybe my least is my inability to answer this question with any sort of ill feelings. I think I’m me and I’m screwed up and so are you (evidenced by your voyeurism in reading this entry – lol), so let’s just be a bunch of crack(ed) pots that are filled with the wine of Jesus…

Scandrette, Soul Graffiti

I wanted to post this by June 1, but other things got prioritized. I finished the book a week or more ago and loved it a lot. I have to admit that Mark Scandrette (an emerging missioner who lives in San Francisco - which is the city my heart lives in...) sent me per-release copy for free and asked me to blog on it before June 1. So, I'm a let down there, but this book is mosdef not.

If this book is like anything, it's like a dirtier (that's good) version of velvet elvis. Mark's emerging is taking place in a grittier, urban setting, which gives this book such a great flavour and a richness that is absent in the suburban tales of velvet elvis. Sure, the theology and praxis is challenging and progressive in each, but velvet elvis is cute and soul graffiti has character.

Anyways - I love that I got to read this book and had a tough time putting down - it has great stories and great movements that create a longing for more - just the way that life in Jesus is supposed to. Here's some quotes I loved (the pages may be off, the store edition is a hard cover book and mine is a pre-release paper back, sorry):

p.2 "I even hear ministers and leaders lamenting, 'I don't know if I can be the kind of pastor or priest I am expected to be and an authentic follower of Jesus at the same time."

p.8 "Jesus came offering the propaganda of hope."

p.21 "...the ghost of Christ-conciousness."

p.27 "They were, it seems, haunted by God and by 'the church' and wished to do whatever it took to simply be left alone."

p.32 "Crowds are easliy impressed but can auickly become disgruntled. His real purpose, it seems, was to identify people from the crowd who might have the courage to play in the ways of the kingdom, to walk with him."

p.40 "Sometimes we learn to do things well by first having the courage to do them badly."

p.67 "What exactly is your role in the neighborhood?"

p.97 "Phenonemenological approaches to spirituality often deny or minimize the goodness revealed in the natural world, relying instead on estatic experiences and emotional peaks as confirmation of God's love. While heightened reliious experiences need not be opposed, they are often sought when we fail to embrace all of life as sacred."

p.144 "Some of us want a king without a kingdom - a God who is far away but ready to swoop in at the last moment to save us out of this place. And some of us want a kingdom without a king - and Earth home where justice, order and beauty reign without divine sovereignty or moral responsibility."

Sweet 4

Why do you think the business world plugged into the power of evangelism just as the church seems to have lost the vision?

I think, at it’s heart, the Christian message of the good news of hope, is a revolutionary, inspiring and joyous message. In some places and in some people that motivates them to evangelize in a way that is not a sales pitch or manipulative argument. I think that many people (including many who take up pew space on the weekend) find their revolution, inspiration and joy in their work/company/career because the Christianity that they have been presented with is none-of-the-above. Why wouldn’t the concepts of evangelism move with the passions of the masses?

Sweet 3

Is nothing sacred?

Really…ok...nope – but everything is sacred. The question comes by looking at the Nike symbol as half of the fish symbol, which I figure is pretty fine with me. I think we haven’t even taken good care of our symbols. The fish was a subversive symbol when it began and now we slap it on anything that doesn’t move – and cars, trucks and planes! This is a major difference between Starbucks and the USAmerican churches – one thinks and acts with some semblance of brand management and the other does not. If we want some things to be more sacred (like marriage, the family, symbols, etc.) then we’ve got to stop giving them away to any organization or movement who asks for them.

Sweet 2

this might be a little too much, too many questions that i can''t hardley read anything...and its taking a long time writing this with my Q.
2. think about the historical figure you met for coffee. what did you talk about?

I would probably ask Yaconelli how he learned grace. i know about his stories from speaking gigs and such...but how did it play out in day-to-day life. and than i would ask him about Ys' role in the emergent conventions and what they were hoping for there...

1980

In 1980 my brother was born. I think he was born in Deep River. But maybe that was my sister. This is all very blurry. Once again, this "30" series will likely end better than it is beginning.

Sweet 1

I am reading The Gospel According to Starbucks and it has questions throughout it called, "Brewed for Thought" and I am going to make it a habit to stop reading the book and blog my answers to the questions. This will be frustrating, but I think it will make the whole book better for me.

I am trying not to be hyper-manic in my reading habits and I think this will slow me down and bit which is really good for me.

1. If you could get together with just one person from history fro coffee
and conversation (other than Jesus) whom would that person be? Why that
person?

I have some obvious answers to this question, but I am hesitant to meet some people because I am afraid that I will be disappointed (Guevara, Alex the Great, Apostle Thomas/Peter, C.S. Lewis). Like I am afraid that my image of them is actually a lot better than who they really were. So, if there was only one non-Jesus person, I'd have to choose Mike Yaconelli, because I know exactly what I would get when meeting with him and I would really love that.

1979

In 1979 I was two. It was another year of the same although I think we moved to Toronto this year. My dad was in the recording industry (as an electrician for a factory that made records) and i did the basic things that two year olds do. My parents definitely hit their "dress your kids 70's style" kick and it was pretty rad. The pictures from 79 pretty much rule.

1979 was the UN international year of the child, and I was one, so that was pretty awesome. i really appreciated all the things the UN did for me that year. Stuff like...um....ohhh....BEATS ME!! Gay rights really took off this year. So didChina, hitting the 1 billion mark in population. There was also a lot of global terrorism. Tons of little squirmishes. LT21 was born and Mother Teresa was given the Nobel Peace Prize.

Good Stuff 1979!!

1978

In 1978 I turned one. I probably moved and I probably did a lot of the same stuff as when I was zero in 1977. It was a good year.

Roman Polankshi left, Ted Bundy was arrested and Charlie Chaplin's remains were stolen. Pete Rose got his 3000th hit and the world cup was hosted in Argentina. Interestingly Pope John Paul I was pope for 33 days this year.

1977

I was born in 1977, just a few months before Elvis died. In 1977 the death penalty was reintroduced in the US, the draft dodgers from the Vietnam war were pardoned, the Toccoa Falls dam burst and Pele retired. Three's Company premiered and the Toronto Blue Jays began to play baseball and Star Wars come out.

I was born up in northern Ontario, moved around a few times, ate and filled diapers. It was a good year.

note: these 30 years in 30 days posts will get better as my memories come back. i don't really have any memories before 1980, though.

30 days to 30

As a bit of a reflective exercise I am going to post 30 posts on the 30 days leading up to birthday number 30. It won't be every day because I am leading a retreat in the middle of this, but I will do all the years - 1977-2007! It might be 31 days or something because all that is very confusing and not the point at all. So - happy reading about my life!

Kimball, They like Jesus byt not the Church

Now I know what you are thinking, and, no, this is not a book about pastors. It is actually a book about Kimball's findings from people who are outside of the church and how they feel about Jesus and how they feel about the church.

Kimball is really on the ball and this should encourage pastors to get out and be about the people and among them. Forming relationships through patterns and building trust in people's lives. I really enjoyed this book, there wasn't any awe-inspiring quotes as I think this book was written more for people who probably have never thought of these things.

In his last bbok, emerging worship, Kimball earnestly suggested that pastor's know their communities before launching emerging church initiatives, which we took to heart in preparation fro Kainos. We interviewed, built relationships and researched demographics. That is what makes Kainos exciting and not manufactured, rather discerned through a divine calling.

Anyways - good book, easy read and lots of helpful information in it.

Coupland, All Families are Psychotic

This book is yet another Coupland that made me laugh and feel good about myself. It's about a family that is absolutely nutso meeting for a reunion to celebrate the first trip into space by the families' one productive member. As I like to say, Hilarity ensues. In 2009, the book is being made into a movie. I am going to it.

If you're feeling awkward about your own family (hello!) then read this book and you will feel better about it all.

I also got this book at my locoal library, one of the few social programs that lives on.

McLaren, The Secret Message of Jesus

I finished this book up after picking it up for less that 5 bucks at a christian booksstore. It is supposed to have been uncovering the truth that could change everything.

Most of this book I kinda had already thought of/read of before. I understand that for many people this would be introductory and brand new and all, but I'm finding as time progresses I am less interested in reading about radical emerging stuff and more interested in doing it and being it. Maybe that's waht Kainos is doing to me - and I'm glad for it. i don't doubt that this book is great and all, it just wasn't me at this time.

However, as always, McLaren manages to sometimes put words to my thoughts and here's some things that stuck out to me and made me glad to be a follower of Jesus.


p.47, "What happens then to those who say, 'I don't have time for childish stories about seeds and yeast and sheep. I'm an important person. I have advanced degrees! I'm very knowledgeable!' Simply put, the parable excludes them. In fact, the parable exposes them."

p.53 "It was a complex, organic community with both limits and freedom, accountability and responsibility."

Chapter 10: Secret Agents of the Secret Kingdom - my favorite chapter because it speaks of empowering all Christians as change agents of the kingdom.

p.91 "The kingdom of God is at hand. That was Jesus' message. Don't you think we should let Jesus tell us what the gospel is?"