Merry Christmas!!! 2.0

We in the Hull house are doing well! We are all healthy and well. Here are some things we have been doing to prepare for Christmas:

- Went to Christmas Eve service tonight at The Well! Then, of course, had to stay for the "sugar rush" hour of hanging out and eating goodies!
- Lit our advent candles
- Been reading through bits of the Christmas story through a cool calendar/mini-book/ornament thing we have (you pull the appropriate mini-book out and read it together and then someone hangs it on the tree as an ornament). This is WAY cool for use with the kids!
- Talking about the Christmas story over meals
- Shared what things we were glad we have been able to give this year (i.e. able to share our time serving, able to give the gift of hospitality, etc)

Here are our plans for Christmas day:
- Sleep in!! (yeah right, but I thought I'd attempt it!)
- Share the Christmas story together
- Share gifts
- Play (kids) and sleep (parents)
- Have some friends over for Christmas dinner! (Ham, cheesy potato casserole, fresh made bread, pies, yes!)
- Thank God for another great day and for Jesus!

New Blogger Beta is Good!

I just updated my blog to the new beta and it is far superior. One of the two major drags before were not being able to label the posts and not being able to easily manipulate your template. Both are remedied here and so my hats off to the Google folks for this upgrade. If you are in blog land, then I'd recommend the upgrade for sure.

Merry Christmas!

It's been a wild and wooly couple of weeks here in O-town, Kansas. First and most important is my wife's recent post with pics of our family! Since I know a good portion of you squatters out there (squatters = people who come and see but don't comment, which is fine) stop by only to see if there are any pics or stories of my fabulous children, you'll love these.

But in other news, the small project I'm working on - Nazarene Youth Confernce - Water Fire Wind -had the final week of its initial registration. We had almost 3000 registrations last week alone! This is good, but also means a lot of phone calls, emails, etc. So my office and I have been a tad busy. I do want and need to praise God ofr his faithfulness to us. In the times when I doubted He brought me the Holy Spirit (who often speaks through my wife!) to bring peace and hope.

Our family, including me (see above paragraph for context), has been battling some flu bug that includes fever and vomit. But we have survived and come out stronger!

We are now focusing all of our possible efforts on anticipating as a family the coming Christ. We are trying to "make the way straight" of our hearts for Christ's coming, removing obstacles and anticipating the good he brings. For Advent we have been using this calendar that has very small books in it. Each day leading up to Christmas we remove one of the books and read its portion of the Christmas story and then hang it on the tree. Our family LOVES this small ritual each day!

One final thing... my wife's name is Carol, as in Christmas Carol, because her birthday is Dec. 23rd! We are looking forward to that celebration too. You could drop her a birthday note on her blog!

Where we come from

It's always interesting to me how I try to think more highly of myself than I ought. I'd love to think that I'm somehow better, smarter, cleaner, more worthy than others. I don't know if it's natural to want to be special or something, but I know for me it is true.

I also know its not true. This is not in any way a reflection of how I feel about my own family, but rather the truth of me. I'm a sinner. I sin. I do things that I wish I didn't. I struggle with things that I wish I didn't. I react in ways that I should have outgrown long ago. But somehow God is changing me. God is making me new again. God is revealing himself in me as he changes my tastes, changes my ways. It's this part that I like and its this part that I'd like everyone to believe is the real me that has always been me... but it just ain't true.

But then none of us start so clean, so perfect. Look at Jesus. A boy born in a manager in a small town known for raising sheep (clean sheep mind you, but sheep nonetheless). A boy who grew up in the "blue collar" out of the way town called Nazareth. As it was said, "what good can come from Nazareth?" Even his lineage is not so clean. There's a prostitute in there plus plenty of other unsavory characters.

Where do we come from? It definitely impacts who we are, shapes us, forms us. But perhaps more important than where we come from, is where we are going and whose we are. If we are allowing God to form us, trying to obey and follow, trusting in Him, then perhaps that is what matters most.

I wonder how my own actions and identity would be different if I lived in that reality? A reality of anxiously expecting God to work in me, change me, form me, come to me, to us, to those who don't come from such great places.

BCS = Brian thinks College Football Postseason STINKS!

I will be the first to admit that I have not been lock-stock and two smokin' barrells sold out that a college football playoff is the way to go. I have a bit of traditionalism in my blood when it comes to college football. I like the rivalries that mean something because they've been rivalries for so long. I like the way college sports are broken down into leagues and that those games always mean more. I like that at the end of the college football season lots of teams have a chance to go to a "big game" and finish the season feeling like they accompished something. I like that while everyone will always say, "my team could beat yours," in college football there can be a lot of great teams who do well. The late, great Bo Schembecler used to always put highest priority on winning the Big 10 above anything else, and I think that thinking those ways helped a lot of people not be just good athletes, but good people.

I know there are many out there who have long disagreed with me and my thoughts about college football and the postseason. I also know your arguments so please don't send them to me as if somehow I'd never thought about the joy of clarity in determining a national champ on the field ("like in college basketball" you'd say, which i think is a totally broken and not appropriate anaolgy). I stood by thoughts and reasons when my mighty Wolverines could have played the cornpuff Cornhuskers and whooped their butts to outright when the national championship a few years ago. I have lived through the BCS fiasco year after year and yet somehow I remain loyal to the bowls and their system. I have also had to put up with the unfair, unscrupulous and downright completely biased agenda of all of TV to advance Notre Dame the school that should be ranked in the top 10 rarely, but always is AT LEAST 5 spots higher than they should be... because people want them to play in big games and come to their bowls because all their alumni are rich.

But NO MORE.

This year's farce of a finale to the season has brought me to change. It has shaken their earth to cosmic ptoportions. It has revealed clearly that the hearts of the NCAA and the BCS beat - which we all have known in our hearts all along, but have wanted desperately to believe wasn't true - money.

Now for my take on the issue at hand...
If I'm Ohio State, I definitely wouldn't want to play Michigan again. For one, if they were to beat Michigan again and Florida would somehow escape another team with victory, Ohio State would never hear the end of it. Now they have beaten Michigan and after they beat Florida they can say they've beaten all comers (do I get a Boise State boo-hoo?). Secondly, I truly believe they don't want to face Michigan, because if they had to play the Michigan team of the second half, they would lose badly. Hey, Tressel didn't with hold his final vote of the season because he wanted to be unbiased, he wanted to sleep at night... on second thought he did recruit Maurice Clarrett (maybe morality and ethics are such a big issue).

If I'm Florida, I'm thrilled to death. I've narrowly escaped at least twice this year games that I should have lost. I've got a young team for whom the extra time and coaching will pay dividends. Besides, I've lucked out and squeaked into the national championship game. Maybe now people will stop longing for "ball coach" all the time.

If I"m Michigan, I've gotten what I deserve. You have to win the games on the field that matter and you have to beat Ohio State if nothing else. You didn't. so you're at the mercy of a mystery computer (has anyone ever seen this computer by the way????) and some money hungry grubs who lock themselves in a room for a short time (I'm betting to compare notes on the best places to eat in different cities and talk about solutions to world peace.... er... well one of those).

Having said all of that... clearly the best two teams in football are Michigan and Ohio State. I don't think Florida has a chance against Ohio State. I think Michigan would destroy Florida as well. I just hope that the Wolverines don't quit the season all together once they get to Disney Land and that they beat the trojan off his horse against USC. That way people will be forced to talk about the reality of our situation... there needs to be a college football playoff to detemine the best team in the country. It's just not going to happen because it would expose Notre Dame as a first round out every year and the Wolverines as the best football program in the world.

Thankful

for...

- family - a great wife and kids, a heritage of faith in Christ and the legacy we're trying to leave now.
- breathe - just thankful to breathe and have being, to say God's name.
- friends - thanks for caring for us and showing us Christ in the little and big things, in the times you mean to and don't.
- old friends - Tiz, Chris Baker, Josh Childs - thanks for being a part of my life and for being a part of my life again!
- Scripture - a precious gem indeed
- Jacob's Well - a loving community redeeming people and situations, thanks for allowing us to be a part and to learn from you and with you
- Bel Air family - you know how much you mean to us and we appreciate your investment in us
- blogs
- Madden video games - I have in my home right now the first (for Sega) and the latest...
- Church of the Nazarene - I have hope more than ever before
- my kids - what a blessing to me! They teach me so much about life and Christ... I'm perfecting the parental exercise of failure on a regular basis, thanks for your patience and love!
- my wife - she married ME??? Truly I'm thankful for your life!

Who do you trust???

If Europe is ahead of us in philosophy and religion, then we could very well be in "trouble". Check out this article on who the Swedes trust more than the church. I first was clued onto this by a friend at church who recommended Fark. Funny stuff... and troubling too.

Sharing Faith

I'm in Cinci for the YS convention. Event's great. People's great. Came back to my room to find a tract on how to go to heaven on my pillow... left there from Bo with whom I'm sharing my room (I told him there was a discount on the room if we only slept in one bed, but he didn't believe me). But none of that is what's on my mind right now.

I'm glad we can share faith. I'm thankful that faith in Christ is communal. This week in particular I'm sharing the faith of my wife. I've been struggling with some things lately, really struggling to trust. In fact, I'm still struggling. Carol and I were talking about it Thursday morning and I just realized that her faith was stronger than mine, and so I claim her faith in Christ. I claim it because I want to be there. I claim it because I want to share it. This is what sharing faith is about.

Its like someone in our small group said a few weeks ago... "I sing the songs on Sunday with everyone else, making sure to say the words, not everytime because I believe them, but because I want to and I want to share the faith of those around me." That's what I want too.

An Emerging Story

“I just don’t know if I our church can handle this kind of thinking,” said the pastor to me. It was a warm fall 2004 day in the east and we were standing outside a seminar talking about the emerging church. I wanted to say something that would reassure my friend that the Church of the Nazarene was indeed a church that would embrace those who would think missionally about how they might reach this postmodern world for Christ. But I couldn’t because that statement could have come from me just as easily as from him. So we just stood there and looked at each other sharing hope and uncertainty.

Since that time I’ve found myself in the story of Ruth and Boaz. At different points in my own journey I’ve found myself in different characters in that story, but I’m continually drawn into that great narrative. Most often lately I find myself as Naomi. I’m journeying back into relationship with the Church of the Nazarene. With me I bring a newcomer, a foreigner, (those who find hope and home in the emerging church) and I’m hoping that somehow she can find encouragement, resources and protection from the established church. My hope doesn’t stop there. My hope continues that this newcomer may some day be redeemed back into the story of the established church, the Boaz.

There is a dangerous character in this story for me though. There is this older brother of Boaz who has first rites on redeeming the foreigner into the story. In the Scriptural account this brother decides that while having the profits in the end might be nice, its not worth the hassle and relationship that would come with it. Will the Church of the Nazarene be the Boaz or the brother to this emerging church?

I’ve never been as hopeful that I’m working with Boaz as I was last week. Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) hosted the “Missional Leaders in an Emerging Culture” workshop (?). The event’s presence alone said a lot about the Church’s involvement in the conversation. The response and the relationships told us even more.

Tim Keel, pastor of Jacob's Well, started with a presentation on Tuesday night. He talked about church, leadership and creativity. It was a great discussion by all accounts. I wasn't there because it was Jahred's birthday!

On Wednesday six presenters shared with the participants on different ways that the emerging church is interacting with Wesleyans and Nazarenes. Jay Akkerman from Northwest Nazarene shared about the “Order of Love” that he is a part of in his community of Nampa, Idaho though which they order their lives and their rhythms to more fully follow Christ. Sean Heston shared about the emerging church he is a part of in Lawrence, Kansas. Most importantly Sean told stories and invited others’ stories of how God is at work in a different way. Dean Blevins talked about “Discipleship in a PostModern World,” which was a great encapsulation of how ministry and discipleship are changing as the culture is changing. Susan Cox-Johnson also came and shared as a District Superintendent from the United Methodist Church and as one embracing the emergent movement. Her vision for the community together was a blessing.

One of my favorite reports of the day was when Hal Knight, professor from Saint Paul School of Theology (Methodist) presented a paper on “John Wesley and the Emerging Church.” His thoughts on why we Wesleyans should be embracing the emerging church were excellent. He highlighted the parallels of Wesleyan theology and the emerging church in discipleship, missional focus, incarnational approach, alternative communities, preaching and teaching, worship and a generous orthodoxy.

While the only theme that weaved the presentations together was the emerging church, the message became clearer and clearer that indeed not only is there room in the Church of the Nazarene and in Wesleyan theology for the emerging church, but it is needed. “Perhaps one of the greatest things the emerging church has to offer us Wesleyans is a call back to being Wesleyan,” Hal Knight said.

Thursday morning Jesse Middendorf, General Superintendent, and Jon Middendorf, Associate Pastor at Oklahoma City First Nazarene had a “Generational Dialogue” that was moderated by Dave Curtiss.

Jesse and Jon talked about the tension between the Church of the Nazarene and the emerging church as they see it and about the natural partnerships between the emerging church and the Church of the Nazarene that center around justice, small groups and friendships and theology. Both acknowledged the tension, but agreed that it is a healthy tension because the points of pressure revolve around re-discovering our Wesleyan roots and re-claiming what we say that we believe.

Jesse said, “One of the things I have struggled with in my ministry, one of the traditions of denominations is to say, you believe so we engage you. I want to say we engage you so you can believe.” Jon concurred that we must make friendship the end goal, not a means to an end.

The question then naturally arose, “Do you think there is room (in the Church of the Nazarene) to embrace the emerging church?” Jesse responded, “Not only room, but it would be a tragedy for us to pull out of it. I don’t think we can ever afford to not be a part of this dialogue. It is helping us.” Jon agreed and pointed out that we need to work on our language so that people see those who are emerging as “hopeless romantics”, who desire to be a part of God’s story and the Nazarene story.

The tension, they both went on to articulate, is real and will always be there, but they see it as a healthy tension. Jon went on to describe the relationship this way, “Maybe lions and lambs don’t lay down together until there is a lot of tension. When they first see each other until they lay down together there is a lot of angst, there must be a priority to lay down together that goes beyond what might even be instinct to go away from each other. In order to bring that picture to fruition, we’re going to have to choose to stay together in the midst of unbelievable tension. That’s what we started as a denomination that was a ‘big tent denomination’. That despite the tension we could remain together.

Sitting amongst the participants listening to this conversation, I could only imagine what it must have felt like for Naomi the first time Ruth returned from the fields of Boaz. I was filled with hope. Hope that we as the Nazarene church indeed protect, resource and empower the emerging church. Hope that both sides would stay committed to each other amidst the tension.

These conversations bring me hope not because they are saying things I haven’t thought or felt or even believed for years, but because they are putting words to a movement the way a good poet puts words to emotions. Our entrance into the conversation may well be a belated, but it is definitely a beautiful voice in the conversation.

Gardens and Plants

Using one of my favorite metaphors for our time, Brian Postlewait blogs on the feelings many of us have had and have shared over the years (and obviously continue to). I'm encouraged and disheartened by this post. Encouraged because of Sean's comment (thanks!), in the hopes that perhaps i might be considered some sort of odd gardener there.

I'm discouraged because we keep losing folks. Our "tribe" of Nazarenes, seems to be struggling with our identity. I'm fine with that struggle because I believe from where I sit that the voices of the many in this conversation are all still at the table and allowed to have their voice. However, it appears that what I would call the loudest voice (see squeaky wheel) of the fundamentalists seems to be the voice that most assume is taking control. I wouldn't be here if that were what I believed and I sure hope that is not the case. I understand the feelings - I've felt them many times - but I'm just trying to stand for hope.

I'd love it if you'd join me in this stand for hope. But I'm not looking to start and organization or a club. I just want to stand for hope in my beliefs and my actions within this crazy tribe, so that the organic growth of the Kingdom may show itself in me... and my tribe.

Movements

I first want to take a moment to recommend that you visit the Order of Saint Stephen blog. Not only do I recommend the practices they are talking about and valuing, but I recommend the idea of an "order" all together. These are some great people who are "doing it" and have been.

There has been something popping up in their comments though that I want to touch on in this post. When there was not an immediate update on the site to some of what they were planning people got pessimistic... and fast. Pessimism is certainly not new or suprising. Pessimism on the web is even less suprising. But what I want to address is this idea of movements.

In the past (yes, I'll leave it as the ambigious all of history) there has been this sense that the only thing worth starting is something that's will somehow live on forever. The "success" of something was dependent on its "formality" in organization, control and measurable features. If an organization or movement was successful it was growing in measurable ways. If it wasn't growing, then it was failing and the worse failure is the disappearance of the measurable and controlable things.

In this postmodern world, movements are embraced, not because of the ways they can be measured or controlled, but because of what they begin (both seen and unseen). This may seem a bit of language manipulation, but let me use an example from real life.

There was a church community, let's call it "the Fish-house", that was started as a ministry to young families in an urban environment. As it began, it attracted some young couples who came together, some came to proclaim faith in Christ, some grew in their faith and their community grew in numbers and in intimacy. Then, almost as quickly as it had begun, the momentum of new families attending ceased. There seemed to be a ceiling on the size of the community. In the midst of this stunted growth in one area, there was growth in another. The community of young couples and families grew closer and closer together and in faith. It was only a matter of two years before almost every one of the families felt called to ministry... but in other cities. The Fish-house was birthed, grew and died in just over two years.

It was considered a failure by those who aimed to fund it. It didn't make it. It never realized its potential. "It had such promise," they sadly muttered.

Here is where I would challenge this idea that movements must last forever [or at least as long as I'm interested :-)]. The reality of the Fish-house is that it may not have lasted as an organization in a formal sense, but the movement of that community continues to this day. The families that were a part of that community are now all over the globe doing and leading ministry. It was not to be a physical institution that would last, but it has proven to be a movement of the Spirit.

All of those words and that true story, to say this... movements are beautiful because of what they begin in us. They open doors in seen and unseen ways to those places that might have been a mystery to us before... or perhaps to re-discover something that has been tucked away in the shadows of our experience. The point of great movements, like great questions, is that they would open doors in our minds, hearts and experiences that we may never have opened ourselves.

Perhaps the greatest form of hospitality is the opening of doors for one another and the courage to walk through the doors opened for us.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German author said it well, "Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

Peace in the midst of Chaos

Wedding, family matters, sister's wedding and now I'm back. I've been gone so long and been so busy I'm not able to be at the Emergent Gathering and its tearing my guts out. If you know anyone blogging it, please pass it on. The schedule has been staggering and tiresome, so how have I maintained my sanity? How, you ask, do I keep my nose above water? I'm so glad you asked and I'll happily tell you in a few easy steps:

- Blogs: Andrew Jones has a couple great posts including this one for people interested in atonement theories and the emergent conversation. Linda has this post on emerging church myths... the second one is worth following the link.

- Events - hoping to get to the GOCN event here in KC and looking forward to the NTS emerging thing. see my older post for links.

- Listening - It has been my great privilege to be listening to "The Bible Experience". I first heard a glimpse from Mark-O at the DC of DCLA. It's dyn-o-mite! I love they way they've done it, I love being able to listen on my mp3 on the bus and I love the voices. Perhaps I'm just a geek, but as I said to a friend recently, "it's one of the ways I keep falling in love with God's Word".

October is Heating Up

Three great opportunities to connect this month with some great conversations and great people:

- Emergent Gathering - Oct. 9-12, Glorietta, NM - a gathering of folks from around the US and Canada to journey together and spend time doing the talking we always do between the sessions at every other conference. Great things always come out of this time.

- Gospel and our Culture Network Conference - Oct. 19-21, Kansas City - they've got a new website (finally, but nicely redone) and the thinkers there continue to put out great stuff. If you're in a congregation looking to connect around missional thinking - this would be a great place to be.

- Missional Leaders in the Emerging Culture Conversation - Oct. 24-26 at Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. I'm involved a little in this one and am excited to see our Nazarene Church and Seminary take some formal steps into this conversation. If you're a Nazarene and interested in the Emergent conversation, this would be a great place to connect, participate and build some generative friendships.

SAVDRU

Saw this license plate today and wondered, among other things, what I would have on my license plate if I had it personalized. I thought back to my younger days when my brother and I would fight each other for the license plate in the Honey Comb box. (the problem being that Honey Comb had some of the largest boxes of cereal known to man at the time so eating through two boxes so we both could have 1 never worked) There were some great ones like...

GO 4 IT
SPEED
MOV IT

I'm hereby taking suggestions for cool license plates that might fit me. Please keep the vulgarities to a minimum.

Words Matter... plain and simple. It seems to me that words are taken for granted more and more, but yet the weight they carry is increasing. In the North American, United States, context, words are thrown around like bird shot out of a shotgun. We don't necessarily think we'll hit the target right on, we don't even think we'll get super close, we just hope that we're pointed in the general direction and it works out. Words are easy to come by (blogs alone are multiplying daily) but our abuse of it is rampant.

Words are important. I think many that have grown up in evangelicalism have realized this in our gut for many years and have reacted strongly to those places and cases where the language has been misused or in some cases not used. We are very good at diagnosing this problem.

I think we are in a new place. A place where we must be able to put some words - well thought out and prayed over words - to where we are and what we are experiencing and this faith journey that we are on and inviting others to. I will agree here with a friend that these words and language must come out of relationships, rather than into relationships. It seems to me though that as we "harvest" this langauge and these words out of relationships, we need to be sharing them with others, to be telling these stories.

These are generative and very important conversations. There are many who are desperate for the poets to emerge to chart the course for what they are feeling, experiencing and intuitavely knowing about the changes in culture and the shortcomings of the language in explaining the gospel.

So what's your story? What language do you use? Your words matter.

Life of Brian

We had a great time with some friends who were over tonight... our next door neighbors - Brian and Corey and some other friends - Brian and Kara. It was hilarious whenever someone called out "Brian", we would all look or respond. I think it must be like that at George Foreman's house because all his kids are named Geroge too. Except they're a lot bigger and his house is probably a lot bigger.

Friends and Squirrels

Our good friend Josh Kleinfeld is visiting with us right now. He's in town taking a class at seminary. It's been great for me to have him here! Lots of fun and good conversations.

He's taking an evangelism class... yeah... and I just happened to come across this method of sharing the gospel and had to share! If you've been following my blog the last few days, then I'll officially weigh in that this would not be MY choice for faith language. Enjoy...

Is your Church looking for exciting fun packed to double or triple

your Week-night Service by attracting non-members?

If yes Please let me introduce you to:

Animal Alley Ministriesgoes into the local public schools performing an 1/2 hour Secular Character Building Presentation using the exotic animals at no charge to the school. We advice the audience that we will be at your church that evening if they wish to see and learn more. The church will normally hand out flyers about that evening event and their location. Animal Alley Ministries will then do a Gospel Message that evening at your church again using the animals as examples of God's Love and His Creation.

Animal Alley Ministries is a nationally known ministry that travels coast-to-coast witnessing at hundreds of churches, Christian Schools , Colleges, Churches, Camps, VBS, Retreats, Christian Radio and television programs, etc. each year using live exotic animals to demonstrate examples of Godly Character, Gods Love and Creation. Animal Alley Ministries does messages for a single day, multiple day events and weeklong camps and events. Animal Alley Ministries messages are directed at the age of the audience, ages range from pre-k through adult.

Animal Alley Ministries will you be your area soon and has limited dates available.

We would welcome the opportunity to visit you and present our ministry.

For further information, Contact:

Animal Alley Ministries

443 Stanton Corners Road

Ferndale, NY 12734

Phone: (845) 292-7680

Website: www.animalalley.net

80's youth ministry vs. emerging?

Check out these great posts on the "Out of Ur" blog... quite interesting. I've often thought that youth ministry is a great "growing ground" for church planting because of the cultural work and the relationships. However... (there has to be an "however" on this blog doesn't there?) is this emerging church thing just grown up youth ministry? I hope not in many ways, mostly theological and holistically.

Heaven tickets

Heaven. Hell. How do we talk to people about this in our new context? Is there more to heaven than just not going to hell? What is heaven anyway? (Check out this great video from Google!) What is hell?

Lots of questions... not many answers. I'm wondering these days about "evangelism" and how we do it in this postmodern context. As a base line I think we can all agree that relationship is a must as the beginning. What next?

I personally react very strongly against those folks who do the "heavy sell" trying to scare people into heaven or try to "do evangelism" through some sort of information share only. What about you? How do we share faith? How do we share our story? How do we invite others to faith?

If I reject the traditional "roman road" way or the fact, faith feeling, or the four spiritual flaws...er.... laws, then what do I embrace? Let's pursue this together

Yearned for wholeness...

There's a quote I got from somewhere and have medtiated on it many times, to the point I can't remember where it comes from. Nonetheless, I share it with you here,

"I want Christ to search me in all the shadows of my yearned for wholeness."

It strikes me that all of us, no matter how we may pursue it or how we may show it, have this yearning (great word) to be whole. I think there are times that we put our yearnings and our shadows on others and so if I've done that to you, I'm sorry.

I also think there are times when we can see the shadows of others and CAN be a help to wholeness, but often charge in like a blowtorch in a toilet paper store, trying to bring light, but only burn everything in sight to ashes. Again apologies extended.

I also wonder if we ever stop to be honest enough with ourselves to realize our yearnings, to listen to our hearts calling, to recieve the gift of ourselves and our passion. Perhaps in the stopping we just may see light in some of our shadows... light that leads to wholeness.

My prayer for those I know is that they allow Christ into their shadows.

10 Unbelievable Years!!!

My gorgeous and incredible wife, Carol, and I have been married for 10 years! What a great friend, lover and wife! We are blessed for sure. Carol, we've come a long way since the first time we met and I picked a fight with you. Here's to 10+ more years!!

Pilgrimage

It's a journey to a sacred place. We did it this last weekend with our church Jacob's Well. It was a great time! We stayed in cabins, laughed together, played with the kids (ours and other people's), rested and worshipped together. It was very cool. We journeyed to YouthFront south camp where they have over 600 acres and 60+ sacred spaces. It's a great place.

One of the highlights of our time was Sunday morning. Carol was baptized! It was great. I love the way Jacob's Well really tries to journey together and find a rhythm of life together. It is so refreshing and generative!

I wonder what kinds of pilgrimage's some of you others go on?

Telling Stories: Missouri friends

This past weekend I spent at the Missouri NYI Convention. I was the "speaker" and had a great time with them. Mona Downs is the District President and is doing a great job and the people there were so kind (special thanks to Charlie for carting me around a bit and taking me to dinner!). I love making new friends!

I told two stories, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Friday night I shared the story of Ephesus and talked about how the Greeks valued beauty, performance, competition and achievement (which thankfully is nothing like our culture today). I went on to talk about that as the context of Paul's letter and shared some from there.

Saturday I told the story of Zaccheus. I pulled out the back story of who tax collectors were and how they were treated, etc.

Okay, so now here's my point, I told these stories and after each service people came up to me and started talking about how they found themselves IN the story. They related to someone in the story. They felt at home, sometimes even uncomfortable home. There wasn't 3 points and a power truth. Just the story from Scripture and our story, which as I think about it, is THE STORY.

Gutsy Faith

I just finished "Gutsy Faith" this weekend. I'm a bit behind on my reading, but am getting close to being caught up.

Here what I loved in my friend Jeff's book:
1) Stories - lots of stories. I love stories. I also loved that Jeff used lots of real life examples that we all can connect with. Nicely done.
2) Lots of Scripture - it seems to be a no brainer in a book about Christian faith, but a cursory look at what's on the shelves of most Christian book stores will prove otherwise. Jeff's use of Scripture every step of the way show his passion for connecting people with THE STORY as well as his passion for that Story in his own life.
3) Readability - it's an easy read, but not in a simple way. Gutsy Faith goes to some deep places, questioning some things that are core to our faith, but does it in a way that anyone can read.

Some things I thought could be better:
1) Overall layout - I just found myself wishing that the section headings were more helpful. The chapter titles were good, but in going back to reference something, the subheadings just didn't really reveal anything as to what was actually in that part of the text. Maybe just my opinion and maybe just being picky.
2) I wish Jeff would have brought the community piece in more. He seems to hint around at it quite a bit, but he never comes out and talks about the importance of the role of community in knowing God's will for your life. Maybe he doesn't value it, but I don't really think that fits with all that he calls us to.
3) A stronger connection between every chapter. As I mentioned above, I love that he used lots of stories, but perhaps there could have been one story that he continued to refer to which would pull everything together. Again, probably me being picky.

Overall, I really enjoyed the read and would recommend it to anyone. I especially think it would be helpful for people in transitions.

Good job Jeff!

Is Preaching really about story?

This question was offered up to me like a slow pitch softball in a lunch conversation last week. The question is not really that easy, per say, its just that the person who asked it had no idea what they were in for when they asked ME :-)

I'd love to hear some people thoughts on the role of story and narrative and preaching. I have some thoughts, which I will share as we continue, but I'm curious as to what you all might think. To get things started there are two quotes I'd like to throw out there:

"Truth naked and cold had been turned away from every door in the village. Her nakedness frightened the people. When Parable found her, she was huddled in a corner, shivering and hungry. Taking pity on her, Parable gathered her up and took her home. There, she dressed Truth in story, warmed her and sent her out again. Clothed in story, Truth knocked again at the villagers’ doors and was readily welcomed into the people’s houses. They invited her to eat at their table and warm herself by the fire."

- Jewish teaching story


And this offering which comes from an interview from the infamous "Wittenburg Door" magazine with one of the greatest story tellers of our generation, Garrison Keillor.

Door: Any suggestions on making sermons better?
K: Yes. First, I think that people want to hear the gospel in the form of a story. There’s a story at the heart of every sermon. I think sermons fail when they take that story, stick it in a corner, and make it into a lecture. That won’t work for people.
Door: Why not?
K: A story allows people to come into it. You can somehow envision yourself as a participant in a story. It engages the imagination in a way that a lecture does not. In order for a lecture to draw people in, it really has to be a sustained experience. Twenty minutes is definitely not enough time.
But a story has a magical power to draw people into it. If you simply describe specific details of a landscape, if you crate a street in a small town in Midwest in January on a Sunday afternoon in North Dakota with the drifts plowed up high along the sides of the road and steam coming out of the chimneys of a few homes on the edge of town, and beyond that a great sea of snow on fields perfectly flat and broken by tree lines around farms – you’ve just created a landscape that someone will be imagine himself in. And then something else can happen.
Door: What?
K: You can draw him out of himself and into this place in the imagination. The story of Job draws us into it. The parable of the prodigal son is easy for me to imagine anyway. Most of the other stories in the New Testament draw people in, as well.

Water Fire Wind... and Earth?

In a stunning twist of God's comedic humor, I have returned from vacation only to find that Tim Keel, our pastor from Jacob's Well, is doing a series that includes the elements of creation - earth, air, fire and water. Hmmmm... Could it be a mass consipiracy? Doubtful. But one never knows... Either way I highly recommed listening in on the series. He has done an intro week, earth and air and will be doing water this week. I feel like I could do this series - not in the same way or as well, but because I've spent the last year in these three elements and Scripture. God must be up to something here.

We're Back...

We are back from a great vacation and I'm digging through 3 weeks worth of mail, email and voice messages. We had a great time on our vacation in Maryland, Michigan and Indiana (and places along the way). We got to hang out with the Snows (including the newest edition Ryan) in the inner harbor of Baltimore, we ate crabs and ice cream with Josh and Aubrey (where I also learned to attract bats with my sandal), hung with the Youngs a bit at their home, stayed a night with Jim and Sue and James Dougherty, saw and visited with lots of other friends and got to visit and preach in Bel Air! We also visited my parents and my brother Kevin and his family in Michigan, saw my brother Steve and family, and stopped by Carol's sister's to hang with the cousins. We all had a great time!

It was a great reminder of the extensiveness of God's Kingdom and our friendships. Believe it or not, we also got some rest! Now we're back to Kansas and 100+ degree heat. Since home, I've changed out a toilet kit and we've gotten a new hot water heater. I hope that's all the home improvements for a while.

Swingin' in OKC

This stop on my journey is in Oklahoma City at Southern Nazarene University. Good to make some new friends and connect with some old! Great to see some of my Bel Air (Mike, Katelynn, Weston, Austin, Andrew, Bambi, Denise, the Moots [Hannah is huge!!] and a few others) and Mid-Atlantic friends (Renee thanks for not throwing anything at me!). Also great to see my brother Kevin who is here with a team. As soon as I finish this post I'm headed to meet with him for a late lunch.

One quick thing that struck me - I was in this restaurant that stands as a place keeper for the 60's. It had all 60's (and a few 70's) stuff on the wall and as decorations. While it was a little entertaining to see, I wondered how much this is like a lot of our churches. Do we put things up on the wall that tell us the story of yesterday? Do we play only music from a by-gone era? And if we do is that so bad?

A highlight for sure was the chance to walk in the sanctuary at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City. You probably have never heard of it - I hadn't - but it has the most beautiful glass windows I have ever seen. They are not stained glass but have that look. The artwork is actually printed within the glass and it is spectacular. We met with Jason Johnston who was kind enough to share with us all his knowledge on the glass and the sanctuary. There are no pics on their website yet of the glass, but he said that they are redoing their site and will have some up soon. I hope so. I could have spent weeks looking at them.

How does this compare to the 60's diner? Well there is a whole beauty and art issue here, but I guess my heartburn is that if we only tell that story and don't reimagine and tell our story of God at work today, then perhaps we've missed the point all together.

Next week I have vacation and I'm so looking forward to it. I'm tired and trying not to let it show.

DCLA was awesome and a huge help to me and the NYC team. I learned so much from some of the event coordinators as they did their trouble shooting, dealt with convention center staff, oversaw medical issues, etc. It was just plain great. I met some new friends there too which is always awesome! I also walked a LOT. Meanwhile... Carol and the kids PLAYED! They are having a great time with Maryland friends and being back in the east!

I've been invited to preach on Sunday at Bel Air and am excited and slightly nervous to do so. I haven't preached since my last sermon there and I have this mixed feeling of pressure and joy to be with them again. Anyway it should be fun!

Free Book!

My friend Jeff is just releasing his new book, Gutsy Faith. If you're interested visit his blog to find out how to recieve a free copy and join in the reading and blogging. I'm reading it now.

Kenyon College visit

Recently while visiting one of our Nazarene Universities, we stopped by another small private school that has been around forever - Kenyon College. I took these pictures there.
The cross is from 1904 graduating class. The others are from the chapel on campus.

Father's Day

Yeah, I'm the richest man in the world with the family I have! This was part of my Father's Day presents. Not shown were tickets to a T-Bones game (Kansas City minor league baseball) and some Art's Coffee. Art roasts it one day, delivers it to your door the next. Quite good! In the pic you'll notice the Super Soaker from Jahred, the awesome picture and frame from the kids, a card and my favorite kind of tie... it is personal, means a lot and it will never have to go around my neck!

Tripping...

Headed out for a three week galavant around the country... St. Louis, Indy, DC, Oklahoma City, Maryland, Michigan (?), St. Louis and home. Good thing is my family will be with me for most of the time. Other good thing is that a week of it is vacation. I need some sleep.

Look for...
- working on a chapter for a book and think I might post a rough first draft here for some added feedback. But then you all might be the only ones who read it if it gets published and that's sucky marketing. Actually it would be extra long for here, so we'll see.

- worked up a some theological vision thoughts on NYC that I'd like to share

- pictures. I've got some great ones, just have to get them to this blog.

If you are near, in or around any of the above locales in the next few weeks, give me a shout out through this blog, through email or through cell and we'll get together. I'd love to have at least one significant emerging church conversation at every stop.

Got it... don't got it

I don't know about you and your life of faith. I don't know how your journey has gone, but for me it's just sometimes the most bizarre thing. There are some things that you realize, believe and change you. You think you've got it figured out, you've experienced it and you've got it covered. You've "been there, done that". But then it hits you again and something you thought you had mastered, you quickly realize you have so much to learn, understand, experience.

For example, last Sunday Tim was talking about how everything we need as people we can get from God. But when we don't go to God to get it - love, affirmation, space, purpose, peace, etc. - then we begin to want to get it from other people and impose that on them, instead of just accepting them as they are in love. I know this. I've taught and preached this. But when I heard it on Sunday it was like God let me have ears to hear for the first time again.

It's a wonderful thing to be surprised by God and the things of God. It's great that we can't master them. But man it's goofy sometimes. Maybe no one else has experienced this, and in all likelihood I haven't communicated this very well, but I'd love to know if you're tracking on this at all.

There is No One Like You

So goes the lyrics to David Crowder Band’s song about God. It really is true. As we were worshipping with 1500 high school students at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University and we were singing those words, I realized how true that really is.

One hour before I had been having an in-depth theological conversation about the emerging church and post-modernity with some people who have been pretty modern and known as such for quite some time. God opened doors for the conversation and while nothing was “settled” it ended cordially with some potential for continued conversations.

Earlier that afternoon I met up with my roommate from my freshman year at Olivet, Chris Riggs. The stories he has on me (with the evidence to back it up) could probably put me in jail! It was so good to talk with him and hear how God is working in his life and ministry. Who’d a thought 14 years ago that either of us would be here, in ministry?

One hour after the service I found myself in a room full of youth workers leading a question and discussion time over the limits we put on ourselves, our ministries and God because we often stop hoping. It was a great discussion. Afterwards Dave and I met up with some folks and began a long discussion on the failure of youth ministry in our churches (50-88% of kids who graduate from our youth groups never return to church). What a great time to re-imagine where we might be heading. Great people, great conversation.

God, there truly is no one like you!

Something's a little fishy

This morning Meg and Jahred and I went to a kids fishing derby. It was a good time. There were a lot of people and some free stuff. It was our first time fishing this year. After many minutes of intense struggle and some fantastic coaching by her dad, Meg realed in three fish (all about 4 inches long), actually small mouth bass to be precise. Jahred went oh-for, but he did manage to lose two hooks and a bobber... and have an overall good time.

In other news, many of you know of my ties to the emerging church. Some MAJOR controversy, even garnering an ABC news report, came up recently over an article. You can read the article here and the see the news report here. It's really worth looking into!

Summer Institute

Well I wish I was in Minneapolis this week at the Summer Institute. Here are some pics. Doug is blogging a tiny bit on it and has some pics as well. I'll be anxious to hear more from folks as it unfolds. I'm just wishing I were there.

Tim my man...

Got an email from my good friend Tim today. I haven't talked to him in a while. It was good to "hear" from him. In his closing he signed it - Tim "Peter". I used to say that Tim was my Peter. He would drive me crazy some days (can you say broken van window - while moving - it was winter) and then he would make me think he was a great missionary. He brought people and cared about people. Nathan and Jacob for instance. Sean for another. So I'm giving this post as a shout out to Tim.

A little catch-up

I'm in St. Louis and have a few minutes tonight so I thought I'd do a grand catch up post... I planned on doing this yesterday, but wasn't able to so here it is today.

As promised here's a picture of our dog Foster, the Catahula...

Here is Jahred's Hummer that we made together for his "Drive to First Grade" at the end of the year... (Hey, if you gotta drive it might as well be in style!) Despite his multiple efforts and plans we managed to keep the guns off.


Here is a friend of our family, Nick DeVoss. You can read about him and his family. all amazing folks, at Carol's blog here.

Slowly out of hiding...

Some phrases that have stuck in my hiding. I'll be sharing them this week...

"Be kind. For everyone is undergoing a great battle." - Philo of Alexandria

Hiding Out?!?

Two weeks ago, Tim (our pastor) started talking about what it means to "hide" in Christ. He talked about how there are times and rhythms in our lives where God may be very well "hiding" us for a time. He used the examples of Christ - 30 years before any ministry that we know of - and Paul - around 14 years between his conversion and appearance before apostles in Jerusalem and his first missionary journey. It also appears that this season right after Easter is indeed a time, a rhythm of hiding in Christ, but we often want to "get going" this time in ministry. Tim's words have challenged me to hide out a bit - hence the rare posts on this blog and rare outputs other places as well.

I share this now, only as an invitation for others to join in this rhythm of hiding out for a while. Maybe this is not where God has you right now, so don't misunderstand me as trying to "hi-jack" what God is already doing in your life. However, you may be in that place where God is hiding you for a time and have struggled with the purpose behind it. I can give you no purpose, except to trust in the One who really knows.

AARRRGGHHH

I wrote this comment in a book margin a couple days ago, in a comment on a blog about that book and now here. Why?

I'm having some troubles retrieving and sending the photos from my phone. They are there and they are terrific, but can't seem to get them here. I'll continue to work on it... in the meantime in the long-standing spirit of evangelicals I'll share in words some things you can look forward to seeing.

- Spam truck - that's right - spam truck

- new dog - Foster

- Isaiah riding his bike with the handlebars backwards

Some day this confounded technology will be so easy to use, even I will figure it out... and I've done it too if it weren't for you medling kids!

Sunday morning

I'm making waffles with Isaiah this morning and have a little bit in between batches. Also standing next to me is our new dog, Foster. He's a catahoula, a kind of cattle dog. So far he's working out okay as we get used to each other. He's seems to be pretty smart.

We have some extra time to sleep in and play on Sunday mornings as Jacob's Well has gone to three servies. This is first week and we're heading to the 11am service! I know they'd appreciate any and all prayers as they navigate this change and what it means for future.

I finished the Da Vinci Code last night. Overall its an interesting book of drama and mystery, but not so intrigued by its religious and historical assumptions. Perhaps I'm just jaded towards such revelations in a novel. If its intrigued you in some ways, I wouldn't mind hearing about it because I'm trying to figure out the imagination capture on some of this.

A quick cruise through some blogs this morning tells me that:
- Josh and our crew are still working through Donovan's book. There are some great places we're going there and would love to have some others weigh in so feel free.
- If you want some great reading my friend Mark has an exerpt from his soon to be published book up. It's great. Check it out and give some feedback. Also on his blog are some more specifics on the "order" they are trying to live. I think there are some wonderful things here that some of us could mine as we engage all types of peoples in this journey.
- I'm digging on Tom's post still, although its a little old (hint, hint). But I'm always pro-Jesus!

power blog

Idaho - great - loved seeing and talking with Kipp and Sandy.
Ohio - great - loved seeing James, Tevis and my home-boy Jim.
Home - nothing like it. Brought gifts. Love my family.
Christianity Re-discovered - great conversation. Heating up with comments on twinkies, spam and child discipline!
Emerging - Tim Keel - good conversation. more later. Have in my hands McLaren's new book, "The Secret Message of Jesus" PRE-RELEASE!!! I'll be reading and commenting shortly. Also, have an extra copy to share with a friend - any creative bids?? :-)

Happy Trails

Lots of things happening so I'll report quickly...

1) Our book discussion on Christianity Redicovered is continuing and I think is starting to get interesting and should sharpen up. You can join us or be a squatter here.

2) My tour of the Northwest (okay only Boise and Nampa, Idaho) is coming to a close as I type this. It has been a good visit. I have never been to this part of the country and so I enjoyed being here, being with the people and seeing some friends - like Mike and Sandy Kipp and family - that I hadn't seen in quite a while.

3) Which means I'm off to Ohio. I hope to hook up with Jim, James and Tevis at the least. If I'm lucky, I'll wear my Michigan hat, talk emerging church stuff, start a bunch of fights and leave! Actually I just hope to join a party, give a few gifts, tell a bunch of stories and make some friends. So if you're out there, give me shout and we'll hook up later Monday night.

4) Confessions of the day...
- I just picked up the Da Vinci Code and hope to knock it out on these lovely long flights.
- Idaho is beautiful, but doubt I could live there.
- I miss my family.
- Quote of the day that I also own, "At this point I had to make the humiliating admission that I did not know what the gospel was." (Vincent Donovan, "Christianity Rediscovered" pg. 24)

Idaho and Ohio

I'm heading to Idaho on Thursday. I'll be in Nampa (near Boise). I've never been. I know I'll be meeting a few folks for some great conversations. I also know that there are some cool emergent bubblings coming from Idaho these days.

Then it's to Ohio and Mount Vernon. That's a short trip but probably will have some time Monday night to turkish leg wrestle or just enjoy a hot beverage and conversation (Tevis if you're out there...).

Control is an issue

God is really working on me lately about how much I like to be in "control". It's all an illusion I know and I know that I should turn things over to him and let go, but knowing it in my head and doing it in my heart are two different things. I'm learning that he is preparing the way if I can just let go enough to enjoy it and allow it. I don't know where this comes from, but it is quite obvious to me right now and I'm not sure how to wade through it.

God has been working as only he can - through conversations, light and heavy, with friends, close and far, and with his leanings, clear and murky.

One of the passages read today at midday is from Exodus 14. It tells the story of Moses stretching out his hand, the sea parting, the Israelites fleeing the Egyptians on dry land and the water crashing down on the Egyptian army. God the God of faithfulness and freedom.

God help me to trust you as the deliverer and the one who brings freedom.

Christianity re-discovered ch 2.

If you haven't jumped into our discussion yet, but are even slightly interested, let me encourage you to go for it. Even though we are in chapter 2 and heading to chapter 3 by Friday, the chapters are small and it is an easy catch-up. We're running it through Josh's blog... at the very least, link over and check it out.

Making Friends

Spent some time in St. Louis with some new friends, Xavier and Diane DeHoyos from the Texas Oklahoma Latin District. They were in STL to see the convention center and hotels and stuff for NYC. They are great people with huge hearts for kids and for the kingdom. It was great hanging out with them!

Also made some friends at the Mid-America Nazarene University - MAX event. It is another of the regional events for High School students and it was great to meet new friends, see old friends and share with people about the huge party I'm throwing next summer!

I'm also making some new friends through our book discussion group on Vincent Donovan's "Christianity Rediscovered" at Josh's blog. And there is a really interesting discussion at Jeff's blog about alliteration, preaching and how we are "saved". It's all pretty light stuff really:)

Beautiful day here so i'm heading out to play with the kids!!

Christianity Re-discovered - Intro

We're beginning our discussion today of Vincent Donovan's book "Christianity Rediscovered". You can join our comments here! It should be fun...

Trying to get fired...

Yesterday I went to a meeting. I went in trying to get fired. I was just going to say exactly what I thought was best and not really pay much mind to the fall out. So I did. I wasn't unkind or mean, but I was honest and wasn't afraid to tell the emperor that he had no clothes. And...

It was really well received. I told Carol when I got home, "God must really want us here, because today I tried to get fired and instead people loved it." Which means either I'm (a) going where God has gone before, or (b) getting really soft and am not controversial at all. I'm really hoping for option a, because if its b then "bummer". All this to say, where's my courage? I should have been saying these things all along with no fear. Not that I've been tip-toeing around trying not to get noticed. I just haven't been going to meetings and places where I could say those things.

God give me light to see where I should step and courage to open my mouth and the words to say when it opens.

Stations of the Cross

I grew up Protestant and all that goes with that. I don't begrudge that history of mine, but there I had to "discover" some of the great things of Christian church history and tradition as I've grown into my own faith. One of those practices is the "Stations of the Cross".

There are a couple that are particularly super on-line that I've stumbled upon. My friend Josh and his youth group put it up in the church for their church (great to see the youth leading the church to the cross, yes?!?). You can join them here. Be sure to scroll down and see them all.

Also of great value to me is Spencer Burke's "Stations" from the ooze. You can journey through them here.

Our church commissioned an adult and a youth/child to do a painting on each of the stations. They put them up around the church and had a guide to walk you through them. We did it as a family and it was great. To use a term Tim uses often, "the time was pregnant with God's presence". Here is a pic from one of the stations.

No matter if you do it online or at your church or somewhere else, I'd just recommend taking the time to do it, to pause and reflect at each one, to listen to what is being said to you, to stumble upon where you might be in the story and to find the question that is being asked of you and your life at this time.

I think the question coming to me again and again is, "who is your neighbor?" Interestingly there is a great post on Mark's blog that tells a story and in its own way, begs this question.

Spring time is here

Thunderstorms are rolling through the Kansas plains, baseball has started (anybody been to a game yet?), the weather is warming, I worked in my yard... and Easter is coming up.

I love Easter. I haven't always. I used to wonder why it was really that special. I knew about Easter. I knew the story. But I didn't really get it. Then I started reading about Jesus, his culture, his ways. I was blown away by all that was really going on at Easter, grasped by the Jewish festivals and their meaning and the ways they told the bigger story. Easter became more than just chocolate, dress-up clothes and church services. Easter became a movement to me. I hope Easter is moving you too these days.

If you don't know much about Easter, or if it bores you, or if you think its only about big breakfasts (Yeah Steelmans from Bel Air... you do a really good big breakfast!), then let me encourage you to research a little bit on the Passover, the Festival of Wheat, the Festival of First Fruits. Let me encourage you to connect one story to your story to the bigger story.

If this has intrigued you a bit and you'd like to hear more... let me know. Maybe I'll do a week long Easter week post blogoseries.

The Life of a Nazarene youth pastor

This article is just awesome! The only thing better is the whole site. If you are a youth worker, were a youth worker, or have thought about it... this is for you!

It all comes back to me...

In a bit of an odd turn of events, I have been recently been united with some great friends!

First, Tiz got in touch with me through this blog of all places. Weird, I know. Mike and I have spent many a night trying to fish amidst thunder, lightning, hail and tornados and many a day on the golf course chasing my shots all over God's green earth (and sandy earth and watery earth, etc). Oh, and we also worked together for years.

Next, I got to meet up with Josh and Andy B. We went to college together and sometimes maybe went to class. We often were found in fine hang-outs like Bray's, Donut Land, and "the moon". (our favorite Bray's waiter = Billie - she was great!)

Its been truly wonderful to visit with them, catch up a bit, and tell stories. How great!

God is good!

What is Gospel... continued

To add a bit to some of the conversation yesterday on "What is the Gospel?" I heard this question first formally proposed through some people with the Gospel and Our Culture Network. These are really great people up to really great things. The root of the question comes from the missiologist, Lesslie Newbigin.

All of this to ask again (and perhaps again, until I get some response) what is the gospel?

I'm in Nashvegas this weekend and had a great conversation with a new friend, Levi. God is great about bringing people my way to talk about these kinds of things and how it might be possible to ask these kinds of questions and still be a Nazarene.

Some hard questions

I picked this up on Andrew Jones blog... this is a blog with some questions about youth ministry that are right where a lot of us are. We should weigh in with good and well articulated thoughts.

He also links to another discussion near and dear to my heart and really the beginning question on my journey to make me the "way I am", for those who have been wondering where it all started: "what is the gospel?" I'd be interested in some beginning discussions and first wave responses to this question here as well.

Let's Read!

One of Balitmore City's mottos was: "Baltimore: the city that reads!" Perhaps my blog and its readers should be "the bloggers that read"... or not.

I'm inviting you all to join me and few others in reading a book called, "Christianity Rediscovered", by Vincent Donovan. You can pick it up here.

In other totally unrelated news, I am in Nashville for a few days and if anyone would like to get together, give a holla!

Your results:

You are Superman
My friend Jeff got me onto this... quite entertaining. I always thought of myself as more Batman. But hey, Superman is way more popular and gets way more pub. When I started this I was excited to see what I'd be, but the question "do you wear a push-up bra" got me worried that I'd come out as Wonder Woman or Bat-girl. This would not have been good for the self-esteem. So try it out and good luck at your super hero future.

Superman 75% Spider-Man 65% The Flash 65% Iron Man 60% Hulk 55% Green Lantern 55% Robin 53% Supergirl 43% Catwoman 40% Batman 30% Wonder Woman 28%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Hoops, hoops and more hoops

I felt some obligation to blog on the event that many of us are spending time on (and plus I didn't want my last post of the day to be the big whine [see last post for details]).

The always present "they" say that companies have lost $3.8 billion of work from people to the NCAA tournament. I myself would never stoop so low as to proudly predict Villanova as the champion or state to my colleagues that the "cream always rises to the top" for the "Fighting Amish". I'm much too ethical for that.

By the way if you picked Bradley beyond round 2 and can prove it, let me know with proof and I'll give you mad props here. If you are one of the few who don't know or don't care about this at all I'd love to hear from you and your perspective on this oddity in our country for three weeks.

Speaking of tournament choices, I couldn't help but think of my friend Tiz who I talked to today as I was filling out my bracket. Tiz and Chris and I would always do this together in High School. Chris and I always ditched school on the tournament days and would roll back to his house and watch about 10 straight hours of hoops for 4 straight days and eat his dad's dynamite chilli that was just constantly simmering on the stove. Those were great days. I'm pretty sure that's a small piece of heaven right there.

What's wrong with me?

I know, I know, you all have answers to that question...

The doctor (you know the people with lots of education who regularly diagnose what's wrong with people and get paid lots of money for it) has figured out that I have an infection. To put it in technical medical terms, the antibiotic that I took when my wisdom tooth was pulled, cleaned out all the bacteria in my system except one... who was left to run wild, throw parties and do whatever he pleased. This apparently is not good for the body. (I know that might be a bit technical, but I hope you understand).

So worry no more, world. I am now on more drugs that should fix me right up... I hope.

Out of the mouths of babes

We were doing our weekly family lent time together and sharing things to pray for. Meg pipes up, "we should pray for kids who are slaves and aren't treated well." Her class at church had a visitor a month ago who had just returned from India where she had been a part of a relief effort there. The visitor shared with Meg's class about the children who are in prison, who are left behind, who are slaves. It has really stuck with Meg.

Meg says, "Dad, when I get money for my birthday, I'm going to use some of it to buy a kid or two and set them free." Jahred jumped in, "maybe my seven dollars could buy a slave to set free."

In that moment I saw and heard the heartbeat of Jesus in such a beautiful, faithful, and simple way.

God make our hearts, your heart.

We're going to do something. And our children shall lead us.

Check this out... a catch-up post

A short attempt at a lot of information:
1) Still sick - really tired of it. Believe me, those are all the details you could want.

2) Meg and Jahred spent some time pre-St. Patrick's Day talking about leprecaun's in school. Jahred made a sweet leprecaun trap and here is Meg's sign (remember that leprecauns only do the opposite of what they're told.

3) Last week the family were on spring break. They went to Carol's sister's and to my parents. Here are a couple of my favorite pics from the trip they brought home:

4) Carol is posting again! Check it out here.

5) I was in Boston for Eastern Nazarene College's Festival of Life. It was great to see people (Kevin Snow, Josh Kleinfeld, Brian Hancock and all my Bel Air peoples, and so many more friends). I only wished we had longer. Also met some new friends (Adam) and had some great conversations with Doug Moister. Here are a few pics from my trip.

A Wilderness all my own

I've been sick. very sick. Since Wednesday night. Just now getting some good food in me. Just in time for my family to leave this morning to spend time for the kids spring break with family. They're hitting Carol's sisters and family in Indiana, dropping by my brother Steve and his family in Indy, and also spending a few days in Michigan with my folks.

The reason I'm not with them (other than my illness of death that I wouldn't wish on anyone living or dead) is that I'm heading to ENC this week for their regional Festival of Life event. [if anyone cares, that was probably a cool name for it when it started, then it was lame, but now its oddly really quite appropriate and cool again].

So I'm the wilderness of sorts. I found something great in the midst of it too. Check it out here. It's always good to share what you're given, so I hope it helps someone else out there too in some way!

Welcome to youth ministry...

Had our good friend Jonathan Tullis over for dinner tonight. Great guy! He was in our youth group when we worked at KC 1st. It was great to laugh a bit over old stories, watch him interact with my kids and just catch up on life. It was just good to be together.

In other unrelated news - Nate from H-town, MD reports that fried twinkes are D-liscious. Can anyone else back that up?

I've not tried them, but as a general rule believe that frying things makes them better. But frying a twinkie is like taking something that has absolutely no nutritional value and putting it through a process that sucks out all the nutritional value... so that's like a double negative and I think the universe might implode on itself or something if this happens too often. Or worse, twinkies would cease to exist.

I'm hoping for quick responses because I might not be able to sleep tonight with worry.

Lenten Worship in the Hull house

As a family we aspire to live what we call a "prophetic life". A life that is truly seeking the best kind of life for us and for the world around us. For us that means a Christian, missional and sustainable way of life. We believe that there are some rhythms to a year, a week and even a day that are really helpful in living this kind of life. Now, I could go on and on about more of this, but let me pause here to talk about only one of those rhythms: the season of Lent.

Many know of Lent because "you give something up", as a friend of mine recently shrugged. But for us and for other Christians for thousands of years, its about preparing your heart for Christ, opening up to what he might have for you, spending extra time listening to what he might be saying. The rhythm of fasting is one where you let go of something (preferrably something that you do often or has some control in your life) and in lent for us it is also a time of picking something up (like a new discipline of prayer). This is all in efforts to draw our hearts closer to the heart of Christ.

For our family we decided together that we would give up TV one day a week specifically and replace it that day with a time of family worship with songs, readings and a Scripture story. Today was our first day (every Monday from now till Easter). We put down TV and picked up family worship for a time. We loved it! We did our little service complete with dad strumming the ol' Gibson, Meg helping to lead singing, mom praying, Jahred doing the powerpoint, and Kate and Isaiah playing special roles in the reading and then we topped it all off with some coloring! Dynamite!

I don't share this to make you like us more, to dislike us more or to "show you how its done" (that's why we have Pat Roberston on tv so often!), but just to tell you something about our lives.

Mmmmm... Twinkies

Happy Birthday Isaiah and Meg!

We just celebrated Isaiah's 3rd birthday this month and Meg's 8th. Great fun! For Meg's we went to St. Louis and to the City Museum (highly recommended for anyone in the city). For Isaiah's we went to his favorite place in the whole world... Chuck E. Cheese (which we also call "Kiddie Vegas"). You'll pick up on his birthday theme by the pic below!

Cuz friends are friends forever...

No I'm not on drugs. No I will not ever use those words on purpose again.

A good friend stopped by my office today, Wes Buchanan. Wes's dad and I were on staff together in Bel Air when I first started there. Great family. Great guy. He seems to be doing well. We seem to share some kind of connection for not a ton of time spent together. This should make many of you worry for Wes.

Then my good friends from the Mid-Atlantic district are kickin' their Festival of Life this weekend. I'm missing them and the event. B-heezy Hancock is taking it to new levels this year. I think our friend Josh should be blogging it (hopefully with pics). [this is one of those times where you say something and hope it comes true]. Its at his church and all.

Thought Stuck

I have this concept stuck in my head that is either of Jesus or something else, because it won't go away. In walking and talking with my friend Mark a couple weeks ago, he brought up his efforts in discipling those around him. He is taking a couple guys with him wherever he goes whenever he can. Mark speaks a lot, so this means that he takes them with him on his trips. For one it is a commitment to not being alone. It is also a commitment to share experiences and life in the way of Jesus. This is life in the mold of Jesus and Paul. Find a disciple (or two or twelve) and take them with you into life. On your dime. What would this look like for more of us?

Fantastic Reading

I stumbled upon a great book that I had read a while ago. It is Doug Paggit's book, "re-imagining preaching". In it he argues for less "speaching" and more progressional dialogue. I really love this concept from beginning to end. One reason is that I know Doug practices this every week. Another is that I think we've got to find ways to re-think (re-imagine?) how we share the story.

The easy part is agreeing with the model. The hard part is making this happen on a regular basis where we live. The harder part is transitioning a community to understanding the heart of this kind of progressional dialogue (not to ruin the book, but you do have to assume that everyone has something to offer). The hardest part may be figuring out how to do this with 10,000 teenagers in week long event.

This kind of thinking leads us to a place where we must confront the question: what is community really? It is obviously more than just being in the same place. It is also more than being in the same room as some other good things are going on. It definitely requires time and energy in listening to one another. It definitely isn't easy. It challenges the notion that we should listen to someone just because they have a title. It challenges the notion that a leader can be someone that we do not know personally.

I wonder if any of you have read the book? I also wonder in what ways some of us have tried some of this progressional dialogue.