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.