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.