Hit the Back Button to Move Fwd by Gavin Richardson

the vacation reading

erin & i are heading out on saturday for a one week cruise. my reading for the trip, divine nobodies by jim palmer & a community called atonement by scott mcknight.

jim lives nearby and has been a friend that i get to keep up with through the cohort & of course, blogs. i am bad friend for just not getting to reading this, his first book. since divine nobodies has come out he's done quite a bit of the speaking circuit and continues to write.

scott, i read his blog, but this is my first introduction to the writings of his. though i have had Jesus creed on the shelf for some time now. i like this one, i have am a few chapters in, it is short, & i previewed some of it last year with the cohort.

what i might have to read, or get my staff to read, is what megan just finished up.

wizard swears

late night youtube tv i find funny..

a new kind of youth ministry

i recently finished reading "a new kind of youth ministry" a book by chris folmsbee. chris is the president of sonlife ministries, which is training group for youth & youth ministers. recently they partnered with youthfront camps which, i think, is a great partnership.

the book captured my interests and ilk at the same. i liked the wordings in the chapter (mostly the chapter subtitles). the name of the book was ilk as i wreaks of trying to share in emergent book buying and coat tails of "a new kind of Christian." the two books are obviously not the same, but yet the title insinuates a similarity. i will chalk it up to publishers biz practice. happy to say, once i got passed the title thing i was pleasantly surprised.

for me, the book content was not "wow" material. i enjoyed it, i agreed with many of the statements it made. the solutions or re-framing that chris would present always seemed something that i could get behind and agree with. some things are still contextual and are probably common for a mainline church context. some things are new which affirmed things we have done with our ministry at hfumc, some we have left behind. some of the issues of youth ministry presented were certainly bore out of an evangelical context so i could not really relate. this gets kinda old for me and i always feel like i am saying "duh" which i hate. i keep thinking that is elitist. overall, the questions raised and the conclusions he comes to are important for those in youth ministry today. probably the best part about it all, chris has some great wordings for many of the things you are probably feeling and trying to do.

since communication is, in my opinion, the key to getting stuff done in church (especially an established church). reading through how chris explains change will give you language to help express yourself. that is the greatest gift that "a new kind of youth ministry" brings to the world of youth min.

looking forward to 2008

i stopped doing resolution stuff years ago. i realized i sucked at them. so why devote energy that direction. i am however looking forward to a number of things in 2008. in no particular order. i look forward to...

• the first vacation of the year. erin & i are leaving on a cruise on saturday. just us on this trip, no family. this part of a larger group, so we will have some friends that we know, but they are not so close that one feels like they have to spend a significant amount of time with.
• finally training my dogs how to clean up after themselves & shutting the back door.
• "the great adventure" it is a 12 week exploration that our full church is going through. the curriculum written by our own community of believers and it is excellent. i am stoked to see & hear all that happens in the next 12 weeks.
• less quantity & more quality blogging. i am not sure what i mean by that, it is just a feeling i am having
  
• weddings weddings & more weddings. i love weddings, they are a lot of fun and erin does the stress work on getting the present. a few of the weddings for the year are part of erin's crew from south carolina whom are some of the finest people i've known.
• my future weight loss. currently i'm at my heaviest ever. we, erin & myself, did the join the gym thing a few months ago and are working together to walk or work out at least each day. i can still bang out impressive skills but i can no longer safely fit into my climbing harness. which, is upsetting.. not to mention expensive if i have to get a new one.
• hitting the woods more, camping/caving/climbing, did none if it (church trip doesn't count) this year, that is an all time low. climbing dependent on weight loss as i refuse to buy a new harness.
• our youth missions experiences this summer. this year i get to go to both our jr. high experience at camp lookout & then to asp with our senior high. i like the week trip with our youth and they are always such wonderful missionaries.
• i look forward to finishing some of these darned books that i started in 2007. my "multiple book disorder" took on a whole new level in 2007. i look forward to reclaiming my reading in 2008.
• family beach vacation over july 4th. it will either be wonderful or insanely stressful.
• those unexpected ministry things that seem to come up. maybe some more speaking gigs, maybe some more writing.. i know i'll be going to a few more training and retreat events this year. look forward to new friends with those efforts.
• podcasting more.. i like doing them, but i have yet to figure out a good schedule for making it happen. plus have one other podcast project in the works.
• some extending of my relationship with God.. i've been a bad friend these last few months.
• doing the kids thing. we said we wanted to wait at least a year before entertaining kids. this makes mother-in-law very happy
• the possibility of a 15 year high school reunion? reunion is unlikely, since have yet to have one, but there will probably be some trip to hang out with my hs friends who continue to be the best friends i have & will ever have. three new kids this year, so babies are a great excuse to travel & play.
• not buying the next, latest and greatest, big time technology gadget.. again. i have a solid record of this. heck, i finally got an ipod this summer. refurbed of course.
• the development of some new initiatives within the youth ministry structure. small group stuff, arts & theology stuff, and some more local missions and awareness things.
• picking back up the guitar again.. not sure why i stopped playing. with that, maybe i will start back with the piano some. this means less computer time. erin wouldn't mind that. haha!
• spending some days alone wandering & acting like i am some photographer
• a new season of university of alabama college football
• my second attempt at being a boat captain..
• family reunion in november

seems like 2008 will be a pretty good year. shalom, -gav

justice in the burbs

the other night i got myself in a little trouble doing some extended reading.

for the holidays i thought i would get a good shot at finishing "justice in the suburbs." i started the intro shortly after meeting up with will last month. the book then was relegated to the office desk for the last few weeks. life over family Christmas was a bit crazier than even i anticipated so i struggled through the first two chapters. too many distractions. what i did find that i could cruise through was the story of the couple that sets the tone and direction of the book.

note: as the book is set up, lisa samson, is a fiction writer and the storyline is her main contribution to the book. will samson, uses his gifts in teaching with writing the expansion of thoughts on seeking justice while in a context of the suburbs.

in talking with will some last month he had mentioned that the book could be read a few different ways, reading front to back, just reading the story, reading the teaching points, or even the meditations at the end of the chapters.

so, the other night, i found myself last night compelled by the story of "matt" & "christine." for the first five or six chapters their life seemed to be similar to mine & erin's in conversations, convictions, actions, etc. i had to see how it turned out. i was moved by the story to know, as this is very much will & lisa's story, that our conversations, our planning, our actions do not leave us alone in being weird by our contemporaries. i loved how the whole story comes to close in the final chapters. it would be my hope our life has some similar threads. for now, we are stuck in the middle chapters of the convictions that are just now turning into actions.

i wonder how our story of justice in the suburbs, or old hickory village, will take shape?

a postmodern apologetic

i was given a copy of the audio read of blue like jazz from a couple friend. they apparently think donald miller and i would get along. i think we would actually. so, over the last two trips to birmingham we listened to donald miller read. not the most dynamic read.. i have a number of audiobooks, sometimes the writers read the books with a nice flare, sometimes they don't (dallas willard cough! cough!). if you can get past that (they are writers, not voice personalities) i have found audiobooks to be a fun way for me to engage in thought while driving or doing brainless work at the office.

i am behind the times for avid readers on blue like jazz. so who cares about a book review now. as erin & i processed the book the grand idea that we sorta agreed on was that this book represented a postmodern apologetic.

the book wasn't what we expected. people had talked so highly of it i think we expected timeless jems at every sentence. however, it is one mans honest journey with some well written framework & perspective. there are those jems, nuggets of knowledge, but mostly it is a this walk & struggle with God. we have had nice stories like this before, why was this book so profound for so many people?

i think in some ways it was apologetic.. stating first off, i am no apologetics theologian, though i do make many apologies for the church & faith. we read heard the words of miller saying 'i participated in that & i was wrong in so many ways' along with 'i struggled too.' expanding on it were many tenets that perpetuated the lies.

the story that i think paramount in the over all story was when he and his Christian friends at university set up a confessional booth at a campus wide party. the confession was them to the non-Christian student, saying how they & the church have failed to love, follow Jesus, etc. the imagery of the whole concept is fabulous. the effect to me, seems wonderful. a step of faith, amazing. miller claims it as a profound moment in his life, which i am transferring as a profound theme to the book.

could this be a blueprint to a postmodern apologetic?

they like jesus but not the church

this is a nice capsule video of dan kimball's book, "they like Jesus but not the church." i've been reading through it. it's a good read, but is lost in my multiple book disorder at the moment. it a critical for those of us who find themselves so surrounded by the church walls and christian culture. the video is actually for a dvd study & practice as a group. tip to len

nywc atlanta : pilgrimage day two

it's late. i've got some sleep to catch up on (didn't sleep much last night). here is the cliff notes from today.

• see my nywc pilgrimage photos.. i got kinda silly with some
• don't forget my twittering.. this is kinda cool for something like this
• interviews with mark yaconelli & jeannie oestreicher were a lot of fun. have more folks to meet with tomorrow. my fav parts, telling mark i wasted money on the cd's for his critical concern courses on spirituality cause they are all basically silent. asking jeannie if she is jealous of her husbands flowing blond locks of hair?.. all got good laughs
• i hooked up with jim's wife.. don't worry jim, she's an honorable woman. we talked about this emerging young adult/youth ministry that has become a homeless ministry. super cool!
• people stare at you when you have microphones on a table.. is it really that unusual to see?
• ran into more friends.. old, new, and in between. with some, had a great conversation about spreading the retreat experiment our community tried last fall. excited to imagine others doing similar
• general session 2. joe castillo (the sand artist) is truly unique and very cool. what a gift, what a vision, what an imagination what a way to share. shane really did do that! i heard the best sermon eva! with some fire breathing thrown in for kicks. shane claiborne, gets up, breathes fire, back flip.. reads the whole sermon on the mount, all of it.. (is he going to stop here? he smiled, does he like that part? is it still going? this sermon is like 15 minutes long.. uh... this seat is hard.. what is that about pagans? ).. closes with "i hope it was the best sermon you ever heard" or something similar. and walks off.. what do we do with that? i loved it.. still don't know what to do with it, but i loved it.
• vespers service.. just what i needed to end a day.

Almighty God, my heavenly Father: I have sinned against you, through my own fault, in thought, and word, and deed, in what I have done and what I have left undone. For the sake of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me all my offenses; and grant that I may serve you in newness of life, to the glory of your Name.

Watch, o' Lord, with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give Yourangels and saints charge over those who sleep. Tend your sick ones, O Lord Christ. Rest Your weary ones. Bless Your dying ones. Soothe Your suffering ones. Shield Your joyous ones, and all for Your love's sake. Amen.

what does google read

so what does google read to become.. a new verb. the primary everything for the internet? mitch has the scoop

my new parenting book

erin & i don't have children, yet, so i am considering this book my first official parenting book. at least within our married life together.

in the past i have been schooled in the matters of children and development, taught parenting classes, even delivered a child (simulated) when i was testing out for my emt. so it's not the first training book i've read. i probably will re-read all that stuff (maybe not the delivery stuff, it's just gross) when life comes around to human children. till then, i share what promises to be the best parenting book for our family as it is today.

i don't talk about them too much, but we have two wonderful dogs. coe (pronounced, co-ee), named after my friend who was murdered a year or two prior. she's been with me since '97. crimson, our delinquent teenage daughter, who has been with us since erin & i started dating almost five years ago. they are such an integral part of our lives, i'm not sure what we'd do without them. so i pick up some wisdom to better know how to treat our children.. a parenting book

the monks of new skete have been on my radar for a few years now. i have two books of theirs currently, i guess after today, three. i love their way, the integration of wisdom from so many voices, and a gentle spirit in presenting their understandings. this is a training book and a big book at that, but for those parents of dogs it looks to be a fine read.

a new day revolution

stopped in last night, amid some pretty fancy storms, to davis-kidd in green hills to catch up with sam & his nashville book signing. when i got there i think there were just three or four folks, by the time the thing was over we might have had 25-30 folks. standing room only. saw rob there, but didn't get to chat. had some fun butt picture jokes with lynnette. otherwise had a great time, bought my copy, looked at buying some other friends books, but figured i'd wait again till i can get from cokesbury with my 20% pastor's discount.

if you haven't already gotten your copy of new day revolution you need too. the premise is very cool. set up is different than the normal, 'make change' book. you get some excellent music as well. beyond that, make sure to sign up with cool people care.

my evening

i'll be heading over to meet up with sam & his peeps for his recent book release signing. won't be there too long, did i mention that wifey is not feeling well?

will samson in nashville

our cohort is teaming up to sponsor some conversations with will samson. thursday november 8th will is going to be our feature person for our conversations at the afternoon cohort (11:30am @ the flying saucer). that evening, to give opportunity for people who have real jobs, he will be featured at saint b's (in green hills) for a "unique conversation." it's a free thing. i have not read his & lisa's book yet, bought scanned the pages & chapters. their framework is very accessible & insightful for the lay person to the clergy. we would love to see some blogger friends make it and help generate some buzz.

update: adam has a review of justice in the burbs

the education system has mined our minds : sir ken robinson

i am have been totally enjoying these series of talks provided by the ted conference. mitch was talking about being excited to go to the conference. i can see why now. some fabulous speakers, know & unknown. some wonderful thoughts and creative expressions. my favorite so far is this talk by sir ken robinson. i'd encourage you to make space to watch the whole thing. he tells a lovely story at the end with a great closing, but you might not catch it all if you don't have some of his set up thoughts. he's humorous so it doesn't drag.

erin & i have often talked about how one element of our raising children will be instilling a love of and engagement into the arts. developing not only a creative self, but cultivating a mind that is able to think more abstractly and innovatively. whether it be drawing, painting, song writing, screenplay, theater, music, etc. our hope is that our children never say that they can't or they are no good when it comes to utilizing their creative selfs that God created (something that also extends into our youth ministry).

other talks that might peek the interests.

• malcolm gladwell: what we can learn from spaghetti sauce
• rick warren: living a life with purpose
• dan dennett: a secular, scientific rebuttal to rick warren
• julia sweeney: letting go of God
• richard baraniuk: goodbye, textbooks; hello, open-source learning
• ray kurzweil: how technology's accelerating power will transform us
• peter gabriel: fighting injustice with a video camera
• richard dawkins: an atheists call to arms
• marjora carter: greening the ghetto

on spiritual practices

.. Christians over the centuries have been notorious for seizing spiritual practices as weapons designed to bludgeon human passions into submission. Less noteworthy but more orthodox views held that human passions were dynamic, God-given impulses, presently distorted by sin and therefore prone to wandering off after the wrong things. Eastern scholars Evagrius and Isaac the Syrian considered the passions impulses "to be purified, not killed; to be educated, not eradicated; to be used positively, not negatively." In the Western church, Thomas Aquinas - while subordinating emption to reason at every turn - stressed that the passions were not inherently evil, and could lead to virtue. In other words, spiritual practices did not eliminate human passion, but refocused it on its proper object: God. Especially among inexperienced Christians, spiritual disciplines became the tools that loosened young people's grip on lesser loves so they could freely accept and respond to the passion of God. These disciplines "detached" human passion from sinful objects that corrupted the self, and realigned human desire with God's desire, manifest in the Passion of Christ.

-Practicing Passion, Kenda Creasy Dean

"you remind me of..."

earlier this week i was stopping into my local cokesbury to pick up a title that i couldn't even remember what i wanted. while there i got into my conversations with the staff there. my go-too guy david let me know that he was moving across the street to a newer job at the umph. sadness, i will mourn not having my go-too guy. then talking with the manager (a good family friend) she tells of how they are doing a young adult study on this book and part of it they are listening to the audio book. then she says.

"you know, listening to him in the audio version, you and donald miller sound so alike."

the book obviously is "blue like jazz." she went on to say that it is both the things we say and how we say them. me, flattered, said, "cool." i've never read any of willard's stuff, though i intend too at some point. i did think that we agreed on this. in furthering our conversation, i told my friend of this new arts initiatives i am seeing emerge within our youth community. to this she opened her blue like jazz book and showed me a paragraph of the same reasons i had just stated for moving forward with this emerging arts focus within our youth community. so cool, apparently i am more than just a jack black, i can be donald miller too.

fun with a title

so brian mclaren's new book came out today. he is going on tour with it starting this winter. i am thinking of going to one of the tour stops myself. bob carlton has the top 10 titles that rejected for the new book. my favs

9.  The Gospel According to Harry Potter & The Purpose-filled Lords of The Sopranos

7.  Yep...What She Said:  Stuff I Stole from My Wife

4.  Dallas Willard for Dummies:  Pre-chewed Nuggets from America's Favorite Philosopher

3.  Hair Club for Men:  30-days To a Smooth Dome & Stumble From Miami Vice

merton on suffering

Indeed, the truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you, in proportion to your fear of being hurt. The one who does most to avoid suffering is, in the end, teh one who suffers most: and his suffering comes to him from things so little and so trivial that one can say that it is no longer objective at all. It is his own existence, his own being, that is at once the subject and the source of his pain, and his very existence and consciousness is his greatest torture. This is another of the great perversions by which the devil uses our philosophies to turn our whole nature inside out, and eviscerate all our capacities for good, turning them against ourselves.

thomas merton, the seven storey mountain

this book had us written all over it

i have a book problem. i am a sucker for buying books. i don't know why. maybe they speak to me.. so it was to no surprise that i couldn't resist putting down this book. had to have it. it totally speaks to erin & mines green thumb.

i have been wanting to do some things with our gardens around the house. we have the big bushes (some that i thought were trees, but apparently they were just bushes) cleared away from the house we like.. but what now? this book obviously knew our predicament and said "take me!"

on growing up

What is the good of religion without personal spiritual direction? Without Sacraments, without any means of grace except a desultory prayer now and then, at intervals, an occasional vague sermon?

-Thomas Merton, Seven Storey Mountain

just call me the sabbath boat captain

erin & i are hitting dale hollow lake with her family this weekend.

this is my vehicle for the weekend. just call me captain macleod. funny part, i've maybe driven two or three boats in my life. unless you count a canoe or kayak. so around 2pm friday  i'll be houseboat captain. why me as captain? not sure, but all agreed i am the most capable.. sad i know

i have my chair picked out and two books to read. gonna read me some ann lamott traveling mercies and thomas merton seven storey mountain. figured, less church, no theology, certainly no youth practices stuff.

blogging most likely will be nil. cell coverage.. possible. only technology i'm taking is the father in-laws satellite radio to pick up the bama game on saturday. can i call this a sabbath?

wow how things change!

i have spent a few hours this morning catching up with jonathon as we are trying to resurrect our covenant group. we met up at alektor cafe, one of our fav little stops. i have not been here in quite a while. they put on a little patio in the front lawn which is very nice. amazingly though, the wealth of wifi spots one can choose from is astounding. when we first started coming here there wasn't any wifi, then you could get one signal, but you had to be in the back of the shop. now, it's like a wifi candy store. random i know

myspace sacred space

eric has found a book by christian piatt titled "myspace to sacred space: God for a new generation." hmm.. i'm kinda on a book buying hold, but this might interest me. i have already done a lot of talking about myspace before now..

• myspace ministry (my first myspace share, an honest conversation w/ struggling teen, happy to report he is alive & doing great two years later)
• churches & myspace
  
• ministers use myspace to hang out with youth group (um reporter article i was interviewed for)
• you won't find Jesus on myspace
  

youth, a glimpse at our world

... young people reveal society's fault lines, including violence, despair, technological dependence, and poverty, precisely because they are so sensitive to the tremors of culture.

kenda creasy dean, practicing passion

so i thought.. what does some stats of youth today..

• 45% of internet users, or about 60 million Americans, say that the internet helped them make big decisions or negotiate their way through major episodes in their lives in the previous two years.
• The number of teenagers using the internet has grown 24% in the past four years and 87% of those between the ages of 12 and 17 are online. Compared to four years ago, teens’ use of the internet has intensified and broadened as they log on more often and do more things when they are online.
• about 15-20% of American teens have experienced a serious episode of depression, which is similar to the proportion of adults suffering from depression.
• Adolescent girls are twice as likely as boys to experience depression.
• Gay students hear anti-gay slurs as often as 26 times each day; faculty intervention occurs in only about 3% of those cases.
• Gays and lesbians are at least 7 times more likely to be crime victims than heterosexual people.

that is just with a few minutes of research.

am i the only person not reading harry potter?

today i sent sail with the youth for saint simon's island for our "mystery trip." the idea is that the youth don't know what they are signing up for and it generally requires them to do something they wouldn't otherwise do and something they might. this year we are doing some methodist history stuff and kayaking, the stuff they would like to do.. hang out on the beach. i'm looking forward to going back.

it is a long drive to and from and i am packing a number of books, but i noticed. i am not packing a harry potter book and haven't even crossed my mind to pack one (purchasing one would be the first step in being able to pack one). am i the only odd ball that isn't reading harry potter this past weekend and forthcoming week?

what might actually make me weird is the books i actually hope to tap into.

a little shane claiborne revolution

john wesley on the people called methodists : part one

so i find this particular writing by john wesley interesting.. for length purposes i'm putting into smaller parts. from "the character of a methodist" published in 1739.

Methodists are those who had God's love poured into their hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to them, who love the Lord their God with all their hearts, and with all their souls, and with all their minds, and with all their strength. God is the joy of their hearts, and the desire of their souls; which constantly cry out, Whom have I in heaven but you? And their is nothing on earth that I desire other than you! My God and my all! You are the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever!

They are therefore happy in God, yea, always happy, as having in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life, and overflowing their souls with peace and joy. Perfect love having now cast out fear, they rejoice in the Lord always, even in God their Savior. Having found redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of their trespasses, they cannot but rejoice, whenever they look back on the horrible pit out of which they are delivered. They cannot but rejoice, whenever they look on the state wherein they now are: justified by God's grace as a gift, and having peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. For those who believe have the testimony of this in their hearts, being now the children of God by faith. Because they are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, "Abba Father!" And that very Spirit bears witness with their spirits, that they are children of God. They rejoice also, whenever they look forward, in hope of the glory that shall be revealed. All their bones cry out, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! by his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope... into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us!"

And those who have this hope give thanks in all circumstances as knowing that this (whatsoever it is) is the will of God in Christ Jesus for them. From God, therefore, they cheerfully receive all saying, "Good is the will of the Lord"; and whether the Lord gives or takes away, equally blessing the name of the Lord. For they have learned to be content with whatever they have...

maybe it's me, but as i read over this description of methodists.. i couldn't think of many it fits. as a church i feel we do show love, but when you get into our individuals it isn't always so apparent. i don't know too many methodists that would claim impacting by the Holy Spirit. that might be more due to a poor teaching of the spirit by our church as a whole. i don't know if i want to touch the happiness of the individual and how well we give thanks...

would john be upset with the character of today's methodists?

Jesus as youth minister

Jesus would not have been considered a good youth pastor in most of our evangelical churches. Jesus was obviously willing to give followers the time and space to understand. Too often the expectations is that the youth that come to our churches better know by the end of their first experience with us that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God.

mike king, presence centered youth ministry

i actually had another quote in mind to expand on, but this one i stumbled on again this morning. oh well.

it reminded me of mark yaconelli once saying that if when people say we need to get back to the way Jesus did ministry he would go oh great and expand. if you are a youth minister as Jesus was a minister then you run people off, keep only 12 boys to mentor. you would tell them stories that they wouldn't get and you would get frustrated constantly and call them stupid. one would deny even knowing you. another would want to poke at you to see if you were there. one would have a need to see you dead. the rest would run away at the first sign of trouble.

that's youth ministry as Jesus would do it. do you think our churches would stand for that?

* i hadn't planned on reading this book, but shane was deeply impacted by it and suggested i read it. he felt so strongly that he sent me a copy. i just opened it last night (after carrying it on and off for months) and just started to fly through it. an excellent read for the staff youth minister and lay youth minister.

remembering Robert Webber

i am saddened, but not surprised, to hear of the passing of robert webber. for those that don't know webber is considered a worship expert, frequent speaker, and author of the ancient/future series. he had been sick for some time and would communicate his progress or regress over his email list as he was able. his condition seemed to be on the positive late in winter, but the overall prognosis was never that... well, positive.

i met robert once, that being at the '04 emergent convention, when i really didn't know what emergent was but i was way familiar with his ancient/future worship book. it helped me (and jonathon as well) put words to many of things we were experiencing with monastic spiritual practices blended with prayer stations in a worship experience we didn't know what to do with but felt faithful to practice. i'll always remember the seminars i sat in on and getting a chance to talk shop with him in the lobby of the renassaince hotel here in nashville. he was way kind and listened to us as we jabbered on about what we were living in.

as with the passing of stan grenz, another fun connection from that '04 convention, robert is missed but will live on in my memories and through the legacy left from his words, spoken and written. i've uploaded his ancient/future worship lecture that i first heard him in back in '04. i am sure this is some copywright infringing, but it seems right to share a bit of the robert i knew and will miss.

ancient/future worship - emergent convention '04 - robert webber (about 1hr, 74mgs)

the way of swag

hung out at the upperroom today for some way of pilgrimage retreat talk (come to nashville october 11-13th). cool thing with todays meeting the stuff is just off the press. so we got our little book swag on. i must say, they turned out way cooler than i could have imagined. i like the feel the size (i already know the content, which i obviously like). i has some great endorsements. even from fav mark yaconelli. i hope all you youth folk will start to use this as a transformational part of your youth ministry. pastors who actually read this blog, equip your youth persons with this. you won't be disappointed. if they don't get it, send them to nashville in october for the retreat and i'll have jonathon drool on them about his theo man love crush on hauerwas. they still won't get pilgrimage, but their only option to get away from jonathon is to promise to start using it.

on putting up barriers

rejection hardens people, but acceptance makes transformation possible.

-brian mclaren, the secret message of jesus

just another manic monday

so mondays are supposed to be my day off.. "what is that?" you ask. i ask the same thing often. i spent my day off sitting in on a meeting with the youth 2007 management and design team. as i might have mentioned before i'm helping with setting up the "worship feast" area. and since i consider our space to be set-apart from the rest of the event i tuned in and out of the meeting. 2 hours later i was budged and reminded it was my time to give my report. five minutes later i was done and back to my tuning in and out.

it was good to see friends though, probably the real reason i actually went to the meeting. i got to meet mike ratliff and try and recruit him for our mission trip.. no luck on that, but i'll keep trying. apparently he's new to the gbod.

stopped by cokesbury and bought some new reading to add to the old reading i am still reading. again, i hadn't picked up a book in awhile so i had too. of notable titles, how (not) to speak of God, they like Jesus but not the church, Christianity for the rest of us, peculiar people by rodney clapp, and some other smaller book... i started reading "how (not) to speak of God" while eating dinner, i am thinking i will really like that one. that excites me as it is peter rollins first book (that i know of).

the evening off i spent at the gas station, the youth ministry of one the local churches in hendersonville. first time i had been in this church, i met up with my umc cohort jennifer from good shepherd umc. i stopped in for a showing of invisibile children, something i feel strongly for and have highlighted here in the past. they were having a screening of the ic movie while promoting the upcoming displace me experience.

got home around 9, the wife and i took the children for a decent walk. decent enough where the children were wiped out. now i'm back to reading some of those books.. catch yall later. shalom, -g

fellow book people

jonathon was telling me about this site. for you people with many books that you wouldn't mind giving away to get some books you want.. well, this might be your site

be cool for one second

my buddy sam over at cool people care is putting together a book based off of their efforts at cool people care. he's asking for some input on a book cover. click the link and give your input. coolness need not be a pre-requisite for voting.

be cool for one second

prevention of the development of true culture

Noise displacing beauty, dazzle supplanting wonder, bluff and illusion superseding reality, speed shifting engagement, information replacing communication - all these might be summed up as the strangling of culture in North America.

from "unfettered hope"

the sociability test

The Sociability Test helps you to measure your dog's interest in his fellow dogs. Healthy, well-adjusted dogs will greet one another, exchange routine information, and then be on their way to strike up a new and perhaps more promising acquaintance.

Summary

1. DO psychoanalyze your dog. It will help him to face himself and, more important, face you.
2. DON'T waste your money on professional fees for your dog's analysis. You will need that money to pay for your own treatments.
3. DO hide your notes from your dog.
4. DON'T hurry with the analysis. Remember: your dog likes to lie on the couch.
5. DO keep your dog, even though results of analysis tell you otherwise.

from "how to live with a neurotic dog"

song for a bomb

I split and scatter him who splits and scatters,
And in my falling there is Adam's Fall.
Where in this vacuum will you find purpose,
Where in this pattern where a purpose dwells?

It only takes the naked brain to think me,
It only takes a human hand to shape,
And youthful nimbleness to bring to action,
What are you waiting for? Create.

My master quietly pursues his business,
Patient untying of the knotted heart.
Till, fearfully and wonderfully crafted,
Last of his servants forth I come to wait.

My master is the worm that gnaws the root,
My master is the canker in the tree,
But I shall tidy him way for ever
On to the bonfire of death's ecstasy.

   From the Welsh of Waldo of Williams

from "the poems of rowan williams"

mclaren on eternal life & kingdom of God

[going through John 3]...John almost never uses the term "kingdom of God" (which is at the heart of Jesus' message for Matthew, Mark, and Luke). There are two exceptions, both of which occur in this unique conversation. Instead, John normally translates "kingdom of God" into another phrase that is notoriously hard to render in English. Most commonly, John's translation of Jesus' original phrase is rendered "eternal life" in English. Unfortunately, the phrase eternal life is often misinterpreted to mean "life in heaven after you die" - as are kingdom of God and its synonym, kingdom of heaven - so I think we need to find a better rendering.

If "eternal life" doesn't mean "life after death," what does it mean? Later in John's Gospel, Jesus reduces the phrase simply to "life," or "life to the full." Near the end of John's account, Jesus makes a particular fascinating statement in a prayer, and it is as close as we get to a definition: "This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [God has] sent" (John 17: 3). So here, "eternal life" means knowing, and knowing means an interactive relationship. In other words, "This is eternal life, to have an interactive relationship with the only true God and with Jesus Christ, his messenger." Interestingly, that's what a kingdom is too: an interactive relationship one has with a king, the king's other subjects, and so on.

from "the secret message of Jesus"

the way of pilgrimage rocks

spent much of today working with the folks at the upperroom and wonder voyage on "the way of pilgrimage" training sessions & a nashville pilgrimage site. i am really excited about the resource. i think it's going to be something wonderful for the spiritual formation of the youth and young adults of our church (possibly the adults).  after we were done with our planning sessions for the training, which now looks more and more like a kickin spiritual retreat, ciona and i took the wonder voyage folks around town to scout some various sacred spaces of nashville. a good time had by all. after running all kinds of errands to get ready for this weekends retreat i come home to find some of the endorsements that have been rolling in for the curriculum. many i know, some i don't, i'm excited others are seeing the heart of this resource. it certainly solidifies that this really was something God actively played a part in.

Endorsements for The Way of Pilgrimage

The Way of Pilgrimage is ground-breaking in the way it honors a young person's heart, mind, soul and body.  The curriculum goes beyond cognitive teaching of the Christian faith by offering young people a variety of ways to open their hearts to God's love.

Mark Yaconelli,
Author, Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus   

While many youth resources try to "wow" kids into belief, The Way of Pilgrimage takes kids on journey and forms them as disciples. This is a resource that understands that youth are much more ready to "go deep" in their faith than we sometimes think. I look forward to adding this to the resources we use with our youth here.

Rev. Jay Voorhees,
Sr. Pastor, Antioch United Methodist Church
Antioch, TN

The Way of Pilgrimage is a wonderful complement to any parish or congregation’s youth ministry. The program includes 150 daily individual reflection activities along with thirty weekly small group sessions that provide an effective opportunity for young people to deepen their faith and their spiritual practices. This combination of personal reflection and peer sessions greatly enhances this program. Further, the individual reflections are practical, scripture-based and engaging, and the leader’s guide is very complete, making it easy to facilitate the group sessions. This is a valuable resource for those serious about the spiritual journey.

Bob McCarty. D.Min.
Executive Director
National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry

The Way of Pilgrimage is like a new best friend! You can walk right into its welcoming presence and begin at once to find fresh truths, sprouting up from ancient sources. It will become a trusted guide for those who accompany youth and young adults on their paths of meaning-making.

It promises especially satisfying moments for leaders who wish to engage others in the rhythmic paces of spiritual formation. The weekly gatherings show us how to move from deeply ingrained habits of content-based Bible study into soul-tending practices of contemplation and community that open us to transformation.

The Rev. Dr. Dori Baker
Author, Doing Girlfriend Theology: God-Talk with Young Women
United Methodist pastor, and professor of youth ministry and Christian education.

As an organization completely dedicated to the art of pilgrimage we are overjoyed with the Way of Pilgrimage resources. The Way of Pilgrimage is a comprehensive and passionate guide that brings us back to our ancient heritage of pilgrimage through modern eyes and practical application.

Utilize these resources to teach your youth God's unique design of our lives as journeys of exploration and adventure.  There is no better resource available to date that prepares your teens as life long pilgrims.

Shawn Small
Executive Director of Wonder Voyage Pilgrimages

This inspiring resource seeks its participants out wherever they are in their spiritual walks and gentle moves them toward a deeper understanding of their own pilgrimage. Through the building of a Christian community of travelers, The Way of Pilgrimage helps all participants shed light on the most unexamined corners of their souls as they begin to make peace with the strengthening of their faith.  As an educator of secondary students, I greatly appreciate how consistently this text works to provide spiritual development activities for every kind of learner, from still meditation to verbal expression to artistic interpretations.  The accessibility to spiritual formation for both the next generation and the “current” that The Way of Pilgrimage provides is so remarkably comprehensive that no person involved in the pilgrimage will be left unmoved.

Jessica Rosenthal
Educator and Youth Helper
[United Methodist]

Finally, a spiritual resource for youth and young adults with depth and meaning!  Upper Room Books continues its “Companions in Christ” series with an insightful and creative journey for Generation Next.  I love this resource!

Bo Prosser
Coordinator for Congregational Life
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

The Way of Pilgrimage is a wonderful doorway into the spiritual life. Like the bountiful feast that God sets before us, these volumes are full of wisdom and blessing. Those who accept the challenge to walk with Christ would benefit greatly from this guide. Its exercises are both simple and rich. At every point, the members of the group are encouraged to journey into the heart of God.

Rev. Daniel Wolpert
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Crookston
Co-Director, Minnesota Institute of Contemplation and Healing (MICAH)

jonathon can't act

this afternoon jonathon and i mixed in with some upperroom friends in filming some spots for a new website that will highlight and sell "the way of pilgrimage" the older youth and young adult family member of "companions in Christ."

it was interesting as some of the spots felt like we were doing the mac/pc commercial parodies. that would have been cool, but jonathon can't act. he did good managing child, enthusiasm, and reading words. it's a tough place to be. he had to jet before i was on my own, so he can't talk trash about me, haha!! one of the running jokes was that we would throw in "way of the master" references. quite a bit of fun, some good laughs. after i was done i chatted with dale as catherine (one of the organizers) had her australian boyfriend read some voice overs. i guess the accent thing is really cool, certainly cooler than mine or jonathon's voices.

in seriousness, the "way of pilgrimage" is a 30 week small group experience that can be broken into stand alone segments or a whole comprehensive understanding of ones spiritual walk as pilgrim (or resident alien for you willimon/hauerwaus fans). it does give educational understandings but mostly it is geared to help shape the heart of the pilgrim searching for Christ. i'm excited about it and can't wait to start to plug it in with our spiritual formation as a youth community. we've adopted the small group meeting model as our base already. it'll be nice to have the curriculum to go along with it.