(not) make it happen

This morning Adam from YS invited me to guest blog for the YS Blog. I said yes and an hour later I wrote a little ditty named "(not) make it happen"

Tell me what you think.

Here's the link

Juan Williams

You don't have to like Obama to appreciate the moment do you? The emotion of Juan Williams as he talks is what stands out to me and the meaning it seems to have for him in a moment of something akin to vulnerable. As followers of Christ, regardless of your political stance, or lack there of, can we recognize this as meaningful and important for us all? I keep watching this video over and over.
Tell me what you think.

Peter Block

So I bump into my friend Wade on a weekly basis at a coffee shop we both frequent. Last week he introduced me to a book by Peter Block and his ideas.

Listen. You can't let the sun go down without buying a reading the link below by this guy or buying one of his books. It is brilliant.


Link

If that link doesn't work try this one. Then download the Civic Engagement file. Page 6 is my favorite.

After you read it. Come back and thank me.

From the Eyes of a Youth Pastor

Watching Rick Warren last week lead the forum with the two presidential candidates I had an ugh moment.
Warren and Obama were talking about "What is rich?"
and Obama stated that $150,000 a year or less would be considered middle class.
To which Warren said, "In this region you're poor." Followed by loud applause.

He may be right with housing prices etc. But it made me think, (and this is part of my psychosis i think). I wonder what his youth pastors make? (and the rest of his staff)

I wonder if by saying such a thing on his church's stage he hurt someone on his staff. Because if he's paying them less than $150,000 a year, he is knowingly paying them less that it takes to live in their context.

(I don't know what Saddleback pays their youth staff.) But it's one of those moments that might leave a staff person feeling a bit distant from their churches leader.

Can you relate?

Zach Lind on Prayer at the DNC

Zach Lind may know a thing to two about living in a world in which you don't connect or believe all the same things as those around you. He's the drummer for a rock band and all. With this in mind, he take on the rational for Cameron Strang not praying at the DNC was interesting to me.


Link

on Biden

I personally don't know who I will vote for in November. Chances are you will never know who i choose. But Biden is such an interesting choice for VP to me. I know the criticisms. But I have been a Biden fan for a long time.

Do you remember this in the debates? I thought Obama's and Biden's answers were memorable.

Mental Health Break

Quote passed on by Daniel King

"A person who publishes a book appears willfully in public eye with his pants down."
- Edna St. Vincent Millay

thanks Daniel!

Bad idea

Kite Boarding. Hurricane.
Video.

Link

Jesus Ransom and Weiner Poopie

Very funny

(thanks to Michael)

My Man!

I stumbled across this amazing pic of Scot McKnight and my buddy John Raymond on Scot's blog. yeah baby!



Link

In light of yesterday's post

From Nakedpastor

Empire and Pain

Last week I had the privilege of facilitating a meeting with the leadership of a local church. The elders and the staff were present. It was a discussion unearthing the ideas and principles they use as guidance for day-to-day decisions for ministry.

Some of the words are words you hear often in this kind of thing. When asked what do you value? Answers like Community. Relationships. Unity. Innovation. Popped up.

Then the lead pastor dropped these on the group.

Pain.

Sacrifice.

Then someone said something like this. "The central figure in our [the church's] story is Jesus and he was killed. We are called to follow him, to take up our cross.

It interesting that often what motivates day to day decisions in a church.
Practically it might be words like efficiency or tradition or pacification of important people.

Or maybe even power, competition, influence, authority, might, affluence, comfort, complacency, consumption.

In Jesus' day Empire ruled with abuse and misuse of power, it was competitive, political, militeristic and consumptive.

Today is really no different. At least the world I live in. America.

I'll just go right out and say it. (it's probably not news to you.)

Many of our churches today have bought to the values of Empire more than the values of Jesus. Certainly this is often under the guise of reaching people. But Empires don't reach people and they never have.

The people of Jesus are called to live an alternative reality of sacrifice and live an alternative reality within the empire.

Many churches embrace values of Empire, which are contrary to Jesus, in fact, they are the reasons empire wanted him dead.

thoughts?

What are you captive to?

I think I'm captive to assumptions I've made about myself over the years. Perhaps you are too?

Can you imagine a world beyond your self-hatred?
Can you imagine a self in which you are more generous than you've been in the past?
Can you imagine a self that doesn't struggle with lust?
Can you imagine a heart that doesn't believe the world is after you?
Can you imagine a self who doesn't have to be right?
Can you imagine a self who is comfortable in your own skin?
Can you imagine a self who is patient in the face of frustration, distrust, or feelings of being attacked?
Can you imagine a self who doesn't objectify people as cogs for your purposes?
Can you imagine a mind being consistently renewed by God?
Can you imagine a less reactionary, less cynical you?
Can you imagine yourself being vulnerable?
Can you imagine a heart that is soft and able to live within a world full of pain?
Can you you imagine such a thing about yourself? Where you are truely a different person, more human, more whole, more ...you.

If you can't imagine it, if a new you is outside the realm of possibility, then what?

What happens then? How do you become unstuck? Does it just happen?

Is this something you work out yourself?
Do you pull yourself up by your proverbial bootstraps?


My friend..
You are an unfinished masterpiece of God. A work in progress, cracked, broken, and lacking. But do you have a glimpse of what God is doing in you?

Take a moment right now and think about it.

Quote for the Day: justin Dillon/Tremolo

"Is art entertainment?
Art teaches about who we are.
Entertainment tells us who to be.
Art is a public service.
Entertainment is a private product.
Art opens our minds.
Entertainment thinks for you.
Art is publicaly offered.
Entertainment is publicaly traded.
Art is the words we wish to say, but lack the language to say it."

Link

Chiggers

This song is fun. not what i was expecting when he got in the car. He's good.

thanks to Paul

Quote for the Day: Pete Rollins

"There are countless people who betray Christianity, individuals who turn their backs on its message because they no longer believe in it or because it asks too much of them. But there are a few who betray Christianity, not because they no longer believe in it, but because they believe in it so deeply, because they understand that unless the seed of our Christianity falls to the ground and dies it will remain a single seed, but if it is allowed to die it will produce many seeds…

The cost of Christianity, for so many, is thought to lie in the demand that we die to ourselves for the sake of our Christianity. The cross we are called to carry is thus one upon which we are to be put to death. But what if this cross we bear had another meaning? What if the cross that we are called to carry is not for us at all but rather, like the cross that Simon of Cyrene labored beneath, is really for another-a cross for us to crucify what we love? Is it possible that the cross we labor beneath must be used to crucify our Christianity? How many of us can truly understand this question? How many of us can really know what it is like to destroy what we love for the sake of what we love-to be the most faithful of betrayers? Yet perhaps it is precisely this that we are being called to: engaging in that most difficult task of putting our religion to death so that a religion without religion can spring forth"

Bringing the past into the future

There a lot of interesting things about writing for public viewing. I got an email a few weeks ago from a pastor in some far away place who had read something I had written about 7.5 years ago. The essay was the first thing I had written years and it was the beginning of me turning the corner in my detox from church. 7.5 years ago Jaden was weeks old and keeping me up at night as infants do. During one of my many times up to help his get back to sleep, I laid him down, but instead of going back to bed myself, I pick up a pen a journal and started writing. What came out was a mix of anger, a desire for holiness, a catharsis, and sleeplessness. The title I affixed to this was, "Pastors or Prostitutes" and the article I published online is pretty much word for word what I wrote down in my journal that night. it was the beginning of a long list of rants I wrote in 2001-2003.

When someone emails you and tells you that something you wrote is meaningful to them it's a confusing feeling. Especially something from almost 8 years ago. So the first thing I wondered was, what did I say? So I went back to read it. As I read it, I still like the content. I think I was on to something, but today I don't like my attitude so much. The anger, the reaction, the chip on the shoulder I can do with out today. But I wouldn't edit or change it. It's a good reminder to me about a lot of things. I say I was on to something because, at the time I wrote "Pastors or Prostitutes" I wasn't sure if I was right. I was writing, publishing and daring anyone to agree or disagree with what I wrote. I was searching for truth more than proclaiming it. (Though you'd never know it at the time.)

Here's a link to one of the places the article was published.
Tell me what you think.
Link

I could use some prayer

This has been a tight summer financially for my family. It's a summer of in-betweens. I finished up some work with some great clients in May and June and have been investing all my additional time into launching eikon, the new Jesus community here in the Tulsa area.

I need wisdom as to how to balance all of my current activities and make a living without it taxing my family too much.

Here's some details if you are the praying type.
I'm tweaking the Riddle Group a bit. We've been around for just over 3 years and I love coaching church leaders. I hope this will continue to be a significant revenue stream for two reasons. 1. I feel the work I'm doing with the RG is unique and kingdom building. 2. so that I don't have to be full time with eikon.

When it comes to eikon, I'm beginning the work of seeking partnerships to make eikon go financially. A part of partnership will be to invite friends to come alongside Pam and I (and the kids) as we invest our hearts, time, money and energy into the people of Tulsa. I'm hoping to raise a part time salary to keep the time I'm spending on eikon from taxing my family in unhealthy ways. We are excited about what God has already done in our little community and what he's going to do.

So friends, I need prayer as I work in both of these areas.

thanks!

The Word is Getting Out

Word is getting out about the Masters Level Certificate I'm teaching at Biblical Seminary.

You can take these courses and never leave your home.
Plus we'll be discussing youth ministry in some pretty exciting ways.

Link