There is so much change going on right now. I really feel God's hand working through our church and I have never been more excited to call The Crossings home. We are now for the first time taking in our first members. I realize that is long overdue - However, it has created some of the best conversations and changes that we have experienced in our short life. This road is bumpy but it has God all over it.
I apologize for the blogging break... things have been so nuts. I am hoping to get back in a routine soon.
Race for Cakes tonight... It will be fun! I am looking forward to hanging out with friends but the 3 mile run is not at the top of my list right now. It will be fine, I know. I am just tired.
I have just returned from spending some time in Washington DC. I went to the church Mark Dever pastors and took an inside look at things. I also touched base with the folks at NCC and Ebeneezer's coffee house. It has been a crazy time. I need to process through it or I will just remain in this saturated state. I am glad to be back. I am just hating that I am arriving to a home of sick ones.
I have completely fallen for a new blog that I ran into a couple weeks ago. The blog is called The Art of Manliness. If reading this post doesn't get you excited about the start of this football season.... you need to check your pulse. Take a look!
Responsible irresponsibility seems like a paradoxical statement at first glance. However, after you begin working your way through Wild Goose Chase you begin seeing that there is a sweet spot in the paradox. Don't our responsibilities often become excuses? In my suburban context the "responsibility" of keeping up with the cultural economic pressures undoubtedly becomes a road block to people being able to fully embrace a life of following Jesus.
"We turn our responsibilities into excuses. And that is when our responsibilities actually become a form of irresponsibility. Our responsibilities become the cage that keeps us from chasing the Wild Goose. And the only way out is responsible irresponsibility."
Faith demands some level of irresponsibility. I know this to be true... I never have felt properly equipped to plant and lead a church. Therefore, on many levels it was irresponsible for me to engage in this pursuit. I could have found myself caged by my responsibility. Mark is also right in saying that we also become caged by our crutch of prayer.
Before you start throwing judgments my way, give me just a second. What is the response of every Christian who is asked to step out into some leadership role? Answer: Let me pray about it. Prayer is definitely necessary but it can also be paralyzing. Nehemiah prayed and prayed but when the moment came to put his life on the line for the vision he had been given, he jumped to action. Sometimes God wants us to see what he is doing and be willing to jump right in and join him.
How are you being caged by your responsibility? How can you find that paradoxical sweet spot within responsible irresponsibility?
It is fairly often that I find myself in a conversation about so called popular music. Admittedly it is probably because this is one of the most opinionated areas of my life outside of my spirituality. Musical genre is irrelevant in my argument and the argument is very simple.
Music is art and art is creative expression. If, as artists, we produce art that is a regurgitation of another's creative expression because we want that expression to find air time on the radio, then we have forsaken the art. Now, I understand that many may disagree but isn't that what blogging is all about - a platform to champion your opinions so that at least your mom and hopefully your wife can read them????
The greatest example of what I find as the pinnacle of creative expression amidst the music world is Miles Davis. Whether you are a Jazz listener or not you must find yourself intrigued by the art he created. He created the best selling Jazz album of all time by gathering some great musicians and creating an environment for them to express music spontaneously. Granted creative expression does not need to be spontaneous, but there is no greater example of creative expression in it's purity.
As happens in any art that becomes a business, the pursuit of money and fame has watered down the art of music. Whether country music, rock, alternative, punk, folk, or classical, I long to find artists that creatively and uniquely approach their art.
The video below is only 4 minutes... let it impact the way you appreciate music and specifically Miles Davis.
We are trained to read a book for either information or entertainment. Every once in a while God brings a book across your lap that contains the power to move you from your current state of inertia. I read a lot and I enjoy the kind of reads that are packed with information and I love the ones that grip you with entertainment. However, I really thrive on finding those rare gems that create a stirring in your soul for something different.
I have kept up with Mark Batterson for some time through his blog. I believe he is a pastor who is doing great things and I have learned much by watching his ministry from a far. He recently published a book, released today (8.19.08), called Wild Goose Chase: Reclaiming the Adventure of Pursuing God.
If I was not already hooked by merely what I knew of Mark, the opening words of the first chapter got me.
The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit that has always intrigued me. They called HimAn Geadh-Glas, or 'the Wild Goose." I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Sprit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed. An element of danger and an air of unpredictability surround Him.
I was recently doing some broad research on my family history. I was just wondering what area of the world my ancestors would have originated. I found that they were Welsh which creates a fun interest in all things Celtic. Over a few posts in the coming days I am going to take you on a journey with me through the pages of this great book.
Mark begins the writing by describing the layout of the book in which he will discuss the different cages that contain us and hold us back from engaging in the grand adventure of the Wild Goose Chase.
I hope you will follow on this journey with me... what might our lives look like if we could identify and break free of the cages holding us back from an all out pursuit of the Holy Spirit?
The finale of "so you think you can dance" is on tonight. This has become one of the shows Lori and I watch together. You can try to take my man card if you want but you know you watch it too. I thought this video would be a good one for today.
... when I will be throwing footballs, baseballs, and basketballs at this little man. I have loved my moments of playing with dolls or stuffed animals but I am also looking forward to trying something new. I'm thinking another good week of growth and he will be working on his spiral.
In the suburbs, which is not my favorite term, there are many interesting spiritual dynamics. One of these dynamics is a reality that those who are committed to following Christ are not being challenged to lead. I have seen this often. Individuals who are hungry for deeper things in their spiritual life are left hungry on Sundays and often times do not know how to prepare their own spiritual meals Monday thru Friday.
I believe one key to ministry within the exurbs, a word I find more accurate, is empowering leaders. I believe that people will grow in a context where they are mentored as leaders and given different contexts in which to lead. What about those who do not attend church? I knew you would ask that.... It is my belief that they would rather be somewhere that challenges them to a deeper spirituality and leadership than somewhere they can become comfortable. If God really grabs a person's life then it is usually almost impossible to restrain them.
Are you being challenged as a leader? Are you growing in your life as a spiritual leader in the many different contexts in which God has placed you? My prayer for The Crossings is that we can be a place focused on birthing and growing leaders in their pursuit of Jesus.
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