You're invited to Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully, the new mission/church planting conference of the Church of the Brethren. May 20-22, 2010 are the dates. Richmond, IN on the campus of Bethany Theological Seminary is the place.
Information and online registration are available here. Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Snow extreme
I was fortunate (I think) to arrive in Baltimore yesterday before the weather was at its worse. Unfortunately, I was on the interstate during the height of the snowfall and ice.
Personally I don't mind driving in snow. I've been doing it since I began driving as a teen. What I do mind, though, are the other drivers on the road. A few out-takes, lightly edited, from my internal dialog as I headed west on I-70.
"This Ford Taurus rental is BAD on slippery roads. Big, heavy, poor traction, and yet comfortable enough to not always realize how poorly it's connected to the road."
"Gee, that car that is now in the ditch almost ran into my passenger side door doing about 65 mph."
"I don't care if you have no regard for your own life, buddy, but I have a wife and three kids at home. Have some regard for mine!"
"Mr semi-driver, are you familiar with the concept 'jack-knife'?"
"That Ford Astro is going way too fast . . . look at him spin . . . smack - into the concrete median . . . bounce into the left lane of traffic . . . stop in the path of that tractor trailer - I hope it can get by him."
"My head is killing me. This is the most stressful drive I've had in, well, maybe ever."
"Would you either slow down or speed up or at least be steady? Repeated touching of brakes exponentially increases your chances of spinning out and taking the rest of us with you."
"That driver must really be from Florida."
How thankful I was to make it to my overnight destination without incident. As I get ready to head back out today, I am hoping that the roads have had a bit of time to clear, and that the crazy drivers will decide to stay home and watch the pro-bowl (although who really wants to watch that?).
Thank God for a beautiful snowfall, for a safe journey, and for the chance to move into the adventures of a new day.
Personally I don't mind driving in snow. I've been doing it since I began driving as a teen. What I do mind, though, are the other drivers on the road. A few out-takes, lightly edited, from my internal dialog as I headed west on I-70.
"This Ford Taurus rental is BAD on slippery roads. Big, heavy, poor traction, and yet comfortable enough to not always realize how poorly it's connected to the road."
"Gee, that car that is now in the ditch almost ran into my passenger side door doing about 65 mph."
"I don't care if you have no regard for your own life, buddy, but I have a wife and three kids at home. Have some regard for mine!"
"Mr semi-driver, are you familiar with the concept 'jack-knife'?"
"That Ford Astro is going way too fast . . . look at him spin . . . smack - into the concrete median . . . bounce into the left lane of traffic . . . stop in the path of that tractor trailer - I hope it can get by him."
"My head is killing me. This is the most stressful drive I've had in, well, maybe ever."
"Would you either slow down or speed up or at least be steady? Repeated touching of brakes exponentially increases your chances of spinning out and taking the rest of us with you."
"That driver must really be from Florida."
How thankful I was to make it to my overnight destination without incident. As I get ready to head back out today, I am hoping that the roads have had a bit of time to clear, and that the crazy drivers will decide to stay home and watch the pro-bowl (although who really wants to watch that?).
Thank God for a beautiful snowfall, for a safe journey, and for the chance to move into the adventures of a new day.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Joy of the game
Today was Special Olympics basketball for our son Ben's U-46 Blue Stars team. Use of the descriptor "basketball" may not be entirely accurate. Our team was soundly beaten in two games. Most of our kids have very little aggression in them on the court, so defense, rebounding, and passing the ball are all pretty foreign concepts for these mostly middle-schoolers.
But, there is an unmistakable JOY in the game for them. After each (rare) basket made, there are high fives all around, huge smiles, and extra energy in the step. They're so happy, in fact, that they usually allow the opposing team an unimpeded path to the basket for the next play or two.
Making just one basket during the day absolutely makes the day for Ben, and the other kids as well.
And sportsmanship is generally the rule. If one kid gets hurt, the kids on both teams feel their pain.
Parenting a son with Williams Syndrome is not easy. But in those moments of unfiltered joy, such as one basket made, the effort is worth it. The big, sweaty hugs and pride of achievement on our son's face remind us that we have the privilege of seeing life through Ben's eyes and reveling in small, unconventional blessings. We've been entrusted by God with this precious gift, and for that I am thankful.
I'm also thankful for the volunteer coaches and tournament organizers. What a great gift they give the kids and each of our families.
But, there is an unmistakable JOY in the game for them. After each (rare) basket made, there are high fives all around, huge smiles, and extra energy in the step. They're so happy, in fact, that they usually allow the opposing team an unimpeded path to the basket for the next play or two.
Making just one basket during the day absolutely makes the day for Ben, and the other kids as well.
And sportsmanship is generally the rule. If one kid gets hurt, the kids on both teams feel their pain.
Parenting a son with Williams Syndrome is not easy. But in those moments of unfiltered joy, such as one basket made, the effort is worth it. The big, sweaty hugs and pride of achievement on our son's face remind us that we have the privilege of seeing life through Ben's eyes and reveling in small, unconventional blessings. We've been entrusted by God with this precious gift, and for that I am thankful.
I'm also thankful for the volunteer coaches and tournament organizers. What a great gift they give the kids and each of our families.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
All the leadership in the world
Organizations and agencies won't be the means by which the church will return to its primary vocation, which is intimately living the story of Jesus. The witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ will impact the world one disciple at a time, and will be nurtured in communities of disciples not focused primarily on being THEIR community, but which are focused on living INTO an ever-expanding VISION of God's reconciling kingdom.
I won't go as far as saying that organizations or denominations are not important. They provide a leadership role. But in the end, the primary locus of evangelism begins with the Holy Spirit, transacts through individual connections, and roots itself out into the world from the soil of rich communities of support, worship, practice, and preparation.
If we're going to evangelize, represent the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in the world, it will require me, and it will require you, to be, as the apostle Paul says, ambassadors for Christ each and every moment of every day.
I won't go as far as saying that organizations or denominations are not important. They provide a leadership role. But in the end, the primary locus of evangelism begins with the Holy Spirit, transacts through individual connections, and roots itself out into the world from the soil of rich communities of support, worship, practice, and preparation.
If we're going to evangelize, represent the life and ministry of Jesus Christ in the world, it will require me, and it will require you, to be, as the apostle Paul says, ambassadors for Christ each and every moment of every day.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
What if . . .
We need more "what if" thinking and less satisfaction with our safe and comfortable answers.
The need to end poverty is at the top of the agenda for Christian Churches Together. We have an ambitious vision to reduce poverty in the U.S. by 50% in the next ten years. That bold goal has been challenged by the economic conditions of the last two years. It's not the vision that's being challenged though, only our imagination, creativity and courage to pursue it.
There are lots of good ideas on the table. Likely a day of advocacy lies in our future, a day for showing solidarity with ministries laboring 24/7 to combat homelessness and hunger. Signs were good that giving to churches increased while giving to other service agencies declined, suggesting that church folks are willing to dig a little deeper when times get tougher.
But where are the "what ifs" for really getting to this problem??
Let me suggest a few. Feel free to add your own.
What if collaboratives of five or six churches of different traditions from the same neighborhood got together, decided to close or sell all but one of their facilities, share the remaining space, and redirect all of the resources that go to turn on the heat, repaint the exterior, fix the roof, clean the carpet, and so on, redirect those resources toward transforming the lives of impoverished neighbors? What if . . .
What if we rethought our forms of ministry and reallocated money we invest in supporting clergy salary packages and paid ministry in our congregations? What if . . .
What if one family or teams of three or four families decided that they would ensure that one neighboring family which is facing poverty has what they need to get back on their feet, no matter how long it takes, whatever it costs? What if . . .
What if every congregation actually tithed ten percent of its income? Or gave 25% away? Or designated 50% to go to direct ministry in the local community and around the world? What if . . .?
There are lots of "what ifs" that could help alleviate poverty. Once we've thought of them, then it's time to act.
The need to end poverty is at the top of the agenda for Christian Churches Together. We have an ambitious vision to reduce poverty in the U.S. by 50% in the next ten years. That bold goal has been challenged by the economic conditions of the last two years. It's not the vision that's being challenged though, only our imagination, creativity and courage to pursue it.
There are lots of good ideas on the table. Likely a day of advocacy lies in our future, a day for showing solidarity with ministries laboring 24/7 to combat homelessness and hunger. Signs were good that giving to churches increased while giving to other service agencies declined, suggesting that church folks are willing to dig a little deeper when times get tougher.
But where are the "what ifs" for really getting to this problem??
Let me suggest a few. Feel free to add your own.
What if collaboratives of five or six churches of different traditions from the same neighborhood got together, decided to close or sell all but one of their facilities, share the remaining space, and redirect all of the resources that go to turn on the heat, repaint the exterior, fix the roof, clean the carpet, and so on, redirect those resources toward transforming the lives of impoverished neighbors? What if . . .
What if we rethought our forms of ministry and reallocated money we invest in supporting clergy salary packages and paid ministry in our congregations? What if . . .
What if one family or teams of three or four families decided that they would ensure that one neighboring family which is facing poverty has what they need to get back on their feet, no matter how long it takes, whatever it costs? What if . . .
What if every congregation actually tithed ten percent of its income? Or gave 25% away? Or designated 50% to go to direct ministry in the local community and around the world? What if . . .?
There are lots of "what ifs" that could help alleviate poverty. Once we've thought of them, then it's time to act.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Beautiful imagery in prayer
"O great and most high God, worshiped in Holy Trinity;
pre-eternal Nature and super-essential Grandeur;
inscrutable Power and ineffable Authority;
Source of wisdom and truly unsearchable Sea of goodness;
thou, O Master who lovest mankind, art God who wrougth wonders before the ages.
"No mind can comprehend thee, and no word is able to explain.
"We pray thee now, look down upon us they humble and unworthy servants.
And grant to our mind the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
and to our tongue utterance worthy of reaching the hearing of thy goodness and of obtaining the mercy of thy grace;
for man's power both to will and to act cometh from thee and from they vivyfying gift."
-from theEastern Orthodox Order of Lesser Blessing of the Water
pre-eternal Nature and super-essential Grandeur;
inscrutable Power and ineffable Authority;
Source of wisdom and truly unsearchable Sea of goodness;
thou, O Master who lovest mankind, art God who wrougth wonders before the ages.
"No mind can comprehend thee, and no word is able to explain.
"We pray thee now, look down upon us they humble and unworthy servants.
And grant to our mind the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
and to our tongue utterance worthy of reaching the hearing of thy goodness and of obtaining the mercy of thy grace;
for man's power both to will and to act cometh from thee and from they vivyfying gift."
-from theEastern Orthodox Order of Lesser Blessing of the Water
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Evangelism intersections
Quick thoughts on evangelism, unprocessed but stimulated through several great encounters in the last 36 hours.
Jim Henderson of Off the Map is working on a spirituality of the service of listening. Had a great conversation with Jim about how as Christians we think that our primary communication strategy with "outsiders" or "non-believers" is telling. What if, instead, we were to understand our primary mission as listening? Jim also is working on an initiative for churches who would benefit from an "insultant" rather than a consultant. Check out church rater. Jim will be one of our main speakers at Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully May 20 - 22 (info and registration up SOON!).
Then today Pastor Jeremy Ashworth of the Covington Community Church of the Brethren gave me a networking, emerging pastor's tour of Seattle. We did a lot of "real-estate" sightseeing and Jeremy filled me in on some intense relational research he's been doing about Seattle area emerging ministries. We checked out Mars Hill Graduate School, Mars Hill church campus in Ballard, Quest, CODA, a refugee resettlement program, China town for fantastic lunch, and of course Covington Community CoB. My favorite was a very gracious tour by Pastor Paul Olver of the Rainier Avenue Church. When you check out their website, note how multicultural the church is, how their leadership is structured, and their commitment to their community.
Tonight the Christian Churches Together in the USA meetings started. Here are tidbits. Dr. Mel Robek (Fuller Seminary) chastised us for lacking "ecumenical imagination" and then challenged us to 1) trust one another 2) set aside our desire to receive credit 3) agree on what constitutes evangelism 4) no proselytising [taking people away from their current faith family].
Guest Michael Kinnamon, executive director of the National Council of Churches USA brought greetings and urged us to remember that unity in Christ supercedes our differences. Kinnamon made strong overtures for collaboration and cooperation between NCC and CCT, asserting that we cannot afford (at multiple levels) to have "competing" ecumenical organizations.
Preacher Aimee Moiso reminded us that many of the stumbling blocks Christians have to sharing the gospel are of our own making. Our own shortcomings along with our historical sins serve as barriers to the sharing and receiving of the gospel.
Much to think about at the end of an exhausting day, and two full days of engagment with CCT still to follow.
Jim Henderson of Off the Map is working on a spirituality of the service of listening. Had a great conversation with Jim about how as Christians we think that our primary communication strategy with "outsiders" or "non-believers" is telling. What if, instead, we were to understand our primary mission as listening? Jim also is working on an initiative for churches who would benefit from an "insultant" rather than a consultant. Check out church rater. Jim will be one of our main speakers at Plant Generously, Reap Bountifully May 20 - 22 (info and registration up SOON!).
Then today Pastor Jeremy Ashworth of the Covington Community Church of the Brethren gave me a networking, emerging pastor's tour of Seattle. We did a lot of "real-estate" sightseeing and Jeremy filled me in on some intense relational research he's been doing about Seattle area emerging ministries. We checked out Mars Hill Graduate School, Mars Hill church campus in Ballard, Quest, CODA, a refugee resettlement program, China town for fantastic lunch, and of course Covington Community CoB. My favorite was a very gracious tour by Pastor Paul Olver of the Rainier Avenue Church. When you check out their website, note how multicultural the church is, how their leadership is structured, and their commitment to their community.
Tonight the Christian Churches Together in the USA meetings started. Here are tidbits. Dr. Mel Robek (Fuller Seminary) chastised us for lacking "ecumenical imagination" and then challenged us to 1) trust one another 2) set aside our desire to receive credit 3) agree on what constitutes evangelism 4) no proselytising [taking people away from their current faith family].
Guest Michael Kinnamon, executive director of the National Council of Churches USA brought greetings and urged us to remember that unity in Christ supercedes our differences. Kinnamon made strong overtures for collaboration and cooperation between NCC and CCT, asserting that we cannot afford (at multiple levels) to have "competing" ecumenical organizations.
Preacher Aimee Moiso reminded us that many of the stumbling blocks Christians have to sharing the gospel are of our own making. Our own shortcomings along with our historical sins serve as barriers to the sharing and receiving of the gospel.
Much to think about at the end of an exhausting day, and two full days of engagment with CCT still to follow.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Roses, excellence
Once again the New Year begins with the Rose Parade. One of the regrets of our seven years in Southern California is that we never got to Pasadena on New Year's day, although we did go one year to view the floats post-parade. The detail and labor intensity of these creations is absolutely incredible!
There must be some insights in such a production. I can think of a few: Hard work and attention to detail go hand in hand and lead to quality. Vision, skill, and effort come together to create beauty. Such beauty provides inspiration and invites motivation. What insights do you draw from the Tournament of Roses Parade?
"A Cut Above the Rest," the theme for this year's parade, may serve us well in the new year, a commitment to do and be our best, and to bring out the beauty that is inherent in the tools and materials that God provides for our artistry.
Happy New Year!
There must be some insights in such a production. I can think of a few: Hard work and attention to detail go hand in hand and lead to quality. Vision, skill, and effort come together to create beauty. Such beauty provides inspiration and invites motivation. What insights do you draw from the Tournament of Roses Parade?
"A Cut Above the Rest," the theme for this year's parade, may serve us well in the new year, a commitment to do and be our best, and to bring out the beauty that is inherent in the tools and materials that God provides for our artistry.
Happy New Year!
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