Update, New poems and some emerging/ent thoughts

Update, New poems and some emrging/ent thoughts

 

Wow, so much had been going on lately that I am really deprived of knowing where to start. So for starters, I am enrolled once again in an institute of higher education pursuing a degree in creative writing. As you can tell I need all the help I can get. This, in large part is the reason for the undue neglect to this blog.

 

I am also focused on a new gig, professionally. I was informed that the religious institution of which I have served on the global outreach team for the past six years is allowing me support, to work with a group of friends in the transition/ emergence of another faith community. For those readers who know me well, know what a privilege and relief this is. Not that my previous gig was bad, but it was pulling me into a black hole other than that magnificence to which I am otherwise gravitating toward. This all came about, in large part because of a miracle wrought by my friend Dave Fleming, but of course.

 

I am still overseeing the Living Room and that is as exciting as it ever was. Especially now that we have some momentum on a community development project that has been a heartfelt passion of ours for some time.

 

I have just posted a new poem and thought you ought to be the first to know, you can find it here.

 

 

Now some thoughts:

I was talking with a friend recently who is in the employ of a religious establishment of the rather contemporary evangelical sort. We have been dialoguing for some time, practicing the art of dipping our toes into the emergent conversation. That’s a mouthful right there I know. Regardless, my friend recently asked me to lunch for conversation, after having recently read a book that as Doctor Phil might say, dropped a hornet in his hanky. The book shook a lot of paradigms for my friend but was only really an entry point into the conversation.

 

I figured we were on safe ground so I started in with ideas, a thousand colorful what ifs. After about an hour my friend looking particularly bewilder, looked at me and said something like whoa, you are pulling bricks out left and right. He was of course referring to the building blocks of evangelical Christianity, of which many are made from the mud of a modern worldview rather than the heritage of faith Christianity owes itself to. I apologized, backed up and offered some comfort in the form of easy illustration.

 

I realized in that moment that I better take a dose of my own medicine. I have always said that it is impossible to get someone to leap from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other in a single bound. No, if we are to get to the other side without dying, or in this case shipwrecking our faith, we need to take the slow steady journey down (deconstruction) one side and up (emergence) the other. So a word to my emergent friends out there, lets help people take the slow and sometimes painful journey, often holding their hand and not push people off cliffs.

 

Good night and have fun….

I am a Guinness! Was there ever a doubt?

You Are Guinness

You know beer well, and you’ll only drink the best beers in the world. Watered down beers disgust you, as do the people who drink them. When you drink, you tend to become a bit of a know it all – especially about subjects you don’t know well. But your friends tolerate your drunken ways, because you introduce them to the best beers around.

What’s Your Beer Personality?

I am thinking that this is the most important personality profile that I have come across to date. Only a beer categorization can describe the real you!

Roots, Rock and Reggae

I just returned form the Roots Rock and Reggae Festival. Wow, what a way to end the summer! The jams were flowing like wine at the banquet of Dionysus. The line up included, among others, Steve and Ziggy Marley. They remained true the reggae tradition of singing about love, freedom and power to the people. It was a great experience.

Starbucks Everywhere

I came across this site today while looking for a Starbucks location. starbuckseverywhere.net

Scroll down and you can find just about every Starbucks coffee shop, everywhere. There are even photos and descriptions on some. I know some of you are going to love this, if you don’t already.

I personally, am not the biggest fan of Starbucks coffee, I’m more of a home grown mom and pop coffee shop kinda guy. However I do appreciate how they treat their employees, and occasionally I’ll drop in for a cup of candy.

enjoy

GOD RID ME OF GOD

Pete Rollins posted a bit of an article on his blog back in April titled God Rid me of God. If you haven’t yet read it, it is in my opinion worth a read. The bit is a very honest, and integral musing on what it means to pursue a genuine faith. You can read the post here.

My favorite line from the article goes like this… “Some mystics would even say that to presume to speak of God at all is heresy. Forget using words to describe God, use them instead to describe your yearning for God.” 

ah, enjoy.

back in Arizona

Well folks we are back in Arizona and finally getting over the jet lag. Our time in Finland connecting with Family and friends on that side of the pond, passed much too quickly. Now we are getting re-acclimated to 100 degree heat everyday and at least 50% humidity thanks to the monsoon season! For those of you reading from AZ, please forgive my whining.

The best things about being home are…

¬ Familiarity, with everything from roads to restaurants, and of course my toilet seat!

¬ A non working swamp cooler stuck in your window

¬ Mexican Food!

¬ Mexican Food!

¬ My own bed

¬ And especially friends and family (aw, gushy) but seriously it’s nice to pick up the phone or open the front door to loved ones who are glad you are home. Which makes me think that what really makes a place home are the people you share life with.

Now to our family and friends in Finland, our home away from home, we feel much the same way when we are with you, all except the Mexican food and my toilet seat part.