11559

- it's been a busy few days...here's a run down of recent events:

- spent a great week with amy...we got our invitations done and bought wedding bands...very cool!

- we had our first sunday morning service...it felt very natural and normal.

- we met with Patrick Crossing people to discuss some more future possibilities and partnerships.

- i drafted my fantasy baseball team (the centerpiece of which is Matt Holliday)...hopefully this will be another winner.

- now, it's back to the grind! 

- here are some pictures

 

the new place:

- Hanging out and Invitations:

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- this has been a great week of hanging out with amy!  we've gotten some stuff done, but we've also been able to catch up on some movie watching.  here's a summary:

1) Once (every one's probably seen this, but it's great...great music, interesting story, well shot)

2) Gone Baby Gone (takes place in the Boston neighborhood where amy and I hope to live...also raises some interesting questions about society)

3) King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters (story of two guys going for glory by recording the all time highest score in donkey kong...sounds lame, but it's unbelievable...probably the best of the three...a fascinating study in human nature)

that's it for now...

11359

political thoughts...

today is a big day in the democratic primaries (obviously), plus i've been reading Jesus for President (which i won't comment on, except to say that whether you read the book or not, pick up a copy and look through the pages...the design is unbelievable...it makes a Rob Bell book look boring in comparison), so in that spirit i offer my thoughts:

i actually don't have too many sophisticated political thoughts at this point. just a sense of angst (which is true of many other aspects of my life these days, so why should politics be any different?).

anyway, i've been a fan of Barak Obama since his speech at the '04 democratic convention. my reaction was, who is this guy and why isn't he running for president? a few months later i received his memoir, Dreams From My Father, for Christmas and i really enjoyed reading it. last year i read his other book, The Audacity of Hope, and i enjoyed that as well. i love his background, what he represents, that he spent time in south Chicago working in neighborhoods familiar to me, and, i admit, when the guy speaks i get chills...he's an incredible communicator.

however, i feel conflicted about his campaign. part of it is stupid and selfish. three years ago he was still under the radar and it was like discovering this cool band that few other people knew about and every now and then i'd run across someone who knew about Obama and there was this knowing, insider look we'd exchange. now everyone has an opinion about Obama, and i feel the same way i feel when that cool little band all of a sudden gets huge and everyone knows them and has their opinion about them (and your parents are going to their concerts...sorry mom and dad, couldn't help it!). so, that's my dumb reason for feeling conflicted. on to the more important reasons...

...here's the tension i feel:

1) i hope Obama wins and is the next president of the United States. i've voted in two presidential elections and both times it felt like i was choosing the lesser of two evils. this is the first time in my voting life that i actually like a presidential candidate for who he is and what he stands for, not because he seems slightly less worse than other guy (i apologize for my male-centric pronouns). but...

2) i also hope Obama loses and does not become the next president of the United States. i am extremely wary of power, especially political power: the ways that it changes people and what it does to a person's soul. i also fear becoming more disillusioned with the political system by watching someone i admire compromise and play the inevitable political games that one has to play.

so here is what i hope actually happens...Obama wins the democratic nomination, but loses the presidential campaign. he then decides to go back to the grassroots level and community organizing, using his new found clought and profile to stand up again for people who desperately need advocates, all the while speaking prophetically into our political system. probably not going to happen (my audacious hope), but that's what i would really like to see...

...comment starter: are you hopeful or wary as far the '08 presidential race is concerned?

11259

my best man was on the price is right yesterday...watch it here (click on february 28th)

11159

wrapping up a big weekend...

1) we called last sunday (2/17) vision cast 2008...we said we wanted to continue practicing the habits of worship, community, and service, maximizing what we do through authenticity (in the spirit of love, acceptance, and forgiveness) and accessibility (by widening the metaphorical side and front doors of our church). this week we talked about what that looks like: namely, open small groups that are actively praying for the people about to come, and moving our weekend service to Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings accomplishes two things for us: a) it seems a better time for the people we are attracting, and b) it allows us to further partner and cooperate with matthew's house and patrick's crossing...an opportunity we are very, very excited about.

2) along those lines, the church co-op idea is gaining some steam...last night, in partnership with PC, we were able to screen the film Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. the response to the film was very positive overall (a few people walked out and the crowd was definitely made up of church people...not a bad audience for the film, actually), and i think the big take away was that there are some churches in this town who are in to cooperating and sharing resources, as opposed to competing against each other. pretty cool!

3) my thoughts on the film: quality production...i would have focused on some issues less and others more, but still a great effort. some people who did a great job (i.e. they were thoughtful, dignified, and passionate in a positive way): tony campolo, john perkins, bono, rick warren, and al franken. others did not come off so good...no need to name names. if you have the opportunity to see it this summer, i would strongly suggest it...you will cringe, feel embarrassed and angry, but also moved and inspired.

4) here's an interesting article, especially after watching this movie: evangelicals

5) new podcast page! we're trying to get the last two weeks on there as soon as possible.

peace

11059

- ctk-durango and patrick's crossing have the priviledge of hosting a screening of this film on monday at the abbey theatre. check out the trailer...

- we hope this will provide a unique opportunity to dialogue with some folks who are suspicious of organized religion...

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i couldn't be more encouraged with church right now:

- i am very excited with our direction

- i feel like i have a grip on what i need to "do" for the next three months (yes, my last sunday is exactly three months away...crazy)

- i love the group of leaders who are stepping up or taking on bigger roles

- i wish i could share more details, but those will have to wait until next week

other thoughts...

- i couldn't resist...i signed up for Yahoo! Winner's League 20045...bring it on suckers!

- i love driving with chip to farmington...great conversations

- it's finally warming up and i love watching the snow melt away =)

- i'm so pleased that anna got to meet nina...finally

- do the giants really think bengie molina is a clean up hitter?  there has to be someone else!

- it was good to see ryder at church tonight

- i'm feeling deep gratitude for the generosity of the waley's

- 45 or so beers to go (you know what i'm talking about!)

peace...

10859

- pitchers and catchers reported for spring training yesterday, so i cooked a feast to celebrate:

- it's a big old stir fry, in case you couldn't tell...i used the following ingredients: red and green bell peppers, zuccini, yellow squash, mushrooms, a dash of garlic salt, tapatio, and...wait for it...bratwurst!!! (served over rice) baseball season is here, ah yes!

10759

thoughts on blogging...

i'm struggling for topics this week, so i think i'll blog about blogging. it's not as if there aren't things to talk about. in fact, that's part of the problem...there's almost too much going on right now. i'm currently working a ton, helping implement some significant changes in our church, applying for jobs and looking for housing in boston, helping to plan a wedding, caring for people in my community, and all the while continuing to prepare for marrige and investing in my relationship with amy. plus i'm reading books, having conversations, listening to new music, and playing fantasy baseball, so there's no lack of thoughts in my head...

...however, sometimes i struggle to know what to blog about. it would be a lot easier i suppose if i just picked a topic and left it at that. for example, i could blog exclusively about any of the following topics:
1) church
2) fantasy baseball
3) engagement/wedding planning
4) books
5) music

but instead i've chosen to be more inclusive and try to integrate all these things into one blog. i think sometimes my blogging suffers as a result. thoughts? is it better to cover a bunch of different topics, or is a topic specific blog the way to go?

10659 snow_day part II

- this weekend i was in seattle/mount vernon, washington, for the CTK Arrows Out Conference. we (chip, dave, steve) had a great time, were energized by some great conversations, and made some big decisions regarding the future of our church...our reward: an even worse storm than last weekend has descended on durango...

...and so we are stuck in denver.

- the good news is we got to see the super bowl (great game, by the way). we also aren't missing too much because everything has shut down in durango (tomorrow will be another snow day for the school district...the second time in a week, after eleven years with no snow days!! that should tell you how bad this storm is!)

- the bad news is we just want to go home! please pray we can make it tomorrow...



ps. we made it back!!! thank you Jesus.

- here are a few pictures from the conference:

- waiting at the airport (notice the weather update!)

- in front of my apartment (a lot of snow, but not nearly as impressive as in chip's neighborhood)

10559 snow_day

picture time!

- it's been snowing a ton!  today they shut the schools down (snow day!), which almost never happens (no snow days last winter, for example).  here are some photos from around my apartment complex (hardly the heaviest hit area)

outside my front door:  

my car:

the mailboxes:

- also, last night we had a little party for joe...a send off if you will...since this is one of the last times the three of us will be at church together we took some pictures...very nice!

serious men of the word

not as serious!

10459

weekend thoughts...

- pacific pride: the tigers (5-1 conference, 14-5 overall) are back in the mid-major top 25!
(they are #22)

- getting excited for the CTK Arrows Out Conference next weekend.

- i enjoyed the anna v. john paul debate on the last post (see the comments on 10359 if you missed it)

- i recieved my first Durango jury duty summons (i call tomorrow to see if i was selected for monday)

- finally, and most importantly, if you read this before 6 pm (MST) on Sunday (1-27) please pray for me! i'm teaching on john 4. thanks...

10359

pop culture thoughts

- i saw cloverfield tonight with seth, josh, keith, et al. unbelievable...my mind is still blown.

- someone asked me a few weeks ago about what it is i look for in music (i think dad asked me this). jon foreman's song "the cure for pain" pretty much sums up everything i look for in a song. listen to it here.

- also, more comments on the last post are welcomed.

ps. anna (who has a cool blog) became the first person (finally) to reference the quote under the title (stand at the crossroads...): major bonus points to whoever can tell me were that quote is from...i'll make you a shirt or something.

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- thanks to those who left comments/emailed in response to 10159. i appreciate the bio suggestions and husband advice. now, my apologies for a longer post...

...most of the readers of this blog are aware of this, but for clarity's sake, i'll reiterate this fact: i am getting married in june and then moving to boston, which means that my CTK time is coming to an end. a frequent topic of conversation with amy has to do with me leaving CTK and going to another church (in fact this was a big part of our conversation last night). as i mentioned in the last post, a major thought swirling about in my head right now concerns how to leave durango well. that sounds like a really nice thing to say, but much harder to know what exactly that looks like.

some classic advice on the subject goes along these lines: "you want to leave_____better than when you got there." well, that's not too hard (or too helpful) as there was nothing here before and now there is something. other classic advice has to do with maintaining relationships and not burning bridges...this is really important (as i've learned before), and i will try with all my heart to do this well.

further complicating the issue is that this is an interesting time for CTK-Durango, as we are experiencing our first season of big change, especially in the original core of people who moved here to start this campus. it is a little scary, but also exciting to watch as new leaders emerge (or as people just take on more responsibility). it is hard to be part of the reason that this transition has to happen, but i want to try to be helpful in this moment as much as possible.

so while there are definite areas where i can be helpful, the trickier issue for me as i leave, i htink, is going to be my attitude towards the new church community i join. i am really excited about amy's church, reunion. they are a church plant and they have the same 3 core values that CTK holds. i've met some of the staff and they seem like really cool people. i think what they are doing is great and i resonate with a lot of their philosophies and their approach to minsitry.

but i still sense a bitterness and frustration creeping into my soul. will i be able to just "go" to church? will i be able to submit to leaders i don't know as well as i know here? will i be able to be a part of a church that i am not actively shaping/leading? i struggle with these questions right now.

i know that i don't want to be that guy that sits in the back with his arms crossed thinking "i used to do this," or "i could do this better." i don't want to be the "crabby-ex-church-planter" guy contsantly quoting the churchy books i've and criticizing everything i see. dear Lord, i don't want to be that guy. but i know that it can be so easy for me to be that guy.

a couple of weeks ago, in farmington, we were studying Luke 14:25-27, about the cost of following Jesus. again and again, Jesus points out that we cannot follow him on our own terms doing what we feel is comfortable. it will not be comfortable for me to go to another church at first, but i am trusting that at some point (hopefully sooner than later, especially for Amy's sake) i will be able to do this.

i know that church leadership is always going to be part of my life and i believe it is also part of my future. on wednesday night, on the way to farmington, chip spoke some amazing words of affirmation into my life about this very thing. last night, when i was going off about not wanting to be "crabby-ex-chuch-planter" guy, amy said, very profoundly, something to the extent of "you might be crabby but i think adding the 'ex' part is wrong." i needed to hear that.

well, that's my life right now...apologies again for the length. so, new comment thread: advice (please) on how to leave a place well, and how not to be a crabby member of reunion.

10159

i'm not a big new year's resolution person. i think this is mainly due to the word "resolution." i did a little wikipedia work on the word. on the one hand i understand why this term is used (def 1 & 2: the state of being resolute...a vow, or statement of intent). this is all well and good, but it also sounds too definite...like it's already happened, and now i don't have to do any work because everything has been decided (def 6: a formal statement adopted by an assembly).

i like definition 9 the best: a progression from dissonance to consonance. first of all, this is a music term, which i resonate with (ah, another good musical term). second, it points out that resolution is a process/progression. third, we make new years resolutions because there is something missing or out a whack in our lives (dissonance), and we hope that by implementing our plan/process (resolution), that we find some harmony/integration (consonance). i like that.

here are my resolutions or 2008:

1) finish my time in durango well

2) acquire wisdom on being a good husband

3) find a job in boston

4) ...this is the real point of this post...read several good biographies/autobiographies. on the list so far: martin luther king jr, einstein, pete maravich. i need more! please give me suggestions on good biographies to read. (also, if you have any leads on resolutions 1-3, i'd love to hear those as well!)

10059

- shoot man...it's been snowing a ton! here's some evidence

- addendum to top five lists #1

...saw Juno this weekend.  what a great movie!  it easily would have been 1b to Sant Ralph's 1A had i seen it in 2007.  great characters, good writing, excellent sound track, wierd sense of humor, fantastic casting, and one of the best closing scenes of any movie i've ever seen.

- today is january 7th, which means that it is exactly five months until amy and i get married...let the countdown begin! 

09959

final post of 2007 which means...

...top 5 lists!

Songs

1a) This Too Shall Be Made Right Derek Webb

1b) Ten Thousand Angels Caedmon's Call (performed by Derek Webb)

the best of both sides of the derek webb theologian/prophet coin...a cry for justice now and the longing for heaven

2) Keep the Car Running Arcade Fire

most listened to song of the year...you can't not enjoy this song

3) O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing David* Crowder Band

i don't normally like it went songwriters add a hook/chorus to old hymns (just do the hymn, it's fine the way it is!...see the "wonderful cross" remake by chris tomlin)...however, crowder does it just right with one...the line "there are so few words that ever grow old" is one of my all time favorites now

4) If You Find Her Future of Forestry

i had never heard of these guys until this year...i like their quieter numbers better and this is the best of those numbers!

5) Lifeline Angels & Airwaves

this band continues to impress and this is my favorite track off the new album

Books (required reading)

1) The Jesus Way Eugene Peterson

the newest of peterson's "conversations in" series...they are all excellent but this is the best of the three (in my opinion)

2) Soul Graffiti Mark Scandrette

a good follow up to last year's number one The Irresistible Revolution

3) The Holy Longing by Ronald Rolheiser

an excellent book on christian spirituality written by a catholic priest...this book was a major source in rob bell's Sex God (#4 on this list).  the holy longing is a book i will probably revisit every couple years

4) Sex God Rob Bell

at this point the lack of good books i read this year in this category really starts to show up...we read this as a small group and it was a good experience...mostly i put it on here because people seem to have strong reactions to bell's premise, which usually means that the author is on to something...however, i would recommend reading #3 

5) The Multi-Site Church Revolution

again, not a great book in and of itself, but it was fun to read about the ctk story from an "outsider" perspective.  also, more symbolic than anything since we have started to experiment with the multi-site approach

Books (non-required)

1) The Book of Lost Things John Connolly

i feel like i've said this before here, but i am a sucker for magical realism (see Everything is Illuminated and Life of Pi...two of my favorite novels)...a wonderful story about coming of age and the importance of stories in making sense of our reality

2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows J. K. Rowling

i was not into harry potter until about two years ago (whenever book 6 came out)...i thought the first couple were interesting but not well written...it felt like novels-by-numbers...by about book 4, though, i was hooked and the last two of the series are extremely well written...the story aside, reading the series is interesting just to see Rowlings development as an author.  anyway, this, the final installment, is excellent

3) A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini

the female version of the Kite Runner? yes, but while familiar, it is also an extremely well-written and moving story on its own.  this guy is a great writer

4) The Starfish and the Spider

not a novel!  but it does tell the story of napster, craigslist, wikipedia, ebay, and other "leaderless" organizations...the best non-theory book i've read on emergence

5) A Perfect Mess

a fun and interesting read...also, some sense of justification for enjoying lower levels of order!

Movies 

*author's note: i watched a lot of 24 this year...a lot!  as a result i have not watched very many movies making this a very incomplete list.  i may change it after i watch the following films (if i ever get around to them): The Darjeeling Limited, Juno, The Great Debaters, No Country for Old Men, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and Gone Baby Gone

1) Saint Ralph

my friend seth introduced me to this fun film about the most unlikely of saints. inspiration for runners!

2) Amazing Grace

chip's view

3) Chalk

an "Office" type look at teaching...i laughed a lot!

4) Angel Rodriguez

also titled "Angel", it's actually an HBO feature that got put on dvd.  i enjoyed it more for the way it was shot than the story (although the story is really good too)...the whole time i watched it i kept thinking "i could do something like this."

5) I am Legend

as i was watching this movie, i could imagine pastors and youth pastors around the country scrambling for sermon illustrations (Will Smith = Jesus!!!)...the light/dark theme was much more interesting to me (especially if you read anything in the New Testament written by John)

- there you go!  feel free to comment/leave your own top fives/rip mine apart...

...happy new year!

09859

we did  a lectio divina exercise tonight at church as part of our advent series.  we read Psalm 146 together.  as a part of the exercise you are supposed to read, or listen, and pay attention to what stands out to you.  what stood out to me was a phrase that seems to be in every advent reading we've had so far: (v. 7, NLT) "[the Lord] gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry."

i can't seem to get away from this theme this Christmas...

...on that note i was able to hang out with my friend on James on thursday.  we haven't been able to connect since i got engaged...he'd heard about it somehow, but i got to fill him in the whole story.

here's a sample of the conversation (keep in mind that james does not have the best hearing):

james: "so you gonna be moving?"

"yeah," i said, " to boston."

james: "oh, man...i got some rowdy friends down there"

me: "down there?"

james: "yeah, you know it gets pretty hot in texas."

me: "texas?"

james:" yeah, austin."

me: "no, not austin...boston...like massachusetts."

james: "oh, hell, i never been there."

i took advantage of the opportunity  to ask james about his future and aspirations (since we were on the topic of futures).  here are his two visions for his future:

1) buy 5-6 llamas to use as pack animals and spend the rest of his life exploring the Yukon

2) run for the durango city council on the platform of low environmental impact jobs and affordable housing.

what i loved is that james was not just "bs"ing me.  he was being quite serious and has clearly thought about both of these paths.  i felt bad because at first i thought he was joking and i didn't take him seriously...but he was being very honest with me.  

this was another one of those moments where i didn't really do anything strategic...i don't know how much "justice was brought to the oppressed"...i bought james a cup of coffee but this wasn't about meeting a "need."  i do wonder, though, if anyone else in his life asks him about his hopes and dreams for the future, and then doesn't laugh at him when he does share them.  conversation over a meal can bring a sense of dignity that few other moments can.  

i think i am still learning a lot about what it means to bring hope and justice to people who are in desperate need of it, but for some reason i cannot escape it this Christmas season.

09759

finally, something i've been saying for years

this is also a good point

09659

- Check out our new office! we've moved down the street (from 11th and main to 8th and main)...and in doing so have we have become office neighbors with two ministries allies, Patrick's Crossing and Matthew's House...i think this will be a strategic and healthy move for us: we have more space, less rent, and cool people to talk to and walk through the ups and downs of ministry with...here are a few pictures!

09559 christmas_tree

very nice!

09459

- to everyone who has offered their congratulations over the last week: a big thank you!!!

- we're starting an advent series this week...going liturgical for a few weeks...already it's begun to affect my thinking.  a couple of early thoughts: a lot of Christmas is built around familiar and long standing traditions (many of which are great) but the original Christmas is about God doing something new.  

a question i've been wrestling with is: what is something new God is calling me to do this Christmas season?  

which leads me into the next thought...approaching Christmas as a season and not an event or a day.  it seems so much of my own thinking centers around this big event or day that i feel stressed out about or rushed (with traveling, shopping, etc) by the time i actually get to it.  i feel this season that i might actually be "ready" in the sense of anticipating what God might do.

-the podcast is back for those of you listen to it.  the link is to the right.  

peace! 

09359 engage(ment)

on tuesday afternoon i asked amy to marry me and she said yes! the asking included all of the following items: a journal, marsh chapel (the roped off, balcony area), a story, flowers, the element of surprise, the 52nd floor of a tall building, love, and, of course, a ring. i'll let you figure out how all of that works =) or you can just ask me and i'll tell you the story...here are a few pictures...

09259

Food Night is Awesome!





































- Book Recommendation: i recently finished an excellent book, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality by Ronald Rolheiser. he's a catholic priest, so about 2 percent of the theology is a little wierd, but that's good for us too! thought provoking, deep, challenging, and affirming, i think he has a lot to say in the conversation about christian spirituality.

- Music Review: i love the new angels and airwaves album, "I-Empire". what little music snob is still left in me says i should hate this music (the sound is huge and relatively one-dimensional, the lyrics are overwhelmingly positive, and the melodies are relentlessly catchy), but i can't help it...i love everything about it.

that's it for now...peace!

09159

old guys skating =)

- other updates: no podcast for a few weeks because we're doing some different things teaching-wise that don't translate well on the podcast fomat. it will return in december!

- the durango herald soccer team met it's demise in the playoffs yesterday...3-2 overtime loss...bummer, but a fun season!

- that's it for now...keep checking the link from last weeks post to see updates concerning the niece!