- CTK update...the pickles era is coming to an end. the restaraunt is closing down and as it turns out the change is happening quickly. our last sunday will be april 8th. then it's on to the Durango Rec Center...which is actually a really, really nice facility. it does not have the characer that pickles had, but it will be a good transition place while we search something that fits our "style" a little better. also, the rec center is going to save us money each month and so chip and i are closing in on some office space.
- thanks to rmac for the shipment of reading materials...i have some good stuff to check out.
- video editing has been a private hobby of mine for the last year or so, and now i'm getting to use it in some cool ways. i made a training video for volunteers at the manna soup kitchen and i like the way it turned out. i also just started working on a video for a meeting we're going to have in california in may highlighting what's been going on here. these kinds of projects are a lot of fun for me!
- one more week until baseball season!!!
- on another sports related note i've discovered a soccer game that takes place everey tuesday here in town. i played last week and it was a lot of fun, although my play was pretty poor (i had three great moments and a lot of frustration). my touch is really bad at this stage of my life. i socred twice (typical steve 18 yard shots from the the top of the box) and also had an assist on the sweetest goal of the game (a back-to-the-net heel pass right to the feet of the guy who scored). otherwise it was a lot of bad traps, passes a few beats behind players, and a lot of sucking wind. but i'll be back tomorrow!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
04859
...i'm really excited about our church right now...we're in an interesting place...there are definitely some big challenges (the real potential of having to move to a new location, families/people going through some big and hard stuff, etc.), but momentum continues to build: we are experiencing some definite buy-in from those who are currently involved...our efforts to be a part of what's happening in the community are paying off...our small groups remain a major focus (with a new morph in the groups on the way)...and i truly believe that people are experiencing God authentically in a community of people who are true and real. this is all good stuff!!!
...david crowder fans: check this out and be excited: www.remedyiscoming.com
...had the fantasy draft today...pretty intense hour and a half...i got the top pick! (took pujols: no bainer). as usual i loved my first 8 picks and then frustratedly tried to do the best i could the rest of the way. nonetheless, i like my team...
...finally, i just got back from an awesome week in arizona at the giant's spring training...it's always fun to watch a lot of baseball (4 games in 4 days), but the real highlight was hanging out with the fam...enjoying some major anouncements together...and, of course, spending time with amy...here we are having our day in the hot sun, watching the giants beat up on the rockies!!
...david crowder fans: check this out and be excited: www.remedyiscoming.com
...had the fantasy draft today...pretty intense hour and a half...i got the top pick! (took pujols: no bainer). as usual i loved my first 8 picks and then frustratedly tried to do the best i could the rest of the way. nonetheless, i like my team...
...finally, i just got back from an awesome week in arizona at the giant's spring training...it's always fun to watch a lot of baseball (4 games in 4 days), but the real highlight was hanging out with the fam...enjoying some major anouncements together...and, of course, spending time with amy...here we are having our day in the hot sun, watching the giants beat up on the rockies!!
Monday, March 12, 2007
04759
- church last night was pretty great...we heard about what's going on in each of our small groups and chip cast some vision for our groups and why they are so important to what w are doing...it was a cool moment. unfortunately, the moment was not adequately captured for podcast publication...but believe me, it was awesome.
- i'm off to AZ in the morning to check in on my giants. and to do other important stuff =)
- i'm off to AZ in the morning to check in on my giants. and to do other important stuff =)
Monday, March 05, 2007
04659
here's some house keeping and pop culture updates.
1) to the right you will notice two new links...one is to the CTK-Durango Podcast...the other to waiting for rescue's myspace page (new song on there by the way...check it out).
2) currently reading: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson
3) last five books i've read...The New International Commentary on Ecclesiastes by Tremper Longman...Sex God by Rob Bell...The Ankeny Briefcase: A Collection of Short Fiction edited by Jordan Green (see the Burnside Writer's link for more info)...Off Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders by Earl Creps...and Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing by Benjamin Nugent (for the second time and it's just as interesting this read as last).
4) currently watching: 24...i've become hopelessly addicted to this show.
5) songs i've been wearing out..."Road to Joy" by Bright Eyes..."Thriller" by Fall Out Boy..."I Need You" by waiting for rescue (yes i listen to my own songs)..."Dude I Totally Miss You" and "The Government Totally Sucks" by Tenacious D..."Oh, It's Love" by Hellogoodbye..."Dark Blue" by Jack's Mannequin..."Life Less Ordinary" by Carbon Leaf..."Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups...and "Light Up Ahead" by Further Seems Forever.
6) looking forward to going down to AZ for spring training next week.
7) currently fascinated by a recipe for something called "pineapple fire and ice"
peace!
1) to the right you will notice two new links...one is to the CTK-Durango Podcast...the other to waiting for rescue's myspace page (new song on there by the way...check it out).
2) currently reading: Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places by Eugene Peterson
3) last five books i've read...The New International Commentary on Ecclesiastes by Tremper Longman...Sex God by Rob Bell...The Ankeny Briefcase: A Collection of Short Fiction edited by Jordan Green (see the Burnside Writer's link for more info)...Off Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders by Earl Creps...and Elliott Smith and the Big Nothing by Benjamin Nugent (for the second time and it's just as interesting this read as last).
4) currently watching: 24...i've become hopelessly addicted to this show.
5) songs i've been wearing out..."Road to Joy" by Bright Eyes..."Thriller" by Fall Out Boy..."I Need You" by waiting for rescue (yes i listen to my own songs)..."Dude I Totally Miss You" and "The Government Totally Sucks" by Tenacious D..."Oh, It's Love" by Hellogoodbye..."Dark Blue" by Jack's Mannequin..."Life Less Ordinary" by Carbon Leaf..."Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups...and "Light Up Ahead" by Further Seems Forever.
6) looking forward to going down to AZ for spring training next week.
7) currently fascinated by a recipe for something called "pineapple fire and ice"
peace!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
04559
here are a variety of thoughts and reflections on current happenings with apparently little connection...
- i finished "Sex God" by rob bell...reading this book was an interesting experience for me. the content of the book is very deep...he's basically getting to the core of almost everything about us as human beings which is pretty serious. yet, it is an easy book to read (as rob's style is very conversational and fast moving, and also the way the book itself is constructed lends itself to a fast read)...i struggled with this...i found myself flying through the pages but at the same time thinking: "i need to stop and ponder this thought more." i think it is the kind of book that needs be read a few times over a long period of time to let it all sink in.
- in some ways the tension i felt about reading the book illustrates my favorite insight that rob provides. a few months ago i saw this interview with bono from U2. he talked about all the stuff he always talks about (africa, aids, debt relief, care for the poor, the church needs to be involved in it, etc). that was nothing new if you've heard bono before or know anything about his life over the last decade. however, there was one point where he started talking about great art...and he said the key element to all great art is being able to hold two truths in tension...his point was that bad art (and a lot of "christian" art today) tries to evade tension all together. here's something rob bell says about tension (in relation to his topic of sexuality and spirituality): "we were created to live in tension...[not stress but the ability to live between two truths that on the surface might seem contradictory]...and when you lose the tension, you lose something central to what it means to be human...one of the marks of someone who has experienced significant growth in their soul is the ability to live in the midst of tension." [i'll let you read the book yourself to discover the context for this quote]
- this week i was asked to join the board of directors at the manna house.
- my favorite song right now (and i feel guilty for liking the song and this band because i feel like i'm about 10 years too old to enjoy it) is "thriller" by fall out boy...i can't stop listening to it.
- i got be in the classroom for the first time this last week (bio at durango high school...a pretty easy day actually). one of the students i had is the sister of a girl who goes to our church...that was kind of fun...another student recognized me from the sunday we led worship at another church in town. small town life...got to love it.
- tonight we will be attempting to record our first ctk-durango podcast!
- last, but not least, when you achieve a certain level of success playing yahoo! fantasy baseball you gain eligibility for public "expert" leagues...i have achieved this level of success and will be participating in one these leagues...i'll be providing updates throughout the year, but for now i am already very excited about playing with some serious dudes (and dudettes for that matter) and not with...well, i won't mention any names =)
peace!
- i finished "Sex God" by rob bell...reading this book was an interesting experience for me. the content of the book is very deep...he's basically getting to the core of almost everything about us as human beings which is pretty serious. yet, it is an easy book to read (as rob's style is very conversational and fast moving, and also the way the book itself is constructed lends itself to a fast read)...i struggled with this...i found myself flying through the pages but at the same time thinking: "i need to stop and ponder this thought more." i think it is the kind of book that needs be read a few times over a long period of time to let it all sink in.
- in some ways the tension i felt about reading the book illustrates my favorite insight that rob provides. a few months ago i saw this interview with bono from U2. he talked about all the stuff he always talks about (africa, aids, debt relief, care for the poor, the church needs to be involved in it, etc). that was nothing new if you've heard bono before or know anything about his life over the last decade. however, there was one point where he started talking about great art...and he said the key element to all great art is being able to hold two truths in tension...his point was that bad art (and a lot of "christian" art today) tries to evade tension all together. here's something rob bell says about tension (in relation to his topic of sexuality and spirituality): "we were created to live in tension...[not stress but the ability to live between two truths that on the surface might seem contradictory]...and when you lose the tension, you lose something central to what it means to be human...one of the marks of someone who has experienced significant growth in their soul is the ability to live in the midst of tension." [i'll let you read the book yourself to discover the context for this quote]
- this week i was asked to join the board of directors at the manna house.
- my favorite song right now (and i feel guilty for liking the song and this band because i feel like i'm about 10 years too old to enjoy it) is "thriller" by fall out boy...i can't stop listening to it.
- i got be in the classroom for the first time this last week (bio at durango high school...a pretty easy day actually). one of the students i had is the sister of a girl who goes to our church...that was kind of fun...another student recognized me from the sunday we led worship at another church in town. small town life...got to love it.
- tonight we will be attempting to record our first ctk-durango podcast!
- last, but not least, when you achieve a certain level of success playing yahoo! fantasy baseball you gain eligibility for public "expert" leagues...i have achieved this level of success and will be participating in one these leagues...i'll be providing updates throughout the year, but for now i am already very excited about playing with some serious dudes (and dudettes for that matter) and not with...well, i won't mention any names =)
peace!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
04459
i have many blog worthy topics currently in the que, but for now this is what you need to know...
...i have a fully functional car again and that is good news...it also didn't cost me all that i thought it was going to originally which is even better news.
and now, more importantly: waiting for rescue has two new songs up on the myspace page...a cover of a switchfoot tune, and then an original number as well. listen and enjoy (and also check out our new picture =)
www.myspace.com/waitingforrescue
book reports and other deep thoughts to come later this week.
...i have a fully functional car again and that is good news...it also didn't cost me all that i thought it was going to originally which is even better news.
and now, more importantly: waiting for rescue has two new songs up on the myspace page...a cover of a switchfoot tune, and then an original number as well. listen and enjoy (and also check out our new picture =)
www.myspace.com/waitingforrescue
book reports and other deep thoughts to come later this week.
Monday, February 12, 2007
04359
- on july 27th, 2006 i drove away from Alisal High School, a summer of teaching geometry, and four years of subbing in the salinas union high school district, with my fist in the air and a grin on my face. "never going to have to do that again," was the thought rolling through my mind at the time. and then i moved to durango and started to get settled in a new life and new jobs, and a funny thing started to happen. i actually found myself missing the classroom. "this can't be right," i thought...probably just part of the transition process. or not. after a while i came to terms with this truth: i kind of enjoyed being a sub. wierd.
today, mr. boutry made his triumphant return (at escalante middle school, nonetheless...ironic, yes). on february 12th, 2007 i got to be a librarian for a day (also somewhat ironic, for all the making fun of other librarians that i know). it was a pretty boring day actually. but, it was cool to be on campus and many familiar feelings rushed into me as i walked in to the main office this morning. i'm only going to be able to work a couple of days a month, but i am excited to see what happens. plus, i already have a good farting story!
- i've been reading books that have nothing to do with church for almost two months now. there are a couple of reasons for this...one is that there is only so much you can fit in your brain and process at one time. i needed to slow down to let some things sink in. another was probably a fear that i'd get all excited about something, blog about it, and create a controversy. but, mostly i just needed a break.
now, though, i've started two (just barely the first pages) and already i'm glad that i did. i need this to get refocused and excited again about what we are doing (being thick in the middle of ecclesiastes has not helped this =)
for those who care about these things the books are:
1) The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church by Alan Hirsch (coauthor of The Shaping of Things to Come)
2) Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality by Rob Bell
i'm sure you'll hear more about these in future blogs after i actually get into them!
peace
today, mr. boutry made his triumphant return (at escalante middle school, nonetheless...ironic, yes). on february 12th, 2007 i got to be a librarian for a day (also somewhat ironic, for all the making fun of other librarians that i know). it was a pretty boring day actually. but, it was cool to be on campus and many familiar feelings rushed into me as i walked in to the main office this morning. i'm only going to be able to work a couple of days a month, but i am excited to see what happens. plus, i already have a good farting story!
- i've been reading books that have nothing to do with church for almost two months now. there are a couple of reasons for this...one is that there is only so much you can fit in your brain and process at one time. i needed to slow down to let some things sink in. another was probably a fear that i'd get all excited about something, blog about it, and create a controversy. but, mostly i just needed a break.
now, though, i've started two (just barely the first pages) and already i'm glad that i did. i need this to get refocused and excited again about what we are doing (being thick in the middle of ecclesiastes has not helped this =)
for those who care about these things the books are:
1) The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church by Alan Hirsch (coauthor of The Shaping of Things to Come)
2) Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality by Rob Bell
i'm sure you'll hear more about these in future blogs after i actually get into them!
peace
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
04259
if there's one thing i've learned from this blogging experience it's this: if you want people to respond, talk about the poor or reveal information concerning your love life...so if you're thinking of starting a blog, take that into consideration!
here's what's going on...
- the early feedback from our new small group format is pretty positive. in particular, i am loving my group. i had some concerns about studying ecclesiastes but this group has definitely risen to the challenge so far.
- interesting things continue to develop with our church...from people stepping up into new/increased roles to developments in terms of a more "permanent" location...it's all very exciting and i am enjoying the moment and also excited about what will happen next.
- congrats to tony dungy...he demonstrates that you don't have to be a certain "type" of person to be a leader and that success is defined in bigger terms than winning and losing.
- finally, i knew this day was coming, but it's sad to see mike matheny go...he is a great man in every sense of the word and the Giants are going to miss him.
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070201&content_id=1792094&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf
here's what's going on...
- the early feedback from our new small group format is pretty positive. in particular, i am loving my group. i had some concerns about studying ecclesiastes but this group has definitely risen to the challenge so far.
- interesting things continue to develop with our church...from people stepping up into new/increased roles to developments in terms of a more "permanent" location...it's all very exciting and i am enjoying the moment and also excited about what will happen next.
- congrats to tony dungy...he demonstrates that you don't have to be a certain "type" of person to be a leader and that success is defined in bigger terms than winning and losing.
- finally, i knew this day was coming, but it's sad to see mike matheny go...he is a great man in every sense of the word and the Giants are going to miss him.
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070201&content_id=1792094&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
04059
check this out!!!
http://www.myspace.com/waitingforrescue
also, more on tony dungy...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/michael_silver/01/25/colts/index.html
http://www.myspace.com/waitingforrescue
also, more on tony dungy...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/michael_silver/01/25/colts/index.html
Monday, January 22, 2007
03959
thoughts on the world of sports...
1) i know i've made a couple of statements in this space about how i've become a two sport man at this point in my life (soccer and baseball), but last night's game between the colts and the patriots got my attention. i was only able to see the first and last five minutes of the game, but those last five minutes...wow!
a lot is going to be written and said about peyton manning getting to his first super bowl, and a lot is being made about the first two african-american coaches to lead teams to the super bowl. for years now i've been rooting for tony dungy to be the guy to do it first (he's the coach of the colts for those who don't know)...i don't know if there is a classier guy who carries himself with so much dignity in any sport. he's why i'm pulling for the colts in two weeks.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jeffri_chadiha/01/22/lovie/index.html?section=si_latest
2) everyone is talking about what an incredible finish in the colts/pats game, but across the pond another great rivalry went down the last minute as well. arsenal beat manchester united (think red sox vs. yankees) 2-1 on a last minute header by thiery henri. a truly stunning result after arsenal was down 1-0 at half.
3) many experts feel the giants are going to walk away from barry bonds. i don't know how i feel about this, but it will be truly amazing if they have the guts to do it, and it would be fascinating to see who, if anyone, picks him up at this point.
that's it for now,,,
1) i know i've made a couple of statements in this space about how i've become a two sport man at this point in my life (soccer and baseball), but last night's game between the colts and the patriots got my attention. i was only able to see the first and last five minutes of the game, but those last five minutes...wow!
a lot is going to be written and said about peyton manning getting to his first super bowl, and a lot is being made about the first two african-american coaches to lead teams to the super bowl. for years now i've been rooting for tony dungy to be the guy to do it first (he's the coach of the colts for those who don't know)...i don't know if there is a classier guy who carries himself with so much dignity in any sport. he's why i'm pulling for the colts in two weeks.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jeffri_chadiha/01/22/lovie/index.html?section=si_latest
2) everyone is talking about what an incredible finish in the colts/pats game, but across the pond another great rivalry went down the last minute as well. arsenal beat manchester united (think red sox vs. yankees) 2-1 on a last minute header by thiery henri. a truly stunning result after arsenal was down 1-0 at half.
3) many experts feel the giants are going to walk away from barry bonds. i don't know how i feel about this, but it will be truly amazing if they have the guts to do it, and it would be fascinating to see who, if anyone, picks him up at this point.
that's it for now,,,
Monday, January 15, 2007
03859
miscellaneous thoughts...
1) i enjoyed the comments about the most recent post. some good thoughts and even counseling taking place in cyberspace. so, thanks for participating.
2) we're swinging into a new small group season here to start off the new year. my group is studying ecclesiastes and i have been having a great time preparing for that. i have no idea if this is going to work in a small group (i think it will, but that doesn't always guarantee success), but still i am excited to see what happens and where it goes.
3) we continue to seek new ways to serve our community...in the next few weeks we'll start cooking dinner at a different shelter in durango.
4) i've recently been found on myspace by an old friend from college...he and his wife and friends are doing some pretty cool things in stockton, ca...i've added a link to a forum about what they're doing called "The Great Banquet"
5) donald miller has some excellent thoughts about the upcoming presidential campaign...you can read these thoughts at his blog www.donaldmillerwords.com/index
1) i enjoyed the comments about the most recent post. some good thoughts and even counseling taking place in cyberspace. so, thanks for participating.
2) we're swinging into a new small group season here to start off the new year. my group is studying ecclesiastes and i have been having a great time preparing for that. i have no idea if this is going to work in a small group (i think it will, but that doesn't always guarantee success), but still i am excited to see what happens and where it goes.
3) we continue to seek new ways to serve our community...in the next few weeks we'll start cooking dinner at a different shelter in durango.
4) i've recently been found on myspace by an old friend from college...he and his wife and friends are doing some pretty cool things in stockton, ca...i've added a link to a forum about what they're doing called "The Great Banquet"
5) donald miller has some excellent thoughts about the upcoming presidential campaign...you can read these thoughts at his blog www.donaldmillerwords.com/index
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
03759
"if CTK-Durango is an experiment in anything, it's an experiement in the power of relationships." i think this is true of CTK in general, but it's especially true of our community here...or at least that's the goal.
sometimes i feel like this is a new thing, that i am learning all this for the first time...and that may be true in practice, but defintely not in theory. in so many ways what i am doing, in helping to lead this community in durango in the way we are going, is a natural progession of everything that has come before.
most recently, my thinking in the relational dynamic of what God is up to in the world has been pushed by eugene peterson's book, "Eat this Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading."
chip and i have been talking about this relational dynamic for a while...but again, for me this is the culmination of things that began some time ago, most likely in college through intervarsity and learning about the importance of community, through being mentored by the likes of jay d, through ron demolor's (mount hermon) mantra "the kingdom of God is a kingdom of right relationships," through prof. korch at western, through the philosopher john macmurray (see: the self as agent and persons in relation), through donald miller's relentless pursuit of the relational dynamic of the gospel (see: Searching for God Knows What), through conversations and doing life with rmac, through dave browning (lead pastor of the CTK network), through studying John with the nexus, and now live and in technicolor here in durango. it is no surprise that i am here in terms of my theology, hermeneutics, and praxis. and i love it.
here's what eugene is speaking to me about this (he's talking about how we read and interpret Scripture): "here's the thing: every part of the revelation, every aspect, every form is personal--God is relational at the core--and so whatever is said, whatever is revealed, whatever is recieved is also personal and relational. there is nothing impersonal, nothing merely functional, everything from beginning to end and in between is personal. God is inherently and inclusively personal. the corollary to that is that i, because i am a person, am personally involved in the revelation. every word i hear, everything i see in my imagination as this story unfolds, involves me relationally, pulls me into participation, matters to my core identity, affects who i am and what i do."
thanks eugene...
sometimes i feel like this is a new thing, that i am learning all this for the first time...and that may be true in practice, but defintely not in theory. in so many ways what i am doing, in helping to lead this community in durango in the way we are going, is a natural progession of everything that has come before.
most recently, my thinking in the relational dynamic of what God is up to in the world has been pushed by eugene peterson's book, "Eat this Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading."
chip and i have been talking about this relational dynamic for a while...but again, for me this is the culmination of things that began some time ago, most likely in college through intervarsity and learning about the importance of community, through being mentored by the likes of jay d, through ron demolor's (mount hermon) mantra "the kingdom of God is a kingdom of right relationships," through prof. korch at western, through the philosopher john macmurray (see: the self as agent and persons in relation), through donald miller's relentless pursuit of the relational dynamic of the gospel (see: Searching for God Knows What), through conversations and doing life with rmac, through dave browning (lead pastor of the CTK network), through studying John with the nexus, and now live and in technicolor here in durango. it is no surprise that i am here in terms of my theology, hermeneutics, and praxis. and i love it.
here's what eugene is speaking to me about this (he's talking about how we read and interpret Scripture): "here's the thing: every part of the revelation, every aspect, every form is personal--God is relational at the core--and so whatever is said, whatever is revealed, whatever is recieved is also personal and relational. there is nothing impersonal, nothing merely functional, everything from beginning to end and in between is personal. God is inherently and inclusively personal. the corollary to that is that i, because i am a person, am personally involved in the revelation. every word i hear, everything i see in my imagination as this story unfolds, involves me relationally, pulls me into participation, matters to my core identity, affects who i am and what i do."
thanks eugene...
Friday, January 05, 2007
03559
finally, a new post...the last two weeks have been filled with epic events: some glorious (such as spending time with friends and family...the giant's signing barry zito), some tragic (the canceling of flights and the losing of bags). there are many more things to say, books to recommend, amusing antecdotes to share...but for now, all i can say is i'm glad to be home and i am yearning for a "normal" week. here's yet another reason why i love durango...
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
03459
2006...the year of youtube and chuck norris...
...i offer my humble top 5 lists for 2006 in books, music, and movies. you know, the important stuff =)
...as one who claims integration as a high value it pains me to make the following confession: i've had to split the books lists into two groups, what i will call "required" and "non-required" reading...thre are two reasons for this: 1) i read too many books to have just one top 5 list and 2) as much as i like to integrate everything that i read there really are two categories...while all the books i've read, i believe, relate to life and ministry, some speak more directly to the later and therefore deserve their own list. so, here it goes
top 5 in "required" reading for 2006
1) The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (i know, big surprise here...i've said perhaps more than i should have about this book in this space, but for the sake of this list i need to say "thank you shane for giving us permission to be idealists and 'holy fools'")
2) The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch (what Claiborne's book has been to our "staff" discussion the last few months, this book was during the first half of the year...while not a blueprint for what we are doing here in durango, no other book has shaped my/our philosophy of ministry like this one)
3) Deliberate Simplicity by Dave Browning (hopefully he won't fire me for putting his book 3rd...ha ha...this is the blueprint)
4) Soul Cravings by Erwin McManus (at CTK we are about 3 things: worship, small groups, and service...mcmanus says there are three "cravings" of the soul that everyone needs satisfied to be fully human...they are meaning (worship), intimacy (small groups), and destiny (service)...fascinating)
5) Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants To Die: Or the Eschatology of Bluegrass by David Crowder and Mike Hogan (this makes the list, closely beating out The Myth of a Chrstian Nation, because of the section of the book called "columns"...i am a sucker for magical realism)
top 5 in "non-required" reading for 2006
1) The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer (best memoir i've read since Angela's Ashes)
2) Fantasyland: A Season on Baseball's Lunatic Fringe by Sam Walker (this book follow the travails of a baseball season through the lens of one of the most prestigious fantasy leagues in the country...he absolutely nails the highs and lows of fantasy baseball)
3) What is the What by Dave Eggers (i really expected this book to just rip away at the US for what it's done, or not done, for the Sudan crisis, but i have to say it wasn't like that at all...nonetheless it is a hard book to read, and i don't know what's harder to read: the atrocities of the civil war/refugee experience, or the inhumanity of the robbery of the main character's atlanta apartment and everything that follows from that)
4) Tempting Faith by David Kuo (a tale of how the political machine can grind down even the best intentioned people)
5) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (ok, i know this didn't come out this year, but i read it this year for the first time and i loved it)
top 5 songs for 2006
1) The Adventure by Angels and Airwaves [i unapologetically love this band...i haven't been this excited about a new band since a certain lead man for further seems forever started his little side project...the whole album "we don't need to whisper" is amazing, and in many ways parallels my own journey this year]
2) I've Had Enough by the David Crowder Band [a test of a great song is that it breaks your heart the first time you hear it and it can do the same thing months later after you've listened to it 100 times...this is such a song, and it's only 65 seconds long...genius]
3) When You Were Young by the Killers [i'm not a huge killers fan...i only like 4 or 5 of their songs...but, wow, the ones that i like, i really like...this was the most played song on my itunes]
4) Don't Wait by Dashboard Confessional (i keep thinking i'll grow out of this band one of these days...this last album was far from great, but this song, along with Stolen and Currents, is just too good to ignore...i'll continue to indulge a little while longer)
5) 9 Crimes by Damien Rice (i prefer the demo version with the guitars over the version that opens the cd...but both are perfectly damien rice: haunting and depressing)
top 5 movies for 2006
1) Stranger Than Fiction (i've already talked about this one...there's this great scene where will ferell's character is trying to figure out if the story he's in is a tragedy or a comedy so he keeps score in a notebook...at the end of the day he has 5 points for comedy and about 100 for tragedy...emo kids all over the country will posting that scene on their myspace pages as soon as it's available)
2) Little Miss Sunshine (it'll make you laugh, it'll make cringe, and then it will make you cry)
3) Goal! (it's about soccer, so maybe i'm biased, but i think it's one of the best sports movies ever)
4) Nacho Libre (no explanation is needed)
5) Accepted (if you know me at all, you'll know why i loved this movie)
so there you have it...the art and entertainment that enriched my 2006. feel free to send me (or post) your own top 5's!!
merry christmas...
...i offer my humble top 5 lists for 2006 in books, music, and movies. you know, the important stuff =)
...as one who claims integration as a high value it pains me to make the following confession: i've had to split the books lists into two groups, what i will call "required" and "non-required" reading...thre are two reasons for this: 1) i read too many books to have just one top 5 list and 2) as much as i like to integrate everything that i read there really are two categories...while all the books i've read, i believe, relate to life and ministry, some speak more directly to the later and therefore deserve their own list. so, here it goes
top 5 in "required" reading for 2006
1) The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne (i know, big surprise here...i've said perhaps more than i should have about this book in this space, but for the sake of this list i need to say "thank you shane for giving us permission to be idealists and 'holy fools'")
2) The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st Century Church by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch (what Claiborne's book has been to our "staff" discussion the last few months, this book was during the first half of the year...while not a blueprint for what we are doing here in durango, no other book has shaped my/our philosophy of ministry like this one)
3) Deliberate Simplicity by Dave Browning (hopefully he won't fire me for putting his book 3rd...ha ha...this is the blueprint)
4) Soul Cravings by Erwin McManus (at CTK we are about 3 things: worship, small groups, and service...mcmanus says there are three "cravings" of the soul that everyone needs satisfied to be fully human...they are meaning (worship), intimacy (small groups), and destiny (service)...fascinating)
5) Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants To Die: Or the Eschatology of Bluegrass by David Crowder and Mike Hogan (this makes the list, closely beating out The Myth of a Chrstian Nation, because of the section of the book called "columns"...i am a sucker for magical realism)
top 5 in "non-required" reading for 2006
1) The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer (best memoir i've read since Angela's Ashes)
2) Fantasyland: A Season on Baseball's Lunatic Fringe by Sam Walker (this book follow the travails of a baseball season through the lens of one of the most prestigious fantasy leagues in the country...he absolutely nails the highs and lows of fantasy baseball)
3) What is the What by Dave Eggers (i really expected this book to just rip away at the US for what it's done, or not done, for the Sudan crisis, but i have to say it wasn't like that at all...nonetheless it is a hard book to read, and i don't know what's harder to read: the atrocities of the civil war/refugee experience, or the inhumanity of the robbery of the main character's atlanta apartment and everything that follows from that)
4) Tempting Faith by David Kuo (a tale of how the political machine can grind down even the best intentioned people)
5) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (ok, i know this didn't come out this year, but i read it this year for the first time and i loved it)
top 5 songs for 2006
1) The Adventure by Angels and Airwaves [i unapologetically love this band...i haven't been this excited about a new band since a certain lead man for further seems forever started his little side project...the whole album "we don't need to whisper" is amazing, and in many ways parallels my own journey this year]
2) I've Had Enough by the David Crowder Band [a test of a great song is that it breaks your heart the first time you hear it and it can do the same thing months later after you've listened to it 100 times...this is such a song, and it's only 65 seconds long...genius]
3) When You Were Young by the Killers [i'm not a huge killers fan...i only like 4 or 5 of their songs...but, wow, the ones that i like, i really like...this was the most played song on my itunes]
4) Don't Wait by Dashboard Confessional (i keep thinking i'll grow out of this band one of these days...this last album was far from great, but this song, along with Stolen and Currents, is just too good to ignore...i'll continue to indulge a little while longer)
5) 9 Crimes by Damien Rice (i prefer the demo version with the guitars over the version that opens the cd...but both are perfectly damien rice: haunting and depressing)
top 5 movies for 2006
1) Stranger Than Fiction (i've already talked about this one...there's this great scene where will ferell's character is trying to figure out if the story he's in is a tragedy or a comedy so he keeps score in a notebook...at the end of the day he has 5 points for comedy and about 100 for tragedy...emo kids all over the country will posting that scene on their myspace pages as soon as it's available)
2) Little Miss Sunshine (it'll make you laugh, it'll make cringe, and then it will make you cry)
3) Goal! (it's about soccer, so maybe i'm biased, but i think it's one of the best sports movies ever)
4) Nacho Libre (no explanation is needed)
5) Accepted (if you know me at all, you'll know why i loved this movie)
so there you have it...the art and entertainment that enriched my 2006. feel free to send me (or post) your own top 5's!!
merry christmas...
Saturday, December 16, 2006
03359
(1:oo pm) i had this amazing picture i was going to post...it was going to be the center-piece of this particular post, but unfortunately i lost the cable that connects my camera to the computer...so no picture, no wonderful post. now what am i supposed to do? (christmas present idea: usb cable for an hp photosmart r717 digital camera...hint hint).
well, now i just have to wing it...some random thoughts...not excited about the giants 2007 squad...excited about catching up with a lot of people next week...very excited about christmas with the fam...not excited about losing camera cables...loving the fact that the cable has been shut off for a couple of weeks now, it's like a new world without tv...this means tv shows on dvd (i.e. season one of how i met your mother...awesome)...
no book recommendations today (however, check out the new issue of the burnside writer's collective...link is to the right, right over there)...more than enough to keep interested and entertained...later this week will likely be my last post for '06 which means...top 5 lists!
(8:05 pm) the cord has been found! never mind all that at the beginning...here's a totally different, but amazing picture for to you look at anyway!
well, now i just have to wing it...some random thoughts...not excited about the giants 2007 squad...excited about catching up with a lot of people next week...very excited about christmas with the fam...not excited about losing camera cables...loving the fact that the cable has been shut off for a couple of weeks now, it's like a new world without tv...this means tv shows on dvd (i.e. season one of how i met your mother...awesome)...
no book recommendations today (however, check out the new issue of the burnside writer's collective...link is to the right, right over there)...more than enough to keep interested and entertained...later this week will likely be my last post for '06 which means...top 5 lists!
(8:05 pm) the cord has been found! never mind all that at the beginning...here's a totally different, but amazing picture for to you look at anyway!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
03259
whew! that last post really generated some interesting feedback...thanks to everyone who i got to engage in a bit of dialogue with, that was fun! (next time i quote shane i'll make sure i have a little more free time in the schedule...and perhaps next time i'll pick a really controversial quote)
- for those of you who have itunes and are into podcasts, check out the mosaic podcast from 12/3 "new under the sun"...mcmanus has some great things to say to those of us who are idealistically bent...there was so much illumination coming from my computer that i had to leave the room.
- tomorrow i'm teaching out of john 1 and i'm pretty excited about it...(i know what you are thinking...especially if you were involved with the nexus when i was there: can this guy do anything outside the book of John?)
- stephen colbert was voted 2006 media person of the year...awesome! http://www.iwantmedia.com/personoftheyear/06.html
- the david crowder band has been nominated for MSN's artist of the year...along with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Kenny Chesney, Prince, and INXS (http://music.msn.com/music/artistofthemonth) i have a couple of thoughts about this...
1) he's winning by a land slide which is a testament to Crowder's ability to mobilize his fan base (although i wonder if the other artists even know they are nominated...i don't think Christina is too worried about MSN)
2) more importantly, it demonstrates once again (as if we needed more evidence) that Crowder is clearly operating on a different level than anyone else in the christian music industry (especially in that bizarre genre know as "worship")...Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall...insert your favorite worship leader here...are good (please don't take this as a tomlin bashing..wink, wink...) but they are not even in the same league...
one of these days i'll post something about the chapter on crowder from the book "body piercing saved my life"...there's some fascinating stuff in there.
that's it for now...christmas parties abound!
ps. for those of you who are tracking with some of the poverty stuff i've been writing about, here's a book recommendation for you: "the new friars: the emerging movement serving the world's poor," by scott bessenecker...it's a worthy follow up to shane's book.
- for those of you who have itunes and are into podcasts, check out the mosaic podcast from 12/3 "new under the sun"...mcmanus has some great things to say to those of us who are idealistically bent...there was so much illumination coming from my computer that i had to leave the room.
- tomorrow i'm teaching out of john 1 and i'm pretty excited about it...(i know what you are thinking...especially if you were involved with the nexus when i was there: can this guy do anything outside the book of John?)
- stephen colbert was voted 2006 media person of the year...awesome! http://www.iwantmedia.com/personoftheyear/06.html
- the david crowder band has been nominated for MSN's artist of the year...along with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Kenny Chesney, Prince, and INXS (http://music.msn.com/music/artistofthemonth) i have a couple of thoughts about this...
1) he's winning by a land slide which is a testament to Crowder's ability to mobilize his fan base (although i wonder if the other artists even know they are nominated...i don't think Christina is too worried about MSN)
2) more importantly, it demonstrates once again (as if we needed more evidence) that Crowder is clearly operating on a different level than anyone else in the christian music industry (especially in that bizarre genre know as "worship")...Chris Tomlin, Charlie Hall...insert your favorite worship leader here...are good (please don't take this as a tomlin bashing..wink, wink...) but they are not even in the same league...
one of these days i'll post something about the chapter on crowder from the book "body piercing saved my life"...there's some fascinating stuff in there.
that's it for now...christmas parties abound!
ps. for those of you who are tracking with some of the poverty stuff i've been writing about, here's a book recommendation for you: "the new friars: the emerging movement serving the world's poor," by scott bessenecker...it's a worthy follow up to shane's book.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
03159
here are a few quotes that have been pushing my thinking lately...
1) this is from an interview with kieran kelly, a music producer who's worked with the likes of sufjan stevens and others in the indie rock scene...he's talking about how his faith informs his work and how easy it is for him to turn conversations to the spiritual.
"That is one of the great things that music does to people; it tends to be a much more open environment to be able to have discussions. As opposed to working in an office where if someone was a drug addict or had some sort of extreme lifestyle, it'd be hidden from public view, in a rock 'n' roll setting, everything goes."
i love this quote and it's implications for our church...i hope ctk-durango will always be more rock 'n' roll than stuffy office.
2) if i could i would probably quote shane claiborne's entire book (the irresistible revolution), but here's something i've definitely been experiencing...shane writes: "it is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle."
this really hit home for me last week. we've been serving at the manna house (the local soup kitchen) and making a lot of friends with some of the "regulars." last tuesday there was a going away party for one of the employees, and i was invited, but couldn't come until about half an hour into the festivities. when i walked in i was immediately confronted with an interesting scenario. the party had naturally organized itself into four groups. one group was comprised of well dressed older gentlemen (i learned that this was the board of directors)...another was a group of older retired couples, sweet people who serve regularly at the kitchen...the third group was made up of a few middle aged folks, again faithful volunteers...
and then the fourth group was jim, james, randall, and two other "clients" sitting by themselves in the corner. i went and sat with them and was simultaneously welcomed and chastised..."what are you doing hanging out with us?" "don't you realize this isn't the happening social scene." they gave me a hard time, but also expressed genuine gratefulness that someone came and sat and ate with them.
i couldn't help thinking that these guys were the only people in the room i would call friends...what other circle of people was i really going to sit down with.
i share this story not to pat myself on the back, or to say that everyone else there was lame, but to show the reality i see behind shane's quote. it really is a beautiful thing. i didn't sit with those guys because i felt sorry for them, because i am such a great guy, or even because of some holy/guilty compulsion. plain and simple, they were the people in the room i know and who know me. beautiful.
i know a lot of church planting manuals will tell you about how to be strategic and find all these successful people to join your church and tithe big and be your elders, but somehow that seems wierd when Jesus says stuff like: "those who are last will be first...everyone who exalts himself will be humbled...when you give a banquet invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." (see Luke 12-19).
my two deep thoughts for the week. here's to a rock 'n' roll church and jim, james, and randall.
peace
1) this is from an interview with kieran kelly, a music producer who's worked with the likes of sufjan stevens and others in the indie rock scene...he's talking about how his faith informs his work and how easy it is for him to turn conversations to the spiritual.
"That is one of the great things that music does to people; it tends to be a much more open environment to be able to have discussions. As opposed to working in an office where if someone was a drug addict or had some sort of extreme lifestyle, it'd be hidden from public view, in a rock 'n' roll setting, everything goes."
i love this quote and it's implications for our church...i hope ctk-durango will always be more rock 'n' roll than stuffy office.
2) if i could i would probably quote shane claiborne's entire book (the irresistible revolution), but here's something i've definitely been experiencing...shane writes: "it is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle."
this really hit home for me last week. we've been serving at the manna house (the local soup kitchen) and making a lot of friends with some of the "regulars." last tuesday there was a going away party for one of the employees, and i was invited, but couldn't come until about half an hour into the festivities. when i walked in i was immediately confronted with an interesting scenario. the party had naturally organized itself into four groups. one group was comprised of well dressed older gentlemen (i learned that this was the board of directors)...another was a group of older retired couples, sweet people who serve regularly at the kitchen...the third group was made up of a few middle aged folks, again faithful volunteers...
and then the fourth group was jim, james, randall, and two other "clients" sitting by themselves in the corner. i went and sat with them and was simultaneously welcomed and chastised..."what are you doing hanging out with us?" "don't you realize this isn't the happening social scene." they gave me a hard time, but also expressed genuine gratefulness that someone came and sat and ate with them.
i couldn't help thinking that these guys were the only people in the room i would call friends...what other circle of people was i really going to sit down with.
i share this story not to pat myself on the back, or to say that everyone else there was lame, but to show the reality i see behind shane's quote. it really is a beautiful thing. i didn't sit with those guys because i felt sorry for them, because i am such a great guy, or even because of some holy/guilty compulsion. plain and simple, they were the people in the room i know and who know me. beautiful.
i know a lot of church planting manuals will tell you about how to be strategic and find all these successful people to join your church and tithe big and be your elders, but somehow that seems wierd when Jesus says stuff like: "those who are last will be first...everyone who exalts himself will be humbled...when you give a banquet invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind." (see Luke 12-19).
my two deep thoughts for the week. here's to a rock 'n' roll church and jim, james, and randall.
peace
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
03059
items of the utmost importance and extreme significance for the week of november 26-december 2nd.
- today is the last day in november which means i have been in durango for four months...part of me wants to say "four months...that's all," the other part realizes that this constitutes one third of a year, amazing.
- i love the exchange between sarah and ryan in the comments...good stuff...
- i am currently reading "what is the what" by dave eggers (number two on the all time favorite authors list). this book is very different from the other stuff he has written (including, but not limited to, "a heartbreaking work of staggering genius," "how we are hungry," and "you shall know our velocity") what is the what is to do with the story of a Sudanese refugee and in many ways this book is actually the heartbreaking work of staggering genius. (here is a plug for www.savedarfur.org)
- now that the hockey fiasco is winding down, things are pretty slow at the soccer shop...until january when indoor starts. arsenal is also disappointing us as well. they'll have a great game (see their 3-1 win over hamburg in the champions league), then stink it up with a inexplicable 3-1 loss to bolton (in the EPL). way too inconsistent.
- CTK-durango's momentum continues to build...we will be multiplying our small groups in january, moving into the bigger room in pickles on christmas eve, and looking for more ways to expand our service in the community. personally, i am enjoying this season very much, but i can't wait for the calendar to flip over to january because i think many exciting things are going to start happening once the holidays are over.
- i'll be in salinas and available to hang out the last week of december...let me know if you'll be around.
- lastly, this man is a genius: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BcT4MXcNwY
- today is the last day in november which means i have been in durango for four months...part of me wants to say "four months...that's all," the other part realizes that this constitutes one third of a year, amazing.
- i love the exchange between sarah and ryan in the comments...good stuff...
- i am currently reading "what is the what" by dave eggers (number two on the all time favorite authors list). this book is very different from the other stuff he has written (including, but not limited to, "a heartbreaking work of staggering genius," "how we are hungry," and "you shall know our velocity") what is the what is to do with the story of a Sudanese refugee and in many ways this book is actually the heartbreaking work of staggering genius. (here is a plug for www.savedarfur.org)
- now that the hockey fiasco is winding down, things are pretty slow at the soccer shop...until january when indoor starts. arsenal is also disappointing us as well. they'll have a great game (see their 3-1 win over hamburg in the champions league), then stink it up with a inexplicable 3-1 loss to bolton (in the EPL). way too inconsistent.
- CTK-durango's momentum continues to build...we will be multiplying our small groups in january, moving into the bigger room in pickles on christmas eve, and looking for more ways to expand our service in the community. personally, i am enjoying this season very much, but i can't wait for the calendar to flip over to january because i think many exciting things are going to start happening once the holidays are over.
- i'll be in salinas and available to hang out the last week of december...let me know if you'll be around.
- lastly, this man is a genius: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BcT4MXcNwY
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