worship poem

Here is a great poem we used as our benediction in worship last night:

"The Blessing"

May you who are restless

Find rest

And in rest, restoration

And the healing

Of your hollow soul

May peace be yours

May you who are frozen

Find freedom

And in freedom the faith

To face the fire

And the thawing of your ice-gripped heart

May peace be yours

May you who are conflicted

Find convergence

And in convergence

Confidence

To be the one new child

Of your old divided self

May peace be yours

May you who live in tension

Find tenderness

And in tenderness the tendency

To kindness

And the creativity

Of a caring character

May peace be yours

And you who are Godless

May you find God

And in God,

The grace and growth you need

For fruit and fullness

And the love that will last you

Through the long-haul

Of a lived-for-others life

May peace be yours

--Gerard Kelly

more block party pics

more great pics--thanks Pete!

convergence block party

on Saturday we held the first annual Convergence Block Party. After a crazy month for many of us at convergence; it was a great success! We met a ton of new people (and several showed up at our worship gathering Sunday afternoon!) Big thanks to Michelle for leading the whole project!

It was a great day of food, games, art, music, hanging out, new friends, and truly awesome weather! 

some highlights and glimpses...watching kids facepaint, play in the moonbounce, eating the free snowcones (thanks Hadleys!)...great music from friends old and new (thanks Stan for making it sound just right!)...my friend David, who's had a rough month, helping and hanging out...hot dogs (and veggie dogs) from grillmaster Jay...my friend Stephen, who pastors at another church, showing up early to help set up--what an amazing servant! It was really great seeing people jump in and work.

One of my favorite moments was introducing Bud and Fred to each other...both have become dear friends to me, I get lunch with them monthly and they are both great encouragers to me!

I made some great new friends--David and I had some great conversation, and I look forward to more...met some neat young couples with great stories...

thanks to everyone who helped out!

I have a few pics below, but Pete took some awesome photos you can view here.

everybody's favorite--the moon bounce!

Nirel with "big bottles of health" at the snowcone stand

 (thanks for the great description, Jay!)

Jay, Jim, and Stephen at the hot dog station

Ana creating beautiful sidewalk art!

convergence at night

I love this picture. Our friend Stan took it--he takes great pics. I love the light in the midst of the darkness; the feel of so much life and beauty.

I spent the last three days at at a church planting conference with Ecclesia. It was really good; got some great ideas about moving forward into our third year of the restart (wow, it's gone fast!)

I think I told the story of Convergence more this week than I ever have. People are really intrigued by what we are doing--there really isn't another church like this out there. It is humbling to be a part of something so new and exciting!

Pentecost worship

last night we had a joint worship gathering with friends from Common Table and Holy Grounds. It was a wonderful experience--very participatory, interactive--like Pentecost, it was somewhat chaotic. Amy, Jay and Cindy did a fantastic job creating beautiful music...Cecily painted during the worship, and invited others to add to what she did...it was great watching people sing, play drums, paint, draw, write, interact in so many ways.

Not seen in these pictures is Stan Harris, who helps us out with sound. I've known Stan for 20 years, he is probably the greatest servant I have ever known. He worked hard all afternoon, after serving at his church in the morning, and at the end of the evening he thanked me for asking him to help!

if you come across Stan at one of our events, please tell him thanks!

I'll write more later, but wanted to get some pics up.

this was one of the highlights for me; watching Mel and Mary make music. Mary has been a part of Fair-Park (the church which became Convergence) most of her life. I know a lot of what we are doing is new for her and others--it is so encouraging to watch people be courageous and try new ways of worshiping.

possibly the world's largest communion loaf!

Mike and Steve writing during the worship free-for-all

our resident rocker Jay

Mike of Common Table

Cecily

Quentin adding to the painting

Cecily at work

living across cultures discussion

last night was great. My friend Nina Sichel and Patricia Linderman facilitated a discussion on Living Across Cultures; bringing together a diverse group of people who have grown up and lived in multiple cultures. It was great watching these people from all over the world, of different ages and backgrounds, find their common ground as they shared their stories with one another.

I was so blessed to be a part of it. As I sat there listening, I had this feeling of peace, joy, and excitement--realizing that events like this are exactly why we are doing this crazy thing called Convergence. It wasn't about the event itself, but the conversations that were begun, the friendships formed, the stories told and listened to.

As the conversation progressed, a common thread was the need for community--a desire to connect with others and build friendships. It was neat watching that happen in a roomful of people who began the evening as strangers.

I had a great conversation with Sushmita, who creates these amazing hand-made storybooks. I hope that we can partner with her, providing space and giving her an opportunity to share and teach her art to others. Check out her website.

coach Larranaga

my friend Ken, writer/editor extraordinaire,  has a great interview with Jim Larranaga, basketball coach at George Mason U, at the Mason Gazette. Coach L has become one of the main faces of the university; and as an alum, I couldn't be prouder. 

Read this interview with one of the really good guys.

greatest sports movies

something a little lighter tonight. I heard a couple guys on the radio discussing sports films; so here are my favorite sports movies. I'm sure I'll remember something else after I post; but here it is (for now!) Let the debate begin!

1. Rocky

2. Hoosiers

3. Bull Durham

4. Karate Kid

5. Remember the Titans

6. Heaven Can Wait

7. The Bad News Bears

8. Jerry Maguire

9. North Dallas Forty

10. Breaking Away

11. Chariots of Fire

12. Field of Dreams

13. Raging Bull

14. Vision Quest

15. The Natural

16. Cinderella Man

17. A League of Their Own

18. Slap Shot

19. Caddyshack

20. The Longest Yard

great articles on homosexuality and church

David Gushee is distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University; he writes for Christianity Today and Associated Baptist Press. He has written two fantastic pieces on homosexuality and the church; really some of the best I've read on the topic. I strongly urge you to read:

On homosexuality, can we at least talk about it?

and

On homosexuality, whose narrative do we believe?

I'd love to hear feedback...