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...

peace

I have a friend going through a rough time...another friend sent me this poem today. Reading the email was the highlight of my day; I sensed God's love and care for my friend, his family, the whole situation...the friend who sent the email is not a Christian, I wonder if she knows how much God has blessed me (and others) through her.

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

— Wendell Berry

evil and suffering

Got this in a forwarded email from an old friend. I often cringe when I get these. I'd love to hear some other reactions and perspectives before I share my own. Anyone?

Explanation for Evil and Suffering

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. 

They talked about so many things and various subjects. 
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
"I don't believe that God exists." 

"Why do you say that?" asked the customer. 

"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. 
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? 
Would there be abandoned children? 

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. 
I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things." 

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. 
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. 

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. 
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: 
"You know what? Barbers do not exist." 
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. 
"I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" 
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because 
if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside." 

"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me." 

"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! 

That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. 

That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world." 

six degrees of convergence

last Thursday I attended a lecture given by N.T. Wright, at Columbia Baptist Church, sponsored by Leland, my school. It was amazing; I have read a little of Wright; now I want to read it all. He talked about "Life after Life After Death," sharing thoughts from his recent book Surprised By Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.

After the lecture, the president and dean of Leland presented Bishop Wright with an honorary doctorate from Leland. It was cool to be a part of that.

I saw a lot of people I know, from different churches and contexts--it's been fascinating seeing how many people I know who know each other; and how many people connected to Convergence know other people connected to Convergence from other contexts and communities. More than ever, I really feel like a part of something big God is doing.

My friend Jay, one of our musicians at Convergence, has great insights into the good and not so good in churches. Here are some thoughts he recently shared in an email conversation about building community:

"I have kind of been learning lately that people typically build friendships around commonalities. They know people that have kids, they work in the same place, they have the same hobbies, etc. These kind of relationships are focused on the subject rather than the person. These kinds of relationships typically end when the subject is no longer shared.

 

I think it would be very easy for our relationships to be built around Convergence or even Christianity rather than the person.

 

This sort of exposes one of my biggest issues when typically dealing with Christians. You are pressured to build the relationship 'on Christ,' but this can be deceiving because we can end up building on the subject of Christ, which is essentially lifeless. What I really think the bible wants from us are true relationships that are built on the principles of Christ which direct us to have deep and real relationships. This is the actual act of building a relationship 'on Christ.' I think if we don't do this than we my not be building the true body of Christ that the bible talks about."

goodbye Danny Federici

If you're not a Bruce Springsteen fan, you probably don't know who Danny is...but for past 40 years he was a member of (IMHO) the greatest band ever--the E Street Band.

Danny died yesterday of melanoma. He was 58. You can read about it here.

This hits me hard. I love Springsteen and the E Street Band. I've seen them in concert 10 times over the last 24 years, and their music has been a major part of the soundtrack of my life.

But it also hits me hard because I thought about this yesterday--not a vision or anything like that, just a thought. I was driving home last night, listening to Springsteen, thinking about how this band has been together for most of my lifetime, and wondering what it will feel like when one of them is gone. 

Danny had died a few hours earlier, but I didn't know it yet. Freaky...that stuff almost never happens to me (unlike my mother-in-law; who has known several times when her daughters were pregnant, even before they did).

Anyway, my bizarre hunch or thought isn't really the point. We have lost a great musician, and from what I've read, a pretty great guy. My prayers are with his family and friends, and Bruce and the band.

fantastic book

just finished reading Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. You have got to read this guy. His writing is amazing, beautiful, powerful, full of meaning and life. I hear that Berry is a Christian; and this comes through in his work, not forcefully--but with subtlety and beauty.

In my limited experience, most of the "Christian" fiction out there is not very good--very little of it is true literature; usually just a cleaned up form of bestselling mystery, adventure, horror, or romance.

Sadly, I've never seen Berry's work in a Christian bookstore or heard it discussed in Christian circles (until recently, with radical, weird Christians like Josh :-))

Jayber Crow is a novel told as an autobiography. The title character is an orphan; later a man who thinks he is called to preach, then realizes he's not, becomes a barber, and settles down in the small town where he grew up. The bulk of the story is about the lives of the people in this town, and how Jayber relates to them, and the lessons he learns along the way.

Hard to explain, just a beautiful picture of life, death, love, community, and connection with God's creation.

There have been few books that moved me like Jayber Crow--I highly recommend it! Rather than try to review it, I'm going to post some excerpts over the next few days.

transforming culture

haven't said much (ok, anything really) about the symposiusm we attended in Austin, TX, a couple weeks ago on Transforming Culture: A Vision for the Church and the Arts--just been busy with the State of Convergence Address and catching up...

It was amazing, and incredibley affirming--as Lisa has said on her blog, we see more and more how what we are doing is just a piece (but an important piece) of this incredible movement God is leading. 

While there are a lot of people talking and working in this movement; there are not a lot doing these things on a local church level--especially to the degree we are--where artists and their work informs and shapes worship and our identity. Very exciting!

One highlight for me was hearing David Taylor, the man behind the whole event, share his perspective on the four primary needs of artists in the church. The four needs he shared matched the four resources that Convergence offers in Lisa's vision: space, community, professional development, and spiritual support. It was obvious God is speaking and working!

My goal this week is to complete two big projects--the worship plan for rest of 2008, and a strategy based on the 10-year vision I presented at State of Convergence.

monday, day-off, non-church post

I was watching sports center, and got the answer to a question that's been in the back of my mind for years. ok, you know when you're watching the Super Bowl, and as soon as the game ends the winning team has hats and t-shirts proclaiming them champions?Obviously, they make items for both teams...I always wondered, what happens to the stuff for the team that lost? 

Well, seems the NFL gives all those items to people in third world countries who need clothes. This year, there are a bunch of kids in Nicaragua running around with hats that say "New England Patriots, 19-0, Super Bowl Champions."

Cool that that stuff gets used, instead of trashed. That's my trivial news for today!

who is God?

Random thoughts from the week...

Today was great; a few of us worshiped at Church of the Common Table at Jammin' Java in Vienna; Jay and Amy played and sang; along with Pete, who has been jamming with our musicians. They put together some great stuff.

The service was primarily a reading from the book of Romans, done very intimately--it was really powerful. I'm looking forward to collaborating with the Common Table folks--we're going to worship together at Convergence on May 11--Pentecost Sunday, along with friends from Fairlington Presbyterian.

Some highlights: Amy sitting to my right belting it out--singing lyrics directly from her Bible as Pete and Jay played...serving and receiving communion around a circle--especially beautiful was the little boy having communion with his dad...

A few of the Common Table folks joined us at Convergence this evening, as well as some friends from Fairlington Pres. I'm really excited about joining together with other communities!

Thursday Lisa and I went to an exhibit opening for our friend Bud. Bud is vice-president of the Arlington Artists Alliance, a great home brewer, and a big Convergence supporter. I was moved to see that one of his paintings in the exhibit was titled Convergence.

Also Thursday, we hosted the first in a discussion series on "Who is God?" led by Jeff Willetts, academic dean at Leland. Based on a class at the seminary, we began examining the idea of God--without falling into the trap of using "church" language. It was a great start; looking forward to more this week.

more vision

thoughts about our facility and ways we care for others:

I see our facility filled with people...

-commuters in the morning stopping by for a cup of coffee

-people walking through the gallery, looking at art, enjoying the beauty of our lawn.

-people meeting for conversation

-using our wireless internet to work in an environment that is more inviting than the office

-people using our library to read and learn and expand their minds

I see various teams forming to carry out the work of the church:

-hospitality teams that provide refreshments, conversation, and encouragement to artists using the facility.

(along those lines, I see a beautiful lawn with flowers and plants and bences for people to sit. I see a prayer garden and a labyrinth where people can connect with God in the beauty of His creation.)

I see teams that coordinate meeting the needs of people and groups who are part of or partner with Convergence. I see a day when each group that partners with Convergence has a Church at Convergence liaison who serves as a sort of chaplain with each group.

I see a counseling center--a place for people to come for emotional and spiritual healing.

I see the Church at Convergence hosting seminars and discussions about life and faith and art, in conjunction with local churches, seminaries and colleges.

I see Convergence leaders and artists serving as consultants with other churches on how to support artists and foster creativity in church.

I see the Church at Convergence serving as a catalyst for people's passions and desires.

I see us giving artists opportunities to make those dreams become reality.

I see people learning to better love God and other people; looking for opportunities to get together and talk, listen, play, learn, work, eat, and drink.

I see a community that utilizes technology; with online discussions and blogs and creative communication among members, collaborators, and friends.

If our goal is to get people into church, we’re thinking too small. God doesn’t just want to influence people in church; he wants to influence all people. He wants to radically impact people’s lives, and He calls us to be a part of that!

God has called the Church to do this work; and while many churches are making a difference, we believe we can do more.

We believe that God is still changing the world. God isn’t limited to our decision of whether or not to carry out his mission. God isn’t waiting for us. The world around us is challenging God’s people to listen, speak and engage.

God is working in creative ways here, in and among us, as well as with other individuals and communities around the world. He is inviting us to join with him in changing our world, by finding ways to live out the Kingdom of God on earth.

We believe that He is using this church, especially as we open up and live out His love in creative and imaginative ways.

By working together to build a church that reflects the things I’ve described, we will see God change individual lives, and transform the culture itself.

As creators, artists reflect the creativity of God. They influence culture. We believe God speaks through artists, mirroring - exposing God’s heart, will, and dreams.

And as we explore this connection between faith and art, as we build a church that is totally committed to this, we are seeing God do amazing things.

convergence blogs

on the right you can see the heading "convergence blogs." These are blogs of people connected to Convergence and/or the Church at Convergence (probably didn't need to explain that, did I?)

We'd love to get more conversation going among us (and invite others to join us!)

If you're at all connected to Convergence, and have a blog, please let me know; and include links to the others on your blog, if you're willing.

thanks!

more state of convergence

Monday I talked about different gatherings I’d love to see at The Church at Convergence. Today I’ll touch on people and groups I see in this vision…

I see a church where all are welcome, where we celebrate our differences and learn from one another, rather than try to make people conform.

I see a church where our agenda is not to convert people, but to create a community that values freedom and conversation, interaction and collaboration, exploration and imagination, through it all giving God room to work in unique and creative ways.

A church like this will impact the community and culture around it. A church like this will help people see a God that loves and values them and wants a relationship with them.

I see people coming in and out of the sanctuary throughout the day to pray and meditate and spend time in silence with God.

I see people gathering in all kinds of groups:

Artists way groups where artists gather to encourage and support each other

Groups gathering to pray for each other, our community, and our world.

Spiritual formation groups where people dig into the Bible and strive to live out their faith in practical ways.

Community service groups; where people get out into our local community meeting the needs of people—feeding the hungry, cleaning our neighborhoods, tutoring kids, teaching music and art to those who can’t afford it…

Groups where people gather to read books, watch films, listen to music, then discuss the spiritual dimensions of the art they are experiencing.

I see groups led by artists that help people connect their art with spiritual practices.

I see groups meeting at pubs to drink and talk and engage people where they naturally gather.

I see people gathering for food and fellowship:

Sunday morning breakfast gatherings

Lunches throughout the week

Dinner parties

Potlucks

Cookouts

I see people working together to bring about change. I believe that God cares about the issues that people care about—poverty, hunger, illness, justice, peace, the environment. The church should be leading the way in addressing these issues in a way that honors God and loves people.

I see our people effecting change in our world, speaking out on these issures and others, supporting causes that positively impact our world.

more tomorrow--and please leave your comments, reactions, questions, ideas...

state of convergence

Sunday was an amazing night; a good number of people gathered for our first “State of Convergence” address. The idea comes from the State of the Union Address that our president gives annually.

We talked a little about where we are, and how we got here; but since we have talked about that often, we spent most of the time looking at where we are going. Lisa and I both shared our ten-year vision—Lisa about Convergnce in the larger sense; while I talked about where I see the Church at Convergence headed.

I’m going to share some of my vision here over the next few days…

Ten years from now the Church at Convergence will be a vibrant, active community filled with artists, art lovers, patrons, and creative people of all sorts engaging God, each other, the larger Convergence community, and artists all over the DC/northern VA area.

I see multiple worship gatherings throughout the week to meet diverse spiritual and scheduling needs.

I see people gathering in our beautiful sanctuary for contemplative prayer and reflection.

I see musicians hanging out in the Lab; jamming, collaborating, experimenting—worshiping God and leading others in worship with the music they have created.

I see a multi-generational worship gathering that brings families together, rather than separating them into different groups.

I see people coming together to dig into the Bible—exploring, asking, challenging, imagining, teaching, and learning from each other.

I see worship gatherings where artists of all kinds not only contribute, but lead. Gatherings where painters, sculptors, dancers, musicians, writers, actors—all worship through their art.

I see a community that is diverse—culturally, ethnically, socially, politically, theologically, economically….

I see our facility filled with people coming and going—connecting and relating—a place where one can always find a friend or fellow artist…

I’ll write more tomorrow, but would love your input and feedback!

environmental arguments

There is a lot of discussion and debate about the environment among Christians these days. Some saying we need  to take global warming seriously and really strive to take better care of God's creation. Others say we don't know enough; some even doubt that global warming is happening. Some say that God gave us the earth to use, not protect.

Here is a blog post that presents perspectives of Rob Bell and John MacArthur. Funny how people can read the same thing and see so differently--the blog author obviously agrees with MacArthur; I had the opposite take. Bell's perspective seems to me to be much more in line with my understanding of the nature of God and His creation.

I'm also really uncomfortable with MacArthur using the 2 Peter passage to justify an attitude that says we don't need to care for the planet. I know he knows the Bible far better than I, but I don't think that is anywhere near the intended point of the passage.

Anyway, read the two perspectives and tell me what you think! The environment is a topic we will be talking about at Convergence later this year.

basketball and community

This past weekend George Mason won three tournament games to claim the Colonial Athletic Association Conference Championship. (and I was there for all three--a great, but long, weekend in Richmond).

Beyond the excitement of winning the tournament, the weekend got me thinking about family, and community, and having fun.

I spent the weekend with four guys who are great friends--some who have been my friends for over 20 years. We go to the tournament every year. 

We laugh and joke and reminisce and tell stories; there is this incredible comfort level knowing we are loved and accepted unconditionally by one another. 

We make decisions together as a group the whole weekend; rarely is there any tension or conflict. (not that conflict is bad; but there is this level of unity that we have achieved over the years).

We start looking forward to this weekend for months ahead of time, because it provides an opportunity to do some things we all need:

• get away from work and responsibilities at home
  
• act like kids again
  
• laugh at ourselves and each other, in a spirit of love
  
• enjoy just being, not doing
  
• celebrating victories together (and sometimes lamenting failures)
  
• enjoying some of life's little pleasures--good food, good beer, and great basketball (is there a better sport than college basketball? I don't think so, especially after winning a championship!)
  

These are the kinds of relationships we are trying to build at Convergence; where people are loved and accepted and really like spending time together.

more richmond

one more day in Richmond--we beat UNC-Wilmington 53-41 to advance to the championship game against William and Mary tomorrow night. Go Patriots!

richmond

Louis Birdsong with a tremendous dunk

Yesterday was great--I went to Richmond with my friends Kenny, Andy, John, and Mark for the Colonial Athletic Association basketball tournament. We go down every year, kind of a guys' getaway. It's usually a weekend of great food and beer, reminiscing about our college days, and going horse yelling for GMU.

Mark drove down while Johnny played dj with Mark's ipod. We had lunch at Legends; the weather was lousy on the way down, but cleared up enough for us to have lunch on the patio. 

The game was great--we took a big lead in the first half; but had to fight to keep them from coming back; final was 63-52. We always top off the night by walking to a seedy pizza place for a couple slices.

After breakfast at the 3rd Street Diner; we're relaxing and reading the paper, getting ready for tonight's semi-final game against UNC-Wilmington.

I've tried to start using this blog to talk about spiritual things--while this post may not seem like it, it is. These annual treks are a great example of true community. These guys are like brothers to me. The traditions we have built over the years are very important to each of us. We look forward to the break from everyday life for months; and have fun the entire weekend. 

That's important. When was the last time you took a weekend, or even a day, devoted to nothing but having fun? If it's been a while, get our calendar out and schedule a day.

my back hurts

ok, pretty self-centered title; sorry about that. Yesterday was a really long, hard day, but also a really good one. A, one of the ladies in our church, had cancer surgery. The surgery went well, but she is probably facing a painful recovery and chemotherapy.

I was at the hospital most of the day, waiting with her family. The good part was having conversation with different relatives, talking about our kids, listening to the stories and adventures of A's life and family.

It's never fun to be with people when they are in anxious situations like surgery; but it is encouraging to see and experience the spirit of God as people gather and tell their stories and put their trust in God when they are afraid.

almost forgot--the back pain came from spending most of the day in chairs that were side by side, and conversing with people next to me rather than in front of me. I spent much of the day with my head turned one way or the other; and have a wicked pain in my neck and upper back today...but when I think of my friend with cancer, seems pretty trivial.

please pray for A--for quick recovery and that cancer is contained.

new york

sorry for the lack of posts lately; the past week was a blur. Lisa and I went to New York Thursday for the International Arts Movement gathering. It was fantastic. Here is IAM's vision:

IAM gathers artists and creative catalysts to wrestle with the deep questions of art, faith and humanity in order to inspire the creative community to engage the culture that is and create the world that ought to be.

It was so cool hearing what folks there are thinking and talking about and trying to do--the parallels with Convergence are amazing. It was really affirming to us that God is doing something new and exciting, and has called us to be a part of that. 

Over the next few days I'll post different thoughts about our time in New York...more later.

lent and chocolate

We're about halfway through the season of Lent. Lent is not a common practice in many Baptist churches; and I didn't plan well enough for us to really observe it at Convergence; but I did talk a little about it Sunday...

I gave up chocolate for lent this year. A really big deal for me. I love chocolate. I've done pretty well--there have been a couple times when I almost ate some--not on purpose, but just because I forgot. Which tells me I may not be thinking and praying about this very well...

I've also been trying to practice silence more--being still and silent in prayer (my friend Josh's idea). It's been really good. 

Talking about silence and listening in church, and practicing it more myself, is preparing me for Easter.  Meditating on his death and resurrection is helping me to think more about the idea of expectation, anticipation, longing for connection with Jesus. 

I feel like I'm closer to Him than ever--I'm trying to live in an attitude of prayer most of the time. It is easier when things are good--and these days I experience his love in much of my life--my family, my job, my friends...(it does get tougher when I'm tired and grumpy; but that's life...)

Lisa and I leave for NY early tomorrow; we're going to the International Arts Movement conference. Should be really good! But I already miss my family. (GMU has a late game; so I'm staying at my friend Kenny's house tonight).  

more on belonging to God

OK, yesterday I wrote about belonging to God, and realize some may read my opening as contrasting belonging to God with having right theology and doctrine...and I'm sure many would say you can't belong to God without right theology and doctrine.

that's just not an argument I want to get into. My point was that we often make too much of making sure people are right, to the detriment of helping people to be loving. I think God wants us to be learning and growing...but I think it saddens Him that so many Christians are spending so much time and energy critiquing and criticizing each other, because they don't agree on theology and doctrine.

I want to know God more intimately; I want to understand His heart and mind and perspective as much as possible. But I don't want to set myself as the judge of others; and it burns me when others try to do so. God is big enough to help us know what He wants us to know. 

I think we should pursue truth, but even more we need to love and serve and give. We need to look for what God is doing and get in on it. There is way too much poverty and hunger and oppression and slavery and illness and death and violence and war in our world. In light of that, most of our debates over theological interpretation seem trivial to me.

I hope that when this life is over and I'm completely in God's presence I'll get the answers to my questions; until then, I need to spend my life caring for others.

belonging to God

Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.

John 8:47

Belonging to God. Not having the right theology. Not having the right doctrine. Not having all the answers. Belonging to God. If I belong to Him; then I hear him. I get really irritated when I hear or read people who have it all figured out, and are critical of those who don't agree with them (probably way too irritated).

Although I'm sure they don't mean to, their attitude often seems to communicate that God belongs to them, rather than they belong to God. I mean their idea or understanding of God must be captured and defined and then held up as a standard to which all others must agree and comply.

But I think belonging to God is completely different. It's all about being His child. It's first about receiving His unconditional love. It's about loving and seeking and reaching out to Him. Being held and loved and cared for by Him. I don't get everything about God. I don't understand a lot about the state of the world and God's role in it; i.e. evil and suffering. 

But I trust that He is here. I might not always "get" Him, but I belong to Him. I experience His love in countless ways--through the joys of life with Him--my family, my home, my friends, my faith community, my books, my music...

He created me. He is working on me. He loves me--when I'm right or wrong. When I'm wise or clueless. I am His. I belong to Him. And although it's often scary, I think I hear Him more and more.

how God speaks

Sermon on the Mount by Gerald Shepherd

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

Hebrews 1:1-3

God's greatest form of communication is not the Bible--it's His son. Jesus. John says Jesus is the Word of God.

In human form He brings the message that God tried to communicate to his people for thousands of years. He fulfills the law that God gave His people, that they couldn’t obey.  

Jesus is the Word of God, He embodies all that God wants to communicate to us. The Bible is where we go to learn about the life of Jesus.

God speaks to us through Jesus, especially the words and actions of Jesus, that we read in the New Testament. If we want to know God’s heart, God’s desires, God’s plans, God’s wishes, God’s perspective…we’ve got to know Jesus.

We've got to read His words, and learn about the events of His life. We’ve got to let His words and thoughts enter and fill us. We’ve got to meditate and ponder and pray—and as we do that, we listen, and allow His spirit to speak to us.

If we want to hear God through Jesus, a great place to start is Matthew 5-7, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.  

Here He summarized beautifully what God has to say to us. The bottom line is to love God and love people. We can spend hours dissecting that, asking exactly what does that look like for us as individuals, and as a church; but that's the starting point. Love God, and love people. If everything we do meets the criteria of those commands; we can’t go wrong. 

As we ponder how God speaks; I am challenged to really make time and space in my life to listen and just be with Jesus. I sometimes get so caught up in ministry and theology, that I miss out on the real experience of connecting with Jesus, my savior, my creator, my friend, my father. I am reminded over and over that it always comes back to silence--making time to be present with Him.

hearing God

We've been talking about the importance of listening to God; being present with Him, silent before Him.

This week we started talking about hearing Him. If we're silent, if we're open, if we're making space in our lives to listen; what does it look or sound like when He speaks? How do we hear His voice? How do we know it's His voice we're hearing?

Again, in worship this week, I encouraged us to spend some time in the questions, rather than look for quick answers. One question we ask is "What am I listening for?" (Or to be grammatically correct--"For what am I listening?")

Am I listening only for specific answers to specific questions? Or am I simply listening because God is there, speaking, working, loving, reaching out?

Instead of coming to God only with specific questions or problems or requests, I need to go to God open to hear what He is saying, looking for how He is working in my life, seeking His perspective instead of my own. I need to ask for what He wants, rather than telling Him what I want.

If prayer is about more than just asking and answering, if it's about connecting and communicating with God, them I need to approach Him without an agenda, with more than my prayer list; I need to approach Him truly open for whatever He has to say.

Over the next few days I'll look at some Scripture passages we looked at while talking about this.

Wendell Berry--my new favorite writer

I just finished A World Lost by Wendell Berry. Wow. The best book I've read in a long time. He is an amazing writer; writes the most poetic prose I've ever read. I'm eager to read all of his work.

Rather than write a lot; I encourage you to look at this website--all about his works, life, reviews, blogs, discussions,etc.

thanks to Josh and Seth for recommending him!

prayer--just being

There is a significant difference between doing and being; and recognizing that difference can have a big impact on our prayer. Life, especially in this area, is busy. We are always doing, and therefore become more comfortable with it.

At work we do all day. At home, we work on the house or yard, cook or clean; when we stop, we watch TV or listen to music.

We tend to do the same thing in church--always doing something--praying, singing, reading, listening, talking--we spend our time doing things, rather than being present with God.

Sometimes the best thing we can do for God and our relationship with Him is NOTHING. Sometimes we just need to be present with God.

Prayer is an attitude of God-consciousness and God-surrender that we carry with us at all times. I want to live every waking moment with an awareness that God is with me and that he is actively involved and engaged in my thoughts and actions. 

God wants to hear our thoughts, fears, questions, desires, feelings...but before we take our stuff to Him, we need to take time to be still and silent before Him--just listening; just being.

election

Ok, I don’t want to get all political, but I have to say that yesterday was profound. I voted in the VA primary, and it was the first time in over a decade that I was really excited about voting for a presidential candidate. 

As a pastor I try to be accessible to all people; and don't want to say things that will put up walls. I respect people, even with different opinions and perspectives--heck, my wife and I rarely agree when it comes to politics, and I love and respect her deeply.

Anyway, I am excited about the history being made here. There is a good chance we will have our first female or African American president. There is a good chance that our next president will take steps to get us out of the civil war in Iraq. These are exciting possibilities to me.

It is so rewarding to participate in this process. In the midst of a hard week, voting gave me a lot of joy and hope.

more thoughts on prayer

One theme, probably the main theme, throughout the Bible is that God wants to be in relationship with  us. He knows us and wants us to know Him. He loves us and wants us to love Him. He communicates with us and wants us to communicate with Him.

Prayer is the primary way that communication happens. It is how we know and hear and talk to God.

If we believe that God is God and I am not; then the thing we should do most is listen. God has a lot more figured out than I do. How am I going to know God, and learn from Him, if all I do is talk to Him, telling Him what I want and think and feel?

If prayer is going to help us know and hear God, we've got to shut up and listen. We've got to stop going to Him with an agenda each time and just be with Him.

I love being with my children. We don't have to do anything, just being with them is pure joy...listening to my 21 month old sing, hum, try new words...watching my 5 month old smile and giggle when I talk to him...holding my pre-teen daughter when she is hurting or upset..I love just being with them.

God wants the same with us--to just be with us. To be by our side as we walk through life. Prayer happens when we are as aware of Him as He is of us; when we acknowledge Him and live life with Him. It isn't always doing anything in particular; it happens when His spirit and ours come together.

VOTE!

OK, last post of the day. Don't forget to vote! I recently found out that in VA, you don't have to be registered as a Democrat or Republican to vote in the primary. As long as you are a registered voter, you can choose which primary to vote in. 

So go make a difference in this historic election year!

read this blog

You really need to read this blog--unwordable words. He echoes a lot of my thoughts; but much more eloquently! It's great (but really long--give yourself some time)

a couple excerpts:

"if the church isn't ready to start hitting the issues with explanations based outside of our cultural mindset as well as being willing to dive deeper, the church could die..."

"in order to live a life that embodies the Gospel, we must dive deeper into the scripture than the standard sunday morning message and apply scripture to our lives, rather than applying our situation and culture to interpret scripture."

why pray?

Two weeks ago at Convergence we invited people to give their questions about prayer; the most common was "why pray?" So last night we talked about that. 

We had a small crowd; so I thought I'd post some of what we talked about. I'll probably do it a little at a time throughout the week.

One of the things we are trying to do is move beyond the common answers. In recent years I have been examining some of the things I was taught years ago and continued to hold onto without thinking (how to read the Bible, how salvation works, nature of prayer, church, that Jesus is a republican...)

I have also become aware of the huge divide between the conversation we usually have in church, and the conversations I have in seminary classes, and with others in ministry.

In church we often try to address a topic in an hour; or if it's really big, in a series over a few weeks. Either way, the goal often seems to be to figure out whatever we're talking about; and by then end of the sermon or series, we act as if we now have all the answers and move on to something else.

But in class, we talk about a topic for two hours a week for four months; and still don't have it figured out. We dig a lot deeper and really wrestle with Scripture, history, different understanding and interpretations. We also learn to work and think for ourselves, rather than just telling people what they should believe. (I want to do the same as a pastor).

Now I know church is not seminary. But I do think it would be good for our discussions to go a little deeper; for us to be more real and honest with questions, and not just settle for simple answers. 

One gentleman expressed concern that we not make Christianity more mysterious than it is--wanting to be careful to not be like cults that elevate secrecy and mystery.

I understand that; but I think in our context the greater challenge is to not simplify the Bible or our faith. The Bible is full of mystery. It's not a simple how-to-live-life manual. 

The fact that we found 366 verses that mention prayer; and that we had a lot of great questions come out of that, tells me there is a lot to dig through to understand this one topic. People have been studying the Bible for 2000 years and still can't agree on it. We need to dig in, and keep at it.

So we're not going to be afraid to get our hands dirty. We're going to dig deeper, discuss, ask hard questions, and most of all practice prayer in the coming weeks; not just to figure it all out, but to encourage and challenge each other on the journey of living life with God and one another.

death and life

Thursday I attended the funeral of a gentleman who passed away after a nine year battle with cancer. I did not know Alman well; we saw each other once or twice a year for the last few years; but he was one you remember. He had a dry sense of humor and was always fun to talk with. 

I went to visit him about a week before he died. I was nervous on my way to his home; not knowing how alert he would be; what we would talk about. Although he looked very thin; his eyes were the same--full of life and wit.

He joked about feeling like the pope, the way people were coming one after another to visit him, most probably feeling uncomfortable. What do you say to a man who is going to die soon?

I have been in enough similar situations to know that the best thing is to just be real and natural, and most of all, listen. We talked about basketball--Alman was a UNC alumn. 

On the wall behind the sofa where Alman sat was a print of Rembrandt's The Prodigal Son. I don't know a lot of art, but knew that one. Henry Nouwen wrote a wonderful book based on the painting. Turns out Alman had read the book as well, in fact said it was one he went back and reread periodically. 

So we talked about the painting, and the book, about how the main idea is that at different times in life we are like all three characters in the story--the prodigal son, returning home after living selfishly; the father, forgiving and welcoming his son; and the older brother, jealous of his forgiven brother.

For just a few moments I felt so connected to this man who accomplished a great deal in this life, and by all accounts was an honorable, loving, Godly man. It felt strange to walk out knowing it was the last time I would see him. I was taken back to my father's death, and then thoughts of my own death. 

I don't really have any profound thoughts. I believe in heaven; although I don't know what it's going to be like--I think our modern supposings are more hopeful than accurate--I think it's something beyond what we can even imagine...

but being around death usually challenges me to live more now--be more present with my kids and my wife; try harder to enter the lives of the people I do church with; most of all it challenges me to connect with God, to seek Him, be with Him.

One of the ways I'm trying to do that these days is through silent prayer; just being with Him and listening to Him. So I go back to the beginning of this post and enter a time of prayer where I contemplate this beautiful painting, and the love of God behind it.

nature writing

I'm part of a writing circle that meets weekly, led by my friend Nina. Nina is great; she gets me thinking and writing like I haven't in years. 

Today we wrote about nature. Nina showed us a picture of a beautiful beach and asked us to write. (It wasn't one of these, but close enough). Below is what I wrote in response to the image.

Why do I see images of places that I long to go to, be in, experience, live in; yet I stay here, in a city that I don’t really love, that feels heavy and crowded and busy and rushed.

I love the beach and blue water and mountains and trees and waterfalls. Why do I live in a place that doesn’t really have any of that? I look at pictures like this and am filled with longing. I remember times when I have visited places filled with such beauty.

Sanibel Island. We vacationed there three years ago, and it was wonderful. White sand, cool water, waves, shells, amazing seafood. We spent days walking on the beach gathering shells, biking along paths, looking at incredible plants and flowers and trees and animals.

One morning I got up and rode to a local coffee shop to get some work done. I imagined that I was a famous writer, that I lived on the island, and spent my mornings writing in the coffee shop; listening to the stories of both locals and tourists.

Then I thought, why couldn’t I just find a job in a place like this, and be in beautiful surroundings all the time? Would I grow weary of the beauty of nature if I lived there? Would I tire of the beach and ocean? Would it lose it’s mystery and magic?

I don’t know, but I would like to find out. I’m starting to think that life is too short to wait to try and risk and experiment and pursue dreams.

Then I realize that is a lot of what we are doing here at Convergence. We are trying to risk and experiment and pursue dreams. I love what I am doing. I think it’s just the location or setting that I wish were different.

My life has been marked by moves to new places. Maybe there is another one not too far off—and maybe next time I will look at the world around me and choose someplace that grabs my desires and dreams the way this beach does.

confession

What a night. I just finished watching probably the second greatest upset I've ever seen, as the NY Giants beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl (the greatest upset was Mason beating Connecticut to advance to the Final Four in 2006)...

But the highlight of my night was dinner and communion at Convergence. We had our first annual chili cook-off. Our panel of expert judges chose my friend Jason and my step-father Jerry as the winners! There was some great chili!

Dinner was great, then we moved into a time of prayer and reflection, focusing on confession. I'm afraid it's an act that we don't take seriously enough; but scripture addresses it often.

I encouraged people to confess their sins to God; and we gave them the opportunity to express confession creatively, by writing or painting. We also had communion tonight. 

Jamie and I prayed and took communion together; it was powerful. I had to confess I haven't been very loving lately; but sharing that worship experience tonight was very healing. 

It was really cool watching people pray, paint, write, take communion, listen to music--worshiping in individual ways; yet together as a community.

what is prayer?

We have discussion/practice times on Sunday nights; usually about different spiritual disciplines or practices. Sunday night we talked about prayer. I talked about how our Sunday discussions were usually pretty surface, with a lot of "church" talk, and not a lot of honest, deep conversation.

When it comes to prayer, we usually fall back on the definitions we learned as young Christians; and our practice of prayer often reflects that. It was obvious that most people had a pretty big gap between what they thought prayer should look like in their lives and the reality of it.

I said we were going to learn as beginners; not depend on the easy answers we've always clung to.

I challenged us to be more real and open; starting with our questions. I told everyone we would discuss questions tonight; not answers. That was hard for a lot of us, but really good.

I had people write their thoughts and questions anonymously rather than discuss. I was amazed at the results!

We started by writing out what we thought prayer was, how it works, and why we do it. We got very diverse answers; which told us that we are often on different pages when it comes to language. Even a seemingly obvious word like prayer means so many different things to different people!

Then we looked at Scriptures with the words "pray" or "prayer," to get a sense of how diversely the word is used there. Then we wrote our questions, doubts, confusions about prayer. Here are a few responses:

• Why does God want us to pray? (Amazing how many people said this...I realized that a lot of us pray, and say it's important, but don't really know why)
  
• Why is it OK to pray for revenge against enemies in the Old Testament yet we are told to pray for enemies in the New Testament?
  
• Are formulaic prayers acceptable to God?
  
• Does God change his mind when we pray?
  
• Why does the OT contain so many answered "I want revenge" prayers? How do we reconcile this in light of "do unto others?"
  
• "Ask and it shall be given to you" doesn't seem to be completely literal, because I've asked, but it hasn't always been given.
  
• How long do we pray for the same thing?
  

This is just a sampling. I was glad that people were so honest; now the challenge is to begin digging into these questions. Several people said they were really excited about the conversation, and where it goes from here.

We spent some time praying; and I said that one of the ways we will learn more about prayer is by actually doing more, both individually and as a community. I felt like the evening was a big step in where we are headed!

life and death

Been thinking a lot about death lately. The Sean Taylor murder a few months ago hit me hard. It's always shocking when a young person dies--we just happen to notice the celebrities--like Heath Ledger the other day. 

Yesterday I spent a little time with a gentleman who is dying of cancer--his doctors have told him he has a few weeks; maybe days. I have several friends and relatives of friends dealing with cancer...

There are times like this when I think about the fragility of life, the inevitability of death, the enormous, incomprehensible idea of eternity; and I feel pretty small.

As a pastor, I know people are looking to me with similar thoughts and struggles. And while I don't necessarily have answers, I realize how important it is to provide opportunities for people to talk and ask questions and just be together in the midst of all this.

At the same time, these thoughts cause me to turn to my children. I realize how precious each minute with them is. Tonight was boys night--my wife and daughter were out so I was home with the boys. I spent some time just holding them and loving on them. 

This Sunday we will talk about prayer at Convergence. I'm still putting my thoughts together; but I want to direct a conversation that is real and honest. I think we often try to explain prayer and how it works, and by doing so miss its power and beauty. But while the Bible says a lot about prayer, I don't think it makes it easy or maybe even possible to come up with a systematic answer of how and why to pray. 

It's late at night; and there is a lot more to it than this; but right now I'm thinking the bottom line is to simply spend time with God--apart from our requests, regardless of results or outcomes--prayer is simply listening to and spending time with God. For most of us, it always seems to turn to asking.

check out some great music

Please check out 7 Sopranos, led by Convergence's Cynthia Cole. They will be performing at Convergence on February 8 and 9-don't miss it!

I'm not an expert on jazz; but I know what I like. Christina Crerar has an amazing voice; and music that I love listening to! We're hoping that Christina will be singing at Convergence in the near future.

read this

OK, my partner Lisa just wrote a really beautiful piece about our jazz service. You have to read this. Now I am challenged to be as eloquent. Probably not going to happen today.

We are both going to try to blog about topics related to Convergence, arts, the Church, etc.

random sunday thoughts

Another great weekend at Convergence. Saturday we had a meeting with different people and groups who use our facility. We expected about 8 people; over 20 showed up! We had great discussion and got to know some folks better.

Thank you so much to friends from Valley Drive Preschool, Songwriters Association of Washington, Arlington Artists Alliance, Northern VA Chinese Christian Church, 7 Sopranos, Nina Sichel, Club Tiger Productions,

We then had a work day--doing some cleaning and organizing. Most of the folks from the meeting stayed to help. I sensed a wonderful spirit of community among a diverse group of people. We are really seeing the original dream and vision lived out more and more.

Last night Jay Smith, Convergence musician of Middle Distance Runner fame, hosted a great concert with his Club Tiger Productions.

Tonight Never in Denver led us in a wonderful worship time at our monthly Jazz at the Vespers.

Great things are happening at Convergence!

feedback is good

I'm emotionally and spiritually exhausted. It's been a busy year so far (I know, it's only been two weeks--but I feel like I've been running the whole time)...lot's of good stuff, but lots to do.

I had lunch with a good friend who is also a pastor, and he gave me some really good constructive criticism. Not fun to hear, but very helpful. I realize that I need to step up as a leader; do something we talk a lot about--take risks.

I also realize that we need help. I have tried to do too much on my own, and not asked others to help us enough. I want to work on that.

I need to get back to work. I feel like I have about 10 hours worth of work to do, and only about 2 more hours today. I'll start with some prayer.

"dreaming of a church where..."

as a young church; we are constantly reading, listening, talking, exploring what other churches and leaders are doing to create the best community possible to love and minister to people. I'm currently reading Doug Pagitt's Church-Re-Imagined.

Doug is getting a lot of press these days; and is being branded a heretic by some. That's ridiculous. I've met Doug, had some great conversation with him, read and listened to a lot of his stuff. Bottom line for me--the man loves Jesus, loves people, and wants to help foster God's kingdom here and now. (I will not join the debate over Doug's theology--I tend to agree with a lot of what he says; but realize that those who don't aren't interested in conversation, just debate).

Anyway, in Church Re-Imagined, Doug starts off with a list of things that Solomon's Porch (Doug's church) desires to be..."We Dream of a Church Where..."

number one is "We listen to and are obedient to God"

I like it. One concern I have with a lot of evangelicals today is the idea that God is done speaking, and what needs to be communicated is their interpretation of what God said in the past. On that last point--we need to be very discerning and know there is often a difference between what God has said, and what people interpret God to have said.

I'll talk more about Scripture in the future, but for now let me say that it is obvious to me that the Bible is vibrant and alive and mysterious and scary and encouraging all at the same time. The more I know it, the more I realize I don't know it. I will spend the rest of my life wrestling with it and growing in it...But I do believe God has spoken through it in the past, does today, and will in the future--though not always in the ways we have learned or assumed.

I believe God is still speaking--through people, through His Spirit, through the events of our world, and through the Bible...While God himself may not change--our perceptions and understandings of Him do, as we grow and experience Him in different ways. We can't be obedient to God if we're not listening to Him in the now. I'm scared and excited that listening to God and being obedient to Him is an ongoing learning process; not something to be figured out and solved.

enjoying the journey

It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters, in the end.

Ursula Le Guin

Sometimes in "church work" we get so focused on the goals that we kind of gloss over what's going on right now. I have a lot of hopes and ideas of where Convergence will be in the future; but I really want to enjoy where we are now as well. We are building such a beautiful picture of community, of family--one I've never experienced in an institutional church.

I keep remembering a conversation last night, after a beautiful worship service, where about 5 of us were standing around talking and laughing. No one was trying to impress anyone else; we were talking honestly about life and death and family problems; but it was so cool to hear people sharing and listening and being able to laugh about life.

Now things aren't perfect--we desperately need to start raising more money--a lot of it...and I still drop balls and make mistakes and forget all kinds of stuff. And sometimes people do stuff that I just get.

But I love what I'm doing. I love the people that are giving and sacrificing because they see how important this thing called Convergence is. And I love the atmosphere when we gather--holy and down to earth, solemn and silly, truly authentic. I really believe God is doing something new and unique and really important. It's exciting and humbling to be a part of it!