road trip day 3

Got up today and had breakfast at the hotel; it's not easy getting everyone up and dressed and to the dining room on time; so J made about 10 trips bringing cereal, waffles, eggs, juice, etc. to the room.

We went for a swim at the hotel, then went to Grandma's for lunch--had barbecue from Center Point Barbecue--really good.

The boys napped in the afternoon, so we relaxed. Met Aunt Sharon for dinner at Opry Mills Mall (I'm still mad that they tore down Opry Land to build a shopping mall)...

Sharon took us to dinner at The Aquarium. The boys loved the atmosphere--incredible sea life in this enormous aquarium in the middle of the restaurant, and the seafood was fantastic. B had a blast walking around the aquarium, looking at all the fish, talking to other kids...We got some cool souvenirs for the kids.

After dinner we walked around the mall, got an aqua massage--really cool. Went to the Bass Pro Shop, J was in heaven.

Late night, but very much worth it.

road trip day 1 and 2

We made it to Nashville. Day one was good; made pretty good time. The kids watched movies, we sang songs, and played Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? (I wasn't). The baby slept a lot.

My sweet wife almost got in a fight at a rest stop where we ate lunch. A guy started mowing the grass and shot dirt and grass all over us. I thought J was going to knock the guy off his John Deere; but she restrained herself and politely told him how she felt. He apologized.

The highlight was crossing into Tennessee and getting Krystal's for dinner. If you've never had a Krystal--you need to next time you're in the South--great hamburgers (and small--you need to eat at least 4). They were just as good for breakfast today!

Last night we stopped in Bulls Gap, TN (about halfway between Bristol and Knoxville) to spend the night. The toddler had a rough night--didn't want to go to sleep, or stay asleep. J was exhausted and frustrated, finally climbed into the pack-n-play with B. I opened my big mouth before I thought and said, "I don't think that thing is meant to support your weight." not too smart.

But overall, day one was good.

Day two was even better...got a late start--but we're committed to relaxing--not rushing--on this trip. Stopped for lunch at a really nice rest area. B saw a butterfly and started following, so I followed him--all over the place. I love watching him so excited about the world around him. Later on he saw a young bird that was hopping more than flying, and followed it for a while.

We walked up the hill to where the trucks parked and watched the 18 wheelers drive in and out. Whenever a truck drove out, B and I would wave to the drivers--several of them blew their horns for B--he loved it!

Got into Nashville around 4, unloaded and unpacked, then want to my grandmother's for dinner; wonderful time. She is in her late 80's and met the boys for the first time; it was sweet watching B hug and kiss her! Also had a great visit with Aunt Sheila.

The day ended with daughter and I going for a late-night swim here at the hotel. While traveling, most of our attention is on the boys, so I feel A often gets the short end. It was great to spend time with her tonight! off to bed!

read this poem

You must read this beautiful poem by my friend Amy.

my friend is famous

Check out this HBO commercial--the music is my friend Jay's Band, Middle Distance Runner.

great video

you've got to check this out; from JibJab, the guys who did great videos during the last elections.

last week is over/yesterday was great!

thank God, last week is over. I blogged last week about how rough it was--it kept up through Sunday.

we rent space at Convergence to a preschool; but realize it's time to take back the space they use so that we can better fulfill our mission. Sunday we met with their leaders to tell them we were going to give them one more year on their lease. 

I knew they would be upset, and expected them to plead with us; but wasn't prepared for the anger and accusations. I don't want to replay any of that now; I just say that to explain that I went into worship Sunday afternoon feeling like crap.

(New rule, no more 4 pm meetings on Sunday!)

It was the final in a series of meetings and conversations over the last 5 days that were really hard. I hate hurting or upsetting people; and seems I had to do it several times...

but worship turned out good (you can read about it here.) I was so grateful for the support of our leaders, who walked through some of the difficulties with Lisa and me, and really encouraged us.

So I went into my day off Monday really needing a change; and I got it. Yesterday was one of those "best days." We went to Kings Dominion, with low expectations because of a forecast of thunderstorms; but it was sunny all day, almost a perfect day. 

the crowd was small; so we never had to wait for rides. Brady rode his first roller coaster; had a blast. We rode rides and splashed in the waterpark. Brady got a kick just watching the drop zone over and over.

it was so fun watching him walk around, gazing in wonder at the sights around him. All day I felt so much joy, just being with my family. 

Ashley brought a friend and both were really good all day.

We didn't expect to stay too long; but didn't leave till almost 10 pm. I was exhausted; but it was worth it!

rough week

it's been a really rough week; with some really good times interspersed. I shouldn't get into a lot of detail; but had to make some decisions and had some conversations that were very hard; had big impact on other people, hurt some people's feelings, disappointed some...

I tried to do everything well; but know I know I made some mistakes along the way. I just felt several times throughout the week like the grim reaper--the bearer of bad news.

it was pretty exhausting spiritually and emotionally. 

but I also had some good times...great time with Bud, lunch downtown and a visit to the Studio Gallery...Elise gave a fantastic lecture on The Artist and Faith in Community. Afterward several of us hung out at Lisa's house and had great conversation about worship. At times like that I really feel God's presence realize how special this faith community is.

Also had special time with my boys, got a few things done at work, and watched some good TV (finished season 1 of Deadwood.)

A lot to do in the coming week, then we're on vacation--Nashville, Lake Martin, AL, and Atlanta. Should be a great road trip!

a classy move

Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards signed a new contract for $111 million over six years, even though the Wizards offered him $127 million. He took less money so the team would have more to pay other players.

"What can I do for my family with $127 million that I can't do for $111 million?" asked Arenas.

wow. makes sense to me. Great to see a top professional athlete more concerned with his team than himself. 

I still think it's ridiculous what we pay athletes.

don't miss this!

starting next week at Convergence--this will be a great opportunity to see where we are headed in some areas and how important this is to our community and our world.

The Artist and Faith in Community

Artist in Residence, Elise Edwards, will lead a series of lecture and discussion groups in July on the theme of the Artist and Faith in Community. 
This series is free and open to the public. 
Thursdays, July 10, 17 & 24 at  7:00 pm

 

Discussion Topics:

^{-What is the place of the artist in Christian community?}

^{-Worship Planning and the Design Process}

^{-The Connection Between Art, Faith and Civic Engagement}

Elise is an architect and designer. She holds an MTS degree from the John Leland Center for Theological Studies and is a Ph.D. student at Claremont Graduate School in Claremont CA. Elise is also a founding member of Convergence and the designer of our renovation projects.

update and random thoughts

after a crazy couple of weeks, Monday was a great day. We did a little housework in the morning, set up Jamie's new iMac (my macbook seems puny now!), and spent the afternoon relaxing and playing with our boys.

It was the best day I've had in a long time, just relaxing and recharging and enjoying my beautiful family!

Watching season 1 of Deadwood. The language is rough, but like most HBO series, has incredible writing and acting.

Interesting article about Bruce Springsteen and spirituality at the Washington Post. 

Last week I got tickets to see him next month in Richmond with my friend Kenny. Can't wait!

work is good--we continue to meet new people, and the sense of community and intimacy is growing. I really look forward to Sunday afternoons these days.

Josh and Shey are home now; Rowan is doing well. Please keep praying for Shey--still having back problems.

Had lunch with my friend Chris yesterday; he reminded me fantasy football is not far off--hooray!

time for dinner...

challenging time

This is a really challenging season in life. I have four dear friends (two couples) dealing with serious marriage trouble...several friends struggling with depression...two sick boys, and a wife who isn’t sleeping much, exhausted from running our home…one of my favorite people is in the midst of chemotherapy...one of my best friends is a new dad, but both mom and baby are dealing with health issues...another close friend, moving toward marriage, recently hit a huge bump in the road...another friend whose mother is dying. 

So many people I care about are really hurting and struggling. One of my strengths is being compassionate and sympathetic…but it can also be a weakness…taking the weight of all these burdens of the people I love.

I feel heavier than I have in a long time. I am behind on several projects at work, garden full of weeds, much yard work to do; home office is covered with piles and stacks that need to be gone through. Church—more people I want to spend time with than I have time.

But I will not despair. My problems really aren't that big. And through it all, I have experienced God's presence like never before. This idea of whole-life worship we have been exploring has become very real to me. So I hold onto God, the one constant in life.

blog changes

I'm taking back my blog...I started this a couple years ago; then switched it to be a blog about Convergence...but I realize there are things I want to write about that aren't as applicable to church (like my masterful post on the greatest sports movies of all time.)

So this blog will go back to being more about me, my faith journey, my family and friends, and my observations about life, God, sports, books, movies, and music.

We will have one Convergence blog--Lisa and I will both contribute, as well as guest writers. You can find it here. 

thanks for hanging out here--and please give me your feedback!

tc

I pray because...

Over the last few months we've talked a lot about prayer, and done a lot of praying. While we have just scratched the service as far as answering questions about prayer, our practice of prayer has made a great impact on our community. It has been very encouraging for me personally.

We will continue to make prayer a primary part of who we are and what we do, and look for opportunities to continue the conversation. 

The most common question discussed was "why do we pray?" Many of us have done it for years, because we were taught it was crucial for Christians. But it's also one of those things that we do without really thinking much about it. We had some great conversation about this, and while I don't know if we found any revolutionary answers, it did challenge me to think about why I pray. Here are some of my thoughts:

I pray because I know I can't make life work on my own.

I pray because I need to be connected to more than just what I can see and touch.

I pray because I need to know that I am not alone.

I pray because I have seen God work supernaturally, in my life and the lives of others.

I pray because I gain strength and insight when I do.

I pray because sometimes at midnight, God is the only one listening.

I pray because the Bible, full of wisdom and insight into God and humankind, tells me it is crucial.

I pray because it helps me feel God's presence.

I pray because I love God.

I pray because I believe God loves me.

gay marriage protester rant

Yesterday the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriages. (read about it here.) Two elderly lesbians, icons of the gay-rights movement who had been together for over 50 years, were the first couple married Monday evening by San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom.

Protesters outside the courthouse carried signs that read "Re-criminalize Sodomy" and "God Hates Lying Sinners."

One protester said, "I think God is going to destroy this nation, not just...California. Look at all our jobs, our jobs are going overseas. God is judging this nation. It's going to get worse."

Not really sure what this guy is saying...God is sending our jobs overseas because gay people get married? interesting. What is He doing because of all the straight people getting divorced?

As a Christian, I am brokenhearted by people who wave signs announcing God's hatred. How does that help anyone? Do people believe anyone is going to be drawn toward God by that? 

I also think that we get so caught up in issues that we forget behind all this are people. People with families and feelings and dreams. People with jobs and friends, and yes, even people who love God.

I'm not telling you to be in favor of gay marriage. (But I'm not telling you to be against it either). that's my rant for today.

thirsting for God

O God, you are my God,

  earnestly I seek you;

  my soul thirsts for you,

  in a dry and weary land

  where there is no water.

I have seen you in the sanctuary

  and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,

  my lips will glorify you.

--Psalm 63:1-3

We spent time in worship practicing some of the spiritual disciplines we've learned recently--Lectio Divina, breath prayer, Daily Examen...I spent time in Psalm 63:1-3, specifically the phrase "My soul thirsts for you."

I don't often feel that way. I want to. This past week I spent some time listening to the soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar.

When I was a kid, my parents had the album. I remember listening to it over and over, there was such power in the songs.

I recently got a copy on CD and spent some time listening to it while driving--and had a very powerful sense of worship. The lyrics and the music took me into the events of the last week of Jesus' life like nothing has in a long time. Some of the songs, especially those sung by Mary Magdalene, convey a longing for Jesus that I yearn for.

Some of the songs sound very "70's," but most hold up surprisingly well 35 years later. I highly recommend taking a listen! 

Leland graduation

today was a good day, at the end of a heavy week. Please pray for my friends Josh and Shey. They had a baby Tuesday, Rowan, but Shey is having severe back problems, and has been in serious pain for over a week. Rowan is in the hospital at UVA, his lungs were weak but are getting better. Today Shey was transferred to the hospital at UVA, where the whole family is now together.

Today was graduation at Leland. Josh was supposed to graduate, but obviously couldn't be there. I was asked to stand in for Josh and receive his diploma--it was a great honor.

Congrats to Tom Lynch, who also graduated today!

sbc stuff

I grew up going to Southern Baptist churches, and am grateful for the ways I was loved and taught. I did most of my MDiv work at Southwestern Baptist Seminary. It has saddened me to have to distance myself from the Southern Baptist Convention, but we have been moving in different directions for many years now.

I often find myself explaining to people that I love the history and theology of Baptists, but that I no longer feel any connection to Southern Baptists. The SBC has such a negative image in our culture these days; in my opinion, it is deserved.

I rarely get into these discussions, but saw some stuff coming out of the SBC national meeting this week that helps explain my feelings.

In his opening address, SBC Executive Committee president Morris Chapman said, 

"Southern Baptists believe that the local church in New Testament times was autonomous, and thus our local churches are autonomous."

Later a proposal was referred to the executive committee that would amend the SBC's constitution to disallow affiliation by churches that have female senior pastors. So much for church autonomy.

worship Sunday--Daily Examen

The goal of our lives is to live with God forever.

  God, who loves us, gave us life.

  Our own response of love allows God's life to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts of God,

  presented to us so that we can know God more easily

  and make a return of love more readily.

As a result, we apreciate and use all of these gifts of God

  insofar as they help us develop as loving persons.

But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives,

  they displace God and so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance

  before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice 

  and are not bound by some obligation.

We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, 

  wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or short one.

For everything has the potential of calling forth in us

  a deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this:

I want and I choose what better leads to the deepening of God's life in me.

St. Ignatius, from the Spiritual Exercises

We opened worship with this last night, and used several of St. Ignatius' prayers. The central piece was talking about the Daily Examen and guiding the group through the practice. I think it went well (I'd love to hear feedback from our community).

If you're not familiar with it, the Daily Examen is a way of examining or assessing one's life before God in an attitude of prayer. It involves reviewing how God has been present to us or at work with us through the day, then noting our response--reviewing our thoughts, feelings, and actions in relation to God's presence. You can find more detail here.

Doing this has been wonderful for me, really helping me connect with God, especially when life is so busy.

I had one of those great embarrassing moments tonight, when I forgot the words while we were praying the Lord's Prayer...(I forgot "kingdom" where it says "yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory.") I got flustered and probably repeated "power" 2 or 3 times, which gave great ammo to a couple of my friends.

But it was a great evening of prayer and fellowship!

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