TENNIS TALK

For some reason, I really get into the Tennis majors...especially the French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon. And it's just been the last couple of years that my interest has grown to this level. I'm setting the DVR and will end up scanning thru 2-3 hrs of tennis a day between now and June 10th when the final match is played between Federer and Nadal (hopefully). I know...it's really too much time to invest into something so personally meaningless. There's absolutely no bearing on my life or my sphere of relationships and community. But it's just so fun to watch and flinch and tense up as my favorite players choke!

Well, on a more serious note...or just a more relevant note, my time back at Starbucks is going well. But I'm struggling with a lack of patience with people. Co-workers and customers alike. I worked with a couple of baristas today whose lack of personality and charm sucked the life right out of the cafe! I really don't know how people like that ever get hired at Starbucks. But instead of coaching their behavior positively and sensetively, I'd just like to say, "Wow, does that scowl just come naturally? How about if you either learn to smile or clock out."

Yeah...there's something up with my current inability to take people's feelings into account. Even in the church setting as I was trying to direct the worship team through some technical ambiguity this weekend...I slipped into sharp/direct mode and hurt someone's feelings. It created a very tense atmosphere and just felt like an absolute ass (in the biblical sense) the entire day. Perhaps my zeal for the task or project (perfectionism) gets in the way of my ability to value people and relationships foremost.

I need some character transformation asap!

There were some other things I planned to blog about...but I'm turning into quite the geriatric case. It's barely past 10pm and my eyes are fighting the urge to close. Dealing with the brooding baristas took it out of me! :)

Organic Is In

It has become one of those words that you almost hate to use now because it's losing it's impact. But I'm really trying to understand the implications of living organically vs. ??? Not sure what to call the other ways...mechanically? programmatically? systematically? institutionally?

Kevin (my fellow Kingdom seeker) and I have been reading and discussing a book by Joseph Myers entitled "Organic Community" and it's really offering a bit of a corrective to the ways in which I've thought about community, small groups, relationships, and planning.

Master planning vs. Organic order

We're so guilty of this in the church...trying to plan it to the hilt, prescribe the right formula and model, force people into our interpretations of the Gospel message and its implications for living.

The question shifts from "where are we going?" to "what are we hoping for?"

The little shift from "where?" to "what?" is mega-significant. Just as the successory image/phrase suggests...success is not a destination, but the journey.

Well, that's what I'm thinking about right now.

This week I ended my 3-week hiatus from Starbucks and began enriching people's daily lives with espresso once again. It's so much more fun without the manager hat on!

Then I was pleasantly surprised to read how happy I am now as a "pastor." Research done by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center found that clergy ranked highest in job satisfaction and “general happiness.”

Happy Mother's Day

I know my mom frequents this url address...but not sure how often. As I was thinking of how much of a blessing my mom has been to me throughout my life...I was reminded of Proberbs 31.

Then that reminded me of my grandmother's funeral (Myrtle Mounts) which reminded me again of the idea of legacy. Her funeral did more to spark that thought in me...and the resulting desire to live my life with the end in mind...than any amount of reflection before or since.

Anyway, I read Proverbs 31 in honor of "Meema" and in honor of my own mother (as well as my wife)...and they all three are described in part by the wise words of that text.

Thanks Mom! For the spiritual legacy you've been building into my life for 36 years now.

Have a blessed day & week...

Homosexual Tension

That's an interest-raising title, isn't it? Well, I just read over an interesting article from CityBeat here in Cincinnati and it involves one of the popular mega-churches in the area. You can read the article here and visit the church's website here.

I guess my affiliation with Starbucks and the friendships I've developed there with homosexuals makes me very aware of how the church views homosexuality and how we need to reach out to the gay and lesbian community with true Kingdom love and compassion.

My 12 years as a youth pastor, however, cause me to be very aware of the difficulty Crossroads' student pastors probably faced with this situation. Really, I think the senior pastor's careful remarks in the article were pretty strong and should still cause their community to be a safe place for the G&L community to seek the Father.

Beautiful Day

I hope there aren't a limited number of perfect-weather days here in Cincinnati, because we've just used up another one! It can be a spiritual experience to sit in the sun and breathe in a beautiful day.

It's also a beautiful day for emotional and vocational reasons. Debbie and I sense a clear calling from God to join the ministry of Lifespring. The path by which we've arrived at this decision has certainly been a challenging one, but we are tremendously blessed to plug into this community and ministry.

Honestly, nine or ten months ago when we landed (painfully) in Cincinnati, I had my doubts about ever serving on staff at a conventional type of church again. And really, it's been unclear for much of that time whether my calling was something like that or just a "calling" that anyone else would have...to be a Christ-following ______________ and a Godly father & husband. As I've pursued that concept though, and chased God's plan for us...it has really become clear that we've been called to help others journey towards spiritual maturity in a setting like this.

The excitement is somewhat amplified by the opportunity to be part of something so new and fresh too. This gathering is not yet 2 years into their young ecclesial life and all the machinery and baggage of conventional church has yet to be added...which is of course how we'll plan to keep it! I really believe it's possible for a group of people to become the church rather than just going to church. It should be possible for a group of people to connect life and faith rather than disconnect or segregate the two. It will be pretty cool if we can embrace the Kingdom rather than create an institutional version of it.

Ahh...a fresh wind is blowing!

First Reds Game

I had the distinct privilege of introducing my 7-year old daughter to the world of major league baseball last night. It was her first time (and my first trip) to the new Reds stadium here in Cincinnati. The weather was perfect and it was a major league blast for both of us. A friend in our church gave us some great tickets. We were right behind the right-field ball boy within earshot of Ken Griffey, Jr. Unfortunately (but perhaps not surprisingly), it was a defeat against the Astros...but the Reds nearly staged a comeback in the last inning.

Although I'm sure there are better teams to route for this season, it's fun to be part of a tradition and locale like Cincinnati and to share moments like this with my girls. On the way home Jess stated matter-of-factly "This has been one of the greatest days of my life!"

Good times!

A Healthy Conversation

Deb and I had what you would actually call an interview tonight, but I feel like it was more of a healthy conversation. It was unlike any interview I've ever had with a church leadership team in some very good ways.

There was no pretense, no posturing, no nonsense...just an authentic search for God together.

Searching for God...the ever elusive "will of God"...the pursuit of confirmation...the questions of direction and discernment...I feel like we've really turned a corner so to speak on this whole matter.

In the past I've been quick to decide what I would like God to "call" us to do and then just looked for fleece-like confirmations to reinforce MY will. But to really submit to the 'kol yahweh' (voice of God) and spend time in the old tent of meeting...that's where we're at. And the good thing is, for the first time in my life perhaps...I'm ready to wait. I should say "we're" ready to wait...to do like the Israelites would (in their better moments) and not move until the cloud of God's presence initiated movement.