Just about this time last year, I had a cool opportunity to visit Ecuador. One of the most memorable parts of the trip was disengaging from the conference and meetings long enough to join one young college student from my group and two young (college-age) Ecuadorians for an all-day adventure to the nearest Volcano.

The Road Less Traveled By

The Road Less Traveled By

I got to see an old friend from college tonight who turned out to be a real encouragement to me. I love how the journey unfolds! The two of us are pursuing a different context within which to minister to others, but have both started from similar points. Let me clarify what I mean by "ministering to others" since some have probably accused both of us of "leaving the ministry."

As someone who is a “God-Follower,” my ultimate journey is to continually position myself to get closer to God...through a relationship with Jesus Christ...and by the transforming power of the Spirit, to daily impact the lives of others with the awareness of that journey. That statement is perhaps oversimplified and incomplete, but sufficient for this discussion.

Now...I want to tie in the image of this Volcano in Ecuador, Cotopaxi. I see some interesting symbolism in my Cotopaxi adventure in Ecuador. But before I go on...I want to reflect a bit more. I’ll get back to you when my thoughts begin to emerge a little more fully. Anyone else ever hiked up a volcano??

For some reason...this picture stimulates reflection.

Nothing Worth Reading Here

I might as well confess right off the bat...I got nothin’! And my nothing was multiplied by nothing when I did something I swore I wouldn’t do again. I was typing directly into my blog instead of creating a draft in MSWord first then saving it. So when I went to publish the page...something happened (of course) and I’m starting all over again.

Actually, I’ve been fighting off a cold & sore throat the past couple of days. When it comes time to concentrate, read, and focus...it seems hopeless today! And yesterday my youngest daughter got sick from something. She literally puked her guts out and I just about cried watching her little lip quiver after the heaving stopped. I hate when my kids are sick! But my oldest daughter is great at the moment. She’s got a cool new haircut and her first basketball game tomorrow in our church league for kids. She’s five :-) Already, she has made one basket at practice and is hitting “the red box a lot.” Fun! Fun!

We’re supposed to be getting 4 to 6 inches of snow tomorrow from a little “Alberta Clipper” which has charted its course across Ohio. Unfortunately, that could turn my 8-hour shift at Starbucks tomorrow evening into a “felt” 16 hours. The afore-mentioned basketball game might very well be cancelled too. That would be a bummer...for our daughter and her dad!

I had a few interesting conversations today...including one with my wife (marital communication is always a plus). I am so fortunate to have such a steady rational woman to live with. (Although, if she was completely rational she wouldn’t be living with ME.) Anyway...a couple of those conversations had to do with a difficult decision I am facing. It appears that my pursuit of a simpler and reductionistic lifestyle is being challenged by my tendencies towards over-commitment, helping others, using time efficiently, and just slipping back into some old life-patterns. How is it that we...or more accurately...how can I over-analyze, rationalize, and legitimize to the point of completely contradicting myself by the end of a dialogue??!!

Well, stay tuned for more on that decision and what the outcome will be. This quarter’s worth of Masters classes is proving to be my heaviest load ever. And unfortunately, the final four weeks of my quarter coincide with my four-week management training program at Starbucks. I’m not behind in my classes just yet (except maybe one) but the plan was to actually be ahead of the syllabi...knowing how the final two weeks of my quarters usually look. Somebody pray!

As always, the simple therapeutic process of blathering thoughts into this medium seems to stimulate the sense of balance and retrospection which have become so valuable to me of late. So what about you?? Fellow journey-er...blog thyself.

THE CELTIC APPROACH: Part 2

Sounds like I need to read some Os Guiness too! (regarding the idolatry of relevance) And since my last entry, I’ve gotten into the first few pages of Hunter’s Celtic Way of Evangelism. I’ve yet to read anything from Hunter that I haven’t enjoyed...of course, I’ve only read 3 of ???? how many! Radical Outreach is next on the list from Hunter. He’ll be visiting our campus next month for a few lectures so I look forward to a little dialogue with him (or monologue at the very leastJ).

So....where was I? Something about relevance...Celtic Christianity...oh yeah... it’s all coming back to me. My brother also chimed in with a comment and got me thinking about aspects of culture. One of the ways in which the light has “dawned” in my journey is the realization that we are not calling individuals to an alternative culture. I feel like that’s what we’ve been trying to do...especially in my experience with youth ministry over the past 10-11 years. We attempt to convert people to this alternative culture of Christ and forsake their previous culture. Although there are some pieces of that process which ring true...I think the mistake has been to create a sub-culture of Christianity (especially suburban Christianity) which begins to substantially lose relevance to the contemporary culture. I prefer the idea that the “God Life” is more about allowing the person and truth of Christ to infiltrate one’s natural/native cultural environment. Much like the Roman method of evangelization, I find our methods of church and evangelism today are demanding in the wrong ways. Some of those demands include programming, attendance, dress code, Christianese, cultural-suicide, etc. The demands we need to be more concerned with are found in Matthew 28 and other such missional statements. Just as in the Roman missions, people are thought to be evangelized today if they’re attending all the right services and programs in the church and using the right language and not smoking or drinking. The missionaries/monastics from Rome thought they were successful if the community was brought into conformity with the Roman way of doing church and if the “barbarians” had reached a certain level of civilization. So within a few generations, Christianity had devolved into a purely religious, political, and social endeavor...having little impact on the lives of its “adherents.”

My blood pressure is rising a bit...so we’ll break here for more comment!

THE CELTIC APPROACH: Part 1

In my first class of the day on Wednesday mornings, at the bleary-eyed hour of 8 a.m, I am digging into various perspectives on World Missions. The assumption, of course, as a follower of Christ, pursuer of God, and seeker of truth...is that we who know the hope and grace of being reconciled with God through Christ should be sharing that hope and grace with others.

As one studies the efforts to bring people into relationship with the Creator across the historic eons (perhaps an exaggeration)of mankind’s existence, it is obvious that some of those efforts have been more successful than others. When looking at the approach to missions from the time of Christ until about 1500 AD, one might observe two basic approaches. The Celtic approach, exemplified by Columba and Patrick in Northwestern Europe (Ireland, Scottland, & Great Britain) sought to contextualize the message of Christ within the cultural environment. The Roman approach to missions sought to colonialize and bring other cultures into conformity with the Roman church. Unfortunately, the Roman model was the dominant method practiced for most of the history of Christendom.

Now, I have not read George Hunter’s Celtic Way of Evangelism (though I certainly plan to soon), but I would imagine that the lesson we need to learn from history is that it is possible and quite preferable to contextualize Christ in ways which reveal the relevance of the gospel to current culturally-informed individuals and communities. I was reading someone’s tirade against relevance the other day, however, and would partially agree with the critique that “relevance” is sometimes played as a trump card in inappropriate situations. We must not simply seek relevance for its own sake. To be relevant without being revelatory would be remiss! Historically, we may identify syncretism as the unhealthy result of being overly relevant. This in fact often happened in some of the areas where Roman Christians failed to fully disciple new adherents to Christianity. So in South America, for instance, many expressed forms of Christianity are co-mingled with animistic and superstitious native and pagan religions. In the North American context, syncretism looks like a mixture of anemic Christian convictions with the passionate pursuit of materialism and secularism.

Before I go on...I’d love to hear some feedback in order to turn this into a bit more of a dialogue or threaded discussion! What are you thinking??!!

A GREAT BLESSING

I believe strongly that there exist...moments...appointments even...which are divinely orchestrated for our benefit. For those of you outside a supernatural worldview, you might call it “fate” or perhaps even coincidence. But that’s really the easy way out, isn’t it? Irregardless, from my own experiential point of “brew” I must report to you that I had such an appointment today...a divine appointment.

In my own mind and estimation, I was just helping out a buddy...pinch hitting...filling a void...I really was not expecting significant results (probably my first or second mistake...low expectations). But I am quite certain that God was at work on a higher level and my cognizance of that extra-human activity was nonexistent until some time for reflection awakened me to the moment. In order to avoid misperceptions I will spare you the specific details of this encounter, but in general...a great blessing was breathed into my soul! Have you ever experienced such a thing?? A gift of words was given to me that could only have been inspired by the Spirit of God. As I reflect on it again in this format, I am amazed all over again.

We all desire to live a life of significance, don’t we? I do not mean that we just want fortune and fame. Significance is much deeper than that. I think we all want to know that our journey is purposeful...meaningful...impactful. We want to believe that our “footprints” on the impressionable soil of life will lead to joy, fulfillment, and hope...and perhaps even lead others to the same. Well, this morning, my journey was affirmed. My “impact” was celebrated in a humble but significant way. I won’t soon forget the words spoken. I certainly won’t forget the goodness of God to provide such a divine moment...surprising me on what seemed like a mundane little detour on the path.

A GREAT OPEN DOOR

Well, I’ll just begin with the great news. I was offered a position as Assistant Store Manager with Starbucks. My training will begin February 14th (how romantic!) and will be placed in a new store at the end of that four-week training time. This whole Starbucks journey has been quite enjoyable. And I think the fun has just begun.

A coffee shop (especially of Starbucks quality and environment) is such a great place to interact with people and build relationships. My experience there, after less than a year, has expanded my world in some great ways. As my pursuit of God and faith shifts into a much more contextualized approach, I can only imagine that the journey is going to get really rich!

“Bad” Community Beats No Community?

In a recent blog entry, Chris Erdman writes...

“Alan and Jane are engaged in a Christian community. Al lives a life feeling extraordinarily disconnected from a local community because of his apostolic ministry throughout the world. Stability, even within a troubling Christian community, is nevertheless a virtue . . . and one I would not presume to veto without spiritual direction. And I certainly am no advocate for walking out and finding one's own, self-prescribed experience of worship (some doctors may self-prescribe medication, but even they know it is a dangerous practice). Frankly, I don't know it nearly well-enough to avoid it entirely, but the path of self-pastoring is a path of dangerous self-delusion. Even bad Christian community and a limpid liturgy may well be more healthy in the long run (there certainly are exceptions) than what we presume is better.”

I guess what bothers me here is that I see myself in Alan’s situation...disconnecting from a “community.” However, what I hope is happening is the development of an alternative community and quite frankly, a more healthy one. It is interesting though, as I had a conversation earlier today with a professor/mentor, to admit that I have some baggage to deal with in this area. I need to be sure that I’m not escaping community merely because it became too uncomfortable. I think there’s much more to it than that, but one’s perception and judgment can easily be clouded in such a situation as ours.

Insight from Dostoevsky

I was reading someone recently who constantly referred to the writings and journey of Feodor Dostoevsky. So I made a little trek to my public library and picked up a copy of The Brothers Karamazov. I’m not sure if that’s the best one to start with, but I’m dipping my imagination into a bit of Russian history and culture and his style of writing has captured my interest already. I have not gotten very far into the book yet, but I keep coming across some great statements that are worth noting. Here’s the most recent...regarding the elder Father Zossima from the local monastery...

“They fell down before him, wept, kissed his feet, kissed the earth on which he stood, and wailed, while the women held up their children to him and brought him the sick ‘possessed with devils.’ The elder spoke to them, read a brief prayer over them, blessed them, and dismissed them. Of later he had become so weak through attacks of illness that he was sometimes unable to leave his cell, and the pilgrims waited for him to come out for several days. Alyosha did not wonder why they loved him so, why the fell down before him and wept with emotion merely at seeing his face. Oh! He understood that for the humble soul of the Russian peasant, worn out by grief and toil, and still more by the everlasting injustice an everlasting sin, his own and the world’s, it was the greatest need and comfort to find some one or something holy to fall down before and worship.”

That final sentence struck me because of a conversation I had today with a fellow partner/employee at Starbucks. The exchange boiled down to this (in my own estimation)...the young lady is on a journey. She’s on a journey to find authentic spirituality and a relationship with the God who has been distorted through flawed interactions with institutionalized religion. She’s beginning to read a book which could be a very formational experience with a bit of guidance and community mixed in. An interesting statement she made though...about just investigating...and not necessarily being ready to make any changes. What a telling statement! What honesty! I found it incredibly refreshing to affirm her in the process and encourage her continued interest and investigation. One of the most damaging ways the church has abused its authority as God’s chosen vehicle for revealing His Kingdom, is the tendency to require individuals to clean up and “get it straight” before the community is really available to them. That’s just not how Christ modeled sharing the Good News.

Well, it’s going to be very interesting to see how the next conversation goes! I too will be reading the same book and hopefully we’ll be able to dialogue together and perhaps even invite a few others into the investigative journey.

The Last Entry of the Year

The past year has seriously been a blur! As I look back, it’s easy to see that I have undergone more transition, stress, and angst in the past year than any other year of my life...by far. Of course, change effects not only me personally, but those around me as well...especially my wife and girls.

Although life has not yet become stress-free, I would have to say that I am ending the year much healthier than when it began. My priorities have been simplified. My schedule has been reduced to a nearly manageable pace (within six more months I will finally enter of phase of life with what some people call MARGIN! I don’t think I’ve experienced a healthy amount of space in my life since high school). Our budget has certainly been simplified...painfully so. But that too represents a healthy transition which will significantly affect the quality of my marriage and family dynamics.

Speaking of family...I have an incredibly patient, kind, unselfish, and Godly wife...not to mention she’s a hottie. I have two beautiful healthy girls. Jessica turned five in August and is so smart. She’s enjoying kindergarten and loves barbies. Jaquelyn will be two in March and is chattering away. Some of the words we can even translate now! Being a father is by far the most fulfilling, emotionally challenging, joy producing responsibility I could ever be blessed with. I can’t wait to see what the new year brings into the daddy-daughter experience.

Nearly a year ago I began the transition out of a career of professional ministry into the greater ministry realm of life. I use the word “greater” not as a comparative term but as a geographical term. For twelve years I have pursued God within the context of church, religion, and the denominational institution. Now I have chosen to pursue God in some different ways and allow Him to transform my everyday life into a practice of presence. I don’t foresee the church/institution dropping completely off the map of my journey, but it will certainly no longer be the epicenter of spiritual activity that it once was. I am convinced that this is a very healthy transition for me as well as for my family.

For those who may be wondering how the interview went (which I mentioned in my previous entry), it really could not have gone much better. I anticipate hearing good or bad news by the end of next week. We’ll see. I’m quite confident that unseen hands are guiding me in this whole process. I look forward to opportunities of building relationships, developing an enjoyable career environment, and making an impact within a specifically defined community during the next year. The journey is such a better experience when you take time to pull over and check out the “scenic overlooks.” The path is not always easy but the destination is well worth the effort.

Tsunamis, Forgotten Offenders, and Bill Cosby

Well, if you're wondering what the connection is between the components of my title, just read a little further...because I'm not sure I fully grasp what's emerging here myself. As a matter of fact, I would say a good fifty-percent of my blogs begin with the end in mind. Mostly, I just try to engage the living process of reflection and hope that clarity comes into focus eventually. Of course, then there are blogs like my previous one which just scratch the surface or fulfill some obligatory notion of consistency. Hopefully, you don't have to put up with many of those.

But today I am engaged in purposeful reflection tucked away here in the far recesses of Panera's cafe. Moments like these rarely happen unintentionally. I began the process with a brief prayer...asking guidance for the day's journey.

On my way to checking email, I looked over the newstories of the day. The Asia death toll from the earthquake-generated tsunamis nears 68,000. I am completely overwhelmed looking at photos of the destruction and grieving survivors. In the "top headlines" link I see a caption reminding of the murder and fetus-snatching in Kansas. Then I stumble across an article on Bill Cosby and his "prophetic" crusade to turn young blacks from bling to books...which is not so well-received.

I then began to surf some of the "deeper" blogs (I definitely see my blog as an informal novice attempt which will hopefully develop into something "deeper" in the future) and stumbled across all kinds of issues. First I happened across a post describing the conflict with sin...a conflict I am certainly not unfamiliar with. Then onto my Daily Dig at www.bruderhof.com for a convicting look at cons and the choice we each have between self-exultation and pursuing God. And just as I had hoped...the process of focusing brings clarity and purpose to my path. Unfortunately, there is quite a difference between being clear on something and clearly being something or someone. In light of the overwhelming need presented by natural disaster...in light of the overwhelming odds and statistics generated by street crime, drugs, and poverty...in light of my own personal struggle and conflict with sin...in light of all those dark things, what will I do today? That is the recurring question for each of us which most ignore or drown out with busyness. What will I do today? Or more importantly, who will I be today? Will I be someone who carries truth and servanthood like a familiar tool of trade? I certainly hope so.

Conquering Clutter and My New "Closet"

I recently went on a little cleaning and organizational spree which focused, for the most part, on our closet at home. Debbie and I have a very good-sized walk-in closet in our bedroom which has been home to a lot of storage tubs and junk over the years. As I began to clean up and organize “my side” of the closet, I realized how much space was actually back there. Pretty soon I was shipping out about one-third of my clothes to good will and creating a new “space” which is completely tucked away and insulated from the rest of the house.

Not too long ago I was reading a book by Jerome Daley called Soul Space. And I was reminded of the content of that book and his description of “clutter” which we often neglect until it out of control. In some strange philosophical way, as I was cleaning out the closet and organizing a fresh clean space...I felt as though I was ridding myself of some internal clutter. And in fact, those two types of clutter are very much connected in my life. Another annual clutter conquering quest I just finished recently had to do with the garage. The garage, from what I’ve been told, is actually meant to store vehicles. Well, somehow our vehicles (or at least my vehicle) often gets displaced from the garage by the accumulation of clutter. This clutter ranges anywhere from dog food, lawncare supplies, trash cans, pop cans, and bicycles, to fishing poles, scrap lumber, old ovens, and the kids’ toys. And just about every October or November...the clutter just becomes overwhelming...and I go on an all-day rampage to clean and organize the garage. Perhaps it’s because I want my car out of the winter elements...perhaps it’s a psychological need to bring order and simplicity to the complexity and chaos. I’m really not sure. (It’s probably a combination of those two reasons and more.)

Back to my new “closet” though. I am really enjoying this new space. In fact, I’m sitting in an old green pseudo-vinyl chair which used to belong to my grandmother with my feet propped up on the almost-matching foot stool. The chair is covered with a cozy alpaca wool blanket I picked up in Ecuador last January. I put up a little shelf to my right which is holding about two dozen books I’ve been wanting to read for the past six months. I have an old two-drawer filing cabinet with a little alarm clock to keep those catnaps from going too long. There’s two 40-watt bulbs above my left shoulder casting the perfect amount of light. On the wall behind me are two of my favorite prints...a lighthouse...and an old galleon of a ship rising on the swell of a foam-capped sea. It is a quiet place...a simple space...it’s my soul space. Do you know what I’m talking about? Perhaps it’s because my life is currently paralleling this pursuit of space. And although it’s going to take more than a day, month, or even year to conquer the clutter which has accumulated in my soul for the past thirty-three years...I have this incredible sense of...space...simplicity...and focus...for the Quest...the Quest of the mystery of life with God.

Do you know what I’m talking about? Do you have that kind of space? I certainly haven’t arrived yet, but let me tell you...it’s a good place to be headed!

Journeyman Bean begins the ascent of the volcano.

While in Ecuador in January, 2004, I left the safety of the city with a couple of friends and took a dangerous little excursion into the surrounding mountains. It took all day, but we hiked nearly to the summit (into the ice cap) of the 2nd tallest volcano in Ecuador...Cotapaxi.
Several miles from the volcanic summit of Cotapaxi in Ecuador

What a lucky Dad!