Your Sunday Experience

If you participated before you can see all the responses here.  I’m consistently enjoying the range of experiences that come with this thing we do on Sunday.  I’m going to broaden the guidelines a little because I’m enjoying people sharing their heart.

If you participated in some type of community today, how would you describe how you felt during the experience?  And if you didn’t, whow would you describe how you felt during that experience?

Pops already jumped in this week.  You can see his response here.  It’s very cool.

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Your Sunday Experience

If you participated before you can see the responses here, here, here and here.  What I’ve noticed is the range of emotions that seem to come with this experience.

If you participated in some type of community today, what is the one sentence that would describe how you felt during the experience?  And if you didn’t, what is the one sentence that would describe how you felt during that experience?

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Your Sunday Experience

I’m gonna do this again. But I’m also change it up a bit in the language department.  Thanks Pop for reminding me of that.

If you participated before you can see the responses here, here, and here.

If you participated in some type of community today, what is the one sentence that would describe how you felt during the experience?  And if you didn’t, what is the one sentence that would describe how you felt during that experience?

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The Most Important Moment

Which event in your life had the most significant impact on on your spiritual growth?

And Why?

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A One Year Reflection

About a year ago I began this blog with the intent of simply journaling my own exploration with this thing called Missio Dei. This is what I have learned so far.

– I really love the relationships that have come from this blog.  These are my explorations and musings but when you participate you give me a great gift of your thoughts as well.  Thank you.  I value these conversations more than you all will ever know.

– I miss people who comment a lot and then disappear.  Kind of like a friend that you have a great beer with and then they move away.

– I am a writer, but it was in the practice of writing every day that I became aware that I am a writer.  Since I started at sixteen, I’ve written two books, six screenplays, two plays, and a thousand essays for school.  But it was this blog that made me aware of how much I love to write.  The discipline has made me aware of my foibles (I hate editing), my joys (I love conversations), the richness of thoughts and ideas, and the blessing that comes from hearing how God has impacted our world.

– I can see how people can really love blogging and really loathe it, or become tired of it.  There are days when I have nothing to say, and days when I can’t stop writing.  Thank God for the scheduled publish date and drafts.  I have too many to count now and when I’m stuck I take a peek back into what I was thinking two months ago.

– Thank God for free photos.  iStock, even thought its much more professional, was beginning to cost me a small fortune.

– There is a cost to thinking out loud.  People can misunderstand me or even jump to significant conclusions that I didn’t say.  I never thought I would have to write this post.

– Exposing my thoughts to the public has made me very aware of the cost and consequences of doing so.  I had significant consequences show up in my life because of this blog.  And this has made me ask some very important questions in my life about what I believe and the cost of doing so.  It has grounded my thinking by requiring me to ask if I really believe what I say.  And I do.

– My favorite post was half written while pulling weeds and almost never got published because I wondered if it would be taken wrong.  Then Steve mentioned it and it blew up into my all time post.

– People don’t read blogs on the weekends, at least not mine.  No worries though.  Monday is the biggest day and slowly flows down from there.

It’s been a great ride so far.  I can’t wait to see what this next year brings.

Much love to you all.

Jonathan

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Lamentations 20:08

In 2003 just before the war, gas prices were $1.40 and climbing.  Ugh.

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Greek vs. Hebrew Thinking

I found this while doing some research and it intrigued me.

“Greek thought describes objects in relation to its appearance. Hebrew thought describes objects in relation to its function.” (source)

Any thoughts?

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Deconstructing Man’s Church

I had one of the best conversations with a good friend about why I am so hard on the church. It was revealing for him but more importantly it was revealing to me. It took us three hours to get through it as we struggled with the complexity of understanding what each of us was concerned about and why. After much reiteration he would say, “You’re saying this,” and I would say, “No that’s not what I’m saying.” I kept saying “yellow” and he kept hearing “red”.

And then I said something that caught my attention, “There are two churches really. There’s God’s church, which I love. It’s this organic movement of the Holy Spirit that when it shows up we just know it’s God because we wouldn’t do it that way. And there’s this thing called man’s church, which over history has produces various forms of religion designed to earn God’s love. It’s this thing that we do where we recast what God is doing in our own image. We screw it up. We get in the way. We build stuff that becomes monuments to our own broken humanity, hoping that people will somehow offer us praise.”

This image of man’s church struck me. It reminded me of the moment in The Matrix when Neo has just taken the blue pill and the silver liquid begins to take over his body. We’re always trying to create that mask, that cover that looks like us, not God. And what we end up with is a plastic version of what God is doing. We pretend it’s working only to discover that we have created something that we are subject to.

So please know that when I talk of deconstruction, or I’m hard on the church, know that I’m talking about man’s church. I’m talking about tearing down the idols we create that we think produce life but produce little more than a plastic version of what God is doing. Also, please don’t assume that I’m talking about your church. If you tell me your church is not part of that second category, I believe you.

I wrestle with this question, a lot. Mostly because this is the conversation God has drawn me to over the last 15 years. But as I said to my friend, I sense a better move is beginning to show up. Reconstruction is beginning to appear. Instead of tearing down what it already there, I’m beginning to see the light of day when I will simply be participating in an alternative that has God’s name written all over it.

PS: Right after I wrote this, I found this at Out of Ur by Skye Jethani.

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Help Identifying Categories

This morning we had an incredible conversation with the leaders of Thrive around communitas, missional discipleship and the and the journey we experience together. It brought out a lot of really good dialog on the nature of the church, the modes we engage in at church and the feelings we have while participating in church. This third part resonated in everyone and sparked a surprisingly honest conversation.  The feedback intrigued me because I have my opinions about them, or what I see, but I want your help in expanding the conversation a little.

Currently I see four distinct categories about the feelings people have about the the church.

• Traditionals: This group lives and breathes the traditional church paradigm. They are very happy with traditional modes of church, participate when they can at various degrees, and have no tension with the way church is organized or run. My estimation is that this group is about 70% of the current Christian community.
• Tweeners: This group is experiencing some form of tension about the way church is organized. They are stuck in the in-between. They perceive something is wrong but they may or may not be able to verbalize it (for an infinite number of reasons). They tend to church shop, hoping that the new church will produce some kind of new experience (not just entertainment). What they likely encounter is the same paradigm in a slightly modified form (different mode of worship, different student ministries, new building, etc). My estimation is that this group is about 20% of the current Christian community.
• Exiters: These people have reached a point of tension where they no longer participate in the church, as it is currently organized. They are looking for some alternative and have not yet found it. My estimation is that this group is about 5% of the current Christian community.
• Explorers: This group is looking to solve the tension by actively exploring new forms of church ecclesiology (outside of the traditional forms). These could include monastic, house church, exclusive discipleship groups, organic church, etc. My estimation is that this group is about 5% of the current Christian community.

I’m looking to begin a dialog around these assumptions and estimations and am looking for feedback on what you see. Do you see different or more categories? Do you agree with the estimations of percentages? I’m not asking why, just what you see about the feelings people have about the church. And if you want to be so bold, where do you find yourself at this moment in your journey.

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Thank You

If you are reading this…Thank you.

I’ve been in a really great presence of love lately.  And this has made me aware of how blessed I am.  One of the things I am blessed to have is people in my life who dialog with me about what is one my heart.  And the more I learn to share what is one my heart the more I realize it is on other people’s hearts too.  This learning to share and let what is inside come out is not the easiest thing for me but it is worth it.  The sharing and dialog has enriched my life in so many great ways.

So today I want to say thank to everyone who passes by and reads this.  Know that I appreciate what you give to me.

And if you can, let me know who you are and why you read my blog.  Thanks in advance.

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Thank You For Not Giving Up On Me

There’s a lot of passion around the idea of church right now on what good did it do. Jason, Glenn and Paul all have great dialogs about this question. It’s a good question, one that should be asked again and again and again. It helps clarify and purify what each of us really feel. It adds depth and meaning to our short pithy phrases and comments. It’s good to get it out there. And this dialog can feel vindictive even though its not meant to be. We dialog because we actually care.

And this morning after reading all three posts I felt a still small voice behind me reminding me to remember. There was a time when I was on the outside looking in…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times when I’ve been an ass…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times when I had questions no one could answer and I was a jerk about it…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times when I thought I had figured it all out…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times when I have given up and walked away…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times when I was the prodigal son and needed to come home…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times when I needed a shoulder to cry on, which made me look weak and stupid…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times when I didn’t really want to follow Jesus…and the church didn’t give up on me. There have been times I didn’t want to surrender…and the church didn’t give up on me.

So today I want to say thank you to the church for not giving up on me. Your love has given me a great glimpse of my Father.

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The Liminal Problem

If you read this blog you’ll know that I am a proponent of exploring the dialog of the emerging church and what it means to create a holistic approach to spiritual formation. I’ve highlighted many of my concerns about the traditional models of church but at the same time, I have tremendous hope for what will emerge over the next twenty to fifty years. I believe the conversation, although painful at times, will have a tremendous regenerative affect on the church. I, like many, believe we are in a reformation period.

But the in between time is called a liminal period. It’s the not was but not yet, which creates a tremendous disequilibrium in some people. We’re leaving what was for something we have yet to experience and that is not always easy. And right now kind of feels like summer vacation to be honest. And this is simply a metaphor but I don’t want to be in junior high anymore. I want to explore what is in front of me, not just behind me. And I’m really looking forward to what I have yet to experience.

In the process many writers have explored what’s behind us. Frank Viola and George Barna have caused quite a stir with the re-release of Pagan Christianity. For those who are reading it, Grace has a lengthy breakdown that is an excellent summary of the points in the book. She too highlights some of the comments and criticisms that the books brings to the church as well as invites on itself.

But her posts got me thinking about the general mood that the book highlights, namely the liminal problem. We are beginning to deconstruct the old forms, of which PC is a necessary step in doing. But many aren’t yet seeing the next reconstructive models. We are beginning to recognize the lack of discipleship but have yet to test new models. This tension old brings fuel to the fire and allows the detractors to dismiss what is emerging as heretical or simply stupid. We’re leaving the traditional church for what, they ask, and we don’t have a clear answer we can point to. We know what we don’t want and yet we don’t yet know what we do want. This lack of an answer allows many to simply dismiss the conversation. And they can if they want to. They don’t have to go down this road.

But for those who are staying in the exploration of what’s ahead, it sometimes feels lonely. It would simply be sooooo much easier to just turn around and do junior high again. The structures are set. The models have been tested and work, to an extent. What they produce is now in question but its just so much easier to stick with them and hope for the best. The tension of staying in the good is easier than letting it go for what is the possibility of great. Jim Collins explored this in Good To Great.

And I ask myself, “Why do you keep going forward? What is it that allows you to stay in the tension?” And my answer is that I want to know my Father. I want to know Him. And when stuff like Reveal comes out, and Pagan Christianity, and many more, it simply adds fuel to the fire. It also serves as a reminder that there is so much more to be had. And to be honest my heart has been calling me forwards for a long time. I’ve seen too many good things happen to settle for good now. I for one believe that discipleship is possible and necessary to what it means to follow Jesus in today’s world.

What about you? What do you feel about the liminal problem?

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Books That Changed My Life

I was tagged by Brad over at Mission Church Network. Awesome site by the way for those looking for a great conversation on missional living. The question was, what are the books that changed your life. So here goes.

One Book That Changed Your Life

This would have to be Tale of Three Kings by Gene Edwards. This to me is the best book every written on the nature of God’s kingdom and learning to trust.

One Book That You Read More Than Once

A Hidden Wholeness by Parker Palmer. I have read the first chapter at least twenty times. This book was for me one of the best conversations on wholeness.

One Book You Would Want on a Desert Island

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky. If I’m on a desert island I would want this book. It’s all about stress.

One Books That Made You Laugh

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. Donald is one of the most gifted writers of conversation. I love his style and ability to share his heart.

One Book That Made You Cry

No Future Without Forgiveness by Bishop Desmond Tutu. This is the most powerful book on reconciliation I have ever read. It is impossible to walk away from what happened in South Africa and not see hope.

One Book You Wish You Had Written

This was the most intriguing question so I chose one of pleasure. The Firm by John Grisham. Still his best book and a great movie. I could have been wealthy.

One Book You Are Currently Reading

The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck. This book could be considered one of the first emerging philosophy books written for the post modern age before anyone had heard the word post modern. Brilliant read on love.

One Book You Have Been Meaning to Read

The Divine Embrace by Robert Webber. I’ve heard very good things about this book, which Scot McKnight reviewed.

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Five Most Significant Moments of 2007

Jeromy tagged me for this simple post. I read it at 10:38 PM and thought I’d bust it out before the new year, then I’m going to bed. I tag who ever reads this on New Years Day. The question is, “what were your five most significant moments in 2007. Here goes.

1. Investing full time effort in Thrive and seeing it grow.
2. Finishing my book, “Come Follow Me.”
3. Going to Maui with my family and sitting on the beach for ten days.
4. Choosing to be a writer.
5. Speaking at my father’s funeral.

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Humanity Is Funny

I love to laugh and I love to laugh at myself. It makes humanity real. It lightens the load a little when we stop taking ourselves so seriously. The problem is that humanity, especially those in the spotlight, provide so much comic fare. But really, haven’t we all said something silly like this. So for my last post of the year I thought I’d give you the best quotes of 2007 as provided by the Sacramento Bee. Some of these are ridiculously funny. I guess Pat Robertson has one more day before he’s no longer a prophet.

“I’m not necessarily saying it’s going to be nuclear. The Lord didn’t say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that.” – Televangelist Pat Robertson, predicting a terrorist attack on the United States in late 2007

“I told him I take a bath every day.” – The Rev. Al Sharpton, onetime presidential candidate, responding to Sen. Joe Biden’s description of Barack Obama as “the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy”

“I felt very remorseful for having thrown the phone at someone that didn’t deserve it.” – Supermodel Naomi Campbell, apologizing for assaulting a maid when she couldn’t find a pair of jeans Campbell wanted

“Could you double-check the envelope?” – Film director Martin Scorsese, winning an Oscar after being passed over five times before

“I want to be like Gandhi and Martin Luther King (Jr.) and John Lennon, but I want to stay alive.” – Madonna

“A year ago my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the Supreme Court had just withdrawn and my vice president had shot someone. Ah, those were the good ole days.” – President Bush, joking at the Radio and Television Correspondents’ Association dinner

“Sanjaya, I don’t think it matters anymore what we say … I think you are in your own universe and if people like you, good luck.” – Simon Cowell to “American Idol” contestant Sanjaya Malakar

“Scooter Libby was found guilty of perjury, obstruction and making false statements – or, as the White House calls it, a press conference.” – Comedian Bill Maher, on the conviction of White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby

“I don’t recall.” – Oft-repeated reply by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales while testifying before Congress on the firings of U.S. attorneys

“Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran.” – Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., making up new lyrics to the Beach Boys hit “Barbara Ann” while campaigning for president

“I’m going home for a while to try and be normal.” – Cindy Sheehan, announcing that she’ll take a break from her anti-war activism

“The question is, ‘Who ought to make that decision, the Congress or the commanders?’ As you know, my position is clear – I’m the commander guy.” – President Bush

“In the beginning it was really hard, but I think I can adapt to anything. I’m claustrophobic and my cell is really small. It’s hard – there’s nothing to do but basically sit in a room with a bunk bed and a toilet and a desk. I was going a little bit crazy in the beginning but I’m getting used to it now.” – Celebrity heiress Paris Hilton

“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us.” – Lauren Upton, the South Carolina contestant in the Miss Teen USA contest, when asked why one-fifth of Americans cannot find the United States on a map

“Last night President Bush did not call Barry Bonds after he broke Hank Aaron’s home run record, but today, Bush decided to make the call. Bush said, ‘I realized I had a rare opportunity to talk to the only guy in the country who is less popular than I am.’ ” – Conan O’Brien

“Don’t tase me, bro.” – Andrew Meyer to security officers after disrupting a speech by Sen. John Kerry at the University of Florida

“Leave Britney alone!” – YouTube plea by fan Chris Crocker, following a zombie-like performance by Britney Spears at the MTV Video Music Awards

“The real question for Republicans in Washington is how low can you go, because we are approaching a level of ridiculousness.” – GOP strategist Scott Reed

“The Iraqi government has ordered $100 million worth of weapons made in China. An Iraqi official said, ‘We’re hoping China makes weapons that are half as deadly as their toys.’ ” – Comedian Conan O’Brien

“There’s only three things he says in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.” – Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., referring to Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani

“Why don’t you shut up?” – Juan Carlos I, King of Spain, to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, after the latter called former Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar a “fascist”

“There is more vomiting, nudity and defecation: the stuff consumers really want.” – Paramount Pictures executive, on the upcoming film “Jackass 2.5”

“It had to do with Cuba and missiles, I’m pretty sure.” – White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, admitting unfamiliarity with the Cuban missile crisis

“I would love to see a woman president. I just didn’t think it would be her.” – Gennifer Flowers, former TV reporter and one-time mistress of Bill Clinton, on Hillary Rodham Clinton

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New Year’s Resolutions

So I’m sitting with my wife in bed and I’m reading Ode Magazine. Fascinating stuff. And I turn the page and begin reading, Meat Is Methane. It really gave me a shove. Turns out the meat I’m eating is a huge part of the global warming crisis. The article states,

“But CO2 is not the main byproduct of livestock farming, though it is responsible for 9 percent of it. Nitrous oxide and methane respectively contribute 300 and 23 times more to the greenhouse effect than CO2—and livestock is responsible for 65 percent of nitrous oxide emissions and 37 percent of methane emissions.”

One third of the world’s agricultural land is used for grains for meat products. It’s not just cows. It’s also chicken, lamb, and pork. And all of this production is having a big effect.

“The FAO concluded that the livestock industry accounts for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Consumers are told to conserve by switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, to take public transportation more often, to turn off the TV when they’re not watching. Why aren’t environmental organizations telling them to eat less meat?”

But then something my wife said a while ago captured my attention. She said, “We’re not really meant to eat meat. Our bodies have a harder time processing meat than fruits or grains.” In fact, it turns out that people who eat a lot of meat have higher cancer rates. The American Cancer Society studied 34,000 vegetarians against meat eaters and found,

“One study compared cancer rates of vegetarians and meat-eaters in 34,000 Americans. The results showed that those who avoided meat, fish, and poultry had dramatically lower rates of prostate, ovarian, and colon cancer compared to meat-eaters.”

And then I remembered what God said in Genesis 1:29,

“Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”

God’s original design was for us to eat fruits and vegetables and grains. Now I realize that he also gave us meat, but that was after the fall.

And it’s important to say that in light of all of this evidence, I am NOT speaking as a vegetarian trying to convince you of anything. I LOVE meat. I could eat In And Out Burger about five times a week and a tri-tip steak on the off days. The idea of surf and turb and chicken is a dream to me.  Even the idea of not eating meat seems ridiculously hard to me. But the reality is that I’m now 40 years old and my body is not working the way it used to. And I’ve been pondering this idea of giving up meat for 30 days, just to see what it would do to my body.

So this January, I’m going to give it a shot.  I’m going to give up meat for 30 days. This will include red and white meat and fish. It will be a fast of epic proportions because I know this is going to be incredibly hard for me. I’m not doing it to change the world, even though I may be contributing a little. I’m doing it because my heart it speaking loudly to me this year for some reason. I feel like God is telling me to take a risk and discover something. I don’t even know what it is, but I want to find out. And as a friend said, if it was good for Daniel, it probably is good for me.

Have any of you ever tried to do this?

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A Vision of Eternity

A friend of mine recently decided to take God up on His offer to be God.  It was awesome. And in true fashion God allowed him to be tested. But in the midst of a real trial my friend had decided that it was time to stop saying he would trust and really put it on the line to see if God would show up.  And I’m not kidding you, God did. He met my friend at the eleventh hour and let him know that He was trustworthy. He rescued him from a significant situation and provided in a way that was obvious that it was from God. I happened to be one of the first people who was around when he got the news. The look on my friends face was priceless. It was one of those experiences that gave me a glimpse of the divine, of eternity.

And the moment made me realize how many times I’ve doubted God’s ability to show up for me. I’ve taken matters into my own hands and tried to create some kind of outcome that I assumed would be better than what God would have for me. I hate when I do that. I have too many instances that leave me wondering why God puts up with me. I shake my head and say, “Okay God I get it now.” And then not moments later I’m scheming again.

C.S. Lewis once said that when we get to heaven the first words out of our mouths will be, “Ooooh. Oooooooohhh.” It’s the sound of sudden recognition of the obvious. It the awareness of what we should have known all a long but missed and now know.

And in light of Lewis’ words I realized tonight that eternity will be a celebration of the recognition of God’s ability to come through in the end. It will be the recognition of the awesomeness of God’s compassion and love for His creation, His children.  It will be an experience community and beauty and creativity as we look at each other and sit in awe of what we have experienced. A total redemption. It will be everyone saying, “Ooooooh. Ooooooohhh.”

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Your Top iTunes Songs

Music is a huge part of my life. I have some CD’s that I’ve worn out from years of use and abuse. And today I had a really interesting thought. What are the top plays in my iTunes? This list is not my favorite songs, just what I’ve listened to a lot because of playlists or random listening. My current catalog on goes back about two years because I switched computers.

My top five are:

1. In the Waiting Line by Zero 7
2. The Scientist by Coldplay
3. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own by U2
4. Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
5. Everloving by Moby

What’s on your list?

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Don’t Stop Believing

One of my all time favorite songs. If it comes on the radio. It gets cranked.

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Simple Faith Meme

Aaron at The Colorful Journey invited me to take part in a Simple Faith Meme started by Gary. The question is, “How would you define simple faith in Christ?”

Faith to me is surrendering to the winning side. It’s stepping into trust with my Heavenly Father who loves me deeply and embracing His Spirit. It’s taking the risk to live the life I was created for. It’s embracing love as the defining action in my life. And it’s enjoying the ride.

What is interesting is that I see this in my children. They don’t worry about things the way we do as adults. A friend of mine relayed a story to me that illustrates what I’m talking about. Another friend of ours sent out an email with a devotional that talked about a verse in Luke,

But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”—Luke 18:16-17

My friend was reading the devotional very early in the morning and uncharacteristically his seven year old daughter, who doesn’t usually wake up that early, walked into his office at that moment. My friend was intrigued by the idea that children don’t worry. So he asked his daughter, “Do you every worry about tomorrow?”

She looked at him with a funny face and said matter of factly, “Why?”

I look forward to the day when I can say, “Why?” I look forward to the moment when trust is just a way of life. I look forward to the day when surrendering is not the issue, but embracing the simple truth that He loves me more than I can possibly imagine.

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