Nascent Narratives from the Edge of the World

Out of Sight, In Plain View

2010-09-24T18:33:00.000+01:00

Friends . . I have been absent and off the radar.

This has been a VERY difficult, exciting, hopeful, hazy, stretching, questioning and frustrating period in our lives.

As some of you may already know, after 11 years in the UK & Ireland my family and I (all five of us!) left our friends, home, full-time permanent job and the beautiful island we called home to relocate to the Nashville, Tennessee area in pursuit of a vision God laid before us.

On June 30th it all went down. We moved - leaving a home unsold in County Tipperary with renters agreeing to live in it for the next year. When we arrived in America with very mixed feelings and still very cloudy on all that lie ahead, the first thing we did was attend the funeral of a woman who is VERY dear to me. My Grandmother, Grace L. McMurray had passed a few days before we fly our of Ireland. She was more than a grandmother to me, she was a friend. My mother and I lived with her a while when I was very young and I had a lot of time with 'Mac' as we called her. She became a hero and legend to me. I used to brag about her muscles to friends and teachers when I was a kid. She had been a widow since 1961, had raised four young girls, managed a farm of five acres and worked - hard - to support her children, and grandchildren at times. We were in touch regularly and I always visited her when we returned to the States for vacation over the past decade.

Mac was very influential in Christy and I giving eleven years of our lives in Northern and Southern Ireland. She had created a sort of family lore about being Irish in America in our family. She often recounted stories about our relatives who had moved from counties Tyrone and Antrim in the mid-nineteenth century to Ohio in search of their own adventures. When I had a chance to visit N. Ireland on a short term missions trip in 1996 - she paid for it. It was on that trip I knew I'd be back. Three months later in May I returned with Christy and her university and it was then I proposed to her. When we left I knew we'd be back. Three years later in 1999 we moved to N. Ireland with only the clothes in our suitcases. We remained, eventually moving South - investing in young lives across the whole island for over a decade. Our three children were born there and will forever know their heritage and origin. We were changed by sharing our lives and by the 'Irish' (Northern Irish for some of you!) sharing their lives so deeply with us.

When we returned to the US and attended Mac's funeral with many family members we hadn't seen for years, we were to find out Grandma Mac had been thinking of us in her fleeting moments of clarity in the weeks preceding her death. She had been saving up her income and left us a gift to help our family resettle in America. We have been floored by her generosity, intentionality and tangible love for us - even as she dwindled away in the twilight of her life. We are forever indebted to her and will seek to live for others as she so clearly did in her time on this earth. I love you Grandma - and I always will.

A few days following her funeral, I began a month's odyssey of traveling to the area we were soon to call home every Sunday afternoon through Friday night the whole month of July. I did this to attempt to search for and secure a full-time job before moving the family down. I invested a lot of hours of networking, searching, interviewing and praying - trying to discern God's leading for our family. By the time the end of July came I had a strong interest from one employer for part-time work but no commitment to hire and we had no home to move to. Issues were further complicated because we had no idea where our eldest daughter Neve would go to school without a job to dictate an area to move to and a home to live in. In the first week of August we decided to jump from the protective covering of Christy's parent's home and move to Tennessee anyway. We packed our small UHAUL and jumped into the unknown - again. Many of our family no doubt felt this was an unwise decision but sent us off anyway.

When we arrived in Franklin, TN (just 20 miles south of Nashville) we set up our temporary home in an extended stay hotel where we lived for six days as I continued to interview and apply for jobs and we looked for a home to live in. We frantically narrowed down a the available options to a home in Spring Hill, TN as the first day of school approached. Neve would have not been allowed to begin school until we had a permanent address in a school district. Finally, the day before school began, we agreed to rent a home for one year (without any promise of income to cover the bills) and I took a part-time job with The Battle of Franklin Trust for pennies of what we truly need to survive as a family of five here. So, the past six weeks have been an intense period of settling in securing insurances of various kinds, new driver's licenses, locating doctor's and trying to get plugged in with people in the area.

We are very, very happy with the church we've landed in only the second Sunday after our arrival. It's a new churhc plant in a local high school called Conduit. More info here: www.ConduitChurch.com Basically, what we really value about this small gathering of 'followers of the Way' is that they are new to it all - like us to the area and the US, they travel lightly by not incurring a lot of overhead costs in order to give more away to those in need locally and internationally (which they're doing to GREAT effect) and they (like us) don't really know what God is up to or where this is all going. Yeah, we're there too. It's truly a God-thing we've landed in with Conduit Church! Here we are . . I'm working part-time Tuesday through Thursday and seeking full-time salaried work every chance I get. Neve (who's seven) is enjoying the second grade at our local elementary. Aidan (five) is at home most days enjoying LEGO and super heroes and meeting kids his age at church, in the neighborhood and gatherings. Keely (one) is growing quickly, talking a lot, making ridiculously funny faces and Christy is patiently waiting. She's waiting to see where God appears in this chaos and haze of major life transition and upheaval. She's waiting to see how our family will be provided for, how our children will settle in a foreign environment, for friends she can share life with and for someway to invest herself outside of our family environment - a vision. In fact, we're all waiting . . waiting on Him . . waiting for Him.

One of the main reasons we moved to this part of the world and US was to follow a vision God placed before us to pastor Creatives (anyone invested in the arts or entertainment) as Soul Friends. A Soul Friend vocation is similar to the traditional role of a spiritual director or life coach. 'Soul Friend' is a translation of the Irish phrase Anam Cara. The Irish have a long history of Soul Friends. A Soul Friend is someone who intentionally walks beside another as they journey together - both into unknown territory. As they journey through life, a Soul Friend helps another to become more aware of where God is showing up - speaking in fact - all the time encouraging them to recklessly abandon themselves into God's good, capable, care-full hands. This is the process of transformation . . of becoming that person God created us to be and has dreamt we could become from moment He conceived us in love.

We came because we are following although we don't know the way. We came to know Jesus Christ more fully. We came to obey. We came to see this adventure unfold. Will you consider joining us?

www.ArtistSoulFriend.com

All our love to all of you friends. Please share your lives with us even as we have opened our to you and we'll journey onward - together.

"There's no dream that mustn't be dared."

- George Mallory, Everest Climber, 1924

Hysterical and How True! -> 'Sunday's Coming' Trailer

2010-05-12T11:21:00.004+01:00

A friend and fellow Dreamer - Melanie Maxwell - posted this on the Dreamers' site (are you a Dreamer?) and I laughed because it's so like what many churches in the evangelical tradition of non-denominationalism and beyond offer . . not all but many . . enjoy a laugh on them ->

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

insidenorthpoint.org/media
Executive Producers - David Blakeslee & Brad Bretz
Writers - Evan McLaughlin, Tim Cooper & Katherine Volk
Creative Director - Evan McLaughlin
Producer - Jeff Earnhardt
Director - Steve Young
DP - Josh McKague/Whisper Productions (http://www.whisperproductions.com)
Sound & Lighting - Whisper Productions
Line Cut - Jeff Earnhardt
Editor & Graphics - David Robertson
Voiceover - Mark Gibson
Music & Words Written by Reid Greven

A Church for Artists

2010-05-10T13:22:00.002+01:00

Kerry and Twyla Jackson from Kerry Jackson on Vimeo.

Kerry and Twyla Jackson, church planting missionaries with the North American Mission Board, share their passion and vision for planting Bezalel Church among the arts community of Atlanta, GA.

Join Project AK-47

2010-04-27T12:06:00.005+01:00

Please take 5 minutes to watch this video and reflect on what is in your heart and hand that you could use to help children forced to fight adult wars.

JOIN THE FIGHT for children's lives.

Project AK-47

Characteristics of a Missional Church: Tim Keller

2010-03-25T13:38:00.001Z

Massacre in Nigeria

2010-03-25T12:45:00.002Z

Open Doors representatives in Nigeria say the atmosphere in Dogo Nahawa south of Jos remains tense after the slaughter of as many as 500 mostly Christian villagers. Staff members testify that the macabre scene of mutilated bodies, many women and children, is hard to take in as they go around comforting the bereaved and encouraging the wounded.
Security forces that have been deployed in the area stood watching as mass burials started. Many locals are accusing the government of not reacting to rumors about the impending violence in the early hours of the attack.

We had a special interview with Open Doors’ Africa Director. He helps put the attack in perspective:

Q: Did the Christians of Dogo Nahawa suffer the attack because of what Jos Christians did to Muslims in January?

A: We understand that what is happening in Nigeria is first and foremost a spiritual battle between darkness and light. The battle has many disguises and faces.

Some are saying the attack was revenge for the January fighting. Others say it was the result of fighting over farmland. There are also those who say it is a fight for the control of the city of Jos as capital of Plateau State. All of these may very well be part of the general motive, but it would be oversimplified to say that any one of these is the sole reason for the most recent attack.

The villagers of Dogo Nahawa had nothing to do with the January violence. Additionally a great percentage of those killed were women and children. Our coordinator explained, “One group of 65 bodies we saw included only nine men. The rest were all women and children.”

Q: How do we help Christians in the West understand this and the other attacks in the past?

A: I think it is very important that we as Open Doors remind people that this is a spiritual battle. And in the realities of this battle, some Christians react to the honor of God and others don’t.

I think it is also important to understand that the Nigerian Christians are not super human beings. We need to understand that those Christians in northern Nigeria face discrimination, humiliation and attacks on almost a daily basis. They have built and rebuilt homes and churches so many times. They have gone to morgues to look for the bodies of their loved ones so often.

Is it realistic to expect them not to snap at a certain point in time? The question is: “would I, in a similar situation, defend my family and community?”

Our coordinator testifies that the youth of Dogo Nahawa are livid over this attack. When a pastor encouraged them to forgive, they were extremely offended. This is not to be commended, but it has to be understood.

Q: What is Open Doors doing to help the victims of the attack?

A: Our team is on the ground, visiting the bereaved and also those that have been injured and are now in the hospital. A high priority for us is to respond to the immediate need for food and water.

Open Doors has been pursuing every avenue available to us to help the church equip their members to always be able to give an answer to the hope they have, to reach out to Muslims in love and to react to their adversaries in a way that is pleasing to God. We also help ostracized Christians find others ways to earn an income.
[All names changed for security reasons.]

Help Send Emergency Relief to Nigeria Victims

**This article was originally posted at Open Doors**

Missiologist Ed Stetzer on Anglican Missional (Ad)Ventures

2010-03-24T16:20:00.006Z

I'm listening to Ed Stetzer's Anglican 1000 talk 'If I Were an Anglican' and I'm loving it! I'm hearing things that I've been thinking for a number of years now but have not really heard a large portion of the Church - Anglican or otherwise - endorse to my great frustration. I really hope the Church (big 'C'!), especially Ed's immediate audience, take this to heart and act on what the Spirit says to them. I for one would love to embed or root a ministry I've begun to creatives in the historical/inherited church - if the partnership were a symbiotic one!

Enjoy (but you'll need to take the time to watch/listen - or download to your mp3 device)!

Golfers' Faith Hits a Hole-in-One with FCA

2010-03-24T12:39:00.000Z

I'll be the first to confess that while I like some sports (especially full contact for the unrestrained force they entail!), golf has always been at the bottom of my list of sports which I would actually *qualify* as a sport. In fact, it may be just above other activities such as ping pong (table tennis), shuffle board (or whatever that strange Olympic rocks-scooting-across-ice thing is called), wife-carrying and bog snorkeling. I must admit though that I did, at one time, caddy at a golf course near my home in Westerville, Ohio, USA while in high school. It was a painful waiting game just getting work, showing up at 6:30am to try to be the first caddy there to get out on the course. I remember one day waiting from 6:30am until 2:30pm just to get out! Then you have the regrettable situation of wealthy golfers not tipping or not tipping well. Ugghh . . it probably tainted my experience of the game of golf from early on.

Anyway, last summer my curiosity for the game was renewed when my father-in-law and two of my brother-in-laws asked me to play a round with them and other family and friends. I admit, I really went just for the relational investment and not golf itself. After the first 9 I managed to surprise everyone (including myself) by going head-to-head with my youngest brother-in-law Chad who was M-A-D I played as well as him . . and I never play the game! I was more pleased about that than my game itself. ;-)

I bring all of this up because next Monday I'll be meeting with a friend of a friend who will be here in Ireland coaching a team of Irish youth on their golf game and spiritual journey. His name is Ben Bost and he works for the FCA coordinating TourLife, a ministry to golfers, both amateur and pro. I'm really looking forward to hearing more of his story, the work he does and dreaming with him how we might collaborate on some future work supporting athletes AND artists in their life's journey. Some of you may know I recently launched a ministry to support 'creatives' (artists/musicians/actors/writers, etc.) called Soul Friend. More on that soon.

Here is a video of Ben working with golfers on tour, encouraging them in their journey with Jesus Christ. Please leave some comments and questions if you'd like me to ask him any on Monday.

Tourlife at the Knoxville Open from AndyMerrickTV on Vimeo.

The Missional Church Made Simple

2010-03-23T17:12:00.002Z

I love this. It's what it says = simple!

Irish Eyes Don't Tell Lies: The Truth About The Man, Myth & Legend

2010-03-16T10:33:00.005Z

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Here's a post I wrote from this time last year on the truth behind St. Patrick.

Enjoy.

Irish Eyes Don't Tell Lies

My dreams are bursting at the seams: Fireflies by Owl City

2010-03-12T13:26:00.011Z

I've only heard this song once (thank you Stella!), but it immediately spoke to me on a number of levels. Firstly, the music is very intricate and interesting. It doesn't come across as being built for radio play on rotation, but it definitely could be by it's own merit. I was intrigued and deeply satisfied with the musical aesthetic Owl City created with 'Fireflies'. Secondly, the music video was superb. I can assume that it means something more for people my age (mid 30's) and older from the Americas due to the hundreds of toys and gadgets animated in the video from the 1950's through the early 1990's. The visual aspects played into the song lyrics wonderfully and help to create a world within a world (bedroom) which is what the song itself is meaning to convey.

Finally, the themes the song itself carried are close to my heart . . . wonder, mystery and dreaming. I sense God is behind all of these elusive realities. They are like a breadcrumb trail leading to a hidden feast in the forest. Our God is a God of wonder, mystery and dreams. There is so much in Scripture that illustrates this well and so much in creation that affirms this truth. It seems my own vocation / calling in life is one of entering into inspired dreams and helping others enter into theirs as the Spirit of God leads. My greatest hope is that my wife and especially my children, will know this wonder-full, generous and good Father of all who invites us on the adventure of a lifetime with Him.

Journey on friends . . the best is yet to come!

"I'd like to make myself believe, that planet Earth turns slowly. It's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep . . cause everything is never as it seems . . because my dreams are bursting at the seams."

Twilight’s Subtle Soliloquy . . All That Glitters Is Not Gold

2010-03-05T10:51:00.005Z

A number of months ago I wrote on my experience of watching the two Twilight films which have become monetary cinematic ‘successes’. I watched them in reverse order due to my strong desire to briefly escape a conference I had been attending when the ‘New Moon’ installment was released. New Moon left a bad taste in my mouth, but having some form of artistic integrity, I decided I must give the first film a chance to redeem the franchise. Twilight’s debut film release was, in my humble opinion, better than it’s newer relative. After being equally nauseated (New Moon) and convinced (original Twilight) by the two films within their accompanying social media tempest, I began reflecting on some more abstruse meaning presented within these films.

While there are elements to celebrate within the Twilight series, such as the cinematography of the Pacific Northwest, the intriguing screenwriting and the intricacies of connections between characters, there are of course more subtle messages that hold sway as well. My main concern in highlighting a few of these potentially more disastrous aspects is for younger, or less critical souls that could be trounced upon by Twilight’s resonance with their everyday experience and fanatic fantasies. If left unexamined in the midst of all the beauty and wonder the films traffic, these sentiments augmented by the film’s popular appeal may be assimilated unknowingly.

Reminiscent of the age old story of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Twilight has an underlying tragic element which in many respects offers suicide and self harm as possible resolutions to teenage relational / emotional turmoil. This is nothing short of cataclysmic for malleable and somewhat unanchored lives, tossed around in the sea-change known as adolescence. I have no qualms with real life relational sophistication in all it’s variance as portrayed within the films, but I do not believe it beneficial for those aforementioned souls to see deadly means employed to deal with temporary situations. Bella seems perpetually encased in state of depression and exhibits accompanying behavior such as self-imposed social exclusion, potentially destructive behaviors and suicidal tendencies.

While freedom of expression is an important aspect of life, doesn’t ‘love’ motivate us to work for the good of others and not their harm? Casting our adult minds back to but a fraction of our own experience as teens - and possibly that of others we knew - should empower us to be better equipped in supporting these emerging adults in their wonderful, weird and yes, wacky, developmental journey. There is so much that is thrown up in the air within those formative years of human existence in regards to identity, relational circles and cycles, education, purpose, and emotional maturity that it seems cruel to offer anything less than edifying, constructive support for these adults under construction.

The pure platform that all forms of mass media inhabit augment the supra-reality each medium offers its consumer. By the very fact that something or someone is afforded a stage - ‘a moment in the spotlight’ - they have been given more credibility than possibly their character or message innately possess. This inordinate amount of influence requires an inordinate level of responsibility. This truth is corroborated in the Scriptures when it states, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1, N.I.V.). The same truth was popularized in the Spiderman franchise films when Pete Parker’s uncle Ben tells him early into his web-slinging career that “. . with great power comes great responsibility.” Satire ensued.

Along with Bella’s tendency toward the downward spiral of self-obsessed destructive behaviors in the wake of her broken relationship with Edward, the films exuded a sense that token sexual encounters, while not intercourse, are ‘safe’ for those engaged in them. Setting the varied opinions about sexual intercourse prior to being in a lifelong, committed relationship aside, there are practical concerns with any popularization of dating habits that statistically end in more sexually transmitted disease / infections, unnecessary emotional pain and, of course, unwanted pregnancies. I know you may be thinking, “C’mon, it’s only a film!” and at times I would be saying the same thing. But, in this instance, because of the unique maturation phase of the Twilight films’ targeted audience and the ubiquitous, powerful influence of media in personal formation, I stand in opposition to messages communicated through these avenues and in this manner for the sake of the Young.

Edward’s seemingly benign encounters of gazing upon Bella in her underwear while in bed do nothing to help young people (let alone adults!) develop clear understanding and personal discipline in making choices which help them navigate the course of relational integrity throughout life. It’s reminiscent of the old adage that playing with fire usually ends in someone getting burned. This is not a fear based or fear motivated tactic, but pure and simple wisdom. It’s more than unfortunate that much of the Western world demonstrates that personal ‘freedom’ mandates the pursuit of the gratification of our every desire for our pleasure. There is a direct correlation between the choices we make and the consequences we experience - good or bad - in life. Anyone who admonishes or touts the innocence of such behavior only heaps fuel on the ‘fire’ and turns a blind eye to the incontestable evidence of how we humans are ‘wired up’ when it comes to - in the case above - sexual activity. The next logical step in a bedroom situation as displayed in ‘New Moon’ is obvious to all, it’s meant to work that way and frankly, that’s why it does - but it doesn’t usually end well.

After ranting to some degree about the potentially destructive messages inherent in such hugely popular films such as the Twilight franchise, and the intrinsic power suffused within mass media, I can understand why one might think me a prude. The inverse is actually true. From where I stand, gifts such as sex are designed to be more fully enjoy within the boundaries of healthy, lifelong monogamous relationships where, in ideal circumstances, both partners are perpetually seeking to do good to one another. Likewise, while some may herald this as an assault on personal freedoms, I see no qualitative benefit to exposing young people to lifestyle choices such as the ones exhibited by Bella (in the medium they were presented) without opportunities to discuss the various outcomes from those choices in the context of caring relationships. To do so otherwise is potentially destructive - especially for young lives in transition.

I’m all for art - I love it as a means of expression and a mirror to see ourselves within. I support the role art fulfills in revealing the spectrum of human experience through a variety of mediums, but I believe it should be done in a measured, sensitive approach which seeks to work for the good of the lives of those who engage with it.

============================

**This was originally posted on Risen Magazine in the Blog section**

The Future of Social Media

2010-03-03T12:27:00.003Z

I LOVE this stuff, it's so fascinating, inspiring and challenging. A wonderful & wired future is ahead that may make us wistful for some of what we lost if we're not intentionally preserving what holds significance for meaning-making in life.

PICNIC '09: The Future of Social Media with Gerd Leonhard from PICNIC Festival on Vimeo.

Leaving These Shores

2010-02-18T18:53:00.001Z

Well friends, it's been some time since I posted anything personal here on ye' auld blog. There will be a lot C-H-A-N-G-E in the Tucker household in 2010. The adventure continues . . .

After eleven years in this island on the edge of the world - we are moving to America. Yes, it HAS been that long. I can hardly believe it either! Of course it will be a return for Christy and I, but for our three precious children it will be a first. They are born and bred 'Irish' and we'd have it no other way(our eldest says N. Irish!). It has been a privilege raising them in their early years in this wonderful part of the world, but now they'll have greater access to their family in the US of A.

On February 3rd, 2010 I handed in my resignation to the Church of Ireland Youth Department. I will officially finish my time with them at the end of June. We've also put our home on the market for sale here in Tipperary. Watch this area in the next few years as the largest Eco-village in Britain & Ireland nears completion and the new freeway between Dublin & Limerick is finished just 5 miles down the road. In the same day we had estate agents over to valuate the home, we bought our one-way tickets to America for the end of June. Everything's been set in motion!

In all of this it's incredible to imagine that another long-term dream could be coming true. For over a decade I've had a growing sense of vocation to pastoring 'creatives' and those in the public eye in general. An eight year friendship with a couple who've been doing that very thing has given birth to an invitation to join them in the work based out of Nashville, TN. In order to become 'missionaries into popular culture' we'll be in inviting friends to gather around us who get the vision and desire to invest in the work prayerfully, relationally and resourcefully. More on this will be revealed by St. Patrick's Day so please 'stay tuned'! I'm also seek part or full-time work to be able to take care of the family alongside raising support.

If a job and a home in America haven't materialized by the time we return, I'll spend the month of July searching for them in the Nashville area while the family stays with our extended family in Columbus, Ohio. In all of this we know that God is good and will look after us. That's the message that keeps coming back to us again and again. As The Message says, we can be "careless in the care of God."

Would you like to hear more on this?? Please get in touch, ask questions and please do pray for us in all of this as we give God opportunity to do the miraculous!

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!"

- Ephesians 3:20-21, The Message

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Unnamed Rd,,Ireland

Creativity + Faith = Cultural Catalyst?

2010-02-11T14:43:00.002Z

Unfair Persecution of Christians: 2010 Watch List

2010-02-02T14:40:00.004Z

My family and I support Open Doors at various times. Do you? Could you?

'Heroes' Star Shares About His Home Country of Haiti

2010-01-20T12:51:00.002Z

Creatively Communicating: music, graffiti, spoken word

2010-01-14T12:10:00.004Z

Awesome! I love this because of his story, because of his skill and because he is helping younger generations encounter timeless truths through creative employment of the arts - go on DJ Promote!

Church Experiments in the Titanic Quarter

2010-01-12T15:57:00.004Z

This was printed in our Church of Ireland Gazette just prior to Christmas. It's a very exciting development (on the surface) indeed! I must remember to pray that God protects the work there, equips the pioneer(s) and envisions the leadership of the Church to 'go and do likewise' elsewhere around this island in such need of inspiration, creativity and a fresh wind.

Come Holy Spirit Come.

So I Married a Vampire . . . The Strange, the Dark and the Compelling

2009-12-18T16:13:00.008Z

I have a confession to make.

I watched the two Twilight films recently . . and I feel dirty. No, no that’s going to far - it was a joke. Truthfully though, before watching the films I wondered if the decision to do so was somewhat akin to indulging in a guilty pleasure. It felt like I should be embarrassed to tell my friends about . . come to think of it, I guess I really haven’t yet. The title of this article is not a singular reference to a bit of pop culture, but two. The first and most obvious being the hoop-lah of recent years over the ultra successful Twilight saga and the second is a reference to a lesser known film oddity - ‘So I Married An Axe Murderer’. If you hadn’t already picked up the foreshadowing of the nuptials between the two lovers Bella & Edward in the title - I’ve just handed it to you.

My story begins in Eastbourne, England on a recent trip with some fellow youth workers from around the island of Ireland. We were attending a conference on youth ministry and by day two I had reached my ‘full’ indicator a little earlier than I normally would. I was searching for a way out - a pass to remove myself from the suffocating world of often covered, rarely inventive, youth ministry issues. So, while firmly wedged in an over-sized bean bag, I grabbed my iPhone and began to leech the free WiFi while searching for excuses to get off site. I opted to check listings for films since I seldom get out to see any since entering fatherhood. I found two options. Choice number one: ‘2012’ which, although seemingly mindless entertainment, was mildly intriguing. I wasn’t looking for the soul-searching or inspirational fare - just something to veg in front of. Choice number two: some film about vampires and werewolves . . ripping each other apart, I had hoped.

After exhausting my iPhone address book for possible other dissenters to invite into my minor rebellion, I found one; but his availability meant that in order for me to accommodate him, I’d have no choice between films - it was the New Moon Twilight film thingy or none. Not knowing much about the Twilight films apart from my normal youth work responsibility of intentional familiarity, as mentioned above, I was hoping for Action (yes, with a capital ‘A’). It wasn’t to be. Upon entering the extremely cool retro theater, and gliding up the red carpeted staircase I noticed something strange . . we were vastly outnumbered by members of the feminine species and young ones at that. It was at that point I should have connected the dots, but I didn’t.

Now, let me tell you this, I like the occasional dark, moody film. I enjoyed the first and the third installments of the ‘Underworld’ series, I liked the atmospheric sensibilities of the Brothers Grimm (even if the characterization was crap), I enjoyed the older French film ‘The Brotherhood of the Wolf’ - hey, even VanHelsing pushed a few buttons for me. So, going into ‘New Moon‘ I expected at least mildly aesthetically pleasing elements and some serious action sequences as the vampire and werewolf factions clashed. It wasn’t the case. Those two and a half hours were some for the most painful in recent memory for me.

The prevailing reason I remained in my seat for the entirety of the film was so that I could have more credibility when critiquing it in the eyes of my ardent adversaries. More than a few times I was about to laugh out loud at the incredibly cliche encounters between Bella and Edward. Their interactions seemed to me like a play put on by adults who had been told they were master actors by those who knew no better. The exchange of lines and looks was verging on hilarious too often for me to pick out a singular occurrence. In addition to the abhorrent lines between the main characters, I felt constantly pummeled by the uncertainty of the relationship between Bella and Edward and their own uncertainty in their standing with one another. It wouldn’t have been too far out to have had them pass the “Do You Like Me? Please check Yes or No“ note we who are Gen X’ers remember from our elementary years. At least the reply to that note by one of of the pain-stakingly, perplexed lovers would have ended the debacle then and there. I told the friend I attended the screening with that it felt as if I had spent the entirety of the film swimming in the morass of a troubled teenage girl’s mind. Maybe that was the intention of the author but it made it no less pleasant.

Adding to my already beleaguered soul was the uncomfortable reminder I was in the extreme minority in the room. At choice moments which only a young female of the pre-driving age could discern, we would hear the sickening ‘aawwww’ or muffled giggles of glee and delight. I still shudder at the experience as I relive it. I couldn’t help but ask myself ‘Why am I here?’ each time the room was enveloped in the crowd’s ecstatic responses to (nearly) universally apparent cues embedded in the marathon event. Yes, it was a waste of money in light of my desire to have been drawn into a story and entertained for two hours. The other side of the coin is that as a professional youth worker and a trainer of youth workers, it was a somewhat valuable experience. I may have been slightly aided if I had seen the first installment before ‘New Moon’- but only slightly. Surprisingly enough, I did choose to rent the first Twilight film two weeks later and beyond all belief, I enjoyed it. As of this moment, I still have yet to clarify exactly what was qualitatively different about the first film over the second, but there was something different. Okay, it still felt a little claustrophobic being trapped in the mind of the tragic ‘deer-in-the-headlights’ teenage Bella, especially in her manically depressed moments, but on the whole it was more engaging and believable (all but the parts about vampires of course).

Aesthetically, I was awash in the atmospheric elements which I have been all to familiar with the past ten years living in Ireland. When sporadic, those dreary days are a welcome experience. If any of you are particularly drawn to continually overcast skies and perpetually wet weather, come live in my world for a bit . . hey, why don’t we just get down to business and bring up a permanent exchange program?? I’m game. Of even stronger interest to me were the plentitude of exceedingly tall coniferous trees populating the sets and scenes. I loved that sense of being dwarfed by these earth-bourne giants. I can imagine the pleasant smell of pine filling the damp air of ‘Forks’. The fact that the sea was apparently very accessible was a welcome invention as well. Another thing I appreciated about the production value of the film was the stylizing of the vampires - especially the abstinent Cullen crew. Of course, their human-free diet choices added to their mystique, in addition to minor aspects of their appearance and ultimately their behaviour.

Beyond the purely ‘arty’ aspects of the two Twilight films, there were some deeper issues that came to light but which did not glisten like the glittery skins of their blood-sucking central characters. A few of these issues are certainly of utmost concern for parents of teens and youth workers / pastors as well. Next week, I’d like to explore some of these concerns and highlight what we should be aware of which may be negatively impacting more impressionable psyches through their often whole-sale embrace of stories such as Twilight. Even with this in mind, we will continue to celebrate what can be celebrated, when and where it is found.

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**This was originally posted on Risen Magazine in the Blog section**

MySpace of Solitude & Silence

2009-12-18T15:58:00.005Z

This is Moinahincha (sp?) Abbey in northern Co. Tipperary, Ireland, just to the south east of Roscrea where my office is. I have known the need to get away from the traffic of life - to step out of it for a while - at God's invitation for some time now but I didn't have a regular practice. Apart from moments devoted to quiet reflection and connection with God each day, it is my intention to make a regular monthly, more lengthy get away. This is my place of choice for now. Today it was freezing - literally - while I was there (0C/32F). C-O-L-D!

The Abbey was established on an island in a lake (drained now) in the 8th century. The name Moinahincha means "The Monastery on the Island of the Living". Cool, huh?!

'Oh My God'

2009-12-14T12:04:00.003Z

Here's a little film that apparently came out sometime this autumn but I must have missed it. I've never heard of it before, having just came across this interesting promo video on Pete's blog (thanks Pete!) I would really like to see it. I'm always interested in how people describe, express their understanding of and feel drawn to the Divine. I'm equally interested in discerning how God makes Himself known to people and draws them to Himself.

As a Christian I see all this through how God has revealed Himself to me (in the Scriptures and Jesus Christ primarily) and how He continues to communicate who He is . . even in silence. So, when a filmmaker makes a courageous move to explore some of these issues (ala 'Religulous' by Bill Maher)- I'm interested. Ultimately, I think these sort of open ended explorations help me to understand the human person better and consequently, how to best facilitate people encountering Jesus in fresh ways.

Youth Ministry Christmas

2009-12-10T15:12:00.001Z

Something from our friends at Simply Youth Ministry for the Holidays . . .

Help Portrait Help Others

2009-12-10T14:03:00.009Z

Check Help_Portrait out on Twitter HERE

Check Help-Portrait out on the Home Page HERE

Images from the Road

2009-12-10T13:37:00.005Z

Here are some random shots I've taken from some of my travels the past few months . . .

Church Planting in Post Christendom

2009-12-02T13:24:00.003Z

Here's a video of a friend's pastor sharing about the development of 'Missional Orders' as one answer to being a thriving Christian community in 21st century Western culture. It was a bit like the froth on the top of a cappuccino . . nice but light.

Dave Fitch - the Cultivate Talk on Missional Orders from Bill Kinnon on Vimeo.

ONE MINUTE SOUNDSCULPTURE

2009-12-02T11:08:00.000Z

One Minute Soundsculpture from Daniel Franke on Vimeo.

An Open Letter to an Anonymous Friend

2009-12-01T23:48:00.005Z

Below is a response to a friend whom I've recently been in contact with again after nearly twenty years. In high school we were seemingly coming from polar opposite viewpoints, but I always appreciated his willingness to converse with me and I felt there was a mutual respect for one another - even though we disagreed at many points.

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Friend, I find it interesting that you said you had a 'calling' to go to church. I'm still interested to know what denomination/brand/flavor of Christian church it is - i.e. Baptist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, non-denominational, charismatic, etc, etc.

I understand (largely from experience) that people can often tune out when someone begins expounding on the Scriptures (Bible). It's been done to me and I have at times done it to others! But this can also happen with any subject in life - not just the Bible. I find it often has more to do with the messenger (teacher/preacher) than it does the Bible or content itself. A passionate, well-studied, dynamic messenger can keep me hooked by speaking on how mould grows or paint peels for an hour. In the case of the Bible, it has content that speaks for itself - but a deathly messenger can cause people to tune it out. Agreed. The interesting thing is that the issues/topics you mentioned such as angels, the human soul and healings, etc. are all IN the Bible already - waiting to be discovered. There are also much more disturbing elements, as well as the incredibly satisfying truth and reality that resounds in our soul when we take it in!

You mentioned that "it is really sad how a majority of Christian's put Jesus on the same level as God, how some seem to think they are one - in a way Yes but No." A few things about this . . firstly, of course Christians put Jesus on the same level as God - Jesus Himself claimed to be God (wrapped in human flesh) and that He and the Father are One. This is the point of being a Christian . . we follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. If someone decides they don't like or don't want to believe something that Jesus has said - well then, why should that person even bother thinking that they are a Christian? The etymology of the word 'Christian' means 'little Christ'. The end result of following Jesus is to imitate Him in every way, to become like Him - His teachings, example of how He treats people and how He lived His life. A Christian does this because they believe (whether they are able to articulate it or not) that Jesus Christ is the highest/perfect/truest example of what it means to live a truly human life in the love of God - as we were designed to. If we begin picking and choosing what we want to believe or imitate of Jesus' life and teachings, we then cease to be a Christian - by choice - and we become something else. In the Book of John (New Testament - last third of the Bible), chapter ten and verse thirty, Jesus says, "I and the Father are one." [N.I.V.] After being accused of blasphemy/lying by His fellow Jews, He then goes on to say, "Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." (vs. 36-38). I encourage you to read the whole of John chapter ten in the N.I.V. version and then in the Message version (to contrast) to get a clearer sense of what Jesus said about Himself here and here.

You also mentioned, "one has to remember some of the things Jesus did, he traveled to other areas and learned other religious ways first hand, he learned Buddist things, Hindu things (Yoga for one, look how some paintings have Jesus sitting). And he also learned Pagan ways since that was the main thing in those days. So he came back and thought those things, the good parts to others." Now, I am fully aware that I do not know everything, nor will I in this life, but I have been an intentional follower of 'The Way' Jesus exemplified for about 21 years now and never have I read, heard or come across what you have mentioned above. While I am quite sure Jesus had knowledge of the ways and belief systems of other civilizations around His own, present and past, I cannot see how He (if we take Him at His word that He is the Son of God) would have any need of leaning on rituals and faith systems created by mankind when He Himself is God. God defines everything else other than Himself because by nature God is an 'independent' being - His existence is not contingent on anything because He is the Source of it all. We - and the whole created order - on the other hand are dependent beings/creations . . we can only survive by deriving our life from sources outside ourselves. I know of no recorded, historical accounts of Jesus going in search of truth/reality from man-made faith systems. Please enlighten me if you do know of such sources and point me in their direction so I search them out for myself. Even if there are credible sources stating the kinds of things you have suggested, the very existence of them would work against what the Scriptures reveal to be true of Jesus and what He said of Himself and His mission.

You said, "Too many ppl pray to Jesus and not God." Yes, this is true - a lot of Christians do pray to Jesus, but as you can see from Jesus' own statements about Him being one in nature and stature with God, it is understandable. If we believe what He said about Himself, then it follows that it makes sense to speak with Him as God('s Son). While Jesus never prayed to Himself, but to His Father (God), I think it is an entirely acceptable practice to speak directly with God the Father, God the Son or even God the Spirit (Holy Spirit). The predominant Christian understanding of God being triune in nature (a trinity of persons) means that They are all one and the same, yet different in expression/function and therefore They share the same significance and are due the same status. The Trinitarian nature of God has long been one that has perplexed many people but still it has persisted. While there is no explicit mention of 'the Trinity' in the Bible, it is implied many times over right from the beginning in the book of Genesis and through the book of Revelation (the first and last books). God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Spirit that is Holy are mentioned and referred to as being one with each other (interchangeably) all the way through the Bible. It is a mystery still - but an integral aspect of God's character is mystery and that is how I prefer it. ;-)

You asked about the church you go to teaching "You are what you say". I don't know exactly what you are telling me here or what the church may be teaching with this. Every pastor/teacher/minister/priest has a unique slant on how they share or 'pitch' a message. Maybe this is something unique to the priest where you have been attending? I agree that what we 'think' is a determining factor in our behavior - how we treat others and ultimately who we become (our character). The Bible says, " . . as a man thinks in his heart, so he is" in the book of Proverbs and also in the book of Mark, chapter seven, verses twenty through twenty three, "He [Jesus] went on: 'It's what comes out of a person that pollutes: obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness—all these are vomit from the heart. There is the source of your pollution.' " So, in essence, I'm agreeing with you - what we are in our inner being is revealed in our words and behavior ('you'll know a tree by the fruit it bears'). Maybe whomever shared "You are what you say" at the church meant to encourage everyone to 'do what they say they'll do' - you know, follow through??

You said, "so now I'm learning more about Christian ways even tho the vast parts of it are from Pagan and Jewish beliefs. Actually pretty much all religions share the same core things, just have different names for it. Some call the energy CHI, you would know it as The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. same stuff." Regarding your mention of Jewish beliefs being a source for many of the Christian beliefs - you are right. Christians understand Jewish faith as being the parent faith of Christianity yet not complete in itslef. Jewish faith had always (right from Genesis) been in a waiting posture for God's answer to humanity's predicament to arrive on the scene and make things right - set everything the way it was meant to be. The One they are eagerly waiting for is the Messiah (Hebrew) or the Christ (Greek) - both of which are translated as the 'Chosen' or 'Anointed One'. Basically, God's Son sent to be the answer to the world/humanity's problems. The place of divergence, or where Christianity separates from Judaism (Jewish beliefs), is that Christians believe Jesus (the Christ, the One from Nazareth) to be the Messiah and the Jews do not. They are still waiting. The Bible (and Jesus) are quite clear that the Messiah they are waiting for is a misunderstanding of God's intended and stated purpose for His Son. So, the Jews, not being able to take in or believe that Jesus of Nazareth was who He claimed and demonstrated Himself to be, killed Him themselves. That too was meant to happen as prophesied to fulfill God's purposes. And, as you are well aware, the story goes that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day which validated all He said and did before His death. Hey, if you were the Son of God and could rise from the dead wouldn't you?? ;-)

Regarding the seemingly overlap of other faith systems with Christianity, the best explanation of that occurrence comes to us from the author of the incomparable book 'The Lord of the Rings' - J.R.R. Tolkien himself (a devout Catholic). He had a conversation with another eminent scholar and writer C.S. Lewis ('Chronicles of Narnia' fame) prior to Lewis becoming a Christian in which they talked about all the resonances between the Christian story and other mythologies. Tolkien observed that Lewis had no problem immersing himself in the depth and richness of the old Norse and Greek myths - even to the point of wishing they were true - not wanting to remove himself from 'living' within them. It was the noblest, most honorable and upright elements of those stories that endeared them to Lewis and caused his soul to sing with delight. Tolkien then told Lewis why should it be any different then with the story of the world as told from the Christian worldview? Why did Lewis put up his guard when confronted with the realities of the 'good news' found in the Bible? Deep down Lewis wanted it to be true even if he didn't allow himself to consent to it intellectually. It's as if the Story of a good God lovingly reaching out to the people He made in joy was resonating with something deep inside him . . maybe because it was meant to.

Tolkien, ingenious author that he was, once stated that every 'good' story contains elements of the one 'true' story in it. Could it be that the Story which speaks to the deepest places in our souls and offers answers to our most innate desires could, in fact, be true?? Is it really true in every circumstance that if it sounds too good to be true it probably is? Most of the world, truthfully speaking, would hope it isn't the way. I love a good story . . how about you?

I leave you with the encouragement to also check out John chapter one verses one through thirty four in The Message version of the Bible. It has a lot to say to some of your thoughts/questions about who Jesus is. You can find it online here friend.

May God continue to reveal more of Himself to us and illuminate our otherwise muddied souls with the Light of lights and the Truth of all truths!

Catch you soon.

A Band To Watch (and listen to)!

2009-11-30T14:05:00.005Z

I was introduced to these guys by long time friend Jeff Jackson of Covert Management two and a half years ago. He manages Seabird and has one terrific band! The first time I heard their first album I had the songs lodged in my soul for three months without hearing the songs again during that time. When I got their first album from Jeff after a long time waiting, it was like a reunion with someone who I had been longing to be with for ages - sweetness and light!! Their music really is exemplary. No joke. They recently had a song on Grey's Anatomy - Joy To The World (opens in iTunes) - and their new single from the upcoming (Dec. 15th) album 'Rocks Into Rivers' entitled 'Don't You Know That You're Beautiful' (opens in iTunes) is absolutely satisfying for the musical connoisseur. You'll be doing your soul a favour by buying the new album (or the single now) in a couple of weeks.

I'm glad they'll be coming to Ireland in December, with one gig in Ballymena, N. Ireland and possibly another somewhere in Dublin (TBA). Check out this brief 'behind the scenes . . .

Simple Joys!

2009-11-28T20:31:00.001Z

Here are some pictures from our family day out today at Kildare Village just off the M7. I love both times we've been there- mostly because the kids always have a great time. The last time we were there the kids had their faces painted, enjoyed a clown and stilt-walker & got balloons. Today they met the one and only Santa with his elf helper. We then headed out to have dinner at Midway where Neve and Aidan had pizza & cookies. It's the simple things which can often bring the most joy in life. All-in-all it was a great day . . and Christy and I had Starbucks (not a regular occurance because we don't live near one)!

PS- There's an ancient quote from the Kildare Papers posted there which says, "Always remember three things, 'Whence you came, who you are and where you are going.' " Great quote!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

He's Barak O-bama!

2009-11-26T12:55:00.001Z

Love this - great work JibJab!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

The Blind Side

2009-11-26T11:28:00.004Z

This looks good - I think I'd like to see it. I love remarkable, true stories!

Whom Shall I Send? Who Will Go for Us?

2009-11-25T23:36:00.001Z

Do Celebs Need Saving? from Risen Magazine on Vimeo.

Artistic Missional Practice and Theory

2009-11-25T14:41:00.008Z

The above title of the post reminds me of a line of thinking that has been going around for some time. It's one of contrast.

It has been said that the Church in the past few centuries has been (over?)fixated on orthodoxy or 'right belief' - getting your theology or 'study/understanding of God' right (sometimes to the exclusion of doing right by people who are created in the image of God Himself). Then, and only then, can you be about orthopraxis or 'right doing/living'. As the book of James seems to stress, more attention in recent years has been shifting to orthopraxy with its specific application as we live in relationship with others. This re-calibrating focus then is moving toward orthodoxy VIA orthopraxy - or 'right belief through right action/living'. While I see the need for this shift in the Church in the West, it must only shift so far as to rebalance our faithful obedience to Christ's example and call.

In Scott McKnight's 'Missional Mondays' post this week he shares some insights that are particularly helpful from pastor and author Dr. Tim Keller from Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. He shares Keller's "key characteristics of missional churches who've made the ecclesiological shift" from his article 'The Missional Church':

1. Discourse in the vernacular: Missional churches avoid tribal language, we-them language, talking as though non-believers weren't present in our churches. We must learn to discourse in the local vernacular's our churches are situated within

2. Enter and re-tell the culture's stories with the gospel: Missional churches enter into their culture by showing sympathy toward and deep acquaintance with the artifacts of the culture (music, art, literature, food, etc.) acknowledging the goodness of culture because of common grace and the image of God in all humanity; missional churches are able to re-tell their cultures stories in light of the biblical story which shows us how in Christ we can have freedom without slavery, embracing the 'other' without injustice.

3. Theologically train lay people for public life and vocation: Missional churches train everyone to 'think Christianly' about everything and work with distinctive's shaped by the biblical story; people are encouraged to renew and transform culture through a theology of work; and to become culture-makers; missional churches encourage people to demonstrate love and 'tolerance' in the public square, under cutting intolerance as a common defeater of the gospel in the Post-Christian West.

4. Create Christian community which is counter-cultural and counter-intuitive: Missional churches seek to empower and equip the body to show the surrounding culture how radically different a Christian society is with regard to sex, money, and power; and missional churches practice holistic mission because the world is a holistic mess because of sin and God has provided a holistic answer in Christ; they do this through word and deed, through the proclamation and presence of the Kingdom of God.

How does this all dovetail with the Arts? Well, as per Tim's first point, the Arts ARE the vernacular of any culture. It seems to me that it's a matter of art imitating life and life then, in turn, life imitating art. It's a strange cycle, but true for the masses. So, if we are to be masters of our craft - whatever the field or medium may be - we have an opportunity to become more conversant in the vernacular or the 'everyday language' of the places, spaces and networks in which we live, move and have our being by listening. No one who has yet to develop the art of listening will have anything really valuable to contribute to a conversation, much less someone's life. Learn to listen, then, by God's empowering Spirit, offer what He has already given you ("What is in your hand?" He said to Moses) in a 'language' that those around you speak.

The second point Dr. Tim Keller makes about entering and retelling the culture's stories is one that should come somewhat naturally to someone with a gifting and vocation in the Arts. It doesn't really matter what your discipline is, every area of specialty in the Arts is essentially about narrative. Through your medium you're telling a story. Even if you deny your work communicates a story, the work itself carries it's own story within it - how it came to be and what brought it 'to life'. If we are to really move people, learning and re-telling stories that they either face daily, or that are embedded deep within their psyche, is a core practice. We, as artists, can employ our general vocation as 'prophets' in society to share Truth - especially when we reinterpret and present anew stories that people thought they already knew and understood. We can enable someone to see life from a different perspective or angle. Speaking Christianly, this conversion to Truth, is akin to the role C.S. Lewis believed the Arts fulfilled . . being pre-evangelistic in nature.

What other thoughts do you have on Tim Keller's points three and four regarding the role of the Arts and the 'Creative' in culture?

Read the rest of Scott McKnight's post: 'Missional Mondays: Tony Stiff 4'

Psalm 119 Meditation

2009-11-25T14:26:00.005Z

Here is a brilliant meditation on Psalm 119 - lectio divina style - that was used at Youthwork the Conference last weekend in Eastbourne, England. I think I may snag it for some school retreats I'll be doing in the New Year. Check it out!

What Might You Have Done Differently?

2009-11-18T10:41:00.005Z

I recently connected with Rev. Thomas Brackett who is the Programme Officer for Church Planting and Redevelopment with the Episcopal Church in the USA. His role is a relatively new one which he is helping to create as he goes along. I had the privilege of speaking with him about three weeks ago and I was very interested to hear what his experience has been like in his position. He keeps a blog called 'Church Planting Central' which is very informative and inspiring. If you're at all interested in the interface of the Church and culture and have a missional heart, or especially if you're a part of the Anglican Communion, check out his blog and even get in touch with him.

What follows is a segment of a recent post on his blog entitled 'What Might You Have Done Differently?' which explores some of the current difficulties the Church in the West is experiencing in regards to the hemorrhaging of people - and especially those between 15-35 - and the chasm in understanding and connection with those outside its family. It touches on areas that I have been investing significant time, thought and prayer the past five+ years in regards to Fresh Expressions (UK) and 'Pioneer Ministry' (new and as-of-yet unknown expressions of what it means to be the Church in society) Read and heed friends . . .

"Some of you know that, a few months ago, I spent three weeks in the UK, exploring the Church of England’s “Fresh Expressions” movement. It felt like I barely scratched the surface in my explorations! I met so many wonderful people – sat in on challenging and inspiring conversations – I mean, overall it was more than I ever expected from this visit. I was welcomed by gracious hosts in Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, London,Devon and various stops along the way. I went there with one question on the tip of my tongue – everywhere I went. I asked that same question in pretty much the same way, each time. It went something like this . . .

“If you knew twenty years ago what you know today about the impact of secularization on the relationship of Culture to Church and vice versa, what might you have done differently to prepare the institution for those emerging realities, back then?” I asked this seemingly rhetorical question of nearly seventy people there in the Church of England. Some lay folks, a scattering of bishops and a whole lot of active clergy agreed to talk “for the record.” I filled a notebook with their responses – it was marvelous! There were a few who objected to the question and a few more who cautioned me against asking such a question from Church leaders engaged with a very different culture.

Nonetheless, I’ve been carrying that notebook around with me for the last three months, reading and rereading the responses. A few weeks ago, I began sorting what I’d written into major themes – sort of categories of answers. It was no surprise that the most powerful answers I encountered centered around the following paraphrased response:

'Twenty years ago, we were actively pushing our young people out the doors of our churches and Dioceses. We didn’t mean to – it’s just that we wouldn’t make room for them in our activities; we didn’t include their voices in our public conversations; we didn’t ask them for stories of their encounters with the good news of God as known in Jesus Christ. As a result, we lost them. They went elsewhere to find expression for their gifts. Today, there is little likelihood of attracting them back into our Church. In their absence, we lost sight of the huge gap growing between the insider language of the Church and the realities of the Culture we are called to serve. Now that’s a huge loss, but it’s not the biggest loss we’ve experienced, subsequently.

The greater loss is that we forgot how to nurture the prophetic voice in our midst. We’ve forgotten how to foster new young leaders in nurturing and mutually-shaping communities. Today, we are working on bringing new young leaders into our churches but that’s not the same as nurturing the prophetic voice in community – training new leaders to cultivate community with a hoe instead of directing with the Verger’s mace. That takes time to develop! It’s an art of “being in community” that very few have ever experienced, nonetheless mastered.

So, (several of them concurred) if we could go back – if you could learn from us – we would encourage you to take action now; do not wait until you have it figured out. Invite faith-filled young leaders into your communities. Listen. Try on new ideas. Experiment. Be willing to fail – often and early. “Fail away” until patterns of meaning start to emerge from your communities in discernment. Listen for the Fresh Expressions of the Spirit in their sometimes awkward and clumsy offerings. Especially listen and observe the way they use ritual and music to make sense of the insanity of our lives.'

(I’ll stop there – I think the point is clear!)"

Read the introduction and conclusion of this post . . .

ANOIS 2009 Review

2009-11-06T13:05:00.008Z

Well, all said, this year - the sixth - at Anois was the best yet.

We had many new experiences this year- a new venue, new location, some new young people and new leaders! It was hosted at Kilkenny College in, uh, Kilkenny City. I think both the location AND the venue were very good for the event as a whole. Kilkenny offered a wide range of activities available for the young people to be a part of and the school campus was sufficient for the weekend festival.

The theme this year was CANNONBALL - being the 'freak' that God made you to uniquely be and leaving your mark on the world in relationship & partnership with Him. Scott Evans our messenger (and Diocesan Youth Officer for the SouthEast region with the Church of Ireland) did a superb job communicating honestly, authentically and sensitively to the young people. Well done friend! Jeremy Casella (long time friend from Nashville, TN) was, as per usual, very gifted and genuine in his leading of the worship segments. Thanks brother!

I get such a buzz out of seeing the young people being exposed to God in what is often a new light for them and how they respond to the Spirit's work in their lives. May God continue it long after Anois! I also get very excited about working with the fantastic leadership team we have EVERY year. This year was no exception. In fact, we had a huge number of dedicated, passionate volunteer leaders - 55 in all!

So, thanks to each and every one of you . . to the young people of Ireland for making Anois possible and to the leaders for birthing vision into reality . . where we ALL had the opportunity to experience something of God's love and goodness over that weekend. Thank you God for showing up!

Relational Intelligence Report

2009-10-21T21:54:00.003+01:00

Research is telling us that there are many different types of 'intelligence' within the human race. No, that's not just something people who are thick-headed say. It's true - intelligence reaches beyond the simple acquisition of information and knowledge. It basically is identified in those aspects of your person that are the most developed. I just took this Relational Intelligence Survey which gave me a report at the end of it and here are the results:

While it's always important to remember that a survey or test does no define who you are, they can be useful in encouraging self-awareness and reflection. Why don't you take it too and see what turns up?

Go HERE for the survey.

S.O.G. Crew with Risen Magazine

2009-10-12T14:13:00.002+01:00

From my Mag -

Eite TV - S.O.G. Crew with Risen Magazine

S.O.G. Crew:
MySpace
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The Spirituality of the Young

2009-10-12T12:36:00.003+01:00

There are roughly two groupings of young people we could address: those not walking with Jesus and those who are His apprentices. While some of the following will pertain to both groupings, we’ll primarily focus on those not yet walking with Jesus.

Let’s look at what we’re talking about when we speak of youth. For purposes of our conversation I’ll be referring to the phase of development in the lives of young people called adolescence. What is adolescence then? It comes from two words in Latin that together convey ‘maturity’.

Adolescence is . . .

Is seen as a period between childhood and full maturity.
Classically this time frame was considered to be the period between the ages of 12-18 but in contemporary times it is often now considered to extend to the mid twenties.

From the 1850’s until the second World War, adolescents often left school when they began maturing physically - the age of puberty. They then took their place in the workforce and were considered to be at the age to take on the responsibilities of marriage and child-rearing. Around the time of WW2 much of the ‘developed’ world introduced compulsory full-time education - except in Ireland where it was adopted in 1965.

Now due to numerous factors including . . .

compulsory education until the age of 18
The proximity of a majority of the Irish population to 3rd level (university) education
The increasing fragmentation of the nuclear family unit from divorce / separation and the resulting lack of confidence in monogamous, life-long relational stability
The relevant affluence of much of the population but increasing suspicion of the lure of materialism and it’s hollow claims
AND possibly the ever-broadening awareness of the world’s problems

. . young people’s dependence on parents or primary care-givers is now stretching into their 20’s, thus lengthening the period of adolescence.

Referring back the mention of relative affluence, it’s important to not underestimate the effect that recent changes - both increasing prosperity and even more recent financial difficulties - have on the formation of young lives. Some of you may remember a book and subsequent television programme that came out in 2006 / 2007 called The Pope’s Children. The book was written by David McWilliams and the show was presented by him as well. It was a fascinating look into Ireland’s culture from the time of Pope John Paul the second’s visit in 1079 until the present time the book was released. The title ‘The Pope’s Children’ refers to the generation born roughly around his visit to these shores. David McWilliams had many insightful comments to make in his presentation. He stated that this was the first time in ages (donkey’s years) that a large majority of Irish children have been able to grow up in the same country as their parents. This change stands in stark contrast to the sad story from ages past where grannies would spend Christmas day sobbing down the phone on Christmas day wanting to see their grandchildren who lived in far off places. Many of the enticements of the presently absent ‘Celtic Tiger’ are what contributed to the Irish being dubbed among the happiest people in the world, and to 7 out of 10 immigrants choosing to live in Ireland over France.

Much of the experience of Irish teens is seemingly contrary to the benefits up til no enjoyed by the European ‘poster child’ for success. In her 2006 book, ‘Celtic Cubs: Inside the mind of the Irish Teenager’, Dublin counselor and psychologist Orla McHugh addresses many of these pressing issues for the Irish adolescent. From even a cursory glance of her table of contents one can see she addresses general parameters for the period of adolescence and then continues delving into issues now often synonymous with the teenage experience: parental separation or divorce, bullying, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, criminal and anti-social behaviour, depression and suicide. Dated from just last September, an article on RTE’s website read, “The annual report of the National Office for Suicide Prevention shows that Ireland has the fifth highest rate of youth suicide in Europe. Provisional figures show that Ireland's suicide rate rose by just over 10% between 2006 and 2007. The report found men under the age of 35 accounted for 40% of all suicides.” This problem isn’t going away on its own.

Being honest with oneself, it’s sad to be reminded of these very pertinent and pressing issues which so many teens face and realise that while there is hope - there is always hope - we are part of the problem. We’ve heard it said that children suffer because of the sins of the fathers (meaning parents), and while I know I have borne pain inherited from my own parents and those generations before me, I am also leaving some of inherited pain for my children. Either by our implication by being a member of the human race, or by our decision to ignore the issues, we become part of the persistent problem. To some degree we all carry baggage - known or unknown to us - passing something of it on to those who come after us. Fortunately - this is where hope comes in - as people who place their faith in the God-man Jesus Christ, this sad story has a redemptive turn in it. As Christians, redemption is the card we carry since through our lives we demonstrate how God is re-making the Paradise that was once lost . . Intimate, life-giving connection with Him and with one another.

The reason that so many of our young people are lost and are being lost is because they often have no tangible grasp on hope. No demonstrable example of it in their sphere of reference. AS one aspect after another of teens’ lives disillusions them to the reality of a real, lasting ‘Good’ being present to them - the Body of Christ, ‘the Restoration of Humanity’ - has an unmistakeable opportunity to build that bridge of hope for the young people of this land. Let’s not be led to believe that the cold, impersonal, behemoth of an institution some perceive to be the ’church’ will ever, in actuality, offer a saving hope to young people. It has never and will never do so. Thankfully young people are hard to deceive - they see under our pretense and posturing - our layers of protection - much better than we do with one another. Real personal connections matter a great deal to teens, even though they often give in to appearances. As Jesus is quoted as saying in a recent New York Times bestseller, “Being always transcends appearance.”

Because of the centrality of relationship to the God-head, and therefore to humanity itself, it is only truly through authentic, healthy, inspiring relationships that teens will have access to the light we hold inside these ‘jars of clay’. It is passed on, if you will, through assimilation . . as time and concern are given as though someone’s life depends on it - because it often does. I was listening to CNN in the car on the way home this week and I heard about a study which showed that drug, alcohol and cigarette abuse was higher among children that eat three or less dinners a week with their family. Those who ate four or more undistracted (no television or phone use) meals a week with their family were less likely to engage in such destructive behaviour. As they said, ‘it’s not what is on the plate that matters, it’s who’s at the table.’

In order for young people to encounter the living Jesus Christ, to some degree we must share our very lives with them. Programmes can’t be trusted to do this. Good, worthwhile humanitarian service projects can’t do this on their own. Church services and liturgy - as much as we value them - for that matter are only supplemental to an encounter with Jesus Himself. It is only through you and I caring deeply about young people and being available to be present to them that their progress in apprenticeship to Jesus can be made manifest, real, palpable.

All that to say, more and more I find myself not knowing how to separate spirituality from the experiences of our everyday lives. It’s no different for young people as it is for us. If we understand the Gospel to be reconciliatory and redemptive in nature, and salvation to be holistic, then salvation in it’s fullest sense means a reacquisition of all that God originally intended for us as played out in the beginning of creation. As has been shown to me in more recent days, it’s the orientation of people’s souls that matters most - or whether they’re aware of their hunger for God that lies within. If someone is moving God-ward we have much to thank Him for and much to work with. If someone is moving away from Him, embracing their own plans and devices, then our task is much harder. I believe, as was the case in the Gospel story, that the surest way to become like Jesus is to spend time with Him. For many of the young people we walk alongside their initial encounter with that same Jesus will be through our lives, as they reveal that we too have been with Jesus.

The Social Media Revolution!

2009-10-12T12:12:00.002+01:00

This is going to be quickly outdated - but - when it is, the case will be even stronger. Watch and understand . . .

I Can't Believe I Missed This Until Now . .

2009-09-29T11:45:00.006+01:00

I really can't believe I missed this until now! I was impressed with what a bunch of enthusiastic fans accomplished . . it was excellent. That should be a lesson for all of us no matter what we're passionate about! Here's the film's website for more info and behind the scenes coverage.

The ANOIS 2009 Preview!

2009-09-25T15:03:00.001+01:00

Anois Promo from ilovepinatas on Vimeo.

Life Lessons for Leaders

2009-09-09T11:40:00.007+01:00

If you're responsible for pastoring others and are operating in a leadership capacity, you may want to make time to learn from some capable, interesting people of influence in the lessons they have to share from their own lives. This is a *FREE* inline event and it starts today at 9:09a.m. CST in the States. Register and check it out!

From the site:

"THE NINES is a free one-day event that will take place totally on-line. It is designed for all church staff members who want to be motivated and stretched in their leadership. Leadership Network asked some of the church's greatest communicators: 'If you had nine minutes to talk one-on-one with thousands of church leaders, what is the one thing that you would tell them?' The result is a series of passionate and personal messages that will help you and your church navigate into the future."

Some of the messengers are:

Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill Church)
Reggie McNeal (Leadership Network)
Perry Noble (NewSpring Church)
John Ortberg (Menlo Park Presbyterian)
Steven Furtick (Elevation Church)
Nancy Beach (Willow Creek Church)
Leonard Sweet (Author/Speaker)
Stacy Spencer (New Direction Christian Church)
Ed Stetzer (Lifeway Research)
Mark Batterson (National Community Church)
Dave Ferguson (Community Christian Church)
Alan Hirsch (Forge Mission Training Network)
Dino Rizzo (Healing Place Church)
Dan Kimball (Vintage Faith Church)
Greg Surratt (Seacoast Church)

+ about 50 others!

The Nines from Todd Rhoades on Vimeo.

The STRIP CHURCH

2009-09-07T12:15:00.008+01:00

As ever, I'm so inspired by what Craig Gross and his friends are up to as the Spirit leads them.

The newest inspiration has come in the form of moving to Las Vegas - Sin City - and starting a church (of sorts) on the Strip for people who would not otherwise entertain being in church. They have a number of ministries that are practically meeting the needs of people in the area and that serve as a point of connection with them including offering free water on the sidewalks (see video below), free bus rides in the 'Jesus Loves Sin City' bus, cleaning, cooking and connecting with

prostitutes at brothels and a traveling wedding chapel bus! The church is due to start in December 2009 or January 2010. Of course, there is still the official link with Craig's original effective vision of XXX CHURCH.

Check these links out and see what God is doing in 'sin city'. He's not absent. Sign up for a service trip for yourself or a team from your network. Be prepared to be moved and to stand in wonder of God's goodness and love for people lost to themselves . . and don't forget to give to or pray for the STRIP CHURCH team - if you're the praying type.

Check out EXIT Concerts for another brilliant initiative to reach hurting and at-risk young people in Las Vegas!

Finish with a Great Song

2009-09-04T17:51:00.002+01:00

I think we'll close out this week with a classic killer song from our boys P.O.D. called 'Alive'. Enjoy!

Alive- POD

The Bible, Mary & God's Initiative

2009-09-04T12:48:00.004+01:00

I was just thinking in the car this morning on the way to my office that there is another way in which Christians of the Protestant faith are similar to those of the Catholic faith . . and it's an unexpected one.

One area of major divergence for these two camps is in how they each view the person of Mary, Jesus' mother - or the 'theotokos' in the Greek Orthodox tradition.

The Catholic Church has always had a special status among humanity for the mother of God - and rightly so - after all, she is the mother of God. She is said to have been born free of sin (the Immaculate Conception

) in order to be the 'host' of God in this world. The

Protestant understanding of Mary, the mother of God, is that in all ways she was as any other human being is - except that God chose her for the special purpose of birthing Jesus Christ into the world. She had her purpose, other saints had theirs and you and I have ours. Simple. Done. One musician named Rich Mullins once said that, 'Maybe it's not that Catholics revere Mary too much, maybe it's that we revere each other too little.'

I do not claim to be a theologian - nor do I believe in false dichotomies that give some claim to some special place over others in regards to access to God. I believe Jesus settled that one for us. I do recognise however that some have invested more time, energy and experience in the

pursuit of the One who passionately pursues them and therefore have more to contribute to conversations about God. However, while it may be that Catholics feel they must attribute a 'special righteousness' to Mary in order that she might have been more acceptable to be the one who bore God into the world (being without sin herself); many Protestants have seemingly employed the same principle in the collating and elevation of the Scriptures. The Scriptures (Bible) have been the dominant feature in Protestant theology & praxis, and therefore since all of life and faith under God emanates from the source of God's communiqué to humanity (the Bible) it must be 'protected' and held to be without fault or inaccuracy (seemingly of any kind) since God Himself is immutable, Truth itself and the Source of all things.

In my opinion it seems that in this both Catholics and Protestants are alike - in the Catholic estimation and elevation of Mary the mother of God and in the Protestant estimation and elevation of the Scriptures - in order to make both Mary & the Scriptures more acceptable, pertinent, authoritative (in our eyes?) to ordinary human existence. This is unnecessary and it smells of the human tendency to attempt to build on the efficacy of God's already capable plan of grace and forgiveness. It seems in both of these attempts to 'make good' what God has already done (i.e. 'to prop ourselves up' and contribute something to our own right-standing with God), we reveal what our true belief is . . that what God has done is not already good enough.

Built into the meta-narrative (grand, over-arching story) of God's engagement with humanity is that all the initiation, effort and persistence in chasing us is all His doing. He carries that story where we have dropped it countless times. God has always sought us out. He has always come to our side, reached out to meet us - rather than us elevating ourselves to Him. He has (seemingly) always been committed to getting into the mess and the mire of our human existence in order to communicate something of His depth of love for us. We DO NOT need to clean ourselves up before coming to Him, nor can we. He does this also for us when we do come to Him. In contemporary idiom, "It's all on Him." That's the way it is, always has been and always will be.

There is truth that leads to information and truth that leads to salvation (transformation). Both are good but one is essential. So while I do not personally believe it necessary to defend Mary's sinless holiness nor the Bible's inerrancy, I believe that God has, and is, communicating Himself through both to great effect in people's lives. Both are somehow key to God's unfolding story of love and redemption in the human race. That is not to say that I wish to devalue either. In fact, although my own heritage causes me to lean toward a higher view of Scripture, I do not wish to elevate it (The Word of God) over God Himself - which seems to be common practice in some sectors of the Christian family.

'Let God be true, and every man a liar.' (Romans 3:4)

U2's Photographer

2009-08-28T14:26:00.008+01:00

OK friends, this one is cooler than cool (if that can actually be!) . . . a friend and fellow Dreamer named Peter Neill has a great story I must share.

Peter had been working in the tech world for some time. He's a wizard when it comes to anything to do with software or hardware. A few years ago, Peter began dabbling in photography and subsequently began receiving more invitations to photograph weddings and special events. Just three months ago he turned in his resignation for the technology consultancy work he was doing in order to immerse himself in photography full-time.

This summer Peter was asked to be one of five photographers to capture U2's three Dublin gigs in July, and although that didn't work out, following that invitation he was flown to Sheffield and photographed the band's gig there less than two weeks ago. Below are a few of his sample shots and a link to the full collection from that night here. In addition to this great honour, he has secured work at U2's media company 451 a few days a week!

What excites me most about Peter's story is that he obviously had a notion that his passion was stirring for photography and he followed the Spirit's promptings to step out and move in that direction. He has a very good eye and relationship with the camera. Little could he have known what was ahead when he made those first, most difficult choices to leave what was familiar and comfortable (with a steady paycheck) in order to follow what God put in his soul to be about. God is good. Each person's story is unique and wonderful . . congratulations Peter!

U2 shots here!

For fellow photographers

Risk Everything: The Nathan Lee Story

2009-08-20T10:42:00.008+01:00

So friends, one of the destinations we traveled to this summer in America was Franklin, TN to visits friends Michael & Celeste Guido of PR Ministries (see their picture with us below in the previous post).

Franklin is a beautiful little town about 20 minutes south of Nashville (pictured above) which is now one of '1,000 places to see in North America and Canada before you die'. We have been exploring the possibility of partnering with the Guidos' in their work of pastoring Creatives and their families at some point in the future. While we were staying with them, Guido (as I call him) took me to visit a friend of his who's a musician in Nashville. It was a brief visit, but over the past three weeks I have been moved by his music and life story in this current season he's in. While we were there, Nathan gave me some of his music, including his most recent album (yet to be officially released) called Risk Everything.

Nathan Lee's artistry is authentic, excellent, passionate, and most of all, brutally honest. I love it for all four reasons but most of all because of his passion and honesty. He says it like it is. He is passionately pursuing the One who passionately pursues him. Nathan reveals the full spectrum of life and relationship with his God in his beautiful, engaging and rockin' music. Very seldom do I find resonance like this in someone's music, but much of what he conveys has been my experience of this adventure of life with Jesus over the past twenty one years - everything . . life in it's fullness.

Currently Nathan, after the dissolution of his record label, is venturing out on a 40 day, 40 city tour - just him and his piano - with no venues and no budget to do it. He's just traveling to cities he's chosen and on the day he arrives he'll search for a place to play that night - wherever will have him, as he states, "From truckstops to taco stands,... to rehabs and pubs,... from churches to strip clubs,... to backyard parties and everything in between. I'll have no idea what will happen, or how each day will play out until I get there."

I love this guy's attitude and big balls approach to life and faith! He's actually living out what he writes about and is a living portrait of the title of his newest album - Risk Everything! I've been hugely encouraged, challenged and inspired - in just three weeks - from a mild association with Nathan. If you can buy his album - do it. It reminds me, at times, of Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews rolled into one yet transcending both. I'd like to end with a section from one of Nathan's entries in his blog below.

"SO WHY DO I WRITE THIS? …..

We had no money a year ago….and we have no money now…..but if someone would of told us it would cost nearly 37 thousand bucks to pull off the past year….we wouldnt have done it! AGAIN….WHY DO I WRITE THIS???….If you have a dream….If you have something inside of you that keeps you awake at night……GO AFTER IT! Find a way to pay for what you believe in WITH SWEAT….but never let money keep you from where you’re needing to go! Find the people you can walk through life with….find the people you can dream with….find the people you can create with…..& If it comes down to it…..RISK EVERYTHING to make it happen! You only have 1 life…..so do something with it…..NO MATTER how crazy they say you are…(and THEY WILL call you crazy)……no matter how many people get in your way……GO AFTER THE REASON YOU WERE BORN!

I LOVE YA!

cya soon……

Nathan"

Back in Ireland after Summer Sun

2009-08-19T16:41:00.006+01:00

Well friends, it's been a wonderfully refreshing, wildly exciting and brilliantly spent summer holiday in America. We just arrived back on Saturday with mixed emotion on everyone's part.

We had heaps of time with family, making plenty of new memories to fuel future heart

warming moments.

We had time with friends, some old and some new. It was so good to share life together and 'catch up' . . we need more time!

The kids were alive with excitement, anticipation and expectation - it was a joy to watch them!

Now back to whatever God has for us here in this little island on the edge of the world until He tells us otherwise.

Child Sex Trafficking a Growing Concern in U.S.

2009-07-22T15:55:00.001+01:00

Child Sex Trafficking a Growing Concern in U.S.

Posted using ShareThis

A Rest from Communication

2009-07-17T15:07:00.004+01:00

Hello Friends, I hope you are well . . very well! I'm taking a leave of absence from blogging and twittering while on vacation. It's a good practice to approach most of life's practices in a 'breathing style', where there's a coming and going, an in and out, a with and a without - just like our breathing. Mine has come for the next short while. I will, however, be continuing my 'weekly' submissions over at Risen Magazine if you're interested.

Have an unexpectedly great summer. See you in the autumn!

U2'S Summer Scale Up

2009-07-11T11:30:00.001+01:00

'The world's biggest band'© makes a big entry at their first gig in Barcelona, Spain. I read this article last week while at a hotel in Dublin and it seems our Irish lads are off to a great start for this summer's gala. 'The Claw' is the new staging set for the 360 tour and is quite space pod/ship looking. One of the cooler aspects of their first gig was a call Bono placed to the astronauts in orbit - he managed to convince one of them to sign up for the One campaign as well! It'll be interesting to see how this tour pans out over the coming months and whether the new album makes as big of an impact as a few of their previous.

Summer Fun!

2009-07-04T17:07:00.001+01:00

Our youngest is being dedicated this Sunday in our church and we're celebrating with a party @ home. We bought this bouncy castle for the kids to play in when they have friends over. It also has a pool attached at the front which can be filled with balls or water on warm days. I drove an hour away to get this air-filled gift for the kids and I hope it brings hours of joy, but I can't help but wonder how long it will last! The length of the summer perhaps?

The Longest Day

2009-06-30T16:26:00.009+01:00

A week or more ago the world experienced the longest day of the year (in the Northern hemisphere - thanks Jon!). Most of the day went along without me even taking notice that the Summer Solstice was being spent, the hours being burnt away while I was happily oblivious to the fact. It was a great day, with a delicate balance of rest, play time with the family, a bit of ‘daddy’ time on his laptop, a walk in our local forest with our dog and dinner outside on our patio. As the day wound down and I headed to bed, it finally occurred to me that June 21st was the longest day of the year and I felt it had been spent well.

That feeling of heading to bed well rested, well played (out), well fed and all with a happy heart is not my usual experience. Most days I find myself pressing the pedal to the floor in an effort to squeeze every available minute out of the day and use it well (productively). I usually struggle to just chill and intentionally be non-productive even when I don’t have to be. As I sit here in my living room on a Friday night near the end of June, I must admit that there are other things I would rather be doing than writing an article, but I feel the need to be responsible and fulfill a commitment I’ve made to myself and Risen to write. Not to say that I don’t enjoy it - it just takes discipline!

As I lay there in bed after the longest day of the year had passed, I realized that most of my days do not end in this way. I often hit the bed somewhat reluctantly, wishing I had more time in the day and more energy to be about all the creative ventures I have in my heart and head. This is not a good way to live life. There is a reason God has given us a certain number of hours and a specific amount of energy to expend each day. We are finite and have limitations (in spite of my regular attempts to prove this incorrect), but God has offered some of His infinite resources to us - not to diminish our human boundaries, but to complement them. If we believe in a God who is good through and through (even in the midst of life’s most trying experiences), then we must conclude that He not only keeps us from being tempted beyond what we can handle, He also gives us just what we need to be about all He asks of us for each day. Hmmmm, I smell Truth nearby . . .

So, if in creating the world, God built in a framework or limits for how I can exist in health and happiness with my fellow human beings, then it’s I who must change rather than demanding more. Even on the longest day of the year most of us would hit the bed feeling there weren’t enough hours in the day. The truth is - there are. Therefore, it’s up to each one of us to learn how to manage ourselves, the resources at our fingertips and the day we’re given - not to get as much done as we possibly can, but to live well and live free of the tyranny of the urgent. I struggle with this, but I know it is true. This kind of living requires a double dose of discernment and discipline. Discernment helps us to choose wisely that which we commit ourselves to and that to which we say no. It also helps us to prioritize those people and projects we’re committed to. Discipline on the other hand helps us give each investment of ourselves whole-hearted attention and sufficient time. Discipline is what helps us move intention into reality. It’s the mid-wife of our aspirations and dreams.

In the early years of my thirties I began reflecting on my life; how fast it was moving, the people that meant the most to me and the dreams that I had experienced becoming reality along with those I had yet to. I felt that no matter how much more life I was given, I wanted to live it better than the first thirty years. I wanted to become a better steward of all that God had graced me with, including my time, my strength, physical resources, my work, passions, gifts and my relationships. In order for this to happen I entered into a time of intense reflection and honest assessment of my life. I considered what I would need to accomplish my desire to live life more efficiently, more healthily . . to the full. I’d need regular doses of truth (the Scriptures are a mirror for my soul), a supportive wife and great friends to keep me in check. So began an attempt to discover life to the full that Jesus spoke of in John 10:10. I can say without any reservation that it will take the rest of my life to learn how to live it well, but I’m committed to the process and it feels right. The journey takes a turn toward the horizon of possibilities and I believe I’m heading the right direction.

Are you ready for a change?

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Posted originally @

'Boom Boom Pow' - Black Eyed Peas style

2009-06-26T16:36:00.003+01:00

This song is addictive, a few other songs have catchy tunes but most of the album seems to be choc-full of C-R-A-P. The lyrics are often just fluff and filler with epic moments of self-absorption and the destructive pursuit of pleasure for pleasure's sake. It's sad to see talent begin to implode and no longer be inspirational.

God draw them back . . to You.

Then we'll know 'tonight's gonna be a good, good night!'

A Prayer for Ireland

2009-06-26T12:32:00.008+01:00

I was listening to this song from KJ-52 again yesterday morning as I was out for my early morning run and I just felt that this is God's song for Ireland right now in its history. God has moved heavily and used the people of this island for great purposes in the past and so much of it has been lost - only the shadows remain - but God's not finished with this little island on the edge of the world! His invitation remains extended to the Irish and to each one of us, to walk with Him in intimate relationship and dynamic, collaborative friendship in which we become the people He designed us to be and dreams that we can become. So many of us live portions of, or our whole lives ASLEEP and never truly, really experiencing the height, breadth and depth of REAL LIVING God offers each person. It's time to WAKE UP . . .

'Wake Up' lyrics:

How long you gonna sleep
How long you gonna act like you gonna act
Be how you wanna be
So when you gonna see
You need to get the facts but you wanna laugh
At what I'm gonna speak
You steady sinking deep
Plus ya sinking fast why you running back
Man why you wanna leave
So whats it gonna be
You need to get with that but your missed the fact
That what I'm gonna speak
This aint all a dream
You can try to dash but you gonna have
To face your reality
So this is what I seen
One day it's gonna crash then you'll understand
Everything I'm gonna mean

Wake up wake up Wake up wake why are you falling asleep

So what you wanna do
You turn off the lights then you run and hide
And act like you never knew
Man you aint gotta clue
But you think you're right every single time you
Do what you wanna do
So when you gonna choose
When you gonna try to find your peace of mind
It's right there in front of you
It's time to make a move
You can still deny but the time's running out
Very very soon
So what I gotta prove
Why you walking blind when the signs
Is so obviously coming thru
Man this is now for you
You can try to lie and just still deny
But can't change what is true

I Am Second

2009-06-25T12:10:00.005+01:00

Here's a very interesting site for various reasons:

1) It's aesthetically pleasing and presented very, very well = tasteful.

2) The people interviewed are extremely honest and authentic as they share their stories.

3) It's more than a public 'showpiece', they've set up a network of small groups with resources to help people find health, freedom and hope through intimate connections with others and God.

[click on the image to visit the site]

Watching The Lord of the Rings in Tehran

2009-06-25T11:30:00.002+01:00

This is a brilliant article written by a resident of Tehran, Iran. He has some very keen insights into the struggle now dominating their country's political life and makes some very interesting connections between the film and how it is viewed through the eyes of discontented Iranians. Enjoy and add your voice if you think injustice has been rampant in that country!
==============================================

Watching The Lord of the Rings in Tehran

On June 23, Iranian security forces, reportedly using live ammunition, clashed with protesters numbering in the hundreds in the area of the country's parliament in Tehran. At the same time, there were indications that a behind-the-scenes struggle was intensifying in the corridors of power even as the government continued its campaign to quiet the populace through propaganda and entertainment. A resident of the capital, who asked for anonymity, sent TIME the following report:

In normal times, Iranian television usually treats its viewers to one or two Hollywood or European movie nights a week. But these are not normal times, so it's been two or three such movies a day. It's part of the push to keep people at home and off the streets, to keep us busy, to get us out of the regime's hair. The message is "Don't worry, be happy." Channel Two is putting on a Lord of the Rings marathon as part of the government's efforts to restore peace.

Lots of people, adults and kids, are watching in the room with me. On the screen, Gandalf the Grey returns to the Fellowship as Gandalf the White. He casts a blinding white light, his face hidden behind a halo. Someone blurts out, "Imam zaman e?!" (Is it the Imam?!) It is a reference, of course, to the white-bearded Ayatullah Khomeini, who is respectfully called Imam Khomeini. But "Imam" is at the same time a title of the Mahdi, a messianic figure that Muslims believe will come to save true believers from powerful evildoers at the time of the apocalypse. Isn't that our predicament?

I wonder which official picked this film, starting to suspect, even hope, that there is a subversive soul manning the controls at seda va sima, central broadcasting. It is way too easy to find political meaning in the film, to draw comparisons to what is happening in real life. There are themes that seem to allude to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, the candidate President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims to have defeated: the unwanted quest and the risking of life in pursuit of an unanticipated destiny. Could he be Boromir, the imperfect warrior who is heroic at the end, dying to defend humanity? Didn't Mousavi talk about being ready for martyrdom?

And listen: there is the sly reference to Ahmadinejad. Iranian films are dubbed very expertly. So listen to the Farsi word they use for hobbit and dwarf: kootoole, little person. Kootoole, of course, was and is the term used in many of the chants out on the street against the diminutive President. In the eye of the beholder in Tehran, the movie is transformed into an Iranian epic. When Gandalf's white steed strides into the frame, local viewers see Rakhsh, the mythical horse of the Rostam, the great champion of the Shahnameh, the thousand-year-old national epic. "Bah, bah ... Rakhsh! Rakhsham amad!" someone says in awe.

At the moment, the ancient Treebeard bears Pippin through the forest, and the hobbit asks, "And whose side are you on?" Those of us watching already know the answer: Mousavi! Treebeard is decked in green, after all. That's as much as we can see of an opposition viewpoint on TV. The news has a droning sameness, the official message being "politics is a nasty business, but now it's over." At least nothing is really being hidden anymore. Except for that first night, Saturday the 20th of June, the broadcasts have not shied away from the violence. But they've found a way to turn it inside out, make it about the protesters and not what has happened. When they want to make a point, they lay it on, 10 minutes, sometimes close to 15. As a friend says, "This is not news. It's interpretation."

Finish the article

Cigars, Cigars, Cigars

2009-06-24T11:30:00.001+01:00

I just walked past this shop / cafe on Grafton Street in Dublin. It's been a long time since I had a cigar and the smell piqued my interest again. I usually only partake of these fine pleasures a couple of times a year on special occasions (seeing an old friend, a wedding, the birth of a child, etc.) and not often enough! I'm hoping to do so this summer when I have some time w/ good friends in the States. Not soon enough!

Jeremy Begbie: Theology through the arts

2009-06-23T12:30:00.005+01:00

I came across this page today and experienced one of those moments of 'convergence' where various aspects of your person seem to meet and greet each other for a bit, trying to decide whether to be friends. These days I think I'm homing in on my own sense of purpose, getting that bit closer to being about what I was made to be about. Artists-theologian Jeremy Begbie has been helping me to do that. His most recent book, 'Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music' is on my 'To Read' list. I posted about it earlier here.

I have heard his name recommended to me a number of times and have read some reviews of his books. Today I got to hear from him directly through a 13 minute video exploring the inter-relationship of music and theology. It's all resonating in a place very deep within me. The crazy thing is I'm not really musical at all! I've played around with violin and guitar in the past but was never disciplined enough to keep with it.

See how what Jeremy offers here connects with you . . .

Freebies from Ireland

2009-06-17T12:06:00.006+01:00

I've gotten a kick out of giving away free stuff on the blog recently, so I figured why stop now. This could escalate into some fantastic give-a-ways which I am already dreaming about, but until then, let's keep it small and see where this goes. If people (that's you) respond, we'll keep this train movin' and I'll find more creative freebies in the future. For the time being, these freebies are for those who have an interest in Ireland, the Church here and historical 'legends'. While I was at our Church of Ireland General Synod in in May, I picked up some very interesting publications (at least I think so) in St. Patrick's Cathedral (protestant) in Armagh city, N. Ireland. Armagh is called the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland and is supposedly the spot where St. Patrick decided to base his mission to the Irish some 1600 years ago.

The first of three items is the cathedral's own magazine called 'Cathedra'. This is the Spring 2009 issue featuring a piece on the royal visit from Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, another on Brian Boru (Ireland's most famous monarch / high king) and a short piece on the Center for Celtic Spirituality established by the Cathedral two years ago. The second item is a pamphlet on the life of Brian Boru himself, including a time line of his life and important events. The final item (and my favourite) is a small, attractive publication on the person we've come to know as St. Patrick. St. Patrick is arguably the best known extra-biblical (outside of the Bible) saint in the world. This nice booklet is well produced and is quite insightful for how brief it is (I've read a bit on Patrick in the past), including some brilliant photography of sites around Ireland and beyond as it tells Patrick's story. This item is called 'Patrick - More Than A Legend' and is good keepsake for those interested in the saint.

So, there you have it. Nothing grand, but very interesting for a discerning few. To enter this competition you must live outside of Ireland (sorry friends, this island is small enough for you to get copies for yourselves!) . Here's the question that needs answering:

When Patrick escaped from being a slave in Ireland for six years, he left the island for a long time. What experience did he have which led him to return to Ireland to share Christ with the Irish?

The first correct (or closest) answer wins the gear described above. Enjoy!

Free Audiobook: 'The Sacredness of Questioning Everything'

2009-06-16T13:51:00.004+01:00

I just came across this free audio book by respected thinker and author David Dark. I've appreciated David's angle on life from some of his previous contributions and so will you, if, like me you appreciate a voice that usually doesn't say what we want to hear . . but what we need to hear. Go here for a brief synopsis and a *limited time* free audio book from David called 'The Sacredness of Questioning Everything'.

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The Sacredness of Questioning Everything
“Rehabilitation, Redemption and Ultimately Resurrection”

For a limited time!
Download a Free Audiobook edition of this book!!!

In attempting to reduce a book-length testimony to four or five paragraphs, there’s always the risk of perverting the author’s original intent (if, of course, he/she has something intentional to say). When I say ‘perverting,’ I mean it in the sense that David Dark defines it in THE SACREDNESS OF QUESTIONING EVERYTHING: the object is “reduced to a thing… dispensed with, taken care of, filed away.” “Perversion is pigeonholing,” he says, and I sincerely hope not to do this to Dark’s message, since I’m convinced he actually does have something to tell us.

In SACREDNESS, Dark champions the power — and the spiritual necessity — of the open mind. Asking questions of our convictions, assumptions, perversions, religions, is the only way to let the light and air into them. “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in,” he maintains, using Leonard Cohen’s words. Questioning our God(s), our government, our eschatology, our language or our lusts, opens them to the possibility of rehabilitation, redemption and ultimately resurrection.

His chief target is the concept of God as an angry, vengeful tyrant, an abomination who punishes the slightest doubt or faithlessness with a swift and terrible consequence, a false God he names Uncle Ben, or (via William Blake) “Nobodaddy.” Dark confesses to slipping into this conception of God every so often, and he marshals all his courage and skill to outline the means to counter this concept with truth and grace. This involves crossing carefully drawn boundaries to tip over some of the very sacred cows of the modern evangelical tradition. Particularly challenging are Dark’s explorations into postmodernism and moral relativism, and what those ways of thinking might have to teach us about the value of continuing to search for a truer witness. “Freed from the burden of cognitive certainty, the postmodern mind is determined not to fall for transcendental pretensions or any idolatry of concepts.” (125) Dark acknowledges that, though we must act on what we believe to be true and right, we must always remember that we may be wrong, and we must be ready at a moment’s notice to rehabilitate our actions if it turns out we are wrong. In what might be the mission statement of this work, Dark writes:

I want to announce the good news that God, the God in whom I believe, never calls anyone to playact or pretend or silence their concerns about what’s true. I want to break through mind-forged manacles that render us incapable of seeing truthfully for fear we might let in the wrong information. God is not made angry and insecure by an archeological dig, a scientific discovery, an ancient manuscript, or a good film about homosexual cowboys. Nor would I imagine God to be made angry or insecure by people with honest doubts concerning his existence. God is not counting on us to keep ourselves stupid, closed off to the complexity of the world we’re in…

Damn this demonic Uncle Ben business. Damn it all to hell. May we bear it no more…” (143)

Finish the post here

Fashion for Freedom

2009-06-16T00:01:00.005+01:00

I received an email this week from a ministry called Free For Life out of Nashville, Tennessee that is hosting a 'Fashion for Freedom' night here on the west coast of Ireland this summer to raise money for the fantastic work they are doing amongst people who need our help for change to happen! Check out the info below and on their site and, if you're able to make it, get out to the show next month in Galway!
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An estimated 27 million people are victims of modern day slavery at this very moment. Thousands of innocent boys, girls, women and men are trafficked into the sex trade and forced prostitution daily. Helpless and alone, victims of Human Trafficking have no escape without help.

For one night, world renowned Fashion Designers will be partnering with Discovery Church and Galway Fashion Revolution to bring you Fashion For Freedom: A Life Doesn’t Have a Price Tag, a benefit show to raise money for Free For Life, an organisation fighting human trafficking. Don’t miss out on the biggest fashion event the West of Ireland has ever seen!

Check out the site with sponsors complete with video!

Irish Midland Vista

2009-06-15T18:39:00.001+01:00

Here's a shot I took just now as I was driving in my car of a hill I always pass on my way to and from Dublin. You can see this hill from a few miles away on a clear day and it always piques my interest. There's one tree on it which you may be able to see in the middle that stands on its own. I'm drawn to this tree for some reason. It seems to me like the kind of place that would be a good place to be buried - just under the tree. Someone has probably already beat me to it I'm sure. For those of you who are psychologists, you may be able to analyze my fixation on that hill and that solitary tree and give me some insight. ;-) As you can tell from the pic, today is an exceptionally beautiful day!

Angels, Demons and All In Between

2009-06-15T12:28:00.004+01:00

So what did you think? I mean, that is if you went to see the new film ‘Angels and Demons’ based on Dan Brown’s prequel novel to ‘The DaVinci Code’. Were you feeling good, bad, indifferent about it? Did you think it was pure entertainment? Was it trying to make a statement? Was it accusatory or questioning in nature? Do you even care?

I got hooked by watching the trailers before it was released. So, on a night that I found myself far from home on the West coast of Ireland, I took the opportunity and strolled over to the local cinema in Sligo town. As someone who has been journeying from being completely disinterested in church (or formal expressions of faith), to conversion into the Christian faith, to being employed by the Christian Church and then to constructively questioning some of the Church’s theology and all of the Church’s methodology - I had to see it the film. It is by nature a ‘questioning film’; a film’s whose main character is in search of the truth. That was enough for me . . I was in!

Even though I’ve never read either of the books, I had seen the first controversial film ‘The DaVinci Code’ when it came out a few years ago, but was largely unimpressed. It was somewhere between trying to be an adventure/action film and a politicized commentary on the Catholic Church and Christianity in general. This left it squarely occupying the ‘docu-drama’ category, which, as we all know, are challenging to engage with (and that’s being generous!). While I appreciated it’s exploratory nature, the film (and possibly the book) came across as the neglected, attention-starved child, now an adult trying to hard to be noticed.

‘Angels and Demons’ on the other hand was craftily executed both in form and content. On the aesthetic end of the spectrum it was shot beautifully (CGI helped in that department), it had a healthy, deliberate cadence and exhibited a decent balance between being entertaining and offering the audience a perspective on a long-standing megalith of moral influence in society. In regard to content, the film was much more believable- not necessarily the story line that was put forth, but the way in which it was sensitively offered up for the viewers’ consideration. ‘Angels and Demons’ was both true to its inquisitive nature and yet somehow respectful to the Catholic Church and Christianity in the observations it made. A number of times throughout the film I resonated with side comments made either by the main character Robert Langdon, or various priests including Ewen McGregor’s character, the Camerlengo.

One such conversation between the two main characters mentioned above, which ensued in the Papal office illustrated well all that was good about the film. The Camerlengo asks Prof. Langdon, “Do you believe in God sir?” and the professor responds by giving a side-stepped, weak answer intended to illustrate the tension between faith and reason. Then the Camerlengo breaks in and cuts short Prof. Langdon’s remarks by stating, “I didn’t ask if you believe in Man’s interpretation of God (religion) . . I asked if you believe in God.” What a brilliant and insightful reflection on the nature and the role of the Church! Later in the film this theme is played out again in a scene between the professor and the ‘head’ of the Cardinals- just as the new Pope is about to be revealed to the world in St. Peter’s Square. He suggests to Prof. Langdon that God had used him to usher the new Pope to serve in the Papal seat. When the professor denies it, the Cardinal gets to the core issue by explaining that we humans sometimes subvert God’s intentions for us to be His ambassadors to the world, but we should be careful to not confuse our subversions (willful or not) with God’s own character and actions. Bravo.

There was a deep respect for the Godhead running through this film which I did not sense so much in the previous film. Furthermore, an honesty was displayed in 'Angels and Demons' that is seldom seen in the Christian family itself, which we could use much more of. There was an admission that although our God is good (and that He is!), our attempts - and motivations - in sharing Him with others are often not in line with His character or wisdom. I deeply appreciated this sort of humility and affirmation of the reality of God in spite of, at times, those who have been chosen to reflect Him to the world. In this emerging era in which we live I the West, I take great comfort in the greater emphasis on actions over words. There’s an underlying move toward deliberate acts of mercy and service for our fellow human beings which was at times done with motivation ‘arse-ways’ (backward) round the past two centuries. The needs of the poor or hungry were often met so that the ‘main point’ could be accomplished - to issue them a verbal presentation packed with information about Jesus and the dire condition of their souls. Wasn’t the act of service to them also the Gospel in tangible form? Salvation is, after all, God’s holistic intention for humanity - not solely a ‘spiritual’ remedy for our malaise.

I do not mean to diminish the necessity for our verbal affirmation of the realities of the Gospel (God-spell or ‘good news’) - all Jesus is and came to accomplish. I just sense the importance should first lie with action (lives lived in service and obedience) and then on our words conveying that reality now present in our lives. In the stories of Jesus in the Scriptures it is often noted that he spoke ‘as one with authority, not as the priests and teachers of the Law.’ This, in my opinion, is because Jesus’ life was what gave power to the words He spoke. What He taught was attested to in His actions and example. 'Angels and Demons' speaks to the places in the Christian family where our beliefs as expressed in our words do not line up with the beliefs we demonstrate in our behavior. Even in so noting this discrepancy, the film was gentle and generous . . an approach the Church could include in its playbook more often.

Change, Emerging Church and Dashboard Confessional

2009-06-11T14:36:00.004+01:00

Here's a Wall Street Journal article that typifies life's relentless march onwards and the need to change and respond to the Spirit's (zeitgeist) lead at the time . . . Enjoy!

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An Upstart Church Movement Wrestles with Growing Older
by: Amy Dockser Marcus

GREENWICH, Conn. -- On a recent Saturday morning, musician Rob Mathes was in London's Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles recorded, working with rock band Dashboard Confessional. But he rushed back to the U.S. for what he sees as an equally important gig: playing Sunday morning services at Trinity Church in Greenwich, Conn.

The 44-year-old Mr. Mathes helped found the church to draw in young people with a new kind of service -- hipper, less formal, trying to reach people who had drifted away from church but still felt a spiritual need.

Last weekend, Trinity celebrated its 10th anniversary. Its parishioners, numbering 500 to 700 every Sunday, attend prayer groups and take communion. But they do so while a band plays original works as well as contemporary songs based on traditional hymns.

Now, Trinity is at a crossroads. Mr. Mathes's bandmate, Ian Cron, 48, is stepping down as lead pastor. At the same time, Mr. Mathes's outside career is growing -- he was the musical director for President Barack Obama's pre-inaugural celebration. The church hired recruiters to search for a new pastor. Neither of the two leading candidates is a musician . . .

Read on . . .

New iPhone Rumoured Features Mapped!

2009-06-09T12:05:00.003+01:00

Here's the rumoured features on the new iPhone mapped for sufficient iLust to ensue. I've been waiting for nearly nine months and saving for seven months to get my paws on one of these babies! I hear Dubai has legislation in place that forbids cell/mobile phones from being tied to one phone service provider which means . . you could conceivably put ANY SIM card into it and it could work on your current contract! Does anyone have more info on whether this is true?

U2 & Spiderman on Broadway??

2009-06-09T10:29:00.003+01:00

Hhhmmm, very interesting. I'm listening . . . (click the image for video)

Anois 2009!

2009-06-08T16:16:00.005+01:00

Here's the official artwork and promo video for the Church of Ireland Youth Department's national youth weekend called Anois. We'll be in our sixth year this year and in a new location - Kilkenny College in Kilkenny City! My friend Scott Evans from the same diocese is our core messenger and another long-time friend, Jeremy Casella, will be returning from Nashville this year to lead us musically. New location, new messenger, new activities, new friends, new insights into God's character = good for all! Keep an eye on CIYD's site for registration details for both young people and youth leaders!

A Compelling (Rhythm of) Life: Five

2009-06-08T11:18:00.007+01:00

Here's the fifth and final section in a 'Rhythm of Life'. This section follows on from the first, second, third and fourth posts (read first) . . . as always, your feedback is welcome. Anyone who has any thoughts on this stuff I'd welcome your insights, questions, experiences. There has been some progress on a conversation regarding this Rhythm at the Dreamers of the Day site here. Thanks!

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Desire as Fuel for the Journey
Desire plays a huge role in life. Many Christians view desire with suspicion and some with contempt, seeing it as that aspect of the human soul that leads one away from the path of God into rebellious habits. Their response, I believe, stems mostly from fear of the unknown. If we are to truly understand our deepest, core desires as human beings, we must begin telling the Story from the beginning - not from the Fall where many churches focus their efforts. We need to remember that in the beginning God created and it was good. He made us for Himself and there was joy in that union between God and humanity. It follows then that if God made us for Himself, our greatest longing, fulfillment and desire can only be met in Him. By nature, God is an independent being and humans are dependent beings. Independent being(s) by nature exist outside of the need - or self-sustaining - desire for what others or things offer them. They exist in their own right regardless of anything else. Dependent beings however, must derive their value, their identity and therefore their worldview from independent sources in order for them to thrive in health and wholeness. Unfortunately, the opposite has proven true throughout much of history leading us into the ‘crisis of the soul’ humanity now experiences. We need to get back to ‘good’.

One prayer I often pray for myself and others is that God will remind us of our hunger for Him. Since He, in fact, made us for Himself in love, our greatest desire - everyone’s greatest desire - is truly for the One who loves them, although that desire is possibly hidden under layers of rebellion. Ontologically, desire is such a foundational building block in the human soul that it follows we need to see change happen at that deepest level of who we are for the rest of our soul to be transformed. That process of change can come about through individuals getting in touch with their God-desire, whether or not they call it that or recognise the desire in the first place. People are yearning for God and so many cannot even see it. We might immediately think of those ‘outside’ the confessing Christian family when we hear a sentence like that, but the same is true of those of us who confess. We often still seek satisfaction through avenues other than God when our God-hunger begins to surface. The challenge in life is redirecting our souls to the Source that absolutely satisfies. Our desire for God - or to what degree we’re aware of it - sets the stage for God to show up in our lives. Our desire forms the basis of our invitation to God; an invitation He will not quickly pass up. Recognising this and owning it is a key step toward healthy growth in Christ-likeness.

Deconstructing and analyzing our behaviours and motivations will often reveal a glimpse of our hunger for God which is intended to be a help for us in the spiritual journey, reminding us of our true ‘home’ in God Himself. Answers to our prayers, miraculous experiences and the acquisition of inspired knowledge will never substitute for intimacy with the Lover of our souls. He is our Great Reward, He is our True Desire, He is the Fulfillment of our soul’s longing. God extends a wonderful grace to us that in those times when we honestly do not sense or own desire for Him, this too He can grant us if we only ask. We find our beginning and end in Him who is and who sustains everything. In conclusion, all of the aforementioned details of developing a Rhythm of Life are meaningless activity unless propelled by a rapacious hunger for the Living God.

May God reveal to us that all the best we dream for ourselves and others is animated in Him.

“Few people could imagine what God would make of them if they would whole-heartedly surrender themselves into His loving care."

- - St. Ignatius of Loyola; founder of the Jesuits

The Whosoevers

2009-05-21T13:04:00.002+01:00

Annoying Things About Worship Leaders

2009-05-21T10:38:00.003+01:00

So here's a post by Jeremy Moore from Cleveland, TN - whom I just started following on Twitter. I know EXACTLY what he's saying and resonate with it. It gave me a laugh that I needed at the beginning of my day, in my office on my own, somewhere in the middle of Ireland. Thanks Jeremy!
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Things that annoy me about Worship Leaders

I was inspired to create this after reading a recent post by Chico...

I chuckled as I read the list because it was all so true, but then it also made me think of the things that have annoyed or frustrated me with various worship leaders over the years. I get the chance to sit in a lot of services of various style, but here are a few that have stood out to me...

--The Diva, you know the one, they go off on tangents of vocal drama that leave everyone watching in disbelief at what's happening...not in a good way

--The Rockstar, this guy usually shows up with a hangover...ya he's cool, but not THAT cool

--The Employee, it's obvious to everyone in the building that they're only here for the paycheck.

--The Choir Director, do we really need you to turn your back to us to direct the choir... really?

--The Teacher, I appreciate you helping me out by telling me the words before we repeat them in song, but they are on the screens and I can read...

Finish the last three . . .

Truth, Beauty, Goodness~ Art Focus

2009-05-20T16:36:00.011+01:00

So, here are few select articles / events that have captured my attention as of late if you're interested in being a redemptive catalyst in society through the arts. Enjoy!

Serve the Music: my Generation, and Yours

Q & A with Andi Ashworth, Art House America
by Cardus

My wife and I have been on a journey of discovery the past ten years or so. I've had a growing sense of God's calling to serve creatives by helping facilitate their journey into becoming the people God dreams they can become. A retreat and training centre has always been a part of that long term dream. A space where people can come, rest, be refreshed, renewed and inspired. I had a chance to visit the Art House on Charlie Peacock's invitation back in the mid-nineties. I didn't know then what I had stumbled upon, nor that it would somehow inspire me along the path God has laid for our family.

"The work I do with Art House America is about hospitality, art, and Christian studies. My husband and I live in a special place, a renovated, country church in Nashville, Tennessee that was built in 1912. Our home is called the Art House and it includes a recording studio and offices. Since moving in many years ago, we've worked to make this place a home for our family, but also a gathering place for other people—mainly artists, musicians, and songwriters who need nurture in some way. In all these years we've been working to create a place where good can happen. That might be good music, good conversation over a meal, or the good that comes from hearing an author or a teacher speak about a topic they understand because of their life experience and study. We do a lot of mentoring, encouraging younger people to develop curious and imaginative minds and apply the teachings of Jesus to every part of life. My husband, Charlie, helps young folks develop as artists and people of faith, always with the hope that God's musical people will become vital, active participants in the music of our culture."

Altars to Unknown Gods: A Christian Approach to Contemporary Art
by Daniel A. Siedell

This is a refreshing and much needed synthesis of a heart for God and a heart for the arts which gives voice to some of the more polarizing trends in the Christian community shaping it's stance towards the arts. Change is needed!

"Dostoyevsky once said that beauty would save the world. Most Christian writing on the visual arts, however, is a betrayal of the depth and profundity of the Christian tradition that Dostoyevsky represents. It reflects the negativity and superficiality of contemporary cultural discourse rather than the living tradition of the church as Christ’s presence in the world."

Michael Card & Francis Schaeffer-Art, a Response to Beauty
from the Faith & Culture devotional

What a progressive venture . . combining voices that seek to source the convergence of Christian faith with a deeply rooted respect for the created order and the creations inspired by that order. I think I need one!

"This is how I too want to be known—as a broken man whose work reveals hope and grace—grace from a loving God who himself has been broken. My belief is that Christians would not feel marginalized in the art world if we were to adopt this stance—of the exile, of the broken, rather that of the triumphalist."

Tight Times Loosen Creativity
by Robin Pogrebin

How encouraging it is to see creatives freed to be guided by inspiration rather than provision. Who would have expected that lean times economically / financially would have helped artists find their voice, their calling, their 'telos'? The time for hearty growth seems to be in a sparse landscape!

"I don’t have the ability to make everything I would like, nor do I have the ability to create works as complex as I might want due to financial constraints. However this time gives me the chance to refine my practice. I apply for grants, exhibitions and public arts programming, and I’m happy to wait. Nothing worth having doesn’t take hard work and time to attain.”

Exit Concerts
by ???

Hmmmm, this is interesting. There is something emerging on the ridge. What could it be?? Wait, hold on here . . it's some of the most respected talent in their genre within the music industry hosting mass scale gigs for the masses . . for FREE!

Free Book and a Review

2009-05-20T12:21:00.009+01:00

Well heeeellllooo there. I've not been as prolific in writing or making posts as I'd like to have been the past month or so. I guess I do have to give myself a bit of a break since my wife and I did just increase our family size by one more child six weeks ago. (Keely Hope's in the hiz-zouse!)

I was meant to do this a year ago. I failed. I was offered an opportunity to review a book and post some of my thoughts here by the book's launch date, but I didn't. I bet the author is glad I wasn't asked to give an endorsement! I did get through the book, but because of other activities / commitments during the end of last summer, the deadline was not met and then it faded into the recesses of my mind . . only to reappear on occasions like an abscess in your gums - just wanting it to go away. Well . . I wouldn't let it. I said I would do this and I am. If you stick through this brief review, and answer (correctly) the contest question at the end of the review, you'll get a *FREE* copy of the book sent to you (yes, anywhere in the world). Let's go!

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The book in question is called 'Wild Goose Chase - Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God' and it's by Mark Batterson (the same author of 'In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day').

Firstly, this book came at just the right time for Christy and I. I had been struggling to believe God for the 'impossible' - or the seemingly out-of-reach. I was making general requests in my conversations with God - not trusting Him for the God-sized requests I wanted to ask Him for. Then came Wild Goose Chase . . I was suitably challenged and inspired!

I had never read Mark's other book mentioned above and had only recently heard about him. If you'd like more info on Mark and where he pastors in Washington D.C. go here. What caught my imagination at the start was the title of the book. Wild Goose Chase is a play on a phrase. The most obvious is the popular meaning of a wild goose chase being, "a foolish and hopeless pursuit of something unattainable". Mark was playing the phrase from a different angle. He was borrowing from a theme in ancient Celtic Christian lore that saw the wild goose as an illustration of the Holy Spirit - contextualised to the experience of people living in this island at the time. There were some aspects of the wild goose which reminded t hese early Christians of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit and it's activity their lives.

The other aspect of Mark's book that I really enjoyed was his stance / attitude to living courageously - 'recklessly abandoning himself to God'. This was a HUGE area of resonance with me. I have always likened being in relationship with God as being on an adventure of a lifetime where you don't know what He'll do in, through or around you at any given time. It's this understanding that has predicated the past twenty plus years of life in the love of God, it's what set the stage for Christy and I to work at Willow Creek Community Church in the late nineties, to move to N. Ireland to work with young people and to relocate to the Republic of Ireland three plus years ago in an effort to live missionally among the people God has called us to serve. Adventure and 'risk' runs R-E-D in my blood and in Mark Batterson's - if I read him rightly.

There were, at times, aspects of his style of writing that I didn't really track with. Some of it is no doubt the strong 'Americanisms' which have become somewhat foreign to me. If you're an American who's been living outside the States for any length of time, or a non-American, you'll know what I mean. The other thing that grated on me just a bit was Mark's tendency to state regularly throughout his writing a phrase which, to me, connotated an aire of 'know-it-all'. More than once he employed a variation of the phrase, ". . this is a little something I like to call . . .". I'm in no way saying that he actually thinks that way or means to give that aire. That was simply my experience of it - and it was minor to my reading of him.

Some aspects of the book well illustrated the overall theme of Mark's writing such as the chapter titles:

Yawning Angels
Goose Bumps
Dictatorship of the Ordinary
Eight-foot Ceilings
A Rooster's Crow
Sometimes it Takes a Shipwreck
Good Old-Fashioned Guts
Madonna of the Future

The following selection of quotes were also indicative of the flavor of Wild Goose Chase:

". . in my experience, intellectual analysis usually results in spiritual paralysis." [pg. 2]

"I wonder if churches do to people what zoos do to animals." [pg. 5]

". . the cage opens when we realize that Jesus didn't die on the cross to to keep us safe. Jesus died to make us dangerous." [pg. 6]

"You cannot simultaneously live by faith and be bored. Faith and boredom are antithetical." [pg. 7]

"I am determined to pursue God-ordained passions until the day I die. Life is too precious to settle for anything less." [pg. 16]

"Here is the mistake that so many of us make: we start out pursuing a passion and end up settling for a paycheck. So instead of making a life, all we do is make a living." [pg. 17]

With many more exhortations, insights, stories and illustrations Mark was used by the Wild Goose (Holy Spirit) to move, inspire, challenge and encourage me to, as St. Ignatius said, 'whole-heartedly surrender myself into the loving care of God' (paraphrase).

Now, if you are suitably intrigued and are experiencing a growing desire to read, reflect and act on Mark Batterson's challenge to us in Wild Goose Chase, answer the following question and I'll mail / post a copy of the book out to you - anywhere in the world!

In the opening pages, Mark mistakingly translates the Irish phrase, "An Geadh-Glas" as 'Wild Goose'. What is the literal translation of this phrase?

The firs t person to correctly answer this question in it's entirety - wins! Go!

Link to the Wild Goose Chase site
Link to a video of Mark promoting the book
Link to Mark Batterson's blog
Link to Mark's church - National Community Church in Washington D.C., USA

Hero Worship

2009-05-19T00:48:00.004+01:00

Could this be my next new read? I bought 'Hero Worship' by Thomas Carlyle (published 1872) a couple of years back at a shop in Oxford, England just down from the Eagle and Child pub. It's where C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and others used to meet as 'The Inklings' for conversation and to evaluate each others' work. The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia emerged out of those sessions together! We went down and had lunch in their very spot afterwards. Talk about awe-inspiring! The table of contents of this book looks so interesting. I remember a statement attributed to Lewis where he said, ' . . For every contemporary book you read- read two ancient ones' (over 100 yrs old). So, 'Hero Worship' fits the bill my friends!

A New Man for a New Era

2009-05-12T15:02:00.003+01:00

I recently spotted these around the city during my new ad campaign. Not bad, eh?

Community Dance-Off!

2009-05-12T14:56:00.005+01:00

This made my heart smile (and consequently my face too)!

A Compelling (Rhythm of) Life: Four

2009-05-11T13:28:00.005+01:00

Here's the fourth section for those of you following this progressive revelation of a 'Rhythm of Life'. We're nearing the end now. This section follows on from the first, second and third posts (read first) . . . and give me some feedback please. Either no one is interested, makes the time to comment or cares at all. Anyone who has any thoughts on this stuff I'd welcome your insights, questions, experiences. Thanks!

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Dreamer Values
After some time exploring and reflecting on what it means to live out the vocation of a Dreamer - no matter our specific calling - a few trends began to emerge which were then translated into Values describing our modus operandi (or ‘way of operating’). As with nearly all that we are offering here in the Dreamers Rhythm of Life, these are up for discussion and revision as more people opt into becoming a member of the community and begin living into this Rhythm. The over-arching vocation of the Dreamer is the title in bold italics, the Values are in bold and each Values’ m.o., or how the Value is worked out, is stated below them in italics. The Values appear in no particular order.

Being Redemptive Agents in Culture

Investing in Others

Facilitating God’s Dream for the Individual

What is it for Each Person?
Moving in the Direction of God’s Invitation to Relationship and Partnership

Celebrating Creativity

Partnering in Collaborative Ventures
Blessing and Participating in the Good, True and Beautiful
Releasing / Encouraging Others

Respecting the Image of God in Creation

Giving Voice to / Addressing the Needs of Others
Preserving / Cultivating our Home Planet

Human Relationships
Animal life
Plant life

Living a Life of Integrity

Living in Community as we follow Jesus’ example

Authenticity (Generosity)
Transparency (Self-Control)
Intentionality (Service)

Striving for Excellence

Doing the Best We Can With What We Have

Giving Our Lives in Response to God Giving His to Us
Living Out of Those Places God has Put a Fire In Our Souls

Defacing Superficiality

Creating Space for Depth

Engendering Conversation
Welcoming Questions and Doubts
Embracing the Uncomfortable for the Sake of Growth

We believe that the practice of reflecting upon and writing down the Values we live out of enables us to be more intentional in our efforts, more passionate in our prayer and less frenzied in our daily routines. Through the practice of writing out those things we value, we are inviting each other into the deliberate activity of continually revising how we are investing ourselves in life as the Spirit of God leads. The Dreamer Values are those things that inform our practice and pursuit day to day. We are visible signs to one another of how our Values are lived out, just as in the case of the Classic Principles and Distinctive Practices. The Community is a safe place to experiment and practice living life in the Way of Jesus and in the Rhythm of a Dreamer.

"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire; you will what you imagine; and at last you create what you will."

- George Bernard Shaw; Irish poet & playwright

Dreamer Objectives
Finally, after a period of conversation and introspection, a number of Objectives have arisen which the Community would like to continually work toward. Some Objectives are long-term, others medium-term and a couple are continual. They are, as are most things in this Rhythm of Life, up for discussion and revision. We would like to keep the Objectives to a maximum of five in order to concentrate our efforts and sharpen our focus. When those Objectives that are time-bound or task related have been accomplished, new Objectives may be added to replace them. The accomplishment of agreed upon Objectives encourages the Community to mature, builds into our collective history and offers us opportunity to directly influence culture-at-large. The following Objectives are listed below in no particular order.

The provision of a retreat facility in Ireland to facilitate creative enterprises and personal growth

To facilitate networking between people engaged in creative practice

To facilitate the training and education of individuals and groups for creative practice

The provision of counseling services, care services, soul friendship and other support services for persons requiring them for the advancement of their holistic well-being

To promote and support the creativity of communities, groups and individuals within the island of Ireland and beyond

“The reason we are not able to see God is the faintness of our desire.”

- Meister Eckhart; Christian Mystic

Christianity, Contemporary Art and Beauty

2009-05-11T13:16:00.004+01:00

This is a partial post from friend Ben Edson which I highly resonate with. Read on:

'I have come to the conclusion that if Christian critics and intellectuals can’t find Christ in the contemporary art world then all I can suggest is that they have not looked closely enough. And looking closely is what an art critic as well as a Christian is supposed to do. For it is in looking closely at the world, including art, that we can open ourselves up to the presence of Christ. And that is risky business, indeed; perhaps too risky for many who serve as the cultural gatekeepers of our souls'.

This is from a fascinating article by Daniel Siedell on theotherjournal.com exploring a Christian approach to contemporary art. He also talks about the importance of beauty, something that resonates with me missiologically . . ."

Finish the brief post =>