So we finally had our first emergent cohort/ book club meeting this week. I thought it went pretty well. We decided that we are going to read “Everything Must Change” by Brian Mclaren. Our next meeting is going to be the tenth of February. I am really looking forward to it. I am trying not to have too high of expectations for fear of being let down. But I think that this group has a lot of promise, especially once everybody gets used to everyone else. I think this group has the potential to become a real spiritual family of sorts. I like the fact that the group is so diverse.

Blogroll

www.theocentric.com

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http://tonyj.net

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http://www.smalltownabbot.com

1/31/08 - So my apartment is never without drama. I was deathly sick this week. I had strep throat with a 102 degree fever. Now Loron is sick and he is blaming me (rightly so). Then there is this thing at work where they are working me like a dog. Also as a side not I am planning on going to Brian Mclaren’s Everything Must Change tour in Dallas next month. I am really looking forward to tonights debate between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barrack Obama!

2/4/08 - Well here we go Super Tuesday is upon us. I will be glued to my TV tomorrow. So I am currently reading “The Divine Embrace” by Robert Webber. As I read the book my sense of awareness of the inherent platonic duality, that is so ingrained into so much of our culture, increases. I am really pondering the true significance of moving away from God being object and more the subject. That we are inextricably linked to Jesus Christ. That he has forever merged our two stories. He did this when he took on all of humanity to himself by becoming one of us. This platonic model of understanding unfortunately permeates our culture. That God is somehow out there and is somehow separate from our “secular” lives. That God is spiritual and we are trapped in the physical and that we must somehow try to transcend into the presence of God. Like as if it is something to be achieved. Where as I think that we are always in the presence of God whether we realize it or not. I don’t think it  is so much of own volition. So much as it is a movement of God into our context and this awakening to the realities of the life already around us. Anyways that is enough ramblings from me for one night!

2/7/08 - Yesterday I attended my first Ash wednesday experience. I didn’t really know what to expect but I came away with a lot of questions and a deep sense of the true nature of my humanity. I was reminded that most of the things I spend so much time worrying about really don’t matter. It reminded me that I am only human and that from ashes I came and to ashes I will return. I have a limited amount of time. How do I want to spend that time? Do I want to build my own kingdom that will be forgotten? Or do I want to devote my time to a much higher cause? To bring Gods kingdom here on earth. To focus on becoming a co-creator in the incarnation of God’s grace and redemption here on earth. Today I pray that I would partner with Jesus in his dream for our world. That we as a people would continually call ourselves to transformation! Entering into this season of Lent we are encouraged to give something up so as to make room for God to speak into our lives. I am addicted to coffee. So for this season of Lent I have decided to give up coffee. For those of you that know me, you are probably laughing, but I am determined to do it.

Reflections upon Deep Shift in Dallas

So Travis, Paul and I made a pilgrimage to Dallas for the Everything Must Change conference with Brian McLaren. I have different feelings about it. I was really excited about the sorts of people that I met. They are not what I expected. I thought it would be full of people that were very familiar with the conversation. The bloggers and generation x and y would be in full force. However I was wrong. In fact I would say a majority of the people there had read very little, if any, emergent literature. Many of the people there were far older than me. Which I know isn’t saying much, seeing as how I am only 23. But it gives me hope, that more people get it than just people from my generation and maybe one or two elderly folks. Maybe, from conferences like these more people can become to ask the more important questions. How do we eradicate poverty? How do we end war? How do we bring about equity? How do we be good stewards of our world? How do we bring the kingdom of God here on earth? How do we move past this platonic dualistic understanding? These are the questions that I want to spend my energy on? I am tired of debating homosexuality. Lets treat them as equals and as human beings as people in the kingdom of God. I am tired of debating the role of women in vocational ministry. We can use all the help we can get. I am tired of debating about abortion. Let’s value life in all of its forms, instead of continuing war and extreme poverty. Overall I thought it was a good weekend.