Evidently it does so within George Washington University’s InterVarsity Fellowship.
Read article here.
November 6, 2009
Relational Gifts
As you prepare for Christmas, here is a great wealth of gift ideas for “relational giving.” Instead of throwing money and wrapped boxes at people which will be forgotten in a month or two…or 20 minutes, give gifts which will truly create lasting memories.
Check it out: www.rethinkingchristmas.com.
November 5, 2009
One More Doubt Left
Actually there plenty of other doubts out there to be discussed another time however we have one more message left on our Doubt series at The Garden: “How can the resurrection be true?”
I have had so many great conversation come out of this “Doubt” series I could’ve had a blog solely for the purpose of documenting all of the great discussions with friends and fellow doubters.
I’d be the first to admit that my talks on Sunday mornings haven’t done each question justice as entire books could be and have been written on each subject; but with that said I believe they have been a starting point and I hope, if nothing else, we will be able to continue these conversations into the future.
The six questions we have been focusing on for the particular Doubt series (I see more to come down the road) are:
- If God is an all-loving and all-powerful God, how can there be so much suffering?
- Hasn’t the church been more of an agent of oppression than one of good?
- How can there be just one true religion?
- How can the Bible be authoritative?
- How can a loving God send people to Hell?
- Isn’t the resurrection a little far-fetched?
This Sunday we are focusing on that 6th question: resurrection. Next week (the 15th) will be our Doubt forum which will be a time of Question and Reflection (Q&R) based on all six questions. Should be a great time – if you’re in Baltimore join us.
November 2, 2009
Rick McKinley Conference Call
A new “network” of sorts, consisting of churches and individuals, The Origins Project, along with Eric Bryant, is hosting a conference call with Rick McKinley, the Pastor of Imago Dei Community Church this Tuesday from 2-3. Sign up here.
About The Origins Project (www.originsproject.com)
We are a community of followers of Jesus who are passionate about seeing people know God and experience life as He intended. As we are guided by the Scriptures, we will inspire one another to embrace innovation and creativity as a means to fulfill this mission. – www.originsproject.com
The Origins Project describes their “passions” as Jesus, Humanity, and Innovation. The network is spearheaded by some of the most innovative and creative people out there who are doing some pretty cool stuff in the name of Jesus; Amena Brown, Dan Kimball, Erwin McManus, Scot McKnight, Dave Gibbons, Rick McKinley, Mark Batterson, and others.
About Rick McKinley
In October of 2000, Pastor Rick McKinley founded Imago Dei Community. Rick has his Doctorate from Gordon Conwell Seminary and is an author, speaker and guest professor across the nation. Rick loves spending time with his wife Jeanne and their four kids, bold cabs, independent film, good coffee, music you can feel, reading, thinking and creativity. – www.rickmckinley.net
Why tell you this?
A few years ago Rick began a movement known as Advent Conspiracy (AC) of which I’ve become a huge fan. About two years ago I stumbled across AC as I had personally grown tired of the way we do Christmas. I have to admit, at the time I was weary and cynical toward Christmas; the “Christmas lists” driven by marketing and materialism, the church routines and rituals which we only went through because that’s “what we do.” They seemed to make no difference in our lives. I think I was tired of hearing people say “I just payed off last year’s Christmas and it’s here again.” Or stressing out because they still had so many presents to buy and so many people to shop for. Or spending the majority of your after-work time running through the mall instead of sipping hot cocoa with your family. And then Christmas morning comes and it’s all over. And we’re left depressed and disillusioned. All the while we say “Christmas isn’t about the presents.” I think my friend Bradley recently put it best, “If we say Christmas is not about the presents then why do I get so many damned presents?”
So Rick is the man to talk to about changing the way we do Christmas. He’s been leading a movement of individuals who have been and are beginning to re-imagine Christmas and discover that “Christmas can [still] change the world.”
Here’s a short article I wrote on the subject two years – just before our family’s first experiment with changing the way we do things.
Here’s the sign-up page for the conference call with Rick. I hope some of you may be able to take part and ask questions.
November 1, 2009
Zach Williams
As of late, one my my favorite musicians has been Zach Williams. I saw Zach perform in Atlanta and later met him in the airport and discovered he’s a good friend of a good friend. Small world.
I absolutely love his music. The sound quality in this video is not the greatest but you can get a feel for him (check out his website for more music). Zach’s voice and style is very, very original and I don’t want to pin him in a genre (such a great mix). To give a glimpse, however, I’d say vocally I there’s a little bit of Gavin Degraw, Ray Lamontagne, and a few others. His style and performance – maybe a little Johnny Cash. His tenacity – Jack Black. His lyrics – off the hinge.
November 1, 2009
Sunday Morning
A few reflections on the week:
- People are dropping like flies. Is it just me or does it seem like everyone is, has been, or is getting sick?
- Is an extra hour of sleep not the greatest thing known to humanity? If we didn’t gain an extra hour, getting up at 5:30 this morning may have just been the most difficult task I’ve ever been faced with.
- I dressed up like a friend for Halloween.
- I’ve been wrestling with this cold for over a week and a half now. Is it just me or does it seem everyone is, has been, or is getting sick?
- We’ve had a few friend’s from a church in Arkansas in the neighborhood this weekend. It’s been great eating with them and getting to know them. I’m looking forward to worshipping with them this morning at our gathering.
- Is it just me or does it seem everyone is, has been, or is getting sick?
- I’m talking about “Hell” this morning. I have to admit, this has been one of the hardest messages for me to prepare during this Doubt series. Hell is not a simple subject and anyone who makes it “simple” is completely ignoring much of Scripture.
- I am looking forward to a day-off tomorrow. I need some Sabbath rest.
October 31, 2009
TOMS Shoes
If you haven’t heard of them, you have to check out TOMS shoes. A business of a different kind.
You may remember some talk of “B Corporations” on this blog a while back. There is essentially a movement of entrepreneurs who are creating a different kind of business – one which has a triple bottom line: 1) create enough profit to be sustainable 2) Be a place which provides solid jobs 3) stimulate social and environmental growth and change.
TOMS Shoes sells themselves as an organization which, for every pair of shoes they sell, gives away a pair of shoes to needy children around the world.
Check them out. I haven’t yet bought a pair but I really like their cause and their shoes. I definitely plan to hook my feet up with some TOMS pretty soon here.
I hope organizations such as TOMS may inspire the world to rethink business and profit as the singular bottom line.
October 31, 2009
Halloween Festivities
It’s been a busy Halloween around here. Yesterday was a Halloween party at the rec. center which I volunteered at. Today, Jadyn’s school had a “fall festival.” Where I grew up in Ohio, Fall Festivals meant bobbing for apples, tug of war with a hay bale as the center, pumkins and baked goods, and hay rides. Fall Festivals in Baltimore mean jump houses, bbqs, dancing, and hip hop. I’m not sure which I like more – I’ll take them both.
We took the girls trick-or-treating. There’s something about the vines crawling across the rowhouses, leaves gently blowing down the street and covering the sidewalks, the cool fall breeze along with friendly neighbors handing out candy on their stoops which make our neighborhood a great place for trick-or-treating.
Add to that, Matt and his crew (some friends from Arkansas and a few Garden folks) serving up some hot chili, coffee, and hotdogs to the parents for the second year in a row – you can’t beat it.
I need to go through my message for tomorrow one more time (which is on the subject of “hell” no less) and then off to make an appearance at what I’ll call the Striewsqueen Halloween Scream (Laurie and Mike’s party).
October 25, 2009
Weekend Hermitage
Spent the weekend at a hermitage in Pittsburg with a friend, Queen, at The Sisters of St. Francis. $35/night for your own little cabin – you can’t beat it; and Queen’s hermitage even had a wood burning fireplace (we made the place smell like a campfire). The original plan was to visit my usual place of retreat, St. Anselm’s in D.C. however they had no room. So off to Pittsburg we went. I told Mike we should begin a website rating various monasteries and convents - sort of like a hotel-rating site but for hermits and monastics.
While there we read through the Gospel of John (I often forget how intense John’s Gospel is) and spent plenty of time in reflection and conversation. On the way home we hit up the Dennys in the wonderful town of Breezewood, PA (the Las Vegas of central PA).
