Ephphatha James Wheeler

2012-02-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

Anti-Kitsch

2012-02-01T10:18:00.001-07:00

I found this picture on-line this morning. It caught me off guard at first as i tried to figure out what the artist was trying to convey.The blogger who posted it wrote "it is a protest against the evangelical art form of pretty-picture-with-validating-scripture." What do you think of that?Too much, not enough, silly, relevant?

Post-Christmas Hangover and Christopher Hitchens

2012-01-28T07:46:00.003-07:00

Christmas is a funny time of year. It is the brilliant declaration of the church that the light of God, Jesus, has entered into our darkness. As i look back at December i certainly experienced this in my community of faith.But, in our day, in North America, it is also a time of vapid and uncontrolled consumerism and spending. The editor of Geez Magazine, Will Braun, presented a lament about this

Epiphany Thoughts: Hide and Seek in Psalm 139

2012-01-25T14:04:00.013-07:00

"I could ask the darkness to hide meand the light around me to become night--but even in darkness i cannot hide from you.To you the night shines as bright as day.Darkness and light are both alike to you."Psalm 139:11-12 NLTDo we ever "ask the darkness" to hide us?

Spiritual De-Formation

2011-03-16T15:56:00.004-06:00

We are in the season of Lent in the church calendar. It gets me thinking about fasting, penitence, renunciation and confession. It could be a lot of gloom and doom about how bad we humans are in relation to a perfect God. However, i like lent. I like it because it allows me to be honest about all the crap in my life. You can confess that you are angry, bitter, disappointed etc and know that

Quote Machine #3

2011-03-02T13:13:00.010-07:00

"God enters the world through the back door of servant's shacks, not through the main gate of the masters' mansions."Miroslav Volf"Our Lord wants you to become mature, and maturity needs these periods of obscurity, of disillusionment and boredom. Maturity comes when we have at last realized that we must love our Lord simply and freely in spite of our horrible unworthiness and the unworthiness of

Quote Machine #2

2011-03-02T12:37:00.003-07:00

“Solitude is not about the absence of other people— it is about being fully present to ourselves.”Parker Palmer “Artists are restless people, always at work, doing the same thing again and again, or moving on to the next project. Their discoveries are not endings, only openings.” Robin Jensen"No matter how experienced and knowledgeable we may be, we will always be

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

2011-03-01T06:27:00.005-07:00

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Maryqui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria VirgineThis part of the creed is difficult for many people to accept. Either you have those who would like to prove it is a historical fact or those who simply want to find logical explanations. For example, Paul Verhoeven has recently contributed a book about Jesus. In

Creeds and Freedom

2011-03-01T06:21:00.001-07:00

It struck me that writing about the apostles creed could be offensive and probably even annoys some Christians. These folks are in the "get off my back dad, i am doing my own thing" stage of spiritual development. I think this is a mostly helpful stage when people need to lent from church, read more sci-fi than the bible and just need to tune out from the particular spiritual frequency that they

Quote Machine #1

2010-08-04T11:10:00.013-06:00

I love quotes. I find them inspiring and helpful for getting out of religiosity and legalism and finding the depth and freedom of Christianity."Coolness might help in your negotiation with people through the world, maybe, but it is impossible to meet God with sunglasses on. It is impossible to meet God without abandon, exposing yourself, being raw.. you don't know what's going on behind those

Too Churched, Not Churched Enough, Churchification, Sick of Church and the Churchie Churchenheimers Who Go There

2010-07-28T12:24:00.013-06:00

I am finding that i really like Luther's idea of church these days. He became disillusioned with a church that was a bureaucratic apparatus of power and finance and inspired with the ideal of a church as a humble fellowship of believers. This view was driven by his understanding of God's mercy and grace being radically poured into the community of believers. That is he was angry at the abuses

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

2010-07-27T07:58:00.005-06:00

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.Et in Iesum Christum, Filium Eius unicum, Dominum nostrum.This second line in the creed seems imperative as a statement of faith. The continual emphasis on the two words i believe, are important. I am an evangelical which means i always come back to who Jesus is as a significant part of my life journey. And the topic of God as incarnate or God

I Believe in God the Father Almighty

2010-07-23T15:20:00.012-06:00

Lately i have been digging into historical theology and in particular the Apostles Creed. It starts out:"I believe in God the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." Or in Latin: "Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Creatorem caeli et terrae." Ok, first latin just sounds cool (at least the way i imagine it in my head). Secondly i think we need to say this creed in order to understand

Naked Pastor

2010-07-20T12:37:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine recommended that i check out a blog entitled Naked Pastor and it is a great blog. This former pastor draws thoughtful, with a dash of provocative, cartoons about his view of the world. You may not always agree with his depictions but they get you thinking about important things. You can also purchases prints of these cartoons. This picture dovetails nicely with an earlier

Preferential Option for the Poor-Gustavo Gutierrez

2010-07-18T19:27:00.009-06:00

Gustavo Gutierrez famously made the claim that God has a "preferential option for the poor." I read this in his seminal book "A Theology of Liberation" (1st ed. 1971) a few years back and was deeply challenged by this Peruvian theologian. The subtitle of this book reads "History, Politics and Salvation." In it G. demonstrates how a liberation and more socially aware Bible reading strategy

Holy Prayers #1

2010-07-16T01:02:00.004-06:00

O loving God,we thank you for bringing usthe rivers and streams of this world.May the rivers we know be an imageof the stream that you want to flow within each one of us.Teach us now,take away all fear, dare to let us believethat we could really be a small part of a reconstructed society,that we could build again.Take away our own cynicism. Take away our lack of hope.Take away our own anger and

Christians as Bums, Clowns and Louts

2010-07-14T11:08:00.009-06:00

I recently picked up Tom Oden's Sytematic Theology Trilogy and am unsystematically working my way through book 1. :)Of course i have zig zagged my way in and out different subjects about God--there is so many interesting things to consider. Plus, Oden is a church historian and backs up his theological work with plenty of quotes from the early church fathers. And then i saw the postlude

Shamwow Prayer Cloth

2010-07-10T16:31:00.002-06:00

This made my day!!

Paradox and Theology

2010-07-10T13:12:00.008-06:00

Mary was both a virgin and pregnant.God is one but also three.Jesus is both human and divine.Humans are both sinners and saints.There is something powerful about the truth that emerges from paradox. I think maturity is the willingness to accept certain paradoxes about our lives. Some don't like this of course. Instead they want to make rational sense of everything. It might be to think of

Secularism and the Church

2010-07-05T19:05:00.008-06:00

Why do so many folks kick church culture and life to the curb? Especially perplexing for a pastor like myself is why do so many young adults check out after they go off to university or start a life outside of their parents influence? While i do not have a comprehensive answer i have one cultural reality that i think is part of the answer--secularism. What is secularism you ask? Writer Greg

Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia

2010-07-02T22:44:00.003-06:00

If you are interested in a sympathetic and engaged look at the religious mindset and fervor that compels an individual or church to practice snake handling, this is your book. It is odd but fascinating how folks come to take Jesus' words about "handling serpents" and take it VERY literally. What you find in this book is not caricatures of fundamentalist crazy people but rather a humane picture

Church Buildings, RV Dealerships and Consumer Products

2010-07-02T12:27:00.010-06:00

The other day i was driving into the city where i live and i saw a huge upper middle class church building where i think about 1500 folks worship a week. The building inside and out is a spectacle to behold. It exudes a sense of success, entrepreneurial spirit and wealth. Right beside this testament to the "blessings" of God is a modest RV dealership. For whatever reason it was at this

Instilling Goodness Sunday School

2010-06-28T21:22:00.006-06:00

I saw this slogan on a sign at a buddhist temple in downtown Calgary and then awhile later a local artist incorporated it in a picture. It kind of reminds me of a concept i blogged about a couple of months back--how is goodness "instilled?"

Shakespeare, Kierkegaard & Dostoevsky

2010-06-28T08:23:00.008-06:00

I haven't blogged in forever. Though i think about it from time to time. But was inspired the other day by a conversation with a person named Sabio over at Triangulations.By looking at his site i realized how far behind the technology side of it i am. But i am a person who loves content more than anything else. His blog takes an in depth look at the human self and how it is that we make

Some think they are good, think again!

2010-03-10T07:05:00.005-07:00

On a recent blog about NT Wright and a new book he has published Scot McKnight brings up an interesting and helpful question about what the moral life is about. Which of these three options describes it best?Option one: follow the rules. Option two: discover yourself. Option three: transformation of character.I really like where Wright is going with this. I still believe that though many in the

L'Engle Poem-After Annunciation

2009-12-22T14:59:00.005-07:00

"This is the irrational seasonWhen love blooms bright and wild, Had Mary been filled with reasonThere'd have been no room for the child."Madeleine L'EngleThis poem reminds me of an earlier one i posted by W.H. Auden. And the thought it stimulates is also similar. It seems to me that to know God and to believe in the incarnation of Christ takes something more, or some might say less, than

Becoming Human-The Complexity

2009-06-03T08:56:00.001-06:00

"It will be argued in more general terms that it is always dangerous to go to the Philistines to sharpen one's tools (1 Sam. 13:19-21). After all, to mix biblical metaphors, the gold taken when Israel spoiled the Egyptians ended up in the golden calf. No doubt some of it did. Appropriation is inherently dangerous. But some of that gold ended up in the tabernacle as well, and it is that

Blaise Pacal Quote

2009-04-06T14:59:00.003-06:00

"Man is but a reed,the most feeble thing in nature. but he is a thinking reed." Blaise Pascal 1623-1662

Neo-Reformed is #3!

2009-04-06T13:05:00.006-06:00

I have referred to the neo-reformed types in the past. They are passionate and at times, vexing group. Their most prominent spokespersons are Mark Driscoll and John Piper. I commented on a previous blog about Driscoll here. They have made a pretty sizable splash in the North American world as noted in a recent Time Magazine article. Under the title, "10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now" this

Becoming Human Part 5c -Sin and Monasticism

2009-03-21T11:08:00.016-06:00

"I have only found one religion that dares to go down with me into the depth of myself."G.K. Chesterton"Narrow is the mansion of my soul; enlarge Thou it, that Thou mayest enter in. It is ruinous; repair thou it. It has that within which must offend Thine eyes; i confess and know it. But who shall cleanse it?" AugustineMy current focus on this blog is to putter around this idea of becoming

Becoming Human Part 5b - a little more about sin

2009-03-17T05:56:00.011-06:00

The other day i was reading George Herbert, the great poet who wrote in the early part of the 17th century. It is in writers like him, and some of the earlier writers on the topic of sin, that i find a language that captures the nuances of sin and of humanity. In a poem entitled The Pearl, Herbert meditates on how sin entices:"I know the ways of Pleasure, the sweet strains, The lullings and

Becoming Human Part 5 - Good Old Fashioned Sin

2009-03-09T11:13:00.006-06:00

Two Sundays ago, the second Sunday of Lent, i spoke in church about the grand narrative of the Fall in Genesis 3. I am following a traditional arc of stories for the Lent season at our church to try and reconnect what we do with the greater Christian tradition. I also feel compelled to explore the contours of the topic of sin. Why would i choose this focus? I have been trying to discern that

Becoming Human Part 4 - Maturing Theological Reflection

2009-03-02T10:53:00.017-07:00

I think the issue bringing our humanity into deep interface with our faith tradition has been one that has driven many theological and religious explorations. Early Christian thought was shaped by platonic and neo-platonic thought. Both of these philosophical schools are very interesting but tend to emphasize rationality and ideas but minimize the body and the importance of social context.

Becoming Human Part 3 - Story Shaped Life

2009-03-02T09:35:00.015-07:00

What does it mean to be truly human?This is a pretty interesting and also massive question. Whenever we approach this topic we can easily be overcome by the number of options that are available. On top of a specific anthropological theory, and an attendant personal philosophy, are the numerous factors that influence each individual life. What does it mean for an individual in our time to

Bus Slogan Generator

2009-02-26T12:52:00.003-07:00

I mentioned a couple of posts back about the Bus Slogan Campaign put on by atheists and christian in the u.k. I just discovered a link to a Bus Slogan Generator. You simply type in your own suggestion for the caption and it will show you what it would look like on a double decker bus. Cool!

Becoming Human Part 2 - Emotions

2009-02-24T12:27:00.006-07:00

What do our emotions have to do with our spirituality or faith? This is something i have pondered quite often and found its way into my graduate work in interpretation. I think that emotions have a lot to do with how we are religious, or more specifically Christian, people. Fear, doubt, happiness, anger, peace are significant indicators for how we are progressing in a spiritual journey. In a

Becoming Human

2009-02-23T11:13:00.006-07:00

"The Loss of the Personal in a Technological Society" is a freebie essay on James M. Houston's website. Houston is a great writer who is interested in the interaction between religion and culture. Though i find many church types to be fairly slim on their understanding of cultural forces, Houston does not fit in that camp. Like other Regent College teachers like Marva Dawn, Eugene Pederson and

Jesus Creed and the Neo-Reformed

2009-02-18T19:23:00.004-07:00

The issue of human freedom and the Christian faith keep rising to the surface of conversations i have had over the last couple of years. If God is truly sovereign and all powerful, do we have free will? Or are we simply acting out a script God knows beforehand? This is a fairly anachronistic way to look at the doctrine of sovereignty but it has its supporters. Down in the states there is a

Neo-Reformed?

2009-02-16T09:06:00.008-07:00

I have been a bit more active on my blog lately. Mostly, because i was provoked and inspired to think about why i hold my particular views and beliefs about evangelicalism. It all started when a friend of mine told me about a blog she wrote about inter-religious dialogue and how some more conservative Christians reacted. At the same time in these last weeks i have attended a wonderful A.A.

Finding God in The Shack

2009-02-15T19:38:00.006-07:00

If you have not had the opportunity to read the book "The Shack", it is certainly an interesting read and if nothing else a publishing phenomenon. You might want to check it out. Paul Young, the author, wrote this book as a gift to his kids and grand kids a few years back. It somehow got picked up by a publisher and has sold somewhere over 4 million copies. That is a pretty good retirement

John Baillie

2009-02-13T10:36:00.003-07:00

This is a whole book i found on-line by John Baillie. The scottish theologian wrote a wonderful book of prayers called A Diary of Public Prayer. I want to get down to reading this one day. But loved this old school cover.

2009-02-12T11:06:00.008-07:00

You might have heard of the recent bus campaign in Canada and elsewhere produced by atheists groups. You can read some stuff about it here. The main bus ad invented read like this: "There is probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." Kind of funny and i get the point. No biggie. I find this a rather weak attempt to counter the religious, and more specifically Christian

Inter-Religious Dialogue

2009-02-10T15:37:00.012-07:00

Hey i have joined in a conversation in another blog in Calgary about the value of inter-religious dialogue. It is quite interesting and is a hot topic in a wide variety of contexts, especially at the University level. Should we befriend people of various faith backgrounds? Should we interact? If so, how should it function? See the blog here. The blog is written by a friend named Meera and

Dylan on Dignity

2009-01-21T11:41:00.008-07:00

In this new job i have it gets me thinking about how we treat others, what the meaning of community is, and why should we try and gather as people in what seems to be a dangerous world at times. One song that has inspired me over the first couple of months is a song by Bob Dylan. The song is called Dignity. It is a song about the search for dignity. But dignity is not easily found. It is

Device to Root Out Evil

2009-01-20T16:22:00.003-07:00

I have just discovered that the brilliant and provocative "Device to Root Out Evil" display is in Calgary! I first saw an picture of this peice of artwork a few months ago and put it in a post here. This peice of art has both its admirers and critics. An article in the Vancouver Sun describes the mixed reviews it received in Vancouver. I wonder how Calgarians will respond? I think the artist

Jean Vanier

2009-01-19T21:51:00.009-07:00

I have started a new job and have been pretty busy. thus my feeble reason for not posting anything for awhile. Even so, my new job allows me to read some great material written by devout AND humanistic sorts of people--my favorite kind!! Over the Advent season i read the first chunk of Jean Vanier's "Drawn Into the Mystery of Jesus Through the Gospel of John." This book is not really a

Humanizing the Storm Trooper (Clone)

2008-12-08T11:01:00.003-07:00

In this the Christmas season. We should also remember that storm troopers are people too!heh, heh....

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #10

2008-10-24T11:22:00.007-06:00

Ok, i have been slacking...cuz of some transition stuff in my life i will share in a blog very soon. But wanted to get the last of the leadership quotes for a new time of church engagement. This last one is written by Parker Palmer. He is not really a theologian but someone who calls us to live according to our deepest idealisms and dreams. This rubs super-pragmatists the wrong way because

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #9

2008-10-05T14:19:00.003-06:00

The next quote comes from a guy who thinks that modernity has eroded our ability to conceive of a living and active God. Commenting on the work of sociologist David Reisman on the difference between inner and outer directed selves, he notes:"The 'inner directed' self is motivated by ultimate, typically religious, purposes and by the dictates of conscience shaped by religious belief. Such

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #8

2008-10-02T09:30:00.006-06:00

Ok, i lost focus for a couple of days. But here is number 8.Speaking of virtue ethics and the church (ecclesiology) Jonathan Wilson writes:"First, the church does not exist for itself. Just as any account of Christian virtues is ultimately for the sake of witness to the gospel, so also any account of the church as the community of those virtues is ultimately for the sake of its witness to the

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #7

2008-09-25T18:14:00.007-06:00

Part 2:"We have forgotten about prophetic dreaming as our lives have curved inward. Thoughts of a truly holistic service for the sake of our community and the world have diminished. The story of Jesus--his life, death and resurrection--have become tokens of a purely personal hope. Even our understanding of sin has shrunk to where we are more concerned with the bad influences of society than

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #6

2008-09-22T11:43:00.004-06:00

ok, here we are on week two. The next two days will be a two part quote from Ellen Haroutunian. She is a writer, speaker and therapist from Desert Hope Ministries."In this changing world, a new and honest look at ourselves may help us to rediscover what sort of people we need to be for the task that we face. Despite our care to keep our biblical truths uncompromised, we have sad evidence that

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #5

2008-09-18T21:39:00.004-06:00

Boy i am on a roll. Here is #5. "More often than not I find my Christian brothers and sisters uncritically embracing the ways and means practiced by the high-profile men and women who lead large corporations, congregations, nations, and causes, people who show us how to make money, win wars, manage people, sell products, manipulate emotions, and who then write books or give lectures telling us

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #4

2008-09-17T22:42:00.013-06:00

Ok, this next quote is one i really like. It helps us to think more deeply about our idealisms and dreams. "My premise is that this culture, and we as members of it, have yielded too easily to what is doable and practical and popular. In the process we have sacrificed the pursuit of what is in our hearts. We find ourselves giving in to our doubts, and settling for what we know how to do, or

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #3

2008-09-16T16:08:00.008-06:00

I am on to #3, and its a long one!"But what is the task of the minister and priest in the complex field of community organization? When that term suggests that it is the task of a minister to take all the responisibility for many specific projects into his own hands, I would say no but when it indicates the vocation to make people aware of their hidden potentialities, to unify the many different

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #2

2008-09-15T14:28:00.011-06:00

Ok so here i am with leadership quote # 2. In a world of technique and control we often think that we can develop the world the way we want it to be. But having a dream and then achieving it, is only one way to develop an organization. There are other forces that are active in this world, such as the creative capacities of individuals and the desire to reach out to others. "We fail to acknowledge

Leadership Quotes for the Post-Pragmatic Age #1

2008-09-14T15:41:00.008-06:00

So i have been absent for a couple months...went to Chicago and work is pretty busy. But i have been reading good stuff and thinking deep thoughts. So i am going to throw down a few challenging bits i have picked up along the way over the last few weeks. I am going to see if i can create a top 10...or run out of steam...So without any further ado and in no particular order: #1."When our moral

Michel Serres

2008-07-25T22:22:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine is hosting a website which contemplates and reviews some of the ideas of philosopher Michel Serres. I have not read Serres. But i saw a link on his site to an introduction of a book on hope which contains a chapter where the author, Mary Zournazi, interviews this thinker. That is an aside for me because the book is entitled "Hope: New Philosophies for Change." I am a bit of a

Rowan Williams

2008-07-25T22:12:00.004-06:00

I was going to write more from Rowan William's superb book "the wound of knowledge" but got busy building a retainer wall in my back yard--Ugh. Sore lower lumbar situation. But there is a really cool interview between the archbishop and a skeptical interviewer here. RW gets into the theory of personalism which he describes as the "fascination with the unfathomable in each person." Wow, that

The Wound of Knowledge

2008-07-14T11:26:00.010-06:00

"I have been working through Rowan Williams magnificent book entitled "The Wound of Knowledge." It is an impressive work on Christian Spirituality because it avoids both the flat moralism of many Evangelical works and the anti-supernaturalism found in certain liberal circles. Instead Williams navigates a portion of the history of Christian spirituality with a keen eye for the way that it has

Valedictorian Address

2008-06-08T09:13:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine wrote a brilliant address to his fellow classmates at Taylor University College and Seminary. If you want to read something really interesting about the future of the Evangelical church check it out here. It was not just the lecture that i enjoyed but also his honesty and courage to say something that could create tension or disagreement. Great stuff!You can find lots of cool

Upside Down Church

2008-06-07T14:19:00.002-06:00

Wow, i think this picture can invite all sorts of commentary about the status of the church in modern day culture. Anyone want to take a shot?

How (Not) to Speak of God Part 3

2008-06-07T11:29:00.006-06:00

I also enjoyed a section entitled: "The End of Apologetics."In this small section Rollins builds on his overall argument. In one ay we might say that "the end of apologetics" is the end of trying to talk people into being Christians or rationally convince them that Christianity is truer or better than any other religion or world view. To sum up, he means that we try to explain or over-explain

How (Not) To Speak of God Part 2

2008-06-05T15:31:00.005-06:00

I could say quite a bit about this book. I will start by saying it is a trenchant assault on the idea that we know who God is and exactly how he operates in the world. Rollins is saying on one level this is true, but on another level it is false. Their might be things that theology or experience can tell us about God but God is always more than our theologies or experiences reveal to us. And it

How (Not) to Speak of God

2008-06-04T22:14:00.006-06:00

Like many Christian pastors i have followed the development of a group called the "Emergent Church" with quite a bit of interest. I have found some of their spokespersons and ideas to be really great while others unsatisfying. I bought this book by an Irishman named Pete Rollins based on the recommend on the cover by Brian McLaren. The book sat of my shelf for about 7 months and i could not

Smiling Addiction

2008-06-04T22:09:00.001-06:00

I saw this video the other day and found it a bit creepy. I think it is because it strikes so close to home. A video that exposes how we use all sorts of vices or fixes to help us cope with the painful aspects of our humanity is unsettling. It reminded me a bit of the old Pink Floydd song "comfortably numb." Our tendency as humans is not to face the painful realities that sometimes encroach

The Witch of Portobello

2008-04-06T16:19:00.004-06:00

I picked up a copy of Paulo Coelho's newest novel before I took off on vacation two weeks ago. I read it in spurts and did not find the story totally compelling. I am pretty open to different story lines but not sure i really jibed with this one. The most interesting part may have been a short explanation by the author in the last couple of pages for this peculiar subject matter. The subject

New Monasticism: What it Has to Say to Todays Church

2008-04-05T11:34:00.008-06:00

There is a new movement in Evangelical Christianity that is causing a bit of a stir. They are not only brave pioneers but are being heralded by some pretty heavy hitters from the theological world--Stanley Hauerwas for instance. I have written a review for YC Journal. Here is the review: "An intriguing book has arrived telling us about a new development in American Evangelicalism. In truth,

Floaty

2008-04-02T19:35:00.001-06:00

This is a way cool photo from Wired Mag. self portrait contest.

Geez Magazine

2008-04-02T19:17:00.006-06:00

I just received my final renewal notice for my favorite magazine today. I don't think i have ever mentioned Geez Magazine in my blog but it is a fun read. Their tag line reads: "Geez magazine has set up camp in the outback of the spiritual commons. A bustling spot for the over-churched, out-churched, un-churched and maybe even the un-churchable. For wannabe contemplatives, front-line

Relatives and Narratives

2008-04-01T09:38:00.004-06:00

I just got back from a 9 day vacation on the West Coast. It was good times even though my kids whined too much!! We mostly hung out with family and did a few smaller type outings. Hanging out with family gets me thinking about origins. It is a weird reality that in a world of consumer choice we do not choose our families. Rather we simply find ourselves in a very specific and unique family.

Leap Frog

2008-03-31T19:56:00.008-06:00

What is the future for Evangelism in Canada? That is the question that was posed to a mini-symposium at an event i attended a couple of weeks back. The various attendees were from all spheres of "evangelicalism", with broadcasters (tv and radio), pastors, reps from Billy Graham and Alpha Canada, and the person who heads up an annual youth gathering in Edmonton called YC. All of these people

Foreskin's Lament Audio

2008-03-09T00:10:00.005-07:00

Ok i guess this title looks sketchy. What can i say? Except to click on this link and listen to a CBC interview of Shalom Auslander. He is the author of Foreskins Lament. I posted a video on my blog about this guy awhile ago. You need awhile (30 minutes or so) to listen to this interview. It is amazing because the guy may be wounded and struggling because of his upbringing but he is still

Institutional Christianity Part II

2008-02-27T08:50:00.006-07:00

I went to a conference last saturday. It was about institutionalism. We started out watching Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in The Wall" video. It is funny and sad but reminds us of those who like to maninipulate and control others. And that our social structures have social consequences.In the video the ends suggests that the only way to deal with the calcified institutions that we might find

The Quebecios Pilgrims

2008-02-15T11:39:00.005-07:00

Hey what do you get when a western canadian boy and his family uproot and move to Quebec on a whole life experiment at being church(aside from some great lyrics to go with the tune to the classic tv show The Beverly Hillbillies)? Wellllllllll....here is a story about a man named.... Well you get my friend Mike Poettcker. I am sometimes asked by friends about this guy cause he really puts his $$

Escape from Institutional Christianity?

2008-02-15T09:04:00.005-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about idealism these days. You know, have great ideals about how the groups we participate in can achieve the great dreams and hopes we have for them. I think idealism though problematic is great. People with high ideals usually push for good, new and better ways. They can also be easily encouraged because life sometimes kicks sand in your face.I am looking forward to a

The Proof is in the Poetry

2008-02-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

"For nothing worthy proving can be proven,Nor yet disproven; wherefore thou be wise,Cleave ever to the sunnier side of doubt."Tenneyson from The Ancient SageI have commented before on proving the claims of Christianity.Although this can be helpful for some there is a fundamental part ofthe Christian faith that is subjective and, in that sense, un-scientific. In fact, to argue otherwise is to

Foreskin's Lament Part 1

2008-01-26T21:05:00.003-07:00

Here is a video i saw at the Chris Seay event. Certainly interesting. People are trying to critically understand the faith they receive from parents/church. The very literal reading of the O.T. certainly has it problems. The name of this video is really witty. Click on the title.

Seay What

2008-01-26T19:30:00.002-07:00

Yesterday i went to see Chris Seay one of the earliest proponents or maybe even architects of the emergent church. It was an ok event. A couple of points.1. Why was the majority of the crowd over 50?2. Why did one person get defensive about "honoring older Christians?" (esp. when were at an event that was exploring the value of an emergent spirituality and Christianity?)3. Where were the

Church as Pilgrim

2008-01-15T22:19:00.002-07:00

I love this photo. A 12 legged church roaming the streets. I am contemplating the associated mania people will have when seeing the church as a moving, active entity. Maybe Wes Craven would direct the movie? I think this picture is a better icon for "church" in the current cultural situation than the typical church in the center of town or on a hilltop. This is a church unwilling to stay

More fundamentalist or Life as an Experiment

2008-01-11T12:53:00.001-07:00

In a rapidly globalized culture we need to ask what direction our lives are taking.Pema Chodron asks:"The whole globe is shook up, so what are you going to do when things are falling apart? You're either going to become more fundamentalist and try to hold things together, or you're going to forsake the old ambitions and goals and live life as an experiment, making it up as you go along."Do we

Comic Life Application for MAC

2008-01-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

Ok this is probably way to small to see but if you click on the comic it should automatically expand to a readable size. I have been experimenting with an application for my MAC called Comic Life. It is pretty fun and i think after and initial foray could see many other opportunities/options for its use. I am always looking for different ways to communicate and i really enjoyed playing around

Anne Lamott's Travelling Mercies

2007-12-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

I recently went into a thrift store to buy some Garfield books i thought were there, but they weren't. Instead i found a copy of Anne Lamott's Travelling Mercies which i have wanted to read for a long time.The book is really interesting. It is really funny sometimes, and also really honest. I like those things but i like even more how she talks about faith. She sees it as something that is a

What Would Jesus Buy

2007-12-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been overwhelmed and disgusted with how advertisers use the Christmas season to try to create desire for stuff and then also provide them means to satisfy that desire? I think their is a side to Christmas adverstising that is just plain crass. It is like someone stuffs our ears with tinsel. Yuch. If you resonate with this then you will like the article i have linked here. It is

Iconoclasts or Iconodules?

2007-12-02T17:34:00.000-07:00

I have, in recent years, becoming increasingly interested in icons, artistic expressions of the Christian faith and the way we use them to invigorate our lives with meaning. It is tragic but perhaps understandable that so many people have a low view of art or icons in our modern hyper-modern days. Why bother with such trivial pursuits such as the meaning of an art peice when we have the

Edit Maestro

2007-11-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

This video is just plain fun to watch. This guy is neither a drummer or a piano player but through the magical world of editing created this. Too good!

W. Brueggemann and his construct for a faithful life

2007-11-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Walter Brueggemann came up with this list of 19 Theses (perhaps somewhat akin to the 95 theses written by that other "earthy" german Martin Luther) to explain how we come to "be" in this world. That is he acknowledges the explicit social forces that form people. But he does not believe that social forces are benign. They are sometimes hurtful, sinful and de-humanizing. His theses point

Expendable People

2007-10-27T21:27:00.000-06:00

I think that most youth pastors in troubled churches can substitute for the red shirt guy. Guess who get killed off when the going gets tough on planet "membership disgruntled"?

Frenzied Rolling Eyeball

2007-10-24T20:40:00.000-06:00

"The Poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling,Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;And, as imagination bodies forthThe forms of things unknown, the poets penTurns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothingA local habitation and name."Shakespeare

Groovy Cartoon

2007-10-18T10:41:00.000-06:00

I found this picture on-line and loved it. I think it tackles the issue of what is real and truthful about how we look at reality. Clearly, green asparagus?? guy is wrestling with the idea of what it is we can know. Is reality just a big game of one relative viewpoint against another? Or is reality more complex and perhaps too difficult to put into a comprehensive system? I think green dude might

2007-10-10T15:51:00.001-06:00

Shift HappensThis is a stylization of a slideshow originally created by Karl Fisch, examining globalization and America’s future in the 21st century. It is designed to stand alone, without having to be presented in person. Enjoy! SlideShare Link

Did You Know; Shift Happens - Globalization; Information Age

2007-10-10T15:31:00.001-06:00

Chair of Christian Thought

2007-09-24T14:34:00.000-06:00

There is a great lecture series that happens right here in Calgary. I check it from time to time and always seems to happen at times when i am busy. :( Just thought i would share a link. It is always cool to connect with a university like UCalgary where there is lots of good stuff emerging and happening through some friends who are working there.

Purpose Driven...What?

2007-09-17T22:46:00.000-06:00

I am not sure if i should laugh, cry or be thankful. In bizarre combination of marketing, orthodoxy and alternative Christian spirituality we get this: ok the title is hard to read. It is: TURNAROUND: THE ORTHODOX PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE

Cynicism and Hope

2007-09-17T22:09:00.000-06:00

What does one do with a cynical heart? How can one not become cynical with all the falseness and duplicity that is just part of the fabric of modern society? (we all simply accept the fact that most ads don't deliver what they promise, when i think a good old fashion venting is in order!) But i wonder if a lot of people simply seek to make their lives "work" with little care about the world

Deep Thought

2007-09-17T22:06:00.000-06:00

I came across this quote from G.K.Chesterton:"Our Lord commanded us to forgive our enemies, but not to have none." Is the nice-ness of Christianity just a means to avoid conflict? What kind of peace can one achieve without honesty?

symbols and the real

2007-09-04T21:01:00.000-06:00

A couple of years ago my wife bought me a new wedding band. the old one was plain and simple, the new one has a simple and gentle engraving of two snakes intertwining. A friend of mine looked at it and with great sensitivity and understanding simply said, "ewwwwwwwwwwww....". Ha ha. I had a good laugh. But i love the ring because of the symbolism. Specifically, the two snakes are a Celtic

Emergent (post-fundamentalist) Christian Top 10 Books

2007-08-27T08:07:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking about the top 10 books i have read in the last 8 or so years that has led me to take a major spiritual shift in my life from being somewhat fundamentalist about my Evangelical-Christian faith to something more wholistic and humane. Instead of just identifying the seminal books i have tried to imagine each of the authors as members of a an extended Evangelical family. 1.

Bear Grylls : Man vs Wild - Eating carcass maggots

2007-08-23T16:36:00.001-06:00

This is disgusting but riveting!

Metaphysics

2007-08-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

For some bizarre reason i find metaphysics to be really interesting. Metaphysics is the study of the principles of reality. Or to put it another way, it is a kind of thinking that works towards explaining the ultimate nature of reality, being and the world. This is pretty heady stuff i suppose but hey, why not. I do not claim to have arrived nor will i ever arrive but i think the desire and