ReJesus - Hirsch and Frost

I just finished Hirsch and Frost's new collaborative effort, "Re-Jesus; A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church" and thought it was a fun, challenging, and insightful read.

Throughout church history there have been many "back to the foundations" type movements. The church heritage that I come from (Restoration Movement) was one of these. These movements emphasize the throwing off the unhelpful layers of church tradition and practice that have built up over the years and get back to being a New Testament Church. Part of this is a result of a general naivete of what the first century church looked like (have they read 1 Corinthians?). But part of it is a genuine desire to clear the way for people to know Jesus and to not be hindered by the crap that can get in the way.

In a sense this is what Hirsch and Frost have attempted to do in ReJesus. The difference however is their starting point. Many "back to the beginning" movements (and many of us pastors) start with making changes in or adjusting our ecclesiology. The authors take things back a few steps and start with Christology which they contend must be prior to our missiology or ecclesiology. And it is for this reason that I think they are on to something that, while we'll always be readjusting and recalibrating, would bring powerful change and break down some of the barriers for people trying to find their way back to God.

To read a sample chapter click here. 

Some other sites of interest:

Alan Hirsch's Blog

Michael Frost's thingy. 

Some light in the darkness!

As many of you know from previous posts I've been dealing with some perpetual health issues. Every time something gets corrected, some other random thing pops out of the woodwork. All of these random problems starts to make a person feel inadequate after a while, like they're weaker than normal people or something. It also makes me bitter because I feel like I haven't brought any of these things on myself through smoking or drugs or eating awfully or anything. I've lived a relatively healthy life.

But that hasn't prevented the 2 knee surgeries, being on seizure medication for 5 years, or the unbelievably high Triglycerides that has brought me to the Cardiologist for the last 9 months on top of other things. In the last 10 years I feel like I've had every test imaginable. Ultrasounds, MRI's, CT Scan's, EKG's, a bazillion blood tests, cortisone injections, on and on. I won't even go into how difficult this makes it to get insurance. Absolutely impossible.

I've always felt weird about telling people about my partial seizure disorder because I feel like people think I'm a weirdo somehow, or they're afraid I'm going to have a seizure in their presence or something which is certainly unpleasant. I've only had one grand mal seizure in my life, on the New York subway which was a blast. The others have all been of the smaller sort where I retain consciousness. I remember in college a few times I had them while I was driving alone. I didn't know what was happening at the time. Had I known they were partial seizures, I may have acted before the big daddy happened in 2004.

All of this weighs on me and frustrates me to no end. I feel relatively helpless and keep fearing what could possibly be next. Just when I think there is a good stretch ahead, something gives.

But I say all of that because today is a good day. After 5 years and no seizures, the time has come to discontinue my medication which I have as of Monday. That is a large step and it feels great. Certainly frightening as I wait to see what will happen, but the end of a season nonetheless.

On top of that I have a GREAT cardiologist who has taught me, encouraged me, challenged me, and has brought all kinds of blessings to our lives in the last 9 months. I am very thankful for her. Today she gave me the news that my triglyceride level has gone from 560 to 215 in the last 9 months due to a huge diet change, exercise (not as much due to this), and a few medications. The good news is, in 6 weeks it looks like I could break the 150 mark at which point we would start to discontinue some of the medication and I wouldn't have to go back for a year!

Once again I'm praying for a good stretch of health for the rest of 2009! I'm feeling confident that it's going to happen this time!

The Problem Inside Pt. 1

As I've previously written, I've been incredibly inspired by the life and writings of John Wesley in the last few weeks and just three days ago read his "Twelve Rules of a Helper" which he wrote to those who were traveling and preaching all over England.

Two of these really connected with me:

5. Believe evil of no one unless fully proved; take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction you can on everything. You know the Judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner's side.

6. Speak evil of no one; else your word, especially, would eat as doth a canker. Keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.

At my graduate school there have been many times that I have thought the worst of students, two in particular. I've been learning this past month however, that the problem isn't as much with them as it is inside of me.

Yesterday God confirmed this as I was in a separate class with each of these guys. In the first class, the student in which I have lost my temper on a few times came over, sat by me and told me that he appreciated what I had to say a few weeks back. Man, talk about killing with kindness. I felt dead indeed.

After my second class, a student whom I've always thought of as being one of those smug neo-reformed guys (that I just wrote about) came up to me and shook my hand and asked me how I was. It is rare that we've ever really talked but the fact that he approached me and showed me kindness once again confirmed that God is in the process of teaching me a few lessons.

I realized yesterday that these two guys, that I have a tendency of thinking the worst of, are actually quite kind and normal; in Seminary for the same reason I am, to be stretched and serve God faithfully for a lifetime.

Top Fifteen Wilco Songs

In the last week there has been a might resurgence of Wilco playing on my computer so, even though it is not List December™ I thought I would post a new list. So here you go! Feel free to moan and fuss.

15. Wishful Thinking (A Ghost is Born)

14. I’m Always In Love (Summerteeth)

13. Red Eyed and Blue (Being There)

12. Please Be Patient With Me (Sky Blue Sky)

11. Misunderstood (Being There)

10. Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (Summerteeth)

9. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

8. Shouldn’t Be Ashamed (A.M.)

7. She’s a Jar (Summerteeth)

6. How to Fight Loneliness (Summerteeth)

5. Passenger Side (A.M.)

4. Theologians (A Ghost is Born)

3. Ashes of American Flags (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

2. Via Chicago (Summerteeth)

1. California Stars (Mermaid Ave.)

a few good reads...

Scot McKnight weighs in on the Neo-Reformed movement (or what his friend refers to as fundamentalists in nicer clothing).

He says, "The NeoReformed movement of which I speak is an attempt to capture evangelicalism, redefine it by some clearly-defined doctrines that are Reformed, and kick the rest of us -- and there are lots more "of us" than the NeoReformed -- off the village green."

And then he says this which I thought was extremely accurate:

"Furthermore, the NeoReformed have come to equate the meaning of "gospel" with Calvin's "Reformed theology." And those who aren't Reformed are somehow or in some ways denying the gospel itself. When gospel is equated with double predestination, often said in harsh terms, we are seeing a good example of the spirit of a NeoReformed approach. This leads, inevitably, to seeing what they call the "doctrines of grace" as defining both "gospel" and "evangelical."

I just read a fellow student's blog asserting the exact thing last week!

In any case, here are the posts.

Post #1

Post #2

And then, for fun Roger Olson joins the discussion.

These are relevant for me as I am a non-Calvinist/non-Reformed pastor in a seminary setting that is heavily populated with those of the neo-reformed persuasion. This can be very agitating as the smugness and the sureness they exude is enough to smother most people. I will say this, my air supply is running out.

To be honest, I don't really believe in "systems" of theology. I find that most times people simply resign to believe in a complete system when they get weary of the tension that they read throughout Scripture. Finally, one day they give up and just say, "Fine, I'll just be a Calvinist", or "I'll just be an Arminian." I'm not sure this describes everyone who believes strongly in a system of theology, but I imagine it includes many. Who knows, maybe one day I'll join them. But not today.

Great Cover of REM's Hairshirt

Open to Correction

As I’ve been reading more and more about John Wesley and his teachings, the more I’m impressed by his heart and vision. Not only did the man preach between 42,000-50,000 sermons in his lifetime (more than 2 a day during his entire adult life), but he traveled some 225,000 miles to preach mostly on horseback. The more he preached, the less he was invited back to preach because of his prophetic words to the dead Church of England. His words of compassion were saved for the working class whom he would preach to at 5am and 5pm almost everyday wherever they were at. He said of his sermons, “I design plain truth for plain people.”

In the last few days I read through a short biography called “Strangely Warmed: the Amazing Life of John Wesley” which I highly recommend. His life, struggles, work ethic, heartbreak, and vision are very easy to connect with.

One of my favorite things about Wesley is his openness to correction.

He said in his preface to his sermons something we ALL need to hear (especially the self-proclaimed “discernment blogs”, as well as those who listen to Rush all day :) ….

“Are you persuaded you see more clearly than me? It is not unlikely that you may. Then treat me as you would desire to be treated yourself upon a change of circumstances. Point me out a better way than I have yet known. Show me it is so, by plain proof of Scripture. And if I linger in the path I have been accustomed to tread, and am therefore unwilling to leave it, labor with me a little; take me by the hand, and lead me as I am able to bear. But be not displeased if I entreat you not to beat me down in order to quicken my pace: I can go but feebly and slowly at best; then, I should not be able to go at all. May I not request of you, further, not to give me hard names in order to bring me into the right way. Suppose I were ever so much in the wrong, I doubt this would set me right. Rather, it would make me run so much the farther from you, and so get more and more out of the way. If you are angry, so shall I be too; and then there will be small hopes of finding the truth.”

He says this in Christian Perfection…

“Be patient with those who disagree with you. Do not condemn those who do not see things just as you do, or who think it is their duty to contradict you, whether in a great thing or a small. O, beware of touchiness, of testiness, of an unwillingness to be corrected. Beware of being provoked to anger at the least criticism, and avoiding those who do not accept your word.”

This is not easy. It is much easier to make over-generalizations, call names, or discount people due to the label that has been placed on them by others than to actually intelligently and compassionately engage with an idea.

March Music Recs

Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
I loved their first two albums and thanks to Jon Irvine , I saw them and Centro-Matic at the New World Brewery in Tampa, which is basically just a patio. Check out their Myspace and listen to "Moving Pictures, Silent Films".

That was also the location that a drunk guy threw a beer glass that came close to hitting me, shattered on the floor, and the glass of which hit Kelli's foot which of course instantly infuriated me. I almost had to be restrained, just ask Kelli. :)



Radio Moscow - Brain Cycles
I will admit that this is unlike anything I typically listen to but I'm loving it. Total blues rock band. Apparently they were signed by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. That would make sense. Check it out here.










The Soft Hills - Painted World

Indie band from Seattle (how cliche). Check it out here. Nice chill record to do work to.

U2 - No Line on the Horizon

Pitchfork = 4.2 (out of 10)

Rolling Stone = 5 stars (out of 5)

Obviously the criteria for critiquing an album is much different.

But I'm going to have to go with Pitchfork on this one.

I watched all of their performances on Letterman this week, I honestly thought they were making a mockery of themselves with "Get On Your Boots". It was hard to watch. I felt embarrassed for them.

Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization

Thanks to Paul Park for this interesting read...

"Hipsterdom is the first “counterculture” to be born under the advertising industry’s microscope, leaving it open to constant manipulation but also forcing its participants to continually shift their interests and affiliations. Less a subculture, the hipster is a consumer group – using their capital to purchase empty authenticity and rebellion. But the moment a trend, band, sound, style or feeling gains too much exposure, it is suddenly looked upon with disdain. Hipsters cannot afford to maintain any cultural loyalties or affiliations for fear they will lose relevance."

Read the article here.

Are You a Christian Hipster?

"Christian hipsters tend not to like contemporary Christian music (CCM), or Christian films (except ironically), or any non-book item sold at Family Christian Stores. They hate warehouse churches or churches with American flags on stage, or churches with any flag on stage, really. They prefer “Christ follower” to “Christian” and can’t stand the phrases “soul winning” or “non-denominational,” and they could do without weird and awkward evangelistic methods including (but not limited to): sock puppets, ventriloquism, mimes, sign language, “beach evangelism,” and modern dance. Surprisingly, they don’t really have that big of a problem with old school evangelists like Billy Graham and Billy Sunday and kind of love the really wild ones like Aimee Semple McPherson."

Read the rest here...

Bagby

I traced my family back 9 generations today (partially with the help of my cousin Amie's previous reseach) to Halifax, NC where about 4 generations of Bagby's lived until Thomas Bagby moved to Illinois in the mid-1850's. The trail goes dead at Isaac Bagby in the 1700's. I'm not sure who emigrated and from where. It could be Scotland but it's also possible that it could be England. I'm hooked though, I want to know my roots!


I also found out there is a Bagby, UK.

















And a Church of Bagby.


And finally, there was also a Grover Cleveland Bagby.
No joke!

An Actual Moment From Class Today

Today at school, one of my professors was speaking of Stanley Hauerwas and John Howard Yoder, both of whom are Christian pacifists, and have written very influential books in this realm. He was speaking of them in the context of how they engage(d) (or did not engage) with the world of politics.

This was an actual comment by a student whom raised his hand to impress us with this:
"So, are they kind of like the militia?"

Me: Absolutely dumbfounded

Seriously, can I please graduate early?

What does BusinessWeek know?

Portland has found itself at the top of another list, but not the kind you can brag about.

A staggering jump in calls to a crisis intervention hotline, high rates of depression and divorce have landed Portland atop BusinessWeek's list of unhappiest American cities. The magazine looked at a range of factors - crime, unemployment, and cloudy days (an average of 222 a year in case you're wondering) - and concluded that the Rose City is one miserable place.

read the rest here...

March

Mentally for me, the move into March today is extremely encouraging. Even though I know we have plenty of crappy weather left (actually, the crappy weather is probably just beginning), there is something about the move into March that just starts to feel more like Spring is coming. The expectation of longer days, for the beautiful nights of summer, for the Easter resurrection, the hiking, the BBQ'ing, the spring and summer ales...so many things to look forward to and get excited about.

March means a few things to me...

First, baseball is here. There are some spring training games on television next week and I don't even care that they are absolutely meaningless, just to watch a baseball game happening in a dry, warm place is soothing in some weird way. If just one time I can go to Arizona to watch spring training games for an entire week I will die a happy man.

Second, March Madness. For the last two years I have had class during most of the first round action. This year, not the case. I will actually be able to watch most of the first and second rounds. Kelli will be in Illinois, and I have no class on those days!

Dear Bob and Chris, I will be working at home those days. :)

Third, DST. Say what you will about George Bush (of whom I have said plenty). If he got everything else wrong, he at least made DST earlier and for that I will always remember him with praise. There is something encouraging about being in class on Monday nights and having it still be light at 7:30. Another sign that graduation is near.

Russian Mythology

I've been reading some history of Russian Orthodoxy and am amazed at how many myths have been developed through the ages in Russia. They are very creative storytellers and it is difficult to tell fact from fiction many times. They had a tendency to raise questions and if no one had a good answer, they would simply fill in the blanks. This is one of those stories! (which is NOT one of the stories where it is hard to tell whether it is fact or fiction...)

"A legend arose that Adam made a crown or garland from branches and twigs of the tree of life while he still resided in paradise. At his death, Adam was buried wearing the garland. As time passed, an immense tree grew out of the garland and the roots embedded themselves in the coffin of Adam. After many centuries the entire tree was dug up-roots and coffin included-and brought to Solomon for use in building his temple. The tree was rejected by the builders and was replanted on the hill of Golgotha, including the roots and Adam's coffin. Later, the tree was hewn down and used to make the very cross that Christ was crucified on. When the blood of Christ flowed from his body, it seeped into the ground and into the coffin, and dripped upon the preserved head of Adam. This incident absolved Adam of his sins and provided him redemption." from A History of Russian Christianity by Daniel Shubin

You've got to give them points for creativity! That's a great story!

Some Music Recs

I believe these are better than that last list I gave you...

Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
This is obviously from a few years ago so I'm a little behind on this one. I've heard people talk about Beirut but hadn't spent much time listening to them. That changed when I saw their performance on Letterman a few weeks ago. I've watched it about 10 times on Tivo now and can't get enough of their "A Sunday Smile" performance. It's beautiful and one of the best things I've heard in music for a while. Check it out.




Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Seven-Mile Island

Never been a big Drive-By Truckers fan but I enjoy this. Check out Cigarettes and Wine on his Myspace to fill the Alt-Country hole in your heart (as Chris Leo would say).





Strand of Oaks - Leave Ruin

Don't know anything about these guys. But check out End in Flames at their Myspace.






Peter Adams - I Woke With Planets In My Face

Multi-instrumentalist whom apparently performs every instrument himself for his recording. This is surely a talented musician. I enjoyed the record and found it very interesting, kind of reminds me of Jeremy Enigk in places but at other spots I feel a little like I'm in a Tim Burton film. Pretty cool. Check out some mp3's here.



Dan Auerbach (from the Black Keys) - Keep It Hid

Mark Driscoll

...just trying to increase my blog hits.

RIP CITY

A friend of mine Chip Mabry has been working on a project about Portland Skaters.

A good review and a trailer of it here.

You should check it out!

Dream Criticism

Last night I had a strange dream in which John Johnson (a professor at Western Seminary and pastor of Village Baptist Church) was giving me feedback on my sermons. He said, “I’ve never seen someone take so long to get to each point before.” Not sure what to make of that.

He also said, “It seems like all of your sermons are written last minute.” Huh, not sure that was a compliment either! Dream John did bring up a good point here however. I would like to spend more time in preparing by prayer and meditation.

He did actually give one compliment but of course I can't remember it.

Demotivational

I love these things.

Can't get enough.

February Music Recs

The Deep Dark Woods












Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band













Phosphorescent















The Republic Tigers














Pale Young Gentlemen












The Submarines













The Good Players
















Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
















Calhoun
















Jolie Holland
















Eulogies

Full Sail Black Gold

I bought a bottle of this for my birthday a few weeks ago. It was a limited release that I was able to snag a bottle at Belmont Station. It's a Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout. Dark like the night, with a small tan head, you can taste some vanilla essence from the barrels and has a fairly strong bourbon taste and aroma to it.

You can read more about it here.

I wish I would have grabbed a second bottle to age! Dang.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

J.P. Morelands' Three Angels

Ok, so here's the story in full. Last year on a theological panel J.P. Moreland said something to the effect of, "I am more sure that there are three angels surrounding me than I am sure that George W. Bush is President." But then he didn't really follow that up with anything and left me hanging for the last year wondering what he was talking about.

One of my goals for this year at the National Pastors Convention was to get the change to ask him what he meant by that and sure enough Chip and I bumped into him last week and got to talking. I asked him about it and this is what he said.

He said that he was preaching in Seattle some time ago now when after the service a woman came up to him and hesitantly told him that while he was preaching she saw that there were three angels surrounding him. One to his left, one to his right, and one behind him who was taller than the rest. He immediately thought that maybe this woman needed attention or was a little nuts so he asked the pastor about her. It turns out that this woman was a very godly lady who was a leader in their church. He still remained skeptical and didn't think much of it for the time being.

He said a while later he was really going through a difficult time in life and was praying. In light of the challenges in his life he prayed a prayer he said he had never prayed before. He asked God that if these angels were real that He would bring them back to help him and that he would receive confirmation that they were there for him.

A few weeks later, about three days after teaching a class on metaphysics he received an email from a credible Grad student who said he felt silly emailing this but had talked to three other grad students to make sure he wasn't crazy. He stated in the email that he hoped Moreland wouldn't find him nuts and that he even rubbed his eyes several times to make sure he wasn't imagining something or hallucinating. But during that class he said he saw three angels with J.P., one on each side, and one that was taller behind him just as the woman had said in Seattle. The student even sketched out what he saw which Moreland still has at home.

Moreland was kind of dumbstruck sense he had never told anyone about the angel incident in Seattle, nor about his prayer. With all three of these things coming together he said it was beyond a reasonable doubt that these angels were real and were really present with him at times. He said he's never experienced the angels in any way but was encouraged to know that God had confirmed that He was with him.

I have no reason to disbelieve J.P. Moreland and with two unrelated eye-witnesses and a prayer asking for confirmation it's fairly convincing. I believe angels are real but are much different than the Hallmark angels. Plus it can get kind of dangerous when we start seeking out angels when we should be seeking God, but here you have it! After a year my brain can finally rest!

NPC Day 4

Not a lot going on during Friday. I went and really enjoyed Christopher Wright's bible study. The room was sparse and I felt bad for him since what he had to say was so good. He's not as engaging as most of the other speakers and by the end of the week most people didn't have the energy to put in that much effort. I wish they would have scheduled him earlier in the week when we still had a lot of energy to engage with what he was saying because he had some very helpful ideas. Along with a complete recap of the conversation with J.P. Moreland I will recap Wright's thoughts on suffering as well. Very helpful framework!

After that we skipped the final session and had a big breakfast instead with a surprise 50 dollar room credit. And then hung out at the mall for what seemed like an eternity before our flight left. I wasn't a fan of flying the day after the plane crash in Buffalo. Very sad situation there, but I suppose the odds were with us as it is unlikely that it would happen two days in a row! I've flown a lot in the past 8 years and I've always hated the propeller planes. There were a few times where I felt like we were going down on those things as they are blown around quite a bit. If I could, i would never fly again. Not just out of fear, but out of how uncomfortable the entire process is. I hate it.

There is a lot to process from the week. It's too much for any mind to take in, in that amount of time. But more than anything I just had fun hanging out and joking around with the guys. That time away is more valuable than anything you learn from the conference.

It's always good to get away but I'm thankful to be back home in Portland.

What I've Been Waiting For

This is the excerpt from the brewers blog.

"What do you get when you blend Organic beer and Organic coffee? Well, to quote a candy commercial from my childhood- simply "Two great tastes that taste great together."

Organic Portland Roast Espresso Stout is a collaboration between the our brewery andPortland Roasting- a fantastic local coffee producer. The beer features a blend of Ethiopian and Sumatran coffees specially selected by myself and the roasters at Portland Roasting. The Organic and farm friendly coffees blend nicely with their smooth and mellow organic stout. The roasted character of the this beer is nicely complimented by the coffee flavor and aroma.

We're bottling Portland Roast in 22s on Tuesday the 17th. And despite what you may have read elsewhere, it will be on draft at 51st and Sandy on Wednesday. Sorry for the confusion- the overwhelming nature of the coffee and beer combination have put my head in the clouds."

Is this a dream???

NPC Day 3

Another good day, but starting to get conference weary. Best things...

1. Chip and I had a nice chat with J.P. Moreland and after a year of living in wonder and curiosity J.P. was kind enough to expound on what he said last year, "I am more confident that I have three angels surrounding me than that George W. Bush is our current president." Seems like a strange comment for one of the foremost Christian philosophers in the country to say. I'll type up the story in full soon. It's very interesting.

2. Good discussion at the on-site pub last night after the conference. I loved that the bartender Ron, had a button on his shirt that said "Welcome National Pastors Convention." Very fitting.

3. Christopher Wright after a long week was difficult to listen to after hearing the likes of Bell, Hybels, Willamon and others but it was worth it as he said a few things that have stuck with me and I will think about again such as when Paul talks about the gospel he starts with what it is doing in creation and then invites us into what is happening. It doesn't start with us and leave us wondering what will happen to everything else.

4. Skipped the panel discussion yesterday to go shopping with the boys at the mall. Seriously.

5. Bible study yesterday morning with Ben Patterson. He recited the first three Psalms from memory and told us how they ground the book of Psalms and inform our prayers.

6. Ruth Haley Barton spoke of the loneliness of the leader. A LOT of content so I was tuning in and out at times but what I received was important to think and pray through. I really appreciated what she had to say and am excited to read her book, "Strengthening the Soul of the Leader."

About ready to head to early morning bible study with Christopher Wright....

NPC Day 2

A good day...

1. Starting the day with bible study by Gordon Fee from Revelation (mostly his commentary notes, but still good). I love hearing guys who have been studying scripture at the most intense level for this many years but still have a clear love for God. Gordon Fee is to me what Phyllis Tickle is to Chris Leonardo.

2. Getting a phantom photo with Rob Bell. Rob Bell fanboys were out in numbers yesterday during his session. There was a line to talk to him and many things signed. Will never understand the Christian celebrity thing.

3. The nerdiest shirt I've ever seen: I heart hermeneutics. Yeah, I really saw it. I think it was another Rob Bell fanboy.

4. Cigars and 8 dollar beers down at the Gaslamp District.

5. Will Willamon's quirky, hilarious, and memorable sermon.

6. A 10-minute chair massage. Brought tears to my eyes it was so painful but i feel great now.

7. The band Sons of Korah from Australia. By far the best music of the conference so far.

8. Chris punched me in the back of the head while sleeping.

NPC Day 1

Yesterday started off kind of shaky and left me wondering, "Maybe we should go somewhere else next year" (Because I'm an optimist). But then Efrem Smith got up and preached Ezekiel 37 to us. I think Chris or Chip described it as listening to Metallica before a wrestling match. Great stuff.

Shane Claiborne was pretty good. It was a good challenge assessing the role and power of money in our lives. I think Bob described it well:

"I'm looking forward to hearing Shane in 20 years when idealism, the wisdom of experience and 2 more decades of following Jesus like he is all meet to make him even more rad."

One of my favorite parts of the day was a seminar with Don Everts who wrote Jesus with Dirty Feet which I read and loved about ten years ago. He was speaking of what he has experienced about people's journey's to faith under the framework of five thresholds that people generally cross to get there. It made a lot of sense to me and I'll share it in more detail later.

Also got to have a quick chat with Michael Jr. last night, the comedian I opened for in Philadelphia. Surprisingly he recognized me and came over to talk. I wouldn't have imagined with as many shows as he does that he would actually remember me so that was cool. And what he said next made my night: "Are you going on tonight?" He actually thought that I was one of the comedians for the event last night. Nothing like a good ego stroke before bedtime!

Alright, well i'm off for early morning bible study with Gordon Fee! He's the man!

Headed to the NPC

Once again this year we're headed down to the National Pastors Convention in San Diego. This year I'm more committed to blogging while I'm there but we'll see what happens.

Some of whom I'm excited to hear include:
A.J. Jacobs
Andy Crouch
Don Everts
Christopher Wright
Will Willmon
William Webb
and several others...

One of my goals this year is also to ask J.P. Moreland what the heck he was talking about when he said, "I have more proof that three angels surround me at all times than I do that JFK lived." Or something to that effect. I didn't even have to embellish that but I probably didn't get the exact quote. Still don't know what he was talking about. We'll see!

Also, the comedian I opened for in Philadelphia in November, Michael Jr. is going to be doing comedy for the main session one night. That will be interesting to see.

I'm also excited for all the nutballs to blog about how this pastors convention is leading people astray from the "truth" and we're all going to burn in hell. You wouldn't think you'd read those kind of things while you're at a pastors convention but you'd be surprised! Go Ingrid!

It seems like...

...like Republicans are always one step behind.

Dems have Hillary Clinton, Pubs respond with Sarah Palin.

Dems have Obama, Pubs respond with Steele.

I'm noticing a trend developing.

This could be promising...

Beers of the Week

Deschutes Abyss Imperial Stout

This is a description from the brewer I believe...

"This exceptionally popular imperial stout, aged in French oak and bourbon barrels, has immense depth with its rich and complex flavors. True to its name, subtle notes of coffee, chocolate, molasses and licorice pull you in deeper and deeper."

This was indeed rich and complex. Very thick. If you can find it, I would try a glass.

Cascade Lakes Skookum Creek Strong Ale

Made with 4 varieties of hops and 7 malts, this is a smooth refreshing Ale that I never would have known is a strong ale. This would be nice in the summer.

Alaskan White Ale

I'm a sucker for a good white ale made with orange peels and coriander, even made one myself last summer with Travis that turned out fair. This one is another prime summer beer.

Top 20 Worst Foods To Eat

Here's an interesting read from Men's Health.

I didn't think Chipotle Burritos were that good, but I also didn't know they were this bad! Yikes! Most of the other things are pretty obvious but still fun to check out.

New(er) beer releases

Widmer '09 Belgian Style Ale

I always look forward to Widmer's brewmaster releases. I loved their '07 Pale Ale brewed with Summit hops, last years Crimson Wheat left a little to be desired but they're back strong this year with a Belgian Golden Ale. Brewed with spicy hops (I'm guessing Saaz), this is a refreshing Ale, probably not as heavy as more traditional Belgian style ales, but just as enjoyable to drink. I highly recommend it.

Lagunitas Brown Shugga

You cannot drink many of these (and it was not intended that you would) as they are almost 10% ABV due obviously to the overload of Brown Sugar used in this brew. Thick and malty, very similar to having a filling meal. A little too sweet for me, but it was definitely better than the Brown Ale that Chris, Devin and I brewed with brown sugar!





Widmer Drifter Pale Ale

Reverting back and reformulating the '07 brewmaster release Widmer put out this beer brewed partially with Summit hops (which are fantastic), this beer is worth a try. Very full of malty flavor and citrusy goodness. I was actually amazed at how much flavor they were able to squeeze into this beer. It's almost too much. I loved the first half of the pint, but this one will wear down your taste buds.

Laughing Dog I.P.A.

I met briefly the brewmaster at the Laughing Dog brewery from Idaho on Monday night at the Belmont Station for a tasting. I thought their Cream Ale was good, their Pale Ale had a strange sour taste, but their I.P.A really stood out to me. The strong floral aroma of this brew is incredible. I asked the brewmaster what aroma hops he used and he said they dry hopped with Simcoe, Cascade, and a third hop that I cannot remember now. In any case, this was a beer worth trying.



Beers on my list to try:
Full Sail Black Gold Bourbon Imperial Stout
Laurelwood Pub Hop Monkey IPA
Amnesia Porter

Is this really "news"?

A new book proposal, submitted by the admittedly estranged brother of Mark McGwire, claims the former major league slugger used both steroids and human growth hormone during his career.

In the proposal, first reported Wednesday on Deadspin.com, Jay McGwire alleges that Mark used Deca-Durabolin and that he introduced Mark to performance-enhancing drugs in 1994.

According to the report, Jay McGwire writes in his proposal that his brother "began to use, but in low dosages so he wouldn't lift his way out of baseball. Deca-Durabolin helped with his joint problems and recovery, while growth hormone helped his strength, making him leaner in the process. I became the first person to inject him, like most first-timers he couldn't plunge in the needle himself. Later a girlfriend injected him."

the rest here.

When's Sammy's brother going to write a book?

Another Incredible Provision

All throughout my life God has provided again and again sometimes in minor ways, sometimes in more miraculous ways. Kelli jokes about it because some of the things that have happened in my life can be explained in no other way but favor from God. The feeling I get when these things happen is always, "Why me?" It's humbling to say the least.

When we were desperate for money in Tampa, Fl and wondering how we were going to pay our bills I got an email asking me to write cover copies for Thomas Nelson publishers (which I have no experience in) which paid way more than I deserved.

When were were struggling to make ends meet when we first moved to Portland and were wondering how we would be able to make it, Jason Siemer offered me a job painting some apartments, then Brian Goff asked me to paint his house, which enabled us to make it.

Every time we have been in need and have asked God to provide, over and over again something has come up and He has proven faithful. And over and over again I wonder how we could be so blessed by Him.

Today was another story of God's incredible provision. Kelli and I were at my cardiologist (because while my heart health is fantastic in terms of blood pressure, pulse, and eating habits...well, I guess that's about it, i've been dealt a pretty bad hand in the cholesterol department.) In any case, after drastically changing my diet and losing 200 points on my Triglyceride count I was put on a medication to help lower it the rest of the way. Unfortunately, the news we received today is that this medication barely made a dent in my levels. It was fairly surprising and discouraging and she again reminded me that I have inherited some seriously tough Triglcerides.

What this means is more costly medication in addition to the already costly meds I'm on. Unfortunatley since I have student insurance I only have a prescription discount card (which takes off almost nothing) so the last medication was about as much as we could afford which I told my doctor (who is awesome). She went to make a few phone calls and see what she could do and when she came back she said something like, "You'll never believe what just happened."

When she went out to the front desk to do a little research, a drug representative who just happened to be from the company of the drug that I need but can't come close to affording just arrived. Keep in mind, in this medical center, drug reps aren't even allowed anymore! But this woman didn't know it because it had been a long time since she had checked in. In any case, she asked my doctor, "hey, could you use any samples of such and such (which is the medication I need). I have a whole case I could give you." And the doctor obviously said, "Yes I could use those." After telling us about this exchange she said if I come back tomorrow she would have a bag waiting for me at the desk with my name on it with the entire case of this medication which will last for quite some time! Unbelievable! She told me she would be glad to give it to me and would help in any way she could and then said, "This is why I'm always in trouble around here!"

What are the chances of a rep from the drug company, who is not even allowed on the premises anymore, showing up at the front desk with a case of the medication I need at the exact moment my doctor went up to do some research about how we could make it work and then have my doctor give it to me for free? Absolutely amazing! It's so encouraging when things like this happen.

This is worth a read

Ten Years Out: A Retrospective on the Emerging Church in North America by Stephen Shields

January of 2009 finds us at a crossroads for the emerging church in North America. There’s increasing discomfort with the term “emerging church” itself, with a number of leading lights in the movement expressing hesitations about the term. Andrew Jones, who was an early leader in the conversation, recently announced that he would no longer be using the term “emerging church” as “the word no longer communicates what i want it to.” Prominent emerging church blogger, and Next-Wave Contributing Editor, Bob Hyatt, a pastor with The Evergreen Community in Portland, OR, recently posted his frustration over both the term and the identification of the movement itself, commenting, “I'm more often than not now answering a question about what we aren't than what we are about- and that saddens me.” Bob also shares, “I do have some deep concerns about some of the things I see in the movement as a whole- and to be honest, though I once spent a lot of time defending the emerging church, I want to be about the Gospel.” Theologian and author Scot McKnight, who has vigorously participated in the emerging church conversation through his Jesus Creed blog, expresses his reservations: “I like the diversity of ‘emerging’ but the problem is that the term has been so abused by its critics that embracing the term leads to endless discussions of just how one is part of that emerging conversation. I've basically given up on using the term except in audiences where I think it is understood.” Dan Kimball also limits when he uses the term saying, “I don’t use the term too much anymore because of the confusion and also that it means so many things, depending on who you ask.” Then there is the cyclical parsing of any difference there might be between the term “emerging church” and “emergent.”

Read the rest here.

Rush Vs. Ray

In speaking of the Steelers/Ravens game this weekend...

During his daily radio show last Monday, the patriarch of the right-wingers bloviated about attending the Steelers playoff victory at Heinz Field and predicted that Pittsburgh will beat "the Crips and the Bloods," his description of the Baltimore Ravens, in the AFC Championship Game.




Wow, I don't know Rush, I wouldn't want to get on Ray Lewis' bad side. My rule has always been that you don't talk bad about a guy who has probably in all reality murdered another dude.

Hudson River Landing

It is truly amazing that everyone survived this water landing in the Hudson yesterday. I have no idea how 150 people get out of a sinking aircraft that is being filled up with 20 degree water and make it. Remarkable to say the least. The pilot's calmness as well is incredible. Apparently all he said was, "brace for impact." How terrifying that would have been.

A "made for TV" movie if I ever saw one!

It makes me happy...

...to see (to my knowledge) that Christians aren't raising a stink about these signs here in Portland and playing into the hands of this silly organization.

Why couldn't we have done that with The Da Vinci Code or Eminem records?

Two Artists that....

...I'm Over:

M. Ward
Loved a few albums, but after listening to his latest (Hold Time), I realized that it sounds exactly like everything else he's done. I'm not sure it's possible for M. Ward to create any other sound than what he's created.

Andrew Bird
Listen pal, enough with the whistling already. At first I liked Andrew Bird, now he just irritates me.

...I just don't get:

Animal Collective
I don't understand Pitchfork's Radiohead-esque review scores. 9.6? 9.6! To me this just sounds like a jumbled, obnoxious, irritating mess. I can listen to it for about 3.4 minutes before I have to change it.

TV on the Radio
I've given their last two albums plenty of tries, but once again, just can't get into these guys. I get a few songs in and I have no idea what's going on.

...give me hope in music:

J. Tillman
This is the drummer from Fleet Foxes who has apparently been doing solo albums for quite some time now.

Anthony Da Costa
Now that Ryan Adams is apparently giving up music (we'll see), this is an up and coming songwriter that is worth a listen.

AC Newman

The frontman of the New Pornographers has put out another solo record and honestly, if it would have been half as good as his last The Slow Wonder, which was phenomenal I would have been pleased.

But this delivered beyond my expectations.

You can check out the first song on the record here.






Here's a video of the first single:

Unnecessary Quotations

I hadn't seen this yet, it's The "Blog" of Unnecessary Quotations.

Funny stuff.

ht: Mandy

Your Dose of the Onion

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

How Creepy Does This Look?

Good Bye 2008

2008 is long gone (2 days now) and so is list December. We kind of fizzled out at the end due to traveling and such but we'll be back strong next December with plenty of more lists. I've already got a few ideas.

This past year has been truly amazing. Back in May we started a second gathering of Evergreen in SE Portland and I've been the main teaching elder/pastor there. It's been exciting to get in a routine of speaking a majority of Sundays. I look forward to even more this year as well as finishing up my MDiv program in April (which hopefully will give me more time to write better sermons!). I've been off the past four weeks due to bad weather and spreading out the preaching with other elders at Advent and I can't wait to get back in the swing of it!

I got another great opportunity to do a 15 minute set of stand-up comedy to a sold out crowd of about 350 people in Philadelphia in November which was one of the highlights of my year. I thought after I left NYC my comedy career (what there was of it) was over but this show was really exciting to be a part of and one of my favorite moments of this past year. I wish Kelli could have come with me. I also got offered the gig again for next November. Woohoo!

Another highlight was Kelli and I becoming the new face of hiking with an overly ambitious hiking plan this past summer. While we didn't get to complete near the amount of hikes we wanted to, we did finish the Rock of Ages hike which almost killed us and made us hate even the thought of hiking. After recovering the past three months though I feel like i'm ready to go again this next summer. Time to start planning.

We got to go to a wedding in Florida and two in Illinois and spend time with family and friends, go to many Beavers games this summer when it was 90-some degrees, visit my friends in Chicago and go to a Cubs game (as well as get taken out to a great steakhouse by my friend Jeff), hang out at the Pastors Convention in San Diego last February, had a great birthday celebration with about 20 people at Buffalo Wild Wings, got to hold an African Lioness Cub and a Black Panther Cub on a trip to Southern Oregon which was another HUGE highlight for me as most of you know.

While all of the traveling with my fun wife, preaching at Evergreen, and drinking the best microbrews in the world was a lot of fun, I think my number one highlight of 2008 was probably finishing Hebrew! I got out alive and that was one of the biggest reliefs of my seminary career! I'm amazed as I reflect on all the things Kelli and I were able to do and take part in this past year. Sure, we don't have a ton of money in the bank and we're far from being slaves to the American dream but the experiences we have had this past year far outweigh giving up our lives to make a buck. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

We're incredibly blessed with these opportunities and we look forward to a great 2009 where God willing I will be full-time with Evergreen, finish my MDiv, and quite possibly take on the greatest responsibility I have yet known! Who knows what will happen?