Potpourri

Sad to think that I've not had a chance, or the inspiration, to write for a week. I wouldn't say that inspiration has been lacking, but it hasn't coincided with opportunity the way I would like. I've been reading, conversing and wresting around a lot of ideas this week which have given me a lot to think about, but I think most of those ideas have failed to shape into cohesive understanding yet in any way that would allow me to write intelligently on them. So, instead, here's what I've been up to:


On the deep thinking end of the pool, I just finished Brian McLaren's "A New Kind of Christian" which I've been wanting to read for awhile. It is filled with thoughts to ponder for the Christian as we find ourselves being surrounded by a more postmodern culture than our modern church upbringings know how to deal with. These are thoughts I've been wrestling with for the better part of two years and probably have been working at a subconscious level in me for the better part of five. There is a lot of challenging thought in the book that will be dismissed by a lot of people in the church for a variety of reasons, but I think it is well worth really working through these issues if we desire to see something other than the generic, subcultural, modern way of doing church as that which we will stake all of our future ministry endeavors on.

That's not to say that the modern church will cease to exist. I still believe it will serve a vital part of the Great Commission for generations to come. But to pretend that it has the potential to reach a postmodern culture on the other side of a cultural shift that is taking place is a mistake. It is much the same as the missionary efforts to native groups where they were asked to abandon all that they were and to adopt the western European form of Christianity instead of recognizing that Christ came to redeem things as much as to replace them. Again, this is a thought that I'm still in the early stages of putting into cohesive thought, so forgive me if it's a bit rough yet.

Anyway, that's a bit of where my thinking has been of late.

I also finally broke down and set up my bike in our basement on my trainer so that I can begin to get the blood pumping and get ready to hit the road once the weather allows. We've had a few nice days here and there, but I've not been able to take advantage. I'm planning on doing the Tour de Kota in June again and worry that my early season prep might not be as easy this year as last because of my new schedule and the fact that spring in South Dakota is colder and windier than spring in Indiana was. We are hoping to be able to travel to Indiana in May for a week to see our Hanfield family, but I'll have more details on that as the plans take shape. While we're there, I plan to hit a lot of my favorite ride routes and would like to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 miles under my legs. It seems like a lot at this time of year, but a month later I'll be doing the TdK, so 200 miles that week would be good prep for me.

Amy and the kids are gone for a few days. Amy is in Des Moines for a jewelry convention for her business and is staying with John and Becky Hines (friends from Hanfield that moved shortly before we did). She'll be back late tomorrow. The kids are with my folks who will drop them off tomorrow as well. I'm loving having family so close. This will be the third time in a month that I've seen Mom and Dad compared with about three times a year the last several years.

With an empty house, I'm hoping that I might get to come home early tonight and do a little songwriting. Hal has been talking with us about doing a CD project and I just haven't had a chance to really dig in and see what I might be able to contribute. They have offered VTO (voluntary time off) at work tonight, but I didn't take advantage when the arrangements were made last night. There is a chance they will offer more tonight and if they do, I'll take it and write a bit.


After a crazy-long draught, I finally sold a few things on half.com this week. I sold a few CD's and had enough to order a book I've wanted for awhile called "The Substance of Style: How the Rise of Aesthetic Value Is Remaking Commerce, Culture, & Consciousness" by Virginia Postrel. It's a book that Sally Morgenthaler mentioned a few years ago at a retreat that Tim Helm and I went to and I've been intrigued by the premise ever since. I also saw Postrel on a panel discussion on the Dennis Miller Show last year and was really impressed by how insightful she was, so I'm looking forward to digging in. A lot of art/culture ramifications that I'm looking forward to working through.


I also set enough money aside to get Charlie Hall's CD that comes out next week (unless you were lucky enough to pick it up at Passion earlier this month) called "Flying Into Daybreak." For those that don't know, Charlie has probably influenced me more than any other lead worshipper in terms of leadership style and even though he's less in the limelight than his labelmates Chris Tomlin and David Crowder, he is a great songwriter who draws a great deal of his language and themes from the Old Testament prophets. His stuff is meaty and well worth the time invested.

We've been invited back to the Sheldon Church of the Brethren to speak and lead for a service again on March 12. I need to get a bit of groundwork laid for what I'll talk about so that I can be a little more prepared than I was last time. I am so thankful for the opportunity to teach and to improve in that area of gifting. I feel like there is a gift there, but it is woefully underdeveloped. Any opportunity to speak is a chance to improve, so I'm looking forward to it a great deal. They also let us know that we are on their short list for fill-ins while they search for a new pastor, so that was encouraging as well.

Hopefully, inspiration and opportunity are on a collision course and I'll be a bit more inclined to write in the days ahead. I tend to find that seasons of thinking are necessary for seasons of communication to happen in my life and I sense that I'm in more of a thinking season at present.