Lesser desires / a PhD in Erwin

Our economy is driven by keeping the average person discontent. Marketers and advertisers are tasked with creating in us a dissastifaction for what we have, or at the very least, a nagging desire for what we do not need.

There are so many things that I want. I have longings that I could have sworn were there since the day I was born, and now simply piqued as I am validated by the purchases of others around me and as 'reasonable' prices dangle before me.

The sad truth is that much of these desires were put there by someone else. A stranger that has no idea who I am and sees me only as a contributor to their agenda. I feel violated just thinking about it. The genius is that the world that surrounds us crams these yearnings so deep into our hearts and minds that we think we came up with them ourselves.

How many of us have pursued things that we think might bring freedom only to have become enslaved by them? We have not only bought into the propaganda, we sponsor it from the deepest places within us.

In my moments of clarity, there is no price tag to what truly brings freedom. Beneath the layers of the things that we are told we want, there are even deeper passions in the fabric of our being, deposited by our Maker. Passions that we have spent our lives ignoring because they seemed too wonderful to ever be fulfilled. A burning in our souls that almost demands genuine love, meaning, and destiny to truly live this life as it was intended. I am discovering all of this in Jesus.

May we not settle for lesser desires. May we discover our God-given passions and a life worth living.

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I once heard Erwin McManus talk about how he was speaking at a seminary and they introduced him as Dr. Erwin even though he didn't have a degree. He felt that it was because the religious leaders could not tolerate having a less educated person teaching them about the ways of God.

It appears that Erwin has started his own Doctoral program sponsored by Bethel Seminary. It's a 3-year program on “Creating an Entrepreneurial Ethos, Developing the Art of Improvisation, and Discipling Innovation”. What else would you expect? Besides the personal mentoring, it also involves publishing a book as a cohort. Even more interesting, in the prospectus is Erwin's list of resources and emerging churches that participants are to research.

Better get in before it becomes institutionalized.

Back from Yurting...

I just figured out how to make a photoset in Flickr. A few more pictures here.

Also, many more pictures, from Ray, a much better photographer here

Beautiful...

Niagara falls was beautiful... not so much the breath-taking waterfalls crashing down, but the excellent time away with even more excellent company.

This weekend we're going yurting. I've never heard of it either. Leave it to crazy Canadians to trying to find creative ways to have fun in the winter.

Our new small group community met up last night, we've been slowing making our way through James. Discussing through the section on favoritism reminded me of a conviction that came to me during the Christmas holidays last year.

It's something that happens often to all of us i'm sure. I was walking with family and passed an owner and their dog. We immediately gathered around the cute little animal and started playing with it, but I accidentally locked eyes with the owner. Right then, it shuddered through my soul, how my heart went out more to a dog then the human being right next to it. We subtly devalue people. We do it when we see babies all the time as well. Maybe because we've been hurt too often by big people, or we know that dogs and babies won't judge us. But in fact, it's we who've judged others.

Our judgements and assumptions of people are intricately tied to the way we treat them. I sometimes ignore people because I see them as less than that. Less than God's wonderfully divine creation. Less than the broken image of God longing to be restored. Less than beautiful. Maybe we'd act differently if that was the only judgement we make as we encounter the world.

Profiling...

I love this image, pulled off of leadershipvision - Despite being cramped on a moving train - not allowing circumstances in life to dictate the person you were designed to be and the impact that you can create.

I just finished taking The Gallup Organization's Strength's Finder (You need to purchase one of their resources in order to get the code to take the test). My major themes are - Futuristic, Connectedness, Woo, Includer, and Ideation.

For Myers-Briggs Type Indicator I am an ENFP. I've taken at least a half-dozen spiritual gift tests (More tests, tests, and tests) over the years, my recurring gifts seem to be Encouragement, Pastor/Sheppard, Teaching... Administration is also somewhere in there for some reason, but I don't believe it.

With all this though, nothing comes close to what I've learned about myself through my journey with God and life with my wife. This weekend I'm off to take my bride to Niagara Falls...

New Template...

Co-inciding with the converging dates in history, i've decided to redesigned the site template... that and the old site was getting old... This was my first time delving this deep into html. This is what I came up with after copying off other sites and with plenty of trial and error.

I'm really liking Google Maps. Here's a list of churches in my block, none of which I go to. How odd.

Here's someone having a bit too much fun with a webcam.

After years of my life savings sitting in my bank account, i'll finally be seeing a financial advisor today. Hooray.

Randoms...

Two new messages out of Mosaic. This one is classic Erwin, as they launch a series on the Barbarian way, coinciding with the new book. This second one I found particularly interesting because it was very pastoral, addressing only their leadership staff. Sounds like God's blessing them with 20 acres. I pray they don't ever settle and that this really is going to be a platform for the city.

Interesting article on worship as evangelism here.

Just started perusing through Follow the Rabbi with Ray Vander Laan, a follower of Jesus who decided to take Jewish studies at Yeshiva University. I had heard that when he went there in the 80s there wasn't a single person who didn't have the entire OT memorized. His ministry has really helped put context into the Jewish world the Jesus entered. Rob Bell seems to get a lot of his material from here as well.

National Church Planting Congress coming to Toronto in November. I'll be there for sure. Any joiners?

House Church, Malcom X, Closer...

One major structural reformation that "Houses that change the world" has been suggesting is the renewal of cell/city churches. Wolfgang Simson suggests that our many current congregational-type churches are structural compromises, much like a marriage between a mouse and an elephant.

The church for the first three centuries after Christ flourished in homes, that allowed for an organic place of belonging and accountability. The house churches also gathered together for city-wide celebrations to hear apostolic teaching and encounter prophetic vision, while drawing more people in publically. This is why Paul wrote letters to city-churches. It was not until Emperor Constantine in the fourth-century that the congregation-type church was introduced. With this, the church became an audience under professional leadership, losing out on the powerful dynamics of both the cell and celebration.

A church that not only has a message, but is a message.

Something which spreads like an unstoppable virus, infects whatever it touches, and ultimately covers the earth with the glory and knowledge of God.

It matures under tears, multiplies under pressure, breathes under water, grows under the carpet; it flourishes in the desert, sees in the dark and thrives in the midst of chaos.

The image of much contemporary Christianity could be summarized as holy people coming regularly to a holy place on a holy day at a holy hour to participate in a holy ritual led by a holy man dressed in holy clothes for a holy fee.

I love this Simson's writing. He even apologizes at the beginning of the book for his poor writing since English is not his native tongue. Definitely lots more to ponder.

We watched Malcolm X for our date night. What an incredible movie of faith. It brought back memories of when I had first watched the film almost a decade ago. It was one of the first sparks of hope that my life too might one day be different from the way it started. Though his story centers around the Muslim faith, I remember reading his autobiography after and as a teenager being completely captivated by his journey from the dregs of society to a leader of a movement.

I led discussions in our discovering God group and our small group this week. It's amazing how there have been a common threads in the themes of both groups. Maybe it's just me. I absolutely love drawing people of all types closer to the heart of God. Now if only I could get a little closer

Oh my goodness...

Remember Sir Mixalot's raunchy Baby got back song? Even that can be redeemed... kinda.

This is one of the most hilarious Christian videos i've ever seen. I guess they can have a sense of humour...