Being Superman...

Quotes from the upcoming Superman Returns movie.

Jor-El to Kal-El (Superman's father to his son):

"Even though you've been raised as a human being you're not one of them. They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all - their capacity for good - I have sent them you… my only son."

Superman to Lois Lane:

"You wrote that the world doesn't need a savior… but every day I hear people crying for one"

Many articles and articles have already been written about the comparisons of Christ with Superman, but what about the followers of Christ and Superman?

In the Scriptures they mistook John the Baptist for Christ, anyone ever mistaken you for Superman?

What would it look like if followers of Christ, though different from those around them, were the leading examples of what it meant to be fully human? to be the very best of humanity?

How might we impact and influence others if we saw the greatness, and the beauty, the hope, and the good within them?

Where would you be today if you were living as a person sent to bring light into the darkest crevices of humanity?

What would happen if you heard the inaudible cries for a savior from the people around you?

When people saw the extraordinary life John the baptist was living and calling others to, he was able to point them to One even greater than himself.

What would happen if we became heroes in our towns and cities, and before people began calling us super men and women, we could point them towards the greatest Hero to ever walk the earth?

See the primary blog at http://onelife.voxtropolis.com for other entries and comments

Church planting and kingdom advancing network...

I plan on launching a Church Planting and Kingdom Advancing network (I need a shorter cooler name) on campus at Tyndale this Fall term. See the post that brought this about here.

Knowing next to no one, as I begin my first year full-time there as a student, I'm trying to make things 'legit' with student council, and hope to find a way to draw out those that might be interested in something like this.

i'm currently imagining the gatherings to be provide and be driven by...

Networking - Awakening and connecting with like-minded and like-hearted people.

Equipping - through Students, practitioners, professors? Material from Acts29, IMN, or others?

Resourcing - Tools, books, sites, experiences, networks

Visional Environment - A place to pray, dream, innovate, create, cultivate, and inspire one another.

One of the first experiences I hope to connect this group with is via a road trip to the IMN (International Mentoring Network) Regional conference in Montreal in september.

Here's what's happening for it:

- Strengths assessment and training

- Steps for guiding people through life transformation

- Voxtropolis–new paradigms for mission and ministry in our cyber-electronic world

- guidance for leaders of the church in a 21st century post Christian west

- access to new networks and relationships

- multi-sensory experience

What do you all think? I'm going to need lots of help with this and hope many can get involved. Anyone interested?

See the primary blog at http://onelife.voxtropolis.com for other entries and comments

Toastmasters...

Is anyone else part of this cult?

I just joined recently. I've been wanting to go for years, but the constant clapping and procedures always scared me off. I finally mustered the courage to become a part of this odd little community that we have on site at work, and delivered my first speech there yesterday.

I actually wish now I had joined this years ago. People tell me i'm a natural (i think raw and unrefined is more like it), but the practice really does help.

Here's the toastmaster's interational link - it's a fairly huge global organzation.

While i'm at it, here's a few other hot links.

Audio's from the consumption of faith and faith in consumption conference

Google Video of a crazy face plant

Audio's from the latest Acts29 church planting regional sessions

Dynamic Church planting international

Allelon - Center for missional leadership

givemeaning.com dedicated to fundraising and philanthropy

Article comparing Rob Bell as the next Billy Graham

Article on how 'God' is the new drug of choice for rebellious youth

yelō awakening the human spirit

lulu.com enabling you to self-publish

From the reform and resurge conference - audio message on how jacked up punks will change the world.

http://onelife.voxtropolis.com for the latest entries / comments.

Baby names...

We still don't know if it's a boy or girl yet, but here are few preliminary names. And yes, i'm serious about them, but I can't say Yvonne's approved of all of them... yet.

For a boy...

Optimus Prime. Hear me out on this one. Leader of the Autobots. Brought hope to humanity, even though he was not like them. Defender of good. Always at the frontline of battles. Empowered others. Rallied the troops.Experienced pain, death, and resurrection.

Maximus - from Gladiator

Freeman - I love Morgan, and it's a great word combo

Luther - for both Lex, and the Martin's out there.

Crash - Great film, forward moving, and unafraid.

For a girl...

Hunter - Imagine guys saying, dude, stay away from her, her names hunter!

Stellar - as in stars and spectacular

Sashimi - I was thinking of some type of sushi theme because it's both raw and refined.

Liv(e) - short, sweet, and a constant reminder of what to do when she wakes up.

Ashling/Asher - I was thinking of something that starts with A, since she'll likely be a december baby, and might be at the end of the line for a lot of things, this might even things out. I like something starting with Ash, but Yvonne thinks it sounds too much like 'ass'.

For middle names, I'm really leaning towards these two...

Ruach - Hebrew meaning spirit, breath, wind, courage... for a boy.

Ecclesia - Greek for sent out, or called out, as in called out from darkness to light... for a girl.

What do you think?

http://onelife.voxtropolis.com for the latest entries / comments.

I didn't know we could do that...

"I didn't know we could do that..." That's what I'm hearing as I bring up church planting to people.

When I've asked fellow students in my seminary what they plan on doing with their lives and dreams, there seems to be this linear answer of 'well, i'm going to be a youth pastor, then an associate pastor, and then if things work out, i'd like to be a senior pastor one day'. It sounds like a great plan, and nothing wrong with that, but could there be more?

I went to Canada's National Church planting congress last year and was the only person from my seminary there (the largest in Canada). I attended a breakout session and what I heard from leaders at all levels repeated asking was - where are all the young, catalytic, entrepreneurial, leaders of the next generation?

I'm convinced that the structures and processes that have been built for raising leaders by previous generations are only producing people who think within those systems (And I'm sure this applies to more than just the realm of 'spiritual' leadership). Many of these frameworks are shrinking our hearts, leaving little room for the extraordinary possibilities that we are all capable of and must bring about.

I've decided that as I make my transition from work back to full-time school this september, I'll be launching a new Church Planting & Kingdom Advancing Network on campus. More on this soon. Thoughts?

http://onelife.voxtropolis.com for the latest entries / comments.