Okay, this is why I could never be a pastor:
As much as I love gold crosses and cool-looking candles (Bono once called liturgical Christianity “the glam-rock of religion”), I don’t think my “Jesus Is My Homeboy” shirt would be considered a proper vestment!
As for what I’m actually doing in these pictures, I am a bit too tired to go into that right now…Much love to you, my friends. And even to the relative strangers who read this.
Even though financial situations have been tough, this has been a time of inner renewal. I have some simply amazing people in my life (you know who you are!) who encourage me, strengthen me, and take the sometimes very hard steps to get to know me (the real, beyond-rhetorical me). You lead me to a more honest, and mature, state of being. Things that some would wield as weapons of shame and condemnation become in your skilled hands tools of grace and unburdening. To all of you (upon reflection, some of you might not know who you are)…thank you. I am honored to know you. Continue Reading…
My fiance Jasmin and I trekked to the lung-searing west for the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) Convention–this year dubbed the International Christian Retail Show–today(I guess “yesterday” now) in Denver. What an interesting bunch of contradictions. One author, a middle-aged women who would probably appreciate me not mentioning her by name, greeted us this morning with “Welcome to the Christian Babylon.” Jasmin, who’s a pretty sensitive type, spiritually speaking, gets that “money changers” vibe from the place too. Basically there are aisles and aisles of Christian books, music, paintings, socks, candy…you name it. The Christian Industry is alive and well in America, taking in over $4.34 billion last year.
Just got back from an independence day with the extended fam…which for me means lots of Italian food. Mmm! Manacotti, Cavadelli, Lasagna…I need to go digest now…morning comes early, and I’ll be heading up to Berry tomorrow. I’ll talk to y’all later…
Hello Team. A new entry for a new season; I am presently working on a (no offense to Xanga) real blog, and so you’ll be getting many more updates soon. In the meantime, all my friends were doing it, so I decided to take this “negative personality test” thingie. I have to say ahead of time, that if you are easily offended by human language, don’t read any further. But here you go:
| Televangelist You are 42% Rational, 57% Extroverted, 28% Brutal, and 85% Arrogant. |
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Hullo friends. Its been a few months. I thought I would tell you about something really cool I have coming up:
Eternal Purpose 2005: Revolution Is Not Enough! conference with Gene Edwards at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina! About a dozen of us plan to move there in spring of 2006, to form an intentional home church community there. Whether you’re looking for open, particpatory community life, or just want to hang out with some great people for a weekend, you should come. Deep intimacy with God in Christ, and the practical side of being a counter-cultural, communal people, will be the focus of our time together.
Go to Epurpose.org to find out all the details and register.
Update: The weekend was wonderful. Oddly enough, you can read a news article on it here.
Well, Soularize last week was a really enjoyable time; from my perspective we hit the right balence of structure and spontaneity. We’re going to be planning for Soularize 2006 really soon so stay tuned as we’ll hopefully have more advance notice and imput for our physical and virtual sites.
In the meantime, this Spring and Summer are gearing up to have plenty of intriguing opportunities. I thought I’d share a few with you here.
For Writers and Musicians
First off, calling all of you creative types out there: I wanted to get you in on the ground floor of something, especially if you’re unpublished. The fine folks at the Burnside Writer’s Collective [People Like Don Miller (Searching For God Knows What), Lauren Winner (Mudhouse Sabbath), Rick McKinley (Finding Jesus in the Margins), Derek Webb (I See Things Upside Down), and Chris Seay (The Tao of Enron)] are launching a high-quality literary and music publication called The Ankeny Briefcase and they are looking for quality short fiction and essays (along the lines of McSweeny’s or The Believer, if those titles mean anything to you)…it doesn’t have to be “Christian” per se, it just has to be good! Contact Ankeny editor extraordinaire Jordan Green at ankeny@ankenybriefcase.com Tell him Mike sent you!
Five Conferences
The next few months are really prime ones for some conferences and gatherings of a Jesus-centered nature. These events are arising from the momentum of what has been variously called “house church,” “tribal church,” “organic church,” “New Testament church,” “simple church,” et cetera…I’ve just called it “home” for the past six years. Anyhow, knowing Christ intimately in an open, participatory environment is the keystone, and without further ado I’ll give you the brief rundown on each of these:
1. GAINESVILLE, FL – This month, March 2005, there is a weekend conference called “The Forgotten Woman: The Bride of Christ.” It is being hosted by some Christians in Gainesville and my friend Frank Viola will be sharing. Frank is also an author, speaker, and church planter par excellence. And the conference … It is free! For more information, send an email to PTMIN@aol.com
I was talking to Frank the other day, and I said, “You’ve written, like, a million books on first-century church life, organic ecclesiology, nonhierarchical community, and obscure church history, but a lot of people who are navigating what it means to be a follower of Christ in the currents of emerging, postmodern culture haven’t even read your books … I think they’d like them, though.”
To which Frank responded with a one-URL response: “Go here, my son.”
It turned out this was all the response needed. Check it out–6 of Frank’s best books at a fair discount. Frank is an excellent thinker, writer, and practitioner. So enjoy. Okay, back to conferences …
2. ROCHESTER HILLS, MI – April 15th-17th, 2005 will be a conference, When the Church Was Young . This will be held on Rochester College’s campus by a home church community in Dearborn, MI, and a church planter guy named Tim Richey will be sharing. (You can download some of Tim’s MP3 messages here .) Contact Lisa via email at conference@whenthechurchwasyoung.com or call Charles and Brenda Underwood, (313) 838-3810.
3. TACOMA, PITTSBURGH, ATLANTA, & ARLINGTON: Shaping of Things To Come conference with Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch from Down Under. It is about missional, relational, organic church and what the good Lord might be up to today. For more info talk to Gordon Wohlers of Mosaic Atlanta at gordon@mosaicatlanta.org
4. RALEIGH-DURHAM, NC – May 27th-29th, 2005 at DUKE UNIVERSITY: We (and by “we” I mean about a dozen twentysomethings from the Atlanta area and scattered around the nation and world) are looking to start an intentional community in Durham by mid-2006. This is the first “ground breaking” gathering we’re having to raise interest and awareness. Everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you’d think to join in such a mad scheme, but of course if you’re leaning in these directions already we especially implore you to come. The weekend is being co-hosted by the legendary indie press Seedsowers Publishing and novelist, storyteller, and church planter Gene Edwards . Details on this one are still forthcoming…it’s going to be at Duke Divinity School, we’re still working out the conference fee…for more info email me at zoecarnate@gmail.com and be watching the Atlanta Saints and Eternal Purpose sites.
5. CHICAGO, IL-August 5th and 6th, 2005: Practically Speaking: Anarchism, Christianity, and Living in Fellowship Bummed about the election? Dismayed at American-Christian nationalist idolatry? Well, get out of the Republican/Democrat rat-race and explore another Christ-honoring alternative that has its roots in scripture, the Anabaptists , the Quakers , and the Catholic Worker movement: Christian anarchism! This event should be a compelling call to discipleship in the 21st century. Check out the Jesus Radicals and their “cousin” Kingdom Now for further details.
Okay friends, that’s all for now. (“Whew!” I hear you exclaim.) Feel free to post any and all of this information on your ‘blog, discussion group, website, message board, and forward it to all of your friends, and your friends’ small pets.
Until next time…
Merry Christmas, happy Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice! I hope the holy-day is treating you well. It sure is treating me well–I just finished the most sumptuous meal: a salad with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, green and black olives, a pasta dish of fresh homemade cavadelli and manacotti, not to mention meatballs…a glass of Australian imported wine…mmm! Continue Reading…
Warning: This is a stream-of-consciousness rant. Read at your own bewilderment!
Why aren’t I asleep? Sigh. This has been an epoch-making season, in a quiet sort of way. Some small decisions, and quite a few larger ones, keep creeping up. It’s the day-to-day stuff, though, that really tests one’s inner resources. Like “who am I, really?” I feel like (gulp) I’m growing up, though some of my thought processes seem to be heading in the direction of abject immaturity as I’m playing, exploring. Continue Reading…
It’s been a long time, been a long time…sorry, no real entry here. Just…hello! How’s it going? The three of you who (might) read this. I think you already know what’s been up with my life, so this will probably be redundant…anyway, here goes…
I’ve been working as an office assistant and PR guy at a chiropractor’s office since August…it is challenging and rewarding works. The husband-wife couple, Drs. Phil and Bridget, really care about our community and want to see everyone “subluxation”-free, which means removing life-endangering interference from the nervous system via a specific adjustment. If you want to know more about chiropractic let me know; I’d be happy to tell you about it and recommend a reputable chiropractor in your area.
What else, what else? I’m helping an author, who shall remain nameless, edit his forthcoming novel; I am collaborating with another on a different project, and someone else is helping me edit the book I’m writing. Furthermore, this other guy is going to be redesigning and retooling Philip and I’s site. Oh, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution did a story about me in September. So yipee. Lotsa creative stuff, which makes me happy. Continue Reading…
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