I miss the old Facebook.

There was a time when I could not comprehend why my friends complained every time Facebook executed a layout change.  I figured that listing complaints in status update after status update wouldn’t do much good.  I also suspected that the changes, over time, would prove to be positive.  I assumed this with the last layout [...]

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A Right Brained Church?

Last week I finished Daniel E. Pink‘s A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.  Great read full of good analysis, helpful illustrations (not just stories, but pictures, too!), and practical suggestions for developing your right brain abilities.  This book has been on the shelf for a few years, but it contains the [...]

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“The Quiet Revolution”

I’m taking part in something extraordinary. It’s not much, really. When I’m faced with a choice, I try to do the good. When life gets tough, I try to persevere. When trials come, I deepen my faith and lean on my friends who are there to carry me.  They remind me God isn’t far. I [...]

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Big Vision. Thoughts on Renewal.

Andrew Conard recently offered this reflection on the future of The United Methodist Church.  Andrew is dreaming about renewal/revival for the denomination and how this might come about.  Quite frankly, I’m glad that he is.  I recommend reading his entire post and invite Methodists out there to add their voice to the conversation. Andrew Conard is [...]

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The 3, The 12, & The 120

I think the church has been given a gift in Andy Crouch’s Culture Making.  Before I say anything else, I need to offer a command: read this book. As Christian people we are called to create and offer culture to the world.  As human beings we are created in God’s image.  When we create, we [...]

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Remarkable? That Should Come (Super)Naturally.

I’ve been reading some odd stuff lately.  Not odd as in strange, odd as in outside my norm.  Mostly I read theology and Bible.  My friends know that I read Hauerwas.  Some say I’ve picked up some of his habits.  However, I don’t really curse and I have remained somewhat likable.  I guess I’m still [...]

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Flash Mobs

This week I’ve been reading Clay Shirky’s Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations.  In Chapter 7, “Faster and Faster,” I was introduced to the idea of a flash mob.  Awesome stuff. Basically, a flash mob is “a group that engages in seemingly spontaneous but actually synchronized behavior.”  This has been made fairly [...]

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Ben Simpson’s Sensational Shots

This past weekend I was cleaning out a closet and found this video.  It was produced sometime in 2003 by Jason Lee, who at the time was the Minister to Preteens at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.  Thanks to Joey Wilson, who helped me convert this to a format I could upload to YouTube. [...]

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Broken for Jesus. Broken for People.

I am thankful when I read an author who refuses to let the church die without a fight. (Of course, I understand that this statement is ridiculous.  The church is not ours to preserve, and despite our best efforts, we can not kill it.  It is God’s to sustain, and despite our feebleness and sin, [...]

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Stuff I’ve Written for Collide Magazine

This past year I have had a couple of pieces accepted for publication by the folks over at Collide Magazine.  Thanks to Jeff, Scott, and the rest of the crew there for the opportunity to take part in the dialogue on church and media.  I’ve had some friends ask about my work and if they [...]

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