Words and Instrumentation

It is no secret I’m a music geek.  It is also no secret that I am in love with words.  When I was in high school a great deal of my life was determined by music.  My friend Scott Beimler and I would listen carefully to all kinds of music, mining the lyrics for kernels [...]

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Compassion International

Molly and I support Compassion International, and invite others to do so as well.  For $32 a month you can support a child’s education, well-being, and personal development in under-resourced areas around the globe.  Molly and I exchange letters with our Compassion child who is from Brazil, and are encouraged when we hear what he [...]

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On Relevance and Re-imagining

In recent years it has become increasingly popular to discuss “re-imagining” or “re-imaging” the life of faith, the form of the church, the gospel–the list could go on.  I’ve been an advocate of these conversations.  People are crying out that the church needs renewal, the gospel needs to be clearly preached, the name of Jesus [...]

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Expectations :: A Pause for Thought

Caedmon’s Call
Expectations :: From the 2007 release Overdressed
That boy had the highest of expectations
And he heard that Jesus would fill him up
Maybe something got lost in the language
If this was full, then why bother?
This was not the way it looked on the billboard
Smiling family beaming down on the interstate
You know that we all try to [...]

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A Brief Recommendation

Last week I completed N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.  For those interested in Christian theology and the historical development of the doctrine of the resurrection, the first two-thirds will be of great interest.  The final third is dedicated to specific applications for how a re-understanding [...]

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Thinking Poetically

But must I needs want solidness, because
By metaphors I speak; was not God’s laws
His Gospel-laws in olden time held forth
By types, shadows and metaphors?  Yet loth
Will any sober man be to find fault
With them, lest he be found for to assault
The highest wisdom.  No, he rather stoops,
And seeks to find out what by pins and [...]

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Dan Kimball :: They Like Jesus But Not the Church

Last week I picked up Dan Kimball’s They Like Jesus But Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations.  You can find Dan Kimball’s blog here.  Dan Kimball is a pastor in Santa Cruz, California at Vintage Faith Church, and has published The Emerging Church and Emerging Worship.  He is also one of the contributors to [...]

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On Prayer

Prayer is a discipline.
My experiences with prayer have varied.  When I was a young child I was instructed how to pray, both in form and posture.  Folding my hands, closing my eyes, bowing my head, I addressed God as Father, or spoke to Jesus, and acknowledged the goodness which I had experienced in my life.  [...]

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Myers ::: Organic Community

The Spirit of organic community is grace, not law; “edit-ability,” not accountability…This is how a good author-editor relationship works: The author submits a rough draft.  The editor makes suggestions, even disagrees at times with the author.  The author considers the editor’s suggestions, and will often make adjustments.  The author and editor continue to go back [...]

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Where are the Young People? Leadership Development and Going Forth

Over a month ago I happened upon an article concerning “young clergy” and the dire need to increase the percentage of young leaders within the United Methodist denomination.  You can read the article I happened upon here.
Since reading this article I have continued to reflect on this topic.  Upon following the link you’ll find an article [...]

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