To dance or not to dance...

It has been some time since my last blog. I have been crazy busy with work, planning Advent and Christmas services, getting my new house in order, and preparing for a baby! Yep! The Sclafani's are having a little bambino! Can you believe it! I wish I had the time to tell everyone in person, but I don't! So if you didn't know...now you do!

So you can see why it has been a bit difficult finding time to blog.

With all that has been going on things have been exciting and tiring. One thing I have found is that dancing is a great form of expression - even when you feel as if you cannot dance. There is something about the physical movement of the body and it's ability to give praise as David danced before the Lord! Well I am not much of a dancer, but sometimes it is out of my control and when I found out about the miracle of this new baby I couldn't stop! My dance wasn't one of great skill or technique, but one of praise, awe, and glory to God!

It felt so good to do! I hope and pray that this holiday season might bring you wonderful times in which you can do nothing but dance for joy!

And with that...

Here is a little something for you to laugh at that has some "impressive" dance moves! Just click the link below and enjoy!

"DANCE CLIP"

Clark Griswald Eat Your Heart Out!

It's that time of year when the house gets decorated with all things Christmas. And in Lynnwood sometimes it can get a little over the top. Now that we live in Seattle we thought we would bring a little Lynnwood to our new hood. Click here to see our home video of our house at Christmas time HOUSE LIGHTS!

Enjoy!

Body Prayer Pt. 1

I have just started reading a book by Doug Pagitt called Body Prayer The Posture of Intimacy with God. It has to do with the idea of connecting with God with your body [physically] and your soul [spiritually/relationally] Last night we at The Mix! tryed the "prayer of willingness." This is when you stand, leanning over at the waist as far as you can without moving your feet, letting your sholders, arms, neck, and head all fall forward and hang very loosely - kind of like a ragdoll. The ideas is that of allowing our body to physically represent are willingness to submet to God. The students were excited to learn something new with prayer. It took a bit to get people focused, but overall I thing this is going to be a great book for exploring new ways to connect with God. Here is the prayer that we prayed together [which is also from the book]...

In the Extraordinary that is you,
I breathe.
I breathe and I bend.
I breathe and I bend and I dream
Of seeing your will clearly,
Of following you easily,
Of hearing
Finales to the world's worries
And beginnings to untold stories
Until those whispers are rumbled,
When they resound as Truth echoed by all cells,
I submit to you.

Bono and U2 ask God some Tough Questions

Here is another article about U2 and their faith. I thought it was interesting. Especially Bono's thoughts on faith lived out with or without social action. It also has Bono's take/explanation about the meaning of the song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Check it out by clicking here u2 article.

Speaking of relevant...

If you have not read the headline interview of Bono in the latest issues of Rollingstone Magazine you have got to. There is a whole section on spirituality, his upbringing, his musical influences, and more. In other words, this interview looks at Bono's culture, his soul, and the influence the Biblical text and Christian Church has had on him. It is quite facinating! You can read it by clicking here
BONO INERVIEW.

Relevant

Hey if you have not experienced Relevant Magazine I highly recommend it, but even better is there website! I have had a subscription to there magazine for two years now and love it. Both the site and magazine have great news, articles, resources for spiritual thought and contemplation. They also have great reviews on movies, music, books, and more. But the newest thing they have added is Relevant TV. It is a great way to learn new music, see the videos, and it it much better than kcms. So far this morning, as I write I heard/saw U2, Reliant K, Postal Service, Coldplay, and David Crowder. And what is really cool is that you can have Relavant TV on while you continue your web surfing! Anyways, that is enough of a plug. I hope you like it. You can go to it by clicking here RELEVANT.

I WANT IT THAT WAY!

The newest boy band it out! Have you seen there new video? Talk about the effects of culture! Turn up the volume on your computer, CLICK HERE, and enjoy!

The Latest From U2...

Many of you know that I love U2. Well did you know that U2 is branching out to do children's music? It is very fun. You got to hear it!

Check it out by clicking HERE.

Hope you like!

Sad and Tragic...

Today I am mourning the unexpected passing of Kyle Lake, author of Understanding God's Will and (re)Understanding Prayer, and pastor of University Baptist Church in Waco, TX [where David Crowder and Chris Seay are from]. He died yesterday morning after a tragic electrocution accident while leading a baptism service. Only 33 years old, he is survived by his wife and three young children.

Although I didn't know Kyle personally, I found him to be an amazing pastor, educator, writer, and learner. He was involved in Emergent and many other progressive ministries. I can't imaging all the emotions that his family, friends, and congregation are going through. Please join me in praying for the Lake family and all effected by this tragic loss...

COOL ILLUSION!

YOU GOT TO TRY THIS OUT!

CLICK HERE COOL ILLUSION!

Where is righteousness?

So I have been wrestling with the idea of righteousness and what it means to live in a way that would be described Biblically as righteous. Charles Finney [an old school evangelist] believes that revivals do not come from praying then down from God and he doesn't believe that they are miracles. He says we don't have to convince God to bring revivals that He wants everyone to be saved. He basically says that revival doesn't come until we [the Christians] get on fire for God and start living righteous lives. That when our lives start radically changing for Christ others will start to do the same. In other words, Finney says revivals don't start in the other they start with me. That has been a challenge for me to chew on.

When I think of righteous living I think of pride, cockyness, strong attitudes, no-it-alls, etc. But that is not what Scripture means. Righteous living is humbly coming to God and saying "search me and know me and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting" it is confession, it is wisdom, it is distinguishing good from evil and choosing good. Doesn't Scripture say that God always provides us with a way out of our sinful temptations?

Proverbs 21:3 [niv] says this... "to do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice"

This was and odd scripture to me. But I read it in some other translations and looked at it closer. I love the way this is translated differently...

Proverbs 21:3 [the message] says this... "clean living before God and justice with our neighbors mean far mroe to God than religious performance."

This has made me think of our culture, of church, and trends that have come about lately and thought how caught up we have been in "experience" and creating atmospheres for people to "feel" things. I think at times they can be manipulative.

Worship can be the same way. I don't think God cares so much about us having this one "Sunday Worship Experience" as he does about our lives being transformed on a daily basis to be more and more like Him. That we become loving neighbors, that we become people of justice, who love mercy, that we become lights to people around us.

What a revival might look like then would be more like a church body as a whole committing to daily confessing, renewal and being filled with the Holy Spirit to live out the image of God to our world. It would be the transformation that starts to occur through Christ in our lives that would take our worship experiences to a whole new level.

"clean living before God" and "justice with our neighbors" sounds a lot like "love God and love your neighbors as yourself" and meaning "far more to God than religious performance" sounds a lot like "this is the greatest of all the commandments"

Know that I am not promoting legalistic living, but living that humbly approaches God regularly through confession - a breathing out of the junk of life, and filling - the breathing in of the Holy Spirit throughout the day.

I want to re-live over and over again the beauty, glory, and awe of living out God's call to me to live a righteous life. I want to know how to do so through His Word, and how to be faithful to that within my culture.

A song that has been on my heart along with these ponderings is...

Knowing You

(words and music by Graham Kendrick)

All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres, and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now compared to this.

Chorus:
Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you,
There is no greater thing
You’re my all, you’re the best
You’re my joy, my righteousness
And I love you, Lord


Now my heart’s desire is to know you more
To be found in you and known as yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Chorus: (repeat)

Oh, to know the power of your risen life
And to know you in your sufferings
To become like you in your death, my Lord

So with you to live and never die

Chorus: (repeat)

+ + + + + + +

This has been some of my ponderings of late. Let me know what your think...

May forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love through Christ be with you today.

DJ

What will they think of next?

Check out my DJ.

Reflections on worship...

More thoughts on worship by James Torrance...

"Worship is a narrative and symbolic activity, meant to evoke response."

"The role of symbol in worship is not to convey doctrine or promote ideology, but to provoke an encounter between God and God’s people."

I love the concept of worship as narrative...the telling of or singing of the story of God. I love the idea of an encounter between God and humanity!

Today was the first time I led worship just me and my guitar and one vocalist. I was nervous and lacking some confidence. Some of my insecurities started to come out not having my band/team with me. "What would happen if people really see me, hear me, and find that it/I am lacking?" was the question. Another was "could I do this [leading worship] in such a way that would not be distracting to others?"

I was reminded of these two quotes. Worship is not about me as the leader, musician, singer, etc. it is about telling, re-telling, and remembering the story/narrative of the Gospel. And in doing so we are drawn into a place of response. The "here I am send me" response of Isaiah. God was gracious and by His Holy Spirit I was able to help in the faciliting of re-telling of the story. As a result, we had a wonderful encounter with God!

Tomorrow is Sunday and I have much to praise God for! I pray that you all have the opportunity to respond once again to the narrative of the Gospel as told through a time of intimate/corporate worship!

A NEW LOOK...

I got bored with the look of my blog so I did some changes. I know...the wonderful Bridget had this template for some time, but the reality is that this is the only other one that I really like within the templates blogger offers, and she isn't using it any more. So, here it is. I like it much better.

And with the change comes a re-newed desire to post more regularly. Easier said than done, but that is the hope. So stay tuned! Thanks to you all who have come to read my thoughts. I think I am going to be posting some thought on a book I am reading by Doug Pagitt. It is called "preaching re-imagined"

More to come on worship as well...

Also, I am doing some interesting studies on the spiritual disciplines. This is a link to a blog written by Brian McLaren that I thought was awesome check it out here. It is on "Spiritual Formation in a Postmodern Context." You will have to scroll to the bottom of the blog to get to it. It is worth the read.

Thoughts on worship...

So just in case you had not heard I recently became the interim pastor of worship on top of my other responsibilities at my church. This has been an incredible experience. I have always loved worship and have been completely blessed to have been apart of different churchs all with incredible worship leaders. I have also been active in the creating of worship services with these great leaders. But it is a totally different experience when you are the leader of these worship experiences. And the spiritual battles that come with this position is great. Last week was my first time leading in this role and during the second service for some reason the strap on the guitar I was using would not stay on. I know this sounds like nothing big, but when you are standing and moving around and rocking out and your strap falls off it is very hard to hold the guitar in place for long. But that wasn't even it...the second time it fell off while I was fighting to hold up the guitar (at a bit of an angle) I some how cut my thumb. So I am not only trying to hold this guitar but my finger is bleeding as I strum. And if that was not enough...the blood was getting on the strings which was slowly making the guitar go out of tune!!! BATTLE TIME I TELL YOU BATTLE TIME!!

The amazing thing was that I have found no one that noticed! Well except my wife :) But everyone was very encouraging of the worship time! Now that is God through His Holy Spirit at work. You see, I am learning more and more now by experience that worship is not much about my words, instrument playing, tone, etc. but it is all about coming to a place in which I simply give God my full attention heart, mind, strength, and soul. As distracted as I felt, my desire to give God praise never changed, in fact I was fighting for it, not just for me, but also for the congregation. That was all I could do. And the more a reflect on it the more I see how God was honored even in the midst of what was chaos. And isn't that what our life is like? Honoring God in the midst of the chaos and things of life! I think so!

Here is a quote I found on worship I have been meditating on.

"Worship is enacting God’s story to a world that has lost its story."

by James Torrance

I have asked my self "Self...what is it that makes us loose the story of God in our lives?" The answer for me is that I get consumed/distracted by the chaos and forget that God is there in the midst of my story! Worship is a place in which we can come together and collectively re-focus and re-memeber the truth of God. It re-minds me that even when the "straps of life" are falling off and the "bleeding" we go through hurts and stains, we can still go through it and not loose our desire to worship God in the midst of it!

I'd love any thoughts on this...

May you be aware of God's presence in your story today!

The Trip to the Island...

So last week I mentioned Jen and I went to beautiful Whidbey Island with our small group. Here are some pictures from the trip! It was so great, relaxing, and fun. Dean even took us out sailing! Great food, great fellowship, God's creation, what more could you ask for? Well the only thing missing was one family. Adam and Sara Haulter and there beautiful little girl Lola! But other than that...what more do you need! Hope you enjoy the pictures!















The Man in charge... Captain Dean Peterson















Zachary Patrick















Me and my beautiful wife Jen
















Christel Peterson & my wife Jen





















Todd & Jill Patrick and son Zachary















Darryl & Anne Brackett















Bryce & Rachel Schober

The DMB in the place to be!

The Red Sled, The Brown Bomb, and the Italian Stallion


The DMB from afar...


Dave up close and personal...


Me and my beautiful wife Jen...


The Gorge before the show and the sunset...


The Gorge at sunset...
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So after a great Sunday at church Jen and I were off on an other adventure this time to the Gorge in George Washington. This is about a 2 and 1/2 hour drive on 3+ if you are driving in my sweet old red sled [87 Subaru GL 4WD Wagon]. It was a gorgeous day and as we made our way the temperature continued to grow. Eastern Washington is HOT! We arrived at about 5pm set up our tent - which is Jen's parents old tent from like 1910. It is little, brown, beige, and has the old camping/campfire smell - but hey it works! After setting up, we packed our bags and made the walk to the amphitheatre. It takes about 30 minutes with all the crowds, security, and ticket checks, but once you get there you just set down your blanket, stake your spot, and get comfortable. Jen made pesto pasta with grilled veggies and chicken that was smashing. And we splurged and bought an enormous lemonade slurpy for dessert and to keep cool! Around 7pm the North Mississippi Allstars took the stage. They weren't my favorite, but were pretty cool, kind of a mix of styles from rock to funk and a little southern groove too! It was a great warm up to start the night! But we came to here Dave and Dave showed up! This is my 3rd time seeing the Dave Matthews Band and the second time at the Gorge and I must say it again. They know how to JAM!

Here is how the show went down...

Sunday - Aug 21 2005 Gorge Amphitheatre

Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Dream Girl
Hello Again
Lover Lay Down
Bartender
Louisiana Bayou
Grey Street
Out Of My Hands
Say Goodbye
Drive In Drive Out
Hunger For The Great Light
Dancing Nancies
Warehouse
Blackbird
Dreaming Tree [tease]
All Along The Watchtower
__________________

#40[Tease]
Crush
What You Are

Some of my favorites of the night were Drive in Drive out, Dream Girl, Hunger for the Great Light, Blackbird, and All Along the Watchtower. It was so beautiful out there. And the crowd was great minus the about 20,000,000 bowls of pot we second hand smoked or maybe that is why everything was so good : )

I BIG THANKS TO KMTT THE MOUNTAIN!!! For hooking us up with these tickets!

Seattle Summer Concert Scene!

So as stated in earlier posts I got the opportunity to go to Coldplay! It was wonderful. My love for the band and there music was lifted to an even higher level. My next concert event will occur on Sunday. We are going to the Gorge for the Dave Matthews Band concert! We won these tickets from a cd release party at Kells Irish Pub put on by KMTT the Mountain our favorite radio station! We can't wait! And then in a week or so BUMBERSHOOT! This is an event we look forward to every year. This year John Butler Trio, Marc Brussard, Maktub, Trey Anastasion, Citizen Pope, Digable Planets, Common, Ani Difranco, Talib Kweli, Hothouse Flowers, Dashboard Confessionals, and more! Oh how I love the summer concert scene in Seattle! Today I am off to Whidbey Island with my couples group to a friends cabin for some fun in the sun! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Fix You!

I LOVE THIS SONG!

"Fix You" by Coldplay

When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

When the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

High up above or down below
when you too in love to let it go
If you never try you'll never know
Just what your worth

Lights will guide you home
and ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears streaming down your face
I promise you will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face and

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Coldplay Concert!

So Jen and I were blessed to get to go see Coldplay in concert last night! And I have got to say that IT WAS AWESOME! I got some great pictures and some great videos. They ended the show with the song "Fix You" and Chris ended it with some special "Washington Lyrics" that were very cool. Once I figure out how to add videos I will share it with you. But for now here are some pictures for your imagination! Enjoy!

What is your model of church?

Ok so now that I am back I have had some time to catch up on some email and blogging. I was sent this quiz kind of like the theo-quiz I had posted earlier called "What's your theological worldview?" This one is for your model of church. And for someone like me who has worked in the church for about 12 years and has pondered the idea of planting a church I found this interesting. If you want to take the quiz yourself click here. QUIZ

Here are my results...

You scored as Sacrament model.

Your model of the church is Sacrament. The church is the effective sign of the revelation that is the person of Jesus Christ. Christians are transformed by Christ and then become a beacon of Christ wherever they go. This model has a remarkable capacity for integrating other models of the church.

Sacrament model 83%
Servant Model 72%
Herald Model 67%
Mystical Communion Model 67%
Institutional Model 33%

I have no idea what the "Herald Model" is but when I find out I will tell. If any of you know what it is let me know! I bet it is a lot like the DAAAVVVVVIIIIDDDDD model of church! :)

HOME SWEET HOME!

So after about 15 hours of flying and lots of really bad airplane food we made it home. We actually gained a night in our return, but we are so beat!

We had the opportunity of staying another night with free room and board, food, and $700 dollar plane vouchers for each of us because our flight from Rome was so full. We signed up for the deal, but unfortunately then didn't need that many seats. Oh well! It would have been really cool to get two $700 tickets and an extra night, but the comfort of our own bed was so night to come home to!

Thanks for all of your prayers for our trip! It was felt and appreciated! We can't wait to get together with you all and to share our stories and pictures!

Talk to you soon!

ROME, ORVIETO, AND CIVITA

So we have really loved Rome! It is an amazingly alive city especially at night! But our greatest adventure while in Rome actually came on our last day!

We decided to leave and go see another hill town. Much like our wine tour of Chianti we went to the town of Orvieto which is also a wine town. All I have to say is that you have to see the pictures, but from Orvieto we went to the small town of Civita.

This place is incredible. It has a population of 14! That's smaller than Eatonville! It is a place where the Etruscans lived in over 2500 years ago!!! You can only get there by walking up this long bridge. Picture the Grand Canyon in the middle of Tuscany. A little mountain with sharp cliffs surrounding it. It has a wall built all around it and the city is inside. We saw pictures of this town from when pictures were first available and it looks the same today! Anyways this was one of the coolest places we got to see! I can't wait to show you the pictures!

Venice Part 2, Brussels Belgium, and Rome!

Ok sorry for the blank blog from below. I ran out of time on the internet and it did not load up all that I wrote. SO yes Erika and others Venice was wonderful! So hear is the quick recap of Venice!

It is the most beautuful place ever! I never thought I could be more motivated to learn how to swim! Just kidding! We saw lots of statues, pigeons, tourists, paintings, gelato, pizza, vivaldi bands, sunsets, and rain! Yes we had rain and it was so refreshing! And it made all the tourists run for cover!!! We loved it! We also saw St Marks Basillica, the pallace of the Doge which is like a Duke, climbed some towers and saw incredible views. We purposely got lost and felt like a local which was really fun. We also saw the place in which they say the apostle Mark was burried and also saw artifacts that they say were from the days of Jesus! This is the very short version, I do not want a repeat of last time! I will share more later!

From Venice we headed off to Brussels Belgium!

This was incredible!

We stayed with my cousin Robin and her soon to be husband Alberto! Brussels is much like the northwest. It is green with lots of trees, hills, mountains, and parks. The people are very kind and the climate is very similar. We also got some rain Seattle style which again was very refreshing.

Basically while we were here we spent much time relaxing and catching up on relationships and sleep! We had frites, Belgian waffles, lots of mussels - to eat not mine, and great Beer! YUM YUM!!! We saw all the sights and we went to Bruge an incredibly beautiful medieval village kind of like Leavenworth but instead Belgian. They even have lots of canals like Venice! WE LOVED THIS PLACE!!! We were also treated to the most authentic Italian cooking by Alberto two of our nights which was very very good! We hated to leave, but Rome was calling!

AND THAT IS WHERE WE ARE NOW!

So far we have seen the Spanish steps which is blocks from our place, the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. We also saw Vatican City the home of the Pope and the incredible Vatican museum. And with this we saw St Peters Basillica and the Sistine Chapel. It is a crazy city but we have loved it so far. I got to run, but we will be home very soon!

Ciao for now!

AHHH VENICE!

Pisa, Cinque Terre, Florence, Siena, & Chianti...

Bonjourno & Ciao from Italy!

Oh my we love this country! So from Barcelona we left very early to Pisa alla airplane. We made it and saw the famous Leaning Tower. From there we headed by train to what very well could be the most beautiful place on earth. THE CINQUE TERRE! We stayed in a place called Vernazza. It is right on the Mediteranean Sea. Very small and completely gorgeous! We hiked we relaxed, we people watched, we saw the sights and learned the history. And of course we ate some of the best food of our lives! We even got treated to live music and incredible tango dancing!

From there we went to Florence by train and stayed with Marcella who is awesome - like Bertha Sclafani only she doesn't speak English. We saw DAAAAAVVVVIIIIDDD!!! And lots of other special paintings and sculptures by DaVinci, Michelanglo, and all the other big names!

Then from there we bused to Siena which has been more relaxed and beautiful. Our place has an incredible terrace that looks over the whole city. And our host plays the accordian to us! Today we took a trip to Chianti and sipped wine and saw Tuscany! It is so beautiful!

I am just about out of time on this email card! So gotta go!

Off to Venice tomorrow!

Love you all and will email again soon!

Ciao and Bouna Sera from Italy!

It´s Caliente!

Ok before I get into it let me just say that WE SAW LANCE ARMSTRONG!! He drove right by us on his way to championship number 7! That is the short version and the long version - basically after lots of standing and rain he flew by with the rest of them! It was very cool!

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETLY DIFFERENT!

Well we have been in Barcelona Spain for the last couple of days and it has been crazy hot! But also very relaxing and enjoyable. We have been staying with Carlo´s brother Mario and his wife Sandra. THEY ARE AWESOME! We just got back from a wonderful night of true Barcelona night life! A walk down the Ramblas (the main drag) that is always busy with people. Dinner here doesn´t really happen till around 9:30pm so it gets late. They still have a ciesta during there day! Me likey! We leave tomorrow for Italy. We fly into Pisa of the fame leaning tower and then head off to the Cinque Terra! Oh we can not wait! I would list all the things that we saw while we were here, but you probably wouldn´t know what there were. So basically we saw a lot of spanish art, amazing cathedrals, incredible architechture, hilarious people watching, tasty food, and wicked hot temperatures. Oh and as I said - tons of fun with the Furlan´s of Barcelona! We hope to keep you posted when we are in Italy, but don´t know what the internet action will be like there.

Hasta la pasta!

The Tour is coming...

Well today the Tour De Fance comes to an end. As I have just gotten up the day feels like a typical Seattle morning. Very overcast and a light mist! Today we are going to see Versailles, the Tour final, the Orsay museum, and actually climbing the Eiffel Tower tonight! A very full day to say the least! I don't have much time today to write, but maybe later tonight! We leave tomorrow for Barcelona Spain! Que bueno!

Bye for now!

Wee or Oui or Si what country are we in again?

Ok so just in case you didn't know... Jen and I do not speak French! In fact the more we try the more we end up throwing Spanish into the mix! What is up with that? I keep saying Si [for yes] instead of Oui! And every thing I am trying to pronounce comes out sounding so WHITE! Fortunately, people have been nice to me. Jen on the other hand has had some very rude treatment! Especially at the post office. We are sending some stuff back to lighten our load [even though we followed Rick Steves packing light] and the time it took us to get all the information took f-0-r-e-v-e-r!

But we still made it to the Arc De Triomphie, climbed it, went to the museum that's inside it, took lots of pictures, and did the massive French shopping zone. Which by the way was way to crazy hectic, but still an experience.

Even the McDonalds here are "FRENCH" with a "McCafe" that served all kinds of French pastries, drinks, etc. outside in umbrella covered seats. And inside the main section was the regular McD's but with a giant video screen load rockin' American music playing and cd listening stations! By the way we didn't go there to eat! Just to get a coke and a water [or should I say Evion] to cool off and try not to spend an arm and a leg!

After spending lots of time walking and enjoying all that is France we went back to Rue Cler [where we are staying] and bought some picnic food. Wine, brie, tomatoes, grapes, pears, and bread. Then we slowly made our way to the Eiffel Tower for a picnic in the park. I must say that from a distance the tower is ok, but up close it is pretty amazing! Did you know that they paint it! It takes 50 tons of paint to do it! It was packed! Like U2 rock star concert packed, so we opted to just relax and watch the lights come on and take pictures! It is quite beautyfull and romantic! All in all it was a great day. Today we are off to who knows what! I'll tell you when we get back!

PS: By the way tomorrow the Tour De France comes to an end and we are going to go cheer on Lance Armstrong! Go USA!

Bonjour from Paris!

We made it to Paris!

Chez jis mour jour de plats co vea sjaw oiw [this is basically what it is like to read a menu or to understand anything here] It is so weird!

Anyways! The Chunnel (super speed train as seen in the first Mission Impossible Movie) was incredible! The smoothest and fastest train I have even experienced. It also gave us some incredible views of both London and Paris! And when we got here we really for the first time felt the language barrier! Nothing was in English and it was crazy!

But we made it to our bus and got to our place by about 8pm. We are staying in a two bedroom apartment that is so gorgeous on the third floor just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. In fact we can see it from the living room. It was sparkling last night! Light a giant sparkler!

We are staying with a woman named Pam. She is so kind and generous. We were welcomed by her and it was so nice seeing someone who spoke English!

For locals dinner doesn't really start till about 9pm so we joined some in this little whole in the wall place. It had one long dining room table that everyone sits at. Kind of like a family and the food was great. We got the "plats de jour" which is the plate of the day (which we didn't have any idea what we were getting) but it ended up being this type of stew with fresh pasta, tomatoes, peppers, and veal! And of course incredible fresh bread! Today we are off to the Louvre and the Arc De Triomphie and maybe a little late picnic in the park at the Eiffel Tower! We love you all and will keep you in touch. We have email access through till Monday while we are hear in Paris! So send us one if you get a chance!

Much love to you all,

Rich & Jen

Cheerio from London!

Ehllo Ladies and Gents!

So we made it to London for the beginning of the Sclafani European Adventure and what an adventure it has been! Crazy drivers, lots of fish and chips, and more. Here is a brief picture of all that we did while in London!

Rode on the "Tube" (the London subway)
Went to the...

• British Library
• St. Pauls
• Tower of London
• Tower Bridge
• Parliament
• Big Ben
• Westminster Abbey
• St James
• The London Eye
• Trafalgar Square

And we took the "Big Bus Tour" which is those double decker tour buses that take you everywhere. They have very hilarious and annimated commentators that tell you so much about the city. It was so fun and interesting! It really puts a new perspective on life and our world. We walked around sites that were built in 1064 - THAT IS OLD!

And at the British Library we saw the oldest existing copies of the Bible that was dated AD 350!!! IS THAT NOT CRAZY!! We also saw the first King James Bible from 1611. We also saw incredible works like da Vinci's notebooks, the Magna Carta, some of Shakespear's original writings and more. It was facinating!

So much it is hard to contain! We are off to Paris today! I'll let you know when we get there all about it! Hope all is well!

Fagetaboutit!

Ok so I forgot to do some blogging while in NY. Please forgive me! My trip was incredible. I love New York except for the 94 degrees and 90% humidity. The best thing about NY is time with mi familia di Sclafani. For those of you who didn't know I was out there for my cousin Melissa's wedding. I was one of the two pastors doing the wedding. What a incredible experience to ministry to my family, to share the love of Christ, and God's purposes for marriage with them. I must say east coast marriages are very different then the west coast Seattle weddings I am use to. I think the food for this wedding cost twice as much as my whole wedding budget. Not to mention the fact that there were live pure white doves!

Besides the actual wedding we celebrated the forth of July in New York which was really great and we also spent a few days out on the shore. Which is the next best things to the Hamptons. We were surrounded by multi-million dollar homes, beautiful beaches and board walks, and lots of sunshine.

Jen and I spent lots of time with Grandma Bertha and also got to see my great aunt [who is a nun] Sister Lillian Cornellious Sclafani. They tell the best stories in the world. I even got to see the original papers of my Great Grandparents wedding certificates and my Great Grandpa's papers from when he came here from Sciacca Sicily.

We celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary with an incredible night out on the town including going to a Broadway performance of Fiddler on the Roof which was so awesome!

And the best was being in New York to meet the newest of the Corriston family. Ryan and Amber had a beautiful large baby boy named Toby Patrick Corriston. He is gorgeous and weighs a ton - 9lbs 10oz! OUCH! But they all are doing wonderfully!

Friends, family, weddings, anniversaries, new babies, great stories, big cities, entertaining shows, million dollar homes, and more!

What a trip!

PS: After I figure out how to post pictures I will!

I would like to thank the academy...

I have had the privledge and honor of being one of the counseling interns at Eastside Academy this last school year. My job there was to meet one on one with roughly 10 students every week for counseling. It also included, teaching classes, running a group, and simply being present with these students. I have been so blessed by the experience. I have been encouraged, challenged, and loved by both the staff and the school. I was given the place to be me as a counselor - to explore my styles of practice, and to build authentic relationships with incredible people.

And in all of this I got to see the power of relationships. The power of a listening ear and what a caring/non-judgemental spirit can do in people's lives. I got to see the power of the Gospel. The redeeming power of loving, serving, forgiving, and being with others just as Christ has been with me and the world. I got to see students press on in a journey to becoming clean and sober. Celebrating someone having achieved two weeks of sobriety and others having reached over a year! Experiencing people press forward and accomplishing the goals that they set out to do - finishing school, getting a job, staying away from negative influences, and much more. Seeing people move to a place where they can recognize there strengths and weaknesses and not live into the negative labels that have been put on them. And today I saw 7 of these students graduate from High School. I can't even come close to sharing the emotional rollercoaster it was to see! I love these kids, I am so proud of them, and I am so excited to see where they will go from here!

So with all of that said I would like to personally thank everyone at the academy [Eastside Academy] and its graduating class of 2005 for the many blessings that you have given me! I count it a complete honor to have gotten to know you, learn with you, and most of all to journey with you in all that was an incredible school year! Thank you for providing a place in which authentic living can occur and the redeeming power of the Gospel is felt! May God bless you and keep you and may His face shine upon you and give you all peace!

Define or not to define...

Ok so back to the whole definition of "Christian Music/Artist" thing! After reading the great responses from the post "WHAT MAKES CHRISTIAN MUSIC CHRISTIAN?" I am left with some more thoughts and questions. Why do we need a "definition" of "Christian." I can't honestly put a clear cut definition to Christianity or to whether someone is a Christian or not. I can have my opinions, but can I really know and do I really need to know? I don't think so. And I don't really think God is all about labelling us CHRISTIAN or NON-CHRISTIAN (which is a word that is not even in the Bible). I think God is more concerned about us living the life we were designed to live in relationship with Him. One of justice, mission, mercy, service, sacrifice, and above all unconditional love and forgiveness.

And even more, what difference does it make if a song is "Christian" or by a "Christian Artist" or not? If it speaks truth, it draws me to a deeper understanding of God, or beckons me to worship, isn't that enough?

God influences and uses people for his glory - Christian or not. I think that is what is so amazing to me about being made in the image of God. It is not an option for us to be image-bearers. It is what we do with our image-bearing (of God) selves that is optional. When we come to a personal understanding of who we are and who God is in relationship to us, than we are more able to understand how we are to live! Then through this relationship we can follow His example, His will, His way more realistically.

O.K - talk about a rant... I am done for now! I love this! Somebody talk to me :)

What's your theological worldview?

I found this quiz thanks to Mark O some of the questions are very interesting. Some took a lot of thought for me. I know anyone can make a quiz, but I really liked this one and found it to be very thought provoking.

Here is what they said about me...

"You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this." Emergent/Postmodern 82% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 71% Charismatic/Pentecostal 61% Neo orthodox 61% Reformed Evangelical 50% Roman Catholic 46% Modern Liberal 46% Fundamentalist 43% Classical Liberal 43% What's your theological worldview?

Follow the links above to take the quiz yourself. I think my results would be even stronger taking it again. Some of my answers were a little soft. If you got a few minutes take the quiz and tell me what you think!

Enjoy!

Bono & Christian Music...

So I found this really interesting clip of U2's lead singer [Bono] talking about worship music and "Christian/Gospel" music. I found it on a page from Relevant Magazine's website. I think it adds some great thoughts to ponder along with the last two posts about what makes music "Christian." Here is a quote from it...

"God is interested in truth, and only in truth. And that's why God is more interested in Rock & Roll music than Gospel... If you can't write about what's really going on in the world and your life, because it's all happy-clappy... Is God interested in that? I mean, 'Please, don't patronize Me!'" - An interview with Bono

Listen to the whole clip by clicking here Bono Clip and tell me what you think

Enjoy!

You make the call!

So coming from the last post here is an powerful example of how a "non-Christian" artist can create a beautiful song and how it can speak of the Gospel. Below you will find a clip I used for The Mix! one night for a worship experience. It is VERY powerful and has some strong images, but I think you will enjoy! It is using the song "The Reason" by the band Hoobastank.

I recommend you maximizing the size of the clip to full screen. After you view it tell me what you think and you make the call. Do you think it can 'qualify' as a 'Christian Song?' Click here to view the video...

TheReasonWorshipExperience

What makes Christian music Christian?

As a lover of music, I find myself often falling in love with the lyrics, melodies, and rhythems of songs that are not of the "Christian Music Genre." Sometimes in fact, I find these songs to express the Gospel or good news of the hope of glory and redemption of our souls even more so then most of the music I hear on the "Christian" music stations. Why is that? What makes a song or lyric Christian or not? Is it the writer, is it the words, is it the content, is it the emotions that come from hearing it, or something else? One of the things I love most about The Message is that it is story. And we relate to it because we all have our own story. And for me music is in many ways the creative way people tell the stories of life and the interaction of God within it - through song.

Examples of songs that I believe speak of/illustrate the stories of the Gospel...

I Grieve - Peter Gabriel
God Put a Smile Upon My Face - Coldplay
Devils and Dust - Bruce Springsteen
Sometimes - U2
Blowin In The Wind - Bob Dylan
Save Me - Dave Matthews
Everything - Alanis Morissete
Jesus Walks - Kanye West
The Reason - Hoobastank

I am not saying that every lyric of these songs are "theologically accurate" nor do I believe they need to. I am simply saying that these lyrics/songs/stories speak to the matters of the heart in such a way that causes people to ponder the things of God. AND I LOVE THAT! I could go into this more, but a friend and professor of mine wrote an incredibly good article on this topic. I'd love you to read it and I'd love your thought on this conversation.

Click here to read the article ischristianmusicchristian?

And even more so I would love any songs that you would add to this list [knowing this is no where near complete]. Songs that have nudged you deeper into your walk with God.

Lavalamp Prayer...

So I love the way the emergent church is creative with its exploration of spirituality and spiritual formation. Taking on the traditional concept of light being a sign of hope and the presence of God I found this unique prayer tool. Check it out.

Lavalamp Prayer

National Doughnut Day...

Hey did you know that today is National Doughnut Day! What does that mean to you? Well if you live anywhere near a Krispy Kreme you get YOUR CHOICE of ANY DOUGHNUT in the store FOR FREE! I believe that this day originally started by the Salvation Army back in the day to help honor people who served our country in various ways. But don't quote me on that.

Yesterday I had a doughnut from MIGHTY O's. It was totally organic and vegan. And surprisingly tasty. Anyways, just go eat a free doughnut in honor of this special day!

U2 Thoughts...

Hey just in case you are a lover of all things U2 then you have to check out this blog. It is also located in my list of links. What is cool is that if you go and look at one of the posts from a couple of days ago you will see a comment on the link I has to the worship experience I did with The Mix! about a month ago! If you want to read what they said click here U2Sermons.

And just in case you missed the flash on the song "Sometimes" by U2 and you don't know what I am talking about you can see it by clicking here Sometimes Worship Flash.

Lots of links...

So I finally got around to adding some links to my blog. I'm not finished by any means, but I figured this was good for now. I invite you to check them out. These are a lot of my favorite places on the web to surf. Now I got to figure out how to do pictures!

On another note, today it is a classic beautiful northwest day full of sunshine, blue sky, a slight breeze, and a temperature of about 78. I love Seattle!

Hope you can find time to enjoy!

Got Pope?

Remember the song by the GO-GO's called "We Got The Beat"? It's a classic! Well either way this will help answer the "Got Pope?" question...

We Got A Pope

enjoy!

For the love of llama's...

And now for something completely different...

The Llama Song

enjoy!

So I've been told...

Many of my friends have read the book "Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller and have raved about it. After a good vote by my couples group on what should be our next book we decide to read this one! I am excited to get into it. My wife is reading one of his first books called "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagon Maintainence" which is not in print any longer but is coming out again under a new title..."Through Painted Deserts: Finding God on the Open Road." She loves it so far. Anyways, if you haven't read it or you are thinking about a good book for a small group I found a great resource connected to "Blue Like Jazz" made by Donald himself. It is much more than just questions to ponder, but it also includes some experience projects/assignments that are very cool. And the best part is that it is free to download. So if you are interested in the book, or the study guide you can check it out here... BLUELIKEJAZZ.COM. To get the study guide follow the resource links and click study guide. I'll share some of the conversations that come out of this book later!

I'm left wanting...

So do you ever have those times when you think life will be better if you have certian things? Like life is good, but it could get even better if... Well, I am not saying that I am not content, but there are a number of things that I have been dreaming of. As a result, I have been left wanting, and singing the chorus to 40 by U2 "How Long?"

So here are some of the things I have been dreaming of in no particular order...

1. 60g ipod photo (that looks like the special edition U2 ipod - even though they don't make such a thing)
2. a digital camera
3. The new Coldplay album X and Y
4. My Dad coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ
5. The new Bruse Springsteen album Devils and Dust
6. My youth ministry to have a true hearts desire for outreach
7. Loosing 15 pounds
8. Being able to do the type of work that I love doing and being able to make enough to support my family
9. My new deck on my house to mysteriously appear
10. Having more time/discipline to read all the wonderful books that are my shelves
11. Being able to see my friends more often
12. And while we are on the whole dreaming thing...I would love a Red Land Rover Discovery II SE that gets really good gas mileage that I could simply get by a straight trade for my 87 Subaru GL (yeah right!!!!!!!!)

Hey I can always dream!

The Sounds of Silence...

Sorry for the uncomfortable amount of silence from this blog. I have been busy. My wife's 30th birthday is this Sunday and I am throwing her a big party to celebrate. I decided to do my own homemade Italian Feast, but now that there is over 30 people coming I am realizing what a big job this is going to be. I don't know if you can but try to picture a massive vat of my "special sauce" and a crazy amount of chicken parmigiana cooking for hours! Can you smell it? Oh let me tell you it is glorious!

Another thing that has kept me busy is the youth ministry I am in charge of call The Mix! just had a amazing event called Dodgeball Night! We had over 100 students turn out! I will try to get some pictures for you to gaze at as soon as possible.

The last thing I have been working on is my website for my private counseling practice that I am getting up and running. Honestly I have close to no knowledge of how to build a website, but I found this free website deal and have been working on it. It's not half bad. Once I purchase my own domain it will be splendid. But until then if you would like to see the preview of it you can do so by clicking here Authentic Living. Post some comments and let me know what you think. I'd love to hear from you!

DMB and Frosty's for free...

So after having had an incredible night last night full of great people and incredible music by Better Than Ezra and Dave Matthews Band it just got even better. How you say?

Well, I just got a phone call from my wife who was at home checking the messages and low and behold. The contest we entered last night for tickets to Dave's concert at the Gorge this summer was won by no other than ME!!!

WOW! So Jen and I got another incredible free date with Dave! I can't believe it! Ok, that's enough. But on a lighter note...if you like Dave Matthews Band then I think you will enjoy his new album. I have been listening to it all day.

And on a tasty note...this Friday thru Sunday the burger chain Wendy's is giving away FREE FROSTY'S to everyone no strings attached. Click here for the story. It is a way of saying "thank you" for support during the whole "finger in the chilli deal" that turned out to be a trick. They said they believe Wendy's will end up giving out about 14 million frosty's!

How cool! Or should I say...how frosty!

What a night...

So after a great day at work I came home and picked up my wife. We headed down into Seattle to Kells Irish Pub for the The Mountains Dave Matthews Band CD release party. We enjoyed the beautiful sky line of Seattle and listened to the entire album. After that we headed to Dicks on Capital Hill for some burgers, fries, and shakes! Then we headed to Neumo's a new music venue on Capital Hill for the Better Than Ezra concert. This concert came to us as a most wonderful gift from our friends the Hansons.

THANKS ROD AND KATHY FOR THE WONDERFUL GIFT!!

Both Jen and I love the band but had never seen them in concert before. This place was small and intimate, the sound was quality, and the band ROCKED [and so did Michael Hanson who got to sing on the mic]! We fell deeper in love with the band after the night was done! Our good friend Erin Hanson [who had introduced us to BTE] is a huge fan and now I understand why. She got seranaded to by the lead singer while she was rockin' out in the front row. She and her friend Sarah are heading down to Portland for another concert of theirs tomorrow night!

Again, can you say jelousy?

Now that we are home, smelling like smoke and spilled beer, it is time for bed and at the same time almost time to get up for tomorrow [which is today]. I wish we did nights like this more often. And will post again later about a topic Jen and I had about Christians going to bars and what it means to be missional. Until then go get Dave's new cd and wait a couple of weeks and get the new BTE. You won't be disappointed!

peace out

Heaven and Hell...

One of my most memorable professor's a Mars Hill Graduate School was Brian McLaren. He just came out with a new book that is Part 3 of the New Kind of Christian Trilogy entitled The Last Word And The Word After That: A Tale of Faith, Doubt, and A New Kind of Christian. This book deals more specifically with the conversation about Heaven and hell. I have not had the time to read the book, but to say it has had it's controversial engagements would be an understatement. I thought you might enjoy getting into a internet conversation with him so... Below you will see links to a number of blogs that are hosting him on his "blogtour." You can ask him anything - it is very cool and incredibly interesting! And by the way, all of these blogs are very thought provoking and I encourage you to check them out either way!

1. andrewjones
2. jordancooper
3. jenlemen
4. dwightfriesen
5. paradoxology
6. pomomusings

I hope you enjoy!

I finally did it!

Well it is official! I graduated from Mars Hill Graduate School with a Masters of Arts in Counseling on Saturday! The ceremony was incredible. I will try to figure out how to post pictures asap so you can get a glimpse of what happened. Thanks to all of you for all of your support, prayer, and encouragement along the way!

Sometimes...

Those of you who love U2 like me know the song "Sometimes" on there newest album. I found this great worship flash using the song. I wish I knew how to do this. Anyways I thought you all might like to see it. I am going to be using it at The Mix! next week during our worship/prayer time. Hope you enjoy!

Sometimes Worship Flash

Some Quotes/Thoughts from Doug Pagitt...

The other day I was listening to a conversation led by Doug Pagitt that was done at the National Pastors and Emergent Convention. It was called Spiritual Formation Beyond The Educational Model. It was full of great thought provoking statememts. Here is one that stood out to me...

"Information needs a belief partner - hopes, desires, aspirations, experiences - in order for it to be driven into out hearts, lives and belief system. We aren't people who primarily believe. We're people who primarily hope, dream, desire, and imagine. Most people believe what we believe because we want it to be true not because we have proof that it is true."

Is the education model the best way of teaching/learning spiritual formation? Is providing the best information to people in ways that they can understand the best way of teaching spiritual formation? Is there more ways to be formed other than simply hearing someone tell/teach me?

For example...what if service was something you did before you were "spiritually formed" because it was the actual act that spiritually formed you? What about confession? What if before you becaume a Christian you experienced confession. Not because it is something you do after you become a Christian - but it is one of those acts you do that makes (distinguishes) you a Christian? What is Hospitality is not a nice garnish on our maturity in Christ, but it is one of the very acts we do that leads us to maturity? What if dialog is not something we do simply when we are totally confused, but it is the essential act we do in forming out understandings and theological foundations in the fellowship of other believers?

If we are to become people who live like Christ lived in the world we are to live in the "rhythm of faith" not belief. He says that spiritual formation is not some separate area we must form in life, but that it is actually human formation and what we do to become more like we were designed to be (that is to be like Christ). That being spiritual is not a subset of being human, but that the very act of being human is spiritual.

Chew on that!

I got the hankering...

Tonight I went to a professional soccer game at Quest field. It was the Seattle Sounders vs. the Portland Timbers. I was given a bunch of free tickets and so my wife and I and another 9 friends went together. It was a perfect night, a great group of friends, and a very cool stadium. The one downfall of the night was that the Sounders lost 2-1. I still had a blast and my nephew Matthew (who is 5) came along. It was his first professional game. He totally loved it. This could be a great tradition for him and his Uncle Rich to do together.

Watching the game brought back all kinds of memories. Seeing a couple players that I had played with. Seeing Brian Schmetzer and Bobby Howe coaching. And most of all just watching the game. I wanted to be out on the field playing! I miss it! Overall it was a great night. Now all I have to do is find a team to play for! Got any ideas?

Last night...

On Friday my internship site had its annual fundraising program called "The Big Event." It was set up kind of like Oprah with a host showing different clips of the different guests and then inviting them up to talk to them live. The host was the president of my graduate school, an incredible author/counselor Dr. Dan Allender. What was really incredible was that I got the opportunity to get on stage - just me and Dan to help set the tone for the evening. We were talking, cracking jokes, sharing stories, etc. in front of a ton of people. I felt so honored to have this opportunity to represent both Eastside Academy and Mars Hill Graduate School. But even more so was the incredible priviledge it was to share the stage with with Dr. Dan Allender. This is a man that I have learned so much from, and a man that has modeled many things that I now long to live out. He is a friend and one that I have the utmost respect for. And I got to share the spotlight with him and help others to laugh. This truly was a memorable moment!

I can't believe it...

Today on my way home from meeting with clients all day at Eastside Academy I stopped by Mars Hill Graduate School to pick up my cap and gown and tickets for my graduation! May 7, 2005 I do the graduation walk. It is starting to sink in!

What are the odds???

So this last weekend U2 was here in Seattle doing a couple of shows at the Key Arena. They were sold out so I couldn't go! LAME!

The stage was set up right in the center of the arena so everyone could see them more equally. But they had a section of seats called "THE INNER CIRCLE" which they filled randomly as people showed up to the show. So here is where it gets crazy...out of the 12 people I know that got to go to one of the shows 10 got randomly picked to be in the inner circle. Two of which (Bernd & Gerd) were dead center first row. And not only that, but they got to shake hads with Bono! Is that not AWESOME!?!

Can you say "jealousy" and "envy"?

U2 lyrics that move my soul...

I must own the fact that I will never be able to write like Bono. But thankfully God created Bono to help express some of the glories of language and its ability to paint pictures. For some reason this song has really been my hearts cry and I can't get enough of its lyrics. THE LOUDER THE BETTER!

Miracle Drug - Off of "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"

I want to trip inside your head
Spend the day there
To hear the things you haven't said
And see what you might see

I want to hear you when you call
Do you feel anything at all?
I want to see your thoughts take shape
And walk right out

Freedom has a scent
Like the top of a new born baby's head

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I've seen enough, I'm not giving up
On a miracle drug

Of science and the human heart
There is no limit
There is no failure here sweetheart
Just when you quit

I am you and you are mine
Love makes nonsense of space
And time will disappear
Love and logic keep us clear
Reason is on our side, love

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I've had enough of romantic love
I'd give it up, yeah, I'd give it up
For a miracle
A miracle drug (a miracle drug)

God I need your help tonight

Beneath the noise
Below the din
I hear your voice
It's whispering

In science and in medicine
I was a stranger
You took me in

The songs are in your eyes
I see them when you smile
I've had enough of romantic love
Yeah, I'd give it up
Yeah, I'd give it up
For a miracle

Miracle drug
Miracle Miracle drug

Something to work on...

Two things that I realize I need to work on in my life came up the other day in one of my classes at Mars Hill Graduate School. The first came in the form of a quote that went like this...

"Is your comfort more important than someone else's pain?" - unknown

How easy it is for me to hear and not listen and to simply try to "Pastor" someone out of whatever it is they are going through. I think I am doing that for them, but it really is about me not being comfortable with sitting with someone in the midst of their pain. I want to be a man who knows how to empathize with others. Which leads me to the second area I need to work on. This time coming from a definition...

Empathy: “Ability to put oneself in another person’s place; to understand how someone perceived the world and how those perceptions affect the person’s feelings.”

I know I can guess what it would be like to be in someone else's shoes, but to actually seek understanding from that person as to what it is like for them and to allow myself to experience all of the pain is very uncomfortable.

I have come to realize that this practice of empathy is not only necessary, it is redemptive. It is the living out of the Gospel. It is a true expression of sacrificial love! Me sacrificing my comfort (which I love) for someone else's pain.

Here is a quote...

I have been going through this book called "Renovation of the Heart Student Edition" by Dallas Willard in my youth ministry. It is not bad so far. In the book it used a quote from the Matrix where Morpheous is talking to Neo. It goes like this...

"Neo, sooner or later you are going to realize just like I did that there is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path."

This quote made for some good discussion at The Mix! but was even more engaging when I shared it in one of my counseling groups with students at Eastside Academy. They loved it, because they are struggling with addictions to drugs and/or alcohol, and for some reason the movie and the leading up to this quote seemed to have an impact.

This quote addresses the issues of knowing truth and truly experiencing truth. I believe Jesus, put it like this... "Then you will experience for yourself the truth. And the truth will set you free." John 8:32 The Message

Day one...

It is true. I Rich Sclafani have decided to try a blog. It is my hope that you will engage life with me in all its glory, joys, pains, dance, confusion, songs, stories, and laughter!

I chose text.soul.culture as my blog title. It comes from my education at Mars Hill Graduate School. The school in which I am about to graduate from with a Masters of Arts in Counseling. The idea I have is to share the thoughts, questions, irks, frustrations, convictions, and beliefs that I have with regards to these categories. I chose the quote from FBDO because it is one of my all time favorite movies and it has been a life practice of mine ever since I first saw the movie. If you have not seen it you are missing out!

That's it for know. Thanks for visiting my site. I look forward to journeying together. Who knows where this will go?!?