The Gods Aren't Angry...

Rob Bell is doing another tour and he's coming to the Moore Theater in November!

Check it out...

TGAA.TOUR

Video Killed the Radio Star by The Wrong Trousers

OOOHHH, the 80's what a time it was! I found this to be so cool to see some visually nerdy students rock this 80's classic out of the park! Enjoy!

Oh and if you want to hear more from The Wrong Truousers check out there myspace

On another note...

One of my favorite radio stations is 103.7 The Mountain. And today on the morning show's 9 @ 9 they did what they believe are the 9 best music videos of all time. And posted all of them to view. I thought it was pretty cool and interesting to see. I'm not sure I could come up with my top five - and I'm don't agree with all of them, but the U2 one is awesome and the Fatboy slim has always been one of my fav's!

Anyways,

Click here to see all of them... 9 @ 9 - 9 Best Music Videos Of All Time

Yesterday...

So I know many of your are familiar with Shane Claiborne and The Simple Way. If you haven't read his book or listened to him speak I highly recommend looking him up.

This is clip is a view of what happened to much of the community he works with/lives in yesterday. It is crazy - people are homeless, jobs and equipment lost, and great heartache. Please keep them in your prayers and follow the links it learn more about how you can help them financially/prayerfully!

May God's peace reign around them during this time!

Here is the post from last night...

6/20/07 11:25PM (UPDATED)

This morning, a 7-alarm fire consumed an abandoned warehouse in our Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia. The Simple Way Community Center at 3200 Potter Street was destroyed as well as at least eight of our neighbors’ homes. Over 100 people were evacuated from their homes, and 400 families are currently without power. Despite this tragedy, we are incredibly thankful to share that all of our community members and every one of our neighbors is safely out of harm’s way.

This fire will forever change the fabric of our community. Eight families are currently homeless, and in many cases have lost their vehicles as well as their homes. One of our neighbors, the Mahaias Family, lost their three cars as well as the equipment one family member uses for her massage therapy business. Teenager Brian Mahaias is devastated not because he has lost his belongings, but because he fears that this fire will force him to move away from this neighborhood that is his family as well as his home.

The Simple Way has lost a community center that was home to our Yes! And… afterschool program, community arts center, and Cottage Printworks t-shirt micro-business as well as to two of our community members. Community members Shane Claiborne and Jesce Walz have lost all of their belongings, Yes!And…’s after school studio and library were ruined, and community member Justin Donner’s Cottage Printworks equipment and t-shirts were destroyed.

We are thankful that we are able to help each other during this time of need, and we will continue to keep your informed about today’s events.

We have established funds to support the families who have lost their homes, the Yes! And… afterschool program, and the Simple Way community.

These funds have been established through a partner organization, EAPE. Tax-deductible donations can be made at http://tonycampolo.org/simpleway_donation.php. Please make sure to designate “TSW-Kensington Families Fund” or “TSW-Rebuilding Fund”.

-The Simple Way Community

My Top 5...

So recently I was tagged by a dear friend with regards to my top 5 restaurants. I'm struggling with this because I have to many to choose from. It's hard to narrow it down, but for now here are my five in no particular order. They vary from romantic, to bars, to hip, to cheap, to large quantities. I tried to add my favorite menu item, but in some cases I truly believe that you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Here you go...

Rich's Top 5 Restaurants...

Marzano’s Italian Restaurant
Gabianno Chianti, Antipasto Platter, Chicken Gorgonzola, Tiramisu
(anything on the menu)
516 Garfield St, Parkland (PLU) 253 537-4191

Fisherman’s
Crab Feast
1301 Alaskan Way, Seattle 98101 (206) 623-3500

Tub’s Gourmet Subs
The Firecracker
11064 Lake City Way NE # 16, Seattle, WA 98125 (206) 361-1621

Pazzo’s Restaurant & Bar
Elaine’s Big Salad and the Sicilian or Carciofo Calzone
2307 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102 (206) 329-6558

Chinoise Asian Grill
(anything on the menu)
1618 N 45th St Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 633-1160

Me, Me, Me, Me, Me

The following to clips "me.church & me.worship" crack me up and make me really frustrated at the same time. I find them funny because of how crazy they are, and yet I find them so frustrating because it feels like these are too close to reality.

It makes me think of the church that I serve at called Calvary Chapel Seattle. We are currently looking into a new possible building situation, and it is just so interesting to see responses we get. The point is to find a place in which we can plant ourselves so we can have a long term serving presence in the community, but shockingly and surprizingly most of the comments against have to do with the person directly and what they don't like. Honestly, even as I say that I don't think there are that many that feel strongly against this, but it is clearly part of our "me" culture. I hope all is well with you and that you enjoy these two clips!

Me Church

Me Worship

Women In Art

I thought this was simply beautiful. What do you think?

Did You Know; Shift Happens - Globalization; Information Age

WOW! For more on this see www.deepshift.org

This is amazing!

Yahweh - U2 - Fear Or Love...

fear or love...

Not For Sale Campaign Video

I'm speechless

Mother's Day

Working with teens for the last 12ish years always surprizes me at how little kids do to honor their moms. This is what I imagine many of my kids doing! Enjoy!

The Worship Industry

This is a clip from Brian McLaren. He is someone who has taught me a lot about church, Christianity, and life. I had him as a prof at MHGS and even went out with him for a beer. This video was put out by a company called "The Work Of The People." I recommend you check them out for other great resources.

I'd love your thoughts about the content of this clip too.

Women In Christianity...

I'd love your thoughts on this video. Made by Jennifer at MYTRUESELF. Here’s jennifer’s first post about the video. then, jen’s follow-up post, responding to the accusation that her video was hateful toward men. i just don’t see this. i think the video is a beautiful piece of provacotive art, with (as is often true in good art) some pain juxtoposed by beauty. Note: this is a quote from marko, but it spoke of my thoughts as well.

And now for something completely different...

Thanks to MSHEDDEN for this. I love Steven Delopoulos and had not seen this video. It's called "The Ruin Of The Beast" It's odd and haunting and yet at the same time it has some light and encouragement for me. I'm wondering as you watch this what you think this is about. What is the "beast?"

The Story - Brandi Carlile Round 2

Let's see if this video works!

Have you all heard this song by Brandi Carlile? My girl can sing! I love the way this song speaks to the idea of being able to tell the stories that are on our face. And in a sense how we were made for relationship - or made to tell our stories! I dig her website too. Anyways I can't help but want to rock out every time I hear this song and she starts to kick it out!

Here are the lyrics...

"The Story" - By Brandi Carlile

All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you

I climbed across the mountain tops
Swam all across the ocean blue
I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules
But baby I broke them all for you
Because even when I was flat broke
You made me feel like a million bucks
Yeah you do and I was made for you

You see the smile that's on my mouth
Is hiding the words that don't come out
And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed
They don't know my head is a mess
No, they don't know who I really am
And they don't know what I've been through but you do
And I was made for you...

Did you know...

That it is 31 cent ice cream scoop night at 31 Flavors!

Click here for the details!

31CENTSCOOP

A Good Soldier?

Does this bother anybody else? I didn't count, but I'm curious as to how many times Mark says the word "man." The context of this is a large church planting conference in which Mark has spoken at before this time around instead of being there, he worked on putting together this video. Afterwards, Bill Hybels of Willow Creek made a comment pointing out the incredible impact of women pastors and as a result got a standing ovation. The conference decided not to pass out copies of the video. I'm curious what you all think of this? You can read more about this at Mark's blog

Don't get me wrong I do really like Mark, I just don't understand why he consistent speaks in the manner that he does. The third part of this is about the importance of the message...and yet once again Mark has done a poor job of communicating and has offended many. Bummer. It makes me think of bullhorn guy if you know what I mean.

The Global "Rich"

DID YOU KNOW...

The world's 225 richest people now have a combined wealth of $1 trillion. That's equal to the combined annual income of the world's 2.5 billion poorest people!

Have you ever wondered about how you live your life with regards to your income? Maybe you find yourself wanting something really bad right now, but don't have the cash. You think if only I was rich? Here is a cool website to transform your perspective on your finances. I found out that I was in the top 1.72 richest people in the world! WOW! I always knew from birth that I was Rich, but I didn't realize I was also loaded!

Check it out for your self and see how rich you are! GLOBALRICH

Why did Jesus Christ die on the cross...

So this last Easter at Calvary Chapel we did our Easter sermon a little different. In stead of having one staff do it we did a type of tag team and broke it up throughout the service. We decided to address the question "why did Jesus Christ die on the cross?" We came up with three answers that I think answer it well. I don't think these are the only answers, but I think it made for an incredible Easter Sunday. I was the last of the three - the closer if you will. All three of our discussions were 10 minutes max. Mine was about 8 minutes.

Here is a link to it if you'd like to listen. I'd love your thoughts...

Question: "Why did Jesus Christ die on the cross?"
Click here to listen to my answer: "For the Glory of God the Father"

BTW - I'd love your feedback too!

For the other two answers where were "as a ransom for many" and "for the joy set before Him" you can follow this link... CCMISCSERMONS

U2CHARIST...

I am really looking forward to this...

Unforgettable Fire - A Eucharist for Justice with the music of U2

WHEN: SUNDAY, MAY 27 'U2CHARIST' WORSHIP, 5 PM
WHERE: ST MARK'S EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL 1245 10th Ave E Seattle, WA 98102
WHY: To particpate in God's healing and renewal of human life and community, praying and working for justice, peace, and integrity of creation that reflect God's desires for us and our world.

eucharist+prayers+justice+peace+action+art+learning+purpose+motivation

FAG: Sponsored by Church of the Apostles - 0ffering taken for poverty and Darfur relief.

READ ABOUT 'U2CHARISTS' CLICK HERE

DOWNLOAD THE U2CHARIST PRESS RELEASE HERE

Ignored Beauty

How often do you we ignor beauty? I thought this was very powerful.

I love this day...

It's "Free Cone Day" at Ben & Jerry's. You can click HERE to see where you can find a participating store near you!

ENJOY!

Einstein & Faith...

Here is an interesting article on the brilliant mind of Einstein and his exploration of faith that was in TIME magazine. I thought you all might enjoy reading...

Click here to read the article... EINSTEIN+FAITH

God and Doctors...

I thought this was interesting...

A new study has found that a majority of doctors in America believe that God or a supernatural being intervenes in patients' health. Part of the nationwide research found that many doctors think that religion can help prevent negative outcomes from medical problems. One doctor quoted in the story said that all doctors have seen cures "that don't make sense based on our current understanding of physiology or medicine"

The Power Of Story...

So as a husband, friend, counselor, pastor, coworker, neighbor, etc. I have always found it quite humbling to sit and listen to people's stories. It is incredible to hear people share the ups and downs of life and the impact it has had on who they are. I have found myself more and more drawn to scripture when I read it as story for this same reason. And lately some books that have impacted me on this topic have been "To Be Told" by Dan Allendar, "Epic" by John Eldredge, "Experiential Story Telling" by Mark Miller, and "Messy Spirituality" by Mike Yaconelli. All of which I recommend, but this movie just added to the power of story...

Enjoy!

Brilliant...

My friend Beau is an amazing web designer all-around creative character. Everything he creates turns to gold. He just put up his new site and I must say bravo!

click here to see it...

BEAU

Evan Almighty...

So I just finished a series for TG called "God According to Bruce Almighty" it was awesome and today this comes out! It is the next movie in the "Almight" stories. It is like a modern day Noah's Ark with Steve Carrel and others. I can't wait! Tell me what you think!

Video #1



Video #2

Top Speed

Contrary to the beliefs of many my Subaru can not do this! This is so crazy! I want to do it!

The Doxology...

I don't know about you, but I love the words to the Doxology song. At CC we tend to sing it often as a congregation. It is always a beautiful moment of accapella type unity. But did you know that the typical four lines to the song are actually one of many verses to the full song and that it isn't even the first verse? I never really even gave it a thought, but learned it recently. I find just reading the words to be powerful. The doxology came from an anglican priest in england (named thomas ken)who wrote it in the 17th century!

I'd love your thoughts on these lyrics.

Here they are...
I encourage you to read them slowly and to pause between verses.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Thy precious time misspent, redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem,
Improve thy talent with due care;
For the great day thyself prepare.

By influence of the Light divine
Let thy own light to others shine.
Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways
In ardent love, and cheerful praise.

In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King.

All praise to Thee, Who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless light partake.

Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of Thee.

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew.
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with Thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
All I design, or do, or say,
That all my powers, with all their might,
In Thy sole glory may unite.

I would not wake nor rise again
And Heaven itself I would disdain,
Wert Thou not there to be enjoyed,
And I in hymns to be employed.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Be Good or Be Gone, Fionn Regan

i thought this was a cool video and i really enjoy the song too! how about you?

2 Conferences...

Here are 2 conferences that I will be participating in coming the end of March and the end of April. If you can you should try to come too! Those involved include Brian McLaren, Karen Ward, Eugene Cho, Scott McKnight, Dwight Friesen, Rose Madrid-Swetman, Todd Hunter, and more!


#1 missional matrix/





#2 missional learning day

Over The Rhine Hallelujah

Words cannot express how much I really needed this song's reminder this week!

life moves...

In the last few days I have experiened community, joy, laughter, frustration, hurt, deep loss of a dear friend who passed away, visions for the future, communion with other saints, anger, rest, tears, deception, the fall of an amazing man, shock, love, questioning, counseling, leadership, the problems of evil, grace, and then I read the following post from Eugene Cho which really hit me in my role as a pastor.

the issue is very simple: the ministerial profession (life as pastors) is now considered one of the most dangerous or unhealthiest profession. it’s usually rated last or second to last. nice.

Read this:

48% of them think their work is hazardous to their family’s well being. Another 45.5% will experience burnout or depression that will make them leave their jobs. And 70% say their self-esteem is lower now than when they started their position. They have the 2nd highest divorce rate among professions.

Who are they? They are pastors…[read the full article]

While I love being a pastor and even more, being called to be a pastor, I want folks to know how incredibly difficult it is at times to handle the complexities and stress of being a minister. Finally, at the age of 36, I feel more at peace at how to create boundaries, love my church, deeply care for my wife and children, but I worry that I am failing my staff and pastors at the church I planted 5+ years ago. They are such amazing people who have given and sacrificed so much because of their love for Jesus, this church, and their partnership with me.

Want to read more overwhelming statistics:

* 80% of pastors say they have insufficient time with spouse and that ministry has a negative effect on their family.
* 40% report a serious conflict with a parishioner once a month.
* 33% say that being in ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
* 75% report they’ve had significant stress-related crisis at least once in their ministry.
* 58% of pastors indicate that their spouse needs to work either part time or full time to supplement the family income.
* 56% of pastors’ wives say they have no close friends.
* Pastors who work fewer than 50 hrs/week are 35% more likely to be terminated.
* 40% of pastors considered leaving the pastorate in the past three months.

Simply, pastors are underpaid, underappreciated, and at times, undermined. My point is very simple: Please care, pray, and love your pastors (and church staff) in your local churches. Seriously, give them a nice payraise, more time off, regular opportunities to get away for even a day retreat to pray, buy them some dinner certificates, honor their spouses, love their children, and regularly share your appreciation and affirmation.

So why would I even want to be a pastor, to put my family through all of this? Good question. The truth is in the midst of all that I have experienced in these last days God has been there through it all. In both the glorious and the places of darkness and depravity there is redemption. I so long for everyone no matter where they are in there jouney of life to be able to experience the truth of this.

I can't imagine anyone going through life without it.

And because of this I am still a pastor.

Tribute to Bono

This is a cool tribute to Bono's story - both his individual and global impact on our world. I don't care so much for Chris Tucker words, but even his testimony shows the personal influence he has on everyone he has contact with. I love that!

Bono's Acceptance Speech

My boy Bono does it again! What a great speech. How can you not be inspired?

This sounds awesome...

Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard has announced plans for a solo tour. David Bazan will open on the 16-stop ride that kicks off May 3 ...

This makes me think of Jamie

Beautiful consistency...

I love this! I got this post from ysmarko's blog. This is amazing. I have been doing youth ministry for 12+ years now and I still long to see a group of students have this kind of impact. This is awesome...

Read on...

"beautiful example of consistency"

i am simply blown away by the quiet, simple, consistent ministry of dave merk and a bunch of high school and college students from the church i attend in san diego. no one’s heard of dave outside of our church; and, frankly, the guy’s so humble that if the teaching pastor hadn’t had him on stage for an interview a couple weeks ago, most people in our church wouldn’t know who he is either. but what dave has done is nothing short of remarkable.

tonite is the 200th consecutive friday night (that means in a row, without missing any) that dave and these students have taken peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to homeless people in downtown san diego. that’s almost four years. they gather on friday evening, make 250 sandwiches, drive down to san diego (we’re about 20 minutes from downtown), hand them out on the same corners, and talk to people. they call their ministry “hope for the homeless.” the power of this ministry, in my opinion, is in a few non-flashy, stunningly simple distinctives:

1. they’re dependable. homeless people in san diego know that every friday night, their high school and college-age friends will be in the same place, waiting for them.

2. they’re not a feeding ministry, really; they’re a ministry of restoring or offering dignity. here’s one of the things dave said in that little interview a couple weeks ago that brought a lump to my throat:

“part of our problem is that we tend to see peoples’ lives as static — that the way they are now must be how they’ve been their whole life. our ministry isn’t PB&J sandwiches — it’s a ministry of restoring dignity. i tell the students every week: the homeless spend their entire day having people look down or look away to avoid eye contact. whatever we do, we need to look them in the eyes. we need to listen to their stories. we are going to say, ‘you deserve our consistency, you deserve to be treated with dignity.”

3. they minister in humility. there’s no media, no cameras, no press releases. they don’t have a website. they’re not pushing a program or a national agenda or even begging people do join them. they’re just making 250 pb&j sandwiches, every single week no matter what the weather, looking homeless people in the eye, and listening to their stories.

i want to be dave merk when i grow up. can there be any better youth ministry discipleship ministry that what dave has provided for the students who go with him?

Pretty cool...

I can't even imagine how much time it took to film this, but it is awesome! Especially if you appreciate a talented skateboarder!

Click here to see for yourself: Human.Skateboard

Sex God Tour...

Rob Bell's new book comes out soon. It is called Sex God you can read a chapter of it and find out about the tour that he is doing with it. He is coming to the U of W campus next week for a free session in Kane Hall.

For more information click here SEX.GOD.TOUR

Good read...

If you want to learn more about the tradition/meaning behind Lent than follow this link LENT.INFO

Note...

Those of you who went to download the "LENT GUIDE" from the link below in the previous post and found that it was a publisher file can now print it as a pdf. I made the changes to help you all out. Make sure you read the notes on how to print it out to read it properly. I hope you all are having a wonderful Ash Wednesday as you enter into Lent!

peace in Jesus,

Rich

Ash Wednesday, Lent, & Fasting...

Depending on which set of statistics you believe, American consumers use somewhere between 15 and 40 percent of the world's resources, despite having about 5 percent of the world's population. Lent is a good time to reflect on this fact and ask how we might change this.

One of the most dominant gospel stories is the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Although I am unable to explain the story logically, it seems that somehow Christ was able to take a small offering and turn it into enough for all. And perhaps, for those who are considering what it means to be a follower of God in the Way of Jesus, this might be a guiding narrative for us. Perhaps, instead of living with the fear of never having enough, we could find a way to rest in God's goodness and learn to be content.

At CC and TG we have been studying the parables and of late we have been looking at the great banquet and the cost of discipleship in Luke 14. It has been amazing to see that not only is there this free invitation for all to the Kingdom of God, but there is a level of commitment as well. We are not simply to respond to an RSVP and say we will be there, we have to show up and participate.

In the section about the cost of discipleship it is clear that we are to count the cost - to think about it - knowing that sacrifice will be necessary. But what is it that we sacrifice in our current culture? The parable brings up the issue of allegence and who or what should be our priority. The picture is that Christ should be above all - even family - which particularly back then in Jewish culture was an enormous sacrifice. But what about today?

I think one of the biggest things we as a culture have to be willing to consider is the use of our time. Our culture is not content, we do not rest, and we are always wanting more. This lack of contentment pushes us towards business and this business distracts us to the point that our relationship with God becomes a limited prayer for meals and if we're really commited we'll even show up to church.

What about one on one time with God? What about silence and solitude? As my blog quotes Ferris Beuller "life moves pretty fast, if we don't stop and look around once and a while we could miss it" our lives have gotten so busy from a lack of contentment that we have no time for God and we're missing our life as it flies by. The other thing that I have found is that not only are we busy in action, but in thought. As a result, it is very difficult to find times of complete silence. Cause even in our physical silence are minds are silently thinking about all that we have to do [or should be doing].

So this year I am going to try to fast from business and noise. I am going to try to allow for more space in my schedule for God both in physical time [less work appts after hours]and in solitude [silence - less music, tv, etc]. The other thing I feel God is calling me to do with my space for God is to be more focused on relationships with those in my community. So pray for me as we see how to do so with our neighbors!

Just some things I've been pondering. If you would like a free downloadable guide/journal for lent I have one for you. It was made by Rob Bell who does the nooma videos and is the lead pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in MI. There is another free downloadable resource that goes along with the nooma video entitled noise which is a great way to enter lent. Just follow the link below. I hope all is well and that God will bless you with rest, space, and his peace!

Lent.Resources
note: you will have to scroll down on the page a bit to find it

The Police 2007 Reunion

They did not let me down! And man if I could be in as good of shape as sting - and my boy is almost twice my age! Crazy!

Get Ready...

Ok, so I know I have not posted pictures of my little Glady girl in quite a while so get ready for some! I hope you enjoy. The other lovely lady is my beautiful wife Jen. I am so blessed to have these two women in my life. I am constantly blown away that God would surround me with such beauty every day!

Be warned...

The cuteness factor is going to be extremely high!

 

My Ladies...

 

 

 

 

 

My Girls!

 

Make Trade Fair campaign

coldplay's chris martin: two fingers of poverty trip diary

Johnny Cash God's Gonna Cut You Down

What do you love about this?

I'm so pumped...

One of my all time favorite bands is making a come back for a 30th anniversary.

I can't wait!

What is the band you ask? THE.POLICE

De Do Do Do
De Da Da Da
That's all I want to say to you!

Free Hugs Campaign...

I LOVE THIS!

Inconvenient Controversy...

Did you hear about this? The film An Inconvenient Truth will not be shown at a Seattle public school after an angry dad sent an email to school administrators calling the movie propaganda and saying that global warming is "one of the signs" of Christ's return on Judgment Day. The letter has set off a fire storm among other parents and the administration, who are now angry that the film is not being shown ...

You can read more about this by clicking here INCONVENIENT.CONTROVERSY

Conan - iPhone Commercial

I had no idea that the iphone had so many abilities! I can't wait!

Rodrigo y Gabriela 2006-12-18 (Letterman)

I'm diggin' these two!

Your Welcome Stockholm...

Get ready to laugh...

BLADES.OF.GLORY

Desire...

I want one of these...

check.it

Parable Of The Treasure & The Pearl....

Hey all,

This is a bit tough for me to do, but recently I did my first sermon at CC. Even though I have done a tons of them as a pastor, I still find it very personal to share my words with others, but my church posts mp3s of our sermons so there isn't much to hide. First off, I think the lead pastor of my church is a great speaker and I highly recommend him along witht the rest of the staff.

So basically, if you are interested you are welcome to listen and I'd love your thoughts. I find the best way to learn, grow, and mature is to share. And with that I will give you all my critiques of myself ahead of time.

First, I went a bit long. I planned for 30-35 minutes, and ended up at 49 minutes. Oops! I don't think it feels that long, but none the less it was.

Second, I shared an opening store about my morning that went well, but cut into my time - hence the 49 minutes.

Third, I was given the job of tackling a text for a one time shot. Normally we take a parable/story and look at it for three weeks. Week 1 textual analysis, week two a type of reflection/challenge/application for individuals and week 3 some type of creative interplay of the text, soul, and culture that pushes us outward. Since I was doing a text that was a one time shot, I felt a draw to do a bit of all three. This was not a pressure put on me by my staff, but simply my own sense for the text. So with that my last critique is that I felt my lack of comfort in the beginning with the textual analysis. Not so much because of a lack of understanding or anything. The text is actually pretty self explanatory and known, but more because of this being my first time in front of this group of people whom I have already grown to love and the sense of unknown as to wheather or not they already knew this information. I know that I shared new thought provoking information on the text, but since it was what I started with it naturally wasn't as comfortable. I felt I got into my grow as we progressed.

Final thought on this was that again with the time I would have liked to have not done my intro story and had a bit more time with the movie clips. By the way the clips are recorded so you can at least hear them.

OK! That was a long post, but it helps to think and reflect on this. Again if you have the time I'd love your thoughts as well! So here it is, thanks for your input! I really do appreciate it!

RS.SERMON.PARABBLEOFTHETREASUREANDTHEPEARL

Question...

Why is it that everytime I find a cool youtube clip to post it tells me that it will show up on my blog "shortly" but never does? Man.... funk that!

Bad Old School Song Flashback :)

But seriously, I'd love any ideas of how to make this work again!

Thanks,

Rich

Interesting...

The Christianity research group The Barna Group has listed its choices for the "12 Most Significant Religious Findings from 2006 Surveys." The list includes some pretty interesting stats about church attendance, the prominence of witchcraft-related activities in teens and the growth of the "Christian Revolutionary" movement in America ...

The Leak...

You can listen to the entire new album from Switchfoot at MTV's The Leak before it hits stores the day after Christmas. I thought those of you who are fans would enjoy! Merry Christmas!

Rocky and Faith...

Here's a story about how Sylvester Stallone is talking with Christian leaders about how his rediscovered faith influenced Rocky Balboa, which hit theaters this week. The studio even launched RockyResources.com, a site that provides churches with ministry resources related to the film ...

Interesting Article...

Children think pop stars are more important than God. A survey taken in the U.K. of children under the age of 10 found that being a celebrity is "the best thing in the world." The 1,500 kids polled also ranked good looks and wealth high on the list. "God" ranked 10th ...

I got this from Relevant. It is interesting to see how culture has had such an impact on the way people see and live life.

Deep loss...

I found out my Grandma Sclafani passed away today. I think I am still in shock. She was such an amazing woman and I can't believe she's gone. I leave for New York for a two day wake and a funeral in which literally hundreds will come to pay their respects. Pray for my family and I as we journey through this loss.

May God's peace be evident in the midst of this difficult time!

I love you Grandma! You will be greatly missed!

Sounds good to me...

There is a new book coming out that I am excited to read. It is by Len Sweet called "The Gospel According to Starbucks Living With A Grande Passion." I don't think it comes out till January, but if you have ever read any of Sweet's stuff it is usually good and stimulating. He has this thing that he believes that we are designed for called EPIC. That we are Experimential, Paricipatory, Image-based, and Connective. And in this book he looks at Starbucks as an example of how we as humans made in the image of God live into this reality.

I don't know about you, but a book on theology and Starbucks sounds good to me!

Thought provoking...

One of the books I have been recently been diving into is called "Satan & The Problem of Evil: Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy" by Gregory Boyd. It is not an easy read, but it is well written. It is one of those books you want to take your time and really think about what it is saying. But the bottom line is that it has been really good. It has helped me as a counselor/pastor to think about the lame "classic" answers people - particularly Christians and pastors give to issues of evil, sin, and difficulties that come from living in a fallen world.

Here is the book description from Amazon

Book Description

Where does evil come from?

If there is a sovereign creator God, as Christian faith holds, is this God ultimately responsible for evil?

Does God's sovereignty mean that God causes each instance of sin and suffering?

How do Satan, his demons and hell fit into God's providential oversight of all creation and history?

How does God interact with human intention and action?

If people act freely, does God know in particular every human decision before the choice is made? In this important book Gregory A. Boyd mounts a thorough response to these ages-old questions, which remain both crucial and contentious, both practical and complex.In this work Boyd defends his scripturally grounded trinitarian warfare theodicy (presented in God at War) with rigorous philosophical reflection and insights from human experience and scientific discovery. Critiquing the classical Calvinist solution to the problem of evil, he advocates an alternative understanding of the sovereignty of the trinitarian God and of the reality of Satan that sheds light on our fallen human condition. While all may not agree with Boyd's conclusions, Satan and the Problem of Evil promises to advance the church's discussion of these critical issues.

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If you are a pastor or a counselor, or someone who like me, is also sick of those "classic/no theological foundational" type answers here is another book Boyd has written you might like. I have heard it is good.

"Is God to Blame?: Moving Beyond Pat Answers to the Problem of Evil" by Gregory Boyd.

Interesting Neuroscience Experiment...

Here is a link to a study that is very interesting. It looks at the brain's activity in the midst of someone speaking in tongues. The study finds that the part of the brain that is active when people engage in activity on purpose experiences diminished activity when they speak in tongues. You can read all about it by following the link.

EXPERIMENT

Following and being like...

I am always asking myself how to describe what it means to be a disciple, follower, apprentice of Jesus Christ. I found this interesting link the other day and thought I post it. It is from The Jesus Dojo at REIMAGINE. Let me know what you think of it...

Qualities/Description of an Apprentice of Jesus Christ...

1. An apprentice of Jesus lives with a sense of legacy and destiny.
2. An apprentice of Jesus practices desert reflection.
3. An apprentice of Jesus practices radical repentance.
4. An apprentice of Jesus makes a public statement of their commitment to live in reverence towards God (ie. Baptism).
5. An apprentice of Jesus practices abstinence from normal consumption and activity in order to strengthen spiritual clarity and resolve.
6. An apprentice of Jesus is aware of both human physical needs and desires and intangible spiritual realities.
7. An apprentice of Jesus resists the urge to obtain power and authority in human kingdoms through surrender to God.
8. An apprentice of Jesus resists the desire for status and reputation through humility.
9. An apprentice of Jesus seeks the good of reverent people and does not depend on religious institutions or groups for validation.
10. An apprentice of Jesus identifies with the poor, imprisoned, blind, and oppressed and seeks their liberation and restoration.
11. An apprentice of Jesus communicates God’s favor for all people.
12. An apprentice of Jesus deals graciously with rejection.
13. An apprentice of Jesus proclaims repentance and forgiveness.
14. An apprentice of Jesus seeks healing and restoration for people.
15. An apprentice of Jesus cultivates oneness with the creator through prayer and solitude.
16. An apprentice of Jesus fulfills their missional purpose in partnership with others.
17. An apprentice of Jesus makes friends with social outcasts and eats with them.
18. An apprentice of Jesus embraces a freedom beyond socially determined religious regulation
19. An apprentice of Jesus embraces and rejoices in suffering insult and exclusion.
20. An apprentice of Jesus is suspicious of comfort and global good reputation.
21. An apprentice of Jesus loves their enemies, blesses and prays for them and shows their shows mercy and does not retaliate.
22. An apprentice of Jesus has a merciful non-judgemental approach to people that is free to forgive.
23. An apprentice of Jesus hears and practices the teaching and speaks and lives in what is fruitful and good.
24. An apprentice of Jesus looks for goodness and faith in unexpected places
25. An apprentice of Jesus reveals and conceals through storytelling.
26. An apprentice of Jesus is not afraid but has faith in God.
27. An apprentice of Jesus utilizes the power and authority of God.
28. An apprentice of Jesus lives ready to die—with an intensity of self denial.
29. An apprentice of Jesus welcomes children and learns to be blind to status.
30. An apprentice of Jesus is resolute in their commitment to serve in the Kingdom of God.
31. An apprentice of Jesus lives by the law of love.
32. An apprentice of Jesus prays in the way Jesus taught.
33. An apprentice of Jesus makes requests of God.
34. An apprentice of Jesus has good perception of reality.
35. An apprentice of Jesus values beyond externals.
36. An apprentice of Jesus does not neglect justice and love.
37. An apprentice of Jesus is not possessed with self-importance.
38. An apprentice of Jesus does not load people down with religious regulations and obligations.
39. An apprentice of Jesus does not memorialize or enshrine other people
40. An apprentice of Jesus increases in consistency between how they speak and how they live.
41. An apprentice of Jesus is not afraid of anything but God.
42. An apprentice of Jesus does not worry about what to say publicly.
43. An apprentice of Jesus is wary of being greedy in any way.
44. An apprentice of Jesus trusts God’s abundance and does not worry about their material needs.
45. An apprentice of Jesus centres their life on seeking God’s kingdom.
46. An apprentice of Jesus lives generously
47. An apprentice of Jesus is watchful and ready to serve in the work of the kingdom.
48. An apprentice of Jesus acts and lives with a sense of urgency and immediacy about time and takes action in the present.
49. An apprentice of Jesus chooses humility and service over honour and distinction.
50. An apprentice of Jesus celebrates hospitality with the marginalized.
51. An apprentice of Jesus of Jesus surrenders all other agendas and is unconditionally and totally dedicated to apprenticeship.
52. An apprentice of Jesus does not see being right with God as a privileged position based on personal merit
53. An apprentice of Jesus is relationally shrewd.
54. An apprentice of Jesus is trustworthy in managing wealth and property.
55. An apprentice of Jesus is not ruled by money
56. An apprentice of Jesus is committed to deep marriage fidelity.
57. An apprentice of Jesus is wary of causing other people to sin.
58. An apprentice of Jesus is constantly forgiving when wronged.
59. An apprentice of Jesus serves the kingdom with enduring humility.
60. An apprentice of Jesus finds the kingdom of God internally.
61. An apprentice of Jesus prays with persistence.
62. An apprentice of Jesus is welcoming to children.
63. An apprentice of Jesus makes restitution for past mistakes.
64. An apprentice of Jesus maximizes all they have been given.
65. An apprentice of Jesus acts with integrity in regard to civil government.
66. An apprentice of Jesus is wary of established religious authorities
67. An apprentice of Jesus is generous, even in poverty.
68. An apprentice of Jesus is wary of false signs of false messiahs.
69. An apprentice of Jesus will be hated and betrayed.
70. An apprentice of Jesus celebrates the Lord’s Supper
71. An apprentice of Jesus seeks to be one who serves rather than one who is given authority and honour.
72. An apprentice of Jesus prays not to give into temptations.
73. An apprentice of Jesus proclaims the message and repentance and forgiveness.

Windows In The Sky

I LOVE THIS NEW U2 SONG!

OH CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT LOVE HAS DONE? x3
WHAT IT'S DOING TO ME!

NEW ALBUM COMING OUT SOON!

I know that this isn't the video, but it was the best way to get the song on the blog!

Getting in the mood yet?

Sufjan Stevens: Put The Lights On The Tree

I know it isn't Christmas yet, but come on! You got to love this! Well at least I know Jamie will :)

U2 - when you look at the world

I love this!

Revolution starters vs. rebels...

One of the big things that I have been wrestling with with regards to the emerging church is a sense that there are those who are "in" it for some sense of coolness or image and even more so a feeling of dislike and some cases hatred towards the church and then there are others who are sincerely feeling a call from God to do something different - not better - but different.

To me the result looks different. Those who are motivated out of coolness, candles, clothes, and dislike/hatred towards the church move towards emerging ideas out of rebellion and more often than not this simply leads to extremes and even the acceptance of sinful behavior.

On the other hand there are those who are being called to lead, start, pioneer, etc. something that is different from the traditional church, but is rooted in and built on the foundations of the church and the desire to see the Kingdom of God in the here and now. These efforts are the ones I find such beauty and awe in because not only are they unique, but they are revolutionary because they are the work of God being lived out in humanity.

I feel like I am rambling a bit, but I guess my point is that I would love you all to pray that I serve, lead, pioneer, etc. the ministries that God has called me to do - be it very different - or quite traditional - not for the sake of rebellion, but for the sake of a spiritual revolution.

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And on a completely different note... Did you hear the NEWS? This story is incredible, painful, sad, frustrating, and just another picture of the tension between living in the already but not yet. There is a spiritual battle going on and it is scary. Please pray for the impact this story will have on our cultures view of Christianity, the church, and Jesus. Much like the nooma video called Bullhorn. We [Christians] get put into the same box as bullhorn guy and his ways, as the catholic priests who have done wrong with there people, or the heads of the evangelical movement.

Anyways, pray, and may the Kingdom of God continue to come!

I CAN'T WAIT...

Anyone going to this? I will be there with some other staff members from Calvary Chapel Seattle I am very excited about it. If you are going to be there let me know. Maybe we could hook up for some eats!

If you have not signed up and you want to go - it's not too late!

Click here for all the details... REVOLUTION.CONFERENCE

U2 and Green Day...

U2 and Green Day "The Saints Are Coming"

I just had to post this...

ONE VOTE...

Interesting Dialog...

Richard Dawkins on the Colbert Report

I found this funny and thought provoking. What do you think?

And Now For Something Completely Different...

MICHAEL JACKSON’S Thriller has got to be one of the most memorable music videos of all time.

On top of the record-breaking production costs, the legendary star’s slick dance moves were imitated in nightclubs across the world.

However I think I’ve found someone who has taken his fanaticism to brand new heights.

An Indian Jacko wannabe has recorded his own version of the legend’s 1983 smash hit.

Check the hilarious video out by clicking on the link here.

Make Peace With Beauty...

Dove True Beauty Commercial Featuring Voice of Layah Jane

I am so lovin' these commercials! Having worked with students for 12+ years, it brings to mind many faces of beauty. Many faces of people who couldn't see their own beauty. They also make me think of my little daughter Gladys. She is so beautiful. It is my prayer that not only would she feel beautiful, that she would know that she is beautiful inside and out because she is made in the image of God. I think this campaign is awesome and pray that the God's glory and his incredible creative abilities will be seen in all and that this movement will help make that happen! Here is a youtube link if you want to see more of these videos.

DoveCampaignVideos

Powerful images...

Great Illustration Idea...

This video is a powerful display of how our culture has tried to take control of what we see and how we categorize someone/something as beautiful. Why is it so hard for our culture to see beauty in all? Thanks to Mark O for the hook up on this one!

More Moby...

I think this is interesting...

MOBY 2.0

Mars Hill Graduate School | The Struggle to Name

Mars Hill Graduate School The Struggle to Name

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

INTERVIEW WITH MOBY and...

This is a very cool interview with the artist Moby. One of my profs at Mars Hill Grad School use to go to church with him. I found it quite interesting to hear from his own mouth how he began his relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sojourners : Multimedia : Moby Interview

after listening to this interview I'd encourage you to listen to this cool version of u2's "with or without you" by a group called Scala. Note: to hear the song you have to click here and then scroll down and find the non "live" version and download it free.

hope you find this all interesting, encouraging, and thought provoking.

Oh and if you want to hear some more of that new Switchfoot album you can go to there myspace and hear another track. Thanks to Dan for the comment info and to Tim for the interview/song ideas!

SWITCHFOOT...

So if you are like me [bald and Italian :) ] you probably like the band Switchfoot. And if that is true you also know that they have a new albun due out in December. Well joy to the world they have released a track off the up and coming disk! If you want to take a sample of it or simply buy it go to itunes and check it! It rocks by the way!

Emergent Influencers...

Here is an interesting map of emergent influencers. It shows where a number of the "BIG NAMES" in the emergent church movement are from. I thought it was a bit interesting to see, but I think that there are a number of people that are missing.

See for yourself! EMERGENTMAP

Interesting Article in the LA Times...

Thanks to Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle for this article. It is about the founder of the Calvary Chapel movement Chuck Smith and his son Chuck Smith Jr. It has to do with how they differ in there theology and how that difference is now coming out in the way they are both pastoring church's in California. It is rich with story that to me is very powerful not only as a pastor, but as a pastor with a little baby girl. Anyways, love your thoughts!

Here is the article: LATIMES

Jesus Camp...

Has anyone heard of this? I think I'm scared! I'd love to hear your thoughts...

Watch the trailer by clicking... here or visiting here... And then weigh-in and tell me what you think -- of the movie, of the reality it attempts to represent, or anything else that comes to mind. This should be interesting.

Brian McLaren in the Washington Post...

Here is an interesting article on one of the profs I had at Mars Hill Graduate School. His name is Brian McLaren and I loved his classes. I even went out one night after class and had a pint with him and discussed ministry and theology. He was named one of the countries top 100 most influencial people in Time magazine. I find it so interesting how people either completely love this guy and his teaching or they truly hate him and think he is crazy! I think that is what I love about him. He is very smart and creative and stimulating that he really makes you think! He was also one of the most humble and teachalbe teachers I ever encountered. Anyways, thought this was an interesting article on him.

Click here to read it... McLaren Article

WARNING! EXTREME CUTIE PIE FACTOR!

WHISTLER BC 2006

GLADY'S FIRST ROAD TRIP!

GLADY AND JEN WENT RIVER RAFTING!

WE HIKED TO A BEAUTIFUL WATERFALL!

Doin' the Puyallup!

JEN AND GLADY TAKING A BREAK FROM THE FAIR!

GLADY HAS HER COWGIRL BOOTS AND HER GIRAFFE SWEATER ON READY TO GO!

Installation...

Well it is almost here. Tomorrow morning I will be officially installed as one of the new pastors at Calvary Chapel Seattle. What exactly is the "installation process" you might ask? Well it is much like vows and/or promises that occur in a wedding only with regards to ministry and calling. In a sense it is me declaring and confirming my call to love, serve, and pastor those who would call Calvary there home - specifically in the areas of youth/young adults and counseling/congregational care. Basically tomorrow Jen, Glady, and I get to go to our new church together and then starting this next week it's go time! Please continue to pray for us as we step into this new community!

Here are the promises/vows I will be responding to tomorrow at Calvary...

Installation Promises & Vows...

+ I affirm that God has prepared me for and called me to be pastor of Calvary Chapel.

+ I promise to pray for the church and to seek God’s wisdom in leading this congregation.

+ I promise to teach and to do the Word of God, being faithful to the truth in the Scriptures.

+ I promise to uphold God’s concern for the lost and the impoverished.

+ I commit myself to work with and to serve the appointed leadership of this church, and to faithfully shepherd the members of this congregation.

+ I vow to be open to the leading of God’s Spirit and to foster an environment in which the Spirit is free to work.


Have a great Sunday everyone! I love you all!

Oh, and stay tuned for some more "Glady Pic's!"