Oh the memories

This evening I spent time at a “tea.” Sitting around a table with a number of four and five year old girls preparing for the “Little Miss Tuttle Pageant” I learned adults cannot enter the contest and neither can boys. Some question the first. I am guilty of the second. They are so perceptive.

For somewhere around ten years, save last year, I have enjoyed playing role of MC at this annual event. One of the young girl’s mother was in one of the first groups of youth I took to Falls Creek thirteen years ago. Now her daughter will wave at the crowd, visit with me and have a fun evening next weekend.  Oh the memories!

They all reminded me of our two girls who have gone the way all young ones do - they got  older.

The Illumined Life: Capture the Vibrant Faith of Ancient Christians

Shedding light on our shallow thinking about life with God, Frederica Mathewes-Green offers an accessible “little book” full of wisdom from ancient travelers of the way of Jesus. Setting the course toward “theosis” Frederica offers some thoughts that would surely intrigue any reader who has thought reflectively about the oft experienced inconsistencies in us all. She writes,

In God’s presence we discover ourselves able to love one another, to be vessels of heroic love, even toward our enemies, even unto death. We find all creation in harmony around us, as responsive and fruitful as the Garden was to Adam and Eve. The peace that passes understanding informs our every thought.

All this sounds pretty good, right? So why are we doing such a crummy job of it?

Why are we modern Christians so indistinguishable from the world?

Why are our rates of dysfunction and heart-break just as high? Why don’t we stand out in virtue and joy? Does anyone ever say, “We know that they are his disciples, because they one one another?

How come Christians who lived in times of bloody prersecution were so heroic, while we who live in safety are fretful and pudgy?

How could the earlier saints “pray constantly,” while our minds dawdle over trivialities?

How could they fast so valiantly, and we feel deprived if there’s no cookie at the end of the in-flight meal?

How could the martyrs forgive their tormentors, but my friend’s success makes me pouty? (The Illumined Life, p.4-5)

In first encountered Frederica on a conference call with the very first ETREK Learning Group. We were privileged to get an advance copy of a couple chapters she wrote for a then soon to be released book. I was privileged to be in on another couple of calls with her always talking about the intersection of life and faith. Charitable towards other faith traditions and at the same time assertive of the value of the heritage that is the Eastern Orthodox Church, Frederica offers wisdom gleaned from those who traveled the Jesus Way centuries ago.

Her discussions of repentance and praying without ceasing create an awareness of the shallowness in which we dabble around these subjects. Frederica does not spend time in critique but pointing the reader to consider practical ways to understanding our “rethinking” of life with God and how we may exercise in prayer a “centering” connecting Christ followers to the kind of ongoing alertness to the presence of God valuable in a disconnected, busy world.

If you have an interest in Christian spiritual formation, this would be a great book to use both personally and in a small group.

Dallas Willard offers this from the back cover, “The Illumined Heart will be of great help to anyone striving to walk the timeless path of Christ in our time.”

What could 50-70 people do?

David helped me relocate my blog and give it many of the features you will find here at “The Edge of the Inside.” I met David in Greensboro last year. Since then we have kept up in a variety of ways - mostly via great technology. He wrote a piece of the Baptist General Convention of Delaware. One of the major papers in his state picked up on the piece and interviewed David. The interview will come out, I believe, this coming week. To give you an idea what is on David’s mind and heart you may be interested to read about what 50-70 people could do. Go read - Two Down and Twenty-Eight to Go.

Need to increase traffic? Stetzerize

Paul and I have a running joke with Ed Stetzer who reads my blog - not so much. In the past we have written about the increase in blog hits if we name certain folks. Ed is one of them. Since some may not know he is now blogging, my intent is to direct those who “Google” Ed Stetzer to his blog. We are glad his new job description requires he write regularly.

Glad to tip you off to what will become a great place to consider important missiological implications for the Church.

Friday Photo … Guest Photo

Nathan B. took this photo while in the Bahamas for a wedding.

Cyrano … An evening with the kids

Saturday evening we took the kids out to celebrate Kimberly and Craig’s “3 Year Wedding Anniversary” which was Monday evening. Talk about hard to believe! We shared a fun dinner at Zio’s and then a trip downtown for “Shakespeare in the Park” and their version of “Cyrano de Bergerac.”

Patty and some friends took in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” last month and had such a great time she thought this would be a great way to celebrate. We arrived early to enjoy the “Young Company.” Another smaller group offered a twenty minute play, “Everyman.” I took in about ten minutes of this one and then the end of the Young Company.

We enjoyed a great evening. Congratulations to Kimberly and Craig!

Shaping worship or being shaped by worship …

Imaginative work means both shaping and being shaped. Creating a bulldozer with Play-Doh requires the imagination to shape the pliable material. Once the piece is complete it shapes the the one who created the work. Thinking about the heavy piece of equipment the image replicates also reminds us of this truth. Coming off the assembly line such a piece of equipment expresses the imagination of its inventor. Once fired up for use the equipment then shapes the user. That is, there will now be ways in which the user may or may not use the piece of equipment.

The elements of a worship experience may well be shaped by those who plan the experience. But, when worship leaders gather with the “Church” the experience shapes the worshipers. Many conversations tend toward what is the purpose of the “worship” experience. Engaging the divine and the human in the worship experience intends to shape the worshiper. Grappling with the text in community, praying together, celebrating Communion, practicing hospitality and expressing gratitude that cultivates generosity moves worship beyond personality and affinity. Regardless of the “style” of the elements of worship, shaping lives to emulate the life of Jesus makes the event a corporate spiritual practice.

We often spend more time thinking about stylistic features and forget the giving of ourselves to the work of the Spirit indeed illustrates clay in the Potter’s hands. Worship shapes even the shapers of worship.

Great piece on Darfur … What would you be willing to do?

I met Ken sevveral years ago. We reconnected in Norman a couple of years ago while he was in town on business. He owns a business in the Washington D.C. area, works on his master’s degree in philosophy and occasionally writes entries no one should miss. I received an e-mail with this line, “

I’ve struggled with the relation between politics and spiritual growth for awhile, because in my experience political engagement seems to shift our focus from our own growth to others’ failings. However, the existential crisis of my generation that is Darfur forced me to clarify this quite a bit. This blog post is the result.

If there is only one thing you ever read from me, I hope it is this.

Take a moment go over and read Ken’s post. Think not about what you cannot do, but what you will do.

Friday Photo

more views of the edge …

13

Baker’s Dozen. Mythical unlucky “#13.” Traditionally the beginning of adolescence. No 13th floor in hotels. Prime number.

Today we celebrated 13 years at Snow Hill. Our church honored us with a surprise meal, a gift and a great reminder of the value of relationships. Quite a number of folks wrote us notes of appreciation and affection. Ron noted we were now “teenagers.” Cheryl suggested we be careful as she has known how some teenagers behave. Rich put together a slide show of photos taken over the last 13 years. Our youngest gasped at the first few, “Dad, your hair.” The reference wasn’t to style and the lack of “product.” She drew attention to what I once had. Leave it to your children to keep you humble.

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