I just returned from a denominational conference and was shocked by the “us” verses “them” conversation representing the clergy verses the laity. As though “we” clergy (or whatever we are) have an experience of God that we need to lead
Ok, creation is good… God even said so. Though God seemed to make a slight oversight God caught it and fixed it before anyone really noticed. 🙂 I didn’t mean to suggest the Eden was anything less than paradise. It
What would happen if we revisioned our theology of the “fall.” Clearly our creation accounts indicate that all was not perfect before the fall, (God even declares it is not all good…) in chapter two of Genesis… it is not
Some exciting news, this weekend Lynette, Pascal, and I are heading up to the Vancouver International Film Festival. Lynette’s brother, Bevan, has a film called “Wildlands” that will be part of the festival (screenings on Monday and Thursday), and will
In the modern era one of the most troubling theological enigmas was the Christian understanding of the Holy Trinity. Trying to wrap our little enlightened rational minds around how God could be one while simultaneously being three proved troubling indeed.
Michael Jinkins, writes: “When the church faces the prospect of its own demise (for whatever reasons), it faces a critical moment when its vocation is called into question, when it has the unparalleled opportunity to comprehend and render its life.
I’m a little sad today. Got together with some good friends, and over the course of the last little while our paths seem to be going in different directions, and it just seems almost inevitable that the friendship we have
Is pluralism is a disruption to community? When each person does what is right in their own eyes, (is this even a useful way of thinking about pluralism?) then someone will get hurt. Which of course means that one person’s
I continue to wrestle with what feels like a growing tension between the Missional and Incarnational approaches to life. I may be way of base here, does anyone else feel this tension? Is it just me? I guess when I
Recently I was in a discussion about whether we should still plant churches… or even, would the Apostle Paul plant churches today. It seems to me that we need new language to discuss the idea of pioneering new Christ-communities. I’m
I think that of all people of all time I am blessed. God is so good to me. Here I am sitting in my studio, hearing my partner and son singing upstairs, I’m surrounded by great books, and art. Augie
A couple of weeks ago Mark Humphries – Winnipeg artist, spiritual innovator and community curate – emailed me regarding how I might define ‘relationality’ within the rhythm of community gathering. Mark’s email, alone is a testament to his generosity… I
I’m a little more than half done reading, “From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media and the Supernatural” by Lynn Schofield Clark, I’m really enjoying it and highly recommend it. The book has me thinking about horror movies… a genre
What is sin? It seems it may be time to move toward an understanding of sin as a social construction rooted in time and space. Romans 14 has always painted a picture where what is “sin” for one may not
Here’s a little something I posted on Emergent Village’s site the other day… Postmodern linguist theory seems to suggest that humans only communicate proximately. No one can perfectly understand what another is trying to communicate. Basically all I can hope
My doctoral work is getting back into gear. Online discussions begin again on Monday – Labor Day – what’s up with that? Our cohort is going to be discussing a little book, “Letters Across the Divide: Two Friends Explore Racism,
The other night i watched a great PBS documentary called the Merchants of Cool. It talks about the way teens are marketed to in our culture. Good stuff. Peace, dwight
Today I head out for Newfoundland, off Canada’s eastern coast. I will be officiating at my brother’s wedding. Dallas and Leanne will be declaring before God, family and friends on Wednesday; very exciting. One of the things I enjoy about
One of the people I’m doing life with (Jeff Baker) in our little community of faith, wrote a brief reflection paper (for Mars Hill Graduate School) on worship in which he talks about quest. I asked Jeff if I could
I was having lunch with Andy and Joanna the other day, and we got to talking about our online blogs, Journals, etc., and Joanna commented on what an ugly word “blog” is. Aesthetics have always been important to me. I
I’ve been having this overwhelming sense that western protestant white Church “worship services” may ultimately have the opposite effect that we hope for. Among other things, we intend to lift up Christ, to praise him, and so on, however. The
Wow, I’m tired. This bi-vocational thing has a way of wearing a person out. I guess we all feel this way from time-to-time, huh? Trying to juggle life as a husband, dad, pastor, community member, employee, doctoral student, let alone
I’ve been doing a lot of reading and research in the area of semiotics (a philosophical theory of the functions of signs and symbols, especially the unintended signs). What do the signs of blogging reveal? Smoke in the woods may
On Friday night Lynette and I had dinner with Jacob & Tania Bailey. It is such joy to connect with friends, to wrestle together, to sharpen one another, etc. Sat. Sam, Jackie & Samuel, followed by party over at Jason
Talking with a “solid” evangelical” leader the other day I heard him say something to the effect of, “our message never changes, our methods may but not our message.” I would suggest that our message does in fact need to
Together with Lynette and Pascal we took a few days over the last week to go camping and to visit my parents in Victoria. I was reflecting on my last ten years of “ministry”. I began by asking myself whether
The Eastern Orthodox concept of the center point of the gospel as the incarnation of Christ makes more and more sense to me. If we are relationally created by a relational God (One/Three), than it make sense that the Emmanuel
We “make” disciples when the “disciple” somehow – though relationship – other awakens to the shalomic love of the Divine, seeking away the Way of Jesus the Christ. What the “disciple” encounters is more than just you or me, and
Points of doctrine, apologetics, reason, objective truth and being able to spout the right answers were the signs I used to show I was growing. If Truth is a person, as Jesus claims he is. Any the than maybe any
Today will be the fourth Gathering in the seven year history of Quest that I won’t be there for. Lynette, Pascal and I are taking just a couple of days as a family. I feel such a tension, one the
