Right now I am sitting in a coffee shop waiting for Aaron (the Denver Seminary student I mentor) to show up. I have been working on a book(let) that I am writing for the students in CREW. It is basically a 30 day challenge to spend 30 minutes a day with God.
The book will take the students through then entire gospel of John during these 30 days along with some suggested topics of prayer and some interpersonal questions for the students to think about. I am personally really excited about this challenge and I am praying that we will have many students partake in this. It is my home that this 30 day challenge will be something that will be habit forming (like cigarettes, but in a way that doesn't cause cancer).
If you have any desire to look at this book when I am done with it and possible use it with your group let me know.
It has been challenging for me in how I view Jesus as well as his ministry.
Hopefully the students that do this will end up with a relationship with Jesus that is deeper than ever. That they will grow to trust a Jesus that is not a white, republican, gay-bashing version that is paraded around far too often but rather be challenged by the Jesus that is fully God and fully man who changed teh course of history for his father's glory.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Work & Rest
It seems to me that a lot of the blogs and articles I read about ministry or theology seem to telling us that we have to be working 24/7 in order to make a difference. That if we were to take any time for ourselves that we are sinning or worse being unproductive.
It makes me wonder what these people think of the sabbath.
It makes me wonder what these people would say when it has been proven that those people who take one day off a week to refresh are actually more productive than those who do not.
Taking time to refresh is a crucial part of ministry, if we do not have a day to relax, go hiking, spend time with family, watch a movie, or nap then we are going to burn out, plain and simple.
I have also gotten the impression from some of these writers that if we are not working then we are worthless. I worry about this approach a great deal because Christianity is a relationship with Christ, a relationship that we do not deserve, a relationship that we can never earn. But that is not what is being communicated. We are communicating that if people don't work their butts off everyday then they are not worthy, they are wasting our time. This is fo far from the idea of Christianity and grace.
I think we should all strive to be more productive, to work harder, to do our best, but I do not think that translates into working more often, just smarter.
Let's be careful that the quality of work we do represents Christ, but lets also make sure that the way we work represents Christ. Not the idea that we have to earn something, but the idea we have been given something we can never earn.
It makes me wonder what these people think of the sabbath.
It makes me wonder what these people would say when it has been proven that those people who take one day off a week to refresh are actually more productive than those who do not.
Taking time to refresh is a crucial part of ministry, if we do not have a day to relax, go hiking, spend time with family, watch a movie, or nap then we are going to burn out, plain and simple.
I have also gotten the impression from some of these writers that if we are not working then we are worthless. I worry about this approach a great deal because Christianity is a relationship with Christ, a relationship that we do not deserve, a relationship that we can never earn. But that is not what is being communicated. We are communicating that if people don't work their butts off everyday then they are not worthy, they are wasting our time. This is fo far from the idea of Christianity and grace.
I think we should all strive to be more productive, to work harder, to do our best, but I do not think that translates into working more often, just smarter.
Let's be careful that the quality of work we do represents Christ, but lets also make sure that the way we work represents Christ. Not the idea that we have to earn something, but the idea we have been given something we can never earn.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Top 20 Albums
The other day my friend Michael sent me an email asking me what my 20 favorite albums were. I started typing an email back to him, but I thought I would post them on here so people who seem to have similar music taste to mine might have a few new albums to check out.
You may like these, you may hate these, but here are my 20 favorite albums of all time.
20. Radiohead - The Bends
19. Green Day - Kerplunk
18. The Decemberists - Her Majesty
17. U2 - Achtung Baby
16. Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise
15. MxPx - Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo
14. Rancid - Out Come The Wolves
13. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
12. Johnny Cash - Unearthed (box set)
11. Pedro The Lion - It's Hard To Find A Friend
10. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
9. Johnny Cash - Live at Folsom Prison
8. Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan
7. Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
6. MxPx - Life In General
5. Ramones - Ramones
4. U2 - The Joshua Tree
3. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
2. Beatles - Revolver
1. The Clash - London Calling
You may like these, you may hate these, but here are my 20 favorite albums of all time.
20. Radiohead - The Bends
19. Green Day - Kerplunk
18. The Decemberists - Her Majesty
17. U2 - Achtung Baby
16. Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise
15. MxPx - Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo
14. Rancid - Out Come The Wolves
13. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
12. Johnny Cash - Unearthed (box set)
11. Pedro The Lion - It's Hard To Find A Friend
10. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
9. Johnny Cash - Live at Folsom Prison
8. Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan
7. Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
6. MxPx - Life In General
5. Ramones - Ramones
4. U2 - The Joshua Tree
3. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
2. Beatles - Revolver
1. The Clash - London Calling
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Jimmy Eat World
It has been way too long I know.
A few weeks ago Meredith and I went to see Jimmy Eat World on the Clarity x 10 tour. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the release of Clarity (JEW's most amazing album to date...and one my top 10 of all time albums) the band decided to play ten shows where they would play Clarity from beginning to end. Lucky for us one of these shows was in Denver.
We showed up at the small venue (The Ogden Theater) in Denver and we were maybe 15 from the stage.
When Jimmy Eat World came out they delivered exactly what they promised. A set that was Clarity from beginning to end. They did not skip songs, they did not jam three or four of the songs in the medley. They just simply played one of the best concerts i had seen in a long time. After the set there was an encore where they played a few songs from Bleed American, Futures, and a couple form the Firestarter EP. It was fantastic.
I think the best part of this concert was that there was not a huge show, it was just them on stage playing their hearts out. When they thanked the crowd for showing up it seemed different than when most bands do it. It is a standard thing to thank your audience but Jimmy Eat World had this sincerity when they did it so you actually believed that they were thankful to the people who loved Clarity.
The tour is over and for those of you who did not get to see it, you missed out. Sorry to be so blunt. If you have never heard Clarity then I suggest you buy it immediately, you will not be dissapointed.
A few weeks ago Meredith and I went to see Jimmy Eat World on the Clarity x 10 tour. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the release of Clarity (JEW's most amazing album to date...and one my top 10 of all time albums) the band decided to play ten shows where they would play Clarity from beginning to end. Lucky for us one of these shows was in Denver.
We showed up at the small venue (The Ogden Theater) in Denver and we were maybe 15 from the stage.
When Jimmy Eat World came out they delivered exactly what they promised. A set that was Clarity from beginning to end. They did not skip songs, they did not jam three or four of the songs in the medley. They just simply played one of the best concerts i had seen in a long time. After the set there was an encore where they played a few songs from Bleed American, Futures, and a couple form the Firestarter EP. It was fantastic.
I think the best part of this concert was that there was not a huge show, it was just them on stage playing their hearts out. When they thanked the crowd for showing up it seemed different than when most bands do it. It is a standard thing to thank your audience but Jimmy Eat World had this sincerity when they did it so you actually believed that they were thankful to the people who loved Clarity.
The tour is over and for those of you who did not get to see it, you missed out. Sorry to be so blunt. If you have never heard Clarity then I suggest you buy it immediately, you will not be dissapointed.
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