Thursday, January 29, 2009

Church as Collaboration

I have been thinking about what our trademarks are as a congregation. We are a congregation of collaborators. We figure things out as we go... that is very different than making 'it' up as we go along. We have weathered many storms as a congregation mainly because of our shared value of collaboration. We have freedom to work things out together.

We are working on a project to give to our partner congregation in Dodoma, Tanzania. We wanted to give something of ourselves that would represent who we are and that we long to be with them. In the course of figuring out what we were going to create to give a visual representation of who we are. People became frustrated with the process of collaborating. Collaboration demands engagement... one cannot opt out and still be a collaborator.

I wonder if discipleship is more an act of collaboration than individuation?

What do you think?

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

What I like...

I like:
Waking up next to Stacy (my wife) each day... even when I feel like I haven't gotten enough sleep.
Sunshine
Rain
Water
The way cold, wet air feels when I breathe deeply (Oregon Dankness)
Snow
The Sound of the Ocean
The feeling of getting tumbled in the waves
Sliding down the face of a wave on a board
A good conversation
Thinking
Dreaming
Skateboarding
Watching L'Aubergale run around in circles with excitement
Watching Cleo(catra)'s belly fur blowing when the heater turns on
Talking about and Pondering the words of Jesus
Fly Fishing on the Metolius (even if I don't catch any fish)
Snowboarding with friends
Attempting new things
Remembering laughter
Watching movies
Seeing what resides in the ocean (All creatures)
My family of friends


I like a lot of things but this is a good start

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Woes and Curiosity

I spoke this past Epiphany Sunday about Holy Curiosity being a prime motivator for our faith. I was hoping that this idea of curiosity was what compelled those invitees to see the new born king to travel to see him (and family).

I have been thinking that fear is a primary motivator for me... most often I fear what i can't control (most everything). I started making a list of things I can't control:
Life, others, history, world financial markets, war, politics, the number of people showing up to our gathering of worship, how much people tithe, etc...

The motivation though is to worry... I worry about most everything (when I'm truthful with myself)... I guess I come by my fearful motivation naturally enough... I'm barraged by media that sells my proneness to fear as a commodity. The more fear inducing stories the more people watch... the news becomes a horror short story of all that's wrong with the world...

Enough about the media... I have a fondness to worry and fear...

I remember a movie called "Mr Mom" where the dad convinces his little son to release his "woobie blanket" back into his care. My worry is like that "woobie blanket" that my heavenly father is inviting me to turn over to his care. My woes, fears and worries, become familiar motivation against a holy curiosity that stems from God.

Matthew 18 is an example of how we can return to childhood where we get to exercise humble, fear-free, holy curiosity...