broken//stained//glass

A Hindu, a Muslim and a Church Planter Walk into a bar: Part A

They say that church planting is a wild ride.
I completely agree.

Two weeks ago I had a pretty interesting day of ministry.
When I got home Megan asked me "So, how was your day today?"
I paused for a moment and then I responded by saying, "A Hindu, a Muslim and a church planter walked into a bar. That pretty much sums up my day."

I'll be unpacking that statement - and my day - on the blog over the next few days.

"A Hindu..." 

My day started in Lansdale by swinging by the post office to pick up the mail at the Renew mail box.
Afterwards, I swung by the public library just down the block to pop in and say hi to a new-found friend named Sam.

Sam is in his late-twenties, a medical student from India who was raised in a Hindu family. He moved to Lansdale to live with his aunt after completing medical school in northern India and is spending the next several months studying for his medical board exams. He spends six days a week studying in the library from the time it opens to the time it closes.

I had bumped into Sam a few weeks back in the library and had a fascinating conversation. During that first meeting I asked him what he was studying and where he was a student.
He then asked me what I did.
"I am a practical and educational theologist.," I responded.
"What's that? I have never heard of such a job."
"Well, my job is that I help people be attentive to God and then respond appropriately."
"There is a job out there like that?"
"Yeah, I teach and help people live out the ways of Jesus in their everyday lives. We also started an organization recently called Renew. The goal is that we renew Lansdale and the region physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually - in the name of Jesus."
"I had no idea that there was such an organization."

He asked me questions about Jesus and why we would be doing such a thing. I went on to tell him about Jesus and what he had done in my life - and the lives of many others - and how it compelled us to live lives that reflected the character and nature and priorities of Jesus.
He was absolutely fascinated and asked if we could get together some time and hang out because he had more questions about Jesus and what I was talking about.
I told him I would love to hang out.

Because I knew that Sam had questions and I knew he would be studying there since he does all the time I popped in to say hi and tell him that I had been thinking about him and wondered how his studying was going.

Once again, Sam and I had a fascinating conversation about Jesus and church and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Conversations like these ignite something deep within me.

After a while I told Sam that I had to go because I had another meeting that I needed to go to: a meeting with the Imam of the North Penn mosque...

new films

Not sure I'll be able to see half of these films when they come out this summer, but they certainly look intriguing...

May:
Indiana Jones (last installment...gotta see it).
Narnia: Prince Caspian (I know much of America is burned out on fantasy films, but it's C.S. Lewis...isn't there an unwritten rule that if you're a Christian you have to support this film because its a story written by one of the greatest modern apologists of the faith??)

June:
The Incredible Hulk (the summer non-thinking blockbuster that will probably be just pure entertainment)
Get Smart (Michael Scott with a gun? I hope...)
Kung Fu Panda (pure animated fun...but with Jack Black)

July:
Hancock (Anything with Will Smith in it is worth the price of admission).

Documentary:
Where In the World is Osama bin Laden? (Morgan Spurlock's latest documentary. Moving from French Fries to hunting down the world's most notorious terrorist...that's quite a jump).

Catching up...

Trying to catch up a little bit after being gone last week...
There are several projects I am working on.

First, I just finished a small writing project that publisher David C. Cook asked me to contribute to - a graduation book asking contributors to answer in 300 words or less what advice, encouragement or suggestions you would give to a graduating senior. It was a fun project and a very creative idea. I guess Natasha Bedingfield will be contributing to it as well...

Secondly, I am reading a manuscript of a friend who wrote a book on street-level contextual theology. He asked for an endorsement statement for the back cover and I need to get that off soon...

Third, I start another seminary class this week - a six week intensive - called "Film, Theology and Culture." I'm really looking forward to it. Now before you start thinking this is a cake class, the class requires us to watch three movies a week, reading two books and diving a presentation each week. I've been told the class is great, but when you are done with the class you won't want to watch another film for six months!

I also want to catch up on my reading, which includes mostly magazines. I have a stack next to me of magazines, newspapers and periodicals that I need to catch up on. In our digital age, I guess I am a dinosaur of sorts, but I love good magazines that are culturally sensitive. I enjoy reading a wide variety of them because I find that I learn so much about the world and find that I can learn a lot from them and study them in an attempt to connect them to the truth of the gospel in a dot-to-dot format (just as he did in Acts 17, I am sure that Paul would be quoting today's poets from magazines and periodicals and podcasts and film and television shows).
Here are the ones on the stack on the table in the living room that I need to get through this week:

-USAToday
-Atlantic Monthly
-Sojourners
-The Week
-Newsweek
-Fast Company
-Biblical Archaeology Review
-Entertainment Weekly
-RELEVANT Magazine
-Wonder Time
-ESPN The Magaine
-Paste Magazine

[Q]: Day Two

Wow...my brain is smoking.
Amazing day here at the [Q] conference.

I was invited to attend a round table brainstorming session with about a dozen leaders and communicators of the Bible over an early breakfast at the offices of Redeemer Presbyterian (Tim Keller's church) to help the marketing team of the American Bible Society to identify some obstacles and brainstorm ways to overcome those obstacles of Bible reading in the U.S. We looked at the following statistics and used that as the springboard into our discussion.

86% of Americans own a Bible.
12% read their Bibles daily
60% of people want deeper engagement with the Bible.

Centered around that idea, we unpacked this as to why this is, how did we get to where we are, what could and should we change in these arenas and what are some creative and innovative ways that ABS could adapt or create some tools for deeper engagement.

Day Two of [Q] included these presenters:
-Louie Giglio - mentor of the top five worship leaders in the world (Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmond, etc)
-Jamie Tworkowski - founder of To Write Love On Her Arms
-Jim Wallis - best selling author, social advocate, founder of The Call to Renewal and Sojourners.
-Michael Luo - Harvard grad, New York Times Religion journalist.
-David Gibbons - Asian-American pastor of Newsong
-Eric Reynolds - Mountain climber and founder of nau.org
-Owen Leimbach - producer for MTV

After presentations there were experiential learning labs that included a homeless simulation, a tour of Central Park with an expert on environmental issues and other interactive and unique situations. I attended the Chelsea Art Gallery District tour with an art critic who writes for the New York Times.
We attended about six galleries, each one unique and fascinating.
At our last gallery I had an interesting experience. Looking at some art work on the wall a stranger next to me asked me a question about the piece hanging on the wall...then I turned and realized that "stranger" was Ben Stiller. (Yes, that one...) Only in New York can you get a personal guided tour of the Chelsea art galleries with the New York Times art critic and discuss art with Ben Stiller. If I was thinking on my feet, I would have started quoting Meet The Parents lines to him... maybe next time.

Here's the picture of Ben on the left and my friend Jason from Atlanta on the right.

After dinner it was a tough decision -- listen to Mako Fujimura (the talented and prolific Japanese-American painter who helped plant The Village Church in Greenwich Village) and attend a private concert with The Fray (who are attending the conference) or go to the Mets-Phillies game at Shea Stadium.

Tough decision,  but with the weather being terrific we went to Shea and watched a heartbreaker, but a great game in 12 innings.

Brainstorming with other thinkers and leaders with the American Bible Society.
Great presentations.
Good interactions and networking.
Talking art with Ben Stiller.
A hotdog at Shea Stadium.

What a great day... I'll post some pictures when I get back home, but if you want to see pictures of the venue and hear some thoughts and reflections of the conference, check out my friend LT's blog.

Also, this attendee is blogging the conference quite well.

[Q] Conference has started!

[Q] is off to a great start...

The venue where [Q] is taking place is amazing - the old building - on 36th and Broadway (down the street from Macy's) - with Gothic style architecture and was a former bank. It's in the round. It looks like something from a movie.
Amazing aesthetics.

We're sitting at round tables with other attendees from all over the country - these attendees range in realms of influence from entertainment, business, education, government, the social sector and the church. Attendees include Jon Foreman (lead singer for Switchfoot), David Kinnaman (President of the Barna Research Group), VPs of organizations such as MTV, To Write Love On Her Arms, presidents of colleges, etc. And the [Q] leaders change your table set-up every day to make sure that you're sitting with different people interacting in different conversations.

The concept is refreshing: 18 minute presentations - and not a minute more - given by presenters who are influencing the systems of culture with the gospel. Their presentations answer the question, "If you have 18 minutes to talk to Christ followers who are - and desire to be - influencing and affecting today's culture what would you say to them?"

Presenters thus far have included:
-Jon Tyson: church planter in NYC
-Mike Foster: co-founder of XXXChurch.com and founder of Ethur (and the Junky Car Club)
-Gabe Lyons: co-author of unChristian
-Bill McKibben: wrote a book in the 80's where he was the first one to talk about global warming.
-Chris Huertz: the president of Word Make Flesh
-Francis Collins: Director of the Human Genome Project, author of 'The Language of God' and the 2007 winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This afternoon includes Chuck Colson (founder of Prison Fellowship, author, thinker and one of my heroes) and Leroy Butler (president of Mission Year).

It's a lot of information all over the map, but its great to be here.

Contextual Gospel 1: Denominational Mapping in the US

In order to effectively communicate the gospel in North America we, of course, have to understand the context in which we live.
Check out this denominational mapping feature that provides some context on regions of the country and where they land regarding faith (click to enlarge).

Over the Rhine coming to Sellersville

For all you Over the Rhine fans out there, OTR will be coming to the Sellersville Theatre on Thursday night March 27th. If you've never heard of them, read their story here.
You won't be disappointed by this show.
To buy tickets, click here and scroll all the way down the bottom of the page.

Hope to see you there.

John Mayer and Love

"I've tried every approach to life. I bought a bunch of stuff. and was like, nah. That's not it. Thought I'd shut myself off. Maybe that’s cool. Maybe that’s what you have to do to be a genius, you have to be mad. If you get the word 'mad' from the word 'genius' then maybe you'd make the genius appear. But that doesn’t work either. What I'm trying to say is I've messed with all the approaches except for one. and that’s just love. I've done everything in my life that I want to do except just give and receive real love.  I don't mean like a Roman Candle fireworks, Hollywood, hot pink love. I mean like no matter what, I got your back love. I don't need to hear I love you. Some of the people who say they love you, are the last to have your back. So I’m going to experiment with this love thing..."      

-John Mayer Live CD during the middle of "Bold As Love"

Reflections on Faith and Art 11: Vulnerability and Feeling Alive

Courage means taking risk.
Risk occurs only when there is a vulnerability.

In her chapter called "Feeding the Lake" Madeleine L'Engle writes in her book about vulnerability and truly living.

"Vulnerability is something we instinctively reject because we are taught from kindergarten on that we must protect ourselves, control our behavior and our lives. But in becoming man for us, Christ made himself totally vulnerable for us in Jesus of Nazareth, and it is not possible to be a Christian while refusing to be vulnerable.
I am beginning to see almost every definition I find of being a Christian is also a definition of being an artist...I love, therefore I am vulnerable. When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability...It is easier to be safe than to be vulnerable."

Vulnerability is very comfortable, but it can awaken us to really live.

"To be alive is to be vulnerable. To be born is to start the journey towards death. If taxes have not always been inevitable, death has. What, then, does life mean? No more than 'Out, brief candle'? The artist struggles toward meaning...art is the affirmation of life...To serve a work of art, great or small, is to die, to die to self."

"Dare we all die? Willingly or unwillingly, we must, and the great artist go furthest into this unknown country." 

Risk is difficult, but it makes us come alive...truly alive.
Therefore, we create.

Reflections on Faith and Art 10: Listening Prayer

"To work on a book is for me very much the same thing as to pray. Both involve discipline....Inspiration far more often comes during the work than before it, because the largest part of the job of an artist is to listen to the work and to go where it tells him to go" (176).

"...I try to take time to let go, to listen, in much the same way that I listen when I am writing" (203).

What am I listening to?
And is there a direct correlation between an uncreative spirit and an inability to be still and listen?