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A Joyful Mind

Can't resist posting this...

In The Naked Now, Richard Rohr asks, "What might a joyful mind be?"  A few of his answers:

When your mind does not need to be right.

When you no longer need to compare yourself with others.

When your mind can be creative, but without needing anyone to know.

When you can live in contentment with whatever the moment offers.

When your mind does not need to be in charge, but can serve the moment with gracious and affirming information.

When your mind follows the intelligent lead of your heart.

When your mind is curious and interested, not suspicious and interrogating.

When you do not need to humiliate, critique, or defeat those who have hurt you - not even in your mind.

When your mind can think well of itself, but without needing to.

When your mind can accept yourself as you are, warts and all.

When your mind can find truth on both sides.

When your mind fills the gaps with "the benefit of the doubt" for both friend and enemy.

When your mind can critique and also detach from that critique.

When your mind can wait, listen, and learn.

When your mind can admit it was wrong and change.

When your mind can stop judging and critiquing itself.

When your mind can find God in all things.

May it be.  Amen.

Fathers of the Second Chance

This is powerful.  A USA Today article about fathers in prison trying to be better Dads. Thanks to Dave Gibbons & Mike Foster for pointing me towards it.

Ingatius of Loyola on Gratitude

It seems to me in the light of the Divine Goodness....that ingratitude is the most abominable of sins and that it should be detested in the sight of our Creator and Lord and by all of His creatures who are capable of enjoying His divine and everlasting glory.  For it is a forgetting of the graces, benefits and blessings received.....On the contrary, the grateful acknowledgment of blessings and gifts received is loved and esteemed not only on earth but in heaven.

Ignatius of Loyola writing to Simon Rodriguez

Triple Threat + Nike = HOPE!

Stuff Christians Like

Had the chance recently to have an iChat conversation with my friend Jon Acuff.  Jon is a blogger and the author of the new book, Stuff Christians Like.

Honestly, Jon is one of the funniest guys I know and God is using him in some pretty extraordinary ways.  Go buy his book and start reading his blog today.  You can also follow him on Twitter.

From a Garden to The City

 
 

This past weekend we concluded a four-week series at The Orchard entitled, “The Gospel: From a Garden to The City”.  This turned out to be a tremendous series that I think God used to impact our community in significant ways. 

Rather than being a series focused strictly on the doctrinal aspects of the gospel, our goal was to give sort of a 30,000 ft view of the overarching narrative of the gospel: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration.  I appreciate Tim Keller's thoughts on the fact that while there is only one gospel, there are clearly different forms in which the gospel can be expressed. This series was just one of those expressions.

My hope and prayer going in to the series was that it would help accomplish three things in our community: expand our view of the gospel, find and embrace our place in the story, and of course...be led into a greater discovery of the beautiful hope we have in the Cross and Resurrection.  

The above logos are all original paintings that were beautifully created by our friend, Sherri Ohler.  Each weekend was represented by one of these paintings that each followed the narrative.

Here are a few photos from throughout the series.  (Also, special thanks to artists: Maureen Gasek, Julie Vogt, and Lisa Price.)

(Click for larger images)

the ones who truly make it happen!

Generosity Challenge Video

Great work by Bjorn Amundsen on the video teaser for The Orchard's Generosity Challenge beginning February 20-21.

Generosity Challenge from Bjorn Amundsen on Vimeo.

Worship Leader Essentials

Two "essentials" that I think are hugely important in the lives of those who lead worship at The Orchard:

AUTHENTICITY & DEPTH.

Authenticity.  Being real and willing to lead out of their own, personal journey.  Not afraid to be honest and transparent about their struggles, pain, and brokenness.  The same on stage as they are in every day life and conversation (have you ever heard a worship leader who stands up and talks to an audience in a totally different voice than they normally talk in?)  Someone who others can look to and say to themselves, "I get that person...they're not all that different from me." 

Depth.  If the worship leader has an empty soul.....then the only thing they'll really have to offer is authenticity and talent....and neither of those are enough as far as I'm concerned.  I want worship leaders who have taken the time to LISTEN...and get quiet.  Who make it a priority to wrestle through the scriptures and songs they'll be leading people through.  Leaders whose hearts are freshly inspired by the beauty and goodness of God....and who understand that a huge part of what they do in leading worship is sharing that beauty and goodness with others.

I suppose those are pretty important essentials for all of us as followers of Jesus.  But they're especially important to me when it comes to those who are standing on stage leading our community into worship each weekend.

Worship Leaders & Pastors - I'd love to hear from you.  What "essentials" are at the top of your list?

church: the love/hate tension

In his book, The Holy Longing, Fr Ronald Rolheiser shares the writings of an Italian spiritual writer - Carlo Carretto.  Rolhesier says (in reference to the church) that Carretto "captures well both its scandal and its grace."  I think I agree.

How much I must criticize you, my church and yet how much I love you!

You have made me suffer more than anyone and yet I owe more to you than to anyone.

I should like to see you destroyed and yet I need your presence.

You have given me much scandal and yet you alone have made me understand holiness.

Never in this world have I seen anything more compromised, more false, yet never have I touched anything more pure, more generous or more beautiful.

Countless times I have felt like slamming the door of my soul in your face - and yet, every night, I have prayed that I might die in your sure arms!

No, I cannot be free of you, for I am one with you, even if not completely you.

Then too - where would I go?

To build another church?

But I could not build one without the same defects, for they are my defects.  And again, if I were to build another church, it would be my church, not Christ's church.

No. I am old enough.  I know better!

Amen and amen.