Alan Hirsch's new book, The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church, is going to be released in December. Below are two pictures. Click on them for large, readable versions. The first is the cover and praise for the book. The second is much the same thing with Brazos info so you can pre-order the book at half price. How cool is that? Go to the Brazos website or call 1-800-877-2665.
We took a family trip to the pumpkin patch last Saturday. It was a blast, as usual. I grabbed a few photos along the way. The top photo is Elijah, who turned 6 on Monday, putting his best foot forward. The bottom photo is Daniel (3) who couldn't keep his eyes off the chicks.
The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.
Dorothea Lange
I want to update you on a few things concerning the blog and life.
One of my main goals with the blog over the last few months has been to only blog when I want to, and to keep from encouraging comment threads that end up wasting my time. For the most part I've stuck with that idea and it's made the blog an extension of my life rather than a power over my life. I haven't been writing much of my own thought lately, not much in terms of original content. But I'm okay with that right now. I hope that will change soon, but it has to mesh with what I'm doing in my local church.
We went to visit my parents after church on Sunday. I've mentioned before that my Mom has cancer. Last week they found out the chemo is working and shrinking the cancer. It's hard to say what that will mean for the next few weeks or months, but it's the first piece of good news we've had since she was diagnosed. Thanks to all who are praying. The picture is of my mom and sister. My sister colored her hair, my mom (who is losing her hair) is wearing a Halloween wig.
I'm halfway through preaching Colossians and loving it. It's just what I need, and I'm thankful to God for what I'm learning. I hope our church is getting the same thing. The one thing I haven't done much of lately is listen to sermons. My wife and I used to listen to a sermon together on Monday mornings. I would be in my office and she would be working on the house. But I moved my home office to our basement so we are disconnected. I miss those mornings listening together to guys like Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll or Tim Keller.
My sons and I are really enjoying the football season so far. The Bears are exceeding all expectations and look like they are equipped to go the distance. The Monsters of the Midway are monsters again. Beware!
Have you enjoyed a good cigar lately? Why not? I've been learning a lot about cigars lately and have enjoyed one or two. Delightful. Pick up this one, or maybe this one.
Last let me mention some things I've been enjoying lately. Richard Lovelace's book, Renewal as a Way of Life, has been a great encouragement so far. A very thought provoking book. Ray LaMontagne's new CD, Till the Sun Turns Black, is good. iMonk's podcast has been a nice diversion. So has Writers on Writing.
By the way, the iTunes 7 upgrade sucks for Windows users. Then they put up a fix (7.0.1) which merely sucks less. Distortion. If you haven't upgraded, stay where you are for now.
My daughter and I went out to take a few pictures the other day. Always a fun time. Looking forward to capturing the full spectrum of fall colors.
One of the many conferences I wanted to attend this year was Catalyst. Rick McKinley, pastor of Imago Dei in Portland, is one of the speakers I wanted to see. Out of Ur has some thoughts on the "lab" McKinley led at Catalyst...
"As pastors, we are tempted to build the church," [McKinley] said. "So wesend out postcards to targeted Zip codes and we promote church programs." But that misses the point, he argued. "Our job isn’t to build the church. We’re supposed to BE the church, and build the kingdom." He emphasized that the kingdom is to be experienced NOW, on earth, as Christians exemplify godly living, but he also pointed out, as the recent school shootings demonstrate, that the kingdom is also "not yet." God’s kingdom won’t be realized in its fullness as long as such sin characterizes our world.
[...]
"The best expression of the church is NOT what happens on Sunday morning. It’s what happens in the world during the week. And that’s not something you can market."
His most provocative statements focused on the Christian’s calling to love their neighbors, even if those neighbors don’t respond to Christ or clean up their act. He told of his church’s messy efforts to love those with addictions, mental illnesses, and other conditions that aren’t easily cleaned up.
"We’re not called to change people’s behavior; we’re called to love them whether they change or not. It’s up to God to change them."
It was suggested to me a few days ago that Mark Driscoll looked like Big Boy at the Desiring God Conference. Now it's confirmed.
Mark Driscoll posts (with permission) his email exchange with John Piper after speaking at the Desiring God conference. It puts to rest the idea that Piper and Driscoll are at odds, as has been the discussion on the web. From Piper's last email to Driscoll, after Driscoll asked if he could post their email exchange online...
...tell the world that, I wouldnot have .001 seconds hesitation in having Mark Driscoll come back tomorrow to our church or our conference. I LOVE being on the same team and consider my self a learner in your presence more than a counselor.
The Cubs finally figured out that they would be better off without Dusty Baker. Most Cubs fans knew that long ago, and long before this season.
But at least the Cubs didn't wait until they hit bottom before they started looking to change something.
Love for our neighbors...like love for ourselves, involves something vastly more significant than the meeting of individual needs. It involves God's reaching out in us and through us to build a kingdom, a sphere of rulership, in which his will is done in the fallen world as it is in the sinless heavens; in which cruelty and disorder and the distortion caused by sin are supplanted by love, order and righteousness. Loving obedience to God produces much more than individual goodness, respectability and the alleviation of suffering. It builds the kingdom of heaven.
Richard F. Lovelace in Renewal as a Way of Life, p. 40.
Challies has posts with content from the Desiring God conference messages (mostly relaying content in his own words) of Tim Keller...
There has to be a lifelong process of realizing the wonder of thegospel. Religion gives you control which is why it's so popular. Religion is "I obey, therefore I'm accepted." The gospel is "I'm accepted, therefore I obey."
...and Mark Driscoll...
John Calvin was not just a contender but a contextualizer, so we must redeem what it means to be a true Calvinist. When persecution happened in Europe, people flocked to Geneva. Calvin trained them and then sent them out to share the gospel. If you are a true Calvinist you are not just a contender, but also a contextualizer.
My youngest son is chasing his older brother to school. It's a good thing he's too young to go to school, you know, since he can't figure out how to use a backpack and all.
9Marks Ministries (Mark Dever) has a new set of articles up about the "missional" church (see left side of their homepage). Jonathan Leeman's article, "What in the World is the Missional Church?," is most prominent and includes history, quotes and thoughts from Guder to Stetzer. You may find his article and others at 9Marks worth reading, and at least an honest attempt of baptist reformed types who desire to understand "missional."
An obvious problem with Leeman's article is that he didn't even mention Tim Keller. Keller is a reformed conservative (as is 9Marks & Dever) and so discussing Keller should have been essential, and maybe even central to this article. On top of that, missional thinkers admit they owe much to Keller's writings, sermons, conference messages and local church example. So in my mind, regardless of some of the thoughtful things Leeman says, missing Keller is missing "missional." It's disappointing.
The English Standard Version of the Bible (my Bible of choice) turns 5 years old in a few days. Congrats!
Today, the ESV is available in more than one hundred formats, has seen nearly 3 million copies distributed worldwide, and is reaching the world in creative and strategic ways. ESV General Editor J. I. Packer recently stated, “I find myself suspecting very strongly that my work on the translation of the ESV Bible was the most important thing that I have done for the Kingdom, and that the product of our labors is perhaps the biggest milestone in Bible translation in the past fifty years or more.”
[...]
The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is an essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy with literary excellence, beauty, and readability. Believing that every word of the Bible is inspired by God, the translators of the ESV sought to be transparent to the original text so that the reader could see the structure and meaning of the original as clearly as possible. For more information on the ESV Bible, visit www.esv.org.
I'm really not going to go into much detail on the blog about my Mom and her situation with cancer. I'm not going to keep giving regular updates or anything. But I did want to mention a couple of things since so many of you are praying. Thank you so much for your comments and prayers. And thanks to those of you who felt compelled to post on your blog about my mom. It's very encouraging to me, and to her.
Mom started chemo last Monday, but then went to the emergency room two different times in the following days with shortness of breath. From that we found out the cancer in her lungs (originating from breast cancer) is spreading very rapidly. It was another major blow in a couple of weeks of being pummeled with bad news. So we left Friday afternoon and spent Friday night and Saturday with my Mom and Dad (they live 2 1/2 hours away). We just needed to see her and hug her and let them know we are there to talk or listen or laugh or whatever. It was very good for us, and I think good for her too.
Second round of chemo was yesterday and we are still hopeful that it will work and the cancer will shrink and allow her to live for a handful of years. Please pray for that.
Most of all pray that Mom and Dad would find great courage and faith in a time of many doubts and struggles. Pray that they would be confident in God's goodness and trust in the Cross of Christ.
My Mom does pop by here now and then and I've tried to be careful in what I've shared. I'm going to close the comments because I don't want to encourage a conversation or questions about her cancer for her to see. If you have something you would like to say or ask, please email me. Thanks so much friends.
This is my mom, Margo. A couple of weeks ago she was diagnosed with cancer, for the second time. Breast cancer (2003) has become liver, lung, lymph node, & bone cancer. Please pray for her.
Ugh. I'm sick of the same regurgitated, unsubstantiated arguments against the "consumption of beverage alcohol." But I'm not surprised. Here's an article by the Executive Director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, David Clippard. My favorite part...
All of the new church starts that the Missouri Baptist Convention hasany part of supporting are required to sign and agree to a no-alcohol covenant. This covenant has been fully supported by all our church planter pastors. For this we are grateful.
D.J. Chuang puts his life in danger when he posts "Why I Like Keller More Than Piper." Okay, not really. It has little to do with comparing the two. But it's a good post on the reasons why D.J. (I think he speaks for many) likes Keller a lot. Here's his points, but please read his whole post for his quotes and explanations.
Here's all the Desiring God Conference promo videos (released ones, at least) for Mark Driscoll and Tim Keller. I've updated my Keller Resources page with his videos as well.
