Warm and Fuzzy

All of your well wishes as I step in Mac world are much appreciated. I LOVE that thing already. I will never go back...unless I win some sweepstakes, but you've got to play to win, right?

Now that everything is official, I'd like to be less cryptic about my life over the past couple of months. God has been doing some mighty crazy stuff and there have been a few of us that have been privileged to be part of what God's doing here in this community. Two churches, mine and one from down the street (literally!) have put their trust in God and their young, dare I say, post-modern leaders. If you read my blog with regularity, you may have noticed the links on the right. Two such links are Five02 and Journey. Five02 being the 'post-modern' (dang it I hate labels!!) community effort of St. Marks UMC and Journey, the 'post-modern' (did I mention I can't stand labels) effort of St. Paul's UMC have co-op'ed into a new relationship.

It's still called Journey and their link remains the same. Five02 has merged into Journey...which is in the form of a church plant. The cool thing is that...

(it should be said that I just took at 10 minute break to read the boy books and put him to bed. tonight's selection? Walter the Farting Dog goes on a Cruise)

...there are several other of these communities springing up in town. Some have spaces, some are meeting in homes, and for the most part many of us are keenly aware that there is something much bigger going on than any of us have ever been a part of. It's a very exciting time.

Now, over the past few weeks, you have read some of my laments about the ways that some aspects of church get it wrong. Conversations happened that I would've much rather never have been a part of. In the midst of prfound peace I experienced moments of despair--thinking that it MIGHT be possible for something to go nuts and have bunches of people collectively turn their backs on God and stick a fork in the whole idea. But they didn't.

For my wife and I, these are very exciting times. Even the boy, now nearly two, can distinguish between 'church' and 'new church' as I straddle the line as youth director in place and worship leader in another. I have went to bat for God, God's vision, and for my Mac (which is a deeper seeded issue than one might think). I am at the same time exhausted and energized.

My partner, Journey's founding pastor, is in Europe right now and will be there for the next several weeks going thru an adoption process. Pray for him, his wife, and his kids...one he's met and is now 4 and one they'll meet there and bring home. I have never felt so comfortably polarized.

So, if you want to, visit us online by clicking here

-rc