Reflection

Truly, it is in darkness that one finds the light, so when we are in sorrow, then this light is nearest of all to us.

- Meister Eckhart

Ruth Graham

Rest in peace.

Lectio Divina: Galatians 1:3-5

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Thoughts:

Christ’s death saves us from this present evil age.

Nothing mentioned about being saved from God’s displeasure.  What could that mean?

Father’s Day

It was good to see my kids. 

Thanks guys for the love.

I’m Back Without Vengeance

Hello friends.  I finally have my internet hooked up in my new spot.  Its been a wild couple of months of turmoil, transition, and torture.  Now I’m back in the blogosphere.  My past infrequency was tied to my previous request for prayer.  A couple of things have changed in my life:

1.  I have become a member of a church (after being on a six year church hiatus…only attending different churches).  I am now a member of Christ Central Church.  Senior pastor Howard Brown and associate pastor Giorgio Hiatt.  Great community.  Folks have been there for a brutha over the past several months.  Life-giving friendships have been forged and are being forged.

2.  A couple of writing projects are on the fire.  I’ll update anyone still reading this blog in the near future.  In my travels I found An Emergent Manifesto of Hope in just about every Borders or Barnes-Nobles I run into.  That’s really cool!

3.  Thinking about the blues, social justice, love, and friendship.

Expect more blogging in the near future.  For real.   

Captured by Love

They say time heals the wounds of life.  A nice thought but a difficult one to actually live with.  I’ve been recently wounded by life to find out that true love is a gift from God and not a product of human achievement.  Love captures us in its mysterious embrace.  For the past couple of weeks I have even asked God to take away this love that has captured me.  God does not answer.  What to do?  Love will not give up its embrace.  Is this mercy?

On Hiatus

Pray for my family.  We are going through a rough patch.  I’ll be on a blog-sabbath for several months until there is resolution on a couple of issues.  I apologize for the infrequency of my postings but things have gotten a little crazy.  peace to you all.

Talking with Leonard Sweet

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it to the Emergent Theological Philosophical Conversation due to an urgent family matter.  However, this past weekend I did manage to sit on a lively panel with writer/theologian Leonard Sweet Hosted by New Community Church in Raleigh, NC.  My good friend Tripp Fuller invited me up to have a little chat with the chaordic postmodern gadfly.

We had a great time as we covered topics such as technology, church’s role in society and politics, and love or hate it the emerging church.  I felt a level of ambivalence regarding this young conversation but it was civil conversation nonetheless.  Alot of caricatures and valid concerns.  I was glad to sit with folks who had some valid criticism and viscerally held caricatures of Emergent Village.

The highlight of the conversation, for me, was when we got into a brief exchange over his (Sweet’s) disagreement of some of us in Emergent Village whose ‘view’ of Jeus is that of a political revolutionary.  He did not like that.  Of course I reminded him that to divide politics from religion is a Enlightnement/modernist move.  That in pre-modern societies such as the early Christ followers there was no such thing as religion vs. politics.  Somehow in the discussion that was lost but we both agreed that the politics of Jesus did not presuppose the modern nation-state.  Agreed.  There was no such thing as yet.  Which, to my mind, does not negate the reality that the gospel is a ‘political’ message because it deal with bodies and neighbors and goods.

Jesus Walks

We praise you Lord God!  We thank you for the sending of your Son into this beautiful mess called creation.  He was tortured and killed by the might of a godless Empire.  You vindicated him by raising him from the dead.  Now you call us to sit in heavenly places to practice the politics of the insurrection-resurrection.  We wrestle against sin, death, and satan while walking in the goodness and sunshine of Your presence.  Walk with us Lord! Ay-men!

My good friend Steve Knight offers a meditation on the Resurrection.  (Steve, I love that image of Jesus)

My 2007 Easter Soundtrack:

Track Title

| Artist

| Album

1.	Lord Give Me A Sign	DMX	Lord Give Me A Sign
2.	Jesus Walks (Remix)	Kanye West	One Million Strong Vol.2 [Edited Version]
3.	Be (Intro)	Common	Be [Edited Version]
4.	Pass Me Over	Anthony Hamilton	Ain’t Nobody Worryin’
5.	To Zion	Lauryn Hill	The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
6.	No More Drama	Mary J. Blige	No More Drama
7.	The Emperor’s Soundtrack (Amended Album Version)	Lupe Fiasco	Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor
8.	Black Jesuz	Outlawz	Still I Rise [Edited Version]
9.	When You Praise	Fred Hammond	Purpose By Design
10.	You Are The Living Word	Fred Hammond	Purpose By Design

Holy Week Reflections

Holy Week has begun leading up to Easter.  I was talking with a co-worker about Easter this morning.  We were talking about our past Easter experiences and the various things we have done for Easter including our plans for this Sunday. 

Strange thought.  What is the first thing that comes to my mind when Easter is discussed?

The smell of boiled eggs.