Monday Morning Brief – 3.23.09

Context and Highlights –  1. Just got back from the Amidst the Powers Conference with homeboy Evan Curry.  2.  This was a great weekend for me.  I was grateful that my wife encouraged me to go to the conference guilt-free.  Further, I was also grateful that so much youth ministry happened without me this weekend.  Jr. High retreat, Sr. High dinner and movie night, and Sunday schools.  Though I do go on vacations and mission trips and leaders cover for me, there’s usually not as much happening and

Reading – everything from last week and Exploring the Old Testament – A Guide to the Prophets by J. Gordon McConville.

Listening to –  nothing new.   Which is a shame but it was good to drive and listen to some Wilco, Bob Dylan, Death Cab and whatever Evan was playing.  Looking forward to getting the new Decemberists. 

Laughed about – using the Canadian expression of “eh” incorrectly.  It seem that they say it after everything but they insist they don’t.  I am sorry of taking the typical American posture of misinterpreting other cultures but that’s what it really seemed – eh  Evan thinks that is the sound of the end of the sentence period eh  2.  Jack White started a new band.  We need to get him planting churches or something.  3.  That Michael quit the Office.  You know it’s been a tough season when the boss quits the show. Will the cameras still follow Michael?  Well, I’m tuning in.

Youth Ministry Update –  While I don’t know if it’s the best time we’ve ever had, it’s been a pretty good one.  I’m always grateful when our students are truly connecting with what we’re discussing.  2. As mentioned in the Highlights/Context, Tim Nye took our Jr. Highers went on their Winter Retreat trip Camp Monadock (yes we know it’s technically spring) but it’s pretty much always winter in New Hampsire.  3.  Our fantastic sr. high leaders held the fort down without me for our “Stimulus Night” (everyone else is using the word out of context, we thought we’d be sarcastic about it too).  It was a dinner and movie night and it was free (so while not actually adding money to the economy or giving to our students, we were stimulating their souls with ziti and Nacho Libre).  Win-win. 

Seminary Update – Last week we finished Preaching Christ through the Old Testament with Pete Enns.  Though I didn’t wow Enns with my papers, it really was one of the better classes I’ve taken and not just because of the prof.  For instance, the Christopher Wright book, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament was brilliant. Now in Dave Lamb’s  Prophecy and Contemporary Ministry and looking forward to appreciating more on the prophets.  One of my life-long goals is to find Haggai in less than 10 minutes.  Last week I clocked in just under 12 so I’m making progress ;-)

Looking forward to – UNC winning it all and saving my bracket.

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