You are here: Home / Archives for Conferences/Events

NT WRIGHT AT WHEATON CONFERENCE NOTES POST 2

April 21, 2010 by 1 Comment

Sorry it has taken a while to post the second half of this post (and there’s so much more to do), but it seems some of my drafts got lost. I must not have uploaded them properly to WordPress.

Here are my notes from the second half of NT Wright’s first lecture (Friday night 4.16.10). Read at your own risk though, I may not have heard it all correctly and he is a bit of a wordsmith so keep that in mind. This is for the skimmers who don’t have time to listen to the complete audio. This is also intended for newbies who are curious about NT Wright’s work but have not been able to read much. I suggest that you read a few books of his before passing a verdict.
Enjoy.

—–

It’s the western church that he has invented another Jesus and put it on top of the cannon.
(A Non-canonical Jesus)

The Traditional Church has invented Jesus’ and substitute of the cannon

When we read the canonical gospels (all 4, he inserted. For those who don’t get that, Jesus and the Victory of God only uses the Synoptics, Matthew, Mark & Luke) they are not through the identity of Jesus but through Jesus’ inauguration of the Kingdom of God.
The message bringer has been screened out the inaugural of God’s kingdom – forgetting what he was saying heaven on earth as it is in heaven.

The cannon was trying to say this (the inaugural of the Kingdom)

The Gospel does not say Jesus is divine, though He is. They are saying Jesus is bringing the kingdom. (This part confused me a bit and will need to re-listen and try to understand. Confusing bc I thought it was both. Of course I would, I love plurality).
His humanness was his Jewishness.
He mentioned that the Council of Chalcedon de-Judahizing (he tends to make up words) Jesus and Israel.

Jesus is Israel’s God coming to his kingdom and to his world.
Much more powerful than simply saying Jesus is God.
(he did miracles, said great things. … reading through the Bible you will see many people doing amazing things but it does not mean they are God. They may not be divine).

We need to retrieve the canonical Jesus of Israel.

It matters because this stuff actually happened once.
If you don’t have the historical rootedeness , you will turn the message of Jesus into your own version of the truth – how you can have a particular spirituality.

We shrink the story of God and of Israel

We shrink the power of the cross (or the kingdom).
Many churches are kingdom churches but don’t know what the cross is there for.
And many churches that are cross churches that don’t know what the kingdom is there for.
Some people say odd things about Jesus like,
“What a shame his career was cut short .. he was a roll with that stuff.” haha

Some atonement theologies do not affirm the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

It’s not that Jesus was just walking around doing stuff aimlessly and the evangelists were the brilliant theologians adding value and brilliance to it.
Jesus was the brilliant innovator, the disciples were the witnesses doing their best to describe it. Anything else should be counter-intuitive.

Jesus is both sovereign and vulnerable.
There is not directly the proof of Jesus.
It first demonstrates that He is Israel’s Messiah.
Do not short circuit the Israel dimension
Which means his death is the messianic death
He was doing the messianic thing that had enslaved Israel

Resurrection means a new creation.
Jesus is raised bodily from the dead, therefore he is the Messiah, therefore God’s new creation has been launched.
It is not that we just have a future heaven.
Jesus has been raised from the dead, a new creation has begun, and therefore we have a job to do (proclamation).

When Jesus wanted to convey the Kingdom he didn’t give them a theory, he gave them a meal.

Frustration with Barth is that he does not allow any natural theology.
It only works in a closed charm system. No point of contact outside of it.
No point of connection with reality.
Thus, Paul should have even bothered with the Areopagus (Acts 17)

We need to be transformed by the resurrected Jesus
There is an epistemological bridge
For Thomas
For Peter. Each time he asks Peter if he loves him, he uses a lesser intimate word. Jesus comes to Peter on his level.
For us.

Filed Under: Conferences/Events, Theology

NT Wright at Wheaton Conference Notes Post 1

April 17, 2010 by 2 Comments

As mentioned on my here and on my Facebook page, i have the good fortune of being at the Wheaton Theology Conference. This year’s focus is the theology of NT Wright and he has been joined by his friends (llike Richard Hays, Syliva Keesmat, Brian Walsjh and many more) to share, add, critique and discuss on great theological matters. It would take an enormous amount of time to summarize all of today’s comments so this post will just focus on tonight’s session which was entitled: “Jesus and the People of God: Whence and Whither Historical Jesus Studies and the Life of the Church”

He began by picking up from an earlier conversation that stated it is better to engage in the historic theological study of Jesus than not to. He then added that we as a church have been content to live with a split level of reality and that has led to a split level view of Jesus. He mentioned the work of Rudolf Bultmann and while he sharply disagreed, he enjoyed reading him. But one thing was for sure it is/was time to get back to genuine history.

What so many people like about the great theolgians is that they can inspire and discuss great theology and the great ones can make it pastoral. He mentioned that it used to be said, that it is not enough that we know who Jesus is the Savior but is he the Savior for you and me? Tonight he wanted to reverse that thought and say that it wasn’t enough that Jesus was the savior for you and me but further, who is Jesus and what he really come here to do.

Recalling his undergraduate and seminary days, he mentioned that he studied under numerous theologians who were on the one extreme and really did not believe in the historical Jesus.
They taight their students/seminarianas that Jesus could not have said this or that. Many clergy either turned off their mind and just preached a very simple gospel (which is better than nothing) and others conveyed these dangerous and terrible ideas to their congregations and asked them to help reconstruct bits and pieces of Jesus. Quoting Gazeman(?), he said, We must do the history of theology otherwise the church can be deceived.” Even more brilliant was the line from Calvin – “The human mind is a constant machine of creating idols.” This also led to the result of the Nazi’s Jesus. German theologians started creating a theology for the state, created a non-Jewish Jesus, and the bible represented their ideologies.

Oddly enough, he revaled that one of the biggest things that got him interested in the Historical Jesus literature was Jesus Christ Superstar – 1971. He was fascinated and everone in the room (like 1500) tried to picture Tom Wright not just watching JCS but loving it!! Who would have thought but it’s a good story. But this eld to the first time that he asked the question what was Jesus actually thinking about? Before considering that, he saw Jesus more like a super-natual root.

It’s a false dichotomy to go behind the text and reconstruct it and assemble a Jesus that

Not a private individual who hid away from the world. It’s not a form of gnosticism. It’s creational theology – God is coming to rescue and create it!

More later.

Filed Under: Conferences/Events, Theology

Why Go to Conferences?

April 13, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I’ve been known to attend a few conferences in my day. A couple of friends have a variety of nicknames for that – “conference junky”, “gathering groupie”, “event addict” and “brilliant mind” (no one remembers saying the last one but I’m pretty sure it was said or thought – whatever). Truth is, I do try to attend live events as time and responsibility allow. Some of these events are provided for by our church and a number of them, I pay out of my own pocket. Fortunately most lectures are free and now even more events are becoming free. Like the Transform East Coast Gathering that will be in DC May 1 and 2 or Lusanne’s 12 Conversations that will be in NYC this Thursday. (There are other dates and other cities, you should check them out).

I worked with someone who explained to me that attending conferences was “just part of the fake show of everything, even in the church ministry world.” He continued, “You go, tell everybody how big your church is, they tell you that their church is bigger, they say what exciting things God is doing and then you need to keep up so you exaggerate about how exciting your ministry is … I stopped going to these stupid things.” While we all know there is truth in that (regardless of vocation), I am so glad I did not heed the advice. It could be because I attend better events ;-)

I’ll admit that I get awestruck. Yes, I did tweet that I shared an elevator with Dallas Willard (and if I get my picture taken with NT Wright again, I’ll show that off too. He’s like the Derek Jeter of theology you know). People chase down actors, rock stars, and various celebrities, I get excited over Bible nerds – I’m comfortable with that. Truth is, most of these people are really down to earth. I have found pastors of mid-size churches (not ours, he’s awesome) to carry bigger egos than some of these men and women who speak to thousands and have best selling books. But that’s another story.

For me, I want to listen to speakers, pastors, writers, theologians, and various other personalties. Some of these minds are discussing some of the most important topics of the day. Some of them are engaged in some cutting edge ideas and contexts. Some of their words have been life-changing. I will never forget listening to Mike Yaconelli say, “You always get what you get when you do what you always do.” It’ not because he passed away three days after I heard him say that, I wrote that down the second after he said it. I’ll also never forget some of moments on our seminary retreats with Andy Crouch, Larry Walker and Brian McLaren. Then there are personal encounters that won’t be mentioned because of name-dropping is a sin in these parts ;-) But there is something incredible when someone you admire gives you advice regarding your ministry and you leave the conversation knowing there was a very real possibility that they really cared about you and what they told you.

Further, I want to gather with like-minded people and hear their stories, share mine, and leave encouraged, inspired, and maybe even encourage someone else (dare I say). Though I certainly know there can be a snobbiness and a consumer mentality at some of these gatherings, you also get to bump into some truly amazing people. It’s hard to keep in touch with people and build life-long relationships (although Facebook has made things easier), but for me, it’s so good to sit next to a fellow youth pastor who believes in the importance of communicating good theology to teenagers. It’s good to sit next to another pastor that understands that our self-absorption is in part, contributing to some terrible global crisis.

Anyway, conferences, lectures, and other gatherings have proven to be a very good thing for my soul, marriage and family, and ministry. I look forward to future gatherings and maybe even meeting you there. It’s not become a normal occurrence to say or be told, “Hey, I follow you on Twitter…”

Next for me is the NT Wright Conference in Wheaton and Q in Chicago. Aside from connecting in O’Hare, I’ve never been to the great land of Sufjan (Come on Feel the IlliNoise!).  This month, I’ll be there twice. Looking forward to it.

Filed Under: Conferences/Events

Reflecting on the Ecclessia Gathering One Month Later – The Results Do Not Depend On Us – Post 3

March 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment

One of the main themes that Dallas kept reminding us was in the simple statement, “The results do not depend on us”. It could have been my imagination but it seemed that every time he made an allusion to that, the room winced. I did because that line has a spiritual older cousin – the “Give it to God” cliche. Only it isn’t a cliche when Willard mentions it.

Shane Hipps said something similar regarding his preaching during one of his presentations at Poets, Prophets and Preachers in Grand Rapids last year. He preaches it, leaves the words and doesn’t think about them the rest of the afternoon. From the illustration he wanted to use (“Forget about it”), the awkward wording (“Don’t regret about it), the key line that he had been waiting all week to say (“Well there’s next week”). He said he is allowing himself to enjoy the freedom of releasing the message and allowing the Spirit and hearts to work.

I, of course, find it compelling to feel that way.

The results-problem is not a new thought for anyone. I know I have spent a lot of time throughout my 10 years of ministry dwelling on this very point. How do I release it without getting lazy? How do I care without caring so much? Was Jesus not disheartened when the crowds rejected His words or was the line “He who has ears, let him hear” really enough to release Him from the results?

I remember hearing an older, well-season pastor say to me, “If the people didn’t like Jesus’ sermons, I’m not going to feel bad if they don’t like mine”. I thought, “Well you should because I’ve heard you preach – the sermons suck.” But instead I said something like, “People don’t tell you negative feedback because they are afraid of you. So yeah technically, you are not focused on the results.” Then I ran because I knew I was much faster than he was. Kidding, kidding sorta …

There is a skeptical nature that I have towards Dallas’ words. We all know of a church that enables its pastors because he’s getting people down the aisle or he’s getting the new education wing built or whatever result justifies inappropriate behavior. Missional pastors who try to avoid these types of standards tend to focus on subjective matters like feedback that reflects actions of a transformed heart or the support of a others-centered project. These are arguably our altar calls and education wings. I’m not saying this is wrong, I am just looking in the mirror and finding the obstructions in my vision.

If I being completely honest, my cynicism can even be directed to a personal hero like Dallas. “It’s easy to say that you the results do not not depend on us when you are a sought after speaker and your publisher worries if the book doesn’t sell 50,000 copies. You worry about which speaking engagements to reject, I worry that “my audience” won’t come back next week.”

Further, this post can easily get into the unfair standards that pastors are often judged (as I just demonstrated three short paragraphs ago ;-). But this is precisely what Willard’s wisdom is offering to help. Realizing the results do not depend on us as pastors becomes an issue of submission and trust in the Holy Spirit. How do we prevent from becoming lazy and unattached? My best answer is as we live Spirit-led lives following Jesus, we live faithfully to the calling we have received. While this does not mean that one should allow themselves to be abused by the church, it does confirm that we are intentionally focused on living a life that prioritizes pleasing the Father over people.

So, as it is true for all of us in our various vocations, callings and walks of life – may the Lord judge us with justice and mercy as we walk humbly before Him.

Filed Under: Christianity, Conferences/Events, Reflective

Reflecting on the Ecclessia Gathering One Month Later – Post 2- Willard and Discipleship

March 22, 2010 by 1 Comment

As mentioned in post 1, like so many, I have a high regard for Dallas Willard. How an 74 year old man refreshes these words to a 33 year old is amazing to me. Yeah, he’s on a high pedestal for me (and many others) but it’s not without good reason. As I have been processing this throughout Lent, the themes of Discipleship and Evangelism have repeatedly come up in my church community, seminary to some extent, and in my own mind. Discipleship is a term I have always been endeared to. I am sure I have said numerous times, “We need disciples, not just converts.” which depending on the attitude towards Evangelism can also sound like, “We don’t need anymore new Christians until we fix the old bad ones.” Perhaps that is a bit overstated but you get the picture.

Once in a job interview, I was asked to define discipleship. I said something like, “Christian Discipleship is the Spirit-led, lifelong process of following and becoming more like Jesus to give glory to the Father.” I threw her off at Spirit-led. I think my next response was, “No I do not think anyone would accuse of being “charismatic” in worship expression sense.” The next question was, “What is your discipleship program in your youth ministry look like?” I went on to explain that incorporating the themes of worship, learning, serving and creating community in youth ministry is discipleship. She asked, “Yeah but what program do you use?”. By then I knew I wouldn’t get the job.

When I listen to Dallas talk, I regret that I am not able to recreate his holistic (overused term) approach of terms like discipleship and evangelism to the scope of the Christian life. What does my/our evangelism program look like? Given my aversion to “programs” (Evangelism Explosion!), I hope it’s the practice of living and proclaiming the gospel in our everyday life. Indeed, sometimes it’s overt and sometimes it isn’t. It’s interesting to examine Jesus in the Gospels – like John 6 is very overt (“I am the bread of life …”, many left) & John 8’s woman caught in adultery (“Go and leave your life of sin”) or even more, John 9’s healing of the blind man, (“Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam”).

Umm, where are the altar calls? Why aren’t Peter and John singing, “I Surrender All”? How about a pledge card so someone call follow up or something? Is that really “evangelism” – just going around helpin’ & healin’ people? Hmmm.

The question of “What is the Gospel and its lower case younger sibling, “What is the gospel” (maybe more on that another time) are questions and thoughts that have occupied a lot of thought and conversations, including my senior pastor. I continue to be grateful that we serve together as bring our own emphases to such important the conversations. One thing that was renewed to me at Ecclessia is that these conversations need to be more in the forefront of my ministry.

Part 3 is about not relying on ourselves and the work of the Holy Spirit. Should have it posted later this week. As always, thanks for reading.

Filed Under: Christianity, Conferences/Events, Reflective

Reflecting on the Ecclessia Gathering 1 Month Later – Post 1

March 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

A month ago, I attended the Ecclessia Gathering in Chevy Chase Maryland. While I had heard about it for a few years, it was my first time there and was grateful that a good friend made it possible for me to attend.
However, the timing was especially terrible for me. I had just returned from our Sr. High Winter Retreat (which went very well), was missing my family (who are fabulous) and was still recovering from my stolen Macbook and various other complications (which is life). I went for two reasons, as much as I missed my wife and kids, I needed a few days away, and two, Dallas Willard.

Like probably everyone at Ecclessia, The Divine Conspiracy was life-altering for me. What New Kind of Christian and Postmodern Youth Ministry was for me in my mid-twenties, Divine … was for me in my college years. I’d say now that God used New Kind and PYM to “save” me in ministry and that He used DC to save my understanding of Jesus and thus, my theology.

Divine Conspiracy came at an important time for me. It was further aided by the preaching of Pastor Mark at the Grace Church in Lynchburg, VA. He referenced Willard and Foster a lot and I am pretty sure the entire church was reading them as part of his influence. I remember leaving Grace naively thinking, “Yeah, churches read the same books as their pastors.” Uhh no, not so much. Now I think he should lead a conference on that – lol. Anyway, Willard is the man.

But he doesn’t act like the man and that’s why he’s the man. He’s a tender older gentleman in his mid-seventies, speaks lowly, slowly and sincerely. He doesn’t speak with a lot of persona but you tune in because the content of his message his anchored in wisdom. You also can’t help but listen to him and think, “His grandkids must love him.”

I’ve been looking over my notes as part of my Lenten reflections and am in the process of reflecting longer on the notes I take from conferences, school of course, and life in general and here are a few observations that have either remained in my mind or have been difficult to dismiss a month later.

In addition to Dallas, there was another pair of main presenters and they were the incredible couple, Bob & Mary Hopkins. They are considered to be the pioneers of church planting of the last 30 years in Europe. To quote from the conference program, their project Fresh Expressions “is an Anglican church-sanction movement that encourages new forms of church for a fast changing world …” creative expressions were very helpful for me. While it is true everywhere, being in the northeast, I think all of us need to reimagine different expressions of church-life.

Here’s a few things that I really appreciated:
“God so loved the world that He acted.” – Have we as a Church acted enough? When we have acted, how have we done in terms of the Kingdom? And probably my best question is “Have I acted goldy  Have we as a community acted God-like?”  Most of us know that this is only possible through the work of the Holy Spirit, which brings up another set of questions, among them simply, “Are we Spirit-led Christians or just people who call themselves Christian?”

I’ve also been trying to consider the “4 Spaces of Belonging”
Intimate space – accountability
Personal space – small groups (you thought I was going to write “personal one on one time with God didn’t you?)
Social space – mid-size community
Public space – celebration

I’m still working on these but find myself thinking a lot about them in relation to my current ministry.

Reading the culture and finding gospel connections. Know your gospel …

I hope to post on Willard’s and others’ thoughts later this week.  In the meantime, you can check out what other pastor-bloggers wrote here.

Filed Under: Conferences/Events, Reflective

Reflecting on Don Miller's Million Miles Book Tour in NYC

October 23, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Last night Tim Nye and I headed into the city to catch Don Miller on his A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life book tour.  It was quite an evening.  Heading into the city during rush-hour, I  skillfully weaved in and out of the traffic, dodging cabbies, flying across bridges, darting through tunnels, I made record time to the address I put into the GPS.  Unfortunately I ended up on the wrong borough (Don’t ask, it was the stupid GPS.)  But as fate would have it, Don Miller waited for us as we arrived during the intermission between him and Susan Isaacs (we heard she was very funny).

While I have always been a bit unsettled by “Christian celebrity”, I find Don to not have let his success get the best of him.  It did bother me that there was a charge for the book tour but I’m guessing that’s a publisher trying to recoup costs.  And in fairness, him and his team are traveling for 3 months.  All in all, I do like the concept of the book tour.  While I’m probably less inclined to pay money to hear most authors, I guess Don is among those I would.  In any case, I do appreciate these moments as they often help me appreciate the book more. It was a great night.  I’m glad I went.  I even bought the book again and asked Don to write a note to my wife who was too pregnant to attend.  In fact, she’s too pregnant to travel, sit, sleep, eat, breath but baby boy is coming Monday. It’s foreordained. Btw, my few moments with Don was very warm.

Here are the notes I took. I offer them with two bits of encouragement

1. Pick up the book.  He’s a gifted writer with sharp insights regarding life.  With gifted story-telling, humor, and short chapters, Don may be the only reason for you to ever consider going into a Christian bookstore.  If that sort of thing frightens you, his books are sold at every Barnes & Noble, Borders and of course, Amazon.com.  This was his first book in three years.  Though he is under contract, he told the story of how he told his publisher that he needed to change his life in order to write a better story.  Initially they weren’t happy with him then but I’m sure they are now.

2. If he comes to your city, you should check him out.  Click here for the rest of his tour schedule.

———-

What makes a good story is what’s good in life.  What makes a story meaningful is what’s meaningful in life.

He attended a Robert McKee seminar on story.  It’s like a bootcamp for novelists, screen-writers, anyone trying to learn what makes a good story.

Story has to have a narrative context to make sense. There is no stoppage to tell the moral of the story (like how we do on Sundays).

One of the key features of a good story is that it contains a character that wants something that has to overcome conflict to get it.

It takes a special charcater to do it.

He/she “must save a cat”.  meaning must do something worthy for us to like him.
Example: The most recent Rocky movie.  There is nothing that is going to move an audience if he simply wins the fight.  In fact, we may perceive a movie about that has selfish.  But we care about the outcome of the movie because we like the character, Rocky.  We have journey with him through the conflict of losing Adrian, helping others like a single mom and her troubled son.  We’ve witnessed him adopt a dog, an ugly dog and eventually he has won us over. (Miller said all of this as a point of reference, as opposed to Citizen Kane.  Most people have either seen Rocky or know the basic plot line.)

A character is only what they do.
Not what they want to do, who they they think they are.  You can’t see a character’s dreams and ambitions, you only get to see what they are doing (what’s told to you) in the story. It’s based on actions.

In a story you have to show it.  Like when Rocky drives the single mother home.  The scene has an element of sexual tension and as he walks her up to her door, he leans over …. and changes out the light bulb that had gone out.  This does not advance the plot nor helps him win the fight but makes for a better character and which leads to a more beautiful story.

The character has to want something.  Has to desire something.

We are programmed into thinking that there is not supposed to be conflict in life.
We are often told conflict isn’t supposed to exist.  It’s the result of the fall but this is not true.
Consider Genesis 2, there is conflict.
The conflict is that God says that Adam was lonely.
He is feeling emotions he does not want to feel.
And God creates Eve.

Where do we get this message that there is not supposed to be conflict in life?
Often Jesus becomes a product that is going to complete our lives and get rid of all conflict.
Don does this funny bit about a Christian infomercial with Paul and another with Peter.  Repeating it in a blog post will not do it justice.  The medium is the message you know ;-)

We long for climax.

But the climax is not Jesus.
Climax is not Conversion as advertised.  It’s not encountering Jesus.
The Act III Climax is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb
We are in the middle of Act II.

When you are scared of something, you will encounter beauty.
Don tells the story of meeting his dad for the first time. In fact it was a bit awkward because he had just written a book about growing up without a dad. It was a moving story of pain and forgiveness.

He told another about bike-riding across the country (for Blood: Water Mission) and being at the Holocaust Museum in Washington.
There he is inspired by Victor Frankl.  Having been captured in a concentration camp and witnessed the death of his family, he encourages his fellow suicidal prisoners to continue living for the sake of meaning.  “If you could desire to starve yourself or to be beaten to death, instead of taking your own life, then you would tell the world for generations the account of the evil that we have suffered.”

Freud says that we live for the sake of pleasure.
But it’s those like Frankl who are right – It’s meaning we need.
We turn to pleasure when we cannot find meaning.  We turn to pleasure to numb ourselves.

The challenge in life is to tell better stories with our lives.

Find better better desires, no one can stop you from creating life.

Filed Under: Conferences/Events Tagged With: ,

Revelation Generation – What I think Rev Gen Could Improve On – Post 2

September 10, 2009 by 2 Comments

In my last post, I gave my praise about Rev Gen.  Each year they have demonstrated they are trying to make this event better and so for this post, here are some things they ought to consider.

1. Are all those tables in the Resource Tent necessary?  Honestly, some of them mock our faith more than help it.  I know it helps offset the costs of the event but is it substantial?  Unless they are serving as an example of what artists like Derek Webb are singing against, I’m fairly certain that if Jesus were to return on Labor Day weekend, He would first stop at this tent, overthrow half these tables and then continue on to that East Gate in Jerusalem that He’s supposed to walk through ;-)

2. I think it’s time to stop the annoying tract givers as soon as you walk into the festival.  Those money tracts are absolutely ridiculous.

3. I love the leader tent, it really is helpful.  But this year the vibe seemed a bit more stingy with the free drinks.  If youth leaders are abusing it and handing out free water, they could just put up a sign that says something like, “In order to provide adequate refreshments to our leaders, please help us by limiting these to our leaders.” or something like that.

Filed Under: Concerts, Conferences/Events Tagged With:

Rob Bell – The One Thing I've Never Heard Someone Talk About That Has Changed Everything for Me – #ppp09

August 27, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Rob started this session by telling a story of someone who wrote him a letter telling him that he was defending him from all the criticism that Rob was receiving on facebook and various blogs.  He told him that people were saying that Rob was heretical and the messages were full of fluff and irrelevance.  “But I defended you.”

Rob said, “That right there is a chocolate covered turd.”  I didn’t feel good after this person told me this …

It’s the nine and the one – you may receive nine compliments and one criticism but of course you remember the one.

We need to learn how to forgive (not the mass of people but the actual person/people)

Become a student of forgiveness

We want to control how people respond to our words, not just control the words we actually say // every head nodded when he said this except for those who gave up a long time ago.

“You are not an ecclesial punching bag hired to take the blows.  You are a collective resource.”

You get a paycheck to deal

with our unhealthiness”

It’s ok to guard yourself (your leadership) as a resource.

– It can take hours of your life arbitrating toxic needs

You lose your creative energy, your prophetic abilities … you start losing yourself …

You find yourself holding, creating lists and labels, wanting revenge.

Forgiveness means being freed from all this.

You are absorbing the debt, taking the cost of it completely on yourself, instead of taking it out on the other person.  It hurts terribly. Many people would say it feels like a kind of death.

// Obviously the great title kept a lot of us in some kind of anticipation.  I mean “one thing”, really?  I was pretty sure that it was going to be something pretty fundamental like “The one thing is the She’ma, to love the Lord with … and …”.  I lost 20 imaginary dollars to my wife on that bet.

Forgiveness. It seems like it would be theoretically true.  If you can take each crass word said about message, the mocking of your mannerisms, the story that someone interpreted to actually disprove your point, and the weekly comments you might get about not wearing a tie, all the tough moments and actually forgive, release and be liberated from their sting then I suppose that would change everything.

Filed Under: Conferences/Events, Poets Prophets Preachers '09, Reflective

Shane Hipps – You Are the Medium – #ppp09

August 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Shane Hipps – You Are the Medium – an exploration of the human being as God’s ultimate medium for his message. if the medium is the message, and you as a person are the medium, then what does that say about the message?

Medium of You
We have a  body – don’t underestimate that
you have a body for some reason
so God-Jesus – Embodied

Physical body – 5 senses – obvious

Energetic part of body –
thinking, psychology, activity, all have an energy quality
We feel this energy when talking to someone who is no longer listening (we know bc of their lack of energy)
Energy always follows attention
sexual energy is connected with creativity and vitality of life
connection however is not always sexual.
The more we develop our energy/attention/etc. the better you serve

Bono has energy to fill stadiums.
Oprah has energy
Michael Jackson – energy
Our energy is experienced differently by people
Another energy sheer gravitas – presence – Colin Powell

– Unchanging – the only thing that actually changes is your access to it.
– Unlimited – our Essence
Paul wrote about essence in Romans 8.11

Practices to develop your energy levels
physical – you know how to do this (exercise, sleep, eat right)
– physical body is the copper of your energetic body
– do not underestimate your breathing and your posture and how the two relate
We are imitative creatures
– so whatever we give to our audience, the will imitate.  This may reveal some of our blind spots
– shadow moment we down our shadow, it wrecks us
– we must acknowledge it, uncover it  find the person you like the least, feelings, etc. it’s probably in you.
– Own it.  Shane actually used the movie 8 Mile as a reference (which is like Francis Collins quoting Power Rangers ;-).  It’s when Eminem’s character (Rabbit … uhh, I think ;-) owns the negative things in his life that his battle opponent can no longer attack him.

Essential – essence is something you must act and know not just read and believe it.
Breathe you can’t save breaths, you can’t lose it – give it away
Breathe after success, after failure

If it’s anything this world needs is peace, compassion and wisdom.
There is no such thing as a good preacher, only a good person preaching.

Filed Under: Conferences/Events, Poets Prophets Preachers '09