The last experience of God is frequently the greatest obstacle to the next experience of God. We make an absolute out of it . . . All great spirituality is about letting go. Richard Rohr, Everything Belongs
On Friday I was taken to lunch by a great guy from my church. We ate at Nelsons Buffeteria, an eatery in downtown Tulsa dating back to 1929. They have maintained the old town diner atmosphere. I had an incredible chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a buttery dinner roll. I chased all […]
I recently finished Texts Under Negotiation by Walter Brueggemann. It’s definitely worth a read, especially if you’re looking for insights into the Bible’s place in the postmodern conversation. Here’s a quote from page 10: “The threat of unbridled relativism is not, in my judgment, much of a threat. In reality the dispute boils down to […]
We had an excellent study last night. We worked our way through Genesis to Isaiah, tracing the theme of the gospel as we did. As a group, I think we were surprised to find so many antecedents to the “Gospel” in the Old Testament. From Genesis 3 on, God is working in his creation to […]
This Thursday night I’ll be facilitating a Bible study involving the Garnett Leadership Team. This is our first step in doing some dreaming about what kind of church God is calling us to be and what kind of things we’re being called to do. This week we’re tackling the question: “What is the gospel?” I […]
Blog Your Memory Some seniors with early Alzheimers disease are using blogsshort for Web logsto help with their memory loss, and many believe its helping to slow the diseases progress. While theres no scientific proof that blogging or using other cognitive exercises slows Alzheimers progress, those who use Web journals say its improved their quality […]
This Sunday I’m starting a class on the Gospel of Mark. Mark’s gospel is my favorite of the four. There is something about the immediacy and authority of Jesus in Mark that appeals to me. For a fresh look at Mark’s gospel take a look at Mark As Story by Rhoads, Michie, and Dewey.
I’ve been reading a spy thriller by Robert Ludlum. I think I like his stuff better than Tom Clancy. I’ve also been reading some stuff on Systems theory in a congregational setting. A really good introduction to this way of thinking is Creating a Healthier Church by Ronald Richardson. Also check out Healthy Congregations by […]
We finally got our phone installed at our new house. This means I’ll be able to blog from home. In fact, I’ll be able to blog while watching TV. Perhaps I’ll offer commentary during the commercials about what I think of tonight’s episode of “24.”
We had a big weekend. We moved in to our new house in Catoosa on Saturday. Here’s a picture of the moving party. Then I preached my first sermon at Garnett on Sunday. Everything went extremely well.