New Strcuctures, Complete Results and Change.

I think this video has something to say about the overall structure of Church. These ideas will help us move forward in to more helpful, more complete communal expressions of faith and good works.

I'll gather my thoughts and release them in more coherence soon.

join the conversation.

The Pastor of Culinary Arts

So I was thinking Yesterday that more churches need Culinary Pastors.

I'm Serious.

Food is an enormous part of scripture.

Fruit in the garden
Levitical dietary laws
Ceremonial foods
Promised land of milk and honey
Grapes
Wine
Bread
Feeding the Multitudes
Agricultural crop parables
Eat and Drink
The Wedding Feast of Christ


And at every step in between, food is integral and carries deep theological symbolism and context.

With such a large connection in Scripture, perhaps our leadership structures should include this idea and give it some serious weight. Our leadership structures indicate the importance of teaching, singing, and organization. No real criticism of any of those here, but a suggestion that we add food and its related concepts both to our priorities and to the leadership structures that reflect those priorities.

In my idea this Culinary Pastor (the name needs some work. any suggestions?) not only explores and leads the community in texts about food and drink, but also expounds on them theologically and (maybe most importantly!) makes food for the community. Teaches and leads others in making food for other people. One of the central rituals and concepts in the life of a community of faith.

Side Note: this should not be another subcateogy of leader, whose rolls get absorbed into some larger heading. That does a disservice to this position and the importance therof.

In fundamental ways the relationship with Christ is defined in a meal:

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Coincidental Providence.

Our kitchen upstairs is the hottest room in the house in the summer and the coldest in the winter. On August afternoon some of the items in the Fridge seems a bit more tepid than expected. The cheese chewy and the water warmer. (Dang it!)

Perhaps the door was left ajar and the sweltering heat oozed into the fridge? It happens, right? Possible...not probable.
More time went by and more despair set in.
"Lets start looking for a new fridge tomorrow." Well, not new, we don't buy anything new, but a good used one.

My parents had been in for the day to see us and that evening before they left, my dad slyly handed me 70 dollars. He has made a habit of slipping us a little cash now and then when we see him. Things are tight for us and he just tries to help out. We appreciate it. But this was a strange amount, no? 70$? it was usually, 10, 20, 40, something more common and...well...smaller. So I thanked him and we set out for a walk around the block, as the sun set and outdoors became bearable.
As we returned our next door neighbor, Marlene, came out and handed me 5 dollars. She said it was her portion of a baby shower gift that the neighborhood had purchased for us and she had never paid her 5$. I said don't worry about it, but she insisted.

So my parents pile in the car and leave for Indy. I walk back inside with 75$ in my pocket to a fridge that thinks its a pantry. I had planned on visiting some of my usual used merchandise locations like "A-1 Marks" downtown the next morning. But that night before I went to bed at about 10, I just got online to check Craigslist. I found a fridge for sale, here in Fort Wayne, that had just been posted an hour before.

The guy was asking 75$. Sold.

We emailed briefly and the next day me and my buddies Forrest and Joshua picked it up and took it upstairs. It has a few dings in it and some chipped paint, but it keeps my ice cream cold!

We had exactly what we needed. Nothing more and nothing less. We love that fridge...well I love it and my wife tolerates it. But we both sense it's blessing.

But it reminds us to be grateful. It reminds us to be hopeful. It reminds us of the often thin line between what we need and what we want. It reminds we will be taken care of.

Meditation on Hope

As per Eric's suggestion, I started getting into the TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) podcast lately.  It is truly brilliant stuff.  Beautiful lectures from amazingly gifted and influential people.

This talk, A Meditation on Hope, really struck me and moved me.  

This seemingly agnostic surgeon and author really speaks in the language of God and hits on what I think are fundamental tenets of the faith.  I guess it really makes me pause that he really doesn't seem to associate any of this with the life of faith, the life of the healing, loving, hopeful body of Christ.  

What have we allowed our reputation to become?  How did we become this absent in the world?

This is 12 minutes well spent, and the accidental homily of the year,

thanks Eric.

A great moment between me and Dan

As we are leaving work the other day I say...


"(Kidding) "Hey Dan (who is Catholic...), I have the DVD about the life of Martin Luther in case you want to borrow it:)"



Dan: "Thanks. You know Martin Luther didn't want to leave the church, but to stay in and reform it right?"


Me: "Yeah I know, but lots of protestants are ignorant of that fact."


Dan: "And Martin Luther didn't have it all right you know!"

Me: "I agree. And The Catholic Church is not an infallible entity!"

Dan: "I agree."

Words of comfort that instill perseverence

This is a prayer from the monastic spiritual leader and author, Thomas Merton.
It has brought be hope and strength and faith in recent uncertain times.
I post it because I don't doubt that others are now or will at some point need the comfort of these words.



My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.




- Thomas Merton, "Thoughts in Solitude"

Raindrops on Roses.

Does anyone really have any idea why the classic song, covered wonderfully by the notorious Me First and the Gimme Gimme's, "Favorite things" of the Sound of Music is played in Christmas playlists and on commercial radio during Christmas season?

I dont see a readily apparent connection.

just wondering.

?