The end?

Well, well, well...

It has been a long time, hasn't it. What exactly is it that keeps a person from blogging? Laziness, I think. At least to start with. Shortly thereafter, pure momentum kicks in and the breakneck force of doing nothing becomes irreversible.

I am truly ashamed, which is a response that a number of people have told me is appropriate. So, if I have any readers left--and it's entirely possible that I don't--here is what you've been half-heartedly waiting for.

This will, of course, be another 'Bits and Pieces' post; this time we'll focus on things that have recently ended or will be ending soon:

1. My blogging hiatus. It was...fun while it lasted? I'll try to be more regular. Do they make blogging prunes?
2. The internet. I found it. It was everything I hoped it would be.
3. My brother's losing streak in the North Suburban Church Softball League. Including last year's playoffs, Hope II had lost 29 consecutive games. Their victory this past weekend was a beautiful, beautiful thing. Was it a coincidence that Steve Treichler DID NOT play in that game?
   
4. Inventory. This has been the major reason (read *excuse*) for my absence from this little corner of the blogosphere. It's not a stretch to say that I would rather have two fingers and one of my earlobes surgically removed than do another year of inventory at the Bethel Campus Store.
5. My employment at the aforementioned establishment. August 3rd will be my last day. And, yes, I am counting them down.
6. My time as the music director at Hope Community Church. July 29th will be my last Sunday. I'm already mourning this. Jess and I will greatly miss Hope in our yearlong absence.
7. The Twins playoff hopes...? I hope I'm wrong on this one, but the signs are NOT good.
   
8. My attention devoted to this task.
9. This blog entry.
   

Poet or Heretic: You Decide

This Friday, there will be an event at Hope Community Church called 'Soulwell'. This once a month event aims to be a different worship experience than a typical Sunday morning. A lot of music and reflection time, no preaching, flexible schedule, soft ambiance, etc. The original vision of this ministry is that those who have a difficult time connecting to the format of a typical Sunday morning would (perhaps) feel more at home in this kind of setting.

This semester (yes, we still operate on a college student calendar due to our primary demographic) we are exploring 'Reclaiming Whole-Life Faith: tasting freedom from compartmentalized Christianity'. Hopefully the event lives up to the ambitiousness of its title.

Oh, and the irony of trying to eliminate compartmentalization AT AN EVENT is not lost on me.

Anyway, this Friday we will be exploring the idea of prayer. Without delving into it too much, we want to be honest about how difficult this spiritual discipline is for many people and perhaps chart a course forward.

We will be using the Lord's prayer as part of our liturgy for the event. But in exploring its meaning, we found that much of the intended story-world of Jesus' instructions about communication with the Father were lost in a sea of over-familiarity. So...I did a new translation. I'd be interested to get some feedback on it.

Our Father--the One who will ultimately bring justice and renew all of creation--
Set apart Your unique and holy name from amongst the myriad of worthless idols
Bring Your kingdom crashing into our earthly reality
Actualize Your dreams for Your creation in our midst just as they happen in Your heaven
Feed us from the bread of life that you graciously give to sustain both body and soul
Extend Your perfect grace to us, that we may know how to respond gracefully toward others
Be mindful of how much temptation we can bear and do not press us beyond it
For You are the world's true King, the only One who can wield power justly,
Deserving the recognition, adoration and worship of those who bear Your image
Until the end of time and thereafter.
Amen

To Do List: 1. Pray More

There was a night of prayer at Hope last night, and about 25 people attended to pray for the coming year--for Hope, Hiawatha and our missionaries here and abroad.

Now, I've never been good at prayer. In its simplicity, it still remains one of the most mysterious aspects of the Christian faith to me. I know the pat answers--we pray to further our relationship with the Father. Simple communication with the Creator.

I get that.

How/if our prayers move God to action, however, is a topic for which I have no pat answers. The interplay of sovereign foreknowledge and divinely motivated intervention is something that I don't pretend to understand. One thing I know for sure, though, is the importance of praying for Hiawatha Church as they begin doing ministry in South Minneapolis.

As I sit in the Riverview Cafe this morning, I can't help but be nervous/excited/awed by the task facing the leadership of Hiawatha church. Even now, two women are having a discussion behind me about the benefits of universalism and that it is nearly identical to Christianity. One of them has a book entitled Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions laying open on the table. A man across the room is reading a bit of Marx with his morning coffee. Hiawatha Church--welcome to your Athens.

Please join me in continual prayer for Hiawatha Church as they proclaim the love and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to a community that is 'very religious in every way'.