My Week in Review

Wednesday Andy and Kate Whitman shared there stories with our Home Group. I love these guys! Kate radiates Jesus' love and Andy's thoughtfullness and authenticity give great weight and authority to his words, both spoken and written. Andy will be a speaker at the Festival of Faith and Music at Calvin College (Bruce Cockburn, Bill Mallonee, and others will be there as well. After group went to Houndogs to hang with Andy and Amanda Anderson and Brian Carlson. Good times indeed!

Wow, Thursday was pretty crazy. I needed to get signatures from Bill Christensen and Danny Meyer for some legal paperwork related to the Church. Met Bill at MCL to touch base with him. Every time I interact with this guy I leave encouraged. Stopped by VCC, the "BIG" Vineyard. Hob-Nobbed with Bob Crawford. Hung out with Dan the man Franz, who will be preaching at CV on the first Sunday in November. (Do Not Miss This!) Saw Webbie, and caught a quick conversation with Rich and Marlene. In two minutes Rich gave me immense help in putting together my Sermon on the Mount (AKA the Jesus Manifesto) series. VCC was the best church I could have been at the past ten years, and virtually EVERYTHING good in my life, either directly, or inderectly is related to the ministry of VCC, my favorite MEGA-Church! We are blessed to have them as our parent church!

After some more hob-nobbing, I took the vespa all the way up to Sunbury to get signatures from Danny. Their in the process of building a meeting place for their church right now. They are going for a lodge/front porch of the cracker barrell feel! This would be a perfect venue for a Church that excells at welcoming like this Church. I feel like I learn how to be a better pastor every time I interact with Danny.

It was quite a thrill going 65 on my Vespa on the way up to Sunbury. I have noticed that I get "gay-bashed" a lot less frequently when John McCollum is not a passenger on the rear of my scoot.

Today I had breakfast courtesy of Tree of Life School with Emily Kehlmeier, the best darn projectionist in the Universe! (Not to mention an awesome babysitter with GREAT taste in music. Rumor has it she is an accomplished drummer!)

Had coffee then with a dear friend who has made 14 days sobriety off crack and alcohol, and pot) Buddy, if you read this, I'm proud of your courage! God has been showing you some pretty amazing stuff!

My dear friend Nikki P is dropping by for some Coffee. Nicki was formerly known as Chief Seattle, master of all things related to the Grunge scene of the early 90's. Her dad cut my hair when I was a toddler, and her sister introduced me to my wife.

My wife Adrienne Rocks! (I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to this family!)

My Thoughts While Driving Back From Indy!

Following Jesus means to fully and routinely embrace solitude and community. Unfortunately, the way our culture is leaning, most people experience neither. We never truly enjoy peaceful solitude, but we also never experience true and authentic connection with others. We live in between, experiencing the trials of both worlds, yet at the same time experiencing the benefits of neither. We feel lonely yet overwhelmed, disconnected and frazzled, but we are not alone enough to be nurtured by God,or connected enough in relationship to nurture one another.



BTW- George and Joy's Wedding Rawked- Wish I could have stayed for the Reception. Adrienne Sang Beautifully and Ian and Kathleen make a great pair as Ringbearer and Flower Girl. Now it's 1:30am and I'm still writing my Sermon! :)

Sam Phillips at Little Brothers Tonight

"i need love" by Sam Phillips
i left my conscience like a crying child
locked the doors behind me put the pain on file
broken like a window i see my blindness now

i need love
not some sentimental prison
i need God
not the political church
i need fire
to melt the frozen sea inside me
i need love

driving into town tired and depressed
like a flare the streetlight bursts an s.o.s.
peace comes to my rescue and i don't know what it means
i need love

BTW- Dad Did well with a heart procedure, but need open heart surgery soon to replace aorta, PLEASE PRAY I had another Vertigo Attack, but did not have to go to the ER this time (thank God for Meclizene) Saw Death Cab For Cutie with Grant W, solid show. Missed Debates, I'm not mourning.

During the concert last night I got some Ideas with what I'm doing in this weeks sermon.