[capture beauty] prayer walk by dan king

Why I see beauty here: This is a shot that I got while out on a Community Prayer Walk with some others from my church. What I find beautiful is not so much in the visual that the picture presents, but in knowing the prayers that were being delivered with each step.
Submitted by: Dan King
Submitted to: capture [beauty] photography project

Check out other photos in this project here.

[real-time connections] introduction

I remember a time when it seemed like every week my church was praying for people who were going out on these amazing missions trips. 

There were people going on long-term assignments to places like Thailand, while others were going on shorter trips with groups like Mercy Ships. No matter the destination, we were getting in the habit of send lots of people out to do some amazing work for the Lord.

All I knew was that I wanted to go too!

So I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. I asked God to send me to one of these exotic places where I could do some amazing work that would bring Him great glory. The more that I saw us sending others out, the more convinced I was that I was going to be a missionary just like these other brave souls.

This became the cry of my heart so much that I remember even waking up in the middle of the night to pray about it.

One night as I layed awake at 3:30 in the morning, and realizing that it was hopeless trying to get back to sleep, I decided to get up and pray. With my heart to go into the mission field I couldn’t help but to ask God where I would go to do great work for Him.

“I’m ready to go God! Anywhere You want to send me… I’m willing to go anywhere You want me too! Where are you going to send me God?”

Then… and this is hard to explain sometimes… I felt like He was telling me, “5205 Fruitville Road.”

What? Confused as to why I couldn’t shake the thought of that address I told God, “I know that address God, but where do you want me to go? I’ll go anywhere. I’ll go to Africa. I’ll go to China. I’ll go anywhere God.”

But really, part of me only wanted to go to the cool and exotic places. I would continue by offering my subtle suggestions about the cool places that He needed to send me.

And it happened again… I just couldn’t shake the address as if He was telling me over and over again, “5205 Fruitville Road.”

Still not getting it, I told God about something that He probably didn’t understand… “God, that’s the address of where I work. I’m asking You where You want me to go…”

Oh.

Duh.

I get it now. My mission field is where I work.

That realization was one that changed everything for me. I knew that I wasn’t going to get this crazy exotic mission field, but that some of the best work that I was going to do for Him would be in my job.

It took a lot for me at first to give up the idea that God was letting me down, that is until I really started to see the opportunity that lay before me. I looked for the ways that I could be a missionary to my workplace, and I saw things differently. I planned to intentionally love people the way that I thought a missionary would love the people that they minister to.

I’m sure that you can imagine what the rest of this story might be like. Or maybe you can’t. Either way this is an important perspective that each of should take as we look at our work, regardless of what our ‘work’ looks like.

Enter Real-Time Connections: Linking Your Job with God’s Global Work by Bob Roberts Jr (Zondervan, 2010). We are doing a group blogging project on this book that I’m really excited about, because it deals with this very issue. We’ve got an amazing lineup of contributors that will guide us through this discussion over the next two weeks, and even the author is going to share some thoughts at the end of the project.

I pray that this discussion is one that causes you to rethink how you look at your work (whatever you work looks like). I pray that God would put a greater burden on all of our hearts to fulfill the Great Commission in everything that we do. And I pray that the world around us will never be the same as we choose to engage it in new ways. Amen!

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FOLLOW THE PROJECT    |    BUY THE BOOK

tebow, barna, and culture [an interview with sam van eman]

The editorial team for HighCallingBlogs.com is really a pretty amazing group of people. I feel quite honored to be able to serve with this group as the Social Media Editor. I believe strongly in our mission to glorify God through the high calling of our daily work.

Another person I know that believes in that mission is Sam Van Eman. Sam is the Culture Editor for the network. In addition to that he is the Staff Resource Specialist for Coalition for Christian Outreach, and he blogs at A New Breed of Advertisers.

Recently I had the chance to chat with Sam about his role with the network, and to get his thoughts on some recent advertising and related research.

Dan: Sam, dude, tell my readers a little bit about who you are, what you do for HighCallingBlogs.com, and what your blog New Breed of Advertisers is all about.

Sam: Thanks for asking, Dan. I’m a father (just finished a game of Dutch Blitz in which I got crushed by my eight-year-old daughter) and a husband (enjoyed Pad Thai and spring rolls with Julie on a little I-was-out-of-town-for-four-days-and-left-you-home-with-the-kids date). I also think of myself as a teacher.

Writing is a way for me to teach, and at HighCallingBlogs.com that means writing about culture on Fridays and finding other writers to help me do the same.

My blog? Inviting marketers to become good neighbors to the consumer next door.

Dan: So you are a self-proclaimed critic and fan of advertising. How do you connect your faith to your interest in marketing and advertising?

Sam: As a critic, my faith says, “Taking advantage of a car driver’s insecurities may be funny but it isn’t any more than middle school bullying. Christ calls us to care for the disadvantaged and hurting, not run over them.”

As a fan, I’m fascinated by displays of creativity and technology and speaking clearly to a target audience. Add honor and dignity to those displays and I’ll sit up and pay attention to a vacuum ad.

Dan: You actually wrote a book on this theme…  On Earth as It is in Advertising?: Moving from Commercial Hype to Gospel Hope. What can you tell me about the book and the message that you try to send through it.

Sam: On Earth is mostly a critique. It describes how advertising often employs the “SimGospel” by simulating elements of the biblical narrative for the purpose of selling products and ideas. Essentially this means the SimGospel uses the only stuff anyone really wants: love, belonging, efficacy, tranquility – the stuff of heaven, if you will. Which is brilliantly devious for advertisers and oddly complimenting to the Gospel.

Most folks know the basic problems with pop culture advertising, so I thought it would be good to provide a deeper analysis for readers who care about the nuances.

Dan: Recently during the Super Bowl, there was an add that was a bit controversial. It was the Tim Tebow Focus on the Family ad. I’m sharing it here, but what are your initial thoughts on the ad?

Sam: I remember watching for it and then waiting for something significant to happen during it. But “nothing” happened except the airing of a decent and respectable TV commercial.

Dan: The Barna Group just released a study that they did on the effectiveness of the ad. In their analysis they mentioned that, “the ad shows the power of mainstream celebrities, like Tim Tebow, to garner attention and the related challenge for evangelical groups to get on people’s radar.” Is that a statement that you agree with? Why or why not?

Sam: Tim seems like an unusual case. In the football world, he’s enormous and he proclaims his faith in the same way. Few could garner the same attention and even fewer with this level of controversy. Having said that, plenty of Christian athletes could address this challenge but how many organizations have $3 million to shell out, or see the value in 30 seconds even if they did have the money?

Dan: The Barna analysis also pointed stated, “Faith and values intersected mainstream culture in a significant new way.” What do you think about that? Do you think that the ad had a significant impact, and what should other faith-based advertisers (and the church) learn from this ad campaign?

Sam: I should have asked David Kinnaman why he said this when I talked with him at the CCO’s Jubilee Conference last weekend! That would have been helpful, eh?

I don’t think this ad placement was terribly significant. Faith wasn’t discussed and even though a faith-based organization stood behind it, not many viewers made the connection between Tebow and Focus, as the study showed. On the other hand, college commentators always talked about Tebow’s faith during games.

And regarding values, we see PSAs frequently. Perhaps it’s more significant that so much buzz came from this particular spot.

Hmm, now I’m wondering if the same buzz would have occurred if Focus had paid for a spot on something less controversial. Like Stouffer’s, for example. Stouffer’s is doing a campaign called Let’s Fix Dinner [http://www.letsfixdinner.com/] and I think it’s great. Nobody would have cared if Focus were making ads about the healing value of eating lasagna together and yet it would have fit well with their ministry.

So (now that this answer has gone on way too long) perhaps all the buzz was really about the use of TV space as a discussion board for ethics. I’ll be interested to see what happens in 2011. Will others follow suit? The answer to that may end up being the real measure of significance.

Dan: What can people look forward to from you on HighCallingBlogs.com?

Sam: Life-changing experiences. Ha! Okay, how about cultural observations. My mom didn’t trust me to buy the right jelly, and for good reason, but folks have said I have a way of making observations. So that’s what I’ll bring to the table. Some bring organization; others, stamina, or conviction, or grace. As the culture editor for HCB, I’ll bring connections and try to share them as well as I can, either directly or through the writers I pick.

Dan: Thanks Sam! I look forward to following along more with what you do!

group blogging project: real-time connections

When Jesus instructs us to, “GO into all the world,” we often struggle with exactly how we can do that when we have to keep up with our jobs and families. If that describes you, then you’ll want to check out this latest group blogging project on a new book called Real-Time Connections. Zondervan describes the book in this way… 

Real-Time Connections, by Bob Roberts Jr., will show you how to use your everyday passions to make a global impact … while staying attentive to your job, your home, and your family.
 
The Great Commission is not just for professional clergy; it is a charge to every follower of Christ—ordinary Christians like you and me. Bob Roberts urges you as a disciple of Jesus to reclaim your share in God’s transforming work around the globe. Roberts illuminates the ways that Christians from any walk of life can use the everyday skills of their career and/or passion in service of God’s kingdom.
 
Today’s global economy offers you, a follower of Jesus, opportunities to interact with nations and people groups once accessed only by remote missionaries. This book demonstrates the world-changing possibilities your vocation holds when used in service of God’s kingdom

Sounds cool, huh? Over the next few weeks one person from this project will lead us through each part of the book sharing their thoughts, perspectives, and feelings. And we’ve got an exciting lineup of people who will be helping us work through the book together!

The schedule along with who will be sharing is as follows:

• introduction – Dan King, @bibledude (bibledude.net)

1. rethinking the great commission – Christina Meyer, @therealshortyc (Servant’s Diary)
2. hearing God’s call - Marcus Goodyear, @mdgoodyear (Good Word Editing)
3. your job is your ministry – Sam Van Eman (New Breed of Advertisers)
4. linking to the world – David Rupert, @RupZip (Red Letter Believers)
5. living as a disciple – Scott Rogers
6. engaging society – Bryant Neal (Camak Baptist Church)
7. serving together – Bonnie Irving, @scrubbybubbles (Bonnie’s Random Thoughts)
8. sweating the work – Bradley J. Moore, @shrinkingcamel (Shrinking the Camel)
9. making space for everyone – Laura Boggess, @lauraboggess (The Wellspring)
10. stop subverting the message – Mike Kress, @tursiopsguy

• closing thoughts (3/15) – Bob Roberts Jr., @bobrobertsjr (Glocal.net)

So stay tuned for some great discussion, and please feel free to jump into the comments and share your thoughts! In the meantime, here are a few things that you can do right now…

• Buy the book. It will be a much better experience for you if you follow along in your own copy of the book.
• Subscribe to updates. Get the latest posts in this series in your email inbox or favorite feed reader. This is the best way to keep up with everything!
• Tweet it up! Follow @bibledude and retweet updates from this event. If you want to share your own tweets, make sure that you use the #realtime hashtag.

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