following jesus into haiti [an interview with @kentannan]

Have you ever read a book that just rocked you to your core? I have. I recently finished a great new book called Following Jesus Through the Eye of the Needle: Living Fully, Loving Dangerously by Kent Annan (IVP).

Loved it!

After writing my review of the book, I have to say that I was pretty geeked about having the opportunity to actually interview Kent! The book challenged me in many ways, so I wanted to ask him about what motivated him to move to Haiti and how people can apply that same motivation to making a difference even in their own backyards.

What I found was a man who is a humble servant with a big heart to live for God in the best way that he can.

Check out that interview right here…

Note: This video was recorded using VodBurner for Skype.

[present perfect] @greg_boyd’s closing thoughts

I’d first like to begin by expressing a heartfelt word of appreciation to all who wrote chapter reviews of Present Perfect.  They were clear, thoughtful and inspiring. Thank you!

Are you awake?

I am becoming increasingly convinced that Brother Lawrence was absolutely right when he maintained that Practicing the Presence of God is not only the most important spiritual discipline: it is, in truth, the goal of all other spiritual disciplines.  What is the ultimate goal of prayer, meditation, fasting, resting, simplicity, even service and hospitality if not to increase our capacity to consciously remain in God’s loving presence, submitted to his will, moment-by-moment?

At the same time, as I discussed in the book, the Practice of the Presence is really nothing more than another way of saying, “Make Jesus Christ Lord of you life,” for the only “life” we have to make him “Lord” over is the one we are living this moment…

and now, in this moment.

Are you awake?

This discipline is not only foundational to living life in the kingdom, it is its essence. It’s what it means to live under the reign of God. A life submitted to the reign of God that isn’t submitted moment-by-moment is a mere abstraction.

Which makes me wonder why this discipline is so infrequently discussed, and even less frequently embarked upon, by Jesus followers. It strikes me as very odd and almost tragic.  Like Martha, we allow ourselves to get caught up doing a multitude of things for Jesus, but forget that the “one thing that is needful” is to remain in the presence of Jesus – even and especially when we’re doing things for him.

This is why I’m truly thankful for folks like you who took the time not only to read Present Perfect but to publicly discuss it.  I encourage you to continue to spread the Good News: God is here and now!  Encourage people not to miss him in the NOW.  The church today is largely asleep. For 99% of their waking moments, most Jesus followers forget God exists here and now.  We believe Jesus is Lord, but we have a mindset that excludes him most of the time.

The church is a proverbial sleeping giant. We need to wake up, moment by moment.

We can all play a role in this novel.  Lets together agree to not only continue to cultivate an awareness of God’s loving presence, moment-by-moment, but to encourage others to do so.  Invite those you are in relationship with to help you stay awake (we all need reminders, don’t we?) and encourage them to invite you to do the same.  As Frank Lauback noted, staying mindful of Gods’ presence is best done in community with others.  It really takes a village to stay awake.

This moment is all we have, and all we need. He is here!  He is now!

Are we awake?

With love and appreciation,

Greg Boyd

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wholly jesus [an interview with mark foreman]

Some guys just seem to get it. But let me back up a little bit first…

When studying Bible history it doesn’t (or shouldn’t) take long to pick up on some cultural differences between the ancient Eastern culture of the Hebrews and the modern Western culture that we now live in. Yet so many people read the Bible as if it were written by and to a modern Western culture. Doing so causes us to miss the point of much of the Holy Scripture. The sad thing is that too often this happens in churches all across America.

So it’s special when you meet someone who not only knows about these differences, but also understands how to apply them to our modern lives.

Mark Foreman is one of those dudes.

Mark is the author of a new book called Wholly Jesus: His Surprising Approach to Wholeness and Why It Matters Today. He’s the lead pastor at North Coast Calvary in Carlsbad, CA, and an associate professor at Bethel Seminary San Diego. He’s also the father of Jon and Tim Foreman of the band Switchfoot.

I recently had the opportunity to chat with Mark about his book, and you can catch all of that interview right here…

What do you think about what Mark shared? Is his challenge something that you’re up for? Is it something that you even agree with? What steps do you need to take today to make the kind of changes that he talked about?

Bonus links: You heard Mark share about his favorite Swtichfoot song, and many of you probably also enjoy my personal favorite… Dare You To Move.

[the mystery of the cross] author’s closing thoughts

Thanks for featuring The Mystery of the Cross as your online study. I appreciate your attention to my book, and enjoyed reading the entries. Even in this electronic age, an author only gains limited opportunities to reader responses. So this was a treat!

I decided to write The Mystery of the Cross for two reasons. First, as a part-time art historian, I wanted to research Christianity’s central image through the centuries, observing its visual transitions. Second, as a Christian I wanted to learn how early believers related to this sign. Did it influence their daily lives and worship? And if so, how?

As I worked on the book, I received much more than answers to these questions. Several times I thought, I don’t know if readers will get anything from this book, but it’s definitely affecting me. These rewards—and a fast-approaching deadline—sustained me through the sometimes tedious research. This included tracking down obscure books, managing conflicting opinions, and verifying minutia. However, after wading through research, the personal rewards emerged. I noticed the following:

A sacred appreciation. I’ve been a Christian since childhood and Passion Week seems as familiar to me as my own face. Consequently, through the years I’ve taken for granted the depth of Christ’s suffering. Reading details about the crucifixion process renewed my gratitude for his sacrifice and reshaped my approach to the recent Easter season.

A stirring within. Working as an author and art historian, it’s easy for Christianity and its images to become a project instead of a personal belief system. Spending months examining the core personality (Christ) and message (salvation) of the cross stirred my personal faith. I recognized my own need for spiritual renewal. I’m now pursuing spiritual transformation through a Forty Days venture. (See the Notes from Judith blog at www.judithcouchman.blogspot.com.)

An altered perspective. I look at cross images differently than before the book. I think about how early Christians revered images of the cross, focusing on the Savior who died for them. I try to do the same. I live in a culture that doesn’t need to sacrifice for its spiritual beliefs, and I want to remember and honor those who did (and still do). The cross meant everything to them. How can I increase its meaning to me?

One of my favorite biblical characters is Simon of Cyrene, who strolled into town after a day’s work and unintentionally contributed to history’s greatest story. Forced to shoulder Christ’s cross, Simon probably protested and resented the painful imposition. But carrying the cross, in close proximity to the Lord, changed him. He believed.

Encountering the cross can change us, too.

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