:: [ex]changed.life ::

:: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 ::

Typical. I skip class Monday night and wash my truck. Then, it starts raining today... not supposed to let up until next week. *sigh*

:: Adam 2:31 PM link ::
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Just a reminder... tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer here in the States. Dr. Luis Palau has written a prayer for the whole nation to recite @ 12 noon. You can find it on the National Day of Prayer website.

:: Adam 9:31 AM link ::
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Shaking Conversations... HUGE thanks to all who are responding to yesterday's "earthquake" blog (I've received e-mails and comments from around town, over in Alabama, up "thar" in Maryland, and overseas in Southeast Asia). It's great to see people responding to the earthquake experience, but I am more excited to see each of you responding to each other within the comments thread. I hope this continues--my desire is for this page to be an environment where people can connect and share ideas.

Anyway, my pal John, who is in Southeast Asia, had a thought provoking comment (click on the link below yesterday's blog to read all comments). Here's what he said:
"Do you think that coincidences are God speaking? I would say it is the opposite. When God speaks through a circumstance, it is no coincidence. The word literally means two events coinciding (suggesting a random encounter of events). That happens uncountable times a second in the life of everyone. I would say that your earthquake experience was no coincidence and THAT is what made it significant. Just a thought. What do you think?"

John~ once again, my vocabulary has let me down! You're right... there are no "coincidences" if God is constantly speaking in every circumstance. This necessarily infers that even the most mundane, everyday events receive new meaning as well (brushing my teeth, eating, sleeping... not necessarily in that order all the time). Perhaps this is part of what Jesus meant when he said that he came to bring "life" (see John 10:10). He came to give us spiritual life--that constant connection with God that is impossible prior to salvation.

So, here's another thought for you, John, and anyone else interested in joining in! What about the implications for other aspects of the faith journey? Miracles? Prayer? I don't mean to get too theological or whatever, but certainly things take on new meaning when we begin to internalize the Truth (Truth = Jesus Christ, see John 14:6). Life becomes "full" of God.

I do not propose a pantheistic perspective that God is "all" and "all" is God. Certainly this is a doctrinal error. I am proposing the following: Life experience after committment to Christ--"salvation," that event which marks the beginning of the Christian faith journey--is enfused with the constant presence of God not previously experienced. What are the implications of the presence and activity of God in "everyday things" and in "mystical things" like miracles and prayer? Perhaps we shouldn't "make" such a big difference between the two?

On a side note: I've received a couple of e-mails from other people. As I receive more of them, I'll post them (perhaps later today/this evening).

:: Adam 8:39 AM link ::
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A friend of mine from Maryland sent me this link... Yahoo! News - Rare Quake Shakes Parts of the South. Check it out! (Thanks, Dan!)

:: Adam 11:44 AM link ::
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Earthquake: My Experience.
I woke up around 4:50 am this morning... wide awake. That kind of thing where you can't go back to sleep. When I wake up like this, it usually means that the Spirit is beckoning me to pray about something/someone. So, I asked Him what was up... and for the next several minutes, didn't feel any direction or leading to pray about anything specific. So, I decided to go back to sleep.

Then...

At 5:00 am (I know, because I looked at my clock)... a low rumble began to ensue. My room began to vibrate with the rumble! I lay awake in bed thinking, "Thunder? I didn't see a flash of lightning, and the forecast says thunderstorms only as early as tomorrow afternoon." When the thunder didn't stop and my room continued to vibrate, I realized something else was happening.

I looked outside my window at the storage unit/garage across the way from my apartment. The lights were visibly shaking!

Suddenly, it stopped, just as eerily as it had begun. After about 10-15 seconds the rumble quieted, the room and my bed stilled, and the only sound was the hum of my fan.

My mind raced... I knew it could be one of three things: (1) I had felt an earthquake! But how? I thought those only happened in California! (2) It was an explosion. Terrorists detonated a nuclear bomb in Atlanta, and I was feeling the shockwave. (3) I just imagined the whole, entire thing.

I entered the livingroom around 7:45 that morning. My roomie, Scott, was up watching the news. I asked him, "Bro, turn it to a local channel! I think I felt an earthquake last night!" He didn't even look up, "You did."

Come to find out, the epicenter of the quake happened 114 miles away near Fort Payne, Alabama. It registered 4.9 on the Richter Scale. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has an article about it. Apparently, the quake was felt as far South as Mobile, AL (on the Gulf Coast) and as far North as Kentucky and North Carolina.

Well, that's all fine and dandy, but why me? Why did I wake up 5-10 minutes before the quake hit? I have committed to live life closed to the patterns of this world, and open to the invisible things seen only through the eyes of faith (I don't always do it perfectly!). Since I have chosen the path of faith, I have necessarily chosen not to believe in coincidences. Things happen for a reason... nothing... no circumstance... no "chance" meeting... no dream... no experience... nothing happens without a deeper meaning behind it. This morning as I was eating my scrambled eggs and oatmeal, sipping on a hot cup of Caribou Coffee's Columbia blend, part of the bigger picture was revealed to me... See, the teaching team at Crosspointe (the Church that I serve as Pastor of Creative Communication) is going through the book of Galatians on Sunday mornings. I am scheduled to preach this Sunday on Galatians 1:11-24. The topic assigned to me is "Unshakable Power." Coincidence? Nah. The more I let this thought simmer in the crock-pot of my mind, the more the picture becomes more and more clear:

"Talk about faith. That 'faithquake' that you experienced in college... the time when you owned your faith for the first time. That period of life where things rubbed against each other and living the Christian journey caused tremmors, rumblings... it shook you awake. Share the truth: the Gospel of Jesus Christ is powerful--it transforms lives! Just like it changed the Apostle Paul's life. Share with the people about how you still find rumblings, how you are challenged to think in different rhythms, different patterns. Talk about your experience with the unseen."

So, piggybacking off of Christendom's foremost Postmodern "prophet," Len Sweet, I've put the title out on the sign in front of our Church for this Sunday's message: "Faithquake."

I would appreciate your thoughts... please click on the comments section below and post your thoughts so that anyone/everyone can continue this conversation... (Remember to leave your name. You can also leave your e-mail if you want people to contact you, and your URL if you want people to see your blog or webpage.)

:: Adam 10:11 AM link ::
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Fellowship. Had a cup-o tea w/ my pal Rob this afternoon. Great time of chatting... thinking about Life, conversations, art, the calm after the storm. Perhaps I'll blog about some of our thoughts in a bit. Anyway, I mentioned his blog earlier this week, Acrobat, and want to reitterate that he's got some good stuff going on there. His most recent post really "resonated" with me (to steal a word from his blog). It's about music... but more than that, about connection. Anyway, Rob, if it's okay with you, I'm gonna hop on board your thought...

Connection. That desire, dream, urge, capacity that we all have. That desire to be integrated into something larger than "me."

For some, it's connecting with things. Today I overheard 2 "gentlemen" chatting in the locker-room of the gym I workout at ... they were talking about "stuff"... "you gotta have more stuff" one of them said emphatically. Well, connecting with a thing is fine and dandy, until it's gone.

For some, it's connecting with a movement. Perhaps this is the closest thing to spirituality that most experience. If I lived in the 60s, I'd be a hippy. In the 70s, I'd be on the crest of the Jesus Movement wave. But, I live today... I hope [and pray] that I'm surfing the POMO wave... doing my best to figure out my part in faithfully bring God's Church into the world of now. Anyway, movements are great... until the fad has died. (Jewel's new song, Intuition(?), mentions the postmodern fad-thing: "what was once a fad, now is bad.")

For most, it's connecting with another person--but, then, that person drops out of the picture (they move, they get upset, they die). Jesus' disciples experienced this hardcore truth when their rabbi hung naked on a cross.

For me, I've decided to take the road of faith. Connecting with the invisible God--the Mystery revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. This eternal connection gives me purpose, meaning. I'm not here to take up space--I've been given the grace-opportunity to live. Only in connecting with God do I really begin to disconnect from things... to find my role in the greatest movement of all time: the New Testament Church... and to connect with other people, like Rob.

So, thanks, Rob, for connecting. Thanks for sharing that Dishwalla song, Home. I listened to it online per your suggestion (by the way, they have commentary available for it). Anyway, that song spoke to me, too... perhaps we can chat about it another time.

:: Adam 6:08 PM link ::
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The new Terry Tate Office Linebacker video is online. I don't know what it is, but some part of me really enjoys seeing a pro-football player slam slacker Dilberts around the room.

Oh, and my pal Rob Nichols has a blog going. I'm pretty pumped he named the site after a U2 song, Acrobat. He promises to update it after "golf season"... hee... hee... hee...

:: Adam 10:59 AM link ::
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Okay... I wish I could make the Origins conference, but I'll be in New Orleans graduating that weekend. Anyway, check out the site... if you're not familiar with Mosaic, you need to be. I haven't read Erwin McManus' new book (he's the pastor @ Mosaic), but Unstoppable Force was fantastic!

:: Adam 6:37 PM link ::
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Comments. I just added a comments section to my blog, so, feel free to comment on any of my blog entries! (Huge props to Jonny Baker who hooked me up with this capability! Check out his blog...)

:: Adam 4:22 PM link ::
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Overwhelmed. That's how I'm feeling today. Trying to finish up all of my class work so I can graduate in 3 weeks (Masters of Divinity)... worship service planning... pollen... it's just overwhelming. Ah, well... off to band rehearsal...

:: Adam 6:37 PM link ::
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been thinkin' a bunch about systems and synergy lately... when (if) I get some breathing room today, I'll write some about it. for now, a really cool quote I ran into:
"God's kind of love always ends up on a cross in this kind of world." ~ Leonard Dupree, Church-Minister Relations specialist, GBC

:: Adam 1:14 PM link ::
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TCOA
Last night I celebrated Easter Sunday evening in the company of roughly thirty people at The Church of Atlanta. As I entered the Decatur Banquet Room of the Sheraton Hotel where TCOA meets in Midtown Atlanta, I was greeted by the soft ambiance of candlelight. Spaced throughout the room were several candles on stands and small groups of people mingling and sipping on coffee and sodas. In the corner of the front of the room were two artists setting up an easle, upon which they would ultimately paint an expression of the ressurrection story while the speaker delivered the message. In front of a great wooden cross drapped in white cloth sat a lone guitarist tuning his guitar. I knew the evening was going to be special... not because of the atmosphere (although it was tingling with creativity), but because this is truly why Jesus, the Christ, came to earth, lived and died. So that we, His created, could celebrate the greatest event in history--together. When I look at the cross, I can't help but see the verticle relationship restored: God-Mankind. And, I also can't overlook the horizontal relationships that are restored and given new life: Me-You. And, here in a hotel room... just a few blocks from Piedmont Park... right across the street from an edgy theater... right there God is still crossing enemy lines... right there God is still calling people to life... right there God is laying down His life for His friends.

:: Adam 5:13 PM link ::
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Quotables...
"It's FRIDAY, but Sunday's on the way!!" - Tony Campolo. (Thought this quote was applicable since today is Good Friday and this Sunday is Easter.)

Oh, and I really hope it's okay to take allergy medicine with coffee.

:: Adam 9:50 AM link ::
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There's something viciously poetic about this. As I am playing RTCW (going on 2 hrs now), I begin to smell something "bad." When I enter the next room, I am greeted by a bird lying lifelessly on the floor. Ah, yes. That cute, loveable dog is also a killer. We domesticate... but they still keep a bit of the wild in them. Now, Jilly's brought it close to home. A reminder that curiosity sometimes brings death; that sometimes the things that bring happiness also kill.

I think of sin. I try to domesticate it--call it something else; pass the blame; cover the shame. And, just when I think I've successfully taken the bite out of the beast, I find it still seeks to destroy. Sometimes the stench is horrible. And then, I remember forgiveness... bought at the same price: death. Death on a cross. And my heart leaps toward Easter... the grace, mercy and love that "do not give as the world gives." The sting of death is removed from the gift of Christ... curiosity breeds life (the great mystery revealed).

I forgive you, Jilly.

:: Adam 10:16 PM link ::
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Jilly. She's my dog. Seems her love-tank is never full--she's the first dog I've ever owned that will literally fall asleep on me while I pet her (which, I'm doing now in between sentences). She got scared from all of the thunderstorms today. So, she's in an extra loveable mood right now.
(I guess the procrastinating mindset has caught up to me... oh well. Better make the most of it. I'm gonna play some MP Return to Castle Wolfenstein.)

:: Adam 7:26 PM link ::
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Well, I haven't had much time to blog today... Getting a flash animation ready for Easter services this Sunday among other things (I may post it on the web when I finish it). Staying more busy than I'd like to be!! *sigh* It's raining outside, and I have a lot of reading/studying to do tonight... So, if I find myself not terribly motivated and in a foggy procrastinating mindset (which is more than likely), I'll be blogging tonight. 'Till then.............

:: Adam 3:33 PM link ::
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migraines stink.

:: Adam 10:18 AM link ::
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So, decaf coffee raises your blood pressure... I think I'll stick to the high octane. (Click the link to see the article.)

:: Adam 11:16 AM link ::
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Interesting stats on Pastors.com ... the highest earning movies in 2002 had "Christian" or "moral" content. Least earnings? Movies with "foul language, sex, nudity, violence, and illegal drugs." For what it's worth.

:: Adam 11:09 AM link ::
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Quoteables Part Deux...
(Today seems to be a day when I am just running into some good quotes... wish some were my own!)

"Whackiness is always around the next corner." - Dan Metz on life.

:: Adam 10:47 AM link ::
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Quotables...

"Puny human brain insists on imposing its limitations on God’s ability to deliver miracles…" - Doug Bailey, After "writing off" the American POWs in Iraq, then finding out the next day that 7 were found alive.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." - Proverbs 13:12

:: Adam 8:41 AM link ::
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Emerging minister has a pretty spiffy blog re: alt.worship, emergent culture, etc.

:: Adam 1:00 PM link ::
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YHWH. "What one word (or phrase of three words or less) best describes the nature/attributes of God?" This was the question asked to our Greek class today. Is it even possible to encompase Something so unquantifiable, Someone so omnipotent, a Being so mysterious... as Jehovah? The answers were simple, but profound: "God is love." "God is holy." "God is servant." Perhaps the best answer... "God is." He just is. When Moses asked God what His name was, God answered: YHWH ("I am.") Period. End of story. I am. God is "Be" (literally). He is. So, God is love... God is holy... and He certainly is Servant, Shepherd, Propitiation, All in All, Majesty, SAVIOR. God is. Period.

Be in me, and me in Be.

I'm not confused... I am not "I AM." But, I AM lives in me so that I can be what He created me to be... a lover, a servant, a worshiper, a poet, a life that counts.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

:: Adam 12:06 PM link ::
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All I have to say for today is:
God must love sunshine, convertibles, barbeque, mountain music and U2. What an afternoon!

:: Adam 6:16 PM link ::
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Corrections. I am learning how to practice humility. Once again, I have to correct something that I previously wrote. A few days ago I wrote about my "soul patch" and it's aphrodisiac-esque qualities for the women-folk. I just received an e-mail from a friend of mine in Texas. Apparently, she believes that the "soul patch" does not have such a mysterious-pheromone quality. Perhaps she's right... good thing I shaved it off...

:: Adam 6:53 PM link ::
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Just had some great java @ Caribou Coffee.

:: Adam 6:45 PM link ::
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"Freedom Given By God, Bought With American Blood." That was the sermon title on the sign of a church I passed last night. Freedom (true freedom) is a gift from God. And freedom (at least, in our country... and now in Iraq) has come at the cost of many lives. But, the subtle message behind this sermon title leaves me uneasy. Let's remember, God is not "on our side" only. I believe it's theologically incorrect to assume America has the corner pocket on this whole God thing... the cost of such error is what I call American Diesm... (or worse... American God-ism).
This brings up a related thought. Chris Tomlin (a contemporary "worship" artist) has written some amazing tunes in the past few years--"Wonderful Cross," "Forever," etc.. However, among his repertoire of songs is a song entitled "America." The song, I believe, was composed in all innocence and with the pure desire to see our wayward country return to God. Nonetheless, it smacks me with a sense of American Diesm. I have high a respect for Chris and his work, but I really disagree with anything that would portray a message that God is American. Heaven is a Planet Earth community-thing...
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 1 Chron. 16:28 (NIV)
It's sunny outside... I'm going out to enjoy the weather... blessings...

:: Adam 1:44 PM link ::
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Brothers Grim. So, my bro just started his own blog. Check it out: Earthshattering Nonsense

:: Adam 12:13 PM link ::
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Webless. Obviously, I was unable to connect to the web while @ the beach. Probably for the best... it was a very relaxing time... great fellowship with other believers... great food (I had my first raw oyster!)... great sleep... great sun...

:: Adam 12:01 PM link ::
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Heading to the beach tomorrow... if I can get internet service down there, I'll post a few ruminations.

:: Adam 5:59 PM link ::
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It was all yellow. Thank heaven it rained! The pollen here in Atlanta was so bad that there was literally a yellow haze everywhere! I looked out my apt window today to a scene of a slow moving yellow river of pollen and oil slidding across the pavement and into the drain... Oh well. At least my truck has returned from a funky-greenish color back to red.
In other news, I shaved my soul patch today. I must have A.D.D. or something...

:: Adam 2:33 PM link ::
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Elucidation. Well, I've re-read my blog from yesterday about the artist. Admittedly, my last line sounded a bit sharp: "So... who's the more intollerant one?" I didn't mean this comment to be as rough as it turned out. Perhaps the better phraseology would have been: "So... what is tollerance?" (It's a bit less "finger pointing" and a bit more "thinker oriented"). Let the conversation continue... :^)

:: Adam 3:17 PM link ::
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Jonny Baker has a great blog about POMO, alternative worship and emergent Christian culture. Lot's of links and other interesting blogs on his site.

:: Adam 8:57 AM link ::
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Price of Peace. An Israelite came into our office the other day, sharing her artwork with our staff. She was fairly young--college age(?)--and a very talented artist. Anyway, she showed me a picture of "The Fountain of Peace" in Jerusalem. She told me that the fountain is not real... it's a vision. It reflects the reality that all three major religions in Jerusalem (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) come from one source and return to the same source. The fountain reflected the desire for peace to exist in Jerusalem between all three religions. I asked her which fountain spout she flowed out of... "Judaism," her reply.
After we chatted a while, I told her that I studied Hebrew and could read/translate it. (Boy, I don't know if I just have too much chutzpah or if I'm just stupid sometimes...) She followed my comment up with a, "Prove it!" I proceeded to read from a small booklet of Psalms that she handed me... she was quite amused to hear me struggle through it with my Southern accent.
A few moments passed, and I shared with her that I learned Hebrew in my studies of God. I told her that I believed Yeshua (Jesus for those of you who didn't grow up celebrating Chanukah like I did) was the Messiah of Israel. Boy, oh boy! That shut her down! She closed off real quick, thanked me for viewing her artwork, and left the office.

I was left with the thought of the fountain... an ideal, but unrealistic dream as long as those persons from each spout are unwilling to listen... really listen to what the other two have to say. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm unashamed in my belief that Jesus is the Messiah... the only Savior and Lord of humanity. But, I am willing to listen, learn and be challenged by others.

So... who's the more intollerant one? And... what's the price of peace?

:: Adam 5:26 PM link ::
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April is "shave month." I shaved my gottee off this morning--kept the "soul-patch" (that fun spot below my lower-lip that drives the ladies wild). It's been a while since I last experimented with my facial hair. I did the "negative gottee" thing in Oct (it looks like it sounds). *yawn* I just get so board w/ my facial hair sometimes. But, alas... my soul-patch should be enough to carry me through to, oh, I don't know... June? July?

:: Adam 9:49 AM link ::
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bere'shiyth. Well, here we go. My first official blog. I kind of wish I had something profound to say, but, um... well...

On with the conversation...

:: Adam 7:25 PM link ::
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