Various random thoughts . . .

Study, study, study. In addition to the bag o' books I checked out from the local seminary library last week, I'm studying in preparation for a training thing I'm doing in a couple of weeks. It's pretty interesting info and quite possibly exciting, in terms of the possibilities it might represent in North America. I'll talk more about it if it stimulates more thought in a missional direction. Oh, by the way . . . the training is in Las Vegas. Ugh - today's weather predicts a high of 102 (F). That's some serious sweatin' . . . for five days.

I'm having some conversations with local folks in the church planting department that are equally exciting and frightening. I may be meeting with some more folks that do a cool church - that's cool in terms of music, lighting, yada yada yada. This is a different cool church than the one I talked about last week. If I do meet with them, I'm hoping to challenge some of the assumptions they're making - hopefully in an encouraging sort of way. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath.

On another note, I was asked the other night about the deconstruction process I've gone through over the past couple of years. I was asked what it has produced in me, and whether I've been able to hold on to anything of my former way of faith - like, is there anything that I can absolutely say that I hold to unswervingly anymore. Good questions. My answer was that I'm confident in the presence of a God of love, who desires for his Kingdom to reign in the hearts of the people he created. This kingdom is available and close at hand, and I want to announce that to the world. My deconstruction has given me a lot of heartache, but a lot of freedom. I wouldn't go back for anything - even though I used to think I had a pretty good thing going.