In the CD player recently:

Green Day, American Idiot
U2, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Radiohead, OK Computer
Various Artists, Live From the Morning Alternative (107.7 The End)

More adventures in missing the point. "Smart" theologians showing how incompetent they really are. Grrrr.

Hey, my man Jason has a good little forum on leadership going. Some good comments, some less so.

It got me thinking about leadership some more. As we in the "emerging" church are rethinking/reforming/reimagining the role of leaders in our communities of faith, we specifically think of pastors/elders. It's easy to take aim at the topic of pay vs. no pay, and easy to find fault with the positional awe that we've created around the people we call pastors.

On a functional level, I think a simple approach to being a leader is to view oneself as a catalyst. It takes in the elements of spiritual direction, feeding, discipling, exhortation, friendship, etc. If I am a catalyst in the lives of others, I don't care about their rank, gifting, class, race, or life history - I simply view them as image bearers who need to have the parts of them that look like God stirred up, and the parts of them that don't look like God taken away. It's not my job to produce positive change, it's theirs - but my encouragement and affirmation of their value can help move them forward.

Still alive, still making friends. Things are rolling along. I'm feeling more and more settled in the Seattle area. We're enjoying checking out the local flavors. In some ways, this place is just like San Diego, and in others, not so much. The job is going well - my case load is building its way up to 40 clients. Some more intense than others. It's amazing how resilient some people can be. I interviewed a couple of clients yesterday, using a form survey that the county requires, and both of these folks - who have spent most or all of their adult lives in jail/prison - reported to me that they like themselves and feel very hopeful about their future.

I'm feeling hopeful about my own. I'm in an information gathering phase right now, thinking about a decisive direction for the immediate future. I think I'll have a pretty good idea what that'll look like within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I'm spending time this Passion week in the various gospel accounts of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. It's somber. The other day I overhead one of my colleagues in the office asking someone, "Why is it called Good Friday? What's so good about it?" While I know that the correct answer does indeed make it very good, it still strikes me as a good question. What's so good about the pure, innocent, Son of God dying? I'll feel better about things on Sunday.

Peace

Just visited Allelon for the first time in months . . . found out that Stanley Grenz died today. That's sad. A couple of his books gave me a grasp of our changing world and the place of theology within it. Prayers for the Grenz family.

Note to self: Your blog design is tired, your reading list is way outdated, and your links don't represent where you spend your time on the web. Get off your butt and update some things.

By the way, about the weather here . . .

Since we moved to the "rainy" Northwest, we have received 4.4 inches of rain.

Since we moved here, our house in SoCal has received 19+ inches of rain.

There have been two pesky illnesses that lots of people around here are coming down with - a really nasty flu that knocks people out for a week and a half, and an annoying, but not devasting cold. I got the cold. Better than the alternative, but worse than not getting anything.

This morning I'm getting ready for part two of my preaching stint at a small church about 60 miles south of here. It was going to be about a five week run, but some things happened at the church and they called back saying they only needed me for two. That's cool. I'm just hoping my voice and energy hold up for the morning.

Things are hopping along with work and home life, etc. Michelle's been busy at work and riding horses again, so that's good. I'm still settling into a groove at my new job. I was assigned my first client with a murder on his record. This past week I also spent time in a mental health court and the psych unit of a hospital emergency room.

Lately I've been listening to some old Steve Taylor CDs and the new U2 disc. I'm increasingly aware of God's great gift to the world of art and artists. The beauty of what they create is enough for us to enjoy, but there's a prophetic element to the work that can be felt well beyond the moment of creation/performance. Insight, reflection, critique, worship all there.