I had to opportunity to join the peer learning community that ReImagine hosted in San Francisco. It is described as a group of leaders (thought leaders, those exploring spritual leadership, and people leading with their lives in various vocations who also have a heart for guiding other spiritually). It was a great opportunity to connect with different people who are struggling with what it means to follow Jesus in their context.

I got to meet a gentleman from the East Bay who is moving on from a career as an oil spill responder for the coast guard. He shared some of his experiences in trying to start a community center/coffee shop in his area. I also got to reconnect with Bob and hear some stories about his background and the job he is starting on Monday. Bob had some great thoughts to share about culture, the cluetrain, emerging trends in marketing, ministry and his efforts to pay for college for his daughter. I really enjoy connecting with him.

I also got to hear some of the stories, struggles, and progress of some of the other folks in the group. In our breakout group of 8 or so there were a few folks that were grappling with a call to be in ministry but finding it hard to live that out in the traditional church. A few mentioned that they were longing for ways to support their families while seeking their call that didn’t mean being on the pay role at a church. I found this encouraging since I’ve been finding myself on a journey to free up more time to seek my call while also keeping my technology vocation in some form. We all seem to have a deep longing for an integrated or more holistic life– a life where the different compartments of our world begin to bleed together.

I’m looking forward to learning from this group of people. I’m not sure what will come of it, but I was definitely sensing the energy to encourage, learn, and share with each other.

Tags: reimagine, emergent, spirituality, holistic

I first stumbled upon NT Wright under the resource list at emergent village. There are four MP3s there of talks that he gave on The Future of the People of God. These talks opened up a whole new world for me. When I was telling a friend about the talks a few months ago, he suggested that I read The Challenge of Jesus and let me borrow his copy. It took me a little while to get through it, but it was a great read. It opened the veil for me to some larger story lines in the bible and the pivotal role that Jesus played in ushering the first day of the new creation.

I really enjoyed his walk through of the road to Emmaus story on the afternoon of the first Easter and his connection back to Psalm 42 & 43. He talks about how the Jews expected the exile to end with Jesus through the traditional means– holiness, zeal for God & the law, and some kind of military revolt– and their disappointment and confusion when he is crucified by the pagan Romans that he is supposed to overthrow. He ties in 43:3-4 to the frustration and fear they must have felt on the road to Emmaus after the death of Jesus and how Jesus comes, gives them the skinny on God’s redemptive work through the law and the prophets culminating in Himself and reveals Himself to them causing them to run back to Jerusalem with Joy and join up with rest to figure out what in the world had just happened (boy that was a long sentence). He then wraps this all into thoughts on post-modernity. He has some great insights into post-modernity and the Churches challenge in addressing/comprehending it. Good stuff!