It worked!!! Mary Rose had 43% of the votes compared to the next highest vote getter who had 29%. The blog world comes through. Now, on Monday they will be doing it again. I will post the details and lets see if we can get her to be the Drive Thru Idol. By the way, … Continue reading Drive Thru Idol Update →

Ed. Note: Back in August four board members of the Good News Movement within the United Methodist Church wrote a document calling for denominational schism. This letter is a response to that document, which may be found at http://www.faithfulchristianlaity.org/options_for_the_future.htm Dear Mark, Scott, Phil, and Tom, So you think it's time to call it quits, to … Continue reading A Letter to the Boys →

You may remember that my crazy Italian office manager sang for the local radio station as a part of the "Drive Thru Idol" competition. She has reached the finals, and I would love see her voted Nashville's Drive Thru Idol. So, I need your help. Please forward this message through the blog world and lets … Continue reading Crazy Office Manager, Part 2 →

On "All Things Considered" last night, they gave about 15 or 20 minutes to the band, The Duhks (an unheard of amount of time for ATC). I happened to have a gift certificate to MediaPlay, so I picked up the album today. All I can say is buy it! Now! Without delay. The other thing … Continue reading The Duhks →

For several years, I have been hanging around conversations in seminary lunchrooms and church events where the talk goes something like this: Yeah man . . . we're searching for community here. We don't know really what it is, but the church is supposed to reflect community, right? The language of community is big in … Continue reading A Community of Collaboration →

I had a great morning with Alex Roller from YS looking at the worship spaces for the upcoming Emergent Convention in Nashville. If you haven't heard, one of the things that we are doing differently in Nashville is to host our worship gatherings at three different local churches in downtown Nashville. There are two goals … Continue reading Emergent Convention Nashville 2005 →

I'm hosting an online chat tonight at the church site to talk about spiritual practices during Lent. Come join us at http://www.antiochumc.net and click on the conference room button.

Mary Rose went on to the next round of Drive Through Idol 6 votes to 4. Now I just hope that no one believed her when she told them that we have the intercome for drive through confession....

There has been a contest going around on the local top 40 station inviting folks who have outdoor intercom systems (drive throughs) to sing through the intercom on the air (the Drive Through Idol show). Mary Rose, our crazy Italian office manager, entered and today a radio intern showed up at the door asking her … Continue reading Okay, I Officially Proclaim Our Office Manager Nuts →

A certain unnamed friend has turned me on to using Skype, the free internet telephone and chat service. I am wondering who all is using Skype out there. If you are, send me your name so that I can add you to my contact list.

Typepad is working now. Who knows what changed. Say la veeeee, as we say in the south.

Everytime I try to access comments or the main Typepad site it refuses me access. Are they angry that I said I was staying with Blogger, or is their server down? Let me know if you know.

One of the great dangers of traditional preaching what Doug calls "speeching" is being seduced by an image or an illustration that seems perfect, but really has no connection to what you are trying to say. That happened to me tonight as I was pulling together my Ash Wednesday meditation. I had a great opening … Continue reading Faking It →

There are more creative altar designs in the world, but here is what I pulled together for tonight. I like to use rough fabric for Ash Wednesday -- burlap, sack cloth, etc. I tend to avoid the "pretty" altar elements that are normally used, such as the brass cross and candlesticks. Kay gave me this … Continue reading ::Liturgical Connections:: — Ash Wednesday Altar →

There are more creative altar designs in the world, but here is what I pulled together for tonight. I like to use rough fabric for Ash Wednesday -- burlap, sack cloth, etc. I tend to avoid the "pretty" altar elements that are normally used, such as the brass cross and candlesticks. Kay gave me this … Continue reading ::Liturgical Connections:: — Ash Wednesday Altar →

This is what I found waiting for me when I got to church this morning: We've seen a recent increase in vandalism to our sign. I don't mind the obscene messages too much, I just wish they could learn to spell (lick is not spelled "lich") and that they wouldn't steal the letters. It makes … Continue reading Ass Wednesday →

Just a reminder that I will be hosting a chat time via our church chat room at 10 p.m. CST. Go to http://www.antiochumc.net and click on the Conference Room button.

...this is how I feel.

We spent the afternoon at the zoo today...

Back when I was first was getting into the emergent church conversation, I was trying to tell my spouse and colleagues what was involved. Of course, the modernity/postmodernity dichotomy was an easy explanation, but it doesnt' fully capture what we have been talking about "It seems to me," I went on, "that modernity was the … Continue reading The Revenge of the Right Brain →