The Heart Grows

Well, I have not posted in quite some time. I am still not sure how often I will write here. It feels like I spend much of my life writing but none of the writing is particularly ground breaking or significant. Currently, this, what you are reading right now is full stream of consciousness stuff. I have kept a journal for 24 years. They are numbered and I am well into the 50s these days. People change and grow. When you keep a journal you can see how you have grown. That is why I have changed the name of this blog once again. I am on a personal journey of decolonization and this has been going on for decades but I didn't know  how to name it. This journey weaves itself between the many areas of my life. It weaves itself through the topics I enjoy writing about here: archaeology, art, and the Jesus Way. So we all throw things out into the universe. Sometimes we burn letters and the smoke and ash are blown into the ether, sometimes we talk to the trees as we walk through a fore...

St. Patrick’s Breastplate A prayer to finish this devotional path. This is the end of this book guided journey for me. It feels like the beginning of some of the lessons that the Holy Spirit is teaching me: the nature of 'accountability'  and St. Patrick. This book has also added to things the Holy Spirit has already been teaching me like community, Church, being missional, and contemplation. I am also challenged to  continue  this devotional/Quiet time journey with some other book but also in the  public  sphere.  I will be reading over and praying through this for the next several days. You can find several iterations through Google but after a quick look, I prefer the one adapted by Jamie Arpin-Ricci and its use of first person plural “we and us.” I included one version below. "I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through a belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness Of the Creator ...

Conclusion and Ear Worms The fear of death is powerful. Vulnerability is the paradoxical key. How typical of Jesus. He flips it upside down... Just like the Fresh Prince .  Share our weaknesses. Share my weaknesses. Humanity has this in common .  We all have that in common. We are all common people. I guess it is a music association morning.  This vulnerable faith is the truth and love. It takes a beginning and it is a practice. Just like many things. We practice and we get better. Vulnerable faith is both something individual and communal. Truly, following Jesus is a communal activity in the deepest and most real way. I and we are to share grief and joy and failings and triumphs and be ready to learn from others and to teach and to sponsor and to be sponsored. I want to live in this type of community. The eternal transformation and reconciliation is surprisingly present and right now.   That is the last one I promise. The automatic music choices of my...

Chapter 7 Shalom After today, I only have 2 sections left: the conclusion and Patrick’c breastplate. I have enjoyed this journey thoroughly. Time to begin. The incarnation of Christ transforms hearts and communities. This is what missional is. Its the living shalom that is Christ, Christ in us—in me. Be the little Christ and live and love and make friends and listen and act justly and love mercy. “That is the mission of birthing and restoring shalom to the world is in Christ, by Christ, and for the honour of Christ.” Peace/shalom is “Physical/material well being, social/relational harmony, and morality/ethics.” That last one is the least emphasized in the Bible. Western culture, my culture (sort of) skews what I “hear” as I read the Bible. I think Sola Scriptura is a fallacy because it is impossible—culture, language, and so much more affect our interpretation of meaning. Or at the very least "I do not think it means what you think it means." Must think and pray about ...

Chapter 6 part 2 Approach the poor person like they are Jesus. This is alway a radical thought especially in full time ministry. Not simply with dignity and love—and this is what is highlighted in the book—but not as self as saviour to this poor person who need my saving. What if we approach as if they are Jesus?  Building community is hard. I say that I do it but I am not really sure and it has yet to become what I think it should be. Perhaps because it I/Me/Mine thinking and expectations. Its funny how God brings different things together at the same time to build understanding. As I have read this book, my wife and I have been catching up with season 2 of the anime series Sword Art Online . Not going to explain the story but the themes through the whole series are: being trapped and being free and what does that even mean; building community with honesty and vulnerability. Suffering trauma needs to be shared and not repressed. You can only share in the context of commun...

Chapter 6. Part 1 to the end of the appearance of Step 12 Step 11 through prayer and meditation I can improve my conscious contact with God Holy Spirit, help me to pray unceasingly and to begin to know what that means. Help me to have dedicated time with you before my day begins and to have my default setting be ‘PRAY’ and not ‘TV’ thank you that it is no longer ‘PORN.’ Be the centre.  “Pentecost united and empowered God’s people to love across boundaries that once divided,”  Pentecost is not a power encounter but a cultural and relational one. It is a big GO into all the world. Pentecost is a rain that has not stopped falling. Jesus, help me to stop carrying an umbrella. It is a bridge that is always being built.  “Missional is descriptive rather than the thing itself” and I see it now. I always feel like adding qualifiers to make myself look smarter and well rounded (not that I didn’t see it before). It is a struggle to simply right this for myself. To let ...

Chapter 5 part 2 ‘The Witness of Failure’ to end of the chapter Today I listen to classical music. So many thoughts and impressions and in no order other than that which will help me to remember. I write this for myself. You who read this are peeking into my mind… or at least my journal (of which I am currently writing in #45). I am trying to not make apologies or rational here because I wouldn't do that in my journal. I know my story. I know my shit. It stinks. I also know that Jesus can make fertilizer out of it for good things to grow.  I reflect on thing. I will not share my list of failures and moral lapses on the internetz. That is not the way to build intimacy and community with real people. It is often a panacea to the same. I will say it frightens me to my core. I am scared to share. I do know that road of telling things does get easier each step. I think it is because I am not convinced of deep community in close proximity. My best, deepest, dearest, and ol...