• Archive of "memphis" Category

    Riding for Refugees

    September 29, 2009 // No Comments »

    ride for refugeesThis Saturday Amy and I are participating in a Ride for Refugees.  I did my first concentrated work with refugees when I was living in midtown Memphis and much of Amy’s current work has to do with refugees around the world.  Helping people to become aware of the great needs of refugees here in the states and around the world as well as providing what assistance we can are things we both care about deeply.  We’re hoping that you’ll help us by making a pledge to our ride, no matter the amount.  I am planning to ride 30 miles, further than I have ever biked before and Amy will probably do 15 as she wants to get back sooner to help with other things that need done during the event.

    You can see the details of the Ride for Refugees here.

    You can visit out pledge page here.

    The Facebook Fan page is here.

    If you’re a Twitterer, you can follow here.

    Thanks for checking it out and for your help.  I’ll try to throw up some pictures and thoughts on the event next week.

    Posted in Amy, chicago, memphis, refugees

    Cultural Gravity (Part 1)

    July 24, 2009 // 4 Comments »

    Try to jump and hang in the air for 10 seconds.  How’d you do?  You either failed, cheated, or are reading this from the moon.  You are a captive of gravity.  It pulls at you, refusing to let you wander off.

    Culture is a lot like that.  The various elements of the culture we inhabit pull us toward some sort of center.  Culture, in all of its various forms: language, architecture, customs, expectations, rhythms, etc., creates a sort of reality for those who live in it.  This is what I am calling cultural gravity.

    Cultural gravity cuts two ways – it simultaneously frees and binds.  As regular gravity gives us the ability to walk around and explore our immediate surroundings, it also binds us there, making any desire we have to explore our not so immediate surroundings extraordinarily difficult.  Analogously, cultural gravity is what enables us to authentically enter a particular time and space – to know it personally and deeply.  But it can also trap our imaginations and stymie us intellectually and creatively.  The longer we live with in a particular brand of cultural gravity (geography, tradition, denomination, etc.) the harder it will be to enter new ones with any degree of receptivity or discernment.

    Anyone who has ever lived cross-culturally has experienced this tension.  It is why new cultures can be hard to adjust to and why we may have a hard time (or outright fear!) returning to the culture we came from.

    As one who has had some varied over-seas experience and has moved from the suburban mid-west, to urban So. Cal, to some blend of suburban/urban culture in the midsouth, and now lives outside of Chicago, these are some thoughts I have been having.

    In Part 2 I plan to offer some reflections on what I think cultural gravity has to do with missional churches.

    Posted in chicago, church, culture, memphis, midwest, missional, suburban, travles, urban

    Good News for Memphis

    April 15, 2009 // No Comments »

    My friend JR Woordward has put together a fun line up of people to submit brief blog posts answering the question…

    If you local city newspaper asked you to describe the Good News – what would you write?

    Here’s my submission and I encourage you to check out the other posts offered between now and Pentecost.  Feel free to offer your comments here if you like, but there are already several good ones over at JR Woodward’s site that you can add to as well.  I will be checking and responding over there too.

    The Commercial Appeal is the place where countless Memphians turn for news – some of it good, much of it, not so good.  We are a city divided by race, stricken by generational poverty, plagued by crime, and disadvantaged by socio-economic stratification.  Good news for us usually comes in the form of an absence of bad as opposed to the presence of beautiful surprises.  For those with eyes to see, these problems are far more than the result of individual human errors and failings; they also stem from firmly entrenched systems, paradigms, and powers, which create a broken culture that produces broken people.  There is a cycle at work here more insidious than we realize or could hope to finally defeat on our own.  But there’s good news.

    I’m a Christian and Christians are good news people.  In fact, a central manta of the Christian faith is, “Repent and believe the good news.”  This isn’t about saying you’re sorry to God so you can go to Heaven when you die. It’s Jesus’ invitation to, by grace and through faith, escape the consequences of our capitulation to a world gone wrong by joining him in the ways he sees and engages the world.

    See, God plans to recreate all that has been tainted and lost by evil and darkness.  The sphere in which this happens is known as the Kingdom of God.  Jesus embodied this Kingdom in his life and sealed it in his death and resurrection. That’s news, but it’s not quite good yet; cause news is only really good when it’s experienced.  This news becomes truly good for us when God’s plan for the future intersects with our present.  Ours is not good news that God will do, but good news that God is doing.

    Jesus was the bearer of good news par excellence and those of us who bear his name but fail to similarly bear good news to the world around us have a share in the guilt and misery of the city and people we are called to lovingly serve.  This is where the Church comes in.  God means for the Church to be a unique body though whom Jesus actually continues freeing people from harmful things and reconnecting them with God and others. The Christian God is one of relationship.  Therefore, God’s Good News to the people and city of Memphis is purposefully intertwined with communities of people gripped by it.

    Fellow Memphians, if you’re like me, grieved over the many sad circumstances of our city, if you are desperate for a new start, for healing and wholeness, I hope you will consider the news of God’s desire and plan for the world including the tiny metroplex of Memphis.  The news might not be the sort you’d expect, maybe not even the sort you’d prefer, but it’s good in the truest meaning of the word.

    Posted in Fuller Seminary, gospel, Jesus, kingdom, memphis, questions

    Chicago

    April 9, 2009 // 8 Comments »

    I proposed to Amy at the end of February and ever since the main thing on both our minds and the question we were asked the most was, “So where are you going to live?”

    It was an ineviatble question (well, for most people anyway) and one we were anxious to hear from God on in the context of community.  We prayed a ton, talked a lot, asked those we respect for wisdom and advice, and in the end, felt like we had our answer, Chicago.

    chicago

    This was a really, really hard decision for both of us.  Neither of us had a good reason to leave the places we were.  I have been in Memphis for just a year, Amy in Chicago since October.  Both of us liked where we were living, our jobs, the people around us, and the opportunities God was giving us to serve.  We kept hoping something might happen that would essentially make the decision for us, but that never really came about.

    So, Amy was in Memphis this past weekend and was with me when I shared the news with the body of Living Hope.  This was very hard to do, but brought with it a sense of relief as we begin to make plans for the future together.

    I am in Chicago as I write this – we brought all my stuff up here this past Monday and have been busy looking for an apartment since then.  I have no leads on jobs as of yet, but I’m actually kind of excited for the search (networking and connections always welcome!)

    Amy and I are off to Davenport, IA (her hometown and the location of our wedding) for Easter weekend to see her family and do some wedding planning and then it’s back to Memphis for me to enjoy the remainder of April with good friends and the Families on Mission Seminar that we have been planning for the end of the month.  I will be in Chicago full-time as of May 1.

    So the really big question, do the Bears, Bulls, Cubs/White Sox have what it takes to make me a true Chicago convert?!

    Posted in Amy, chicago, living hope, memphis, wedding

    An Engagement Trip

    March 17, 2009 // 5 Comments »

    Thanks to the generosity of Amy’s team leader and co-workers, she was given the opportunity to work remotely for the last two weeks.  Throw in three weekends, and you’ve got almost 3 full weeks together!

    And thanks to some too-good-to-be-true family and friends, that time was jam packed full of fun and memories.

    If you missed it, be sure to check out our engagement story, cause that’s where the fun began.

    proposal-scene

    Engaged on Friday night in Chicago, we drove back to Memphis on Saturday, on the phone virtually the entire time and dreaming about our wedding and honeymoon inbeetween (details on both, TBA).

    A neighbor gifted Amy and I with two tickets to see “Light in the Piazza” at the Midtown Playhouse.  It was a fun and romantic show and we had a great time.

    light in the Piazza light in the Piazza

    There was a blizzard in Memphis Saturday and Sunday, so attendance was way down at our morning services, but two of my co-pastor friends took it upon themselves to announce Amy and I’s engagement from up front to much applause and congratulations.  We spent the rest of the day with our friends taking turns holding baby Asher.

    baby-asher-friends

    On Monday Amy and I were off to Washington DC.  We were there for a church planting conference and had the chance to stay a couple nights with Amy’s aunt and uncle as well as see a few friends we each have there.

    dc-2dc-with-abby-and-crisdc-1

    Amy was there as a representative of iTeams - making connections with those who are looking for ways to help people get involved in international missions, and I was checking into Ecclesia as a possible resource and partner for Living Hope as we think about church planting.  The conference was fantastic and we were really happy to connect with our friend and Fuller professor, Eddie Gibbs.  Got to see some of the city on Friday afternoon and then we were off to Ohio.

    My mom picked us up at the airport and after visiting for a few hours – it was lights out as we were both dog-tired.  Saturday morning we traveled down to Canton to see some of my closest friends.  We spent the day with them, talking all kinds of wedding details and just catching up.  Monday the 9th was to be my 30th birthday so my friends arranged a dinner and a party at my friend Jay’s sweet new downtown office.  Tons of people came to meet Amy, say congratulations, and Happy Birthday.  As usual, I got sick on Sarah’s puppy chow, but well worth it.

    bday party bday party

    Sunday was another full day of cruising around, meeting, and catching up with people – Meysembourgs, Snavely, Solida’s, Neftzer, Gouglers, and many others.

    Monday was a full day with my mom and other family.  Amy got the grand tour of Stow, where I grew up and got to meet both my Aunt Fannie and Grandma Ernsberger.

    stow tour - aunt fannie stow tour - grandma e

    Had an incredible dinner at Macaroni Grill with my buddy Kenny and then ice cream, cake (actually Boston Cream Pie – a personal fav!), and a few gifts back at home.  Amy had written to all my closest family and friends asking for pictures and short blurbs and she compiled them all together into one of the most meaningful presents I have ever received.

    30-bday

    We left early Tuesday morning to head back to Memphis where we were set to have a slightly more regular schedule.  Amy was working and so was I and thanks to the generosity of our good friend Lee, we had an extra car to use to help each of us get around to appointments and meeting spots.  Still, the days and evenings were packed.

    Tuesday we picked up the car from Lee, gobbled down dinner, and Skyped about all sorts of wedding related stuff with Amy’s parents.  Wednesday we cooked dinner and hosted my house group – that never ends early (which I love!).  Thursday the Donahoe’s, who host Amy when she comes to town, invited us and our friends Matthew and Lisa over for a celebration dinner and then we caught Slumdog Millionaire with Greg and Chandler.

    We did lots of wedding planning on Friday and then my friend Ryan from LA flew into town to spend a few days with us.  We took him to Rendezvous to get some good Memphis BBQ and then watched The Dark Knight (it just never gets old).

    rendzvous

    The night was rounded off with a midnight run to Gibson’s donuts for the after 11 – 6 donuts for 1.25 deal.  Saturday morning we met our friends the Kerrigan’s at Memphis’ best breakfast spot, Brother Juniper’s and then drove around some of the cooler neighborhoods in urban Memphis and even visited an estate sale.

    junipers

    Ryan and I went for a quick run and then the three of us went to see “Race to Witch Mountain.”  No, not because any of us particularly care for “The Rock,” but because Amy was in it.  She did some extra work while she was in LA and in the movie you get to see her twice during the credits.  Have a look!

    Sunday morning was filled with plenty of congratulations since it was the first time that many people got to see Amy and I since we had gotten engaged.  Ryan, Amy and I had a great lunch with our friends Zach and Liz and then we spent a few hours (she went nuts!) with Liz as she took some engagement pictures (not currently available).  We actually ended up being late for a surprise engagement party that my house group was throwing for us in the form of an ultimate frisbee game.

    frisbee

    We had a great time playing frisbee and then I had the privilege of baptizing a new friend who is on his way of to Fuller.

    baptism

    We spent the evening over at the Kerrigan’s eating up all the leftovers from the folks who have been providing them food while they adjust to having a newborn in their lives and playing everyone’s favorite game, “… And a bottle of wine.”

    While I was at staff meeting Monday morning, Amy and Ryan worked from a coffee shop in the Cooper-Young district and got to check out another great BBQ spot – Central.  We went downtown for a few hours to check out some of the sights and walk down Beale St. before Ryan had to had to the airport to head for home.  Amy and I had yet another great dinner with our friends Sam and Allison and then made a short little video for our wedding website (unveiling soon!).

    I just put Amy on the Megabus back to Chicago a little bit ago and I miss her already.  While we are bound and determined not to let it take over our relationship, the next several months will be filled with planning and preparation for our big days and those to follow.  We cover all your support and prayers as we try and figure out the future together and plan for a celebration of marriage that will be both enjoyable and meaningful to all those who can celebrate with us.

    Posted in Amy, church, family, friends, marriage, memphis, travles

    Missional vs. Attractional Equipping

    February 21, 2009 // 3 Comments »

    As a pastor, I spend a lot of my time thinking about and actually attempting “to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up,” – equipping.

    Sadly, the extents to which ministry has been professionalized, consumerism and individualism have distorted our notions of the gospel, and Christendom has undermined the nature and purpose of the church, often serve to confuse us as to what this actually means.

    In attractional models of church, many are satisfied with merely finding people to fill slots so that stuff gets done.  Others lay guilt trips on people for not serving enough.  But even when we do the right thing of helping people discover their giftedness and passions and then inviting them into opportunities where those life-giving things might find expression, we often have a view toward the external mastery and refinement of skills and talents so that their use of them will “attract others.”

    I would never say that getting better at what you enjoy doing is a bad thing, but I would say that missionally, the equipping of others has mainly to do with cultivating spiritual maturity so that gifts and passions may be stewarded well not with being polished and excellent by socio-cultural standards.

    Case in point…

    Last night I and several others of my house group had the opportunity to serve at Calvary Rescue Mission in downtown Memphis.  This is an organization that serves homeless and displaced men by providing food, substance abuse recovery, and the deep love of Jesus.  When we go, we get to help serve food and one of us is invited to share a message.  Last night, my friend Sam had the chance to share.

    On Thursday I called him and we talked a bit about what was on his heart and what he was planning on sharing.  He expressed some nervousness about feeling “qualified to teach form the Bible.”  To which I replied with something like, “That’s probably the very thing that actually does qualify you to do this.”

    Sam doesn’t have a Bible degree.  He’s relatively new to the whole church scene.  And he’s certainly not accustomed to preaching regularly.  But, Sam shared from his heart last night what God has been teaching him through his study of the book of James and the ways in which Jesus is becoming more and more real to him everyday.  Sam (and I’m sure he’s cool with me saying this) is not the sort of speaker that your average church community would put up on stage week in and week out, but sadly it has nothing to do with his not being spiritually equipped to teach.  Rather it’s on account of his inability to entertainingly capture the attention of celebrity-driven, linear thinking, consumer-oriented folks (I don’t excuse myself from often falling into this category).

    sam-preaching

    In the same sort of vein, one of our friends from the mission sang a solo.  His voice was not good.  He had absolutely no stage presence.  And he wore a sweatshirt that read, “Jesus is Awesome.”  Again, this is not the sort of guy your average church would want leading others in worship, but is has nothing whatsoever to do with him not being spiritually equipped to do so and everything to do with our misconceptions of what it means to be equipped.

    guy-singing

    Despite their cultural-defined techincal inabilities, grace, hope and love overflowed from both Sam and our soloist friend.  All those present left encouraged and changed as Jesus met with us through the ministry of these two guys.  It grieves me to think of how often we miss out on the ways in which God uses those we would never expect (or perhaps more shamefully, prefer).

    Posted in christendom, church, consumerism, culture, friends, individualism, memphis, missional, preaching/teaching, spiritual formation

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