Friday, August 25, 2006

Wisdom from the grave

It's amazing how smart a person gets after people know they're leaving. Have you ever noticed how often people quote what others say on their death bed? Or, how well do you remember the last good bye with a friend on moving day, or a loved one saying farewell at the airport? Some words just ring in our memories like an echoing voice. That's why we have the phrase, 'famous last words'.

I gave notice at my job earlier this week since I recently got a new job. (I'm so happy.) My last day in this job is in mid Sept. One of the things that was encouraging me to look for another job is how readily my opinions and ideas were quickly pooh poohed by my co-workers. Although I've got 10 years of professional work experience beyond my undergraduate degree, and a master's degree in my field, I'm significantly younger than most of my co-workers (not just my superiors).

The group of people that didn't give a flying hoot about what I used think are now begging for and praising the same feedback that I have always given. The exact same ideas spoken by the exact same person to the exact same people are now recognized as wise. You'd think I'd changed bodies with the Dali Lama, or something: "Wait, can you repeat that? I want to write that down. ... Wow, yeah, that makes complete sense. What a good idea. Thank you." You could just call me E.F. Hutton. It actually feels quite ridiculous.

I have this eerie feeling as though I'm calling out from the grave of this old job. My colleagues are surrounding my hospital deathbed, with the beeping of the heart monitor as the only sound to interrupt, as they all sit in rapt attention as the last few utterances of wise counsel escape from my lips.

Since giving notice, my conversations with colleagues at the office have been wrapped with this morbid theme like the mummification process. I think it's my poetic way of expressing the dumbfounded shock that they are finally actually listening to what I have to say.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

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More reasons to laugh at what people tack onto church

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Believing Big with New Hope

"The missional church, by its very nature, will be an anticlone of the existing traditional [church] model. Rather than being attractional, it will be incarnational. It will leave its own religious zones and live comfortably with non-church goers, seeping into the host culture like salt and light. It will be an infiltrating transformational community. Second, rather than being dualistic, it will embrace a messianic spirituality. That is, a spirituality of engagement with culture and a messianic spirituality. That is, a spirituality of engagement with culture and the world in the same mode as the Messiah himself. And third, the missional church will develop an apostolic form of leadership rather than the traditional hierarchical model."

"As Brock Bingaman says, no one in San Francisco wants another church, but they do want a cool shoe room. If we come to plant a church in a particular area, we're not perceived as doing anyone any favors. But, if we're starting a cafe, an Internet lanunderette, or a day-care center, we're seen as bringing some intrinsic value to a community. We're serving those to whom we're sent."

The Shaping of Things to Come Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch

I've had a number of ideas brewing in my head and heart over the last weeks about the type of incarnational community that to date lives more as a fetus in the womb of my heart than in my daily interactions. My dream includes a BIG house, and probably at least one other commercial building if not more. I see job coaching/resourcing, a connection with a cross section of financial classes, and an artsy, community space to hang out and accomplish some of the mundane things of life without being so mundane (kind of like the way an internet launderette cafe would let renters clean their clothes and feed their minds and drink java bean all at the same time. I've started praying with a growing hope for God to help me faithfully pursue some heart desires that seem far larger than I could ever hold alone, and far beyond my present grasp.

The primary issue is that whether tangible resources are at my fingertips or not, I already have the best resource for building relationships and drawing out the best in others. I need to surrender the rest of the plans to that without giving up hope for Jesus to breathe life into them.

Saturday, August 05, 2006

POPPED


POP Collage Cut outs
Originally uploaded by write2annieliz.
Last Saturday's POP event went over very well. They gave out 640 hot dogs to guests, and had over 100 children get signed into the bounce house play area. There were tons of organizations with helpful informatino from voter registration, to birth and beyond to healthy cooking tips. The backpack in the photo was one of two filled with school supplies and a gift card big enough to take a large family to the movies that we added to the door prizes. From the pop corn to the balloon popping games, popsicles, and pop quizes to earn prizes people of all ages received excellent resources and had lots of fun. Thanks to all of you who helped out.