Cave, Solaria, & Small Worlds

The Small-World of the Blogosphere – specifically the section called “What is a small-world network?”

The Internet, The Small World, and The Nature of Distance

The concept of Cave, Solaria, & Small Worlds is very intriguing.

Cave – “Individuals are confined to live out their lives in an isolated cave. As such, every individual knows just about every other individual in their cave, but very rarely will anyone know anybody else outside their cave.”

Solaria – “Individuals living in isolation, spread out across the surface of a planet. Their only way to communicate with each other is through a virtual device which connects them to another individual without regard for previous social connections.”

Small-Worlds – “Networks arise at the intersection of these two opposing systems [caves and solaria], where there is a relatively high tendency to cluster and a high incidence of inter-cluster connections.”

Traditional societies/communities were very much like Caves. The modern world brought about (atleast the ideal of) the Solaria (which is adapted from Isaac Asmivo’s novels). Contrary to what a lot of people assume, postmodernity (whatever that is!) does not bring about, naturally, “Small-worlds” networks. I think people are questioning the “solaria” ideal and longing for small-worlds lives. But pomo as a worldview is just as fragmented – if not more so, as modernity. I think the church, the people of God, have a tremendous opportunity to create small-worlds networks. Caves are impossible – though many “Christian” seperatists/fundamentalists wish for the purity of “Christian Culture”. Solarias are also ultimately impossible – though many “mega-churches” function out of this worldview. Small-worlds may be possible – though it isn’t simply a given.

Xavier University Class

Vatican II & Its Impact

Looks good. May be able to fit that into my Fuller degree. Esp. since we live in such a traditionally Catholic neighborhood.

Mind Maps & Brain Learning

Mind Maps

FreeMind

Jensen Learning Corporation – Brain-Based Trainings

Learning the brainy way. VC = a mind-mapped community?

Discerning Faithfulness

Tonight Sarah and I were blessed to have some of the folks from our community (read: Vineyard Central) gather around us to pray, listen, and discern. This is something we had long desired (thought of doing it back in CA before we moved) and it was great to be affirmed and “loved-on” in this way. I’ll forego a description of the gathering, other than saying it was a peaceful time of reflextion and listening, sprinkled with laughter, probing questions, and dogs (and Rainses) licking each other.

My mind is a jumble of thoughts presently. I’ll let some of them tumble out here….

I think tonight was less about discern our present vocation (though that was definitely there) and more about discerning our larger (ongoing/future) vocation. What I mean is this – I think my present call is simply to be faithful. This is, however, is far from simple (easy). I was struck by the image (that Owen shared) of barefeet walking uncomfortably across a metal grate that could be seen through. It seemed to me that that grate is P&G and those barefeet are mine. It is where God has called me for this season and it is uncomfortable, but in a good way. The “seeing-through-ness” and the uncomfort are both God ordained bits of this journey. They are ways to keep me from buying in to the corporate ideology – it keeps me an alien in a strange land – a pilgrim person. This is not the first time this thought has occured to me – that God is not calling me to something new, but to be faithful in my spot and wait and trust, trust, trust.

The visions and dreams shared for community development and neighborhood revitalization are good and true and part of our future, but in a now-and-not-yet way. I am perfectly capable of being wrong about this, mind you. God may well be saying – actively pursue something outside of P&G, something in and for the neighborhood. If he is then I trust that he will make it abundantly clear what that is…. for now, though, be faithful where he has placed me – P&G. My sense is that I’ll be there for some time – several years perhaps. Certainly neighborhood stuff will happen during this time, but I will not play the role I would ideally like to – that of 20-40 hour a week dedicated time/life investment.

Another piece that was significant was two-fold. First, there was a general recognition that I am feeling quite discouraged and doubtful of my abilities and qualifications. This is true. I am. It is something of a lifelong struggle. Insecurity, doubt, and fear (of letting people down, of not being liked, of not being good enough) are demons with which I struggle and fight. I suspect that God is working on those issues during this liminal season.

The other was despair, frustration and lack of trust. This is more specifically in regard to the desire to a resolution, a fix, an answer, and some stability to this season of transition and waiting. I deeply desire to be fully here. Settled. As much as this has already happened to a large extent, I feel a bit of blockage to being able to fully release myself into this place. I long for Sarah and Cloey and I to be settled and deeply planted. I surely will laugh at this statement, when I re-read this in 2-3 years. We’ve only been here 6 months – this settled-ness takes time…. I must be patient. More importantly, however, are the underlying issues that are perpetrating this lack of trust. What is it that I believe about God that makes me so anxious about this in-between time?

From tonight’s gathering I didn’t get the sense that its purpose (certainly not its outcome) was to bring something into clarity re: which job to pursue or such. This is frustrating, but that is something I need to take up with God. Rather, tonight’s gathering was about bringing ourselves and our lives to the table of the community. At times it felt like we were corporately dreaming with Aaron and Sarah in mind. This was/is important. I continue to believe that God has something specific and already prepared/preparing for me work-wise that will be part of my vocation. What wasn’t as obvious (publicly) was that we were integrated into this community. We needed to “fess up” and say we were here to stay, we want to live in the ‘hood, we have a passion/vision/calling to be a part of what God is doing here. Almost like this was releasing something (the Spirit?) to happen/move that couldn’t have happened otherwise…. we’ll see.

But I don’t want to lose what Sandy said. How is it that the thing you most need to hear is the very thing you most dislike hearing? My only uncomfortable reaction tonight was to the idea of needing to trust and wait. I am so sick of waiting. I want it all finished and done now! I suspect that the longer I insist on wanting all my wants and desires perfectly satisfied by the “perfect job” and the “perfect house”, I will find myself running against a barrier to what God truly desires to do in my life. I have an almost overwhelming sense of just needing to wait and trust. This seems incredible unproductive – like I ought to be out there “beating the pavement”, but I think I need to just need to be faithful (and uncomplaining, unbelittling) about where I am and what I do.

I don’t know if this means that I’ll get a job at P&G or if other opportunities will open up. But God will provide whatever it is when the time is right. If that means we don’t buy the house we want – so be it. If that means I work for P&G – so be it. If that means I start some kind of community business – so be it. It could really mean lots of things – but the first step – the only real step – is to be faithful.

Listen

Listening Quotes and Proverbs

Robert Greenleaf

“Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much.”

Paul Tillich

“The first duty of love is to listen.”

A. A. Milne

“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

Josh Billings

“The best time to hold your tongue is the time you feel you must say something or bust.”

Thoreau

“It takes two to speak the truth — one to speak and another to hear.”

iPod Your BMW

Cool.

Now if they’d just do that to a Honda Civic…..

Tribe, Clan, Fam

Don’t let the Kevin Rains fellar fool ya. He’s a smart guy, with more than his fair share of insight/wisdom. Last night he was pontificating about Tribe, Clan, Family as an appropriate and healthy way to understand how the People of God function Nationally, Regionally, Locally. The organization happens most specifically and thoroughly on a local level, with decreasing degrees as it broadens. There is a lot to think about here and I’ll leave that to more capable minds and other times.

I am feeling movements in the substratum of conversations and ponderings (kinda like sitting in a raft on ocean – feeling the waves ebb and flow, pulse and pause underneath me) about national, regional, and local re-expression of the Body of Christ gathered. Kevin hints at some of this over at his blog. And there are some cool gatherings of other sorts happening elsewhere as well. Here are a few I’ve noticed of late:

Worship, art, liturgy, and preaching in the emerging culture

2004 Emergent Theological Conversation with Walter Brueggemann

Reel Spirituality Conference: Music to our Eyes: Music, Film, and Theology in Dialogue

Northwest Graduate School Seminars

The Theology Studio

There is also talk of renewed regional gatherings and some local worship experiments. I’m intrigued and encourage by all of these things. I know now what my role in any of these will be. I feel somewhat more drawn to the local at the moment, letting others tackle the regional or national things (but participating certainly). Seems like I’m needing to wait until some things in my life (job, house) get settled a bit, before committing to too much else.

That said, we’re still hoping to have Eddie Gibbs and Eric Herron come out in October for a smallish gathering for conversation. It feels like that needs some direction and attention. I see (hope, desire, long for) a few retreat days in the near future. One to focus on the Jr. High Camp I’m helping lead, one for the VC web site that we’re in the process of updating, and one for the October Eddie/Eric thingy.

Much in process. Good stuff all. Waiting. Trusting. Waiting. Trusting. Trusting.

God's Words

Trust in the LORD and do good.

Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Take delight in the LORD,

and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Commit everything you do to the LORD.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:3-5

So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

John Perkins audio

Have a listen:

4/25/2002 Divided No Longer (Dr. John Perkins)

11/4/2003 Community Chapel (Dr. John Perkins)

11/6/2003 Forum (Dr. John Perkins)

Very, Very Good stuff. My favorite paraphrase – “a racially divided church is a heresy”!!! Stick that in you “homogenous-unit” pipe and smoke it!

Much to Learn, Have We

Economic Development – St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church

A Neighborhood Economic Development Handbook for all neighborhood members

Appalachian Arts Program