Sleep

I can’t. It is 4:29 AM. I went to bed at 11:ish, woke up at 1:40, headache, took Tylenol, and nothing. No sleep. I can’t do it.

I’m thinking that part of it was the Chai I had around 5 pm. But I think a bigger part may be the Claritin-D. Those things have a way of making me hyper. So my brain is spinning…. I can feel by body tired, but sleep isn’t coming.

I’m so congested – allergies – that I can “hear”/feel my pulse in my right ear. I suppose that is kinda disgusting. Perhaps TMI (too much information), but there you go.

I think it might be the meds or the caffeine, but I am having trouble focusing…. my head is swimming with thoughts, but I can’t stay with one very long.

I would like very much to calm down…. to rest…. to be simple…. focused…. clear…. I would like to go to sleep.

More than Too Much

I would like to work less, and make more money
I would like to live on less, and give more away.

A question was asked today…. “how much is enough?” This in reference to stuff, material possessions, the things that consume our lives that we have consumed. How do we know when we have “enough”?

A thought. What if the question is really “how much is too much?” For I suspect we already have enough. When does our “enoughness” overtake our lives? When does our “stuff-y-ness” fill us up? I’m rambling here…. I’m exploring…. Something about not living by bread alone….

Another thought. What if our community answers that question for us? What if we as a Faithing Body devise a response? Not (necessarily) a formal answer, but what if in the context of relationship we discern our living? In other words, I can’t decide on my own that I have enough (or too much), but my sisters and brothers who are following Jesus with me can. I can’t decide because I will always want more. I will always think I need more. I am insatiable. But God’s people can hold me in check.

I would like to work less, and make more money
I would like to live on less, and give more away.

I work too much. I’m away from my family too much. There are good reasons and bad reasons for that. Necessary ones and dysfunctional ones. I like neither. Here’s my dream (or one of many)….. I would like to walk to work, work about 30 hours a week, and then walk home.

I’m in debt. Not a lot (as American standards go). But enough. I’m tired of it. We got out of debt once, we can do it again. I’d like financial freedom the bondage and constraints of interest and bills.

I would like to work less, and make more money
I would like to live on less, and give more away.

Here are some helpful hints on living on less. We have more than enough. I want to learn how to be less dependant on non-renewable resources. I would love to make our home more “green” and sustainable. That word – “sustainable” – has been seething through my brain for the last couple years. I really really want to learn how to live sustainably in more aspects of life. It is part of how I follow Jesus.

I want to give more – money, but other stuff too – away. I guess I don’t really have anything more to say than that. I would really like to give people more money.

I would like to work less, and make more money
I would like to live on less, and give more away.

WorshipHelps

Deja vu…. long long ago for a house church gathering in Pasadena I made these pages to assist in worship. Eric was part of that evening and I remember him asking for the file afterwards… turns out he’s still using them! Very cool. I’m so glad this simple little idea has helped facilitate worship…. worship that extends beyond the guitar and the songleader and invites participation and movement.

Anyway, here’s how Eric describes how it works:

I’ve been using a tool for small group worship that has helped bring a fresh twist to ‘plain ol’ strumming and singing.

I print out twently-four, 8.5 x 11 sheets that each have an artfully fonted, black and white excerpt from the Psalms or some other praise text. If the room is large, I print out double-copies. Before leading, I hang these sheets on the walls of the worship space using scotch tape. Some I hang low on the wall, some eye-level, and some higher. Some sheets, I scatter on the floor. It is best to have the sheets three to five feet apart from each other.

Typically, as I did early this morning for a Fuller D.Min. class, I begin with one song of declaratory praise, sung together. After that song is finished, I play quietly as I explain the worship excercise, saying:

1. Notice the words of praise from the scriptures scattered throughout the room.
2. As the music continues quietly, feel free to wander about, reading these verses.
3. You may read in silence. However, as a particular verse, phrase, or word impacts your soul, you are invited to read it aloud, spontaneously.
4. There is no hurry. We will allow several minutes to praise God through his Word in this way.

After the groups seems to have made it through most of the scriptures, I seemlessly lead into a final few songs. When this ritual is unfamiliar to the group at hand, it never fails to prompt a sincere and engaging worship response.

New Testament II: Acts through Revelation

Thanks to our amazing house church I’m going to take New Testament II: Acts through Revelation through Fuller’s Distance Learning program. That will keep me eligible for my degree and put me one step closer to my degree (after this I’ll only have 5 classes to go). Here is the course description:

LECTURER: David M. Scholer, Professor of New Testament

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
New Testament: Acts Through Revelation is a general introduction to the New Testament documents from Acts through Revelation with major emphasis given to the letters of Paul and Pauline studies. Attention is given to the first century contexts (Judaism, Greco-Roman society, and early Church) of the document, to the methodological issues of interpretation and to the use of these texts in the Church today.

COURSE GOAL:
As a result of this course the student will understand the content, structure, and interpretive issues of the New Testament from Acts through Revelation and have a solid foundation for further biblical studies.

ASSIGNMENTS:
• A brief theological essay on the theology of either Hebrews or Revelation
• A structural outline of either 1 John or James
• A Bible content examination
• A paper on Paul and his letters

REQUIRED READINGS:
Aune, D.E. The New Testament in Its Literary Environment. Westminster, 1987.
Banks, R. Paul’s Idea of Community. Hendrickson, 1994.
Freedman, D.N. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. Doubleday, 1992.
Horrell. An Introduction to the Study of Paul, T & T Clark, 2000
Hooker, Paul: A Short Introduction, One World Publications (a subdivision of Oxford) 2003
Meeks, W.A. The First Urban Christians: The Social World of the Apostle Paul. Yale University Press, 1983.
Murphy-O’Conner, J. Paul the Letter Writer: His World, His Options, His Skills. Liturgical Press, 1995.

I am so truly and deeply blessed by this amazing community.

Going Under

One of our students created this video montage/music video. Very interesting. Going Under

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhUwInyvQ5M]

His truth

Right after I posted about feeling …. insecure … we did a reflective reading of scripture in bible class on Psalm 96

The phrase that stuck out to me was; “His truth” right at the end. I sensed the Spirit speaking to me…. in the midst of my insecurity trust His truth about who I am…. not what others thing… or what I think others think… or what I feel. But trust, rely, rest in his truth.

His truth
His truth
His truth
His truth
His truth
His truth
His truth
His truth
His truth

Simplicity

New blog from a friend’s dad:
Stage Right Stage Left: This is where I work and worship

I like this pic from his post. As much as I love elaborate, deep, experiential worship I also have a hankerin’ for simplicity, monastic-like austerity, and worship in the round, in the midst of the people.

lackluster

i’m feeling little again. its a common feeling that comes and goes for me….. i feel small.

insignificant.

marginal

a lackluster leader. a slacker teacher. a poor relate-r.

i’m operating under the working definition that this are fundamentally un-true. but i still feel them.

ugh. i hate feeling this way. like i don’t matter. i’m sure that i do. i just don’t feel it right now. why am i so dependent on what i think other people think of me? why do i continue to look for worth in other people’s eyes? where did my belovedness go? i must of hid it so i wouldn’t lose it. i guess its one of those things you have to give away to keep.

The Eagle and Child: The Foolishness of Preaching

The Eagle and Child: The Foolishness of Preaching: “We are quirky eccentrics aspiring to be the epic poets of our people. We are klutzy draughtsmen of language aspiring to be troubadour poets for the great king. “

Good stuff from Russell (my neighbor and and one serious Euchre player)

Silas and Kim West

Silas’ blog is www.xanga.com/silasinkathmandu and Kim’s www.xanga.com/kimberlyinkathmandu

Welcome to the blogosphere. These are amazing people! Friends of Sarah’s and mine since college, in fact we all started dating around the same time and on the same mission trip. They (and their now 4 children!) are missionaries in Nepal with Word Made Flesh. Here’s their bio.