Tall Monastic Guy

A New World Is Yet to Come

A New World Is Yet to Come
by Henri Nouwen

You are Christian only so long as you constantly pose critical questions to the society you live in, so long as you emphasize the need of conversion both for yourself and for the world, so long as you in no way let yourself become established in the situation of the world, so long as you stay unsatisfied with the status quo and keep saying that a new world is yet to come. You are Christian only when you believe you have a role to play in the realization of the new kingdom, and when you urge everyone you meet with holy unrest to make haste so that the promise might soon be fulfilled. So long as you live as a Christian you keep looking for a new order, a new structure, a new life.

Summer Reads

Last night I was able to read one chapter in three of these books (which is kinda remarkable with a newborn in the house). 3 of these are re-reads and the Claiborne and Peterson books are first timers. The funny thing about this photo is that to the left of the stack is a breast pump, signifying that the reality that any of these get read and processed well by the end of this summer is probably a joke.

Here's the stack from the bottom up:
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard (a re-read from my first year in seminary)
A Theology as Big as The City by Ray Bakke (another re-read from seminary)
Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw (have been meaning to get to this for months)
Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman (Thurman was a significant leader in the Civil Rights movement)
Eat this Book by Eugene Peterson (referenced in previous post, great for getting back into the top priority)
Holy Bible by lots of inspired people

What's on your list?

Eat This Book

I'm about half way through a provoking book by Eugene Peterson called Eat This Book: A conversation in the art of spiritual reading. It's provoking in the sense that it is a catalyst for getting me back into and deeper into the sacred text of Holy Scripture. Good stuff.

It is a matter of urgency that interest in our souls be matched by an interest in our Scriptures-- and for the same reason: they, Scripture and souls, are the primary fields of operation of the Holy Spirit. An interest in souls divorced from an interest in Scriptures leaves us without a text that shapes these souls. In the same way, an interest in Scriptures divorced from an interest in souls leaves us without any material for the text to work on. (17)

Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son. (18)

The Miller's

Our friend's Mark and Tara Miller, whom we met about 5 years ago (Tara and I worked together on starting an Alpha Course at Pathways Church) have courageously decided to begin the quest of adopting an orphan from Ethiopia.
Why Ethiopia? Ethiopia has approximately 5 million orphans. Although in many cases, extended family or neighbors take in orphaned children, there are simply not enough adults to go around. AIDS, along with other illnesses, is wiping out an entire generation of parents. The immense poverty of this country is beyond our imagination. If interested in digging deeper, Tara says, There is No Me Without You is a good book to begin understanding the orphan situation in Ethiopia.


This whole process will likely take between 6 months to a year. The total cost will be in the neighborhood of $25,000.
The Miller's would love it if you worked their quest to adopt into your prayer schedule. And if further compelled to invest please contact me (ryan.taylor@adullamdenver.com) if interested in making a donation toward all of the costs involved.

Missional Fanaticism

Since the birth of Josiah a week and a half ago I’ve had just enough energy and short spurts of time to be catching up on some blog reading. The articles I’ve read along with some specific recent conversations have led me to some lingering thoughts regarding the idea and definition of what it means to be “missional”.

In the blogosphere and in some churches I’m seeing many utilize and customize the term to the point to where it is becoming as amorphous as “emerging”. I tend to agree with many definitions out there and observe many who are faithfully living out their unique role in God’s mission. However, just as many seem to be living the life more accurately described as a "fan" of missional. After several years of following the emerging conversation (which at its essence I believe is a healthy movement of ecclesial renewal) I watched a similar accumulation of people I would only consider fans.

I’m getting this idea of fanaticism from a snippet out of Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart in which he says,

Fanaticism ---in art, politics, sports, or religion, to name some of the main kinds--- is the result of inherently meaningless lives becoming obsessed with performance and trying to take all of their existence into it. Being a fan of… is treated as something deep and important. Because those who do this do not have a whole soul directing their lives toward good, rooted in God, they allow a “flow” they find outside themselves to take over their thoughts, feelings, behavior, and social relations. That flow intoxicates them. They absolutize the flow and no longer subject it to ordinary tests of truth, reality, and tried and true human values.

(Renovation of the Heart, 203)

Tangible Kingdom Weekend

This will be a great weekend to prime the pump and for some of you a great excuse to spend a fall weekend in colorful Colorado.

2 items of interest

One, for those of you Denver-ites. Shane Claiborne will be speaking on his "Jesus for President" tour on Monday July 7th at 7pm at:
Trinity UMC
1820 Broadway
Denver, CO 80202
303-839-1493

The event is free but it is suggested you show up early.

Another item of interest... I found Sam Metcalf's article "Anti-Organizational Bias" an interesting read. I think especially for us Gen-Xers who typically cringe at the words "structure" or "orginization", it is a great perspective from a wise, well traveled leader. (Sam is CRM's president and his blog is always interesting)

Just another Adullam gathering...

Sequence to the morning...

Wake up and change a poopy diaper... (First time I've began my Sunday like that!)

...Fix myself and Angie something for breakfast

...briefly look over sermon notes

The Josiah experience changes everything. Yesterday as I was sitting alone eating breakfast at the hospital cafeteria, I just started noticing people. I noticed them as people who are all uniquely individual miracles, “forged in the fires of human passion” as Rich Mullins said. Then I thought about corruption and separation from God and then I thought of how much God loved all these unique miracles and so he sent Jesus and he came up with The Way. And then I thought of how badly Jesus wanted all these miracles to discover The Way and to lovingly make all of them new again redeeming their relationship to the Father. And there at the cafeteria table I started sobbing and with tears watering down my biscuits and gravy, I got a glimpse of just how much the triune God loves us and draws us to himself.

Maybe it’s just delirium from such little sleep in the last 4 days but looking at a newborn changes the way you see the world.

(And don't worry, I'm not neglecting my duties. He's just taking a long nap.)

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts…

(Psalm 139: 13-17, TNIV)