Daily Archives: 09/17/2008

I don’t do posts like this too often, but I’m trying to be more disciplined and write at least two posts a week. I spent nearly six hours on the road yesterday driving to Oklahoma City and back for the Order of Elders meeting.  Don’t feel too bad for me driving so much; there are other pastors who drive even greater distances.  It gave me a good chunk of time to listen to podcasts, which I think is the modern equivalent of the old Circuitriders reading books on horseback!

FYI, my favorites right now are the Catalyst podcast, Leonard Sweet’s Napkin Scribbles, and Bishop William H. Willimon’s podcast.  I’ve listened to the Emergent Podcast quite a bit in the past, but lately I haven’t seen content I was interested in.  I’m a little disenchanted with the emerging movement as a whole, but that’s another post.

Spent the morning in worship, listening to Bishop Hayes preach a fine sermon on Gideon.  He then led us in a service of Holy Communion.  The Eucharistic service is always one of the highlights of the Orders meetings to me.  There is simply something about receiving that is different from being the presiding elder.  The other highlight of these meetings is seeing friends from around the conference, and I saw quite a few of them yesterday.  Of course, it’s such a big gathering that you always miss a few.

Later in the day I spent time with my new colleagues discussing my upcoming D.Min. project, which is coming right around the corner.  In fact, I had to present my preliminary outline for a project before I had a chance to talk with anyone who is actually going to be affected by it!  I think we came up with some really productive ideas, so I’m feeling a little less pressure on that front.  In the end I hope to consider some ways to use technology to incorporate people into communities of discipleship who otherwise wouldn’t be connected.  Of course, after the colloquium this too might change!

The ride home was uneventful other than my phone’s battery dying.  That is getting really common, but I’m holding out until after the move to buy a new one.  If Oprah’s Secret is true, I see an iPhone in my future.

I’ve been to my workout this morning, my lay leader and I will be going out to do a little visiting today, and then I’m going to a drawing workshop tonight.  Today is also picture day at school for Emma.  The other day she had a new outfit on and I said, “Honey, you look so cute!”  She spun around, looked in the mirror, and said in the most mature tone a five year old can muster, “Yeah, I know.  I look like a third grader…”

Oh, I’m reading The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others by Scot McKnight and AquaChurch 2.0 by Len Sweet.  I plan to write up a review of The Jesus Creed at some point here on the blog.  So far, I’m pretty impressed with how accessible and interesting it is.  It’s no surprise though; both of Scot’s books that I’ve read before were excellent as well.

Life is pretty darn good.