Crossing the Bridge...

Alright, already! I heard the hints of freinds lately to get back into this thing. And just today I was inspired to do so with some new direction. I want to introduce you to some things that have been ddep and rich in moving my spirit lately. But before I do that, bid me a time to ramble about my pitiful self for a moment.
I have been on teh bridge lately - right out in the middle. I wasn't looking down in contemplation, but certainly looking all around. Bridges are beautiful places to be if you are not afradi fo traffic and are not seriously yearning to jump off. But the surface is a juxstiposed reality of solid ground and engineered freestance that certainly puts a anyone who crosses in a vulenrable position that is often overlooked. But I have been crossing a spirtual bridge recently and I decided to stop and look, discover the view from such a high place, arching over the world that I might go into and the one that might be left behind regardless of which way I decide to exit. It has been marvelous up on the bridge. I never knew just how much you can discover, though it is hard to keep your focus with all the impending possibilities of danger. But now I am coming off the bridge, confident of the direction I am heading, and that the side that I am leaving will be there when I cross back across this bridge from time to time to gather more of the stuff I may have forgotten or couldn't find down the road a ways. The journey to God's heart and wisdom is full of bridges. And even these vulnerable places are built and sustained with God's ever-present, all encompassing love. But you can only stay on the bridge so long as traffic moves all around you, above you, and even beneath you. Yet it is one of the best places to be to discern.
How do I know that I am coming off the bridge? I ahave made a few affirmed decisions lately, I am not at all worried about those decisions, and my yearning and open heart has introduced me to new paths for the journey that I am excited to take, and am preparing for as we speak. Among them, a trip to Princeton Seminary, a trip to Eureka, Il, during Memorial Day weekend, and a tour of the thousands of findings after googling "missional church."
1. The trip to Princeton was for a learning experince on missional/emerging church leadership and a soul searching trip through the PhD program while I was there. I came back with the affirmation that what I have been learning, praying, teaching, shepherding, thinking, believing, etc. was all good and well, and that there are some minor adjustements I need to make in myself to move into the future - the first being stop trying to deny yourself and be yourself. And though I want to seek knowledge at higher levels, I can't stand to write down anything in academic form as to prove my intellect. I find it ironic that the church is being called to change by practicioners and academia alike, yet the academy thinks that certain forms and structures of communicating one's intelligence should remain for ions.
2. the trip to Eureka was filled with relaxation though not through a great deal of sleep, but simple affirmation that you don't need a Rose Bowl parade to be reminded of what binds humanity together. You simply need a small high school marching band that only marches to a drum cadence and never toots a single note the entire parade route, a few emergency response vehicles, military and patriotic plumage, a candy-wielding mayor on the back of an open convertible car, and some family passing through on their way to Arkansas that realized they were in a prade route so they jumped out and ran and got some candy for everyone along the way. Oh, and you need friends and family, breakfast and coffee on the front porch, pizza with all new generations at the favorite old place, the sharing of tasks to get children to bed, the 15-minute catch up conversations before the adults have to go to bed to prepare to get said kids ready whent hey start screaming our names in the morning, and a hug a kiss, and a "good to see you, friend," and a few, "noticed you haven't been blogging in a while."
3. And finally, I have no time to go into it all, but much will be following my recent surfing into a huge world of missional apologetics that is unbelieveably moving and affirming. More about this as I get things set up on this blog to direct you to some of the places I have been, and will contineu to be going.

But right now I have to go and work some more on my next sermon series. Oh, and by the way, I am continuing to go completely across the bridge and not go back, in case you were wondering.