Perspectives- Steve Hawthorne

So I didn't actually see Steve Hawthorne (the editor of the Perspectives books and organizer of the movement) but since our class was snowed out, I listened to an mp3 from the website. My type-A-ness made it tough to sit and listen, and reinforced the quality of the in-person classes, but here are my takeaways from Hawthorne speaking on "the Story of His Glory":

• Glory is church jargon, but it is what God is so rich in that he creates things that are magnificent.
• Jesus did not base his mission and vision on people's needs, but just what the Father gave Him to do. When He died He finished what God gave Him. This indicates that we should not be burdened with solving all of mankind's needs, but just what the Father gives us.
• Crayon drawings- like when your child brings you a messy scribble, it is the most beautiful, precious, valuable artwork to you, God loves our worship in song and love, even though angels could run circles around our efforts.
• There is something precious about diversity- we are all His favorite sons and daughters.
• It is important to see God's story as a whole; there are lots of little stories that are not for their own purpose, not for our good, not for our salvation alone, but all for God's glory.
• Blessed to be a blessing to be a blessing- we as Christ followers are blessed by God so that we can be a blessing to the nations, so they can be a blessing to God.
• If you want to follow Jesus, you will want to be where He is. And He is all over the world.

A big point of this course (as I see it now, anyway) is that we are all called to bless the nations. We can be compared to Jonah, who turned from this call and ran the other way, but I don't think we as a church are as blatantly intentional in our disobedience. Rather, we don't hear this call from the pulpit, which is part of why I am sharing these notes.

GLC Retreat

I just got back from a weekend retreat with my church (http://gracelifechurch.com) where we talked a lot about upcoming church plants in Columbia and Canton/Fells Point, where I plan to serve on a core leadership group. Stay tuned, this is going to be big. Info from the horse's mouth is here (http://gracelifenetwork.blogspot.com).

The church leaders encouraged us to think through the continuum of Adam and Eve through the blessings promised to Abraham, the courage and faith of Isaac and Jacob, the Joshua generation and conquer of Jericho, through Christ and the seamless connection with believers today. The same promises God made to Abraham apply to us. We need to have faith in the Person of God more so than the words of any promises, recognizing that good will come as we follow God in relationship with Him. Moreover, we need courage more than more faith; we have faith, but often don't act on it. We need to pray for the courage to live out the faith we have.

Doors of Old San Juan

El Yunque

I spent last Monday in El Yunque in Puerto Rico, the only rainforest in the US park system. While the Carribean islands are known for their beaches, this is well worth a diversion.


Palm trees show reddish-orange roots. We also saw what my wife called walking trees, which shoot off roots to support the tree in a new direction, actually moving the tree over time.

Flowers grew wild, with things that I plant in my window boxes or buy at flower shops overflowing the paths.

While the summit was cloudy and most of the hike was rainy, it was worth the trip to the top. Mist rushed up and over the top; the smell was refreshing but musty.

We saw the top of the mountain the next sunny day and wished we could have seen the clear view from the top, but did not regret spending a rainy day in the park rather than missing a sunny day on the beach.

Breaking the Fast

I just finished a fast from alcohol for a year, through all of 2008. The reasons were multiple: regret from going a bit overboard on occasion, not having enough time to do anything unproductive, concern that I could make unwise decisions that could harm relationships, and a clear calling from God. It was easier than I thought it would be and gave me a great perspective that I would not have had otherwise. I decided to break the fast for similar reasons: comfort that I had gained more maturity and discipline, gaining more time from finishing grad school, and spiritual ease that it would be ok.

I have seen the world differently this past year, partially from traveling and reading to gain a bigger world view, and partially through this fast. This has made me question what is important to me and what I am living for, and given me a fascinating retrospective on what I have said I lived for and what I was really living for in various periods in my life. It has also concerned me about the impact of pop culture on youth and the challenge to think independently. Even bigger, I am struggling with the appropriateness of striving to improve one's own lot, working and using accumulated resources for your own good when there is so much need elsewhere. Is every choice to buy a luxury good equivalent to telling someone in need that your pleasure is more important than their survival?