The New Look for How God Messed up my Religion

After thinking about it for more than a year it took a bout with the dreaded H1N1 virus to get me to update my stale blog.

And here it is! (I'll post later about H1N1...it's an epic tale of good versus evil that you won't want to miss.)

I'm kinda clumsy in the techno language department. My Cantonese is much better than my HTML. But having nothing to do for days afforded me the window of time to simultaneously rest my body, and work my mind. Lots of surfing around a kazillion how-to sites trying to learn what I needed to know. I nearly ditched Blogger in favor of Wordpress, but then I found a theme designer who had the Blogger code for the Wordpress custom theme I was drooling over. Now right there I know I lost some of you. But that's ok. I lost myself, too.

Book review: He Calls Me Beloved by Pamela Marhad

Several months ago I somehow came into contact with a writer from my region of the world, the gorgeous Pacific Northwest of America. She had written a book, calling it He Calls Me Beloved.  The title alone caught my attention since I'm a sucker for anything that says beloved on it.  (In case you didn't know it, I have a rose tattoo on my forearm with Beloved inked on a banner blazed across it!)

Time for a Blog Makeover

Ok, I've had these digs with Blogger for about four years. I've changed the template a couple of times over the course of this blog's run, but frankly, I think it's time to move on. 

I'm going to be on the prowl for a new blog platform and, are you ready for this, I think it's time to buy a domain.  Not sure yet if the blog and domain will be the same place - likely not, but perhaps - I just think it's time to upgrade my web presence.

Off the Map: The 500 Year Shift for Church as we know it...

The 500 Year Shift



I was having coffee with a pastor a few days ago and before I could sit down he said;

“Jim, something big is happening in the church right now – it’s like everything is up for grabs”

While I tend to hang out on the margins my pastor friend is typically more centrist so his comment caught me off guard.

He continued “It seems that the institutional church is really in danger.”

I responded that I agreed but since I’m not a pastor its’ easy for me to come to these kinds of conclusions.  But when pastors start talking like this – something really is happening.

I Lost my Religion

Ok, somewhere between evangelicalism and post-modernity angst, I misplaced my religion. I thought it was securely fastened to my faith, but apparently not.

Ken Loyd taught me how NOT to Pray

I have a new post up over at Communitas Collective. Here's an excerpt to tease your appetite.

My prayer life  soon became cold. Barren as a ghost town in the middle of nowhere. My elaborate prayer closet, decorated with wallpapered bible verses  became dilapidated like a forgotten shack.

Where was I to find God now since my prayer machine had been unplugged?

That began an arduous journey of learning to discover God in new places. Sometimes a helpful guide would come along to help me sort it out. Like pastor Ken Loyd.

click HERE to read the entire thing. And be sure to check out Communitas Collective if you are a disaffected, disillusioned, cynical, dechurched spiritual person who wonders if anyone else could possibly understand the crisis of faith you find yourself in. Yep. That's what I said.

I am in the City: Rescue Me

Today is Attempt number 8 in the last two weeks for my bro-in-law to get a spot in the Portland Rescue Mission Residential program.

I've been driving by the PRM for years, but it is only these past two weeks that I've been parked and inside at 111 W. Burnside.
There are always a few people huddled out front. Often there is a person or two stretched out on the sidewalk, pack under their head, sleeping peacefully while the dull roar of boulevard traffic rushes by.
Inside is a restroom facility that is available 24 hours a day. An attendant is always on duty at the reception window to offer assistance and keep the lobby orderly.

Writing News, etc...

I've been posting a lot of outward bound links lately to stories I've been writing for a new writing gig with an outfit called Examiner. If you are interested, you can check out my Examiner page HERE.
The Examiner is a national e-publication utilizing citizen journalists to cover their locales in their specific areas of expertise. Thus, I am Portland Examiner for Progressive Christian Spirituality. The thrust of my content will be Portland and the entire Pacific Northwest region, but I will also cover stories beyond my forested front yard if it fits in the contemporary Christian niche. So I'm not interested in the annual report from the Southern Baptist convention, but I would be interested in a press release from the women outside protesting their sexist policies that ban women from pastoral leadership.

Christians Play Hookey From Church

Faith in Action Sunday. Don't go to church. Be the church.
Read about it HERE

Christians love and hate that Obama gets prestigious Nobel Peace Prize

and you can read about it HERE

Book Review: A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller

I loved Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. Living here in Portland gave me a couple of opportunities to hear him speak during the height of the book's popularity. It seemed that EVERYBODY was reading it at that time!

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years has been eagerly awaited by Miller fans all over the nation. Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson who published this book, said in his blog review,

Whenever I read a book, I know I’m onto something if the following three things happen in my own experience:

1. 
   
   
   

   I read the book quickly. No one is making me read it. In this particular case, I read the book in two sittings.
   

2. 
   

   I am sad when it ends. When I finished A Million Miles, I felt like I a visit with a really good friend had been cut short. The time few by.
   

3. 
   

   I start thinking of people I want to read the book. In this case, I thought of dozens, starting with my own family members.
   

I read the book quickly as well.

Biggest Churches In America...

Not a single Pacific Northwest church is found on there, nor a church pastored by a woman. Not that numbers mean anything....does size matter?

Click HERE for a report

Mirrors and Maps :Off the Map inspired from the margins

Mirrors and Maps, an innovative progressive Christian conference  will be hosted in Seattle, WA  Nov 20-21 at Bethany Community Church.

This year's event offers affordable ticket options to suit everyone's budget starting at $19!

The line-up of speakers this year includes:

• Phyllis Tickle, theologian and author of The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why

• Richard Townsell, a social justice leader for many years in Chicago and current Chief Operating Officer for Bethel New Life, a faith-based community development organization in West Chicago

• Michael Frost, missiologist and co-author of ReJesus: A Wild Messiah for a Missional Church

• Rev. Samuel McKinney, former leader in the Civil Rights Movement and church and community leader in Seattle

• Todd Hunter, newly ordained bishop with Anglican Missions in America and author of Christianity Beyond Belief

• Pastor Rose  Madrid Swetman, a missional leader who co-pastors Vineyard Community Church

 Mirrors and Maps also features musical guests  David Ruis from Los Angelas and Jeff Greer of Seattle as well as Jim Henderson, executive director of Off the Map who's a decent soul singer (for a white guy!)

 Audience participation encouraged at every session. Mirrors and Maps looks to be the most diverse and provocative event to date - as well as  it's most affordable. And this year's event will offer it's first ever
Otherlyness Trade Show, a showcase  of practitioners who are experts at serving others and paying attention. Be sure to check out how you can nominate someone to be featured in the Otherlyness Trade Show.

 Click HERE Ticket  information for Mirrors and Maps

Launch of new church rating system (like the movies? Nope. More like Yelp)

Churchrater.com is up and wants your honest-to-God rating about your church or any church that you have visited. With nearly 350,000 churches in America, the search for a faith community can be harder than eharmony.

Here's a blurb about what Churchrater is about. Love 'em or hate 'em, go check it out:

Churchrater.com launches