Jason Clark has posted the bibliography for a postgraduate course that he is teaching about Pastoral Theology with Leadership. I am totally jazzed because the books listed having some that I love, others that are on my ‘to read’ list with most being totally new to me.

It’s not like I do not already have stacks of books that I have yet to read but I having a list like this to work from. Yay!

“Our words that describe God are like the rippling white foam at the edge of a vast and endless sea. They can only hint incompletely, inadequately, unjustly of who God is. I long to yearn for God. I long to move beyond playing with the white foam, and to sink into the vast and endless sea. The only way to do so is to let go of my hold on the story. I need to be willing to be stripped of all I know of God, in the hope that I may once again find God.” Pete Rollin’s wins top honors for a second day in a row, but you have to admit this is a beautiful quote from his “God, Rid Me of God” post.

“The believer can say ‘I am in a loving relationship with one who is utterly beyond my ability to objectify or grasp, but I am transformed through that relationship’.” from Peter Rollins, talking about realism and non-realism in theology

Thanks to Messy Christian for the link… and, oh, they have more tests so there will be more entries, i’m sure.

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion:You have medium extroversion. You’re not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your “down time.” Conscientiousness: You have low conscientiousness. Impulsive and off the wall, you don’t take life too seriously. Unfortunately, you sometimes end up regretting your snap decisions. Overall, you tend to lack focus, and it’s difficult for you to get important things done. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You’re generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have medium neuroticism. You’re generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic. Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy. Your life is pretty smooth, but there’s a few emotional bumps you’d like to get rid of. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You’ll try almost anything interesting, and you’re constantly pushing your own limits. A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

Computers + Community = Computity.

This portmanteau was coined by Reverend John Musick on Friday, February 3rd, in the year of our Lord, 2006.

I actually forgot to post this until my sister, jen posted about it.

Google and Dictionary.com say it isn’t a legitimate word… yet.

-Update- I did find the word compotator at dictionary.com ’cause I like potatos, but, as you can see if you click the link, the word has nothing to do with potatos… unless your drinking vodka… mmm, potatos…

Speaking of Faith on MPR ran a program this week called “Ethics and the Will of God, The Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer”.

My favorite quote that they use is from his book “Life Together”:

The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them. It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear. So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him. Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others, that this is the one service they have to render. They forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.

Many people are looking for an ear that will listen. They do not find it among Christians, because these Christians are talking where they should be listening. But he who can no longer listen to his brother will soon be no longer listening to God either; he will be doing nothing but prattle in the presence of God too. This is the beginning of the death of the spiritual life, and in the end there is nothing left but spiritual chatter and clerical condescension arrayed in pious words. One who cannot listen long and patiently will presently be talking beside the point and be never really speaking to others, albeit he be not conscious of it. Anyone who thinks that his time is too valuable to spend keeping quiet will eventually have no time for God and his brother, but only for himself and for his own follies.

TPT channel 2, in the Twin Cities, will be showing a great documentary made about him on Monday and Tuesday at 9 PM. Well worth the watch. link

Nick tagged me so now I have to share 5 things that you may not know about me…

1> When I was really little, my mom had me in one of those carrier things that let you carry your kid in a picnic basket-like contraption… well she set me down on the kitchen table and went to put away some groceries or something. Now I don’t know how it happened, if the table was tilted or there was a mischievous gremlin, but somehow, when my mom’s back was turned, I slid off the table in my carrier and went crashing down… right into the trash basket! No physical harm came to me because of this, but it is true, I am the original “Garbage Pail Kid”.

2> I went to eleven different schools before graduating highschool in 1989.

3> In the 8th grade, I missed more days of school then I went to because kids are mean and I was unpopular, yet I still managed to get to the 9th grade the next year.

4> 9th grade saw me take my mom’s car to school regularly even though I did not have her permission or a driver’s license. She commuted using the subway since we lived in Washington DC at the time, that how I was able to get away with it.

5> My senior year of highschool I had a Pinto and was a bad driver. Sometimes I would lose control of my car on the dirt roads and spend time driving in the ditch. Apparently a neighboron the road saw me do this one day and weeks later ran out in front of the car as I was driving by. Wagging a finger at me, he said in this Dukes of Hazzard, Rosco P. Coltrane voice , “I said i’d gitcha and I gotcha!” and that saw he what I done did and that his eye was on me, blah, blah, blah. My sister Jen and I were in tears because of his chastisement… we just couldn’t stop laughing. “Ga, ga ,ga. I’m gonna git dem Dukes!”

Ok, now who do I tag? Most all my blogging buddies have been tagged.

So I tag…

Brad
Stephen
Kari, ’cause she has yet to respond to her other tag:)
John, same as Kari.
& Dan, same as John.

Sorry guys, but are it!

From the article John Sentamu sworn in as Archbishop of York in the Times Online, dated November 30, 2005:

He called on the Church of England to revive its spirit of “wonder” and “adoration” and to rediscover the transforming power of the Gospel.”The scandal of the church is that the Christ-event is no longer life-changing, it has become life-enhancing. We’ve lost the power and joy that makes real disciples, and we’ve become consumers of religion and not disciples of Jesus Christ.”

Thanks to Andrew Jones for the link.