Community

So we have been trying to find and connect at a new church since leaving our last church, and the place I was a Pastor for 5 years (to the day) for the last 9 months. 9 months without a church home, for lack of a better expression, has felt odd. It has been an interesting experience. Here is why.

Several years ago I was musing with a friend over why people connected or stayed with a church, and why they left. Not differentiating why they left, just that they left was our parameter. They may have left because they decided Jesus was not the answer for them, or because they decided to go to another church, but they left. We surmised that when people were involved socially with other people in the church (a small group perhaps), or involved in helping out at the church they were more immune to leaving.

In retrospect that was a good observation, but the deeper answer I think lies in what that interaction produced. After several years as a Pastor, with arguably, more insight in to why people leave churches, I saw another thing. That VERY involved people sometimes leave churches. I don't view that scenario as disproving the former theory, but rather adding a deeper bit of data. Being involved in a church socially or as a volunteer is still only one aspect of the actual interaction. The interactions must be in a safe environment that allows people to ask questions and learn more, a environment where people can deal with hard issues and grow and change. When that happens, the real qualifier is that the social interaction quenches a deeper desire to move a long a journey, and if someone is trying to learn about God and Jesus, and they are getting no where, then they will leave to somewhere else, or give up. (I suppose it could also be they just did not get what they wanted, but the whole consumer thing I am not going to address here)

So here I am a former professional pastor who believes in connecting with community and who is having a heck of a time finding a community where I feel I will be accepted. Where I feel that who I am can mix in, and the questions that I have will be accepted and worked through with me so that I can grow. You think as a former leader I would feel it easy to connect with those who believe what I believe, but the truth is, places where dialogue instead of monologue are present are rare. Having previously taught, I value having a voice.

I also value, perhaps above all else, freedom. Freedom of expression. Freedom to be sad, freedom to still wrestle and not have to put on the persona of having arrived, when I know I have miles to go. Freedom to jump up and down in worship, or lay on the ground in grief. Freedom to test a religious piety that doesn't seem to agree with what Jesus taught.

My wife and I were talking, and I surmise that with some lack of clarity, we have always sought community that gives us those things. Most times it wasn't the church itself, but people within a church that we could relate to and who could relate to us.

I will say that we have finally landed. You will figure out where after a time I am sure. It feels like maybe it will be a place where both the church and the people we are already starting to connect with will be a new and real community, and hopefully, we will be that to them as well.

Fathead

No I am not calling names. I went and saw some live blues music last night. Fathead is a Juno winning Canadian blues band, and a friend and I went and caught them at a local eatery last night. Sound system was suspect, but fortunately the skill of the band still came through. Really fun to hear some talented players playing such great riffs and shots together. It was really great. The vocals were a surprising treat as well. The band had a guitar, bass, drums, and one fellow who played sax and harmonica. Four of the five sang. When the whole thing was smoking it was like listening to a 9 piece band. Great when pretty much everyone in a band can do two things well. The drummer uses all four limbs so we will cut him some slack. Not only do I need to get out and play more myself, I got to find a way to get out and see more live music. Great vibe.

Little Encouragements (some ramblings)

I think I am the poster child for struggling artists. Check that, I am the poster child for tormented artists. I am actually tormented by the art within. How does that apply to little encouragements....read on.

I am a strange combination of right and left brain. A musician that is good at administration. A creator of music who spent five years in the finance field..blah,blah, blah.

Therein lies some of the issues. My left brain tells me that the fight to create music given what life has thrown me is crazy, just live the life that is there, my right brain can't let it go...it must have an outlet.

So I am tormented, although struggling isn't fair, we are blessed as a family.

Lately I have been getting encouragement in the midst of this down in trenches production time. Compliments, sales, new gigs from connections out of the past. Where will it all lead? Hard to say, I am just trying to finish this next CD!

Everything old is new again!

I have been getting a few people commenting as they re-discover or find for the first time The Apartment Sessions, my acoustic work from 2000. It is only $10, tax, shipping and burned CD, although it is a nice studio EP : 5 songs with piano and voice. Pick it up now and get 10% off my new CD this spring - I will let you know by email personally when that drops!

You can buy the Apartment Sessions here:

It is nice to see the old acoustic songs show staying power. Very gratifying.

the $5 philanthropist

Just getting to know different people in my industry. I have not met this fellow, but I have seen him on TV and now have been linked to him recently because of his charity resource Give Meaning.com. Interesting to see his take on a few things in this video.

Happy New Year

As a rule I think our family is very representative of our demographic as it relates to Christmas activity, although we have a couple more kids then most (4). Trips everywhere. My parents, Stef's parents, seeing friends etc. Unfortunately, after a very long stretch without a break, we all got sick, three of us worse than the others, nyeesh. I think I am looking forward to being back in routine.

A year in review, that will have to come later, I haven't had time. I haven't had enough time to think about the year coming up either. The next couple weeks are going to busy charting a route for some big goals this year.

Here is one of the many top 10 lists of New Year's resolutions people are considering.

I think the big difference between achieving and not achieving resolutions is the plan. To write down some things we hope to accomplish is significantly different than implementing a plan by freeing up time, resources and money to accomplish those goals. Really, resolutions like weight loss or growing spiritually are life changes and require significant adjustments. Change is visible, if we don't do anything visible to move towards change, it won't happen.