Of Spiritual Formation, Soccer, and Emergence
A few random notes on a Friday afternoon:
Christianity Today is running this interview of Jedi Master Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, two Christian writers that I have come to love dearly during recent years. In an age where Christians bookstores are filled with volumes on how to amass and hang onto wealth, or shallow tips and tricks on being a better (or thinner) wage earner/parent/pastor/spouse/lover/friend, the calm, reassuring voices of these men - calling me to be spiritually formed in Chrust - are a welcome change.
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Tomorrow will be Lexi's first day of competitive soccer. That's right. For the last four years, I've told she and her teammates that the score doesn't matter. And guess what? Tomorrow, it matters. Scores will be kept. Points will be allocated. League standings will be published.
The score does matter now. But only a little. They could lose every single game this year, and I would still love this group of girls and their families. I can't tell you how many times I have welcomed the end of a work day just so I could go out and see their smiling faces and enjoy running and kicking and laughing with them. (Not to mention the bonus of listening to their parents reel gleefully at things like missed goal shots bouncing off the bars and crafty headers).
Eight year-old smiles and laughter are the perfect antedote for the stresses of civil litigation. A lot of things that seem really important at 5:00 on a Thursday can dissolve into minor concerns after an hour with these kids and their parents.
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...and speaking of my favorite writers, Brian McClaren just delieverd this message on the emerging church phenomemon at Cedar Ridge Community Church, his spiritual home. I listened to about half of it today while I was running, and really enjoyed it. McClaren can be profoundly insightful and sensible at the same time. And he speaks with much simplicity, grace, and generosity. Just about anyone can listen to him and understand what he is saying.
Tags: Dallas Willard Richard Foster Brian McLaren Spiritual Formation
Christianity Today is running this interview of Jedi Master Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, two Christian writers that I have come to love dearly during recent years. In an age where Christians bookstores are filled with volumes on how to amass and hang onto wealth, or shallow tips and tricks on being a better (or thinner) wage earner/parent/pastor/spouse/lover/friend, the calm, reassuring voices of these men - calling me to be spiritually formed in Chrust - are a welcome change.
_______________
Tomorrow will be Lexi's first day of competitive soccer. That's right. For the last four years, I've told she and her teammates that the score doesn't matter. And guess what? Tomorrow, it matters. Scores will be kept. Points will be allocated. League standings will be published.
The score does matter now. But only a little. They could lose every single game this year, and I would still love this group of girls and their families. I can't tell you how many times I have welcomed the end of a work day just so I could go out and see their smiling faces and enjoy running and kicking and laughing with them. (Not to mention the bonus of listening to their parents reel gleefully at things like missed goal shots bouncing off the bars and crafty headers).
Eight year-old smiles and laughter are the perfect antedote for the stresses of civil litigation. A lot of things that seem really important at 5:00 on a Thursday can dissolve into minor concerns after an hour with these kids and their parents.
_______________
...and speaking of my favorite writers, Brian McClaren just delieverd this message on the emerging church phenomemon at Cedar Ridge Community Church, his spiritual home. I listened to about half of it today while I was running, and really enjoyed it. McClaren can be profoundly insightful and sensible at the same time. And he speaks with much simplicity, grace, and generosity. Just about anyone can listen to him and understand what he is saying.
Tags: Dallas Willard Richard Foster Brian McLaren Spiritual Formation
posted by Matt at Friday, September 16, 2005
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