the Christ journey

Who would've thought we could have the disturbing privilege of naming a church? We seem so far removed from monikers like "the church in Corinth" or "the church that meets in the house of Priscilla and Aquila," and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. Either way, when the time presented itself, with naive conviction, the choice was made and "Christ Journey" became the metaphorical descriptor for a group of folks seeking to faithfully share such a quest in Burleson, Texas. However, naming the group was the easy part. Experiencing the implications of the name continues to prove challenging.

Throughout the past 7 years, many of you have prayed, fasted, traveled great distances, stayed up late, awakened before the sun, met in strange locations, embraced creative (and sometimes weird) ideas, asked good questions, sacrificed money, offered resources and equipment, opened your homes, cried, laughed, despaired, rejoiced, went way outside your comfort zones, gave to people you had never met, opened your backyard for baptisms and your front yard for barbecues, and served and loved in all kinds of other ways as participants in the Christ journey. To all of you, we offer deep, heart-felt, and humble "thank yous" many, many, many times over. "Thank you" for remembering us, the least of these among churches. You truly have served Christ by sharing this journey with us.

And what a beautiful mess of a journey it has been. We've been blessed to share meals with strangers, comfort folks in the agonizing valleys of life's most despairing moments, and celebrate with them from atop magnificent mountain peaks. We've made tons of mistakes, learned from them, and made tons more. We've baptized friends in truck beds, rebuilt homes in the 9th Ward of New Orleans, and gathered for communal times of worship all over town. We've handed out water bottles among homeless friends in downtown Fort Worth, participated in Burleson's Christmas

Parade of Lights with a lightless float, and helped friends sent overseas in Argentina, Africa, and Ecuador. We praise God for the leading of his Holy Spirit along the Christ journey. "Thank you" for caring about us enough to walk alongside us.

On Sunday, May 29, Christ Journey, as it has been known up to this point, came together for the final time. During that gathering, with words and prayers from Philippians 2 and John 17, Bret and Rachel Wells and three additional families were commissioned, blessed, and sent to start a church in a northwest Burleson neighborhood. We are thankful for the Wells family, the many sacrifices and risks they embraced in order to join Christ Journey in the fall of 2008, and the ways in which they modeled and nurtured the Christ Journey community with a passion for the Scriptures, intentionally pursuing and inviting non-Christians into CJ community life, and selfless attention toward disciple-making responsibilities and opportunities among children. We rejoice at the initial friendships beginning to form through their new work, and long for transformational stories in these four families and those the Lord adds to their number that Christ might be lifted high and poured out in northwest Burleson through them. For more information about their new ministries, click here.

So, what does this mean for Chris and Heidi? If you are asking that question, please keep reading.

First, we're pregnant!!! If you didn't know, I'm sorry we haven't told you yet, and if you did know, feel free to push back from the screen and "happy dance" for us again! Earlier this week, we had our first doctor's visit, complete with a sonogram and heartbeat! Additionally, Heidi's been quite sick this go around, and we would appreciate your prayers for a healthy momma and baby. As a result of not feeling well, Heidi hasn't updated her blog with the news just yet; however, for now, you can catch up on our summer happenings with a click here.

Second, I have received and accepted an opportunity to teach 5th grade math at our neighborhood's elementary school. Ask me about the wild ride sometime, but over the last year and a half, I've gone from substitute teacher, to instructional paraprofessional, to special education teacher, to classroom teacher. We have witnessed the hand of our gracious and faithful God all over this process. For the longest, we prayed and longed for the discovery of "people of peace" in our neighborhood. We're just now realizing that we might be those people! As a result of this opportunity, I get to walk with 80 students and their families all of which live within a 3-mile radius of our house.

Furthermore, the Lord has allowed our house to serve as a hangout for kids on our street. During last school year, it was not uncommon for me to come home to a backyard full of kids (a few of which I had never met)! We're thankful for the ways the Lord leads us into ministry to and with our neighbors.

Third, Heidi and I are prayerfully seeking to initiate, develop, and nurture disciple-making relationships across our social spheres. For us, this is somewhat uncharted territory, but we continue encountering Christians asking if weekly worship services is all there is to Christianity, non-Christians wondering about the hope we have, and pastors seeking friends with whom they can share transparent, vulnerable, and encouraging relationships. Perhaps, we are at a place in our lives where we can serve and walk with these friends for the glory of God. We will not hesitate in following Christ and inviting others into that journey with seeds of hope and good news. So expect to see us serving on Lancaster Avenue in Fort Worth, building fences for widows in our neighborhood, sending money through the "Christ Journey Fund" to friends in need all over the world, and helping others listen to the Holy Spirit discovering ways they might participate in God's mission by joining the conspiracy of little Jesuses wherever they are. Ecclesiologically speaking, if God brings a church out of that...a living, breathing oikos that hears the voice of the Shepherd, seeks connection to the Vine, and continually washes the feet of the neighborhood and each other...we long for such a day. And if not, we remain prayerful, humble, obedient, and for the sake of others.

Finally, I (Chris) will continue developing relationships, mentoring, and walking with other men through a bi-weekly gathering we've dubbed: "Scripture, Salsa, and Shiner." Basically, it's a gathering of guys with thoughts and questions about the Bible and life as we experience it daily. Some sit back and soak in the discussions, others mainly ask questions, and still others pour out their hearts in pursuit of Christ. Furthermore, I have joined with two friends (who are also S3 participants) in the "Missio Project," a website of stories, book excerpts, photographs, reflections, and conversations focused on life in the Kingdom, recalibrating our lives and the church around Jesus, and prayer for a movement of God in our city. We're just getting started, and have made some initial posts that you can check out here.

In actuality, who knows what lies ahead? For now, one Christ journey has concluded, and another is underway. In the chorus of "All To Us," singer/songwriter Chris Tomlin sings, "Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives." We feel he's on to something...join us as we find out.

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A Broken Hip and Sunshine (Part 1 of 4)

I started writing this post about this time of night on Saturday, May 29. I wrote 4-5 paragraphs and stopped unable to continue. As I lay on my bed tonight punching the keys of my wife’s dilapidated Dell, I’m realizing I wasn’t ready to write. Looking back, too much remained swirling for me to draft anything cohesive or understandable. Tonight (at least I think), I’m ready; thus, Part 1 of a 4-part blog series.

Much has transpired along the Christ Journey over the last few months. Several friends (especially when they heard I had accepted a job as a school teacher...more on that in Part 3) are asking if we’re still involving ourselves in church planting. Furthermore, just two weeks ago, one of Heidi’s friends asked about Christ Journey, because she was told we had dissolved.

To be honest, like any other community of friends, we have climbed the summit of many mountain peaks, and we have descended into the depths of many despairing valleys. While wrestling with appropriate ways to address these (and other) questions, I concluded that it’s been a while since I’ve written an update (so long, in fact, that I can’t remember the last one), so Sunday, July 11, 2010 seems like a great day to step back into the habit.

As early as February 2009, “identity” began to surface as a struggle worth facing for the CJ community. “Who are we? Why do we exist? What are we inviting others into?” were (and are) just three of the myriad of questions churning among us. As outside (and inside) financial support reached its lowest point in October 2009, we were finally forced to take shots at answering some of these questions. For the rest of the year (and on into 2010), the process proved arduous, painful, disappointing, and sometimes lonely. Many chose to discontinue their travels with us along the journey, and the remaining wondered whether we should circle the wagons or forge into unchartered territory. As we looked out across the land that lay ahead, with a broken hip and a blessing (Genesis 32:22-33 & an unexpected visit from Heather), we left the wagons behind and clumsily broke camp into the undiscovered. As difficult as it was (and still is to some extent), we are thankful for the (ongoing) opportunity to wrestle with the identity of our community into the dark night for we remember that even though we bear the marks of our struggles, the dawn has come and yet is still breaking upon us.

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See, wasn't that short, sweet, and "postcardish" in length? Coming soon...Part 2: "So, are you still planting churches or not?!"

Neighbor's Lunch

Originally, the idea ignited through these sparks from my boy, Charlie K. Then, this was added to fuel the flames. For the last 31.5 years of my life, when approaching the pantry in my kitchen, the first question that entered my mind has been "What should I eat?" It has never been, "Will I find anything to eat?" We are realizing that the pertinent question for many in our region is the latter.

So, in the suburban southwest corner of the DFW Metroplex, what would it look like for us to share in a "Neighbor's Lunch?" How might we offer the hospitality of Table, conversation, and friendship?

Next, we turned to our friends at Harvest House, a local, 25-year old benevolence agency providing food, clothing, and emergency financial assistance for folks in our area. After a half-hour talk with the director, she was willing to give "Neighbor's Lunch" a try. The plan was to invite any and all Harvest House employees, volunteers, clients, and friends to join with participants in and friends of the Christ Journey community for Taco Tuesdays at Rosa's Mexican Cafe on the last Tuesday of each month.

That's it. Christ Journey does not do this so that clients of the Harvest House will "come to our church," and Harvest House does not do this as a client stipulation for assistance. We're just gathering around the table eating fantastic tacos and sharing life together. And so, we're growing in relationship with Sheila and her mother. We're getting to know Alice as a friend and not just the Executive Director of Harvest House. We've shared a meal with Ginger, and a couple other families. Who would've thought that service, justice, and friendship could happen through a plate of tacos, beans, and rice?

Thanks, Charles, for modeling such a gathering for us. Thanks, Christ Journey, for seeking to be known as a community of people living the with-God life throughout Burleson and the surrounding cities. Thanks, Harvest House, for shining the lights of hope, justice, and provision into the dark, hidden, and neglected lives of our town.

The mission of God is coming alive in the suburbs.

Sing the Song

What if it’s a song...a song that’s was written by someone else, but a song that we are privileged and invited to play? What if it’s a song...a song with different instruments, harmonies, and tempos? What if it’s a song with guitars, keyboards, and drums...with trumpets, flutes, and violins...with harps, oboes, and synthesizers? What if it’s a song...a song with choral vocals, lofty sopranos, and resounding bass? What if it’s a song...a song sung in English, Spanish, French, German, African dialects, Chinese, and Russian...a song played at all times in all corners of the world? What if it’s a song...the most beautiful song ever played...the most beautiful song ever sung...the most beautiful song ever heard?

What if we are privileged and invited to play the song...to pick up a cello, to sit down at the piano, to twirl a drumstick, to slap a bongo, to pluck a harp string? What if we are privileged and invited to sing the song...to hum quietly, or inject a range of harmonics, or step up to the microphone intensely inhaling all of the oxygen that we can stuff into every crack and crevice of our lungs and opening our mouth to the size of a basketball to sing the song with all our might? What if, although we did not write the song, the song is a gift to us for us to sing?

Psalm 92:1-4: “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.”

What if it’s a song...a song, that sometimes, we are unable to hear...with melodies we sometimes forget and words that we jumble together in ways we are more comfortable with? What if it’s a song...a song that sometimes ends abruptly or builds to the crescendo only to come crashing in on itself...a cacophony in response to which the eardrums cry out: “Emergency!”, or a song where the bridge comes before the first verse or half the chorus is missing or the introduction is found in the middle? What if in playing, singing, and hearing the beautiful song, we are plunged into doubt, despair, and disappointment?

Luke 24:13-25: “Now on that same day (the first day of the week) two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, (the resurrected) Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’”

Do you understand how Cleopas and his traveling companion (probably his wife) felt? Their fervor zapped, and their hopes dashed, they are walking home distraught, dejected, and duped. They were promised an opportunity to play the song, and when it came time to receive their brand new his and her matching Fender Stratocasters, instead, they were given a couple of used, dented ukeleles both of which are without strings.

Verse 21 reveals the pit of their angst: “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides this, it is now the third day since these things took place.” We thought he was the one to lead us in triumphant defeat of our oppressors, but he was just another false messiah who was put to death. Plus, even though he said he would raise from the grave on the third day, it’s the third day, and we don’t see anything. Sometimes, it’s hard to hear the song, because it doesn’t sound like the other songs we are familiar with.

Luke 24:25-35: “Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread."

As he walked and talked with them, he reminded them of the song. As he walked and talked with them, he reframed the song for them. As he walked and talked with them, he recast the song as the beautiful, harmonious, participatory music it was always intended to be. “Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer...?” You see, the Messiah’s way of conquering those who would write, sing, and play alternative songs was suffering and death...not inflicting suffer and death upon others through domination, manipulation, and forceful power, but through taking all suffering and death upon himself. And now, as a resurrected Messiah, on the “Lord’s Day,” the first day of the week, the first Easter Sunday, he has been resurrected to new life and is now beginning the process of new creation.

In John 20:15, the resurrected Jesus is mistaken as a gardener, and in John 20:22, the resurrected Jesus is breathing the Holy Spirit upon his disciples. Is that an accident? Is that just a literary happenstance? Jesus exhaling the Holy Spirit should remind us of God, the gardener of Genesis 2, breathing the breath of life into the nostrils of the man he had formed from the dust of the ground. So, what is John saying? “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

That is the resurrection song we are invited to sing...a song of good news to the poor...a song of release to the captives...a song of sight for the blind...a song of freedom for the oppressed...a song of right relationship with God and each other.

So now, we come to our time to respond...to respond to the song. What does it sound like for us to play? If you are a teacher, how can you play the song? If you are a manager, how can you play the song? If you are a stay-at-home mother, how can you play the song? If you are an insurance agent, how can you play the song? If you are a coach, how can you play the song? If you load hazardous materials onto trucks, how can you play the song? If you install sound systems, how can you play the song? If workers at your company are considering a strike, how can you play the song? If you and your boss do not see eye to eye on a particular issue, how can you play the song? If you are in school, how can you play the song?

In the book, The Challenge of Jesus, author NT Wright provides more helpful questions, “If you work in information technology, how is your discipline slanted? Is it slanted toward the will to power or the will to love? Does it exhibit the signs of technology for technology’s sake, of information as a means of the oppression of those who do not have access to it by those who do? Is it developing in the service of true relationships, true stewardship, and even true worship, or is it feeding and encouraging a society in which everybody creates their own private, narcissistic, enclosed world?...If you are to shape your world (or as we have been saying this morning: “play this song”) in following Christ, it is not enough to say that being [the Church] is about high moral standards, using every opportunity to talk to people about Jesus, praying for or with your coworkers, and being fair and honest in your speaking. All that is vital and necessary, but you are called to something much, much more. You are called, prayerfully, to discern where your [occupation, neighborhood, participation in the PTA, little league coaching, community action] is showing signs...that declare that the powers have been defeated, that the kingdom has come in Jesus the Jewish Messiah, that the new way of being human has been unveiled, and to be prepared to tell the story [or in our case sing the song] that explains what [all this is about.]"

In other words, as the Church, we are singing, playing, rehearsing, and performing the Spirit-filled song of Christ, a song of hope, justice, compassion, humility, suffering, joy, faith, peace, community, and love to God’s world, and that happens when you are a voice for a neglected or undervalued coworker...that happens when you share food and conversation with those who live next door to you...that happens when you refuse to sleep in on a Saturday morning to help Harvest House serve the poor of our city...that happens when become the neighborhood hangout...not just for the “church kids,” but truly for your neighborhood...that happens when you share a shoulder welcoming tears of despair...that happens when our lives lift up the Son of Man that he might draw all people to himself.

It’s the most beautiful song ever played. Do you hear it?

A Day in the Life of a Church Planter

It's always a fun conversation when someone asks me: "What do you do for a living?" Usually, I will answer the question with "pastor," "church starter," "church planter," or "church worker." However, recently, I wonder if "gardener" might be a more appropriate descriptor. In this post, Professor and Author, David Fitch, paints a picture of today's church planters with the following words: "They will be communal shepherds [who] are most often shepherds of an entire ethos of a community. They are not starting or managing an organization. Instead they are cultivating a communal sense of mission identity among a gathering people 'for this time and place.'" I find that to be a pretty good scratch at the surface of "what I do."

Last Saturday, my wife and I had the opportunity to share the day with new friends from this church. As we talked together dreaming about connections with unbelievers, starting house churches, and spiritual formation in the context of community, inevitably, the question was asked: "So, what does a typical day look like for you?" My friend from Denton graciously stepped in to answer; however, tonight, I would like to invite you into "A Day in the Life of a Church Planter."

After an 11 and a half hour day yesterday, I took my time getting started today. Although I took a slight verbal lashing later, my wife sacrificially got our kids going, took our daughter to school, took our son to Grandmom's, and worked all morning herself. For those of you praying for her during this pregnancy: "Thank you!" Today was a rough day, and now that the first trimester has come and gone, she is actually feeling worse...at least right now. However, she's amazing, and keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

Recently, Bret, myself, and a mutual friend have committed to crafting and living out a "Rule of Life." The three of us were in a "Christian Spiritual Formation" class in January 2008, and as we have entered into a formation group together, we are seeking to live out revised versions of our "rules." Part of my "rule" involves an ancient spiritual practice known as "praying the hours." For me, "praying the hours" consists of stopping (to the best of my ability and memory) and putting aside whatever I am involved in for prayer at 9am, noon, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm. I have been greatly blessed by this practice, because I am walking with God throughout the day and able to reflect on what has already happened and what is yet to happen each day. Usually, in the morning, I will pray along with the "morning prayers" podcast of Divine Office, but today, I fired up "Navigating the Suburban Wilderness - Week #3" through my car stereo via my iPod to guide my time of prayer. May I see myself and others through the eyes of Jesus, and not through possessions, labels, and a craving for results.

For both Bret and I, "personal care" (daily exercise, healthy eating habits, proper sleep rhythms, etc.) is a high priority. As a result, since he moved here in October, we have played racquetball 3-5 times a week. Today was no different. I met him at HFC, and four games later, we were both exhausted.

From there, it was back to an empty house for some computer work: email correspondence, website development, Facebook networking, work-related blog reading, and perhaps some non-work related blog reading, too.

After that, I began thinking again on our theme for this coming Sunday. We are approaching week #4 of an 8 week series entitled: "Navigating the Suburban Wilderness." The purpose of the series is to compare the dominant aspects of suburban culture in the southwest corner of the DFW Metroplex with the way of Jesus. Yikes! God has been mightily at work in our community through the first 3 weeks. I can think of 4 broken relationships (some for more than a year) that were restored last week alone, because one or both parties in the relationship approached the other for forgiveness and reconciliation. God is truly forming us into a community of confession, forgiveness, and restoration, and he is going with us to extend such a life to our area.

For a teaser revealing some of what we'll be tackling this Sunday, click here. I am responsible for two times of story-telling, so I began to imagine what the context of each segment would consist of. In addition, Bret and I spent some time talking through email and on the phone fleshing out the theme, and crafting a flow for the sermon. We have been team preaching the entire series, and the collaboration has been a formative experience and a lot of fun.

While talking to Bret, I hopped in the car and took off for lunch at Dairy Queen with my wife, mother-in-law, and son. I chomped down a hunger-buster, medium french fries, and two 32oz Cherry Cokes. Didn't I say something about "personal care" earlier?

I spoke to a friend on the phone for 15-20 minutes. He is in the midst of some major life changes, and I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for him and humbly approaching God on his behalf.

45 minutes later, I went to visit some friends who came to our Sunday AM worship gathering for the first time last week. They had to leave early, so I thought I would swing by their house for a while. As I mentioned in the beginning, a majority of my role involves "seeding missional communities;" and therefore, I spend Wednesday afternoons and most of the day each Thursday "out of the office." Turns out, my friend answered the door, and we shared a little over an hour talking about her life. Currently, she is wondering about her identity and worth, mouring a recent job loss, making major sacrifices for her family, and uncertain as to whether or not church should be described as a community of healing and hope or a community of harm and disappointment. I pray that through the transformational power of God, Christ Journey can help her rediscover a little bit of the former. At the conclusion of the conversation, I prayed for her and left.

Next, I talked to my Mom on the phone for 30 minutes, and hoped to visit with a friend I have not seen in several months; however, no one came to the door after I knocked. Shortly after returning to the car, the boss called to ask me to pick up our daugher from school. "No problem," I said. "I should probably take her out visiting with me anyway." I found a great spot near the front of the "pick up" line. My daugher jumped in, and unbeknownst to her, we headed to MCDs for a hot fudge sundae.

After dropping $1.08 for the sundae, my daugher and I met Bret and his son at the Shenandoah Townhomes in southwest Burleson. We have been praying and cultivating relationships in the Shenandoah community since June 2008 eagerly looking forward to a launch of a house church in the neighborhood someday. That day is coming...really soon!

We met up with a friend of ours who lives in the community. Our kids played together, and we talked about life, faith, the Kingdom, scheduling, cleaning, serving, meeting our neighbors, work, sleep, and our shared vision for a house church in the Shenandoah neighborhood. Praise the Lord for new friends willing to live risky lives for the Kingdom of God. Thank you for praying for this new house church.

We said "goodbye" to our friend at Shenandoah, Bret, and his son, and my daughter and I returned home to find a "not feeling too good" Mom and a sleeping son. In 15 minutes, the four of us were in the Camry on our way to City Market for diapers and dog food. The dog food was for us, but the diapers (and wipes) were for a baby shower we were going to. Over the last few months, Bret has been officing (for the most part) at the local Denny's restaurant, and as a result, he has developed some good relationships with the wait staff. As a "regular," he has been able to strike up extended and meaningful conversations when the restaurant is not busy. One of the waitresses is expecting her first baby at the end of January, so Bret invited himself and us to her baby shower that was held at Denny's this evening. Kingdom living is exciting to say the least!

We arrived with our diapers and wipes, and were able to meet most of our friends' entire family. We talked, played the "don't say baby" game, and watched our kids color and play with balloons. We are thankful to be messengers of the Lord cultivating relationships in our community in his name.

My wife already did not feel good, and the smell of cigarette smoke in the restaurant was not helping. I think restaurants without a fully enclosed "smoking section" or a fully enclosed "non-smoking section" might as well consider the entire restaurant a "smoking section." On the other hand, I do love me some Grand Slams!

Anyway, we left the shower early, and went back to the house. My wife took a rest, and I got to cooking a lil dinner. In reality, this means that I heated up some leftover brisket, and popped two corn dogs in the microwave for the kids. The three of us ate together, and then, I got "little man" ready for bed. He brushed his teeth, laid down with his Mommy for a while, said his (and our) prayers, and then, amazingly went off to sleep with ease.

By this time, my daugher was ready for bed, and the two of us sat down for some devotional Bible reading and conversation. You know, if LST is using the Bible to teach non-English speakers to read, then why am I not using the Bible to teach (and grow) my 8-year old in reading? Anyway, we talked about what the Bible is, where it came from, what kind of literature we find in it, what "Old Testament" and "New Testament" means, where books, chapters, and verse numbers came from...you know, anything that an 8-year old might need to know in order to be a world renown biblical scholar! My favorite question from her came when I was telling her that there was a time when people did not have the Bible as we have it today. Immediately, she asked, "If they didn't have the Bible, how did they learn about God?" She really does not understand how profound a question she asked, and how many of us today would have no answer.

For the rest of our time together, we dove into Mark 1.1-3. We talked about the title "Christ," Jesus as the Son of God, and the "Good News" Jesus is to us. We even ended up in a bit of a trinitarian conversation as she asked how Jesus could be God's Son and yet be God. We had a meaningful prayer to close as we asked God to reveal the Good News of Jesus to us as we journey through Mark, and that we would also be sharers and livers of such Good News. She's excited to talk about Isaiah and John the Baptizer next time. I gave her a drink of water, and kissed her goodnight.

Now, I'm sitting on the love seat in my "Mary Tyler Moore" living room reflecting on a full and wonderful day in the "already, but not yet" Kingdom of God. Having the sacred opportunity to join God in confessionally, humbly, sacrificially, eagerly, and patiently tilling soil of the lives of others is the greatest job in the world. In fact, most of the time that I think I am working for and with others, God is actually tilling the soil in my life, too. There you have it: "A Day in the Life of a Church Planter."

Tomorrow looks like racquetball at 7am, formation group at 9am, preparation for a presentation I am making at a church in Coppell on Friday at 10:30am, time in the community all afternoon, and coffee with a friend at 9pm.

For now, I'm headed to the ps2 to fire up some NCAA Football 2008. I'm 3-1 with Florida State. I lost to Iowa, but beat Oklahoma by six touchdowns. Go figure.