New Blog!

The new site/blog is up and running at: http://jonhuckins.net. Please help me pass the word!

I will no longer be adding content to this blog, but will continue to offer family/ministry updates at: http://thehuckins.blogspot.com

Cheers!

Off With the Old and In With the New

Boy oh boy...so this writing vacation extended a bit more than a month:) But there is a reason! A few things have happened in the past couple months (which we have posted @ http://thehuckins.blogspot.com/):

• We had our baby Ruby!
• Moved into our new place in Golden Hill
• Started class back at Fuller Seminary
• Taught at the National Youth Workers Convention
• Diving deep into our new role within NieuCommunities
• Had lots of time with family after Ruby's arrival

And...thanks to the good folks at Creative Fuel Studio's have been working on launching a new blog/website. The crew @ Creative Fuel did amazing work and I am stoked to launch this baby in the next week or so. Check out their website as they are top notch in the areas of social media, branding, web-design and marketing (and much more).

Keep an eye peeled for the new site!

Writing Vacation

I love to write. I find it a great medium for introspection and processing. Further, I believe it is helpful for me to do some of that writing in community (i.e. blogging, etc...) as it often stimulates a dialog that draws attention to mutual experiences/insights.

With that said, writing isn't beneficial to me when I write out of obligation or if it keeps me from putting my full attention towards something more important. As you probably know, Janny and I are in the middle of a move, raising funds as missionaries, nearing the end of a long pregnancy, I am continuing my Master's work, REALLY close to publishing a book that has taken ALOT of attention, meeting/getting to know our new co-workers/community and prepping for a few speaking engagements. All great stuff and I am loving it, but it doesn't leave much time for thoughtful writing!

Because my life is currently so far from a vacation, over the next month I will take a writing vacation. I will probably not post on my personal blog, youth specialties blog or write any articles for the monthly youth specialties publication. I'm looking forward getting back into a rhythm of life that will allow me to write a bit more, but for now, please follow along with the latest in our growing family's life on our website/blog: North of the Border

We really want/need you walking along with us in this new endeavor!!

Some REALLY BIG News for Jon, Jan, Harry and Baby H

After a year of conversations and mutual "interviewing," Janny and I have made the life changing decision to go on staff (as Pastors/Missionaries) with NieuCommunities, a collective within Church Resource Ministries. NieuCommunities mission: 1. develop Church leaders by offering an intensive 1-year apprenticeship (accredited by many Seminaries...including mine!) and 2. community development (what they would call "Mission") by embodying Jesus in the often forgotten parts of society (half way homes, refugee popluation, homeless, etc...) After 6 years in youth ministry and 2 years teaching public school, we are extremely hopeful and enlivened by this new page in our story. We hope to be apart of this organization and group of people for a long time as we are inspired by their heart to live out the Church, serve the community and invite all towards God's Kingdom.

While NieuCommunities has faith communities around the world, there is currently only one in the United States. It is centered in the neighborhood of Golden Hill, between the city of San Diego and the Mexican border. After 20+ years on the Central Coast, we will be packing our bags and moving our family (our baby girl is due September 17th!) from Santa Cruz on August 15th. There is lots to share, but I will expand on that as things more forward.

For now, we are working hard at inviting others into participation in our story and its role within God's mission. Please check out our new blog/website that explains much more: North of the Border

We are extremely thankful for all that have chosen to support and advance our story over the years and are greatly looking forward to each relationship continuing and growing.

Luche Libre and Nose Hair

Here is a silly piece I wrote for Youth Specialties as I reflect on my good old days as an intern for Chip Johnson and the experiences I was able to share with the interns that were on staff with us at Harbor Chapel. Honoring Interns

Israel Diaries # 7: Samaria and West Bank

Just because we are back in Santa Cruz doesn't mean we have stopped processing our time in Israel and Palestine. In fact, our time shattered and expanded our worldview is such a way that will force us to continue processing and wrestling through the experiences and stories for along time to come. Our time in Israel concluded with two especially insightful experiences in Samaria and in the West Bank cities of Bethany and Bethlehem.

Samaria has been off limits for most tourist in recent years due to extended unrest. Much of the unrest stems from a region that is isolated politically, religiously and socially from Israel and much of the surrounding region. The Samaritans history of being the "black sheep" goes back all the way to the 8th century B.C. when Assyria captured Israel's Northern Kingdom and intermarried with some of the existing Samaritan population. Israel then viewed Samaritans as "half breeds," which makes Jesus special attention towards them that much more revolutionary. After standing on Mt. Gerizim (where Samaritans believe God tested Abraham) we were welcomed with a huge smile by one of their current priests. He proceeded to share with us the story of the Samaritans and their role within the Biblical Story. It was fascinating as he spoke with conviction and respect of the varying religious beliefs represented. There are currently around 750 practicing Samaritans worldwide, which is a huge increase after numerous violent attempts to drive them to extinction. While they only hold the Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) as authoritative, he assured us that they are on Facebook...brilliant!

Finally, Jan and I(and a few of our friends from Jerusalem Univ.) were invited to spend the day with our friends Milad and Minar in their home towns of Bethany and Bethlehem in the West Bank. They are Arab Palestinian Christians who have chosen to offer the hope of Jesus to their community under the weight of political, social and religious oppression. With the course being focused on the historical and geographical settings of the Bible, I came in expecting to be awed by sites that were/are central to the Biblical Story that I have studied for so long. While there were certainly times when that was the case, the times I was most in awe was in seeing the Biblical Story alive in the people today...It was in the hearts and lives of Milad and Minar that we most clearly experienced the Kingdom of God on earth. Whether in singing with 80+ Palestinian kids in the couple's non-profit(focused on Peace and Reconciliation in Palestine), eating a huge home cooked meal at their parents home in Bethlehem, using their last portion of clean water after 12 days of Israeli withheld rations or watching Milad harassed at "the Wall" (which is twice as tall and exponentially longer than the Berlin Wall) while we waltzed on by, it was an experience that cut to the very fabric of our souls. It was living in the tension of hope and internal(at times external) tears that we stepped into a story that we can't help but tell over and over and over. It is a story I will explore(and be sure to share) more thoroughly in an article that will be published next month on youthspecialties.com.

For now, we are so grateful to all of our new friends who remain in the Middle East and chose to adopted a posture of invitation so that we may be made more whole in our quest to be fully enlivened by the living Mission of God that stretches to all corners of Creation.

Shalom Haverim (companions)

Youth Ministry in Israel and Palestine

Here is a link to a blog I wrote today for Youth Specialties:

Snapshot of Youth Ministry in Israel and Palestine

Israel Diaries # 6: Galilee

Shalom from the Land Between!

Well, we have fallen hopelessly behind in our blogging, which would have been impossible to keep up at the pace of this course. The class has come to an end (seemed to go SO fast!), but we are able to stick around for a few days and take a few deep breaths before flying home and starting a whole new phase of our lives(more info on that upcoming). There are many conversations, experiences (been to and studied 50+ ancient/modern sites around the country) and cultural insights to share, but for now here are some snapshots from our trip to Galilee...the central location of Jesus' life and teaching.


View from the front porch of our Kibbutz on the east shore of Galilee overlooking Tiberias (capital of Herod Atipas during Jesus adult life). A kibbutz is basically a communal farm. Many now have opened lodging areas for tourist/locals to vacation as a way to stimulate income. It was BY FAR our favorite place we stayed in Israel.



In Caesarea Maritima("by the sea") where Herod Agrippa died and where Paul was imprisoned. It is actually a beautiful resort area where we got to have Janny's favorite Lemonana drink!


We drove to the very north part of Israel and were able to look into Lebanon and Syria. Israel is still technically "at war" with both. The green is Israel, the brown in distance is Lebanon.


Standing in front of the pagan altars in Caesarea Philippi. This was one of the theological highlights for me as I have studied the cultural/physical location a lot in the past. This is where Peter affirms Jesus as Messiah(Matt 16). Much affirmed what I had studied. The gods Pan and Nemesis were worshiped through the offering of sacrifices at this site. Nemesis is the god of the underworld and this site in the 1st century context would have been known as the gates of Hades (see Jesus' reference in Matt. 16).


On the Mount of the Beatitudes in north Galilee where Jesus gave Sermon on the Mount. It was especially powerful as I was able to give the class devotional, while standing this hill overlooking the lake.


Janny taking a rest on the streets of Capernaum. Seeing Peter's home, which would have served as one of the first home churches and picturing Jesus walking the streets(it is thought that he lived his adult life here) was incredible.


We got to take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee!

There is MUCH more to share, but that will have to wait for Israel Diaries # 7!

Israel Diaries # 5: Rooftop Conversations, Mineral Mud and Galilee

Thanks for all that are following along with Janny and I on facebook and here on my blog. It has been great sharing the memories and experiences.

This has arguably been one of the most intense classes I have ever taken in any context. I just finished my second exam (only one more to go!) this afternoon after putting in around 50 hours of lecture/study/field study in the past 6 days. Janny (and the baby!) and I were able to rest yesterday back at our hotel in Jerusalem and tomorrow we shove off for a 4 day trip to Galilee. We are REALLY looking forward to this leg of the trip. We will visit 17 different significant locations, which are highlighted by Caesarea, Nazareth, Bethsaida, Sea of Galilee (apparently we will be staying right on the water) Capernaum and Sepphoris. Will be taking plenty of notes/pics to share.

Our time in the Negev was amazing. We stayed in youth hostel in Arad, about 20 minutes from the Dead Sea. Walking up the Roman Ramp to Masada was a stunning scene. Jewish Zealots held Masada until 73AD (3 years after Jerusalem had fallen) and the Romans built the ramp for 3 years in an effort to take the city.


Floating and "exfoliating" in the Dead Sea was Janny's highlight of the whole trip to date. All the girls in the group followed her around like a mother hen as she covered herself (and yes, I might have followed suite:)) in the mineral rich Dead Sea mud and floated at the lowest place on earth.


Walking through the community and caves of Qumran could have been my highlight of the trip so far. Having studied the Dead Sea Scrolls and their significance, it was surreal to be sifting through the same caves that held these scrolls for almost 2000 years. Gosh, I could talk/share about these for hours, but I'll stop there...


As I have mentioned a couple times, we are doing our best to develop our understanding of the tension that exists between Palestine and Israel. Standing on the roof of our hotel around 11pm, I had one of the most insightful and painful conversations of my life. One of our Palestinian friends who works at our hotel, also has a child on the way and lives with his wife on the other side of the Mt. of Olives in the West Bank. Not long ago it would only take him 10 minutes to get to work in Jerusalem, now (after multiple security check points) it takes him 45. His wife is only allowed outside of "the walls" twice a year for Christmas and Easter. In the afternoons, he works with local teenagers promoting reconciliation and peacemaking. Often speaking with tears streaming down his cheeks as we looked over Jerusalem, he shared his story(some are paraphrased):
"I don't want to change your mind, I am only one man. I just want you to hear our story."
"I am a Christian, I love Jesus, but I am treated like a terrorist."
"I try not to be angry when I see Americans praying for their meal, while you forget the oppression of those of us right here. Thankfully I have the love of Jesus in my heart."
"You can't oppress a whole nation over the terrorist acts of a few."
"The Berlin Wall was 3 meters high, this wall is 8 meters. Our oppression only builds hatred and terror."
"I will never leave, but I don't see how there will ever be peace."
"Don't feel sorry for me. With my wife and child, I am very happy."

Israel Diaries # 4: Southern Israel Near Beersheba

We are on a 3 day field trip to Southern Israel where we are going to a bunch of biblical sites that include the Elah Valley(where David and Goliath met), Beersheba, the Dead Sea, the Zin Winderness (where YHWH provided manna and quail to the Israelites) and much more...it is supper hot, but amazing. Only have a few minutes of internet, so here are a couple pics:



Janny wandering the Philistine hill/city of Azekah that overlooks the Elah Valley



Jon inside the caves at Maresha. Members of the early church would get thrown to the lions and get put in these caves to live for the rest of their days.

Israel Diaries # 3: Few Pics and Off to the Dead Sea

Well, we have finally cracked the code to our camera and have downloaded our pics from our recent adventures. We had the last day and a half off of school, which gave us much needed time to rest and catch up on other responsibilities (for some reason the responsibilities of home didn't leave us when we flew away!). Class continues to be very intense as we are studying everything from soil types, to topography to architecture to dates/locations of events. With all that said, it is fascinating and we feel as though we are getting a comprehensive understanding. The experience is already creating so much fresh insight into the Story of Scripture that we have study for so long.

We continue to approach our time in a spirit of sensitivity towards towards the Israel/Palenstine tension. Primarily, we are seeking to hear the stories of the individuals behind what we hear in our fear driven media of the West. We are gaining lots of great insight and are looking forward to sharing a meal with a Christian couple from Palestine this coming weekend.

Tomorrow morning we head out for a 3 day field study to the Dead Sea region where we will staying in a nearby town and visiting a half of a dozen other significant sites.

Let's see if I can add a few pics:



Coming out of a 30 minute underground journey through Hezekiah's Tunnel that was built 2700 years ago.



Our professor Dr. Mullins at the Pool Siloam where Jesus healed the blind man with mud. Dr. Mullins got his PHD from Hebrew University and lived in Jerusalem for 20 years. He's brilliant.



Western Wailing Wall



Janny riding like Mary on the route that Jesus road into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday



Jon with Ahmed and Esau who own a shoe store in the West Bank. They were some of the nicest fellas we have met on this trip as they shared their personal orange juice with Janny and I as we tried on shoes. Their story was incredible.

I would post more from the Temple Mount, Bethlehem, etc...but this internet connection is way to slow. Shalom from Jerusalem!

Israel Diaries # 2: Busted Cameras and Holy Pilgrimmage

Our folks hooked us up with a sweet camera as a combined bday present for Janny and I this year. With our travels and the baby on the way, we figured it was time to replace the duck tape ridden version we have been using. Unfortunately, we have either not figured out how to properly use the new one OR there is something wrong with it. We have a ton of sweet pics, but are unable to get them onto our computer. I was hoping to mainly post pics and only say a few words...not happening. Hopefully we can find a "techy" in our class tomorrow.

As I last mentioned, the class is really involved, but it is allowing us to explore the country academically and physically. Our professor has his PHD from the local Hebrew University and is an American citizen who lived her for 20 years. He is brilliant and has some great perspective. Is also quite devotional at times. We have really connected with our classmates (who range from 19 to 60 years old) as we go out to local restaurants and cafe's most every night to watch the World Cup. It is HUGE over here.

Today we visited Bethlehem, Herodian, Garden(Orchard) of Gethsemane and the Mt. of Olives. Over the past few days we have stayed in Jerusalem and done extensive study and exploration of the Old City of Jerusalem (Hezekiah's Tunnel, Temple Mount, the Upper Room, Calvary, Jesus' Tomb, David's Palace, etc...) Stunning stuff.

Our professor said something profound that struck both of us in a similar way. He spoke of the Western minds' desire for accuracy, data and information in visiting these sites (questions like: how sure can we be that this is REALLY the place that...happened?) He went on to say that the religious of the Middle East (specifically Israel) don't seek data, but instead they worship and remember. As we travel these grounds and ask the hard questions based on thorough scholarship, it is shocking how many places can't be confirmed as 100% accurate locations of the original event/structure. The point isn't accuracy, the point is worship. Such is the posture we hope to adopt moving forward.

Hopefully we get the camera fixed!

10 Books in 10 Weeks

Our Israel class is in full swing and I have quickly been made aware why I am getting 6 units of grad credit for this 3 week class! 10 hour days with about 4 hours of lecture and 5+ hours of field study. Super tuckered out, but super fun experience. It has been so fun to share with Janny as well. For some reason, we are having issues with our camera, so I am taking a pause in our Israel Diaries and giving a top 10 list that is really only a top 3 list. This last quarter, I read the following books for my seminary classes. Some were great, some were OK. After the top 3, they are in no particular order:

1. Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire by Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat
Offers some of the best commentary on the idols of rationality and pluralism within Modernity and Postmodernity. Also, their words on Christians embodying a social alternative to Empire through succession, community, liberation and suffering brought me to tears.
2. The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder
Yoder offers a careful exegesis of the teachings of Jesus and argues (although in an extremely humble posture) that Jesus offers a relevant ethic that is to be embodied today. As a pacifist who wrote this in the early 70's, his words are all the more powerful and challenging.
3. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
What's for dinner? That question is constantly asked before sitting at the dinner table. What's in dinner and where did it come from? Those are questions that rarely get asked, but whose answers must be examined. I read this for a paper I wrote on Food Justice and it called into questions the justice that is/isn't found in our industrial food complex.

Rounding out the final 7 I have (in no particular order):

4. Kingdom Ethics by Glen Stassen and David Gushee
5. God's Politics by Jim Wallis
6. Missional Renaissance by Reggie Mcneal
7. Personal Faith, Public Policy by Harry Jackson and Tony Perkins
8. The Future of Faith in American Politics by David Gushee
9. The Culturally Savvy Christian by Dick Staub
10. The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch

Bonus Read
Artist, Citizens, Philosophers: Seeking the Peace of the City (still in progress)

Israel Diaries # 1: World Cup and Maccabee Lager

Picture of Old City Jerusalem from the window of our hotel



Well, this is the stuff that makes Janny and I come to life. This is our 3rd day in Jerusalem after about 24 hours of travel and a 10 hour time change. Our favorite part of traveling is learning and embracing new culture(at least new to us!). Travel forces us into a posture of humility and intrigue as we have to feel our way through the new setting by trail and error. This has definitely been true of our first few days in Israel.

The main reason we are here is to study at Jerusalem University College for a 3.5 week graduate course. I have FINALLY finished about 30 hours of pre-work and so we were able to rest and get a taste of the city for these first few days. We check into the school today.

The hotel we have been staying in (we are now moving to campus housing) is a 0 star and is packed with other low budget travelers from across the globe. We have already traveled with, exchanged email addresses and watched the World Cup with people from England, Holland, Costa Rica, Switzerland and a bunch of locals. Although the facilities are modest (to say the least!), we have an incredible view of the Old City and the Mt. of Olives...and it came with free breakfast! Nothing like hummus and tomatoes @ 7am. It is located in the Arabic part of town and the guys that run the place are super friendly and accommodating. We were told not to stay in this part of town, but we have really enjoyed getting into the rhythms of this culture. Most are Muslim and we can hear the prayers 3 or 4 times a day that are amplified through the streets. They exhibit so much devotion, it is quite admirable.

There is an upper lounge at the top of our hotel where we can watch the World Cup games. Super fun. I offered to get some Hebrew Lager for myself and our English friend David and quickly realized that Muslim's don't drink alcohol, so we had to leave the area. We ended up finding some Hebrew beer call Maccabee Lager(LOVE the history! If you're not familiar with the Maccabee's influence in the Jewish story, click here) and enjoyed the USA vs England match. Janny had this guy on his heals with her strategic smack talk. We just liked to hear him fire back comments in his English accent.

We have been able to walk the Old City streets and are excited to be moving to our new hotel which is actually inside the city walls. Our favorite meal has quickly become falafel and Turkish(or Arabic) coffee. We will share more about the city and some of the sites next time.

Any tips or insight, please feel free to throw it in the comments. We should have internet pretty consistently.

Cheers and Shalom from Israel!

Off To The Homeland

So these past few weeks have been absolutely nutso in the world of Jon, Jan and Harry. Well, not so much for Harry.

Janny has been busting her tail to finish up her school year with the 4th graders she has been teaching, moving us out of our little house up in Mt. Hermon and working some weekends as an esthetician. She had her last day with the 4th graders yesterday and she was honored in front of the whole school for her work and influence she has had on the kids. I am SUPER proud of her and that school really lucked out on a quality teacher!

I have been in a mad scramble to finish finals, fill up and empty out UHAUL trucks, writing for YS(lastest article was published yesterday:)and completed my time teaching adult education. Been crazy, but we can both see the end in site and it has been great stuff.

Now we are turning our sites towards Israel! We leave Wednesday morning and will be studying at Jerusalem University College. It is a 6 credit graduate course that focuses on Geographical Settings of the Bible. Honestly, with the chaos of life we have barely been able to get excited, but now it is sinking in...and it is awesome! We will be living 1 block from the Wailing Wall and will have a day of lectures followed by 1-3 day field trips through the actual locations that were discussed in the lecture. There will be LOTS of pictures and new insights. I will be blogging and posting pictures of our experiences often.

We are not overly concerned, but unless you live in a cave, you have heard of the "flotilla incident" this past week. It has stimulated some unrest and it will be interesting to see how it plays out in our time over there. Please pray that we can model peace and hope as we wander through a region that has been plagued with anything but.

Christian Zionism

Over the past couple years I have given more attention to the social, religions and political realities of present day Israel. Both Israel and Palestine have experienced so much fear, brokenness and anger. I can't imagine living and raising my children in such a hostile climate that so often seems to be on the brink of war. Who is "right" in this conflict and how does my ideology and theological understanding bring fuel or peace to such conflict? As Jan and I prepare to walk the streets and see the site's of ancient and modern Israel, we have to ask these questions and hopefully bring attention to a possible resolution.

Tony Campolo is one of the most inspiring theologians, activists and social commentators of my generation. His spirited and Spirit-led words often bring me to repentance before our Creator. See his thoughts/experiences on this topic:

Christian Zionism: Theology that Legitimates Oppression

Youth Specialities and Israel

The count down is on! Janny and I will be flying to Israel on June 9th and spending over a month studying at Jerusalem University College. We will be staying just off campus in married housing, which is about 1/2 block from the Wailing Wall. It has been incredible seeing this fall into place and we are pinching ourselves at this opportunity to physically walk through the Story. I will share more about this trip soon.

Also, I have found writing to be a great outlet and platform for dialog over the past couple years. I have been working with Youth Specialties over the past year on my book, which has been demanding and tedious at times, but overall a rich experience. Just this past week, I was invited to be a regular blogger on the YS webpage and a contributing author in their monthly articles(basically an online magazine). I am really grateful for this opportunity to share some stories/insight, while connecting and learning from others along the way. It has been fun and challenging to continue to try to work and live into what I am most passionate about as things are often ambiguous and culturally "unorthodox." I don't think Janny and I plan on being "normal" anytime soon:)

Sorrow, Suffering and the Story of God

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to share among our former church family at Harbor Chapel Community Church. Janny and I hadn’t been there for a service since we completed our time on staff there almost a year and half ago. It was super fun to catch up with so many people that we care so deeply about and unbelievable to have so much love showered upon us we exchanged hugs. Honestly, it was quite humbling to be so loved by such a quality group of folks.

Jim York left the topic open to whatever we (Doyle Fikes partnered with me in the teaching by sharing a powerful family story of suffering) felt led. It was clearly going to be the most painful topic in light of the events of this past year, but with Janny’s insightful suggestion, we chose the topic of Sorrow, Suffering and Grief. Having been surrounded by my students’ stories of sorrow/suffering and culminating in the loss of our first child in October, there is no other reality that is more central to our current life story. Being able to share our pain and encourage others to fully embrace theirs was a liberating and somber experience. Suffering is central to the Story of God and if we simply shrug off the sacred time of grieving for some form of cheap/fake “happy thoughts,” then we have forgotten our story as individuals and forgotten the Story of God we are to participate in today.

Friends/family at Harbor Chapel, thanks for not fast forwarding through the suffering, but instead sharing in the pain with us. Your stories were raw, painful and tragic…in is that honesty that we are caused to remember the Story…and in the midst of sobbing, experience hope.

Listen to the talk here: (Doyle Fikes starts the talk and I pick it up @ minute 17)

It Has a Name!

The publishing crew and myself have finally finalized the name for my book: Teaching Through the Art of Storytelling: Creating Fictional Stories that Illuminate the Message of Jesus

Thoughts? Because maybe by “finalized” it means I could still propose to get it changed…or maybe not, only one way to find out.

The release date has been set for July 16th, BUT it seems that the art department (which is the stage it is in right now) has had some staff transitions that could lead to pushing the release back…I know what your thinking, “Thank goodness, I was worried Jon’s book was going to cut into Rick Warren’s sales.” Yes, this book will surely shake the publishing world. Whether it is a 1.2 or a 8.0 quake depends on……..yes, you.

I will be speaking on this topic at the National Youth Workers Convention is San Diego in September: Seminar on Book Topic

Book Review: The Forgotten Ways

Alan Hirsch has been one of the most shaping authors in my exploration and challenge to embody the church. I can remember having my ecclesial (study of the church) bubble burst into pieces when I first read his and Michael Frosts work, The Shaping of Things to Come about 5 years ago. The Forgotten Ways picks up the conversation of viewing and living out the church as a missional representation of a missional God. Through the incarnation, it is clear that God is seeking his people by entering their world, not by simply standing static in waiting for his people to find him.

Throughout the book, Hirsch's primary hope is to communicate tangible ways in which the church of the West can rediscover the amazing power that lies within us as is fueled by the Holy Spirit. The mDNA(missionalDNA)that is embedded in each Christian has the potential to activate our Apostolic Genius that will transform the stactic, institutionalized church models (that began with Constantine when he adopted Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire) into dynamic, missional movements. Looking at the examples of the Early Church and the current Chinese Church, Hirsch makes it clear that the "organic" church, established outside the boundaries of institution, is forced to unleash its Apostolic Genius and leads towards authenticity and multiplication. The missional leader is central to creating an atmosphere that allows other Christians to uncover and live out their mDNA. Hirsch describes the apostolic leader as the "custodian of Apostolic Genius and the gospel itself" as they impart and embed the mDNA in their communities(153). They do this by both pioneering new physical forms of church planting and by integrating sound theological, apostolic doctrine. Understanding that Jesus is Lord, Apostolic Genius is unleashed through disciple making, missional-incarnation impulse, apostolic environment, organic systems and communitas.

While this is a very insightful and somewhat academic look at the missional church as the face of a missional God, I find that the missional church is best articulated through practice/embodiment, not by definition and verbal explanation. In any case, that doesn't take away from the importance of this work as it is a great read and practical tool for the missional leader. It offers plenty of "nuggets" to wrestle through and to implement, whether an institutional church that is working to transition to a more missional model or a leader who is hoping to pioneer a new(or Hirsch would argue "ancient") vision of the Church.

Blog Format...For Now

I've grown to appreciate blogs that carry one or two themes throughout their content. It seems to offer continuity and movement. My blog has had anything but continuity since its conception a couple years ago. The topics/ideas have been more like paint that hits the wall after swinging the brush in a circle. Not a bad way to go I suppose, but FOR NOW I am going to focus on three themes:

1. Book Reviews and Class Reflections (on my Grad School topics of Theology & Ethics)

2. Kingdom Stories: Processing of stories that in some way illumine the Kingdom of God

3. Family Updates: With both Janny and I working in the public school, considering a move out the area for school and/or non-profit employment, our upcoming summer studying in Israel, my book being released in July and the status of our disabled little dog Harry, we have plenty to share.

Upcoming: Book reviews on The Politics of Jesus by John Yoder and The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch

Stories of My Heroes

I love baseball and the San Francisco Giants...I probably give them more attention than I should. Many would consider sports stars their heroes. Based on the amount of time I have given some sports, I could be one of those folks...this of course isn't a great place to offer "hero" status based on the level of consumption, greed and abundance(in MANY areas) this supports and encourages our culture to aspire to.

With all that being said, I believe I have located my true heroes. As I have mentioned, I am currently teaching Adult Education at North County High School. My students are the ones that fell through the cracks of our educational system and have now built up the courage to try finish what they started...some of my students started their High School education almost 20 years ago. Some were just slackers through HS, but most either have been in prison, had some form of learning disability or were forced to work in the fields to help their parents make rent. A couple of their stories in the past few weeks that have broken and inspired me:

The young man who acknowledged his addiction to REALLY hard drugs and spent the last few weeks in rehab. He is now back in class, but lacking any motivation and sleeps constantly. I talked to his sobbing mom yesterday as he admitted a relapse...

The young woman whose attendance was terrible because she had to work in the fields with her father everyday. 3 months ago she found out her dad had cancer and he died a month later...she promised him she would graduate, so she is now highly motivated and only works in the fields when we don't have class

The young man who has a learning disability and parents recently died. He has somehow mustered the courage to stay in school and I just got to sign his diploma! He was just accepted into a education/work program in Utah.

The three young woman who have recently gotten pregnant and chosen to carry their babies to term and continue to work with me on finishing their HS diploma program.

I could keep on going...these are my heroes and I get to share in their story everyday.

A Few Pics From Vancouver

Olympic Fever



Scrambling to get in pic before the timer goes off and before it falls from the post it was teetering on



Our friends from Nieucommunities gave us an anniversary gift and sent us off on a ferry to Bowen Island for the day




Store front on "The Drive" near the Nieucommunities location

Enthronement of Jesus

My New Testament Professor and friend Daniel Kirk had an article published in Christianity Today on the topic of Resurrection. Good stuff: A Resurrection That Matters

Dr. Kirk has also taken the time to sift through some the theological/historical aspects of my book that is taking shape. Very grateful for his insights and partnership in participating in the Kingdom.

Family Update: From the Beach to the Redwoods

Well, well, well...Landing back in the U.S. last night from a trip up to Vancouver symbolized the temporary landing of Janny and I in a few ways. Here is a bullet point version of the past month or so:
- Still working through the miscarriage of our first child (named Haven) and trying to muster up the courage, amid lots of fear and anxiety, to start again.
- Decided to study in Israel this summer @ Jerusalem University College! Fits perfectly into my Master's program @ Fuller and Janny will audit the class right along side. We are in the application/detail portion of the process, but things look good.
- In an effort to live more simply and free ourselves up to study in Israel and possibly go on board with a non-profit, we have moved from our little cottage by the beach in Santa Cruz, up to a little studio in the redwoods of Mt. Hermon.
- I continue to teach Adult Education @ North County H.S. and am coaching the H.S. golf team. I will be speaking at Harbor Chapel(our former church community) in May, Mount Hermon this summer and at the National Youth Workers Convention this fall. My book is taking form (art,editing,proofreading, etc...) and is projected to be released on July 16th. Also, I finished another quarter of studies @ Fuller this past Friday. Officially completed my Hebrew language requirements! Shalom.
- Between two spa's, lots of subbing and our recent move, Janny has been working her little tail off. She subbed for a 4th grade class a couple weeks ago and the school fell in love with her. They offered her a full time position (at least through the end of this school year) teaching 4th grade. She has a love/wanna pull out her hair kind-of relationship with the kids as they have enough energy to fuel a large city. No clue how she does it, but she is super motivated and cares for them alot.
- We have continued to be in dialog with a non-profit called Nieucommunities about the possibility of partnering with them. Janny and I got to spend this past weekend with the community at their site in Vancouver, Canada. Great people, with a hopeful vision for mission, church and mentorship in the way of Jesus.

Old Memories and New Hope

It is weird how something as material as an old pick-up truck can stir up so many memories and nostalgia. A few weeks ago, Janny and I sold my '96 Chevy S10. I owned it for almost 10 years! Janny and I have our 5th wedding anniversary coming up on March 19th and it has been 10 years since we started dating. In other words, this crazy old, broken down most of the time truck is filled with memories. Road trips all over the state, tear filled airport drop offs when Janny lived over sees for a semester, camping trips when we didn't have a tent so we slept in the back...on and on and on. Cheers to the old beast!

Also, last night my buddy Allen went with me to hang out with our friends at the homeless shelter. Before we started serving the meal I saw Lyle and was able to catch up with him for a bit. I asked if there was anything new going on and between bites he looked up at me and said, "I got a job!" It was so fun to see his excitement. He said that it was not only helping him financially, but it was helping him mentally and emotionally. His eyes were filled with hope. Cheers to Lyle and some new hope!

Kingdom Inhabitants: Part 3

I wasn't sure if Lyle remembered my name or even our conversations. After turning down my lunch offer by not showing up at the taqueria a few weeks earlier, I had assumed to have only been a blip on his radar. Of course, why would I have been anything else? I was just another privileged white guy who drove a functioning car, slept in a warm bed, had a constant life companion(Janny...and Harry) and only worried about eating LESS food, not finding ANY food. I came to find out that these were assumptions of some of the ways I would view the "privileged" if I were in Lyle's shoes...he is much more mature than I.

Every Sunday at about 3:30pm I show up at the shelter and hang around with my new friends. Al the Chef stands outside the kitchen among all the folks lining up for the meal and smokes his pipe(tobacco!)with a smirk of pride at having finished cooking a meal for 200 people. He doesn't talk much, but with a Sherlock Holmes-like pipe...there is no need for words. Every once in awhile I will bring mine and stoically stand next to him. I feel like a 4 year old trying to imitate my father reading the paper with coffee in hand, but instead of coffee mug I am using a sippy cup and reading an Elmo picture book.

Although at times it feels like a burden to commit this time to hang out with my new friends, once I am there I can't imagine missing out. After standing next to Al the Chef like his little padawan, I milled through the crowd of tooth missing, 7 layer wearing, long beard toting Inhabitants of the Kingdom. Through the crowd I saw my friend Lyle. He saw me right away and counter to my assumptions, it didn't take him long to remember our conversations. In fact, one of the first things he said was, "you invited me to lunch!" We got to catch up for the next 15 minutes before I went back into the kitchen to take my post in the food line.

Every week I learn new names and hear new stories. My intentions are to be the embodiment of Jesus to my friends(Matt. 5:48), but in reality I have the opportunity to smile into Jesus' face with each passing tray of stew.

Kingdom Inhabitants: Part 2

Janny and I were coming home late and had to stop at a gas station near our house in Santa Cruz. As I pumped gas, a gentleman with a covetous beard rode up to me on his bike and asked for some money. I offered to buy him some food, so with a muffin and warm coffee now in his hands we began a rich conversation. He told me his name was Lyle and that he had lost his job in construction, which resulted in him being homeless for over a year. He shared about his past travels and relationships with hope and nostalgia, but would then come back to the somber reality of sleeping under a tarp night after night. After about 10 minutes, I said goodbye and he left me with a hearty smile of gratitude.

Challenged and inspired by my renewed understanding of the Kingdom of God and its "unlikely" inhabitants(which I spoke of in my last post), I tried to live my daily life with an open eye to the face of Jesus as seen through the poor. With this said, I had the opportunity to share a meal and conversation with a variety of folks, but I kept running into Lyle. A few weeks after our initial conversation and at the same gas station, Lyle and I were able to share an extensive conversation over a cup of coffee. I had grown to admire his resolve and optimism in the midst of a painful story. Needing to get home, I asked if we could continue over lunch the next day at a local taqueria. I told him there was no pressure, but that I would be there at 12pm either way. I understood, but sitting at a table in the taqueria anxious to continue our conversation, was disappointed when he never showed up.

Towards the end of last year, I started volunteering @ the Homeless Service Center; which has a food pantry, homeless family housing and serves up to 400 meals everyday. Not knowing exactly what was needed, my friend Michael and I decided to just show up and offer our help in any capacity. With dozens of homeless folks milling around the dining area, I connected with a full time volunteer named Rick. His first response was a combination of confusion and gratitude at my willingness to serve. Rick was homeless and now is able to live in an apartment on campus as compensation for his working full time for the center. After floating around and sharing conversation with my new friends for an hour, I was introduced to “Al the Chef” who wasted no time equipping me with a hair net, plastic gloves and instructions in how to run the food line. For the next couple of hours, Michael and I had the unforgettable honor of serving each one of the 100+ faces of Jesus a warm meal, accompanied by a heaping portion of love articulated through our huge grins.

It became clear that this would be the only meal of the day for many of our new friends. For that reason alone, this meal/place symbolized life. It wasn’t only the nourishment of the food, but the warmth and care that our friends desired. There weren’t many volunteers, but each one treated the homeless folks with dignity, love and mutual respect. As I witnessed these dynamics and served each meal with a smile, the humanity of each person was being realized. If even for only a short time, we were all equals without the dividing lines of society. Heaven was crashing into earth and the Kingdom of God was at hand.

Which leads me back to my friend Lyle...

Kingdom Inhabitants: Part 1

This is a very insightful video that I had watched before, but that Nathan George reminded me of. Click here to watch.


This is "kinda" a follow up from Red Can post...

I recently listened to a great sermon on finances from Nathan George, founder of Trade as One. He began by asking how many of us had had a shower in the last week. He said that those of us who had are rich and that 4 of the 6 billion people on earth hadn't been so fortunate. I got up late for work yesterday and didn't get my DAILY shower. I felt gross all day and my hair was kinda sticking up like Alfalfa...

Last semester I took a class @ Fuller Seminary titled, Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. My professor, Daniel Kirk(who wrote this book)had us read PLENTY of commentary on the Synoptic Gospels(Matt., Mark, Luke)outside of class, but in his lectures he never picked one up. He read straight out of the Greek Bible and translated to us as naturally as I read the english versions. The humanity of Jesus came alive and the Kingdom He inaugurated took a hauntingly (maybe I'll explain why I use that word later) tangible form. So much of the WORDS and DEEDS of Jesus centered around His interaction and justice for the "least of these (Matt. 25)." Jesus' face was illumined in the face of the stranger, the hungry, the prisoner and the homeless. Yes, Jesus spent alot of time preaching this Kingdom to the wealthy and highly religious, but He embodied this Kingdom through His deeds and interactions with those who inhabited it...the poor(Luke 6).

I can live a life with multiple degrees of separation from these inhabitants of the Kingdom of God. I sleep in a warm bed with a heating blanket, they sleep under a tarp with a newspaper. I eat fresh produce, they eat my leftovers. My possessions rest in cabinets and closets, theirs rests on their backs. It's a strange tension...should I feel bad for having what I do. No, I think I should feel thankful, but in order to be fully thankful, I am finding I must have an understanding and heart for those who don't. Not just a "oh that sucks for them" kind of understanding, but a "how can I learn from your story and be part of its healing" understanding. As I mentioned in my "Red Can" post, I believe it is often my "blessings" in the form of material excess that sometimes keep me from full participation in the Kingdom of God(Matt.19:24)...

So by serving, learning from and hanging out with these Kingdom Inhabitants, does the Gospel Jesus came to proclaim through WORD and DEED come to life?

This is what Dr. Kirk challenged me to unpack and what leads me to my friend Lyle...

Relevant or Peculiar?

Hmmm...This is an interesting article about a Super Bowl advertisement contest that a California mega church may win. I have really appreciated what the pastor of this church has said and written (I have carried his teaching Bible around for a day after he forgot it on stage @ a local festival, before hand delivering it), but I'm not sure what kind of faith we are working to represent in this one. Would be interested to hear your thoughts.

As Shaine Claiborne would say(and I paraphrase), "Jesus didn't call Christians to be relevant...He called them to be peculiar."

How I'm Related to The Man in Black

I am planning on continuing my thoughts/story from the last post, but am throwing in a quick infomercial.

Yesterday I was assigned a developmental editor for my book. This is the person who steers the content of my work in the same direction. If my writing were a river, he makes sure it leads to one lake, not 14 different ones. His name is Dave Urbanski and is the Senior Developmental Editor @ Youth Specialties...now owned by Zondervan. He wrote The Man Comes Around: The Spiritual Journey of Johnny Cash.

I think I might change my name to Sue. (Sorry, reference for Johnny fans only. Google it!)

The Red Can

I'm kind of a scrooge when it comes to the Christmas season. I won't get into the specifics, but some of the central themes of Christmas in our culture give me more indigestion than cheer. Forgive me.

One of my primary indigestion inducing locations is the shopping mall. A couple months ago I was walking the aisles and taking it all in. The setting was quite beautiful, but the idea behind the setting wasn't. I just can't kick the thought of our frantic consumption resting on the shoulders and worn hands of the often oppressed woman and children who make the majority of the items being sold. It would be one thing if our consumption brought us peace and hope, but based on the focused faces, glazed eyes and speed walking, it didn't seem to. I find myself in that very same posture quite often.

As we strolled along, I heard something. It was a faint sound amid the Christmas music, crying babies and noise from the nearby food court. It was as if the sound was designed to shake each of us out of our product induced daze and consider something more. Something outside of our hurried shopping lists. It was the bell that we have all heard hundreds of times. Holding the bell was an older fella with a homely smile and Santa hat. Next to him was the familiar Red Can. His smile was contagious to anyone who chose to acknowledge. So is his cause. It is just that there is such a struggle to snap out of our "daze" when we are surrounded by so many things that are counter to this cause. At the same time, when we do embrace and participate in this Cause, we begin to see this same setting not with critical eyes (as I so often struggle), but with eyes of invitation to something better. It is often in the homely smile that we see the One who invites us to turn from systemic hopelessness to renewed justice.

Which leads to my next post...

Whispers

-Signing away all of my rights...ahh hem, I mean my book contract-


Well, well, well...having three weeks off of work and school was incredible. Super needed for Janny and I. Here is a snapshot of some of the festivities:

-Mini Road Trip Vacation for 4 days
-Family Christmas Festivities...Really good time with fam. Also, VERY difficult in light of our recent loss.
-House sat at a BEAUTIFUL house in Santa Cruz mountains for a week, while I was able to work on my book manuscript
-Few days at home
-GREAT trip down to San Diego to connect with new friends that are part of Nieucommunities. We have taken the last 13 months to simply process the past, live in the present and listen for the future...this may have been a whisper of the future.
-Janny got a sweet job in the spa industry as an esthetician! With all of her experience, she had 3 different employers fighter over her. I'm very proud:)
-Seminary and work started back up
-I turned in my book manuscript!! Quite a vulnerable feeling, but a good one none the less. Now a group of editors/proofreaders/designers jump in and give me a lot of feedback that is going to be REALLY fun to hear I'm sure:) Release date = August, 2010.

Thoughts/reflections of experiences will have to come in a later post. Cheers to 2010!