Crazy Disciple

Shooting with a friend

Tonight, I had the honor of shooting with a friend of mine, William Ayeni Jones all over Paris.  He is an amazing artist and musician, and we just had some fun using some different lighting techniques.  I had so much fun, it had been a while since I had just the opportunity to shoot, and make adjustments, then shoot some more.  I appreciate his patience, and willingness to try some strange scenarios.  The crazy part is that all of these are shot outdoors as the sun dropped down here in Paris.  A few of the shots came out looking like studio shots with colored backgrounds…  umm, that’s the sky!   Anyway, here are a few samples. 

 

Homeward bound

Wow, I didn’t expect to be writing this so soon, but it appears that I will be heading back home to Tulsa in just over two weeks!   There have been some amazing acts of God that have moved my departure date from Paris up by three weeks, and those will be unveiled as they become more concrete.   At this point however, the one thing I know for certain is that August 12, I will be on a plane back from Paris to arrive back home in Tulsa later that night.   It’s been an amazing journey here in France, and it still isn’t yet complete.   There is so much to get accomplished in the next 15 days, and so many people to connect with, hug, cry a little, and even laugh with as we rehash and reflect on the last year.   What an amazing adventure this has been.  

In fact, this last weekend we had the largest number of people at C3Paris I have seen since arriving here.  NINETY FOUR PEOPLE came into our lovely church and worshipped God with us in the new theater, it was INCREDIBLE.   It has been amazing to watch, and be a part of this church’s growth over the last year.  I cannot wait to see what all God does with these people, and this amazing body of believers!  

So, plans are already underway of how I can get back to visit, and hopefully host some of my friends from Paris while in the states.   Undoubtedly, life-long friendships have been formed, and to see where these amazing relationships take us will be a lot of fun.  In the meantime however, over the next 15 days, there will be a lot of bitter-sweet final moments and memorable goodbyes that pepper a really exciting and happy time in both the success and growth of an amazing church, and the step into the next chapter of my life with an amazing God. 

Thank you to EVERYONE that has been a part of this journey. Whether you have been a part here in Paris, through reading this blog, or through supporting this ministry in prayer and finances, we all have a stake in what God is doing here.   Be excited about the next steps, they are coming and they look incredible!   There will certainly be more thank you’s and more reflection on the last year in the coming 15 days, but I just couldn’t write this post without acknowledging all of you, and your parts in this mission.   Thank you, thank you, thank you!  

Take Risks

Pastor Mark McCord sent me this video this morning, and I thought you might get a kick out of seeing it too.  This is Francis Chan, another great pastor in the Los Angeles area teaching about taking risks.   It’s a short video, but powerful… give it a view and see if it speaks to you too.

I’m Back!

As the European adventure and the Paris mission comes to a close for me, I have felt an overwhelming need to get away from the city for a few days and get back amongst the natural glory of God.   I have found over the last few years that the best times of reflection, and of hearing from God are found when I truly disconnect from the world and find my way into the midst of his miraculous creations.  Taking advantage of my location, and the very inexpensive European travel systems, I found myself in the country of Croatia, along the coast of the Adriatic sea, soaking in some peace and sunshine in the midst of dry salty air and the smell of pine trees.  

The climate in Croatia is nothing like I have ever experienced before, it is a bit like Colorado mixed with a gorgeous sea.   There are over 1000 islands off the coast, and each has the feel of a mountain, with steep sides, cliffs, natural harbors, pine trees, and fields upon fields of lavender.   All of the islands are accessible by a well-performing ferry system that still hints at an era of communist rule.  There are beaches, but they are mostly rocky and offer very little sand.   It is stunningly beautiful, but more importantly, it is quiet and peaceful and the perfect location for anyone seeking to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.  

The political and social climates in Croatia are also something I have never  experienced before either.   The country is not a part of the EU (European Union) and has very strong Slavic roots.   Most of us know this area as being troubled, or in unrest, and this is definitely true with the battles of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the border disputes with Slovenia.  The unemployment rates are astronomical, and the average salaries equate to approximately $800 U.S. Per month.   The people however, are deeply spiritual and incredibly welcoming.   I even found myself praying with people on the coast and in some lesser known beach areas.   I dare say that I found more opportunities to talk about Faith here than I have in some time…   It was incredible.  I will be praying for this country a lot more, especially now that I have come to know the people…  maybe you can join me in that. 

Now although Croatia is a Slavic country, it is deeply influenced by Greece to the south, and Italy which is across the Adriatic sea.  The old towns look much like I have dreamt Italy would look like, with worn limestone buildings and streets, covered by wooden and clay roofs that add to its charm.   The feeling is that of a city that has been untouched by modern life, where stone archways and wooden shutters still hold whispers of life, and of a very simple and alluring populous; still in love with what it means to live.   People take in the simple things here, eating outside after the sun goes down, and preserving most of their foods through air-drying instead of refrigeration.   Fish however, remains as fresh as it can get, and is often seen outside of the local cafes and markets to reflect what has been caught that day.  It’s a fun way to decide where you will eat that night, by evaluating which of these incredibly beautiful fish will serve as your meal for the day.  None of them will disappoint, that is for certain. 

On my final voyage back across the Adriatic, I found myself sitting on top of a communist-era ferry boat and feeling a bit like the main character of the book “The Alchemist” by Paolo Coelho.  Enjoying a few slices of cheese formed from sheep’s milk, and eating 80-month-old dried ham while staring out over the blue Adriatic sea, I realized that once again I had gone to a foreign land in search of revelation and had returned completely changed.   Surrendering to the experiences laid forth by God himself, I felt as if angels had come to minister to me and provide peace and direction for the next steps as they come.  While the journey here in Europe may be coming to a close, the memories and realities will be held in my heart for an eternity.  I can only imagine however, and hope, that the result of my time here continues to bear fruit for individuals, and for the kingdom of God.  

Mosaic

Wow.   If you have been watching Facebook or Twitter in the last two days, then you may have seen my announcement.   I have been accepted into the Protégé program of Mosaic, a church and faith community in Los Angeles California.  I am SOOOOO excited to have the opportunity to go learn from this group of people, and also serve LA and the surrounding communities in the coming two years.   What an honor!  

Almost immediately after I posted the news, I received several notes of congratulations, and a few more asking, what is Mosaic?  So I would like to try and share that here.  The best way that I can think of, is to share something that the lead pastor of Mosaic, Erwin McManus recently wrote on another blog.   The post is entitled, “Taking Heat from the Watch Dogs”

One of the most curious things I have experienced about the church in the U.S. is the reaction that becoming a truly missional community has on most churches and perhaps especially vanguard theologians. One of the surest ways of becoming suspect to mainline evangelicalism is to actually reorient the church around the mission of Christ.

The first core value of the Mosaic Alliance is “Mission is why the Church exists.” When you throw into the mix that we are focusing on reaching those who are farthest from the gospel (and therefore from Christian culture) then things start getting really interesting.

The challenge of course is that we far too often confuse approach with orthodoxy. It only feels biblical if we do it the way we have always done it. We create our own rituals that confirm our orthodoxy and that becomes the measure by which we judge everyone else’s work.

For some reason it is easier for us to be more open when it is a missionary in a far away country. When our friends from Mississippi move to an unnamed city in the Middle East or in Asia we get it. They have to learn a new language, they begin to dress differently, and they begin to learn the culture.

They also begin to look for connecting points between the religion and beliefs of their people group and the truth of the Scripture. They start with where the people are and slowly begin to build trust and confidence so that those they are burdened for might become open to the Scriptures and the gospel and ultimately to Jesus.

Some places and peoples are so open that mass crusades draw thousands. Other places require a different approach- a far more specialized approach. The difference is like that of a general practitioner and a surgeon. Our tension is often influenced by the great results we see among wonderfully open people. We begin to assume this is the approach that God affirms for every place and situation and everyone must adhere to this same process.  But you don’t use the same approach to treat the flu and to treat cancer. Nor do you get the same results. In fact the one that is more critical and more urgent is also the one with the most unknown and the least success. In the end the one who failed may be the one who endeavored to accomplish the most noble of tasks.

What is happening across the world and here at home is that there is an army of cross cultural missionaries who have become the new leaders of the church. Their calling isn’t to pastor churches that focus on the happiness of its members, but to mobilize the church for the purpose of fulfilling God’s mission of reconciling the world to himself. We used to send our missionaries out and it kept the mission a safe distance from us. Some how they broke back in and decided they were not going without us.

At Mosaic we have no members only missionaries. There is nothing to join except a community on mission. We have little patience for self indulgent spirituality that insists on everything being about us.

And there are implications. We have a zero tolerance policy for religious jargon or Christianese. We have little room for traditions that mean something to us but nothing to a person searching for God. We will not forsake the Word of God for the traditions of men. We are committed to removing every non-essential barrier between God and humanity. We refuse to allow the Gospel to become lost in our nostalgia or to appear irrelevant because we are.

And I must confess we are less concerned about whether mainstream Christians get us than about whether those searching for God get Him.

And if this makes us the bane of the church than so be it. Paul said he would be accursed if only Israel would be saved. If he was willing to take on hell for eternity, we can take a little heat from the watch dogs of Christian orthodoxy.

SEAL

Ok, if you have known me for very long at all, you probably know that my favorite artist of all time is Seal.  I have every one of his albums, singles, and rare b-sides.   I actually met him and shared a few moments with him in Kansas City back in 1995.  It was my first time to see a Seal concert, and also the last time (until tomorrow.)  Seal has been an artist that has seen me through so many rough times and journey’s as well as joyous times and victories, all through his music.  In fact, his second album still stands as the soundtrack to my first visit to Europe, as I bought it in Basel Switzerland and listened to it for the first time as we drove into the Alps.  Talk about great memories!  

Anyway, it seems completely fitting and amazing to tell you that tomorrow, or today…  whenever you are reading this, I will be seeing Seal live here in Paris.  I was thinking that I wouldn’t be able to get to the concert as the tickets were pretty expensive, but in one of those divine moments of God’s provision, I stumbled across a sale of the cheap seats.   They were marked down from 61 euro, to 23.50!!!   I guess they needed to fill up that area, but hey, 23.50 is right in my budget!   So a friend from church here in Paris is going with me, and we will get to experience my favorite artist of all time, in the city of light.  It is sure to be an amazing concert!

So anyway, keep an eye out to facebook and twitter tomorrow (Wed July 8) starting at 20h00, GMT +1 (1pm in Tulsa) and hopefully some pictures and excited messages will start pouring in.   I can’t believe it, I actually get to see Seal again, and I am SOOOOOOO excited.   I guess you can probably tell that from the randomness and giddiness of this post.   It is sure to be a THRILL.  

Happy 4th!!!

 

Ok, yeah… you have probably seen this picture on my blog before, I shot it about two years ago at the 4th of July festivities on Grand Lake.   This is the gorgeous view from my Dad’s lake house.   I will certainly miss being there this year, as I know it will be ANOTHER great year, with great fireworks, and great fun.   None the less, I will do my best to find a way to celebrate in my own way here in France.   I may be the ONLY person shooting off fireworks, but what the heck, I hear French prisons aren’t THAT bad…   LOL, Happy 4th everyone!  

Summer in Paris

 

I thought it might be interesting to share some little facts about summer in Paris with all of my friends from back in the states.  While it is not ground-breaking information, there are some interesting little differences between here and home that make it quite special.   For instance, it is now 10:52 PM and the sky is still a little light.   We have a considerable amount of sunlight well past ten o’clock, and the sun comes up around 5:40 am.   The last few days have been the warmest I have seen yet, with temperatures averaging in the mid to upper 80’s.  For the next week however, temperatures are forecasted to be in the low to mid 70’s all week for highs, and dipping down to the upper 50’s for lows.   All of this with gorgeous sunshine!  

With the last few days being rather hot, I have really noticed that this city is just not designed for the heat like we have back home.   No one, or very few people have air conditioning.  I have spotted on multiple occasions, homeless people sitting nearly naked in the streets…  women, and men both.   One woman, seen just this evening as I walked back from the supermarket, was only covering herself in a dirty bed sheet, wrapped around her body like a bath towel.   I got the impression that this was all she had on, and didn’t really even care who noticed.   Her sore-laden, white back was covered in dirt and splotches of what one could only guess was sunburn.  Admittedly, I can understand wanting to shed clothing in this heat, but to not have a private place to do it must be a horrible feeling.

As I type this, today’s heat (88 degree high) is dwindling away, but the remnants of it still linger inside of most of our apartments.   Even though I have the entire east wall of this flat opened, and circulating air, it is still hot… and a bit humid as well.   However, the current temperature of 78 will be as hot as it gets for the next 24 hours with a slight cool front moving in tomorrow with the famous Parisian rain.

I have heard it said that summer is the most beautiful time to be in Paris, and that she comes out in all of her glory at this time.   I can see how someone might say that, but the truth is that I miss the cold and damp winter, it just seems to match the atmosphere here better.   Paris just feels so much more like Paris when you have on a scarf, a long coat, and the only decision to be made is whether or not to wear gloves.  It’s all short sleeves and capri pants now (very few people here wear shorts, even the men wear capris; but not me!)  Still, Paris is something special.  

I do miss home though, especially with the 4th of July coming this weekend, it just wont be the same, being away from the brown and red lakes of Oklahoma.  Thankfully, the Seine is pretty murky…   But I would NEVER swim in it!

Instruction Manual for Life

I saw this video today on another blog that had posted it a couple of months back; I thought it deserved to be re-examined.   I am fighting urges to interpret the video for you, there is some looseness and ambiguity that I think invites us to our own interpretation, our own journey with some interesting truths.  It’s an eight minute video, and it may make you angry, it may make you confused, or it may make you feel “not alone.”  I challenge you to watch it, and even talk about it here through the comments, or invite others to watch it with you…   I would certainly be curious to hear what your experiences are.  Enjoy!