Ryan Sings, Patric Departs, Communique Lives, Guder Speaks, Casey Burns

i am so privileged. Forgive my complacency, my indifference.

Privileged to have been able to have Ryan and Holly come and stay with us on Friday night ... they shared their heartfelt music, their stories, their history, hopes, dreams, fears, and their time. We were so enriched. I feel like I'd cheapen the evening if I wrote too much of a review of it here, but maybe I can put some words to the experience in a couple days. We stayed up until 1:30 or so talking -- this feat made possible by my parents' generosity in keeping the kids overnight, a half-sacrifice, half-joy to which they submit themselves with regularity.

Privileged to be able to attend a going-away party for my first cousin Patric. His story is every man's story in a way, and is fraught with complexity and God-searching and trouble and unmistakable glimpses of redemption. He signed up with the U.S. Army in hopes of being a chaplain, but found that the pre-requisites take him straight to the front lines of Baghdad -- urban warfare, house-to-house, probably eight to twelve months overseas. I pray the psychological toll is bearable. I pray for the innocents he encounters. I pray for his superiors. I pray for the accuracy of the coordinates that he'll be calling in, for the owners of the buildings he'll raid. I pray that he'll love his enemy as himself.

Privileged to be part of a team resurrecting Communique Journal, an online literary arts forum that a group of us has been publishing for almost ten years now. It's in some ways responsible for and in some ways reflective of the spiritual journey I've taken since my mid-twenties. Exploring and publishing others' essays, paintings and poems drove home the conviction that neither my mainline childhood nor my southern baptist youth, nor my evangelical, bible-church post-college years had a corner on the market of truth. That I had something to learn from the liturgy, creeds, practices, music and art of the whole church.

Privileged that I could hear Darrell Guder speak this morning and then again tonight over at First Presbyterian Church. His theological work on the missional church has been extremely formative to our new community. He's speaking about the Kingdom of God over a four-part series. He's weaving in themes from The Missional Church as well. Cliff and Susan and Casey were there, and Cliff brought his laptop, so I'll be able to point you to the "Cliff's notes" (snicker) version of the lecture, soon, I guess.

Privileged to live on a street where the neighbors are being increasingly... neighborly. Folks checking in on folks, hanging out in front yards talking, exchanging cupcakes and cookies and offering used computers and lending kids' clothes and having group barbecues and breaking down walls with conversation. we met the new lady across the street yesterday; her nephew and niece played with my kids for a while; i was able to fill her in on the names of the neighbors. it makes me sad that one household of friends across the street are moving away within a few months.our kids will lose some playmates, and we'll lose some conversation partners. This morning I walked outside and found a lit ambulance and firetruck in front of another neighbor's home. My heart rate jumped as I raced across the street. Little Jack had choked on a piece of cantaloupe and wasn't breathing. Fortunately all ended well -- by the time the paramedics arrived, Jack was breathing again, as were his parents.

Privileged to be part of a community that does outreach together and attempts to worship together and fails together and forgives together and isn't content with the status quo.

Privileged to have running water, food on the table, electricity.

God forgive my complacency, my anger, my fear.

Comments

[gdwill]

great post, Paul. thanks.

[gdwill]

great post, Paul. thanks.