hailing from Philadelphia this weekend..

hailing from Philadelphia this weekend.. every time I go to Pennsylvania, I make circles and detours to get to where I want to go; the roads are so confusing, distorted, and poorly labeled (or no signage at all), and perpetually under construction at the most crucial locations it seems.. but I’m feeling good that I can navigate Central City Philly now, having spent several hours navigating around there… and got to South Philly for the original Philly Cheesteak. Quite a treat

Recent conversation about calling: after some dialogue about it, I came to recognize that I have an untraditional view of calling, and believe that a person can do whatever vocation, even Christian ministry, without a specific special calling; but rather, if a person is gifted appropriately, has a motivated interest, and confirmed and affirmed by others, s/he can do the work of ministry.. my distinction about the importance of calling is this: that if God does call someone to do something specific, then that person had better do it.. but otherwise, the person has freedom to do freely.

Co-worker story: (one who shall remain nameless) used dishwashing detergent in the dishwasher, and we had gobs of suds all over the office kitchen floor!! Quite the site to behold.. didn’t have a digital camera to capture the moment to share with you, so you’ll have to take my word for it.

Sobering comment from George Barna:

Sobering comment from George Barna: “The strategy was flawed because it had an assumption. The assumption was that the people in leadership are actually leaders. [I thought] all I need to do is give them the right information and they can draw the right conclusions?.Most people who are in positions of leadership in local churches aren’t leaders. They’re great people, but they’re not really leaders.”

I’m thinking about a way that I can do what I like to do and do well, to change the way most churches are done, which is to say same-old same-old, and fortress-mentality; and to spotlight the ones that are progressive, innovative, creative, and inspiring and freeing people to their God-created potential.. albeit not the model planner, it’d be more than difficult for me to pull it off, but if I can collaborate with some pragmatic types, we might see a revolution in my time..