We continue where we left off in my last post discussing Jeremiah 29, focusing particularly on God’s call to faithful presence in the places He sends us. It’s striking and, indeed, disturbing to realize that exile was God’s doing. Some would say God was punishing the Israelites for their lack of faith and obedience, that He was addressing their rebellion and …
Lately, I have been learning a lot about what it means for a community to be a healthy or “abundant” and the importance of community for personal and communal well-being (for this education I am indebted to John McKnight and Peter Block, namely their book The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods). How do you imagine an abundant, …
Recently, J.R. Woodward posted a wonderful article on this website responding to the recent news about the frantic culture that drives Amazon.com and unsettling us with the reminder that our churches often are no less frantic. J.R. makes the case for a different, more relaxed church culture, drawing upon three of my favorite books: Slow Church (full disclosure: a book …
My friend has Lyme disease. He suffers from flu-like symptoms and chronic fatigue most days. It has cost him his job, his livelihood, and, on the darkest of days, his dignity. As a friend who can only observe and listen, it’s the stuff that makes you cry. To make matters worse, most of his family suffers from it, too, while …
History was made this past week. According to the New York Times, the recent exposé on what it means to be an Amazonian (someone who works at Amazon) became “the most commented-on story at The New York Times.” Why Has a Story about Amazon Culture Generated So Much Reaction? So why has this story drawn so much attention and so many …
A couple of weeks ago I collected some rocks from the French drain in front of our property. I intentionally placed my stones where I would notice them throughout the day and week, recognizing that they provide a focus for my prayers and signify my receptivity to the voice of God. In gathering these stones, I invited God to speak …
Recently, I was meeting with a young minister who is beginning his second year in his current ministry. We were reflecting on the whirlwind of his first year. Through the course of the year, he responded and reacted to the different voices, expectations, traditions, and possibilities that he both inherited from and brought into his context. It was a rich …
Coupling a background in public policy and industrial engineering with a spiritual fervor for making things just in the world, Mako Nagasawa brings expertise to the confluence of theology, practice, and public policy. Mako Nagasawa also brings his expertise to this year’s Praxis Gathering as one of the many exciting, missional presenters. Mako is involved in numerous missional-justice fronts. He is a coauthor …
On June 25th, the U.S. Census Bureau published an article entitled “Millennials Outnumber Baby Boomers and Are Far More Diverse.” Their research shows that the U.S. population born between 1982 and 2000 now represents more than one quarter of the nation’s population (83.1 million versus 75.4 million boomers). This group is more diverse than any previous generation, with 44.2% belonging …
The Praxis Gathering facilitates interaction among missional practitioners through the exchange of real-world, hands-in-the-soil experiences. Every Praxis Gathering presenter is currently engaging in missional practices and comes to the conversation with a passion to share what’s working in church planting and to inform against what’s not. One such missional practitioner is Gideon Tsang, a pastor at Vox Veniae in Austin, Texas. His church, Vox …