What is missional?

Shane Claiborne in Esquire
Esquire is probably a good place to get an article published if you want to speak to those who might be a little cynical about religion.  I loved this article by Shane Claiborne that appeared in a recent issue of the gentlemen’s mag. The more I have read the Bible and studied the life of Jesus, the more I have become convinced that Christianity spreads best not through force but through fascination. But over the past few decades our Christianity, at least here in the United States, has become less and less fascinating. We have give

Growing a Mo in Movember
Those of you following my Twitter feed may have seen links to a fundraiser I’m involved with in support of Prostate Cancer Canada.  Moustaches are sprouting on men’s upper lips throughout the nation.  Take a look at the video below, and please consider making a donation to this good cause on my customized site (where you can also track my slow-but-steady progress). Posted in Canada, Fundraising

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front
A mentor showed me this Wendell Barry poem today.  A brilliant take on living life for what it was created to be. Love the quick profit, the annual raise, vacation with pay. Want more of everything ready-made. Be afraid to know your neighbors and to die. And you will have a window in your head. Not even your future will be a mystery any more. Your mind will be punched in a card and shut away in a little drawer. When they want you to buy something they will call you. When they want you to die for profit they will let you know. So, friends, every day do something that w

hoperisesfilm.com
One of our grants resulted in this documentary film, contemplatively crafted by Trevor Meier.   You can now purchase the dvd of this film which focuses on the inexplicable yet substantive hope rising out of the Rwandan genocide.  The film makes you pause, breathe again, and embrace hope. Posted in Africa, Arts

Be that woman
This vignette, from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, reminded me of the time we opened our home to a woman and her daughter who were at the end of their rope.   They stayed with us for several months, and she overcame depression and a debilitating medical condition.  And then learned a skill, and eventually moved into subsidized housing.  She now works full time, and has her own apartment, and is a wonderful gift to many in her life. Thanks Aurora for passing this on to me, and good luck in your work.