We should find people of great influence in our peer group and in our discipline and listen to them. Because they differ slightly from us, these people sharpen us. Sometimes they are achieving such greatness that we feel a drip of depression looming in our seeming lack of accomplishment. But that only remains when we focus on our accomplishments or lack thereof.

Many would call this sort of activity “self-centered.” I contend that it is probably not “self-centered” enough. Perhaps we need to go even deeper into searching ourselves - we need to search inside of ourselves to find the still small voice instructing us. This voice trumps all external, peer-reviewed comparison. It says, “Keep running the race” and “fight the good fight” and “I will give you rest.” Man, I love that still small voice.

I’ve been thinking some about the an image that rolls well with how I believe church planters function.

An acupuncturist.

This eastern therapeutic technique specializes in improving circulation to all parts of the body, thus creating an increased ‘flow of energy’ that garners awareness, health, and growth.  In an acupuncturist church plant, the planter is focused on facilitating the “flow of energy” to all parts of the church body.  Giving each person and community ample growth and healthy energy for creativity and spiritual formation.  Good acupuncture is not invasive - it is tangential to the body itself - so with church planting - a church planter’s leadership must not be overbearing, and truly must find ways to stay out of the limelight to allow others in the church to step up.

Unfortunately, most “church plants” have been functionally more like surgery (or amputation) than acupuncture.  Most would call these “church splits”.  The body goes through trauma and must be intoxicated with numbing agents before, during, and after such drastic invasiveness.  It is never the same, and many times large parts of the body rot and leave scar tissue.

I don’t know if this metaphor can go on any longer, but at this hour I know I can’t.  Just thought I’d pass along my thoughts du jour.  Feel free to hyper-extend this metaphor for as long as you think it’ll go!

Katrina and I just returned from our survey trip to Chicago. We connected with a bunch of leaders involved in different ministries and job opportunities up there - just about everyone I’d been connecting with for the past two years were on our two week schedule.

As a church planter, there’s only a few ways to make a living (in no particular order):

1. Work for a church planting organization.

2. Work for an established church, either as a “church planter” supported by the congregation, or doing church planting as part of your pastoral duties.

3. Get a job in the workforce.

All of these have pros and cons. All of them are being considered/prayed through right now by yours truly and my beautiful bride. I’m waiting on hearing back from several groups, and I know that now this whole thing is in the Lord’s hands. For three years we’ve worked toward what I’ve described as a “calling” to Chicago. If everything fell through right now, I’d be okay; I’d know I worked hard to check every “open door” we felt drawn to.

I’ve heard that sometimes one spouse hears a specific call, but the other spouse hears the timing for that call. As we’re considering all this, I’m really listening carefully to what Katrina is saying regarding timing.

What makes sense in the midst of all this discernment? I KNOW that the Lord has called me to Katrina. Before Chicago, before jobs, before ministry…she comes first. My calling to her is real, and now. This process of discernment has propelled me to love her more than ever, and to appreciate how the Lord has gifted me with an amazing woman. Everything else could fall through, and as long as I was still with her, it would be enough.

Please be in prayer for us during this important time of waiting and listening.

If you’d like to see photos of our trip, you can check them out here:

Once again I find myself in my favorite coffee shop, the Mud House here in Springfield, MO. I don’t know what it is about this place; its one of the only places I can people-watch AND get some quality time in with my laptop or a good book. This is a place of peace for me - I know that I could pay this place’s light bill if I lived here.

On our holiday trip we’ve had some great conversations with family - with subjects ranging from Chicago plans (or plans still in the making) to living life with forgiveness and acceptance at the center of our lives. Both sides of our family have been through major traumas, and everyone (from great-grandparents to the newborns) have been drastically affected. Trina and I have found ourselves mainly as listeners, counselors, and coaches to our own family, and it has been extremely healing for us. We too need to be listened to. We too need to make peace with our family, and to be restful and REAL with who we are as an extended family together.

While most of this year has been jam-packed with life-altering forks in the road, the majority of this life is filled with moments like this. The simple movements of life that require little more than keeping our eyes open to where we are at the moment. Living honestly as we enjoy a cup of coffee, sitting quietly over in a corner of a busy coffeehouse. While we may have revolutionary dreams, those are the punctuations of a much longer sentence in our lives.

Right now at the end of 2007, I’m just thankful to be spending time here in a warm, enjoyable coffee shop, with little else to think about but rest, rejuvenation, and Christ’s re-birth in our hearts. This is Christmas after all. Cheers.

Katrina here. Today is the dawning of a new day! I’m going to start writing my *great* posts here on this blog. All of the posts on katrinawillis.wordpress.com will be art-specific, so be sure to check those out (or sign up for an RSS feed) if you’re interested in the art posts (I post those quasi-monthly).

In North America, we have a hard time sitting still, being quiet, or being with others in silence. Noise = comfort. In high school, I used to study with the TV running and the computer and a side conversation going at the same time. And I would venture to say that high schoolers today are doing the same thing still. I’m actually listening to music as I write this now. Try this exercise: take five minutes, and if you have one near, set an alarm to let you know when the 5 minute mark hits. Turn your computer screen off. Sit upright in the quiet and focus on one thing in the room. Breathe deeply. Try to let you mind STOP. Do not go to sleep.

….. how was it?

If you’re anything like me, you probably have experienced days where you’re thinking deeply on something… and there is constant brain chatter (leading to anxiousness). I wake up thinking about “things” and I spend the entire day thinking about “things” as if my thinking will result in some sort of change. “If I just think deeply or hard enough, I’ll live wisely.” If I meet someone who doesn’t “think” as much as I “think” then they’re obviously more hollow headed than me. End of story. Until recently…

I have been seeking peace of mind. Jesus told us that those who listen to him and do what he says will be like the man who built his house on the rock. When the rains come and the winds blow, the house will sit firm. But those who only listen to his words build their house on the sand. The writer of Proverbs says that as a dog returns to its vomit so a fool returns to his folly (26:11). In English, we call this rumination. We’re so comfy with our own vomit that we won’t seek out new food.

I’ve just recently read Armchair Mystic by Mark Thibodeaux and Getting Things Done by David Allen. In the mix, I’ve also been meditating on the Matthew 6:33 mantra (Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all of these things shall be added to you…)

The result has been the freeing art of the brain dump. What? How do you do that? Stay tuned.