A good friend and I were discussing the need for good spiritual practices this past weekend (I was speaking and he was leading music for a winter retreat for teenagers). As we were talking around a nice fire on a cold afternoon he reminded me of this old prayer and the value of regularly repeating it from the heart - it could do a world of good.

Hopefully I will follow this sage advice!

A Collect for Purity

Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy Name;
through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Saturday was a wonderful day! It started early as I attended Dave Ambrose’s seminar - “What Monks Can Teach Us.” It was a fun and helpful seminar that looked at both contemplative AND activist approaches to developing our spirituality. It was a good mix of both helpful content and interactive learning experiences.

Next was general session 3. All I can say is wow. Phyliss Tickle was someone I was really looking forward to hearing. Did she ever deliver. Amazing. This 80 (oops 72, thanks Heidi) year old woman came out and shared a “map” of the way in which Christendom has responded to the upheaval and revolutions that have rocked our world every 500 years (from the fall of Jerusalem, the fall of Rome, the great schism, the great reformation and now the great emergence). It was jaw dropping. It deserves a bit or reflection before I post anymore.

After a time of laughter with friends and some new friends. I attended Folmsbee’s super seminar, Story, Signs, and Sacred Rhythms (it was a real introduction to what SonLife is all about). It presents a helpful system or process by which to approach our ministry to youth theologically. It was a great group of folks who seemed to be engaged, asked good questions, and participated enthusiastically. Chris involved Matt and I by letting folks know we could field questions, etc. So, I had a couple of fun conversations with those who were there. (I also got to meet Josh!)

The evening was great! Wonderful conversations, laughter, refreshment, and just a great time with great people. (Riddle, Matt, Darian, Len, Josh, Chris, et. al.)

I arrived last night in Atlanta… found some good mexican food (something sorely lacking in Western PA) and my bed (and it is comfortable!).

I am staying about 6 or more blocks from the site of the YS convention at the Georgia World Congress Center. I am not far from Peach Tree Center at the Hampton Inn. I mentioned that 20 years ago I attended the YS Convention here in ATL - as I look out my hotel window I see the site of that convention - The Westin, Peachtree, pretty cool.

Other news… I am meeting a fellow blogger - a first for me. Meeting someone I formerly only knew through the “blog-o-sphere.” I’ll let you know how it goes!

Later today I begin my critical concern course. Looking forward to being led on a bit of a “spiritual retreat” with Mike King and Jeff Johnson.

Running through my brain, Psalm 123:1 as found in, “Work Of God Benedictine Prayer“:

“I gaze at the heavens,
searching for you, my God.”

May my search end at my delight.

Finally, pray for rain here in the drought-ridden Southeast… (it did rain last night… but they are down 17 plus inches).

Later today I head down to Atlanta to begin my time at the National Youth Worker’s Convention. I have been anticipating this time with a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer (1979):

O God of Peace
Who has taught us that in returning
and rest we shall be saved,
in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength;

Amen.

What has struck me from this wonderful trinitarian prayer are the wonderful words that so often we desire yet are so often missing from our 21st century lives… the words like:

Peace.
Rest.
Quietness.
Confidence.
Strength.
Stillness.
Presence.

So, my prayer for NYWC ‘07 is to make these words part of my autobiography…

In less than a week I will be heading to Atlanta. I am looking forward to this time. I will be heading down south on a pilgrimage to gather with Youth Workers from across North America for Youth Specialties - National Youth Worker’s Convention (NYWC).

This will be a special time. As 20 years ago I made the pilgrimage to Atlanta for this very same convention. It will be great to head back, maybe with a bit different perspective (sadly not as wide eyed, but possibly not as arrogant or ignorant to think that I could save the world). I have also attended the NYWC in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati (I really need to attend on the West side of the Mississippi!).

I am looking forward to a number of things:

enjoying renewed friendships
making some new acquaintances
pre-conference “retreat” led by Mike King and Jeff Johnson
hearing Shane Claiborne
eating some good grub with my partner in crime (or ministry?)
just taking in some of the general sessions
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
Vespers
Enjoying the moments of each day!

If you are also making the pilgrimage to ATL - let me know in the comments below, it would be cool to say, “hey” and maybe share a beverage.

I also hope to be blogging throughout my time in ATL… so “stay tuned!”

My wife and I were talking about the aspect of Autumn that - one day the trees are gorgeous showing off their colors - and the next day it is gone. So, is one of the lessons of the season of fall:

“open your eyes to the ever changing fall, for if you don’t stop, observe, and appreciate it today, it may be gone.”?

I think it may be one of the lessons the seasons tell us, over and over again. A lesson that I fail to observe… over and over again. May I have eyes to see and ears to hear all that is being declared and shared in this moment on this day!

Sometimes in life we need to hold onto a prayer. Sometimes it accompanies us for a season, sometimes for a lifetime (I think the Jesus Prayer will accompany me for a lifetime).

This past weekend at Rebound I was given a gift by Fritz Dale, Executive Director of National Ministries for the Evangelical Free Church of America. Really unexpected - and what a wonderful gift! He presented me with a book of Puritan prayers entitled, The Valley of Vision (how did he know I collect books of written prayers?!). Well the introductory prayer looks like it will be one of those accompany-ing prayers - it captures my current state, thinking, hopes, and fears beautifully. It really is a bouquet of all the stuff in my current state presented in a prayer to God.

Here is that introductory prayer written by the editor of the rest of the prayer manual, Arthur Bennett:

LORD, high and holy, meek and lowly,

AMEN.

My wife and I had a great time in Daytona with the EFCA youth workers and their spouses! The weather was definitely not the expected sunny beach getaway - but it was wonderful nonetheless. Got to stick my feet in the Atlantic and enjoyed the sand between the toes in the brief moments the beach wasn’t getting pelted by sheets of rain or pounded by heavy surf. It was great to get away and I was pleasantly surprised at the response to my presentations on Christian Spirituality.

The Free Church folks welcomed me back to the tribe in gracious and affirming ways. It was very cool to be with them. Some great thinkers, and also a group of folks who are committed to quality youth ministry and longevity in youth ministry. It is encouraging to listen to the dialogue of these folks - there is a wisdom and a depth of care and understanding that is often missing from too many places in the youth ministry world. It was great to be sharpened and challenged by my old tribe.

I spoke on the idea that youth ministry must start within the youth minister. I covered the following topics:

Be the Beloved - before we are anything else we are beloved by God.
Be Real - we must strip off all the fig leaves and embrace our true identity as we are found in God ( I think I deluged the participants with information in this session.)
Be Prayerful - the life of Christ is a life of dependence — which is a life of prayer.
Be a Traveler - finding the heart of the journey to travel up, down, in and out.
Be Present Tense - enter the moment to be fully present to others that we might fulfill our calling as shepherds.

It was a great time, God definitely helped me and hopefully helped others to gain some new perspective and to refresh my faith as I was part of this get-a-way.

One final highlight was ministering with the worship pastor from my church here in western, PA. That was pretty cool. We also went to Sea World together - SHA-MU, SHA-MU!

Any Rebound folks out there? Share a comment.

Well, the things that have been plaguing, okay not plaguing, but maybe annoying my mind are:

1. What is down in the well, comes up in the bucket.

I hate to think about the words, thoughts and deeds that emanate from my life - and be reminded of this. Yet the mosquito on my mind keeps buzzing about this. May I more often rely on that old eternal well of real life, that genuinely quenches my thirst. Lord, help me abide there.

2. We live on the boundaries of our own lives, confusing edges with essence and mistaking the superficial with substance.

I too often skim through life and live at the circumference of “who I am.” This has been bugging me for a while. It would be great if I could say - the circumference is EVIL and disdain it… but of course the boundaries - bound me in - they are part of who I am. We are called to become more than skin and sensation - God calls us to a greater awareness (dying to ego and becoming alive in HIM) and to BECOME. So I have been challenged to go beyond the surface, to the center of who I am. May I begin to embrace with acceptance and vulnerability the person God has made me to be. Father help me in the silence to embrace the core of who I am.

Hey if you think of perigrinatio in the upcoming days… pray for me and the youth workers of the Free Church as we take a few days to rest, refresh and reload.

receipt…

over 700 miles driven
14 hours in a car
toll$
ga$
road $ide food
rain
humidity!!
lines
road construction

seeing Genesis play at Giants Stadium with my brother…

oh it was priceless!!

WOW!! What a show…

Highlights:

Incredible lights and video - unbelievable.
- In the Cage - wow.
- Afterglow - does it get better than this… everything awash in purple.
- Firth of Fifth - it does get better - holy cow… just sublime - Stuermer shines on the Hackett bits!!!
- Follow You, Follow Me - Phil singing and drumming with a great, fun video of Albert, Cynthia, and other notable album art characters strolling and cavorting about…
- I Know What I Like - a great video trip down memory lane - and Phil’s signature tambourine solo!
- Ripples - Tony Banks at his compositional best.
- Drum Duet into Los Endos - Collins and Thompson were amazing with drum sticks - and then Los Endos… - for me the highlight.
- Carpet Crawlers - the finale… a great “chilled” version that ended a beautiful evening of superb musicianship and great entertainment!