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The Possibility of Closeness [a Christmas poem]

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We all have a dingy chamberdarkening the deep stone walls of our broken hearts where behind the doubt encrusted bars screams a familiar voice

it screams louder than you ignore stronger than you can avoid it is your voice it is our voice

we are all wrapped up in a prison without a lock and we scream we moan and scream again for something for more for God

we are all born broken people with specifically aching hearts needing God to come closer

we need more than myths, fables, and fairy tales forcing God into a book we need someone real we need more than philosophy some god in outer space means nothing to us so we scream come closer

so welcome you and your locked up voice come on in welcome to the possibility of closeness

we do not pursue a generic god with a generic faith we will not be 'spiritual' in a generic way the possibility of closeness is not 'whatever it means to you, it means to you'

it is going to require a bit of faith and faith is pretty simple, really it is nothing you muster up it is divine illumination an operation of God whereby we stand on tipped toes extending twitching fingers for something we could never reach and God makes it apprehendable he makes it possible

faith is learning to trust a God giving promises he intends to keep promises to hear your voice promises to make possibilities of closeness

so today cannot be filed down to farm animal figurines atop your fireplace mantle today is not the hope of shopping God closer as if closeness to God tasted like 34th street miracles and credit card debt

no, today is the celebration of an explosion so silent it wouldn't wake a sleeping baby it is the arresting eruption of the reality God became flesh so ssssssstop for a second and soak it in

God came close as the skin and bone of your own forearm. God became flesh so the Light of the World could be seen as clearly as you see me

The possibility fo closeness is here and not one of our words contain his name the message is too majestic for our methods so he said, 'call me Jesus call me Immanuel, God with us"

the possibility of closeness is nothing more than seeing Jesus and responding to what you have seen

God showed up to shepherds because he goes to those who have time to listen the possibility of closeness is only closed off from those to busy to pay attention

God came close enough to be broken to be tired, weary, and fearing failure to catch a cold and a case of hurt feeling and your locked up voice is going to keep him distantly divine

but don't you listen to that

let God be as human as he was because if you do not let him in He cannot get you out

Christianity is not an ethic it is not a morality or philosophy of life it is a love affair the thrill of falling in love and being loved by Jesus Christ born to bring us closer to God

So today is for those who need God to come closer because Christmas is the possibility of closeness

* check back tomorrow for a gift

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A love letter from a stranger

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A love letter from a stranger means an awkward nothing to us

Even a tiny note from my wife means a world of love to me

Most of our dislike for reading scripture is just not understanding not being in relationship with the Author the One from whom the letters were written

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Published in the UK

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A few months ago, someone had discovered my review of All is Grace, a memoir from one of my heros, Brennan Manning. Upon discovering it, a publishing partner from the UK wanted to post my review as part of their print magazine sent to all of their stores. They shared the PDF with me, and I wanted to share it with you all as well. Click below to get the PDF.

DPS - Brennan Manning Editorial

An honor just to be nominated

Last week, my friend nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award, and I am thrilled just to be nominated. My insecurity assumes my only reader is mom just clicking refresh over and over and over, but I have greatly appreciated each visitor as this page has grown over the last few years. Thank you so much. My nomination and awarding requires of me a few things, and I will honor all of those right now.

Thank the person who nominated you (including a link) Sarah is a wife and mother who shares her labors of wonder and love from each day with love and creativity to keep you reading and checking in.

Nominate 15 bloggers you follow regularly (in no particular order) 1. Life to Her Years - Posts consisting of a picture and a sweet statement about fathering daughters. 2. Malisa Price - Friend who exploded with blogging momentum in only a short year. Great posts about crafting, cooking, and blogging. 3. Tattoo Lit - An interesting post of tattoos with literary inspirations. 4. Moleskinerie - Just a great blog about people's creative uses of the famous journals. 5. Barefoot on 45th - Wife and mother and writer of beautiful reflections. 6. Faith on Campus - Great resource for anyone who works with college students. 7. Aloha Hoa Aloha - Student and friend with a creative zest for what she sees in life around her each day 8. Heart of Campus Ministry - Another great resource maintained by good friends and to which I sporadically contribute. 9. Ragamuffin Soul - Well he is a blogging superstar and worship leader, but you just have to visit to see all the goodness. 10. Daily Doodle - Simple doodles this guy draws in his moleskine each day. That is all! But I love it for some reason. 11. Anthony Price - Malisa's husband and a good friend. He has recently left that tumblr nonsense to be a REAL blogger. 12. Blaine Hogan - author and creative director at Willow Creek, and I only recently tripped upon his page. Dig around to find the goods. (Hint: youtube) 13.  Ze Frank - This guys finds and shares the most incredible, creative, and inspiring things on the internet. 14. Michael Hyatt - Another blogging powerhouse who certainly does not need my petty little nomination, but I learn so much reading this blog. 15. Yours - I don't have a link, because you haven't left it in my comment section yet.

Tell 7 things about yourself 1. Yes, I love coffee. No, I do not like it dark. 2. I have a wife, a daughter, and another daughter on the way, which means I'll have to begin wearing high heels just to fit in at my own house. 3. I like my beer like a like my women: with little hops, in a cold mug, from Belgium (okay its not like women at all) 4. In order, my favorite sports teams are: Notre Dame football, Oregon Ducks football, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts. (so I like football) 5. I used to listen to Counting Crows all the time. I still do, but I used to too. 6. I love cold, rain, and snow while hating hot, sunny, summers. 7. If I were not in ministry or speaking, I think I would like to be a window washer or painter.

Link to Award Site Check

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Hate the church

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You do not hate the churchbecause this is what church is... and you actually like us a whole lot

What you hate is that and I actually hate that too.

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Starbucks in the year 2111

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Sitting here in Starbucks, I have a wonder in my mind.  I wonder how much art has been created here at this Starbucks.  How many books!  How many poems!  How many songs! How many sketches turned paintings!  How many screen plays!  How many dreams and brainstorms! I find myself wondering how many of those things have been created here, and then I wonder how many Starbucks there are in the country; in the world.  How many coffee shops are there out there?  These little easy bake ovens for art everywhere!

What are these places and what about them lends the heart to create?

Then I wonder what these places will look like years from now.  It is so cultural now, and yet I am thinking many years from now.  I am thinking about vacations I have been on to areas with old ghost towns, museums, and reenactments.  It makes me wonder if 100 years from now there will be families walking through THIS Starbucks layered in dust and time.  Will the tour guide be wearing a tattered green apron and pointing out different things the kids could not care less about?

"Over here we have an espresso machine from about the year 2004.  The barista would stand back here and ask if there was anything he could get started for the next person in line."

"Over there is where they would sell Starbucks brand cups, pointless gear, and overpriced coffee makers for the wealthier customers."

Will the tour guide tell about the culture surrounding coffee that just blew up in American society?  I wonder if she will merely be explaining what Starbucks "used to look like" because the company will have continued to dominate the economy and look entirely different then.

I wonder if you can go to old towns where there would be poorly done reenactments by costumed high schoolers who have no idea what our culture really looked like.

Will there be "old style Starbucks" still open to run "like they used to" for the sake of nostalgia and tourism?

I wonder!

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Lost in Translation: my new column

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This last weekend was the pilot release of a quarterly magazine called The Compass. I was asked to contribue an ongoing column in the magazine about faith and culture. After several brainstorms and edits, the column is entitled Lost in Translation. I am excited to present to you the online version of the pilot issue.