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| Hey, I've moved.
www.genesisdetroit.com
http://genesis.voxtropolis.com | | |
| Just finished reading an excellent book by that title. It speaks to the history of this fine city and also to many of the factors act as barriers to the city’s future health and growth. Last night I had opportunity to dream with some friends of mine about God’s vision for Detroit.
We spoke of a place that’s:
A city where all students have a chance at excellent and safe education.
A city where economic development comes hand in hand with neighborhood development.
A city that’s experiencing healing and reconciliation from generations of division.
An area where homes are affordable and basic goods are available at fair prices.
A place where hope lives and justice rolls down like a mighty river.
We believe that this is more than fanciful, youthful idealism.
We believe that when God dreams of Detroit, this is what the Almighty has in mind.
And we want to be about seeing God’s kingdom come to Motown, a place that, according to her city motto, “hopes for better things” and promises “to rise again from the ashes.”
New site (with Genesis podcast)
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| Happy Valentine’s Day!
Don’t forget to do something cool for the people you love. Kelly and Grace brought me special cookies at the office to remind me that I’m loved. And I am.
There’s a recurring refrain in the story of David. It goes something like this:
“David inquired of the Lord.” Sometimes it’s “he inquired,” others it’s “Once again David inquired.” Regardless, there seems to be a lot of inquiring. ( 1 Sam. 23:2,4; 30:6-7; 2 Sam. 2:1, etc.) Every time David has a major decision to make, every time he stands at the crossroads of life, he “inquires of the Lord.”
Here’s what I love about David’s prayers: they are simple, clear and direct.
Once he asks “Should I go attack the Philistines?” Easy enough.
All God has to do is say “yes” or “no.” (In this case, he says ‘Go.’)
So I’m thinking we usually get stuck in two ways when it comes to mastering the art of inquiry. The first is that we fail to ask at all. We relegate God to the sidelines of our lives
and, to our detriment, call our own shots.
The second issue is that we don’t inquire with the specificity of David.
Do you ever get frustrated because you don’t feel God spelling things out for you?
Is it possible that we don’t get clear answers because we’re not asking clear questions?
Or could it be that God is waiting for us to utilize the creativity and wisdom at our disposal to develop a next step on our own?
And all we need to do is inquire to insure that we’re on the right track?
Note that David doesn’t pray: “God what should I do today?” Or “What’s your will for my life?” Based on what he already knows about who he is, who God is and what needs to be done to advance God’s purposes in his unique context, David says “I’m thinking about doing this… Should I?” My hope is that we could start to do the same.
And, in doing so, we become perfectly proactively and totally surrendered. | | |
| Sorry I've been out of the loop. I've been working on a new site with a podcast.
Genesis Podcast
Let me know what you think. I'm a little new to this whole thing. So if you have ideas on how to do it better, please let me know. For you Alex McManus fans, the "Our Mystic Story" is an unpacking of his 4 turns concept.
peace
Steve | | |
| The Art of Inquiry
I'm reading the story of David in 1 & 2 Samuel. Two observations are jumping out at me:
1) The people that are drawn to David while he is on the run from the reigning king, Saul, are misfits. They are renegades, maybe former mercenaries, anti-social desert dwellers, and counter-cultural dreamers who didn't fit any of the established military or government structures of his day. What draws them to David? His character? The excitement of living life on the run? A burn for the adventure of raiding enemy outposts for survival? This was no small band. During his season as a fugitive, David gathers at least 400 fighting men and their families to be a part of his family/ army.
The author says this: "All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around them and he became their commander." (1 Sam. 22:2) It doesn't really sound like David was working with a bunch of National Merit Scholars or West Point Grads. But because he's running for his life, he doesn't get to choose who's on his team. Actually, I find it fascinating that he let any of them stick around at all. It seems like it would be much easier to hide one guy in a desert than it would a few hundred.
So David is stuck with emotionally, financially and socially unstable people… who carry weapons.
But my guess is that over time, the skills, stories and relationships that they all developed together bonded them around common cause and mission. During their travels, shared meals and combat, they developed uncommon loyalty to one another and simple, but fierce, set of shared values.
On the day David finally came out of hiding and became king, who do you suppose filled the positions of military and government influence and power? All of his misfit friends, who were misfits no more.
God has strategically filled your life with people who drive you crazy. They have consistently proven themselves to be irresponsible, frustrated and immature types with a penchant for drama. Could it be that God wants transform them into champions and heroes under your influence? Sometimes we don't get to choose who gathers around us, looking to us for guidance and leadership, but we can choose how we lead them. We must determine to live our lives for something so great, so transcendent, so mystic that others cannot help but follow us on the Way.
(The second observation? It's coming soon.) | | |
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