Archive of "faith" Category
Lead Us
After a day spent with church leaders in the Anabaptist context I have hope for how the church might engage people now and in the future. Clearly it can not be the same show, because the audience has become fragmented. The message I heard today from a young leader in Pittsburgh is that people want to be challenged. There is a need for communities of faith to call people to a life of discipline and transformation. This message will go against the heavily influenced western individualistic mindset of, “I want it now”.
In my recent life, career, and spiritual mentoring I have found it difficult to tell that very loud voice of individual idealism to “shut up and simmer down”. “You had your 20 plus years to speak now it’s somebody else’s turn,” I want to say to that little boy whom struggles to grow into this 31 year old mind, soul and body. Maybe I like to keep fighting against the forces of nature, because I think suffering is Divine. However, causing pain in another persons life because of my own inabilities or limitations is more than I can bear at times.
My mentor recently told me, “your gift to an organization or person is small and significant.” He calls what I bring to his business and leadership, “rocket fuel”. I love it when he talks to me about what he sees, because all I see at times like this is confusion and chaos. Constantly questioning past decision to make sure I didn’t screw up… But wait a minute if who I am in the world is a starter, then most of my effort will go un noticed and there will be many pieces left to complete. This is where leaders are important and why I believe every can lead. Leadership comes from our internal desire to live in a way that fits our personality and unique style.
Ever since I worked in the church out of college my view of leadership has been changing. The minute I started listening and stopped leading the young people through speaking to them, things started to move and people started to connect. They were responding to their own words reinterpreted to them through my mind and each other. Now there are times I think what is going on is because of me, and that is when I get out of sink with the team, because what I am is a molecule on the body that makes up the organization and the people leading create the future. With out leaders there is nothing for me to do, but wait, listen and wait.
My favorite way of being in the world is through leading in my activating, futuristic, and catalytic ways. This has happened several times through out my life. Most recently with a group of people who have started organizing here.
A time for great hope
Watching TV sitcom’s like Community (which I enjoy thoroughly) during the holiday gives me glimpse of the growing perspective of this post Christian American landscape.
This quick post may help anyone who still confuses Christmas with the incarnation of God through Jesus. From what I can tell this is a holiday filled with expectations of a bi gone era when Christianity was king and society affirmed the Christian story.
Maybe one way Christians who believe this story can engage in the ever evolving post Christian landscape is through relationships with people who think we are crazy, weird or uneducated. We have an opportunity to share good news through being human with people in our neighborhood. Listening to the common thread of stress and loneliness during meals supposed to bring meaning, but all to often bringing frustration and anger. This type of conversation may bring a fuller understanding of the narrative of God’s love in which we find hope.
This piece from the New York Times gives a perspective I find helpful. The last line states: Christians need to find a way to thrive in a society that looks less and less like any sort of Christendom — and more and more like the diverse and complicated Roman Empire where their religion had its beginning, 2,000 years ago this week.
I am not certain of the Christian story, but I am a believer. I have a hope that comes from my own on going reconciliation that puts the narrative of the incarnation, along with the death and resurrection at the center of my being. Advent seems to be a better practice for my understanding and worldview than Christmas. Please don’t misunderstand, I like Christmas: the imagination, creativity and gift giving (at times), but I long to be apart of something more epic, like the grand narrative of scripture gives us…
This Christmas I find myself hopeful because of:
A deep and growing relationship with Andrea (my partner, friend, wife.)
A challenging and fun relationship with my daughter June.
A reconciling relationship with my extended family.
A growing relationship with my faith community.
A fuller acceptance of myself, my complexity and eccentricity.
Most of all I am overwhelmed by the provision that I can only call God Grace through others and through an emerging sense of call to a new way of life.
When sometimes the most revolutionary thing I can do is accept myself, love my wife and others. Work a job, go to church and make a meal.
May peace find you in the chaos of the season.
Finding my way again,
Scott
Message from a “Naked Anabaptist”
At a time when politics and media polarize our conversation, there is little room for cross cultural pollination and innovation in our local context. The Mennonite faith community, via emerging Anabaptist missional Theology has given me a lens to live again, as a participant in the mission of God through reconciliation. “How did I get here?” some of my readers and friends have asked me…
I had the privilege of listening to Stuart Murray speak at the Franconia Conference during a leadership breakfast. The Naked Anabaptist has been one of many books which have influenced my return to a Mennonite faith community through the Salford Congregation. Recently, Andrea and I became members at a time when many people are finding their way to faith through an Anabaptist tradition.
Here is a brief history of our vocational/educational/communal faith journey:
Andrea and I met in high school on a trip to Atlanta for people interested in missions. We both experienced some transformation and believed we were called to live a life as mission. I was a senior at Christopher Dock and she attended Lancaster Mennonite. We were both influenced in positive ways by Anabaptist stories and formation through excellent education and development. Even though our family history is Anabaptist we never felt apart of the Mennonite culture, which has made our return to this community even more transformational. It has allowed us to rescript our story and bring new life to our worldviews.
After High school we went on to study at Eastern University where I majored in Youth Ministry and Andrea majored in Theology. During College I served at Branchcreek as a youth pastor while Andrea helped develop and launch Encounter. Then we moved to The Woodlands UMC to work in youth ministry as well develop another alternative service called “Teleos”. We then moved back to Pennsylvania to pursue further education. We collaborated with some local leaders and started a faith community called Livingroom which we participated in for the next five years. During that time Andrea received her MBA in Economic Development and I started attending Biblical Seminary, but was unable to finish due to the launch and growth of One Village Coffee which I co-founded in March of 2007. This fall I transferred my credits to Eastern Mennonite Seminary Pennsylvania Campus where I plan to finish a degree in Congregational Leadership with a focus on local and global mission.
Recently, I was speaking with a life long Mennonite in my congregation and he asked me, “why are so many people coming joining Salford?” I explained something that Stuart Murray made clear during the leadership breakfast. The Anabaptist tradition offers good news to the marginalized lonely people in our world. We have transformational stories to tell about how people lived out their mission of reconciliation and peace. These stories point to the meta-narative of God’s Mission through Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
As someone who was surrounded by the Mennonite culture my whole life and never felt like I was home, I know that Stuart’s point about “good news” for our world is arguable. There has been much pain caused through cultural differences, shunning and other destructive behaviors. However, like any great story there is pain and there is reconciliation. I will continue to tell my story of transformation and how relationships with this faith community are creating a new reality for Andrea and I to live out our calling.
We are designed to live and create meaning. We are all on a path toward new creation. I found a space to belong in a Mennonite context in Southeastern Pa and I plan on sharing this good news as a story of hope, faith and love. May you find encouragement from this simple story from a Mennonite on the margin.
A Possible Future
After reading this Time article I thought of conversations I have been having with teenagers, 20′s somethings and 30 somethings. Teenagers who are frustrated that they are not given a voice. College Grad’s and post grad’s who want to work and live in a way that is core to their ethic and values. Young families who are overwhelmed with a sense of anxiety and fear. The emergence of a reality we were taught growing up is rapidly slipping out of view. The ideology we were fed was the American dream.
Since it is clear that most of us will not see the American Dream I think it is time we take a look inward to find and develop a meaningful future of possibility and transformation.
The idea of transformation is a reality I have been living for the past year. This post will be my attempt to share some insights on how you might carve out a way of life for yourself that brings hope and meaning to others.
1. What is going on around you that represents your values?
2. How can you get involved?
3. Begin to pray about that specific area you discover.
4. Share it with someone who will support your way of life and worldview.
5. Live your future now, don’t wait for permission.
Recently, I spoke with an associate pastor in my town and I asked him, “do you want to do the work you are doing.” He told me, “I would like to do 50%-75% of the work I am doing now.”
I then took out a piece of paper and wrote:
1. Identify the work you want to do.
2. Pray about it with your support group of friends and family.
3. Meet with your leadership and ask them to free you up to work in that way.
The reality is this young leader was working a lot of hours, not being paid enough for his investment and sacrifice. It is my opinion that during this recession, people have a great opportunity to design a better future. This is possible because employers can not give raises or will not. They are taking the approach of cheep labor and pushing more and more work down channel.
Our economic system is broke. I do not want the American dream, I think it is a lie. I think it is a major part of the problem. I believe people want to live out their design and desire. We all have so much to give and our systems often do not ask us the right questions for real transformation and growth.
The possibility of a great awakening is now, it is all ready happening. I am living it with my wife, daughter and community. In order for the grassroots movement to continue we will have to join together, naming the voices of fear and the systems of power that so easily enslave. By naming these voices and systems we will awaken the deep spirit inside of all our souls, the part of us that was designed by a Creator who longs to see creation restored.
I have a worldview and context that promotes a view of a loving Creator, who represented itself in Jesus Christ life, death, resurrection. However, one of the greatest systems that keeps people from this kind of transformation from death into new life in the institution I love, the church. It is my hope to be an voice in the wilderness pointing to a third way. A way of possibility, where we can face our fears through the power of the resurrected Lord, remember our past and hold on hope to the future.
Breaking Free From the “Cages”
I am listening to ELLUL as I write this. I invite you to listen to the song “Cages” as you read this post.
Passing notes to the devil
Fear masked in barbell denials
Taping our hands to reduce the strain
Passing notes over ashes
Bury memory in the bright lights
Tape my eyes to mask the shame (Lyrics from Cages by Ellul)
We are in transition as a society and this is having an effect on our lives. Some of us are feeling this more than others: possibly in our inability to find work that pays us “what we are worth” or in finding any work at all. This economic crisis has allowed for great possibility of transformation, revealing the lie we have believed for the past decade. This begs the question: how will we live the possibility of what’s to come for the next decade?
A new way of thinking, believing, and bahaving in this world we no longer belong too.
We can no longer belong to the kingdom of God and keep the system alive. WE HAVE BELIEVED THE LIE and now we have to go through a time of transition.
This past weekend I spoke with some young people about how we follow stories from our society or social spaces. I was asking them what stories do they want to tell? It is in the following and telling of stories we create reality.
Here is a movie that makes the point about what type of messages we send and how they reveal our motives:
If you have not seen The Green Zone and you like conspiracy war movies. I highly recommend it…
In this story as the unfolding of a lie is revealed to the main character and truth emerges. That truth cuts to the core of this characters purpose in being a soldier and belonging to the U.S Military. In this story the reality the media and systems of power create has massive consequences.
If your anything like me, it is not hard to look at your own life and see how telling stories or living certain ways has created a mess of chaos and confusion. Recently, I have returned to a faith community(Mennonite Church) as well as a world view where there is an overarching story of belonging to God’s Mission through Reconciliation represented in the life, death resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is in the telling and retelling of this great story of judgment, sacrifice and love that I find hope.
Here is a video from a song I shared this weekend: Mumford and Sons
As you listen to this song maybe you want to ask yourself:
What stories am I following that are no longer bringing life?
What stories am I telling myself or others that are lies?
Maybe naming the fear, judgment, cynicism and regret we begin the process of transformation…
I see a darkness, and a light…
This past weekend I spent Friday night and Saturday morning with 15 teenagers and 7 adults in the woods of South Eastern Pa. I was invited to be the speaker/teacher for the group. My vision was to facilitate an unlearning of the stories we follow and tell, through the Jesus narrative in the book of Mark. The theme was: “The stories we follow, and the stories we tell, become real”. We worked through three themes: Act 1: The Call in the Wilderness; (When messages and narratives are given to us, how do we decide what to follow?) Act 2: The Journey: (When the stories we have followed are choked by selfishness and despair.) The Garden: (The tension between letting go of stories we do not want to carry and stories we want to let come in.)
It has become apparent that teenagers want to be heard, they want to give their talents and ideas to help solve social, environmental and other problems facing their world. However, my hope for them to be effective was dwindling by the fire when I heard how much their social spaces expect, pull and demand from them. Near the end of our time together as we were sitting by a kindling smoke fire by a stream. I saw a darkness. Listen to it here Bonnie Prince Billy, sings a Johnny Cash song
The time was affirming in the development of my speaking, teaching and spiritual formation. But I went away more convinced that we need a grand story, something bigger than our own individualism, consumerism, materialism and nationalism to give us meaning and purpose. But if our social systems do not provide the means for reflection and development, we will create disconnected individuals in an information tunnel of isolation.
(A side note: I was impressed with the students and leaders on this short retreat. There is light in the darkness, but we have to be willing to uncover it.)
09 is a good time to grow
I like the end of a year and the beginning of another.
I have some resolutions, but they never seem to matter, goals do…
The small steps toward wholeness, the completion of a task and the shaping of another.
Lately, I have been witness to hard times in relationships and I think that there is a depth to the human experience often forgotten.
Life does not get easier. Each day, each passing moment is a reminder of what’s to come…
Even the most fabulous lives in the world are not what they seem, we all create a reality outside of ourselves and look in on others to find who we really are. Even when we look at God or look for God, we can only understand that reality in part.
What is wild to me, is even after all the pain, and the pain to come, I still believe…
Because I want to, because there is something in my mind and in my experience that says God is love and he is best understood from my vantage point of Jesus.
I still like the church, in fact, I have been looking for a church for over a month now. What I am coming to believe is that I am all ready apart of a church and I am looking for validation of my identity in God/Christ/the church.
What I am finding is that I can not go back, I have come to far and scene to much to go back, but I can move forward, one small step at a time, into the great unknown.
Coffee, Conversation, And Community development
Andrea, my wife of six years this June 1st, is finishing her MBA in ecconomic development from, and I was able to spend an evening with her class, which confirmed my need to be around more thinking Christians. People who are engaged in the world, realizing, “hey I can not change the world, but I can make an impact, and I can find a role in this great big world that fits…”
I enjoyed our conversations at “Fridays” and once again found my self confirmed in what I am apart of at One Village Coffee.
This Past weekend my friend Josh Smith and wife Gina Smith came up from Maryland to celebrate his graduation from .
This past weekend we shared meals and stories of our journey.
Friday evening Jared Byas , Josh and I sat on the upper porch off my “man room” to be… and spoke of our dreams to develope community to see trasformation of culture and lives for the betterment of the the world.
The ideas past around that evening were inspiring and once again confirming the place I am right now with where I live, what I do and what I am preparing to do.
The feelings of being behind the curve or underprepared seem to rear their head when i am around my younger counter parts who have taken on responabilities like; Master Degrees, Children and Pastoral position in a church.
After this weekend several things have been concluded in my mind.
It is time to start planing for a coffee shop for community development in partnership with the vision of One Village Coffee.
It is time to start planning for a child.
It is time to start planning for new education in the world of managment, non-profit community development and organizational leadership.
Who knows…
Maybe all these conversations this past week are connected, or maybe it is just Gods way of saying,
“keep trying, keep believing, keep inspiring others along the way. I am in you as you are in me and I will reveal my true nature to others as you become who you are.”
I am excitted about this new season.
What is a Preacher
A preacher is one who communicates the gospel to people.
I have often found it hard to view the pastor as the soul preacher, even more now than before. Today we have all sorts of preaching but very little gospel revelation.
I have scene the gospel and I have experienced the Kingdom in the most unlikely of places. The parts of the Gospels that inspire me are the part where the impossible is realized or the wrong is made right. IE, sitting with sinners, healing the sick or talking to woman.
There are parts of the Gospels so human they often go un noticed by most evangelicals, parts that reveal the very nature of man and the very possibility of God.
Tomorrow night I will share the story of One Village Coffee to over 100 employees of a Whole Foods Market in my community. This is an opportunity I am grateful for. From the perspective of the listener, I am just another voice in the market of wholesaling goods through their venue. From my perspective I am a man apart of a emerging organization designed around organic principles of growth. Care for the customer and contribution to greater society, the enabling of the poor to sustain a society longing for growth and change.
I am a simple person full of dreams for more than I can create, the possibility that God is involved in Creation and wants all of us to be involved together. Tomorrow night will be a moment like that, and my only hope is that I will be aware enough to see the Gospel. The place were the Good News of God So loved the World… The space and time where The Creator steps in and Create His image, divulging the secret of the Universe…
There is a God and that God is love, and in Him there is no darkness at all…
Wont you pray with me…
The Hardest Thing to Do is Try
For over a year now, I have been apart of One Village Coffee.
We are a group of people trying to help children through funding development in overlooked regions of the world.
We are a Coffee Roaster, providing sustainably certified coffee to the conscious customer.
We are an educator, storyteller and believer.
There is more to starting something than being good…
With out the common value of change, wrong choices and painful experiences we would not be here still alive and growing.
This past year has tested my beliefs, confidence and understanding. Almost every day I am in over my head. For the past month I have immersed myself in coffee equipment and brewing technique. It is my goal to create a program for people who love coffee and the way it can develop community.
I long for community…
Ever since I left vocational ministry to pursue the dream that is the Kingdom: the belief that God is involved in His creation and longs for the created to take part in,
The restoration of relationships
The acceptance of the un accepted
The empowering of the poor
The development of Freedom
The community of Faith.
I wake up with a small understanding of the mess of the Gospel:
Giving up the right to do what is best for me and only me.
To consider others that I see as less than me, better than me.
I can not be who I am created to be with out the constant reminder of how scary this is:
Life and the pursuit of happiness,
True success, in the upside down world
A capitalistic tool of business, marketing, and sales:
Providing a commodity produced in the under developed countries through the industry of Coffee.
Marketing our product to the customer who believes paying more is supporting more:
I sometimes struggle with the idea of capitalistic gain through the helping of the poor.
I sometimes struggle with the sale of an idea or dream.
Concepts that we are a people who are made to co create and begin to build a better world.
I am not sure what all of this means, but it is helpful to write it out.
Sorry it has been so long…
