Recently a friend and collaborator Harry Jarrett Jr.posted his thoughts about why he likes a denomination my wife and I have been members of for the past several years.  Although our historical family tradition is Mennonite, and we both went to Mennonite Highschools CD and LMH, but, I have not been actively involved in the Mennonite church as a larger denomination/network or agency until recently.

A brief  backstory.

As a family, my spouse and I  have worked in the space of evangelical mega-church, after which we spent half of our adult life not going to a formal church, but started a home group called Livingroom during our recovery from Church. After some major life transitions we become active member/participants in a local congregation where we have found support and friendship for our journey and a space to belong to God’s Body, the Church,  even I don’t “fit in”, (in the more traditional sense of the word).

The reality of the work I have been invited to participate in would not be possible with out the connection to the Church and it’s agencies.

Being Church Again.

Here is how I have participated with this denomination called Mennonite Church USA

I was invited into leadership development relationships through Franconia Conference and given oppertunities to apply my ideas and experience through leading seminars and speaking.

Later, I was invited to apply experience and learning for a missional experiment  through Doyelstown Mennonite Church called

This past year I have listened and shared thoughts on a Transformational Team through Eastern Mennonite Seminary where I am continuing my adult learning in Leadership from an Anabaptist perspective to graduate in 2012 with a M.A.

In 2013 I will be apart of implementing innovative ideas for an interactive experience through media/tech at Mennonite Church USA Convention in Pheonix Arizona.

Possible Reasons for Church

A gift this network of people, churches, agencies and higher learning.

Relationship with a broader community of faith acting out of a narrative of peacemaking and reconciliation in our world.  This has transformed my understanding of self, others and mission.  I have become a player in a theatrical story taking place in our world for the work of God, where people with out food, share a meal with people who live in abundance.  I can invision what Jesus talks about in the gospel being repurposed through an actual Church in a where society has removed themselves from the system of doing church on a large scale.  I imagine from my own experience this is due to the amount of corruption, and injustice done in the name of God, Jesus, Crusades where ”Jesus”, “God” are used for personal/political gain.

I can imagine an actual body of work over the past 1500 + years of being Church reconciled in our local communities and global society where acts of violence/injustice are actively confronted through practices of resiliency and peacemaking from a broader perspective  of faith.  This is due to the STAR program I participated in last year on a hilltop in scenic Harrisonburg Va. through Strategies for Trauma and Resiliency .  Recently a Nobel Peace Prize winner winner was a graduate of this institution  and applied her leaning from the Center for Justice and Peacemaking to her context in Africa.

The greatest part of being apart of Church, is the sense of participating in the narrative of God’s love in our world that confronts our own fears and inabilities to understand others on a  healthy and functional human level.   This grand story in scripture and live out through history, be it unreconcilable at times, invits us to particpate in practical ways in our relationships with self, family and friends.  Our indavidual story has the chance of getting caught up in the epic journey of holistic spiritual transformation in order to actualize a self that can make a mutual benifit in society.  I have witnessed the results and outcomes in my relationship with my spouse, daughter, extended family, community, colleagues, and a cohorts of learners.

What is your expeirence with Church?

In what ways are you making meaning out of Church?

What are your reasons for or against Church?

Responsibility denotes ones own ability to accept, absorb and learn from their decisions.  This often takes place when a person finds themselves at a “crossroads” in life.  A traumatic incident may have taken place, for example, a death of a loved one or loss of job.  These incidents evoke a stress response in the neurological system, causing systemic results in the mind, body and spirit.  As the person goes through the transformational process of full acceptance of ones own behavior or situation in life, they become responsible for their personality.  (This could take years, decades, a life time or never at all.)

Here is my perspective:

People in western Society don’t like reality.  The acceptance of who they are, because we are really good at developing extensions of ourselves.  Ie, business, blogging, inventions etc. Our extensions allow us to analyse and distract us from the core of who we are.  The real problem facing the world today.  We can be all connected virtually at any moment, and yet we have digressed in our own understanding of our responsibilities.  We can live in alternative realities of what it means to be human, male, female, black, white, successful, etc.

We tend to accept the illusion that we are above culture, that somehow our understanding of ourself comes from a higher power.  As someone who’s worldview and belief system is shaped by my identity in a Anabaptist/Mennonite faith tradition.  I do believe in a higher power (God), however, in my work with Christians, I am finding an unwillingness to accept our own limitations, as well as possibilities for greatness.  (The word greatness needs work, I am not able to go into for this blog post.)

For example: I have notice this from my own personal development and work with organizations and individuals.  There is a tendency to slip into the comfortable understanding of self as just made up from the values of our culture.  This is just one small example:  Our culture values what we buy, because our broader society values the consumptions of goods and services.  Therefor, my identity becomes shaped by where I shop, who I support financially etc.  This is not wrong, but it does not make up the some of all our parts a citizens of the world, in our own particular tribe, family and business.  This can be found in where we live, the church we go to, the places we shop, and the name on our bank account.

My suggestion is we all take small steps toward responsibility for our personality.  We must stop thinking we can change the world and start believing we can be apart of the greatest transformation to ever happen in human civilization.  I am talking about the illumination of all mankind.  That we are all connected and who I am, what I do actually matters.  It does, just look at your neighbor, or the person who washes the dishes at the restaurant you frequent.

Over time, a long period of time, individually and collectively we can have a reorientation of character.  We can be transformed by the renewing of our minds – scripture.

Here is the question:

How are you oriented right now and what are small steps you can take to reorient toward responsibility today?

According to wikipedia‘s  definition of Character Orientation:

Receptive Orientation: People who are passive.

What are you asking from someone that you can be responsible for?

What can you do right now to become responsible?

Hoarding Orientation: People collect and keep stuff they don’t need

What are things you do not use you can get rid of this week?

Marketing Orientation: Who are you trying to sell?

To take a step today, I would suggest asking the question:

What/Who am I investing in?

This blog was inspired by my investment in my own personal understanding and responsibility for decisions and outcomes I find less desirable.  We all have a shadow mine tends to be narcissistic, impulsive, unfocused, rebellious, undisciplined, possessive, manic, self destructive, and restless.  This is true, just ask my wife or colleges over the past 10 years.  However, with that said I have a radical belief that we are living in and out of a story.  My story is not over, but it has meant taking responsibility for my personality. Understanding my strengths, my unique contribution to my wife, daughter, family, friends, colleges, partners, congregation, community and world.

If you are feeling in transition this post is for you.  Welcome to the new normal, welcome to the new way of being in this world.  Where we can finally face some of the the lies which we inherited like “security” and “wealth” and flip them on their heads with a radical simplicity.  A hope in something more than the individualistic, consumer, American “dream”, which has failed us all.

To understand failure and its power of transformation, I believe one needs to fail their expectations and live in spite of fear.  The driving theme in our human narrative is the fear of death.  Overcoming our greatest fears, is a process of living well.

“What do you do?” is in my estimation the toughest question for a person in transition.

May I suggest a better question for people in transition, “What are you learning?”

Here is what I am learning:

1. We need new metrics of success.  (Money, power, fame will not work in this new world we are living in, where the curator of information and the promoter of others, becomes the new CEO, because last I heard the salaries aren’t that good

2. We need community more than we need commodities. (When I use the word community think of this analogy.  An alcoholic steps into a room and this persons friend hands them a diet coke while entering a party.  Community empowers the person, it does not enable destruction.)

3. There is are new social spaces emerging. (We have the white noise of social space vibrating our phones and filling our minds with activity.   But People who make real face to face human contact happen, will yield the new currency.)

4. Empathy can take the lead in the “new economy”. (I am biased, I have a passion for faith communities specifically the tribe I belong too.  The reason the congregation can lead is they can design mission around people projects, not buildings and salaries.)

5. At the end of my life, I will be thankful for this year. (I am overjoyed with a thankfulness to the people who have allowed me to commit and share with.  Each week I become affirmed in my faith as a way of life, not just a belief.)

One year ago I stepped away from a company I co-founded with my father, wife and a couple friends.  I did this to reclaim my life and it’s purpose. I did this to integrate a life lived on mission with my wife who is my greatest partner and friend.  I did this, because I have a daughter and if I hope for her to live in a way that is abundant and meaningful than, I better start living with intention.

Step 1 – I went back to school to finish a degree in leadership.

Why did I go to Eastern Mennonite Seminary?

The Anabaptist Mennonite narrative is my grounding story.  They are my faith community and were instrumental in bringing me back to life.  I hope to ultimately work with leaders in activating their God given dreams for this world on the mission of reconciliation and transformation.

Step 2 – We started a “company” Why?

This time we designed it a little differently by founding a Talent Collective.  I have a gift and I want to share it with amazing people, companies and organizations.  There are better ways to work and www.myohai.com is just one of them.

Step 3 – We named and joined a movement

There are 1000′s of movements all around us, I recommend naming one or joining one you identify with.  I connect and collaborate with www.ohipeople.com and www.anabaptistnetwork.org.

In the past year I have had the opportunity to share my gift with inspiring people doing amazing work in business, NPO’s, community development and churches.

Thank you for all those who have given me oppertunities and encouragement over the past year.

I have not used the word “calling” in my vocabulary till recently, due to the many meanings it has had in my life.  It used to mean to me that there was this specific job, role, task I was meant to do or person I was meant to be.  Now calling is more about the fullfillment of a longing that ecompasses both my intellectual, spiritual and emotional understanding of myself in the world.  I fullfill my calling primarly in the small things, like doing dishes, laundry and spending time with Andrea, my wife, June my daughter and the relationship extenstion that keep me grounded.

I need grounding in my life, because I am a dreamer and impulsive.  Expressing myself as a whole person in family and society comes with its challenges.  Number one challenge in my life is developing a carreer, profession or the word I like to use: vocation.  The word vocation takes into account the small things I do every day to fullfill my calling.  I have a deep longing to be a husband, father and worker.  A person who serves God in the profession of helping people live their calling through their business, ministry and work.

Five months ago Andrea and I went a way to a small house in New Jersey to find clearity on how we would live out our longings as parents and workers the upcoming year.  After seeking counsel from wise leaders who know our passion, hopes and dreams we started a talent cohort to do our work together in community with people who have gifts outside our capacity.  This provides a level of accountability and a structure to work with small business leaders, Ministries, and Non Profits.

Andrea and I failed at our first effort of working together. Largely because of my ego and in ability to take her lead where she is strong.  Thankfully the business we helped start continues to this day and it doing well.  Removing ourselves from structures that did not support our strength was our first step in developing our vocation and fulfilling our calling.  We have just begun and it is a challenge and rewarding in our personal relationship.  There are many different opportunities we have because of this decision, but it has meant letting go of the american dream of owning home, property and stuff.  We are privilege to even get to decide that we will “sacrifice” those dreams for a more holistic dream of living our calling.

How do you celebrate your way of life?

How do you understand your way of being in this world?

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

He was talking about Walter Brueggemann and the journey to the center of good.  It became apparent that Peter Block had done his homework on the pastoral life.  Comparing the journey of the Israelites out of cannon to the promise land to our human condition in the wilderness of uncertainty.

He then went on to explain how there is a fault line in the patriarchal narrative of our society and we must decent through conversation.  As an Anabaptist in trenched in Pennsylvania Dutch culture most my life I mostly felt like an outsider in the place I grew up and now live with my wife and child.  However, listening to the a thought leader in the area of community transformation speak about descending and liberation I could hardly keep myself from leaping out of my seat and shouting.  “Here I am send me!”

He then went on to deconstruct our view of leadership in community.  Leaning up and against the systems of patriarchal hierarchy: is patriarchy held together by systems of hierarchy.  Revealing the alternative future we are inviting people into when we become interested in the voices outside of the centers of power.  He explained how we are not in a vocation to meet the expectation of others. In response to this perspective of expectation he stated, “I want from my boss all the things my parents can’t give.”  The room erupted with awkward laughter and I felt at home…

With gentle ease he spoke these words into the open space of a beautiful church sanctuary, “Your freedom is scary.”  My eyes began to well up with tears, I looked up at the stain glass to hear the voice of the images speak to me, but I heard nothing at all.  In my upward gaze I say the art installation of hundreds of dreams put together in origami by people of this faith community.  Professional, people with out homes, people with addictions, students, artists, activists, a community on Mission of reconciliation.  HERE

Peter Block then went on to explain how in the wilderness, excess is not valued.  This made so much sense to me evoking a conversation I had with Andrea several nights before about money and how certain months we bring in less and stay in our budget and enjoy the gift of life more than the months we make more money.  “Why is that?” I thought…  Maybe it is about well-being, and when we are more alive we need less material to fill our void.  Maybe is is about Jesus’ version of the kingdom in Mark, were people can not hear or see kingdom when they are in power and are at the center of systems.  Jesus is the image of transformation.

More coming soon of a community development exercise that is having profound transformational implication on how I live and work.

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.

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.

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 lot of changes when drive…

Today I noticed several business’s closing. One of them was a theater, the other was a furniture store. (Why do furniture stores always go out of business?)

My answer is, IKEA.

Recently I furnished my living room with the gift from George Bush for all of those who support the war or pay taxes. Actually I do not know why we got money, but like a consumer I went and spent it.

This is the first time in my life my wife, Andrea and I furnished a room in one of our space with stuff we like. In the past we would fill it with stuff we thought we should buy, like a good married couple. Tonight one of my friends was over and he said, “your apartment does not feel like a married couple lives here. It feels like one of you are single.” I later commented that I am not sure if he meant that is a positive or negative. I guess we no longer fill our space with “married” peoples stuff.

Space matters, and if I am going to live in it, I would like to enjoy where I live. (hey look I am even blogging because of the space I am in right now)