Summer!

"Belly Flops and Butt Cracks"




"Catchin' BIG fish at Barth Pond"

Sermon online

I had a great time meeting the people of City Vineyard this past Sunday. It's a very diverse church located just a few blocks from Wrigley Field. It was a real privilege to preach to them.

You can hear the sermon by going here.

Recommended Reading

Over the past few months I have had the chance to read some great books. Here's my list with a quick review of each:





Ultramarathon Man: confessions of an all-night runner, Dean Karnazes.

Joe English passed this book on to me right around the time DGV was winding down. It was perfect timing for me. Karnazes (a fellow Greek!) is part of a unique (insane?) class of runners who think of marathons as a warm-up.

This guy is no joke. He holds the record for the longest continuous run: 350 miles. And besides doing a marathon to the South Pole, he's won the Badwater Ultramarthon (135 miles in 120 degree heat) and raced almost a dozen times in the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (through the Sierra Nevada mountains)--just to name a few of his accomplishments.

What's great about the book is that he chronociles what led him into extreme running and the journey of his soul throughout the process. I usually don't get into books like this, but this one hooked me. It's a quick moving, entertaining book. I got back into running after reading the first chapter.


Death by Suburb: how to keep the suburbs from killing your soul, David Goetz.

I found this book after reading a Tribune write up on Goetz this past Easter. The title alone sucked me in. Goetz describes suburbia with sarcasim and wit, but he doesn't leave you there. He offers "spiritual practices" for dealing with the "environmental toxins" particular to the 'burbs. In short, he offers a way out of suburban life without having to leave.

The best part is I had the privledge of meeting Dave. After being introduced to his book and realizing he lived in Wheaton, I thought: "What the heck. Why don't I e-mail him and see if he's up for grabing a cup of coffee." He was up for it indeed! We met and chatted a few weeks ago. He's a great guy, very down to earth and engaging.


Living the Resurrection: the risen Christ in everday life, Eugene Peterson.

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm into Peterson's writings. His stuff is brilliant and essential in my mind. I feel like he saved my soul last summer. In a time when so much Christian thought and practice misses the point, Peterson directs us into a way of following Jesus and living the gospel that is full of depth and meaning. While much of the church in the West is jumping on the super highway of speed, efficency and business models, Peterson humbly waves his arm toward a dirt road where: how things get done matters, people are given dignity and God is worshipped rather used.

"Living the Resurrection" is a trimed down, abbreviated version of "Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places" (which is excellant, but thick). It reads swiftly, touching on three themes: wonder, meals and friends. If you haven't read any Peterson this would be a great way to get introduced to him.


Simply Christian: why Christianity makes sense, N.T. Wright.

Adam Beyer pointed me toward this book. Wright is the man, and he proves it in this sweeping overview of the Christian faith. Many people are paralleling this book to "Mere Christianity," by C.S. Lewis. In my mind it reads very different from "Mere Christianity," but is equally potent. Wright is THE theologian/scholar of our day.

Wright begins with our craving for justice, spirituality, relationship and beauty, pointing out how these fundamental human desires are really "echoes of a voice." They point beyond us to the God revealed in Holy Scripture, the God of Israel fully manifested in the person of Jesus. What I enjoyed most about this book is Wright's view of heaven and God's kingdom--that heaven and earth overlap and interlock. Heaven, in a sense, is coming down to meet us. New creation (Brian Brown is smiling) has begun through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and we have been summoned to embrace it.

Has anyone read any of these? Thoughts? What are you reading that you like?

Let the comments fly

I changed the setting so you should be able to comment without having to create a blog (how annoying!). You'll just need to do a quick word verification.

Andersons Head for Texas

Our good friends, the Andersons, fly home to Houston tomorrow. We will deeply miss them. Yet it gives me great joy knowing that their transition into life there will be smooth. Pictured below is their "dream home" (notice the giddy smiles). Supposedly you can get a lot of house for your money there:
















However, if the "dream home" doesn't work out...well, there's always plan B:




























Neil has been in the Chicago area for almost seven years now, but over the years I did observe subtle signs that he was a Texan:































Neil's gifts are sure to flourish in Texas. Clear Lake Vineyard apparently can't wait for him to come and lead throngs of people in worship...






















In all seriousness, it's hard to say good bye to such great friends. We dreamed. We laughed. We cried. We lived. We grew up.

My heart goes with you!

Itinerant Preaching

I'm preaching this coming Sunday at City Vineyard and next Sunday at Urban Vineyard. Pray for me.

Identity

So you may be wondering: Why the "organic" theme? Well, George literally means "farmer." It's Greek ("Say any word--ANY WORD--and I will show you how the root of that word is Greek"--My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Throughout Scripture names meant something; it explained who someone was; it marked them: Abram (exalted father) is renamed Abraham (father of many), indicating a shift in identity and personhood. In the New Testament Jesus gives Simon the name "Peter" (Rock), signifying a new role or vocation. So I've given some thought to my unexciting name: "George." What if there is something in there I need to embrace? What if God ordained my name? What if, by claiming my name, I can gain a sense of vision for my life, who I am and what God desires of me.

A farmer is an ordinary person who relies on God to make his work extrordinary--gardening is miraculous. But the farmer, no matter how good, or hard working, ultimatly relys on dirt, water, sun and wind. God is the grower. The farmer works the earth, and God works through the farmer. The farmer is sensitive to his farm; he cooperates with the land; he cooperates with God.

So who is George? That's what I'm trying to figure out. I want to "grow up." God has given me a partner to grow up with and children to nurture and guide. God has summoned me to farm his field: to sow seeds, to pull weeds, to pray for rain, to anticipate the harvest and celebrate it when it comes.

Who has God called you to be? What is your identity?

The kids

Rare moment: Ava, Stella and Lukas sitting still at the same.

The day has come

We're blogging. It's what you do when you get restless and need an outlet. It's what you do when you want to let people in on your life and thoughts. It's what you do when you have kids and want to post pictures for friends and family to see. It's what you do when you don't have a job.