Thursday, January 28, 2010

God tastes like espresso!

Recently I was on a retreat and Fr. Bernie, who was leading it, challenged us to imagine what God tastes like.  I was surprised to find that God tastes like espresso.  I am still thinking through the implications of this. 

The flavor profile I look for in a shot of espresso is one that rumbles and grabs my tongue. It has a boldness and a clean finish with a fine aftertaste.  It seems I want that particular profile because it reminds me of how I experience God.  I find I look for similar qualities in music, jazz and blues that digs in with visceral emotion, art deco portraiture that is heroic and lush, Greek food... the list goes on.

What word can I use to describe this experience?  Dare I say it?

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Spirituality of Coffee

As proof that there are other people crazy about God and espresso, I submit for your consideration Billy Kangas. He has created a liturgy for making a cappuccino that I can't wait to use in practice! What an awesome way to find God in everyday life.

Monday, January 25, 2010

New Domain Name

The Lord, The Blues and the Art of Being Smooth is now Harar Quixotic! Update your bookmarks to www.hararquixotic.com.

Resting

As I was reflecting on the structures and systems of my church, and where I could begin implementing strategy, I leaned back in my chair and heaved a sigh. Mindy Caliguire caught my emotion and stooped to talk to me. I explained that I served a small church that had no real systems in place with which to contend. I went on to relate how we’ve tried implementing classes and other creative forums to use for spiritual formation but have seen few people come out to them. I know it means continuing to talk about vision, but, I told her, I have been preaching this stuff for six years now. When will it take hold?

I could hear in her response that as she was listening to me, she was also listening to the Spirit. With prophetic force she commanded me to, “Rest.” Then she exempted me from the rest of the discussion about strategy!

This isn’t the first time recently that God has been speaking to me of rest. I spent five days in silent retreat at St. Gregory’s Abby in October. While there I had a powerful emotional response to Psalm 6:2. “Give me strength, I am completely exhausted.” I was surprised then because I didn’t realize that I was exhausted, yet I sobbed in sympathy to this word.

I find this ironic, and am struggling to understand what God is saying to me. Often I consider myself lazy! Why would I need to rest? I find myself tired often and I do sleep and nap, whenever I get the chance!

I get my class work done, and Sunday’s preparations never fail to come together by God’s grace. There is certainly a lot to do, and our finances are so tight I can’t even think about them, leaving them in the hands of God, my wife, and the back of my mind. Life is stressful to be sure, and my body doesn’t handle the stress well. Yet, is that an excuse for merely getting by?

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Inner Healing part 3

The following is from a guided meditation into inner healing.  It takes place in my imagination and goes where I am surprised.  I thought I would have to work on my feelings about the church in Faribault that I had to work on earlier, but see where Jesus took me...
I walk to the creek side and sit on the large stones that form its bank. My back is to my Grandparent’s farmhouse and barn. Jesus comes and sits with me. I feel his body, his arm against my shoulder. He laughs and I push him.

I tell him that I feel he has shown me something at the core of me that I feel like an annoyance to others. I tell him that the members of my cohort have affirmed that I am not, that it is a lie. They asked me where that idea came from. I don’t know. I ask Jesus to Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24).

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Church and business

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The books, Good to Great, How The Mighty Fall and, Tribes offer the business world surprising and proven insight into how organizations work and succeed. There are a few concepts that have stuck out to me a significant. How can these concepts be applied to the spiritual formation of congregations?

Pulp reality

I pull into the gun club's snow covered parking lot, way in the back under a lone street lamp, a car is parked. The snow falls gently as I approach the car, she rolls down the window. Handing a brown envelop through the car window to a woman who has never met me and I have never met, seems an awfully clandestine way to deliver Ella's girl scout cookie money.