Have you ever walked into your house only to discover that Twister Part II had landed directly in the middle of your living room? (by the way, I love the movie Twister!) I don’t know how it gets this way, because it certainly isn’t me but those of you with kids will empathize. You can pick up the house, but in a few short hours it looks like a WWE Brawlfest – stuff exploding everywhere. The kitchen might even be worse, but we won’t go there.

Okay. I have to admit it – I do laundry. I actually kind of enjoy doing laundry for some reason, but there are certain things about laundry that puzzle me:

* Why can’t I ever find a match to each and every sock?
* Why does every pair of my wife’s pants have one leg in and one leg out?
* Why do my daughters have twice as much laundry as everyone else?

…and perhaps the most challenging:

* How in the world do you fold a “nightgown?” I fold and I fold and I fold, but that thing never gets any smaller and it certainly doesn’t fold up into a nice and tidy little bundle. Who invented those things anyway? Maybe I’ll start “accidentally” misplacing them. But that’s another story.

I know I have already given my take on the Da Vinci Code book by Dan Brown, but I read an interesting quote today by one of my favorite authors, Brian McLaren. Here’s what he has to say about the upcoming movie:

We need to ask ourselves why the vision of Jesus hinted at in Dan Brown’s book is more interesting, attractive, and intriguing to these people than the standard vision of Jesus they hear about in church. Why would so many people be disappointed to find that Brown’s version of Jesus has been largely discredited as fanciful and inaccurate, leaving only the church’s conventional version? Is it possible that, even though Brown’s fictional version misleads in many ways, it at least serves to open up the possibility that the church’s conventional version of Jesus may not do him justice?

While I don’t necessarily agree with McLaren on many points, his thoughts on the general perception of Jesus may be right on target. I would hazard a guess that if you asked most people their thoughts on Jesus, most would talk about a guy who had long hair, wore a nice robe, and was a general all-around pretty swell guy. Conventional wisdom? You bet, if you accept those terms of wisdom.

I was in the Central West End in St. Louis the other night, and it was getting late, so I opted to drive a few blocks to a local and very popular coffee house known as the “Coffee Cartel.” It was nearing 11pm, so I expected to find a handful of people at this 24 hour coffee capital. What I found however, was a beehive of activity numbering near 50! So many people sitting around tables conversing, surfing the wi-fi network, studying, or like me, waiting in line for their cup-o-joe.

So there I was, standing in this never-ending line, when a thought occured to me. What if Jesus were to come to the Coffee Cartel? I mean, wouldn’t this be the perfect place for Him? In this small consortium of 50 or so were people from all walks of life: the student, the senior couple, the two gay lovers, the husband and wife. I could just imagine Jesus walking from table to table striking up a conversation, interjecting some thoughts, maybe teaching a quick lesson, or perhaps even taking a moment to share a story (insert your favorite parable here).

I don’t know if you’ll agree or not, but this certainly doesn’t sound like a “conventional” picture of Jesus. And quite frankly, I don’t think I would follow Him if it were any other way. The Jesus I know is a dangerous, authentic and most importantly, a loving God. If following Jesus means to radically throw out conventional wisdom, then just call me the fool.

I love what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:7, “God’s wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don’t find it lying around on the surface.” (Msg) As we start a new series on the Da Vinci Code this weekend, I pray that many will begin to “scratch” the surface and begin a conversation. The mystery of Jesus is a wonderful journey just waiting to be uncovered. Coffee anyone?

Day 2 is a wrap. An excellent day of information, affirmation and confirmation. I heard some very good stuff today that will put me in contact with some folks who can help us with some ideas and brainstorming. The music was much better today as well, but still some Powerpoint issues. The band was solid, and the vocalists were really phenom, especially the last girl that led – she had an awesome voice.

It was also a day of affirmation that we are on the right track with our visions and dreams. And finally it was a day of confirmation that God has given the green light on some upcoming projects. It will not be an easy stretch by any means, but I feel very confident that we have been chosen to carry out God’s plans…even if we don’t know exactly what that might look like yet. I love what Dave Ferguson had to say today (although he said it a few too many times!!). He said that “God Speaks. We step.” Today we took that first step on God’s journey for Meadow Heights. I can’t help but think of Robert Frost and “The Road Not Taken.” The road may not have been traveled yet, but our steps can begin to uncover the path towards the next junction in the road. Remember that life is not just a destination, but a journey to be enjoyed and experienced.

It’s time for a bit of dinner, dessert, and maybe some discussion and downtime. Tomorrow our flights back into St. Louis, and I hope this time things are much smoother!

The first day of the multi-site conference is in the books. The day began at 2pm with the main session – a little music up front (the band was decent…a good lead singer, but the presentation was not great – especially the PPT operator!), then a panel of leaders in the multi-site field. An attempt at some “late night” humor fell quite short, but overall the main session was enjoyable.

Then on to the breakout sessions. Each of us went to a different session. Mine was on starting a campus in a distant location and was actually very interesting. Not a lot of new info, but a lot of specifics (especially monetary figures) that I had not had opportunity to gather.

So, Day 1 was a good day, but mostly global information. I hope tomorrow brings some additional info and some new insights as to where God is leading us in the very near future. Another update tomorrow!

Oh yeah. We ate dinner at a “smokehouse,” and while the atmosphere was pretty cool, the food was just average. After our meal, we were craving a bit of the sweet stuff (that’s not quite like me now is it? , so we walked part of the historic downtown area to a dessert and coffee shop. First of all, historic Charleston is a very cool place to visit. It reminds me a great deal of New Orleans – older architecture, down south hospitality, and of course, great food. I had a latte and piece of “Tollhouse Cookie Pie.” I am still reeling in the effects of so much food after many weeks of being “good” on a healthy diet. So much for keeping it safe on this trip!!

For now, a bit of the ole’ “shut eye” as we prepare for Day 2 of the Multi-Site Revolution!

WOW!! What a day of traveling!! We’ve finally arrived here in South Carolina at the Seacost Multi-Site practicum – BUT…only after much discussion and praying. We arrived at the airport early, or so we thought. As I tried to check in, I was told every so kindly by the attendant that our flight had stopped boarding and we would not be able to go down to the gate. It turns out that they had changed our flight time from 7am to 6am!! Our travel agent had not updated us, and I had not called to double check the flight. Does anyone really confirm times??

We were able to get “standby” passes to a later flight and waited our turn to see if any seats would open up on an already “overbooked” flight. Once everyone had boarded, the attendant informed us that two out of the four of us could go on the flight. After some quick discussion, Bryan and Mac jumped on the flight while Jeremiah and I waited behind. It was the only flight that would get us to our connecting flight in time.

As Jeremiah and I were talking about how we could possibly find another flight, the plane got ready to depart. The stewardess called Jeremiah and I over to the table, and much to my suprise asked if we wanted to “squeeze in” to this flight. As we began to go through the door, I heard the attendant talking to a fellow who had just walked up. He said they finally made it and that his two buddies were right behind him. The attendant said a few words and then I heard her ask him if he was getting on the plane because she was closing the doors. His buddies were not quite to the gate yet, so he said he couldn’t board without them. She then told him it was too late and shut the door on him just as our backsides were heading down the ramp. Talk about God intervening and saving the day!!

Not only did we hop on a flight at the last minute, but we arrived to our connecting flight 30 minutes early, and have finally arrived at our conference in plenty of time to register and enjoy the day. I’ll update more later as the day progresses!!