{Insert Random Hymn Quote}

I have a new blog place http://www.gregfeightner.com/blog

Classes don't really start in a week do they. I was just having fun this summer working, pretending to read life changing books and hanging out with Elizabeth. Oh well, I guess I have been a bit bored and I'm looking forward to a couple of my courses. It will be a tough semester though.

Bulldog football is also just around the corner. I can't wait.

Two experiences have converged to bring about this post:

First, I have begun a daily discipline of prayer and Bible meditation using The Daily Office: A Book of Hours for Daily Prayer (More info). In particular, these volumes are based on the traditional canonical hours and the Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer. An online version of the traditional version may be found here.
This experience over the past couple days has revealed to me the beauty and power of written prayers. For one prone to distraction like myself, written prayers help to give a structure and serve as a way of remembering what and why we are praying. I feel like they open the door to more spontaneous prayer. Written prayers are akin to meter and rhyming patterns in poetry. They offer structure and options in the vast realm of language, emotion and petition. To offer another metaphor, I think of an astronaut on a spacewalk gathering atmospheric samples and repairing equipment yet still tethered to the spacecraft so as not to float away into irrelevance. {Note: I just discovered that the astronauts don't have actual physical tethers any longer, but you get the picture}

Second, I have been made aware of many friends and friends of friends serving as overseas or cross-cultural missionaries. I make this distinction of overseas or cross-cultural because I feel that apostolic Christians should all view themselves as missionaries wherever they are located. However, I realize that there are certain pressure points in one's life and ministry from my experience as a cross-cultural missionary in Latino Chicago and in knowing overseas missionaries.

As a result I felt inspired this evening to write a prayer that I will continue to use as I pray for my brothers and sisters ministering overseas and cross-culturally. Feel free to use it in your prayer time as well.

Triune Lord,
The one who calls us to places abnormal. Who calls us beyond places of complete comfort: Be with all those ministering in places not called 'home.'

We praise you for your sustaining Hand, life giving Word and empowering Spirit. We thank you for allowing us to be proclaimers and practicioners of your Love.
Protect [name or group]'s body and protect their hearts.
From your vast storehouse, provide them your resources.
[space to pray for specific programs, events or situations]

Bring supporters to them, surrounding them as a tight colonnade. May they walk with those both culturally and spiritually wise. Powerful Lord, show us [me] how I may support them, even from this distance. [Be silent and listen]

Let them be assured of your guidance as they walk down fruitful paths and gracefully guide them from paths contrary to your desires. [Intercede for specific situations or plans]

Finally, Lord, grant them opportunities to rest and be strengthened in your presence for it is by your power that all good things come to pass
Amen

Wow. Life changes. Fast.
I made one of the hardest decisions of my life today. I have been a part of a non-denominational recently planted church. The values and methods of ministry and outreach of the church line up pretty well with my values.

This would be awesome except that I'm not called to be an attender or a lay person. I am called to train myself for vocational ministry, to be a pastor. More specifically, I am training to be a United Methodist pastor, so say all my scholarship essays.

Basically, Veritas Church does not serve as a good training ground for the next 5 years or so of my ministry. It has virtually no seniors or homebound members. The theology is pretty far from Wesleyan theology as one can get. And everything about Veritas is non-traditional.
Finally, it is not a UM church and well, not going to a UM church may be difficult to defend before my Board of Ordained Ministry, especially considering that I probably didn't give fair consideration to a few around here.

My time at Veritas was valuable however. I still have more experience in a church plant than most of my colleagues in ministry. I've also identified some UM churches around here that look promising. The biggest difficulty now will be arranging a Contextual Education site, as I had planned be at Veritas.

I have faith that God will provide some good option. I don't feel God would've led me to this point if not.

Phew! This month has flown by. Generally, I hate reaching the end of a month and wondering where it went, however, I am just happy to have (almost!) made it.

I don't have any papers or projects due for a week and that seems like an eternity. I am happy to report that I've found someone to sub-lease my apartment so I may move into more spacious confines in 3 weeks. It also makes a second job less of necessity this summer, although I am still considering one. HOnestly, it isn't the "having a job" part that I am concerned about, just the whole job hunt process. There is nothing I hate more in life than looking for a job. I especially dislike havingto fill out an application that asks you where you went to high school and to list your last 3 employers (hello,read my resume) even if you give them a resume and speak to the manager in person.
I have begun composing a reading list for the Summer. I want to mix it up a bit. Some fiction, some theology, some sociological stuff.

Here are some options.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson (Fiction)
The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard
Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America , Ron Sider
The Tipping Point (begun already) Malcolm Gladwell
The Good of Affluence: Seeking God in a Culture of Wealth by John R. Schneider
The Moral Vison of the New Testament by Richard Hays


Any other ideas or suggestions (particularly inspiring fiction or poetry), post 'em!

I always reach a point of complete annoyance on Saturdays when I try to study. You see, my apartment is pretty noisy. I don't just mean regular city noise like traffic or random emergency vehicle sirens either. Here is a sampling of the noise I am likely to encounter in the next five minutes.

Children next door either crying or banging their toys around
Even louder children outside speaking in foreign languages and/or squealing alot.
Fire Truck sirens across the street
Dump trucks or other construction equipment emitting more bass than a low-rider convention

So, instead of enduring constant irritation while trying to study, I chose to go to Starbucks to study.

My ears perked up from studiyng the English reformation when I heard talk of people fasting sweets during Lent.

Basically, one woman said, "I know I'm fasting sweets for Lent right now, but what the hell, I want this Frappucino."

It just made me wonder why one would fast in the first place. The more generous side of me thinks that she had some noble intention of using the fast as a chance to experience God's grace whereas the more cynical side of me wants to chalk it up to having the form of religion but lacking the power of the Spirit.

I'm not trying to make any point here, just an observation I wanted to share.

Be forewarned: This post resembles structured stream of consciousness. If that sounds too paradoxical, keep reading to see it in practice.


I've been going through Conrad Gempf's Mealtime Habits of the Messiah as a devotional discipline during Lent. The writing is very casual and easy to understand. Some may call the writing style flippant, however his treatments of the Gospel accounts are anything but.

I've found the different sections to be scholarly and full of insight. It has certainly given me much to think about as I've gone through it. I guess, rarely do I look forward to reading anything in the morning but I get up early so that I can go through it.

I've never been much into doing Devotional books or even spiritual disciplines. It kind of follows from my mildly undisciplined way of going about life, though I am improving. (Note: If you are on the Board of Ordained Ministry, disregard that statement). However, I was arrested by a thought a couple days before Lent. The conviction was that despite all my praying and studying the Bible and ministry, I had ceased to be a disciple of Jesus.
I had all but stopped reading the Gospels, stopped considering the life of Christ and stopped applying deeper truth to my daily life. So I decided to be a good Wesleyan and discipline myself by waking early and praying and reading the Gospels (aided by Gempf) and journaling.

So, what shall I conclude from this. That a disciplined life truly is better. I feel as if I'm able to view things in their proper perspective.

Speaking of perspective, I love the song "When I Look at the World" by U2, track 9 on their All That You Can't Leave Behind album. I think I cried listening to it a couple days ago.