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I’m hanging out with some great people today and sharing a session designed to encourage lifelong learning that leads to transformative action.  With this in mind I’ll be highlighting 30 resources, each for only 30 seconds, and then using this experience to host a dialogue about the components of connectedness, curiosity, community and creation, as they related to mission shaped living and leadership.

Here is the Keynote presentation I am using.  Here is a Powerpoint version.  Also, here is the accompanying handout.

After a tasty detour at The Yellow Church Cafe, Hannah and I arrived in Yakima on Friday evening for a few hours of seeing old friends, being reminded of some of the voices who’ve been influential in our lives, and sharing on the inter-connectedness of marriage and mission (for those who are married and on mission).  Below are a few resources mentioned during the session we led.

The Spirituality Of The Cell Phone, Shane Hipps
In this video, from the Q gathering in 2009, Shane Hipps discusses the process of recognizing God’s presence and being present ourselves.

A Few Questions For Transformational Conversation
During the session we discussed the idea of the home being a free seminary, a “little church” (connected to the imagery of Paul’s instruction to Timothy in 1 Timothy, specifically his saying that elders should manage their own house well.  For how, if one can’t live and lead well in the little church at home, could they lead the slightly larger church with whom they gather, live, serve, etc.).  As we did we talked about the place of intentional, transformational conversation, and mentioned these group questions.  The reason for this went something like this: many of us talk about the value of intentional communities, work to foster their development, etc.  Why wouldn’t we do the same thing in the midst of our marriage, a relationship that serves up a great example of the mystery, beauty, and way of God’s redemptive mission in the world?  The point of sharing these was / is to provoke thought and action, not merely to prescribe.

A Million Miles In A Thousand Years / Narrative Expression, Donald Miller
During one part of our conversation we alluded to Miller’s latest book, A Million Miles In A Thousand Years.  Hannah and I both found it to be a good read that lived up to its intent of exploring the makings of a good story, and how one might live into a good story.  We are convinced that living on mission with Jesus is the good story way.  As such, we recommended this little video, which briefly shares what the book does in more detail.

Tomorrow Hannah and I will drive to Yakima to spend time with a very talented, creative and focused group of leaders who give themselves to mission shaped living and action among middle and high school students. While there we’ll teach a session on marriage and mission. As such here are a few questions that continually cause me to pause, reflect and act…

How do I foster a way of living where the following frame and guide me: God’s good creation at the beginning of the story; the personal, communal and systemic devastation caused by human rebellion and sin; and the reign and restorative mission of God that has come and is coming in Jesus?

How do these layers of the story inform and affect my life in community, including marriage?

How well do I pay attention, or not, to God’s continual use of the metaphor of marriage in Scripture, as an image of his relationship to a people (not just me) and his mission “on earth as it is in heaven?”

How am I cultivating the life and mission of the “little church” at home?

How am I responding to those ideologies that would make an idol of the home and family?

We’ll explore a bit of the essence of these questions, share practical expressions from our experience and do a bit of resourcing during our session. We’re also looking forward to hearing how others are approaching these issues, fleshing out a vibrant expression of mission at home and beyond, and experiencing, although brief, a collaborative moment with those we gather with.

(I’d love to hear any feedback to these questions, expression, etc. here as well.)

*And lastly, thank you to the wonderful musical act known as She & Him (Zooey Deschannel and Matt Ward) for the tunes and the title.