Tonight is the last night of the retreat with Dallas. Actually, Dallas left like eight hours ago. I'm up late here with Malcom Hawker, Alan Creech, and Mike Bishop. Dallas talked about stuff that I've been over before, but it is always good to rehear it.

Here's the top five lowlights from the retreat.

5. I was delayed by almost three hours on the way in and had to keep Kevin Rains, Chris Marshall, and Mark Priddy up until two thirty in the morning. Mark had a nasty cough. I felt bad.

4. Alan Creech cut his big toe in the hot tub as the 'big boys' tried to flood some water out of the hot tub. Pain.

3. I had my first Guiness. It was...different. Not bad, just not 'tasty.' Sorry, I'm just not a beer guy.

2. The boys smoked some really bad "Cuban-seeded wrapping" cigars from Albertsons, and some sweet smelling pipes. Even the Dr. Pepper couldn't get rid of the smell of cheap cigar that clung to my teeth like a wet sweater.

1. Dallas falling in his chair off the step on the back porch. EVERYONE stopped breathing and was paralyzed for no less than 5 seconds. Dallas jumped up, brushed himself off, and looked to be pretty much alright. Scary.

Okay, for the highlights and other beneficial bits...in no particular order.

C. Well, of course, Dallas said some great stuff. I'll put the stuff I wrote down on the site later. But one thing he mentioned was the importance of teaching and preaching in spiritual transformation. I think it might have been more along the lines of proclamation. Both are important: teaching and proclamation. More on that later...

O. I asked Dallas about the statement he has often made that he doesn't know a single community that has an intentional curriculum for Christlikeness. I said, "We want to do it." He said there is no contemporary example. I asked him about past examples. He pointed to Charlesd Wesley, George Fox, and St. Francis. So you know what's next on my reading list. I guess it's time to read the book on St. Francis that my brother got me for Christmas.

L. It is apparent that we need to connect with other communities in the midwest (at least Michigan) for annual, bi-annual, or quarterly events to give us all a sense of what God is doing in our group and in groups around us. I think that would be healthy for us to see that we're not alone and not crazy. It will also be helpful to come alongside groups who are just starting up or are struggling with the things we are.

T. Tonight we talked about what Allelon was going to develop into. Is it going to be a network of leaders or a network of churches? Go to the Allelon website and read the mission, vision, etc. That pretty much sums it up. As Eric Keck posed, "Who wouldn't want to sign up for that?"

R. One of the best things has been meeting the amazing folks who are leading these missional communities. I could name drop all the names, but let me just say it was inspiring. Inspiring to see the women (wives) as part of this retreat.

A. Spiritual Disciplines. What I learned was that I have been avoiding some that I need to take up again. Such as? Well, it's really none of your business, but secrecy for one. Others are prayer and fasting. I have really been overly conscious about what people think of me, so secrecy I hope will remove my addiction to approval. Prayer because I don't listen to God enough. And fasting because I am addicted to chocolate and other desserts. My body needs to learn that it is not king. Hopefully that will translate to the rest of my life in relationship with God.

I. Little sleep with little observable effects. That has let me spend time late at night listening and talking to Alan, Malcom, Kevin and others.

N. The wonderful hospitality of the Priddy family. Mark and Jeanette have been wonderful opening up their home to us. And Debbie Hunter...can you say "Iron Chef"? The food has been unspeakably good.

E. More of what Dallas said...He said that the kingdom is always "spinning off" communities of Jesus' disciples. I think we need to remember that 1) we don't 'plant' churches. They are proiduced by the action of God in the lives of people. The kingdom produces community as people enter into it and live by the life of God. 2) we need to be working with God to help these kingdom produced communities to grow. That will be the role of Allelon, not on solely (or primarily) on a national level, but on a regional/local level. As Jason Evans told Randy recently, we will have to be Allelon to other groups. That kind of sounded like what Mark Priddy was talking about last night.

So Randy shows me "Blue Like Jazz" yesterday. I figure, "Hey, I'm sick today, I'll go pick it up and read it." You know, people are all crazy about this book. Barnes & Nobles was out of it. I wasn't about to step foot in Family Christian Stores (that's a philosophical thing). So I went to Kregel's (not as compromised as FCS but flirting), and they had it. I bought it and finished reading it today.

It didn't make my virus go away, but it was a great read.

I think it is so popular because it says what many of us are to afraid or blinded to say. Anyway, it is a great book. Well worth the read. If you can't afford it, I'll give you my copy. But you have to read it in two days and give it to someone else with the same conditions. Okay, I'll give you a week. Okay, I'll give you twenty days--a chapter a day. If you need more than that, you can't have my copy.

Pray for me. I'm flying to Boise tomorrow. I love flying, but I've become more anxious about it lately.

Peace

If anybody has about three hours, I have posted the last five sermons I've written and presented at Jenison. There's probably thirty pages of stuff there, but I think some of it is probably worth reading. For what it's worth, check it out and let me know what you think...

Peace,
Joel

Read a recent interview with Donald Miller, the author of Blue Like Jazz. It's worth a read at the Christianity Today site.

This is the link to Mark Palmer's online journal. Keep reading it, and keep Mark & Micah in your prayers.

Twenty minutes ago I was walking across the parking ramps upper level on my way back to the car, or think that I call car. It is hot, the kind of hot when even boxers feel miserable (don't ask). So, the comfort of the chair in the air of the mall was refreshing. Now refreshed, I am also twenty some dollars poorer.

Spending an hour at Barnes & Noble reading the first two chapters of Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller was enough to inspire the purchase of the book for me and another for a friend.

I had been at the blog of Brian Lowery, and he suggeted the book. Then last week, John Raymond, who works for Zondervans, more than suggested it as well.

I like to read, but this is more than a read. This is candy to the mind, but it also has food value. I dare guess that I will be done with it yet this week. It's powerful; it's real, and it's about me (and you).

Blessings... get the book!

Today I had lunch with Jim Best and his family. What a great family! They are absoltuely beautiful as they interact and experience life together. Keep them in your prayers as they leave their current church positions and enter the world of missional & simple church.

On a related note, I am wondering how God is going to connect all of these conversations regarding the emerging church. I believe groups like Allelon are great! Yet, we need to find ways to have this conversation at the local level as well.

We too quickly forget - we have been in this conversation for a number of years, but many people are just entering it. We need to help them find on-ramps to this conversation as well.

Tonight I want to take a moment to thank God for the goodness in my life. My life is full; my family is healthy; our bills are paid, and my wife enjoys her job.

I also have the opportunity to pursue things that are near to me as she supports our family financially. a.k.a. ... as she supports my ministry habits.

As I reflect, God continues to move the people of water's edge. We continue to grow in friendship with one another; we have a few people who are at the beginning stages of friendships with our community, and we have a few others who are really on the fringes - who have a long ways to go as they try to understand God and the kingdom. The combination of voices and personalities is exciting.

On other notes --- I am encouraged with the friendships that continue to develop between those of us at water's edge and other missional leaders/communities in the midwest as well as beyond this corner of the world.

Several new friendships: Jim Best who is on the east side of Michigan, and Brian Wolthuis who is starting a missional community in the Holland, Michigan area. I've also re-connected with Steve Lewis who I first met just over a year ago. Several e-mails from him have been greatly encouraging.

On Tuesday Mark Palmer's wife, Jennifer, went home to the perfect presence of God. My heart aches and my soul cries out. Yet, I know that God is holding Mark tonight.
http://www.livejournal.com/~palmerlp

Here are a few original Water's Edge meditations set to beats. We used these back in 2002 thanks to Kyle who should be getting back from North Carolina soon. Yes, the freaky voice is mine. The chants, however, are not. (the links below will lead you to the songs).

Enjoy!