Mad Dash to the Oscars!

I can't wait until next Sunday... the Oscars! The greatest night in movies!!! It's right around the corner, and both Justina and I can't wait.
This year's Oscar season looks very similar to previous years for us. The kinds of movies that tend to be nominated for the Academy Awards are (contrary to some tastes) the exact kind of films that we enjoy most... the creative art-house independent stuff. Since that's the kind of stuff we shoot for anyway, when the nominations are announced each year, chances are that we've seen at least a couple of them, though low-theater-attending-funds do make this a challenge at times. Then, once the noms are announced, we try to make a mad dash to see as many films as possible before the big night!
This year is no different. However it is a bit of an upgrade. Each year AMC Theaters shows all five best motion picture nominees back-to-back for the single price of $30, all on one day, on the day before the awards show. Though we've always wanted to, I've never been able because I worked in restaurant world and Saturdays aren't the easiest to take off... But this year, now that I'm out of that prison, we're on our way!
We've only seen one of the top five so far, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Each of the others, I've wanted to see, especially Milk and Frost/Nixon. I couldn't wait to see either of them from the first trailer. But I also thought Slumdog Millionare and the Reader looked good as well.
A couple weeks ago we saw Doubt and the Wrestler at a double-feature we went to. Both great films, but in different ways. Last night we rented Vicky Christian Barcelona and tomorrow we have Frozen River coming in from Netflix. I saw the Dark Night twice in the theater this summer and can't wait to see Heath Ledger take the win. Phenominal! Though, I must say, there are a lot of great performances up for supporting actor.
But the award I'm pulling for more than anything else in the entire show is Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married. That is actually my favorite film I've seen so far from 2008 (which could change after I've seen a few more...). Hathaway was spot-on. She was incredible. And I hope dearly that she wins, though, once again, she's up against some other great performances.
Anyway, I could ramble on and on, but I don't have much of an agenda other than to say that I can't wait for the Oscars! See you next Sunday night!

Blogging for West Hills

Well, it's official. Now I will be extra terrible at maintaining this blog. At West Hills, we are beginning a blog that will be linked to our new website with what will hopefully be weekly posts to correspond with what we're talking about at our Sunday gatherings. You can check out this blog at westhills.wordpress.com. I just put up my first post on it this week.

But since I don't keep up on things on here the best anyway, this will probably only make it worse. But nonetheless, I'll probably keep more personal things for this one.

Talk to you later and see you around.

Pray for the President-Elect

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." First Timothy 2:1-2

As everyone is most likely well aware, Sen. Barack Obama won the election yesterday and is now president-elect. Regardless of where we all stand individually within the political spectrum, I think we can all agree with the need to pray for our leaders and our nation.

We need to begin praying in new ways for President-elect Obama. Pray that as he begins setting up his cabinet and staff that the Lord would place strong believers in key positions around him, formally and informally. As our new president identifies himself as a Christian, pray that his faith would be strengthened in ways possibly not seen in the past. Pray that he would be afresh in prayer, humbly seeking God's direction for our nation. Pray that the stress of the job would not minimize time reading his Bible, but that it would draw him into it more fully. Pray that as Obama seeks to have an open ear to those of differing viewpoints, that he would be especially open to hearing and truly considering those of the Evangelical Christian church. Pray that in these and other ways, God would put his hand of blessing and direction upon the presidency.

I believe that we can agree on all of these prayers regardless of who we each voted for yesterday. Let's join together in prayer for God's favor on our president, our nation, indeed our world.

Let's seek His face...

Where is the Church?

The picture of the church in Acts 2 haunts me. It troubles me because as I look around, I don't see this church today. At least not often.

I'm thinking lately on what it would look like to find this type of people today. A church that is committed to Scripture and to intimate relationships (i.e. "fellowship") and to breaking bread and to prayer--not just to the acknowledgment of the importance of these things, but to actually highlighting them as a people. A church that actually sits in awe, captivated by the work God is doing around them--not just frustrated because he's not doing enough... A church that spends large amounts of time living life together. A church that shares possessions and sells belongings to ensure that none among them are lacking in the least. A church that gathers every day together. One that meets for prayer each day. That shares meals each day. Where its people open their homes each day. Join in communion each day. Take time to express gladness, thankfulness, and praise every day. A church that is on the edge of their seat before God among his people. A church that in the midst of this is seen favorably among neighboring nonchristians and is therefore continually expanding as outsiders become insiders.

I guess the real question is less "Where is this church?" and more "What can we do to daily become the church more fully?" What can we do? What changes can we make? What is my role? How does this set the pace of my day? How does this drive our primary gatherings on Sunday mornings? How does this make sense in our home groups? What does this look like in my living room? In my church building? As West Hills gathers? And as the global church connects?

Post your comments/ideas below if you want. But if you want to be really daring, invite another Christian sister or brother into your home and share face-to-face over a meal. Then pray together, sing together, and do the same thing tomorrow night with a larger group of 10, 20 or 50.

What's My Problem!

I can't believe I haven't blogged since July 22nd! What is my problem? Seriously, I knew it had been awhile... but not this long...

l a z y . . .

Well, I don't know that this will be all that better. Because though I have so much to say, I need to be quick and back on the run. The point of this post is to say... that I want to get back to blogging again very soon.

But lots of cool things are going on (They might be part of the reason I haven't blogged lately):

1. In mid-August the candidating process came to a close, and I began pastoring at West Hills Community Church in the Chicago suburb of Westmont. Very excited! Loving it here! West Hills is a great church. An amazing community of faith. One that has had its share of difficulties over the past years, but one that is eager and vigilant to see things get better.

We're trying some new things, and looking at how we can structure things better. I love the house church model that is in place here, alongside the primary gathering on Sunday mornings. We're exploring what true community looks like. How does it function in the New Testament Church.

This change in ministry also means that I am no longer in the restaurant biz. Love that! Fogo de Chao is a great restaurant and company. But whenever your life suddenly has evenings and weekends off (not that this is totally the case in doing ministry, but by comparison...), it's a great move... But I do miss all my Fogo friends. I need to stop in and say Hello, but on a newly inherited pastor's salary... it's more likely I see them in church than at Fogo.

2. And another cool thing is that I am finishing up (finally) my MDiv from Moody Graduate School. I just finished my last week of modular classes. That's zero time remaining in the classroom. I just need to finish the post-class work and my portfollio and I am a Master of the Divine ... or maybe that's not really what Master of Divinity stands for. Funny thing is that after all this, I'm still not really sure what it is that I am supposed to be a master of... Anyway it's pretty much finished and I'm excited.

And now with the holidays coming up, I'm sure I will have plenty of time to get back to blogging... See you next week...