EricNentrup.com

A lot has changed for me and Kim in the past month or so. I have written the entire story here but won’t make you skim to the end to get the “goods.” The CRUX of the matter is:

Kim and I have decided to uproot and go to work full-time for Kingdom Building Ministries in Denver, Colorado!

We’re both looking to fill positions on staff and join the team. As we’ve been considering this, I’ve been asked “what are you going to do?” For me, it’s extending the reach of KBM by producing content in the form of DVD, CD, Web, and Print. I have a LOT to learn, but being able to focus all of my attention on ONE client’s MANY projects will be a shift! It’s just become VERY apparent as KBM has grown, that they’re in NEED of such materials, if they’re going to broaden their impact. Ultimately, the past 20 years has been EXCLUSIVELY experiential: others attend a talk of an Itinerant or attend The Laborer’s Institute–both of which are seasonal or short term sorts of involvement. And the things I’ll help produce will assist others in continuing their journey.

Kim’s also joining on, though it’s not AS clear to what she’ll be doing specifically yet. We’re fairly certain now that it’s just a matter of her needing to have the proximity that I’ve been priviliged to as a vendor for KBM the past 5 years.

Just this past weekend we attended “Ichthus 2005″ with them in Wilmore, KY. KBM had 3 of their Itinerant Speakers at the event: Jeremy Kingsley, Dave Ward, and for the Saturday Night Keynote, Adrian Despres. It was a phenomenal experience, with both Kim and I being able to be up close and personal with the team. God worked through their talks to speak into the lives of a number of kids and adults. It’s funny–a former pastor of ours who’s at a different church now, sent a mass email (we’re on her list) giving a comprehensive report on how the entire event affected her youth AND the adult chaperones. MANY of her group made first time commitments to Christ — including adults!!! And she cited Adrian’s talk as the catalyst for those decisions.

One ultimate thing I’ve needed to get honest with is that I don’t write PASSIONATELY on my site about filmmaking, screenwriting, Macintoshes, etc. The last 2 months plus has been about seeing that there is a VAST need for change in the church. And I’ve needed to own up to the fact that God wants me to be a part of it–specifically at KBM.

KBM has been a client of mine for nearly 5 years now, and as some of you know, I’ve considered a move in their direction before. Well, the time is right, and so is my heart–finally. That story is what follows: Continue reading »

Some weeks ago, I went for a walk. I was in a funk and needed out of the house for a bit. Blame it on a lingering winter (you have to in Indiana).

Kim and I had been restless for a while, just feeling groundless. That’s all changed, and I’ll tell you more about that in a day or two. But for now just know we were getting by, but that’s about it.

So, I pushed back from my laptop, unable to do any more work, and grabbed my shoes. I pulled out a burnt orange corduroy coat that was my grandfather’s in the late 70’s and headed out the door.

As I was walking along, I was lost in self-loathing thoughts wondering HOW I got where I was and what to do next with my life. In the midst of that, my toe caught something on the sidewalk and sent it clattering ahead of me. I went towards the object, and THIS is what I found.

The bloody control key from a discarded computer keyboard. The control key. I glanced back and saw where it came from, the rest of an old keyboard left where that residence’s trash can sits on Friday mornings.

But the CONTROL key. There are like 106 OTHER keys it could’ve been. Read into it what you will. Holding it in my flat palm, I just stared at it in between frosty breaths. Then I held it out to God and said, “You have my attention, and I’m giving THIS to you.” I pocketed it, knowing it was indicative of something yet to come.

Kim agreed when I showed her later that night. In fact, she thought it was downright divine and couldn’t have been MORE CLEARLY MEANT for me. “God is speaking YOUR language,” she beamed.

Amazing.

In my next post, I’ll share the significant events that have occurred since finding that Control Key. And brace yourselves. It won’t be brief.

Feeling an obligation to keep this site current, I know I’ve procrastinated long enough. And though I’ve committed to myself to NOT post late at night when ANYTHING sounds profound, I feel the need to throw out a quick little thought because it explains a bit of why I haven’t been writing lately. And I hope this TIDES YOU OVER.

Our good friend Brother Maynard quoted a Leonard Sweet book on a recent post:

So far, I have this: in one sense, the story isn’t about Abraham at all, it’s about Isaac… or Israel. Rather than being about a man willing to sacrifice his son, it’s about a son who has perhaps done nothing wrong but is nonetheless about to be killed as an offering… and yet was spared when God intervened.

And within the past couple weeks, I came across this quote from an unlikely source:

“What if you discovered that the least of the brethren of Jesus, the one who needs your love the most, the one you can help the most by loving, the one to whom your love will be most meaningful—what if you discovered that this least of the brethren of Jesus… is you?”

–Carl Jung

And lately, what I’m coming to realize is that I’m NOT Abraham, but Isaac, and that I’m NOT the one helping but the one being helped.

These thoughts encapsulate a sense of brokenness I’m experiencing right now even better than the full unabridged story on my mind.

But I hope to share it as well soon. Stay tuned.