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A few months ago, I read Mark Driscoll’s Confessions of a Reformission Rev.. It was a downright hilarious read, and quite insightful towards the evolution of the way we do church. It chronicles Driscoll’s highlights of launching Mars Hill Seattle (not to be confused with the COMPLETELY separate Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, which is pastored by Rob Bell).

Driscoll comes across as a meathead quite often–not at all sugar-coating his thoughts on the state of the church, or pretty much any issue. But there’s also a bit to admire in that because he’s more interested in boldly following Jesus than ANYTHING else. And the taboos he breaks have been much needed.

When he entitles a chapter, *”Jesus, Our Offering Was $137 and I Want to Use it to Buy Bullets,” you can’t help but read it!

If you’re up for the read, I’ll let the book itself do the talking. But in the early pages, he’s setting the stage for the story of starting his church and he quickly peels through a list of traits surrounding the existing models for church. But the way it’s layed out on the page in bullet lists makes for a difficult comparison.

So I put it into a table available here as a PDF file:

CURRENTLY ACTIVE CHURCH MODELS (according to Driscoll)

It was extremely helpful for me in terms of being less concerned about STYLE in our church settings and more grace-giving to the “way we do things.”

BUT. It also makes me ask a bigger question…Is one of these models more centered on the KINGDOM and less concerned about self-preservation?”

Just curious.

Originally uploaded by Eric Nentrup.

Well, persistence pays off. And Flickr (finally) emerged as a company that does the right thing. They not only fixed the blunder with crediting my sister’s Christmas gift to me, but they made it active TODAY, meaning, I get a full year of “Flickr Pro” starting now, not pro-rated to her purchase this past December.

I thought that was a classy move and one that will KEEP me as a Flickr customer.

Anyway, moral is, you only get the grease if you squeak and KEEP squeaking.

So, kudos to Flickr for stepping up.

I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to matters of international policy, of national security, of foreign relations, etc. that my knowledge is severely lacking.

But I’ve been studying “The Kingdom of God” for some months now, and my reading list has finally included Jim Wallis’s “God’s Politics.”

And over the past few months, reading both inside and outside of scripture, I feel for the first time to have a solid connection between my faith and the culture of politics. Wallis’s book was more AFFIRMING than INFORMING of what I was seeing in Jesus’s character and behavior with those holding positions of power.

For the first time I’m seeing the relevance as a follower of Jesus in being aware and involved in what’s happening in politics. And I know I’m not alone. Perhaps it’s time to stop examining political parties FIRST, and then secondly trying to see if they align with Kingdom values. Instead, I’m learning the primary concern is KNOWING the character of Jesus and His Kingdom (what he valued and how he ACTED UP ON those values). And what follows is connecting the dots between the person of Jesus to those in politics that are consistent with Him.

And again, I know I’m not alone…so what excites me is the potential for grass-roots movement putting the King and the Kingdom FIRST. That is, making the person of Jesus and the realm that is HIS WAY OF LIVING TOGETHER in our neighborhoods, cities, states, nation, and world THE priority. And specifically, this is laid out in Luke 4 when Jesus stood in the synagogue and proclaimed just what He was all about by quoting the Prophet Isaiah:

16He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18″The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

The author and missionary E. Stanley Jones refers to this passage as Jesus’s “Kingdom Manifesto.” He goes on to break down the prophecy as:

• Good News to the Poor: ECONOMIC freedom
• Freedom for the Prisoners: SOCIALLY/RACIALLY/DEMOGRAPHICALLY freedom
• Recovery of sight for the blind: BIOPHYSICAL freedom
• Release the oppressed: SPIRITUAL/EMOTIONAL freedom

It may take a generation of TRYING to see a NEW OPTION show up on the ballot, but we can start now.

I’m actually looking forward to the 2008 election now, and of course, to the Democratic National Convention which is taking place here in Denver. I’m hoping I can take advantage of something so big being so close, and somehow get involved, meet some interesting people and continue working out what I’m seeing unfold in my heart by His grace.

I made it INTO my thirties! There’s something defining about 31–not as a milestone, because there’s not a lick of novelty in it. But last night, my wonderufl wife bought me a new fly rod, took me to the “Irish Snug” downtown for fish and chips plus the obligatory Birthday Pint of Guinness. So, I’m pretty happy today!

I’m chuggin’ on some projects right now for our Itinerant Speakers that I’m pretty excited about:

1. The Audiobook version of “Plan A: And There Is No Plan B” which is our president, Dwight Robertson’s book he co-wrote with Mark Vermilion. FYI: I have some FREE COPIES if you would like one or a few to pass out. Write me and they’re YOURS, first come first serve.
2. I put together a small kit for our speakers I’m referring to as the “Itinerant iPod Toolbox.” with the help of Melanie Pherson, and my colleague Marty Reiswig, I figured out a fairly simple to use, high-quality way for our speakers to record their messages they give, they’re reports from events, etc. and it all centers around an iPod. Finally, I’m making in-roads towards resource development and marketing materials in the form of CD’s, podcasts, etc. by putting in their hands this power-packed kit.

We’re approaching our 1st anniversary of moving to Denver to work for KBM. Kim and I feel SO BLESSED by our tremendous team of supporters who’ve made this possible. Never having moved such a long distance away to an unfamiliar, it seems that it has taken longer than I had predicted to settle in and feel more at home in our house, and in our jobs.

The concept of HOME is one that’s been on my mind lately. I’ve been studying the subject of the Kingdom of God, and “Home” is a recurring theme. So I’m a bit dialed into it.

I was just over at Green House Ministries website reading up on Josh Buck’s progress. He still needs our prayers. He and Shelly are all the more longing for “home.” Josh has been staying at a rehab center, and they’re currently working on making the changes necessary so Josh can get around the house in a wheelchair. My heart still goes out to them as they adapt…and as they persist in hope for healing from God. Lord, please give it and give it fully, we beg of You.

It’s time to get back to my projects, but I needed to stop by the site and refresh it today, being my birthday and all. I get cake at lunch today. Now THAT’s a bonus!