Tim Keel's Blog

24 Hours in Vancouver

I awoke early Monday morning, 3:45 a.m. (CST) to be exact, and after showering and throwing a few clothing items into a backpack, headed to the airport and got on a plane for Vancouver, British Columbia. I finally arrived at 12:45 (PST). In a little more than an hour, less than 24 hours after arriving here, I will be back on an airplane flying home to Kansas City. It has been a whirlwind day of flying and working! I am in the town of Alan Roxburgh continuing to work on the formation of a missional order for the purpose of training and releasing leaders in local contexts. Karen Ward from The Church of the Apostles in Seattle is here. So is Patsy Fratanduono from Cedar Ridge Community Church in the DC area. Chris Erdman, Bob Roxburgh, Ed Searcy, and Gary Waller round out the rest of the working group. We met in Alan's home yesterday and made some great progress. By the way, Chris Erdman sent out a great document from the Lindisfarne Comunity about the basics of monasticism and why it is such a powerful movement of renewal in the history of the church and why new monasticism have so much to offer churches today. Download file. It is so beautiful in Vancouver. Mountains. Sea. Islands. Trees everywhere. Flying in was breathtaking. I am sorry that I am only here for 24 hours. After we completed our work yesterday afternoon, Alan loaded a few of us in his car and drove us down to the sea wall for a long walk before dinner. Now he and I and Karen are sitting in a coffee shop. They are meeting and I am reading (well, kind of). I didn't know this but snow is apparently rare in Vancouver. Not this morning. It is cold and snowing a wet snow whose damp chill is penetrating into the marrow of my bones. This is my favorite kind of weather. When I called home yesterday and my son told me it was snowing in KC, I was bummed. I hate to miss any snow storm. But I got one here, so I am happy, that is as long as it does not impede my plane getting me home on time!

Seeing a Couple of Concerts

We took the kids to see The Robbie Seay Band and The David Crowder Band in concert last Thursday night. Mid-America Nazarene University hosted the show at the Cook Center. The Crawford clan clued us in, and they were also in force, with the Hinde and Streeter families. At the last minute we pulled Shayne Wessel and Mike Chen in for the fun. We had a great time. I talked to Robbie earlier in the day and he roped us off some seats for the use of my car between sets (I am still nearly deaf). It was the last night of the tour and he wanted to go out and get some gifts for folks on the tour. I guess tour buses make casual shopping a bit difficult. Robbie's band was fantastic, but they didn't play nearly enough songs. One of the things that seemed really obvious was how much all the guys in all the bands like each other. Like I said, it was the last night of the show, so people were being messed with. I forgot to mention that Shane and Shane were in concert, too, and while the RSB was playing, Crowder and one of the Shanes was running around behind the stage throwing stuff at the band in the midst of their set.
The David Crowder Band was more than fun, and of course they sounded great, too. The peak for me was during the song "You Are My Joy," a tune that just builds and builds, then this amazing chorus. You can just tell these guys love what they do, and they are genius bringing people into it with them. Dave's energy and personality just amaze me. I met him in 1996 at one of the very first, if not the first, post-modern conferences. He had very normal hair at that point. I was on staff at Pathways Church in Denver and accompanied Ron Johnson down to Glen Eyrie to attend GenX 1.0, a Leadership Network gathering of young leaders. It was the first time I had heard of post-modernity. Anyway, Dave was the worship leader of University Baptist Church, a new church plant in Waco started by Chris Seay and others, and was doing cool things sonically and lyrically. I was leading worship at Pathways and so one night a bunch of us stayed up late in a cool castle-like room and played music. I think Dave and Chris left that conference and went to the mountains where Dave got married. Back to the present. Mimi and Annie drove to Springfiled, IL for David Fritz and Erica Baker's wedding last weekend. So, we had a bachelors' weekend. We ate terribly, and then stopped at Target and picked up the new U2 DVD ($11) of the Vertigo concert in Chicago. We watched it offf and on over the week-end, and I got the same feeling watching that as I got watching Dave and the gang of people around him: here are a group of people who love what they do and their love spills over into joy and generosity. People are not used towards some other end, or taken for granted, but are included in the community they see before them - with limitations, of course. You can tell how much the guys in U2 like and respect each other. You can fake a lot of things in life I think, but you can't fake sincerity. You can't fake joy either. Or gratitude. And that is what I sensed between the different people I was able to watch perform their art, both live and on the screen. As a result, I experienced those things, too, and for that I am grateful.

Samkon Gado

My blog is turning into the "Watch people I know on TV" blog - oh well, I love it, and it is my blog...So... Sometime late this last summer, the guy in the picture to the left here walked up to me after our worship gathering and introduced himself to me as "Sam." He had just moved to Kansas City and he somehow got word of our church and began attending. Sam went to Liberty University in South Carolina, where he played football and was a pre-med student. Mike King was standing right behind me and as another former Liberty guy I thought it would be cool for them to meet. I ran into Sam a couple more times and had brief Sunday worship kinds of conversations with him. When we had our 5+1 Celebration in late September I finally was able to connect to Sam on more than a surface level. I found out Sam had moved to Kansas City to play football for the Chiefs. He was a member of the practice squad and was enjoying that and slowly acclimating to life in KC. Originally from Nigeria, Sam moved with his family to South Carolina when he was nine. That Sunday afternoon he also told me he was looking for a roommate. I had just had this roommate conversation with Joel Francis days previously so I introduced the two of them and they really hit it off. I didn't hear anything after that, but assumed that Sam had moved in with Joel. A couple weeks later I asked Joel how it was working out and he said it wasn't - Sam had been cut by the Chiefs. I was really bummed for Sam (and for Joel). I can't imagine what it must be like to pack up your life and move to a strange town for a job that you can be cut from at any time without notice. Then last week, Tom McIntyre grabbed me and asked me if I had heard about Samkon Gado. He said it so fast it came out as one word. I had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently Sam had been signed by the Green Bay Packers as a third-string running back after being cut by the Chiefs. After both the first and second string RBs were hurt, Sam got the start in last Sunday's game. And he kicked butt. Sam ran for over 100 yards, scored three rushing touchdowns and was named the NFC player of the week. He did fumble twice, but both fumbles were recovered by the Packers so no harm was done. All of the sudden Sam is the talk of the week: "Who's this Sam Gado guy?" "Where did he come from?" Pretty amazing. Here are a couple links to stories about Sam. Sam's Bio from the NFL Player's website A story about Sam on the Packer's site You can sense Sam's humility in statements like this one:

"I didn't do anything in college to merit being looked at by the pros or anything like that," Gado explained in his soft tone. "I am glad I am here, and I do feel that I can play at this level. Though I don't feel like I should be here, I think I can play and be successful."

Sam and the Packers play tonight on Monday Night Football. It should be fun to watch and I know Joel and a group of folks are gathering to watch it and cheer Samkoon on. Go, Sam, go. And way to go! It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Roger on Court TV Tonight!

I got an e-mail last week from Roger Strong, a long-time member of the JW community. Roger is an architect by training and now works in tech support for a large Kansas City advertising firm. Roger's true passion is acting though. He has done some stage productions, including a role at the Missouri Repetory Theater. He also starred in a "Luckytown" Missouri Lottery commercial last year. The pic to the left is from one of his lesser known roles: Spike, Cupid's delinquent younger brother. He made an appearance a couple of Valentine's Days ago at a mother/daughter tea. He was a big hit is my understanding. Those JWers reading this will recognize Roger as a regular member of the worship team. He plays drums, trumpet, bass guitar - a jack of all trades. Anyway, Roger writes:

As some of you may or may not know, last summer I did an episode of Psychic Detectives for CourtTV. (I had to shave to a moustache, as some of you might reluctantly recall.) Well, the episode is airing this Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 9:00 pm (central time) on CourtTV. So set your TiVo, call the babysitter, chain the dog outside and prepare yourselves for (cue scary music) "The Runaway".

I know I won't miss it.

This Morning at Small World Coffee

Our little coffee cohort (Doug, Jonny, Karen, Adam, myself) met in the lobby of Erdman Hall this morning to walk to a great coffee shop for breakfast on the last day of our time together here. Small World Coffee, whose motto is "Sleep is for the Weak," has some of the stoutest oatmeal I have ever seen, and their granola would make my wife sing for joy. That makes me realize I should have bought some to take home to her. Dang. Good coffee, though. It's stout, too.
It was such a beautiful morning for a walk, brisk air and crisp light. We walked into Small World and as I looked up who did I see but my friend Andy Crouch standing before me. In a bow-tie. I think he was embarrassed by this. I like his bow-tie. I can actually tie one of these. Andy has a number of things going on including a new work he is calling Culture Makers in addition to the journalistic work he does for Christianity Today. Apparently Dobson, Colson, and some others, or others representing those people are also in town, and Andy is there as some kind of observer. Andy's ability to be criticly present in those kind of environments is significant and while I would really struggle there, I am grateful to know that he is there with his astute mind. I don't always agree with Andy's analyses and outcomes, but I always trust him personally and hold his integrity in the highest esteem. I don't get to see Andy very often and I am always grateful when I have the opportunity to do so. I met Andy in Seattle several years ago at a Soularize conference. We shared a deep and meaningful conversation over a meal following a seminar Andy led. We have also brought him to Jacob's Well to speakI to our community. I still miss his magazine Re:generation Quarterly. Best, Mr. Crouch.

Princeton Emergent Cohort

I am totally ripping off Adam Cleaveland's pics, but they are so great and my little camera phone offers nothing so resolved...or artistic...so enjoys Adam's skillz. I truly never get tired of these things, these gatherings. It is true that sometimes I get tired at these things, but well I should after long hours in chairs talking and sharing, etc...People think we are kidding or being facetious when we say we (emergent) are about friendship, that we are trite or hiding something or some such thing. We are not. We are about friendship. Last night a cohort of Emergent friends gathered in the Triumph Pub off Nassau Street for friendship, discussion, and drinks. Of course out of such a place of mutuality many different kinds of things happen as well. I am always nourished regardless, and at least once a night I usually laugh myself into a fit that causes rib pain and soul cleansing. Last night was no exception. I almost always meet amazing people and hear stories that remind me again about the activity of God in the lives of his people and the church, too. That is true nourishment. Most the night I sat with a great grouping of people talking about church planting dynamics: Brad and Todd from The Well outside Philadelphia, and also Jeff Kursonis from Communion of the Arts Church in New York were among those in the conversation. I've known Brad and Todd mostly from a distance but really love these guys. Jeff was a real treat, too. You ever hang around a person that just makes you feel good to be around them? I got that feeling being around Jeff. In fact, imagine Philip Seymour Hoffman with a beard streaked with silver. Then imagine Eric the Red. Viking hilarity but with really compassionate eyes. He has an amazing story, a God-encounter involving Tony Jones that you cannot afford to miss reading about. Check this out. If that doesn't stoke you, check your pulse. Well, anyway, I am back in my room now, heading to bed and simultaneously iChatting with Adam, Joe Myers, and Eric Hurst. Most of the time I can be this multi-streamed, but tonight...not so much. Jonny Baker and Karen Ward led us and the Princeton Seminary community in an alt.worship experience that was deeply nourishing for me. Now I will be nourished by my bed and a day's end doxology: Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen, and amen.

"A New Kind of Christian" Boxed Set

I've continued to get a steady stream of e-mails regarding the timimg of the release of the reader's guide for the A New Kind of Christian trilogy. I just checked Amazon.com and it is out, at least there in that form. You can see it pictured here to the left and follow the link to the Amazon site. I e-mailed Julianna Gustafson, my editor at Jossey Bass for this project, and asked her about the release information for these new forms of Brian's books. I've had this sitting in my inbox since September 22, so sorry for the delay. Regardless, here is what she has to say:

The Amazon boxed set (with a bound copy of the Reader's Guide) leaves our warehouses for Amazon's warehouses tomorrow and should be available online in 7-10 days. That's only available through Amazon. But - the individual reprints of Brian's three books that include the reader's guide will leave the printer as follows: ANKOC: 8/26/05; TSWFOI: 9/30/05; TLWATWAT: 10/7/05.
These copies get shipped to all accounts, including Amazon. The trick is that accounts will still have some of the old copies in stock, and then the new copies will arrive, and perhaps some accounts will return old inventory to us, which we will then re-ship out to other accounts when they order, so there will be a strange period inbetween where some orders will contain the reader's guide and some won't. You know what I mean? Like there's no way to guarantee that the book you order from Amazon on November 13 will be the one with the reader's guide. And there's no way for Jossey-Bass to control that.
So...if people are really eager to get their hands on it, they could drop by their bookstores until they start carrying the newest copies, or they could try ordering copies of the individual book from amazon a few weeks after the printer dates above, and being willing to return the copies to Amazon if they don't contain the RG... It's a total pain, I know, but that's my best recommendation during this crazy in-between time. As for an electronic version, this is in development - all of it is contingent upon a Jossey-Bass website redesign, which is currently underway. Not sure when the design and relaunch will be complete, but I'll let you know when it's up.

I hope this is helpful for those interested in getting their hands on this.

Aarrgh......Insane...I'm Going Insane

I am in New Jersey for the week at Princeton Theological Seminary. The school is hosting two gatherings, the first of which was just completed. It was titled Best Practices of the Emerging Church and has been a dialogue between emerging church leaders, leaders sympathetic to emerging realities but from the context of mainline institutions (i.e., churches, denominations, seminaries), and administrators, professors, and PhD candidates from the PTS community. In a little while Brian McLaren will address the larger community of Princeton in a public forum regarding theological education. That, by the way is theme of the second gathering here that will continue until Friday. However at the end of his lecture today, Brian will fly out and head immediately to Kansas City where he will address leaders from all over my city at Mid-America Nazarene College. Most the staff of Jacob's Well will be there without me, so that is a bummer...but, Princeton in November is hard to complain about and I am glad they will get some of Brian in that context. I am going to grouse a bit now however. Last night one of my favorite bands, Nickel Creek, played in concert at the Uptown. They always come through either Kansas City or Lawrence (or both) this time each year. I know this because my birthday is looming and twice I have been able to see them on or around my birthday, once at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, once at the Uptown. So, it wasn't too difficult to come to Princeton given that I've seen them twice and haven't listened to their new record that I'm guessing comprises much of their current tour. However, when I landed at Newark yesterday morning at 10:20 a.m. (EST), I received a voice mail from my wife informing me that Nickel Creek was playing an ad hoc set yesterday morning at my favorite spot in Kansas City, the Broadway Cafe. Broadway was started by an old high school friend of mine named Sara Honan and is, bar none, the best coffee shop in Kansas City. Nickel Creek, being aficionados of coffee stop there every time they are in KC and have listed Broadway as one of the top five coffee shops in the country. That these two things came together yesterday and live music resulted from it and I WASN'T THERE! Are you kidding me? I thought I had worked through this yesterday, but I am shaking as I type this. I actually had physical pain in my body listening to my wife's message. That is not good. I had friends there who were able to enjoy it though, and that makes it both better and worse. Some of them like Nickel Creek but not Broadway. Some of them like Broadway but not Nickel Creek. Does this seem like a cosmic injustice to anyone else? It was good to hear the sense of transcendental peace that accompanied Mikelan's voice telling me they missed me in this environment. I hope to God someone recorded this deal. My only hope is that walking around Princeton over the next couple of days might afford me a chance to bump into John Nash (is he still alive?). I walked beneath the dorm that you might remember Russell Crowe shoving a desk from a window in "A Beautiful Mind." Tonight we are having what Adam Cleaveland is calling the ultimate Emergent cohort and that will be a blast. I'll come back later and add some pics and hyperlinks to this post, juice it up a little...but for now I needed to do some therapy. I am off to watch Brian work his magic in this context, much like he will do tomorrow in Kansas City. Even though too many good things can be a bad thing, it is great to be here.