Tim Keel's Blog

Sulking Along on the Edge of Rage?

I got to hang out a couple of nights ago with a friend that I don't often get much time with. It was rich. How great it is to have a couple of people in your life in whose company you are largely unaware of your self - you are just free to be what you are.

As the time we spent catching up was winding down, he got a bit of a look in his eyes, got up and after a few minutes perusing my bookshelves, pulled down Annie Dillard's "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" and shared this quote with me.

"Thomas Merton wrote, 'There is always a temptation to diddle around in the contemplative life, making itsy-bitsy statues.' There is always an enormous temptation in all of life to diddle around making itsy-bitsy friends and meals and journeys for itsy-bitsy years on end. It is so self-conscious, so apparently moral, simply to step aside from the gaps where the creeks and winds pour down, saying, I never merited this grace, quite rightly, and then to sulk along the rest of your days on the edge of rage. I won't have it. The world is wilder than that in all directions, more dangerous and bitter, more extravagant and bright. We are making hay when we should be making whoopee; we are raising tomatoes when we should be raising Cain, or Lazarus."

Thank God for writers like Annie Dillard and for friends who read her (and others like her) and share the wealth they find plumbing the depths of pages not always easily navigated.

Final JW Advent Conspiracy Video + News

Andy Michael, our own resident Welshman, has been putting together amazing little films for the Jacob's Well community for a couple of years. Some of you will remember three films he made during Advent last year. You can refresh your memory or see Andy's artistry for the first time here.

Throughout the Advent season this year Andy chronicled our liturgical observance as we joined the Advent Conspiracy. He then assembled his footage and an amazing collection of other images, ideas, and music together into the video that we showed on Epiphany Sunday (January 6). This was also the Sunday that we revealed to the JW community the amount collected for redistribution for fresh water.

After showing the film we then announced that our church community, and many people that surround our church community, contributed $65,000 towards fresh water for communities without access to this basic human need - specifically, people living in the Pokot region on NW Kenya. Amazing...and money is still coming in. In partnership with Living Water International and a few other communities of faith who also participated in the Advent Conspiracy it looks like we are going to be able to dig the five wells necessary to allow this group of people to become settled. That is good news. I will be continuing to provide updates on this in the near future.

In the meantime, here is the video summary of the Advent Conspiracy at Jacob's Well. Andy sent me a link to the video that is hosted at a high quality on his website. It takes awhile to load because of the size of the file, but it is worth the wait.

[JWAC] Video Link

If you want a lo-res/quick-to-download version, then here is the same video that I uploaded to YouTube. By the way, the opening music is from Don Chaffer's wildly creative alter-ego band, The Khrusty Brothers.

The Holy Ground of Daily Life

On Wednesday evening, January 23 at 7:00 p.m., Father Adam Ryan of Conception Abbey will be speaking about prayer and daily life.

Many who have been around Jacob's Well for awhile will perhaps remember that Father Adam preached at Jacob's Well a number of years ago. However, it has not been his preaching that has been so influential as has been his friendship to many in our community for a number of years.

I met Fr. Adam in 2000 when I was on study leave at Conception Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in northwest Missouri. We met and quickly formed a fast friendship. Fr. Adam has been a fixture in my life ever since, giving me both spiritual direction and a great many other gifts as well. Over the years many other people have begun to travel to Conception Abbey, many to meet with Father Adam.

Last month Adam called me and mentioned that he was going to be hosting a talk about prayer and contemplation and their benefits to daily life. Adam often talks about monasticism generally and spiritual practices specifically as human, humane, and humanizing. He invited Jacob's Well to participate in this event. It was originally to have Ryan Lefebvre, the play-by-play voice for the Kansas City Royals. Ryan is a great guy who I have had the opportunity to meet on a couple of occasions. He has been very up front and public about a very significant bout of depression he weathered a couple of years ago. Critical to his healing/ongoing health was/is the discovery of prayer/contemplation/meditation. In that vein, he connected to Fr. Adam. I think the original idea was to have them both talk tomorrow night. Then at the end of March a prayer pilgrimage to Conception Abbey was being discussed as a continued opportunity for learning and integration. At this point I do not know whether or not Lefebvre will be there tomorrow night or when the pilgrimage would be. However, I do know that Adam will be speaking tomorrow night and I believe it will be well worth your time.

We have had fliers up around Jacob's Well for a couple of weeks. Here is how they describe the gathering:

"God calls each of us to holiness now in our current life situations: our homes, jobs and relationships. Prayer and contemplation are available to everyone everyday. The evening will explore practical traditional ways of prayer from centuries of Christian life and holiness-practices by which men and women have experienced and shared the grace of Jesus."

Event Details:

Wednesday, January 23, 7:00 p.m.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
(gold-domed church downtown)

Genetic Code Feedback

Although I wasn't initially that keen to enter into the most recent sermon series at Jacob's Well (the reasons I explained in the opening sermon), I have been surprised by what it has evoked from me and some of the response I have received from others. "The Genetic Code of Jacob's Well" seems to be a good thing for our community. For that, I am grateful.

One of the most satisfying aspects of preaching for me is when our dialogue provokes further creativity and dialogue beyond Sunday. Let me give you a simple example. When talking about our "core identity" in week one as a holistic missional Christian community, I used this quote by Lesslie Newbigin to illustrate the necessity of a robust communal orientation for the purpose of mission.

“How can this strange story of God made man, of a crucified savior, of resurrection and new creation become credible for those whose entire mental training has conditioned them to believe that the real world is the world that can be satisfactorily explained and managed without the hypothesis of God? I know of only one clue to the answering of that question, only one real hermeneutic of the gospel: congregations that believe it.”

That quote provoked JWer Roger Strong to share this one with me from the deceased archbishop of Paris, Cardinal Suhard. Roger has this on his computer at his place of work.

"To be a witness does not consist in engaging in propaganda, nor even in stirring people up, but in being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one's life would not make sense if God did not exist."

Rich.

Today I received another quote, of sorts, that inspired me. This comes to me via email from Brian Hull, another JWer and also a muckety-muck in the Nazarene denomination who works on a macro-level on issues related to youth. Brian sent me this prayer that I think serves to illustrate the posture we try to host as we go seeking after God as a community in the midst of this brave, new world. The prayer can be found in William Barclay's Prayers for the Christian Year.

O God, you are the fountain of all truth; we ask you to protect your church form all false teaching.

Protect the Church

From all teaching and preaching which would destroy men’s’ faith;
From all that removes the old foundations without putting anything in their place;
From all that confuses the simple, that perplexes the seeker, that bewilders the way-faring man,

And yet at the same time protect the Church

From the failure to face new truth;
From devotion to words and ideas which the passing of the years has rendered unintelligible;
From all intellectual cowardice and from all mental lethargy and sloth.

O God, send to your Church teachers,

Whose minds are wise with wisdom;
Whose hearts are warm with love;
Whose lips are eloquent with truth.

Send to your Church teachers

Whose desire is to build and not to destroy;
Who are adventurous with the wise;
And yet gentle with the simple;
Who strenuously exercise the intellect,
And who yet remember that the heart has reasons of its own.

Give to your Church preachers and teachers who can make known the Lord Christ to others because they know him themselves; and give to your Church hearers, who, being freed from prejudice, will follow truth as blind men long for light.

This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I think about this prayer especially as we had the opportunity to host 23 Korean United Methodist pastors last night at our evening worship gathering. Truly, we live in an amazing time.

Thanks to Roger and Brian.

New Podcast Interview is Up

A few friends at YouthFront recently interviewed me about the contents of my book, Intuitive Leadership (among other things). It was posted earlier today.

YouthFront hosts a youthworker's podcast called Studio 47. However, you don't have to be a youthworker to listen to this or find something of relevance to you (I hope). In fact, I think I was only asked one question specific to youth ministers. It runs a little under an hour.

I had a great time and I hope you'll take some time and give it a listen.

Studio 47 Podcast

The "Open Door" Prayer

In my sermon yesterday, "The Opening Door," I made use of a New Year's prayer my wife found in the book "Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings From the Northumbria Community." We love this prayer book, in fact, you can find the daily office and readings online here if you are so inclined.

A lot of people asked me for the prayer we prayed so I thought I would make it accessible here. Enjoy.

This day is a new day
that has never been before.
This year is a new year,
the opening door.

(Open the door)

Enter, Lord Christ -
we have joy in Your coming.
You have given us life,
and we welcome Your coming.

I turn now to face You,
I lift up my eyes.
Be blessing my face, Lord;
be blessing my eyes.
May all my eye looks on
be blessed and be bright,
my neighbours, my loved ones
be blessed in Your sight.

You have given us life
and we welcome Your coming.
Be with us, Lord,
we have joy, we have joy.
This year is a new year,
the opening door.
Be with us, Lord,
we have joy, we have joy.

Waterdeep Record Release Party

I have been listening to Don and Lori Chaffer's most recent Waterdeep offering, Heart Attack Time Machine, since last May. It is an incredible record - in fact some of the best music they have ever done, IMHO. Until recently you have only been able to buy the record in digital form. However, that has now changed. Heart Attack Time Machine is being released on CD. And to kick off its release, Don and Lori/Waterdeep will be playing a CD release concert at Jacob's Well this Saturday night, January 5th. Here are some details from a recent email promotion:

Don and Lori Chaffer will be playing a CD release show THIS SATURDAY! Heart Attack Time Machine was released in MP3 form in April and in CD form just before Christmas. Both are available at www.waterdeep.com/store and of course, CDs will also be available at the show. Details are below and we really hope you will be joining us...and feel free to invite everyone you know! The show is $10 at the door and will begin at 7:30 p.m.

I hope to see you there.