A Sojourner’s Thoughts

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Visualization of My Ponderings




What you can see here is one of two visualizations for my current ponderings. Now if I could just figure out what it all means.

The adventure I have been on the last couple of years has been interesting to say the least. In a conversation this morning I reflected back on where this current thread started. I find a number of preliminary events, seminary, Heart of a Warrior, reading a lot of Erwin McManus, and spending time in jail (doing ministry, not time). All these experiences equipped me, encouraged me, or excited me in different ways. However, the event that really got my mind going was a blog posting my Josh Kesler a couple of years ago about a stupid sheep (Stupid Sheep or Barbarian Sheep?). From there my mind has been going a lot of different directions.
The interesting thing is that there seems to be a synergy as I reflect on all the different components. What I am doing now is looking for the connector, the idea that God is trying to teach me, the focal point of my ponderings. This is the key for my future work, doctoral studies, and spiritual transformation.
I can not simply sit back and remain where I am. That would not be honoring to God or to my formation. What I need to do is continue to embrace who God is transforming me into, knock on doors that are closed and look into doors that are open to see if I should enter, continue to write, speak, and teach about the things God is showing me, and finally be prepared to lean into my fears, embrace change, and accept the path that God has prepared for me to follow at this time in my life.
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Convergence of Thoughts

I have been rather sporadic with my posting of late. It seems as though my mind has been a whirl wind of thoughts from all areas of my life: work, studies, ponderings. The odd thing is that they seem to all fit together in ways I really didn’t expect and at times don’t understand. Don’t get me wrong, I find it exciting, I feel like I did a couple of years ago as I began to explore my doctoral studies.

My problem is that I get wrapped up in making connections that I don’t always take the time to write about it. Oh how I wish I has some rich benefactor who would underwrite my ponderings. :-). Short of that I find that I need to make better use of my time and energy.
For now I think I will just sit back and see were God is going to take my next.
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What is your passion?

I love the way God enters into my life to help me ponder the meaning of my life. There is a new show coming out on Fox this fall called Glee. The show is the story line is a group of preceived misfits or loosers who simply love to sing and their advisor who himself is trying to figure out what a meaningful life is. As I watched the pilot a question was asked of the advisor about what type of life example he wanted to live for his unborn child, one where money is the answer or one where the life he is living, he lives because it is his passion. The line goes “the only life worth living is the one you are most passionate about.” As it turns out he is passionate about music.

This ties in with an event we had at my church tonight where both the executive pastor and senior pastor shared their passion about bring Christ to people who live in the Northern and Eastern suburbs of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. The life they are living is the life they are most passionate about. One of the most exciting this is that they were inviting 1000s to join them on the journey God is taking them on. We were invited to be ignited by their passion for serving others and sharing the message that Jesus brought to us 2000 years ago.
My passion is the fusion of my work, doctoral studies, and the spiritual formation of myself and others. I am not one to make first contact with people but I love to come along side them and help them grow deeper in their relationship with God and others. I have been pondering the last week a framework to help me in this task be it in a face to face setting or in the virtual world.
My question to you is what is the passion that make your life worth living and are you pursuing that passion?