when we haven't been visited by beauty in a while, we fall

for any passing pleasure, and then, turn back
to leaf,
something simple
coming down and sealing with window
in early
morning storm mist,
and we are
reminded of another realm
of daily revelation.

This particular leaf--poplar i think, with burnt crimson rim, lands unexpectantly still

on my morning window, clinging then releasing its temporary seal,

today, in the midst of such warm storms.
This shape could be
a continent of memory.

i think even the storm warmth itself has something
in waiting
to teach me of God


Keep me seeing You

in all
that presses to my window seal

keep me still enough to hear
You, in falling of a single leaf,

from such unseen distances through time;
to notice these instances and
not settle for less than this kiss from heaven

In a dream, i come into an enormous room
and say yes before
these others and am seated at an endless table.
I see strangers faces taking shape.
A voice whispers against
my skin. Again, I recall this
as my first brush with friendship.


Trusting i say yes, it will come
He has spoken.
Trusting
i say to this group's shadow, it will
not be long, or maybey
it will, and we will have to wait til
heaven to see all
of who is here--there are more saints
than i can see in this space-
their contours nebulously glowing...
though i can make out your face clearly friend;
trusting, i know already
i too, belong. i am part of this. i am included

In this particular circle; I and You are
already
securely seated and coming into view...
We, together, waiting for a banquet to begin-
a banquet a stranger has made just for us!

Great trip to berlin earlier this Summer! Our dear friend Kerstin Hack, who runs a publishing house in berlin (Down to Earth - Shop), hosted me and gave me some serious and fun business coaching as we took in the remarkable city of berlin! She is a life coach and really has those practical down to earth tools which rest on deep Kingdom insights, which make life work. Here are a few she gave me.

If you want to see something grow from 3-5, look how it grew from 1-3. Then ask, what would it look like at 7!

Another, tip she gave me, was to build as many bridges as possible to the same content (four gospels, one story etc)--internet, hardcopy, pamphets, workshops, books, seminars, t-shirts, whatever... This way you make it as easy as possible to share the gifts you have. Most artists don't like promotion and marketing and even distribution. But, even The Father advertised Himself through His Son! He makes Himself known, reachable.This is how people get to be blessed by the gifts you carry. So she suggested spending more time on marketing and distribution, as we have plenty of creativity. Simple, but sound advice to a bunch of hilarious artists leaders!

We also talked a lot about what true wealth is--resources to serve with; and ways to invest. She spoke of having realistic ideas about the pacing you expect to get yields from your investments. Certain investments-even relationally-take longer to bear fruit. Others are quick yielding. Having many types of investments allows you to enjoy the various timings of each yield.

Anyways, fun talking business and spirituality with a real friend.

We also went to an amazing light installation at the national museum. The artist Olafur Eliasson created an entire environment exploring color, space and light. Specifically, this show was about how color effects the body and our mental states. The artist used the primary colors but made huge rooms of color with fog, where one color faded into the next, so you were slightly disoriented as the primary colors overlaped--allowing you to really feel the color physically as it transitioned. Great show, and very playful as well, while being educational. Thanks Kerstin for being open to art and carrying His business wisdom. You are a rare gem!

Kerstin will be here in August, and starts publishing some of her books in English this year with Moody Press. This should be an exciting year for her as she continues to mentor and write and publish her much needed and remarkable books of insight into English, so even more people may be blessed! While here, we are hoping to have her teach in our community on art and business, and bring her unique spiritually refreshing perspective on both.

Just returned from Slot Art Festival in Poland, and a rich visit with friends in Prague. Nice to taste and see all that is happening spiritually in this amazing part of the world. This year, i was able to enter more deeply into a dialogue about culture, nations and individual identity. I had wonderful conversations about where people see their nation at, and how that relates to their personal spiritual journeys. I always learn so much by traveling the festival circuit in europe in the summers!

Stayed and traveled with our old friends the Jones, and this year, also with Sasa Flek from Prague. We all journeyed up together in a very long truck and listened to balkan and moroccan music, pilgrimaging in a manner which only the Jones can pull off! Got to see many old friends at Slot from poland and germany and also made some very special new friends!

I was more focused than usual on studying current cultural movements, and also dialoguing with people about national identity and how it relates to their own personal stories. Lots of good seeds for future visits and workshops, conversations in these areas.

Specifically, I noticed two spirit trends gathered this year, while traveling in Eastern Europe. One is simple: God is planting himself into culture directly. This has always been the case--look at Daniel in the babylonian culture. But more, God is redeeming culture itself. And is showing favor to those willing to go in and start not just church movements, but cultural movements. You see this with the new Czech bible 21 project, where God is allowing the cultural circuits to carry the word, and then also in Poland, where it is more arts and education where new movements are occuring. So, i was looking at how cultural movements happen in the areas of arts and education--very enlightening!

Felt this at Slot--these guys were interested not primarily in church planting, but in inhabiting their particular areas or spheres in their culture, and the many networks (friends and family) each person had. Talked a lot of how to effect your sphere of influence, and how to mobilize people towards cultural change, in the areas which are dead. Dead growth is not growth, but potential growth.

The other trend, had to do with arts and business conjoining to provide a more whole picture of how God works. I met several people gifted in business who are working with creative types to make a fuller expression which is also successful in the practical areas. This seems to be a global trend--the mutually fruitful conjoining of arts and business.

The relationship between artists and business has been a God-focus recently, but it was very nice on this trip to see even more fruit from real life collaborations between very successful business folks and great artists.

In Prague, our friend's new "green" hotel, which has an international staff of many creative people, models this joining of a visionary business person with practical jobs for artists and international pilgrims. When we lived in prague there was nothing like this happening-so it was very cool to see a business functioning which integrated the arts, and provided people who feel called to be in Prague a practical way to be there. The building itself was also so artistic and alive, i was truly inspired! Amy and I stayed there several nights in wonder.

This hotel, called "Mosaic House", is also where Sasa's church meets, so i felt the integration of church and culture as we shared communion in that inspiring and very well designed space! Thanks Sasa for opening your arms to us strange strangers. It was also a privilege traveling the nations with you in the Jones global nomadic truck. Felt like old times, and new!

Thanks again for all who tuned in for us! May you find and bring His Life into your unique orbits of influence!

Themes:
(The Church's role as reflectors of the true identities of cities: San Francisco as example. Church as prophetic symbol of the identity of a city! The church as offering true image of people and places--seeing them as God does, and being seen as God sees or perceives.)

There is a city, and then there is her church who is "in her midst" to be the unique spotlight of God, a light on a hill, a revealer of identity into that city. In the case of San Francisco, the church is to be a free innovator and trainer of creative leadership, a synthesizer of many streams of thinking. Here is a city which is a creative symbolizer, a model, a glorious visionary, and a uniquely styled worshiper in glory--one who teaches, using both idea and image--the two are integrated in her true identity. And yet, here is also a city which has been intensely heart-abused and for this reason is somewhat in hiding. And yet it is an artistic leader, and teacher.

The church in San Fran needs to bring kingdom freedom and true, authentic, and therefore, indigenous expression into every area of this complexly layered city, partly to be a light to the world, but also partly for the rest of the Body to see God's aspects of creative leadership--His innovation and dynamism. In short, the church should be modeling the true identity of the city itself, as a symbol to her and heaven of who she is. This is one of the often overlooked roles of the church, as prophetic symbol of the identity of a city or nation.

This is not about relevancy but the church being a kingdom reflector so that a person or city can remember who it is--how God sees it. This is part of ministering true image, or the healing the imagination, reattaching the symbolic life of a person or place.

So, the church of San Fran should be one-of-a-kind and modeling true freedom. It is easy to imagine the assignments against her--control, legalism, division. These are the most obvious, and related to the assignments against the city itself.

The church is to be the city's priest, in holding these things off the city, so that it can become the city God intended it to be. It is also to be an expression, image or symbol of what that identity is in Him. If the enemy can keep her from being truly free, out of fear of extremism in her past; and if she then grips and is territorial towards other churches and has a mentality of dis-integration, then she will not model a truly integrated and dynamic Body. The city then has no mirror in which to see itself accurately!

There is a great need for this city to see itself as one, as whole. Constantly, things have tried to divide her, and still there is this division assignment. You can see it in the church as well, where control is often rigid, legalistic or about separating parts of the body. This needs to radically change for the church to be a true expression of what San Fran is and how it needs to perceive itself.

But trust has been broken, and there is a need for healing and integration. To love what He loves means to love this city as He does, and to see her from above. He is trying to integrate her and bring her to wholeness, to tell her she is not only beautiful but smart and has a deep and complex heart, and vision.

If the church cannot see and know the city and reflect it, how can the city know itself? In the church's priestly role, it needs to pray the reality of her city's true identity into being, but we must also symbolize it to her, so she can remember it is ok to show more than her breast, in the case of this city. This is one of the role of the arts in the church! All of a city's dimensions or parts need to be honored into the light of understanding herself. The church as light brings interpretation of culture and identity of a city, and must not only be salt but also bring this understanding to her doors!

With cities as with people, it is also necessary to see the depraved or shadow version of where she has come--her false self. Since, all cities have been in part poorly stewarded because of our fallen nature, and often flat out abused, it is good to see what level of healing is needed. But first, I think one has to see a city as God does. To see it in its future glory is essential, as the exact expression God had in mind as a reflection of those unique aspects of Himself which that city was meant to reflect.

Some people hate cities. Thank God He doesn't! For whatever reason, God has the city metaphor in His Heart somewhere, and He loves and cares for and partners with us in shepherding them. If you hate your city, take it to God and ask Him for His Heart towards the city or nation you live in! We are commanded to love what He loves, and He clearly loves cities!

To come to relate to them as people is a starting point to getting to know this part of The Father. God is fathering the cities and the nations, though they rebel. He has individual thoughts and feelings towards each and cares for them, and their identities. Part of this identity is the creative aspect of self, and culture itself is then of concern to The Father. The symbolic life of cities is a huge aspect of what it means to love and care for the city. To reflect and restore the true image of a city is part of the Church's mission on earth!

Jesus is Lord over all of Reality. He is the King of the metaphysical and symbolic realms just as He is over every other dimension of Reality! Then He is the metaphysical God as well. His being fills the universe. This gives us freedom to explore Reality as a way of knowing God!

The mind of Christ is in the Father.

Fatherhood includes dwelling in the thoughts of God The Father-- spending more and more time dwelling in the Father's Thoughts.

His perceptions are higher than human's, but He gives us access to them through Christ, His Son. His Mind is in Me---you have the part of Him focused on humanity, then you have this part of the Father's Mind which is just thinking or being in its own thoughts. They are distinct beings, but have absolute communion or exchange with one another. Still, the Father has thoughts other than just humanity--He contemplates things beyond us.

God's Fatherhood knows itself. It perceives its own thoughts--it has self awareness in other words. There is a space in Him which is perceiving Himself thinking. But also each person matters to Him. What a combination of thought life and serving His own little creatures!
The Father's thoughts have no pressure around them! They are able to complete themselves! In the world, there are pressures, compressions. But in Him, none. He acts from Himself and self generates peace as an environment for His Own Thoughts to dwell in!

The Father is looking at the Son, the Son, at humanity.

Because God is one, His Perceptions, Thoughts, Feelings are all connected in Him. One can then enter all of these parts. Lately, I am feeling more from His Fatherhood, as well as Thinking more from/in it. I see a person from His perspective, and I feel His Feelings towards them. The Father's thoughts and feelings are unique towards each person. And slightly different than Jesus' though connected. It is almost like Jesus' orientation is closer or more visceral, more immediate; but The Father's includes an entire lifetime; a larger context to see from and feel from and think from.
The whole person is then addressed. The gaps between where that person is at, and the Father's Ways are more acute to me now--including in my own life.

The Father's whole perspective, makes the one you are looking at more whole. He is One, and He sees in wholeness of Oneness of being. The more of Him I carry, the more I see as one, or whole--the more whole my vision becomes.

God's perceptions make things whole. Perceiving people from His Eyes, makes them more whole. It is a ministry to look at the world through The Father's Eyes!

Big texas spaciousness-sky country, the word grandeur. Father, Himself enjoying being big.
Coffee-graced conversationed morning..amy and i, dreaming in sweeping strokes rolling down the plains in Him together again. Long lapses of silence, prairies of praises, spokes of time,
holiday people's faces- and so many dusted structures created by man rusted in wind...then, His Ways roll in again-GOLD, OIL, GLORY, HERE-what He hid, what He revealed...how He is, what we will be...Keys in my pocket, i barely recognize, me. This grand graciousness. The full scope of a single thought laid bare--texas.

I thought I might mention that Derek and I have started our own individual blogs this year.

Me: textural.org
Derek: ivanthedissident.tumblr.com

We've always considered this blog to be our ministry and a place to write about spiritual things. But since we're both artists and thinkers we both wanted blogs where we could just be our own characters. I blog about just about everything I'm into--technology, cultural critique, fashion, design, film, music, writing. I wanted a place where I could be both a horticulturalist and a fashion critic. Derek's blog has got some great photos and poetry up. For the last year he's been building a photography/performance space and making up theatrical characters.

Have fun exploring!

TWO OF THE SHORTEST TEACHINGS EVER, which I received in a coffee shop somewhere on the road between north Carolina and Albuquerque I think:

#1
The three neglected areas of Jesus Lordship: soil, sight, skin.
Lord over earth; Lord over the imagination; Lord over the physical body. You see the church has yet to come up with clear view on ecology; you see that there is also little theology of the imagination; and you see that there is even less conversation around how the physical body is to be integrated into people's spirituality. Time to download His thoughts feeling and symbols around these three neglected areas!

#2
In the book of Joshua there is an order to possessing land and occupying it--both within ourselves and in the world.
Jericho, Ai and Gibeon, God order in land taking. Marriage, Community, then land in the world--or life work/ career. Each guarded by a unique enemy which require unique tactics to overcome. The first, ways of prostitution. The second, not making soul linked community, but allowing God to link us in His Order. The third, watching out for false offers and trickery of all sorts. There you have it, in a very tiny nutshell.

Making a complete or whole expression of the Name of God is one of the points of the Jewish reciting of the Shema daily. Even the idea of Messiah comes from the necessity of this completion of the expression of the Name of God on earth--the oneness of His Name. God is concerned to complete His expression of His Own Name! You see this again in the temple, which David called "a place for His Name." Then in the new testament, we ourselves are called this living temple or place of meeting (Cor3:16).

When Jesus came, what He manifested was the Name of God--the exact representation of His Being! He who was the completed manifestation of this Name, this identity, came and made clear that on the earth, this Name had been fragmented since Adam. He then calls us, the ones in HIS Name. This means that we too will take up the cross of His Labour in making a full expression of The Name of The Father. This is one of the great hopes of Messiah--ie that He came to make the expression of His Father's Name whole on the earth--as it was already whole in Him!

As artist we are concerned to make this Name one also. We desire to make a complete expression, and feel the pain of our own partiality in this task; and yet, as those in his image we have this hunger to make whole expression--in this we mirror God's desire to make a whole expression of His Own Name, or to declare, in this sense, His oneness.