Post # 400

When 400 posts you reach, blog as good, you will not, hmm?

2012 Return, Link, etc.

Between a new baby at home (the adventures of whom you can follow on Jessica's blog) and Advent/Christmas preparations at Arlington UMC (check out the church's webpage for Christmas service times if you're in the Nashville area), I haven't had a whole lot of time to put together fully formed blog posts. After feeling guilty about this for a while, I just decided to accept my limitations and let it slide for the rest of the year.

The Truth As Best I Know It will return in 2012, when I'm sure I'll be having lots of thoughts about the Presidential race, the sure to be many "end of the world" predictions, Claire being baptized in the same church as her dad, and maybe even a theological/spiritual thought or two.

I know most of the readers of this site (hi Mom!) enjoyed the Project Israel series I did earlier this year, and my friend and colleague Rev. Jill Howard and her husband, Corey, are leading a Holy Land pilgrimage right now and blogging about their experiences. Their site is called Memorial UMC in the Holy Land, and it's a great look at the settings of the biblical narratives, particularly at this time of year. Check it out.

See you in 2012!

Renewal Leave Update

I'm still pondering what my "project" will be during my renewal leave. I had given thought to working through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, but my friend Brian reminded me that doing the exercises really requires doing them with a spiritual director, and the only people who really make it through them in 30 days are Jesuits on the "long retreat", and they're doing nothing else. So that's too ambitious.

What I'm leaning toward is a very intentional reading of some book, perhaps just a chapter or two a day, and blogging about my reactions each day. That sounds much more manageable given that Annual Conference and the Wild Goose Festival are happening during June.

The question now is, what book? It could be something academic in nature, but not so abstract as to have no relevance to anyone not familiar with seminary-speak. But it should be meaty enough that it deals with real questions. Anyone recommending a Joel Osteen book is permanently banned from this blog!

So I look to you, dear reader, for advice. What book would you like to see me blog through during my renewal leave?

While you're thinking about that, also remember that you have a chance to decide what facial hair configuration I will have during the first part of my leave. Click above to make a donation to Eden Reforestation Projects in Ethiopia, and you'll be part of the June 6 drawing where the winner gets to tell me if and how to shave my beard. Currently, my father-in-law has a 71% chance of winning, so let's make this a little more competitive!

More Positive Steps for Observing 9/11

Earlier I posted about "Read a Quran Day", an alternative and much more beneficial way to observe the 9th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks than a Gainesville church's "Burn a Quran Day".

I've since seen a few more good ideas. Andrew over at Tall Skinny Kiwi has suggested that bloggers all join in for "Blog a Quran Day" on Saturday, sharing verses or passages from the Quran to show that there are Christians who are not afraid of and can actually appreciate other faiths.

I'll be participating on Saturday. If you're a blogger, put the address of your page in Andrew's Comments section so he can add you to the blogroll.

I'm also personally going to step out of my comfort zone and take my witness physical, not just virtual. I hate to admit it, but I've lived in Clarksville for over three years and not met anyone from the local Islamic Center. So I'm going over for Friday prayers at 1pm tomorrow, as a way of saying that not all Christians are intolerant, hateful bigots. Anyone in the Clarksville area is welcome to come, or go to your local Islamic Center or mosque wherever you my reside.

That's what I'm doing. What about you, dear readers? What are some other concrete steps Christians can take to provide a positive witness to our Muslim brothers and sisters? How can we extend the hand of friendship today?

Next Week

Next week I'll be guest blogging over at GoodPreacher.com's "Homiletical Hot Tub" (I'll give an honorable mention to whomever comes up with the best "Hot Tub Time Machine" reference for a preaching site).

The texts I'll be working on next week will be Genesis 1:3-5, and Matthew 5:14-16. We're in the midst of our Bethlehem on the Rise capital campaign, and the overall theme will be "Sunrise" for that Sunday.

I'll post the link when it's up.

Coming Soon...

A new look for the The Truth As Best I Know It!

My lovely and talented wife, Jessica, made this lovely card for my birthday. As you can see, the card is made to look like my MacBook on the outside...

And on the inside (including a full keyboard)!

Jessica got me a blog redesign from The Design Girl, who gave Jessica's blog a makeover (a prize she won in a contest).

So look for a new layout in a few weeks. Thanks, babe! I love you!

Coming Thursday- Reflections on Calling

Jenny Smith over at UMC Young Clergy has issued a call for folks to post their reflections on discerning their calling on Thursday, August 20. I'll be doing this, and I encourage any other young adults in ministry (Methodist or otherwise) to do the same.

Jenny writes:

What are the struggles, joys, surprises and outcomes? Who helped you along? Where are you now? What do you wish someone told you at the beginning of discernment?

Write the post, send the link to umcyoungclergy@gmail.com and they'll all be posted at www.umcyoungclergy.com on the 20th.

We hope the outcome is two fold:
They'll be shared with young adults ages 18-24 considering a call into ministry
They'll also be helpful for young adults interested in attending Exploration 2009 this November 13-15

I'll be posting some reflections (including both joys and frustrations), which I hope will be beneficial to other young adults considering these issues. This is often a lonely road we travel, and one of the benefits of social networking sites and blogs is connecting with others who are on this journey who may not be physically close by, and knowing that we are not alone.

Bloggers Unite!

On April 29, over 500 bloggers will be writing posts about world hunger and soliciting donations for Heifer International. If you'd like your blog to participate in this event, go to the Bloggers Unite website.