ZOE Fresno

This weekend is ZOE Fresno. This year's ZOE conferences/events are in Fresno, Lubbock Malibu, and Nashville. If you have not been to a ZOE conference, you'll be blessed with the deep passion for worship and missional living that runs through the entire gathering. Check this site out to learn more.

I fly there tomorrow night (before catching the red-eye Sunday to preach at Rochester) to teach a three part dialog on the role of scripture in the life of a contemporary Christian. I've changed the title of the class so many times, I can't remember what we decided on (thanks for being patient with me Eric). I think the class is Burning Word (learning to allow the Bible to read us). My goal is to teach each person a simple "path" to reading the stories of Scripture with vivid imagination. Some of what I'm doing is from my book, Jesus Feast (out this summer). Some I'm implementing Walter Brueggemann's stuff from A Pathway of Interpretation.

I always enjoy my time with the College Church of Christ. They are one of the most hospitable, diverse church's I've associated with.

It will be great to catch up with friends, mentors and fellow pilgrims on the Jesus Journey.

Scot McKnight

Scot McKnight reflected on his recent time with us at ZOE. He has one of the best blogs I've seen. Check it out.

His lectures were full of theological depth, humor, pastoral sensibility, and missional conviction. He fit well with what ZOE is trying to do among Churches of Christ: bridging the Gospel and Culture in innovative and faithful ways.

ZOE Nashville

There are very few conferences Kara and I get to attend together. Actually, there are very few conferences either of us would necessarily want to be at together. However, this weekend is the exception. One of the highlights of the year, ZOE Nashville is this Thursday through Saturday at Woodmont Hills Church. Thursday and Friday is the leadership conference. Friday and Saturday is the worship conference.

I'm leading sessions"mission in the city" (scripture intersecting the urban context) and "preaching/teaching as public leadership" (with emphasis on media and film). In all, seven sessions.

First on the agenda Thursday morning . . . Kara and I will eat at Pancake Pantry. One friend told me recently, "They have special assessment programs for people with Pancake Pantry fetishes!" If there is a rehab place in America for people addicted to Caribbean pancakes, book me a reservation.

McLaren Interview

I am about to interview Brian McLaren for Wineskins Magazine. His new book, Finding Our Way Again, is excellent. This book is the perfect follow-up to Everything Must Change.

I'll post later this afternoon about our conversation.

If you have not signed up for ZOE-Dallas, it's going to be a great event. Teaching at ZOE s always one of the highlights of the year for me.

Fresno and Phil

The Fresno ZOE Conference was a great event. The College Church of Christ has become a special place of rest, friendship, and family for me these last two years.

I returned from Fresno late Sunday night (Monday morning) . . . well . . . late for me . . . 3 a.m. As I was driving from the airport home, I thought, there’s one person I can call right now that would not shoot me: my dad.

For the last twenty-plus years, my dad has worked the midnight shift at Children’s Hospital as a respiratory therapist. In fact, when I was younger, he worked two jobs—always the midnight shift.

I have many friends who lament that “my dad never made time for me” or “my dad was great with everyone except his own family.” I empathize with these people . . . but I cannot relate.

My father was always around. He was always there. Always present. Always willing to play catch, go for a jog, watch hoops, play one-on-one.

From seventh to twelfth grade he (nor my mom) never missed one sporting/church event. We played football, baseball, soccer, basketball and tennis and he was there for every single game. Of course, the post-game “Dad-nalysis” was part of the experience, but I’d gladly take that than a dad who’s out of town on business, the dad who’s on the golf-course five days a week with clients and no time for his family. My father did not spend his time thinking about his own career, education, or “dreams”—he was fully invested in developing his family.

I can honestly say my dad was one of my closest friends in High School. I was never embarrassed to have him drop me off some where. Never ashamed to hang out with him at the movies or the mall.

He used to write me little notes before big games: “You can do it.” “I believe in you.” “You the man.” Little pieces of paper I still have in a box in my basement. He’ll never know how much those little pieces of paper meant. I get emotional just thinking about our game day breakfasts at a local joint, or our pre-game meal at Subway.

Anyways . . .

I called my dad on the drive from the airport Monday morning. Sure enough, at 2:54 a.m. he answered as he always does, “Respiratory--Phil Graves.” We talked about my trip, grad school, his upcoming adventure to Alaska (he’s going to camp by himself in the wilderness for two weeks).

To all the fathers out there: You don’t know what it means when a son knows he can call you at any hour of the day, knowing that for one brief moment, the person on the other end of the phone is your biggest fan and confidant.

To all the sons out there: You don’t know what it means when a dad knows that his son loves him so much, that the person he wants to talk to when he’s going on four hours sleep is…well…his dad.

My biggest fear in life is that I won’t be half the dad my father was. I am so engrossed in my education, plans, dreams, work, vocation, and opportunities . . . I pray I will honor Phil by being the encourager and man he was/is in my life.

Nashville, Washington D.C.

This weekend’s ZOE Conference might have been the best ever. The missional focus is exactly what the Spirit is doing in the larger Christian world (both domestically and globally).

One of the great joys and privileges of the last two years, has been working with the leaders and visionaries of ZOE. It is, without question, one of the best things we do in our little corner of the world—the Churches of Christ. In teaching at ZOE, I’ve shared wonderful conversations full of wisdom, pain, testimony, and insight.

I leave such weekends feeling pretty confident that a portion of Churches of Christ are positioned to do ministry in the coming religious climate. By “portion” I don’t necessarily mean the churches that would be a part of ZOE events. For some of the most missional (working with the poor, etc.) churches I know are, from my denomination’s perspective, conservative.

If you’ve never gone, they are having events this upcoming year in Searcy, Dallas, Fresno, Malibu, Tulsa, and Nashville.

On another note. Along with a group of pastors and Rochester College administrators, I was a part of a dialog session with one of Michigan’s Congressman this morning. The forum was an informal but spirited discussion about the issues that churches are passionate about.

Several good questions were raised and several statements were made ranging from Michigan's economy to the War in Iraq.

My question went something like this.

It is hard for some of us not to be cynical about the way in which America prioritizes involvement in other nations of the world. For instance, some have suggested that if oil was discovered in Northern Uganda (Gulu) or Darfur, the United States might suddenly being interested in the genocide that’s been plaguing this region for several years. How does government prioritize its involvement in humanitarian issues (which Iraq was advertised to be in the beginning)?

If you could, in-person, ask your Congressman one question; if you could make one statement to your Congressman—what would it be? And no, you can't ask if he/she has special powers to help the Lions prevent another debacle.