thinking, speaking, writing

it seems like this is all i do.

think

speak

write

and, somedays, it's a little trippy to get my head around

i mean
for the first 10 years of ministry
i understood my role as much more of a pastor/shepherd
i did a lot of mentoring
i worked hard to develop strong relationships with my "people" [whom i never thought of - and still don't - as "people", they're just my friends]

and i understood pastoring primarily in terms of relationships

to be honest,
i still understand it that way
but my life just isn't that way anymore

these days

it's just more thinking

it's just more speaking

it's just more writing

i think ad naseum
i read everything i can get my hands on
i've done 15 magazine subscriptions
i read a complete non-fiction book every 3-4 days
i read a lot of fiction
and all of my reading just barely keeps me fueled enough
barely keeps up my ammunition
to keep thinking

thinking about how the church needs to etymologize for the present world
not to mention the future world [which is it's own category of thought]

thinking about how to better communicate the full gospel to our world
via live experiences and via the web/podcasts/utube, etc...

thinking about key doctrines
particularly soteriology, hamartiology, pneumatatology
and how they jive in this new world in new ways
ways we may never have fully appreciated before

thinking about dissipative ecclesial structures
and modular methods for leading a growing church

not to mention
personal development thoughts
family thoughts [my fav]
god thoughts
or backyard dreams/plans


and after i've begun thinking
i find myself with a shortage of time before i have to speak

i mean
a lot of my life is about talking

and not just preaching/teaching

i mean,
i end up talking for most of my work days
it's good talk
it's fun/work talk

but some days
i actually pray

"god,
please don't make me talk anymore today"

please.


and then i've got to synthesize
my thoughts
with my teachings
with my reflections
and my conversations
with the collaborations and contributions of friends and critics
so that i can write it all down for someone to make sense of later.

[and, no - in my mind, blogging doesn't count as writing. so, please don't imagine me sitting in my office logged on to blogspot for any more than a furious 5 min. at a time]

currently,
in addition to our teaching atlases

we're spinning out
what will be
about a 200 page "booklet"
on the core doctrines of the christian faith

and a 100 page "booklet"
on a new modular ecclesiology
that will completely reengineer the way our church works

and i'm very excited about completing both writing assignments

so i can play on our new trampoline
with my fantastic son
my beautiful 1yr. daughter
and the everlasting love of my life
who i duper into marrying me 9 years ago

ok...time to go.