Thursday, February 7, 2008

a Generous meme

and the directions are:

1) Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2) Open the book to page 123.
3) Find the fifth sentence.
4) Post the next three sentences.
5) Tag five people.

Being a good little do bee I will comply with most of Nathan's rules, but since he possibly scored higher than me, we understand rules to be more like "guidelines." I'm glad we're not too picky.

"The road to the right leads west towards Naples. The third road leads south toward Key West, through the Everglades. None of the roads leads in the general direction of Los Angeles."

Apparently we are lost on a metaphorical journey west from New York to Los Angeles. What do you do? This is how Brian D. McLaren feels when offered a choice between the roads of exclusivism, universalism, inclusivism...none of which is the road of his missional calling: blessed in this life to be a blessing to everyone on earth.

Speaking earlier of not following all the rules to a T, we wouldn't want to miss the road sign on page 122 nor forget to entertain strangers along the way.

"Industrialists would realize that God cares for the sparrows and wildflowers-so their industries should respect, not rape, the environment. The homeless would be invited in for a hot meal. The kingdom of God would come--not everywhere at once, not suddenly, but gradually like a seed growing in a field, like yeast spreading in a lump of bread dough, like light spreading across the sky at dawn."

This little scenic detour brought to you by a Generous Orthodoxy.

No time to tag for now...I need to keep my eye on the road and get to work. I'll be in that vehicle flashing a virtual bumper sticker "I'd rather be blogging!"

16 comments:

Dean said...

No tag, but if I followed your instructions the quoted lines would be:
"One spouse escapes from a collapsing skyscraper while many others perish. One prayer is amazingly answered, while others seem to have no effect. God delivers the children of Israel out of Egypt, but not out of Auschwitz."
Fortunately we're not left there to ponder the peculiarity of it all.

di said...

sounds familiar...God at War or The Problem of Evil?

Dean said...

Is God to blame?

christianne said...

Oooh, these words moved me. I have yet to read Brian McLaren but have been meaning to. I know he's written many, and isn't Generous Orthodoxy his newest one? If I were to start down the Brian McLaren road, which book would you recommend I read to begin my journey?

Nathan said...

Di,

Guidelines, huh? LOL. I've been meaning to get a copy of that book. I really do need to read more. I have kinda dropped the ball in that area lately.

You get a big smile ova here with the virtual bumper sticker comment.

terri said...

Di: I love that quote. Kevin recommended that book to me recently. Holy Cow! I'm NEVER going to be able to read all these books. I'm having book envy.

*surfing the urge to quit my job so i can read and blog fulltime*

di said...

Dean: No wonder it sounded familiar, I actually read that one. Awesome book. The other two I've "started" but haven't quite finished, shall we say. Auschwitz conjured up Zosia's eyes and I got off track. "Is God To Blame?" is a must read.

Christianne: So far I can only recommend this one as it is my first of his many books, but considering
Yes We Can you might enjoy Everything Must Change at this point of the journey.

Nathan: you always make me smile I'm glad to give one back to you!

Terri: mine is a gift from Kevin. Isn't he the greatest! You can borrow it as soon as I finish it which could be a lot sooner if I WASN'T BLOGGING but hey. There's a healthy dialectic in there somewhere : )

Dean said...

I've got to agree, work is seriously interfering with my blogging and reading!

christianne said...

I agree . . . my school life and requirements definitely interfere with my blogging social life!

Di, thanks for the recommendation on "Everything Must Change." I think I remember that as being his breakout book . . . right? The one that made his mark on the map of the emergent movement? I just couldn't remember what it was.

By the way, how DO you get your comment to post with the hyperlinked words?? I'm picking up on the fact that you're mad smart with the computers and coding (right?), so you must be the person to ask. I've always been completely mystified at how people do that, instead of just putting the whole URL in their comment instead.

di said...

ah wise grasshoppa mad smart to associate with good teacher

go to: The Anchor Tag and the Href Attribute section

wax on wax off paint the fence sand the floor...it takes some work! : )

christianne said...

ahhh, thank you, wise master-son. got it!

Nathan said...

Does the anchor hold?

Nathan said...

I did it. I did it. I did it.

I got my link to stick!!!!

Amazing what you can learn when you read, huh?

Thanks guys.

christianne said...

Congratulations, Nathan! I did it for the first time on my blog tonight, too, in a comment back to you, in fact, about my brother. I felt like doing a little dance when it showed up correctly!

di said...

nathan: thanks for introducing perception here! and BRAVO on the quick study.

you and christianna have me sharing your happy dance... "i did it. i did it. i'm tryin' to place that diddy help! i did it."

aborting synapse sequence. it'll come to me.

di said...

dory! p sherman 42 wallaby way syndey! is that it? the dory dance. i remembered!

still looking for a clip but i did find this on the finding nemo trail