J.R. Briggs
Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep
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Archive for December, 2008
The Most Significant Moments in 2008
In the last few posts I shared the Best of 2008, but in this post I want to reflect on the best personal moments of 2008. I'm incredibly grateful for all that has happened in the past year.
What I remember more than events are moments – moments that were diverse, but extremely significant. Full of life. Rich. Precious. Monumental. Unforgettable. Joyful. Moments that leave indelible marks on our lives.
Here are a few of the highlights from 2008:- My first book was translated, published and released in Spanish and Korean.
- reaching the goal to raise funds for Joni and Friends Camp scholarships – which meant me and my friend Jerry had to have our heads shaved bald.
- speaking at Philadelphia Biblical University's chapel services during Spiritual Emphasis Week on silence and solitude.
- attending the [Q] Conference in New York City with a good friend, which ignited many new passions, ideas and thoughts and rekindled old passions I had let smolder.
- participating in the Chelsea Art District Gallery Tour and critiquing art with Ben Stiller.
- Leading a week-long training in Maui with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and getting to bring my sweet wife along.
- being asked by Scot McKnight to read an early draft of his manuscript The Blue Parakeet. [But the brilliance of the book has nothing to do my feedback, I can assure you!]
- stepping out to begin the early stages of this crazy, exciting adventure of a new faith community called Renew.
- participating in boot camp, training and assessment for the Ecclesia Network Church Planting Training in Richmond, VA.
- conducting our first official meetings with our launch team in a bar for the first two months of Renew's existence.
- spending a week with the entire Briggs clan at the family cabin in central Florida (a tradition that has continued for five generations)
- watching some great major league baseball games at Shea Stadium (Mets) and Citizens Bank Park (Phillies) – and a dramatic walk-off home run at Comerica Park (Tigers).
- spending a sunny August day sailing across the Tampa Bay with my uncle, Megan, my brother and sister-in-law on my uncle's sailboat.
- watching friends, former classmates and former ministry partners represent the United States in the Beijing Olympics – and medal!
- screaming my lungs out with 20 other friends as Brad Lidge clinched the Phillies' World Series, the first championship for the city of Philadelphia in over twenty years!
- spending the weekend with our launch team in Annapolis, MD (along with three other newly forming church plants) for training and team bonding and a night out on the town (what a blast!)
- experiencing an emotional and meaningful rock-dropping ceremony with my friend Brian after he made a decision to be a follower of Jesus.
- developing a relationship with Mohammed, the Imam of the mosque in our community, and continuing to learn a lot from him.
- joining Twitter
- being invited to share Carter's story and preaching at Franconia Mennonite Church for their annual Adoption Sunday.
- watching the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving morning in New York City with Carter on my shoulders!Attending Motor City Bowl game at Ford Field with extended family. Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan isn't the most intriguing of matchups, but nonethless we had a great time in the cheap seats fulfilling a desire of mine: see a bowl game over the Christmas break.
I wait in excited anticipation for all the things that God has in store for us in 2009.
The year in photographs
Check out the 2008 Year in Review in photographs here, here and here.
It'll take you 10-15 minutes, but well worth your time.
Amazing photography.By Faith…in 2008
Each year, the week between Christmas and New Years means I do a lot of Year-in-Review thinking.
I'm so grateful for all that God has done in my personal life as well as through The Renew Community.I'll post some personal highlights in a little while (stay tuned), but check out this post on the Renew site as we look back on 2008 with gratitude before we look ahead to 2009 with great excitement.
God has been so good.
soli deo gloria.3rd Annual Brokenstainedglass Awards: Best of 2008
I now present to you the Third Annual brokenstainedglass Awards.
Here is a list of the Best of 2008:
MUSIC CATEGORY:Best album: Viva La Vida (Coldplay) Coldplay continues to rock. Some think that X and Y is their best album (and it may be) but this is the best album I heard this year.
Runner-up: God of The City (Passion) Fantastic set of worship songs, especially Hosanna and the title track, God of the City.Best song: Your Love is Strong on the Spring and Summer EP (Jon Foreman) Late spring was the most stressful, heart-wrenching and difficult season of ministry I have ever had and this song was on repeat almost the entire time. I've cried through this song more times than I can count. I'm moved by the clear reminder that no matter what God's love is stronger than I can evenr imagine.
Runner-up: Doubting Thomas (Nickel Creek) I'm new to the Nickel Creek scene, but man, these guys are good. The lyrics are so honest and raw regarding doubt and faith. It reminds me a lot of Derek Webb's Mockingbird album a bit.BOOK CATEGORY:
Best book of the Bible I've studied this year: Galatians. Getting Paul's message of freedom into my bloodstream on Tuesday mornings with the dudes has been fantastic. I hope it continues.
Best book (academic): A Community Called Atonement (Scot McKnight) I love anything put out by McKnight, but this one stretched me. I loved his insight on the community's role with one another and with the gospel. It surprised me, but this book grew me in ways I didn't expect.Best book (non-academic): Telling the Truth: The Gospel As Tragedy, Comedy and Fairy Tale (Frederick Buechner) I read this book just a month ago. This brotha is thick. It was a re-read for me, but it caught me at just the right place. It was exactly what I needed to hear. A short little book, but one that will take me weeks to unpack.
Runner-up: Faith & Doubt (John Ortberg) My dad let me borrow this one. I enjoy J.O. immensely, but this is his best book thus far. In the introduction he says the title of his book is boring, but the most important word in the title is the middle one. When I read that I knew it was going to be good…
Book That Changed Me the Most How I Lead and Pastor: The Tangible Kingdom (Hugh Halter) I went in skeptical and came out a cheerleader of this book. I'd recommend this to any pastor.Best Church Leadership Book: The Multiplying Church (Bob Roberts, Jr) Borrowed this book from my brother and read this on vacation in August. This flipped my lid. I love Roberts' outward-focused passion on faith communities being 'glocal' in their contexts. Fantastic.
FILM CATEGORY:Best film: Changeling See it. It's hard to watch, but very moving.
Runner-up: The Bucket List Megan and I watched this in Hawaii. Quite surprising. This movie didn't get great reviews from the movie critics (but what do those critics know anyway?) but man, did this move us! I think we sat in silence for ten minutes after the credits rolled. I think I need to set a goal to watch this film once a year.
BLOG CATEGORY:
Best blog (serious): Eugene Cho I really like the way this guy thinks and leads.
Best blog (funny): Tie: The Naked Pastor – especially his thought-provoking cartoons – and, once again, Marko (does this guy actually do any work? I think he writes funny blog posts, updates Twitter and flies around the country. Just kidding, Marko. I know you do real work some of the time.)Worth & Worthlessness
"Christianity preaches the unending worth of the apparently worthless
and the unending worthlessness of what is apparently so valuable."
-Dietrich BonhoefferThe miracle of Christmas
"God had an only Son and he made him a missionary" -David Livingstone
"The Son of God became a man so that men could become sons of God." -C.S. Lewis
Merry Christmas.
The Last House Standing at Christmas
Last month I posted an unforgettable image of the last house standing in Gilchrist, TX after Hurrican Ike.
A friend sent me this story of that house now at Christmas (thanks, Ed!)Advent Readings: Week 4
We now enter into our final week of our Advent preparation. Continue to read along with us as we prepare our hearts for Christ coming to earth!
Monday 12/22: John 1:19-23; Phil 4:4-7
Tuesday 12/23: John 3:27-30; Isaiah 40:9-11
Wednesday 12/24: John 5:36-39
Thursday 12/25: Isaiah 51:3-5
Friday 12/26: Psalm 2:1-9
Saturday 12/27: Isaiah 9:2-3, 6Now on Twitter
I am now an active member of the Twittersphere.
Join me, if you wish. Or follow along in the right hand column below.A Christmas Gift for Mohammed
On Wednesday I went to go drop off my Christmas present for Mohammed at the mosque.
It was a difficult task (what do you give a Muslim from Bangladesh who doesn't have much and has never celebrated Christmas before?) but found a great clay vase/pot/bowl at a fantastic international fair trade store called Ten Thousand Villages. The artisan who made it was from Bangladesh. In his native language the artisan carved his story around the rim of the bowl. I thought it would be perfect – something small and simple to remind him of home and of our friendship.I carried my (poorly) wrapped box in the mosque (gift-wrapping is one of my spiritual un-gifts) and went into his office. He was very appreciative when he opened it.
Then he said, "What is this for?"I told him it was a Christmas gift.
He put down the gift down and said, "Can you tell me what Christmas is? Is Christmas a religious holiday in America? What is it about?"
For a second I thought, Is he pulling my leg? I mean, I know he's Muslim but who doesn't know what Christmas is in America??
But he was dead serious.
I told him about Christ's birth, the greatest gift God gave the world and how we give gifts to each other as a reminder of the gift of Jesus that was given to us. I told him its a big deal for Christians, but its been perverted and skewed to become a secular commercial holiday for many people. But it is a very significant time of remembrance and celebration for followers of Jesus.
I said that Christmas is the bookend to Easter – one we celebrate his birth, the other his death.
He looked at me with a puzzled look on his face."What do you mean that you celebrate Jesus' death?" he asked.
Then I asked him: "Do you know what Easter is?"
Nope."Do you know what the cross is?"
Nope."Do you know what the Resurrection is?"
Nope."Do you know what grace is?"
Nope."Have you ever heard of the word 'gospel'?"
Nope.So, for the next ten minutes I shared the gospel story with Mohammed and he told me he had never heard anything like that before.
He, of course, had heard about the prophet Jesus, but didn't know his story.I'm sitting there thinking, I live about one mile from Mohammed and this guy didn't know the story of the gospel, or what Christmas was about or the significance of Easter!
I am reminded – and amazed – at how much the world needs to hear the story of the Gospel this Christmas. The opportunities are out there, if we have eyes to see them.
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