ugh

I've been quite neglectful towards our blog lately, but I hope to remedy that soon. One cause is a lack of free time, not only for writing, but also for reading. Usually, my thinking is kick-started by whatever I'm reading, but there seems to be a limit to what Lemony Snicket can inspire. Have no fear -- I haven't limited my reading to children's books (although, with so many theological controversies brewing these days, that might not be such a bad idea). I'm still plodding through Calvin's Institutes and hope to finish it this year. (Given my current pace, that may be an ambitious goal!) I've also been reading Marva Dawn's Unfettered Hope at an intentionally slow pace. There is much insight to be gleaned, so I'm trying to let her points and observations marinate for awhile. Additionally, her critique of modern technology-driven society reveals that the problems are pervasively pluriform and deeply-entrenched. Understanding and then addressing these issues in the light of the Gospel requires a great deal of thought. More to come on that in the near future.

One other item of personal note: Our humble little church is moving forward with a plan to "partner" with a large suburban church. A bit of background for the uninitiated: we attend a small church in midtown Atlanta, adjacent to the campus of Georgia Tech. Like many urban areas, this and surrounding Atlanta neighborhoods are experiencing large-scale revitalization as young professional types are moving back into town and bringing their $$$ with them. Currently, there is a minimal church presence in the area, especially compared to the huge anticipated influx of folks. Both our church and the larger church have seen this population boom, combined with the existing mass of college students in the area (in addition to Tech, Georgia State and Emory are not too far away) as a tremendous opportunity for outreach to the surrounding neighborhood. For the past year or so, our leadership has been in discussion with their leadership to explore possibilities for joint outreach. I used the word "partner" (with the quotes) above because the extent of the cooperation is still being ironed-out. However it shapes up, though, there will be a great deal of linkage between the two churches. This should pose some interesting challenges, but it could be a great boon to being a salt and a light to the neighborhood. We shall see.