weekend worship: reflections on the west memphis 3 rally
Tue, Aug 31 2010 07:51 AM
| personal, emergent, eikon, little rock, christian subculture, theology, favorites, arkansas, church, jesus, music, popular culture, current events, politics
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sunday night, we had one of my favorite worship gatherings to date at eikon church. there was a good energy, the music was unquestionably the best it's ever been and i think we really tapped into the heart of what it means to be a community of people connected by jesus. it was truly a beautiful night of worship.
and then there was that other worship gathering.
no, not the one i attended on sunday morning. and no, not some other church event i participated in some other time during the weekend.
i'm talking about the one saturday. at robinson center music hall.
yeah, that one.
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some exciting new eikon church updates
Fri, Aug 13 2010 02:04 PM
| general life, personal, church, news, emergent, little rock, jesus, eikon, worship
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it's been awhile since i've offered a substantial (or any, really) update about what's going on with eikon church. well, big things are happening, so i thought i'd pause the ryan-blog-rants-and-ramblings train and get us all on the same page.
anne rice's guide to quitting christianity and keeping jesus
Fri, Jul 30 2010 01:31 PM
| personal, church, emergent, jesus, eikon, quotes, christian subculture, theology, books, popular culture, writing, current events
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i've never read an anne rice book.
i've never seen an anne rice-adapted movie.
i've never been interested in vampires or books about vampires.
despite these things, though, i've been a distant and intrigued observer—over the last 10 years—as anne rice has come back to faith. growing up in the catholic church, at the age of 18, she left her faith in exchange for nearly 4 decades of ardent unbelief. after garnering legions of followers and authoring blockbuster books, she once again chose faith and for the past decade, she's been publishing books about the her faith and the life of christ.
but anne rice has never reached "christian celebrity" status like other celebrity purveyors of faith such as mel gibson, stephen baldwin or—god help us—chuck norris. despite her marked switch to literary works about the life of christ, she never seemed to fully embrace the prevailing values of white, evangelical culture, which is the key to unlocking full-on christian celebrity status.
well, the possibility of that status is official DOA.
anne rice is quitting christianity.
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i'm rubber, you're glue: letting go of the negative
Wed, Jul 21 2010 07:58 AM
| general life, personal, church, eikon, confessions, family
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it's 5th grade. you're on the playground. you see billy mcgee—the class bully—coming your direction. billy doesn't beat people up with his fists. but billy knows how to beat people up with his words. you know it's coming.
"hey you. yeah, you. your mom's so dumb she brought a spoon to the super bowl."
his entourage—little eddie hankins and robby smits—laughs devilishly. "this kid's good," you think, trying to avoid eye contact.
"your mom's so fat that when she wears a malcolm x t-shirt, a helicopter lands on her."
you've gotta do something as the laughter mounts. think fast.
"yeah? well…i'm rubber, you're glue. whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!"
like kryptonite to superman, big bad billy mcgee and his weasely entourage shrinks away, knowing that he's lost this battle of pre-teen wits.
ah yes, back in 5th grade, the "rubber/glue"—much like "sticks & stones…"—held great power and were deep words of wisdom.
the world was simple.
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loving your enemies: a few words on criticism by don miller
Wed, May 26 2010 08:07 AM
| videos, personal, jesus, eikon, chuch, christian subculture, theology, family
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as i've shared before here on the blog, since starting the church over the last year or so, i've fought a consistently and surprisingly difficult battle with self doubt and criticism from others. sadly, it seems to just come with the territory of pastoring and particularly, it seems, church planting. in a post back in february, i shared about this struggle, saying the following:
much to my surprise, over the last half a year, i've fought a very tough battle with intense self doubt and bad case of trampled ego. i've always been the type to disallow the actions or words or critiques of others to shape my inner self, but taking the lead in a church planting project has revealed a new layer of emotions and personal battles. what you were certain of a day ago is now fodder for intense personal scrutiny and doubt.
the religion of atheism: how disbelief has become dogma
Mon, May 24 2010 01:35 PM
| videos, t.v., emergent, jesus, eikon, chuch, christian subculture, theology, current events
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over the last several years, more and more, i've attempted to engage the world around me with a continual spirit of humility. simply put, i try to live by the mantra, i might be wrong. undoubtedly, i fail often. i fight the urge to be right. it's difficult to accept when others can't just adopt my viewpoint. it's easier to clone than to create.
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agreeing to disagree: exploring the limits of social engagement
Tue, May 4 2010 08:04 AM
| general life, personal, church, emergent, eikon, christian subculture, theology, popular culture, politics, current events
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we all know the common saying, we'll just have to agree to disagree, at least in some iteration. of course, the phrase is used when two people feel like they've reached a point in the conversation where the wheels are spinning, but it's really going nowhere. no doubt, i've uttered this saying numerous times, particularly as of late.
rampant religion roundup: lifeway christian stores, jennifer knapp and johnny piper
Fri, Apr 23 2010 02:38 PM
| rant, christen, church, news, emergent, jesus, eikon, theology, music, favorites, popular culture, current events
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last month, the calvinist legions of bloggers hit the interwebs to lambast their chosen messiah, john piper, for what they viewed as a theological slap in the face. piper did the (apparently) unthinkable and invited rick warren to be one of the featured speakers at his desiring god 2010 national conference (in addition to speakers such as the SBC godfather al mohler and the treading-on-thin-ice-because-now-you're-making-films-with-that-rob-bell-company francis chan).
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letting go: jennifer knapp confirms she's gay to christianity today
Wed, Apr 14 2010 07:58 AM
| news, emergent, confessions, eikon, christian subculture, theology, music you should know, favorites, church, jesus, music, popular culture, current events
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on a fateful day in 1999, fragile, protected-from-the-evils-of-the-world christians learned of the shock and horror they previously thought unimaginable: amy grant, darling of contemporary christian music, got divorced.
gasp!
shockwaves (yes, i too wish i was exaggerating) rippled through baptist churches from sea to shining sea. after cd-burning parties, a healthy dose of potluck dinner gossip and legions of once-diehard fans disowning their christian pop princess, the lingering effects of a fallen angel still remain in some corners of christendom today.
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watch and download rob bell's latest film, 'resurrection'
Sun, Apr 4 2010 01:24 PM
| videos, personal, church, emergent, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, theology, worship, favorites, free stuff, websites
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there are few sure bets in this world. yes, we can count on nic cage being just a little more creepy in his next film than the last. and yes, we can count on—regardless of years of reason to believe the previously stated fact—hordes of people flocking to the theater to see said next film. but otherwise, very few things, indeed, are worth betting the farm on.
enter rob bell stage left.
faith without politics is dead
Tue, Mar 30 2010 04:24 PM
| personal, church, technology, emergent, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, theology, politics, current events
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that's what the scriptures say, right? faith without politics is dead? like 2 peas in a pod. like peanut butter and jelly. like ren and stimpy.
ok, so maybe the bible says something about works… but come on, my phrase is much catchier and scintillating, right? you know, despite its surface-layer inaccuracies, i actually want to dive into that concept a little and show that i think the two are far from mutually exclusive.
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surprise! i blogged! -OR- looking for blog suggestions
Fri, Mar 26 2010 08:03 AM
| recommendations, personal, eikon, family, blog stuff
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in a post reviewing 2008, i crunched a few numbers, revealing that i blogged just over 1 time per day (1.004 times to be precise). for some bloggers, 1 post is nothing. to the average blogger, that's relatively frequently (in terms of the type of blogging i do). i love to blog and enjoyed the time/ability to frequently post my thoughts and build some interaction.in 2009, blogging became a little more
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information about rob's memorial service
**EDITORIAL NOTE: about 2 years ago, my best friend rob was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. since that time, he had hospital stays at both uams and md anderson in houston, tx. there were times that rob could have walked out of the hospital and conquered the world and there were times when he was preparing to leave this present reality. last saturday, rob's preparation for death culminated with just that.**
most of you know by now that my friend, rob toon, passed away last saturday, february 13 in the wee hours of the morning. after 2 years of dealing with the realities of leukemia, rob moved on to the next space, somewhere where his pain is gone and the broken is made new.
brian mclaren talks a new kind of christianity
Mon, Feb 8 2010 08:54 AM
| videos, personal, church, emergent, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, favorites, politics
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only a minute or two into the story of my theological journey over the last 5 or 6 years, a little book called a new kind of christian enters the story and serves as the genesis for my ongoing narrative. that, of course, was written by brian mclaren nearly 10 years ago and it continues to resonate with a whole new generation of people investigating this whole jesus idea.
on tuesday, the conversation deepens with the release of his new book, a new kind of christianity.
i do confess: a big eikon announcement
Thu, Feb 4 2010 07:54 AM
| personal, church, little rock, jesus, eikon, confessions, worship
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last june, this thing called eikon kicked off, publicly, with a little cookout with some burgers, some beers and a handful of sorted people. since that time, we've connected with new friends and grown over the course of informational meetings, guided conversations and, over the last few months, a handful of worship gatherings. in just the last 6 or 7 months, we've come a long way in the initial phases of forming this thing we call a church.
what your pastor will (likely) never say publicly or to you privately
Wed, Feb 3 2010 12:46 PM
| general life, personal, church, jesus, eikon, confessions, christian subculture, theology
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life rarely offers those moments where the world literally fades away, blurring at the peripheral edges, and you're left with just you and one other person speaking words directly into your innermost places that no one sees. at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, that very scenario transpired last july in a performance hall in grand rapids, michigan. sitting in a crowd of a couple thousand people, words, thoughts, ideas floated in space and settled somewhere deep within me and unlocked something that would continue to resonate half a year later.
relief roundup: how to help haiti
Thu, Jan 14 2010 05:46 PM
| church, news, emergent, jesus, eikon, politics, current events
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here's another post from the eikon blog. in this case, john wrote a bit of a roundup of ways to help with the haiti relief efforts. it's often difficult to know what to do, in spite of the fact that we want to do something. so hopefully this serves a guide to giving and responding.
orthodoxy vs. monodoxy
Mon, Jan 11 2010 10:01 AM
| personal, church, emergent, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, theology
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here's a little something i wrote over on the eikon blog. as we're still in the initial phase of connecting and sharing our values prior to our official start day (which is coming very, very soon…), a recent tweet prompted me to further flesh out our perspective on the nature of orthodoxy and shared beliefs.
so, enjoy.
so, enjoy.
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dissolution of marriage: a case for a church-state separation
Tue, Jan 5 2010 07:49 AM
| personal, church, emergent, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, theology, politics, current events
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yesterday on his blog, tony jones made a case for clergy stepping back in their roles as state-sanctioned marriage officiants. you can certainly read his thoughts about it here (and he goes in many other thoughtful directions that i'm not necessarily pursuing in this post), but i thought i would add a few thoughts to the subject. whereas i don't want to simply retread his points, i do want to underscore the thought and offer a bit more perspective.
in essence, clergy are the legal binding signature required for the state to recognize a marriage, thus granting special tax status and other distinctive legal considerations. ultimately, that means that clergy work as an agent of the state. they are explicitly partner to a state-sanctioned role and office. the problem as jones argues—and i would concur—is that throughout christian tradition, those in the role of priest or clergy were generally regarded as the ones who were oppositional (or at least suspicious) of the government powers that be. to further the argument, many argue (and make a strong, reasonable argument) that one of jesus' primary missions was to offer/model a way of living that freed people from the oppression of government systems (particularly, at that time, the roman government).
in essence, clergy are the legal binding signature required for the state to recognize a marriage, thus granting special tax status and other distinctive legal considerations. ultimately, that means that clergy work as an agent of the state. they are explicitly partner to a state-sanctioned role and office. the problem as jones argues—and i would concur—is that throughout christian tradition, those in the role of priest or clergy were generally regarded as the ones who were oppositional (or at least suspicious) of the government powers that be. to further the argument, many argue (and make a strong, reasonable argument) that one of jesus' primary missions was to offer/model a way of living that freed people from the oppression of government systems (particularly, at that time, the roman government).
an advent reflection: in anticipation of life (and death)
Tue, Dec 22 2009 03:12 PM
| personal, church, emergent, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, music, music you should know, family
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over the last couple weeks, many of you have worshipped with us as we've engaged in this season called advent. through our modVent gatherings, we've eagerly anticipated the coming of the messiah. as we've learned, of course, advent simply means coming. during this season, we await the coming of a baby, in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. who is the savior. who is the one sent from god.
advent is about life. it's about redemption. it's about hopeful expectation. but advent is also about death. we not only await the coming of the christ child, but we await his death on a cross. we look ahead to the time of jesus' atoning sacrifice in which he suffered in order to restore the brokenness of all creation. death, indeed, is a part of the cycle of anticipation.
advent is about life. it's about redemption. it's about hopeful expectation. but advent is also about death. we not only await the coming of the christ child, but we await his death on a cross. we look ahead to the time of jesus' atoning sacrifice in which he suffered in order to restore the brokenness of all creation. death, indeed, is a part of the cycle of anticipation.
a few thoughts concerning the shane montgomery arrest
Fri, Dec 11 2009 08:06 PM
| personal, church, news, little rock, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, theology, current events
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today has been a day full of assorted and disparate emotions. this morning, like many of you, i learned of yesterday's arrest of shane montgomery, the now-resigned church planter/pastor of the river church. while most people know the story at this point, in essence, shane has been accused of (and, according to some sources citing the arrest report, admitted to) sexual contact with a 15-year old male who he met online this past summer.
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pro-abortion, anti-communion: when religion becomes a weapon
Wed, Nov 25 2009 08:47 AM
| personal, church, emergent, jesus, eikon, christian subculture, theology, worship, politics
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religion can be used as a lot of things. it can be used as a way to bring seemingly disparate people together. it can be used as a mode of transcendent conversation. it can be used as a way to connect thousands of years of generations of people and to bring hope to people who might otherwise feel hopeless. certainly, it can be used for many, many great and noble things.
but it can also be used in very dangerous and divisive ways.
sadly, those who choose to use religion as a weapon of politics has become more and more frequent and severe.
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do you f*#@ing love bacon!!??: a religious flowchart
Tue, Nov 24 2009 02:17 PM
| church, eikon, humor, christian subculture, theology, websites
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over on the blog of john hardin, john posted a great religious flowchart from holy taco. so, which religion should you follow??
a solution to the little rock homeless problem: let them die
on any given day, there are thousands of people living in the streets of little rock. we have to walk by them. we have to hear them ask for money. we have to cross to the other side of the street when we see them ahead. we have to feel guilty when we drive by in our hard-earned suv.
it's a real problem.
so, i'm offering a solution: let them die.
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the creation conflict: don miller talks community
i posted this earlier on the eikon blog and i thought it was worth sharing here.several years ago, someone made a statement that i have repeated many times since and has shaped my view of god and others: isolation is the enemy of god.there's a lot going on in that statement and today, in a live-streamed talk by don miller, i was once again reminded of that declaration.miller—author of the best-selling
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smashing assumptions: billy corgan talks god
this appeared on the eikon blog yesterday and i thought i would repost it here. enjoy.last week, billy corgan—of smashing pumpkins fame—launched a new website, everything from here to there. in his first post, corgan expresses the purpose of the site, stating,The purpose of this website is to discuss openly and without fear concepts of Mind-Body-Soul integration. If you are drawn to the Hidden
from the eikon blog: bazan breakup?
Fri, Sep 4 2009 10:10 AM
| reviews, personal, church, emergent, eikon, christian subculture, theology, music, music you should know
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i wrote this piece for the eikon blog yesterday and i thought it was worth sharing here. david bazan's new album, curse your branches, is a truly incredible album and asks a lot of hard, but necessary questions. so, enjoy.-----------------------------------------------You've heard the storyYou know how it goesOnce upon a gardenWe were lovers with no clothesFresh from the soilWe were beautiful and trueIn
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an open letter to those who have been burned by church
Tue, Sep 1 2009 08:56 PM
| rant, personal, church, emergent, eikon, confessions, christian subculture, theology, popular culture
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thanks to a tweet from @emergentvillage, i came across a great blog post from curtis honeycutt (@curtishoneycutt) today speaking to—as the title suggests—those who have been burned by church. it's a beautiful, vulnerable, honest conversation with an ever-growing group of people. so, if you've ever felt put off, not by jesus, but by the church, take a minute to read this. curtis, no doubt, shares
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announcing the launch of the eikon website
i'm really excited to announce here on the blog (though pretty much half of north america knows at this point) the launch of www.eikonthechurch.com! this has been a long time coming and i'm really proud of the outcome.for the last several months, as i've worked on the design, my friend chris earls—uber web developer—has put in some serious hours getting this thing up and running. so, i'm very thankful
from the eikon blog: informational meeting scheduled
i'm very excited to (finally) be able to tell you guys about our next eikon shindig. after the success of last month's cookout, on sunday, july 19 at 6:00 p.m., we'll be having an informational meeting at vino's.there's two reasons you might want to come to this meeting:1. if you've ever wanted to know anything about this whole eikon thing, you don't want to miss this meeting. during our time together,
from the eikon blog: the question of art and accuracy
i thought i'd take a quick moment to tell you that if you're not already reading it regularly, you should go check out the eikon blog. i just put up a new post about art, faith, truth and "accuracy" that i think is worth reading (if i do say so myself...).as a bit of a teaser, here's a piece of art by david lachapelle that i discuss:so, go check it out!alright, as you were.
the god of the bottom
Mon, Jun 29 2009 07:23 PM
| church, emergent, eikon, christian subculture, theology, books
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while i'm not necessarily suggesting some kind of weird, mystic thought connectivity, it certainly seems as if god uses streams of interconnected pieces of thinking to foster my own theological growth and investigation. over the last several days, that very thing has occurred.several days ago, i listened to a podcast that featured an interview with len sweet, a self-described theologian, author and
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eikon therefore i am: cookout details
[i just slapped this up on the eikon blog, but i thought i would do the obligatory overlap here. if you've already read this on the eikon blog, just stick your fingers in your ears and go 'la, la, la la, la, la, la...']a couple weeks ago, as most of you have probably seen, i announced here on the blog that we're having our first ever gathering for eikon. this coming sunday night (june 7), we'll be
big announcement on the eikon blog
please go check out the eikon blog because we've got a HUGE announcement. for the first time ever, eikon will have a public gathering. specifically, we're having a cookout at our house on sunday, june 7 (5 p.m.).seriously, go mark your calendar now and plan on being there! if you have any interest whatsoever in what we're doing, this will be a good time to come and meet some other people who are interested.so,
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the common
for quite some time, there's been a bit of a debate—primarily in the blogosphere—about whether or not true community can happen online. moreover, some have argued that not only can a true sense of community not happen online, but that virtual forms of "community"—like blogs, twitter, facebook, etc—actually work to kill true community.i tend to fall somewhere in the middle of the debate. whereas
from the eikon blog: organic community
Mon, May 4 2009 10:13 PM
| church, emergent, eikon, christian subculture, theology, blog stuff
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hello all,thought i'd take a quick moment to implore you to check out the eikon blog if you haven't before or check back if it's been awhile. i just put up a post about organic community and a bit about what that means.also, we're about to begin work on the real deal eikon website (finally), so that should be exciting. keep checking in on the eikon blog for news on that.alright, as you were.
theology thursday
Thu, Apr 9 2009 07:10 PM
| church, emergent, eikon, christian subculture, theology, popular culture
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this weekend, people who follow in the way of christ celebrate a very pivotal and unparalleled day known, of course, as easter. over the last several weeks, in conjunction with the lead-up to easter, there's been quite a bit of social and cultural commentary related to matters of faith.my office is a great place because it's sort of a microcosm of society and culture. while we have a lot of young people
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from the eikon blog: graphics and god
Tue, Apr 7 2009 11:06 PM
| art, emergent, eikon, graphic design, theology, popular culture
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i just posted another piece on the eikon blog about the intersection of faith and culture concerning motion and print designer barton damer. damer is two things (among many other things): an unbelievably amazing designer and a christ follower. so, i wrote a little about the interplay between the two that is found in his life and work.so, go check it out here!
from the eikon blog: thile theology
i just posted a piece on the eikon blog that i wrote about the intersection of faith and culture concerning the punch brothers' 40-minute epic piece the blind leaving the blind. punch brothers is fronted by former nickel creek wunderkind chris thile. thile, on this album/track, is the most open and honest about his move away from his childhood faith than any of his previous efforts and therefore, offers
new on the eikon blog: culture, christ |||amp; the city
Sun, Feb 22 2009 05:41 PM
| recommendations, personal, eikon, theology, blog stuff
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quick update: after an almost two week hiatus, i've posted a new bit of blog goodness on the eikon temp site titled, so, what exactly is eikon trying to accomplish? go check it out. it gives a little insight into the gears that are powering and motivating what i'm trying to do with eikon.also, as i begin to talk to more and more people about what we're doing with eikon church, there's more and more
woe to those who have blog synergy
Sat, Feb 7 2009 09:36 PM
| personal, church, emergent, eikon, christian subculture, theology
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today i had blog post inspiration synergy.this morning: came across luke 6:26: woe to you when all men speak well of you...this afternoon: had a conversation with my mom (of all people...) about a respected friend saying very hurtful and negative things about me to others.tonight: cranked up the ol' ipod, turned it on 'shuffle songs' and up popped derek webb's nobody loves me.synergy, indeed. :)so,
stockholm syndrome
just a quick note to offer a recommendation to hop over to the eikon blog. a new post just went up called "stockholm syndrome." it's an interesting read about this psychological phenomenon and how it offers an insightful analogy for the current state of the church (and how eikon hopes to be an alternative or reversal of this phenomenon).so, go check it out by clicking here or by clicking on the link/banner
quote of the day
Tue, Jan 20 2009 05:01 PM
| church, emergent, eikon, quotes, christian subculture, theology
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unfortunately, i can't cite the source of this great quote because i saw it on twitter at some point and now i can't locate it. it was retweeted and it wasn't from a person i follow, hence the inability to find the source.one of my guiding life theologies is the implications of incarnational living, modeled after the life of christ. so, i thought this was a really great and beautiful way of talking
introducing eikon church.
in late 2007, our family packed our bags and moved to little rock. our extended family is here. our friends are here. but, ultimately, that isn't why we came.well over two years ago, a small nudge to move back to little rock unexpectedly became an overwhelming and life-changing dream to start a church in the downtown little rock area. knowing the church makeup in little rock, we knew there was a large
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