I like spiritual pioneers! People who went further into the Life of The Spirit in their times than most. People like George MacDonald, CS Lewis, who went far in integrating the imagination into their relationship with God. Farther than much of the church has still come in this vital integration of creativity and spirituality. Allowing Christ to be Lord over more of the whole person. Those people always interest me. Some were artist or mystics, others farmers or fishermen. But they always catch my eye. Everyone has a unique style of pioneering.

 Mine is more a way, than a rule book. More a path, a pattern, a model, than a set of goals or destination. More a transformational journey judged by how deeply one was changed in the process.

  I like to think that I am a spiritual pioneer-if I had a card! Saw this emblem in Antwerp (photo to follow, soon as I find it! The image is of an astronaut on a skateboard with a white flag with the initial D on it, and it just says pioneer) last time over, and want to make a t-shirt of it to remind myself to keep exploring deeper into God and life (outer space and urban surfing are the two symbols in the image—i.e. Spirit and cities), and what is really Real; and how to align with it in every area of who i am.

  Plus, the style of skateboard and astronaut make sense to me! I want to be a pioneer to make a space for others to go further, more easily and swiftly. That’s one of my motivations for spiritual growth. I like people, and spiritual growth is essential for life even daily life to have meaning. If as D Willard says the three areas of: identity, purpose and power to live it well, are the three basic shared human needs; then life is about getting more clarity around each of these areas. It motivates me.  Spiritual discovery and becoming more mature in the things of The Spirit, has always been my motivation. Success for me, would be to become mature and Wise-more loving, more living in His Fruits—gentleness, patience kindness etc (Galatians 4). I want both to be and make a way. My name means “way or path, and guide”, so i’ve always try to wear my name better.

Jesus is Wisdom, so I’ll keep swimming in Him, and allowing His Life to form more fully in me as I forge on, or skate on! No reason to stop growing now! It’s just getting more interesting as we skate farther into Father. Pioneers of being…or metaphysical technicians, or spiritual plumbers, or skateboarding astronaut. I’ll keep working what to put on my card.

From an article i’m working on around true fatherhood and masculinity…

 Again reading this great book, “Crisis in masculinity” (Leanne Payne—great thinker and christian counselor)—very helpful, especially in an un-daded or poorly fathered generation. One take away: when there is a crisis in masculinity, there is a cultural crisis as well! We see this globally. She bases her healing and theology in The Father’s relationship to His Son, and our invitation to enter into it through the Life of Christ. (Basic Christianity)

Insecure masculinity is deadly, as we see daily in the news. When boys try to prove their strength out of insecurity it’s always violent or impotently passive. Remember, Jesus knew who He was even on the cross. He had been seen and named and validated by His Father. So He could actually lay down His Life. He was not a victim. He chose death, so we might live. He was secure in His identity, not in competition with His disciples. His masculinity was intact, so He did not need to be abusive to others.

 Dad approval and presence still matters…when a father sees his child not just in terms of his own needs, but in terms of their “way” it authenticates their lives. Raise up a child in their way—i.e. the path prepared by God beforehand for them. This can happen very early in life.

 My own dad validated and authenticated my personhood as a kid. That has been one of my own greatest gifts in life. Having a father who took an interest in me, and was very present with me, even though I was odd or as my grandmother said, “peculiar”. Many of my friends didn’t get that blessing. A dad who sees you and blesses you as you are, not in terms of their needs, but tuning into you, taking an interest in what interest you. So I carry that for others. It’s intact in me. That was gift from my earthly father.

 I’ve been validated as a person, and don’t have to compete to feel I exist, or prove my voice. As a result other fathers feel safe with me—like I’m not in competition with them to be cool or find the biggest buffalo. When your personhood feels seen and validated you no longer project your self worth out into your activities in life. You are no longer competing to exist or be. Often unvalidated men, will feel they must yell to be seen—like a teenager driving a sports car, so many men and women live out their whole lives trying to prove to the universe they are worthy and can carve. That they exist. Some men carve in their sleep never really at rest with their own beings or God’s.

Because I was blessed by my dad, i never doubted my Father’s voice. I never struggled to feel close, seen loved by The Heavenly Father. My relationship with my earthly dad transferred over to my Heavenly dad. Many did not receive that type of validation—most of my friends had distant absent or abusive fathers. That is a different journey to God with its own struggles. A journey to correct our image of The Heavenly Father. To re-align our imaginations with a true image of who Father God actually is.

 Jesus came to reveal the Father-that was His highest mission.

 This father image in us, has to be readjusted (sometimes cleansed from “religious” symbols as well) to what is True about Father God. That He is loving, kind, slow to anger, gentle, a good listener, One who protects our growth, and searches and knows us, even more than we know ourselves etc.

 If you weren’t seen by your earthly dad, I’m sorry for you, and stand in that gap of fatherhood for you. You are validated. No longer needing to prove you exist, or be in competition to prove your worth. Now, forgive your earthly fathers for not being God, and switch over the The Real God Father! He is waiting to approve name and bless you.

I’ve been thinking lots about the need for dad validation especially from The Heavenly dad. Dad affirms both your masculinity and femininity. Your carver and receiver. So you can be out in the world carving and receive the Voice and Presence of God. We need both working in tandem with us, and both aspects must be father blessed or validated in us, preferably as children, but certainly as we get older; so we stop being in competition to exist with everyone, and can rest in our own beings in Him. And so we can just be with God, and get to know Him outside our own selves—God for God’s sake, not just what He gives us. But first we must feel safe to be. That we are welcomed and seen on the earth. Our jobs or success cannot validate us or prove we are. That has to ultimately come from Father God.

Blessing to be.

The Father sees and validates the life of The Son. We once entering the life of His Son—become sons and daughters, and enter that space of Father validation.

Our validation is through The Father’s blessing over His Son—we, as Henri Nouwen put it, are caught into the Father’s declaration that His Son is beloved! So regardless of what we received from our earthly fathers, when we come to the Son we come under His Father’s blessings over Him. The Father saw and validated His Son always, and we enter that endless validation from The Father into The Life of Christ, which is whose name we have entered as Christians.

 So, we are highly seen a validated, not by our jobs or outward activities, but into our hearts of beings. We enter into this active ongoing blessing. This is My Son in whom I am well pleased. Let’s enter more deeply into that space of loving knowing, of approval and adoration. It’s part of who we are “in Christ”.

 Many did not receive this blessing from earthly fathers. I’m sorry for that. But we can receive it now in Christ. We are blessed, adored, seen validated adored to the bone of our beings. Be blessed with a father’s blessings today!

 I was blessed to be seen an authenticated by my earthly father when very young. So it was easier for me to trust The Heavenly Father’s blessing and hear His words of Love. I never remember feeling unwelcome in the universe. That is a father’s blessing and its potency towards being. I’ve tried to give that to others in life. Not in competition with them, but in mutual blessing and being seen for who others are-not just in terms of my needs and projections onto them. Just to see and bless others is hugely healing. And we need more spiritual fathers to bless people into their authentic selves. Let’s be safe blessers of many. Authenticators and validators and protectors of one another’s lives. Once named, we become namers. It is a pleasure to name in His Tone of Love.

 His Voice is always what is in the tone of Love. That’s a key to hearing God. His Voice is also always saying His Son and by extension, we too are beloved! Be beloved this day.

  It would be a good study to look in scriptures who was and was not validated by their earthly fathers, and how that effected their spiritual growth. I think I’ll do that study. David was, Moses wasn’t, Jesus was, by both earthly and heavenly father…hum….If you weren’t validated, then you have a unique opportunity to know The Father, and become a spiritual parent. If you were, your path is also unique to enter into that Rest between Father and Son, where all the world is transformed by their mutual Love for one another.

 If basic Christianity is to be caught up in the Father’s relationship with His Son. Then understanding—knowing and loving and seeing- The True Heavenly Father and allowing His Presence to touch and form us, still matters! That space between them is our home. And The Father wants to authenticate and validate us through The Life of His Son. Enjoying meditating of His Fatherhood this season.

The new saints are coming!

It’s not easy being a saint! Or even wanting to become one, especially through Texas Summers, as this one has been!

 Sometimes it’s time to replace your saints, there is a changing of the guards. This St Francis (the old irish catholic family who lived here, left him to hold the fort), has been with us since we bought this house many years ago. He served well, welcoming the animals, and representing healing for the earth.

 He always reminds me of my Noah calling to love and protect creation; and also the squirrels like him. The same saint shows up in our place in San Fran!

 But it’s not easy being a saint, and the wear and tear of being on earth, eventually causes your shoulders to fall off, and your wires to show.

 I found his younger brother for him this week, and brought in some re-inforcement.  A replacement saint! A second string saint. I relate to that.

 These are the days we are in. Time for new saints to step up to the plate, or mold, as they say. Time for a new style of leadership. A leaner meaner, in kindness of course, more direct authentic, transparent, story telling saint.

 I think the older one felt relieved! He did well, and is still standing, though gaunt at best—yet, he ran the race, or held a space of Peace, really well. Well done, old saint.

 Now to new seasons, new generations of understanding how to interpret, steward and bless creation and one another! We need lean saints now, ready to run with wisdom, and like Jeremiah, interpret the times from the heart and mind. Hopefully this new guy is up to the task. That’s my prayer for him; I’m praying I am also!

Choose your saints wisely, just like your enemies, because they do define you, in the end. Anyway, it was time for a new garden in the city saint. A garden in the city saint, i’m interested in that profession.

We have owls on our land. The only time you can hear them is when they flap their wings, just before alighting or hunting downwards. Otherwise, you have to just sense their presence. Sometimes I’ll sense one above me. When you do, you have to not look at them too quickly, but turn slowly, from your being, and behold one another (it becomes an I-owl, I

-thou moment between the two of you, if you do it right). I’ve gotten to see several this way, and we saw one another presence to presence. Happened again this evening. Owls reflect and participate in a special part of God. I love encountering them!

Live it first, or become it; express it until it’s clear to yourself, then teach it, or pass it on, into good soil, which can receive and reproduce it, way past you.

Our season: where we are at on the journey!

My wife and I are spiritual equippers mainly. Less builders and more wanting to give people the tools they need for spiritual growth. We like to resource people especially around their identity, spirituality and creativity. Those are the three recurring themes in my own life and hers.

I like to help people bring their creativity and their spirituality under the same Kingdom roof. And give people insights to help them continue to grow.

Of course, over the years, we’ve learned that people have to desire to grow first, and seek it out. When they do, He has given us some good tools and counseling skills to help out.

As we get older our focus narrows and becomes more efficient-our symbols mature!

 We are both prophetic and creative, and that combination has always made sense to us. The baptized imagination has discernment insight into people and situations and is often shown things which are needed next in others journeys.

Along the way, i have studied spiritual development and formation, as well as religious history, and specifically The Bible itself, which is where i daily return to meet God and for insights and categories of perception.

I pray for people, and see things for them. I’m often given words of knowledge and sometimes words of wisdom for people. Usually i can see blocks as well as how He sees their future selves. This has become true with people, cities and nations. And in the past 10 years, He has focused my attention on Europe, and the nations.

I often get dreams about these things, write them down and try with His help to understand them.

In the meantime, we have started an arts community which we ran together for six years, trying to help fine artist integrate their spirituality with their creative process. During that, we realized we were doing too much pastoral and administrative things to stay spiritually healthy. So we let it end after a while. But learned much.

After living at Labri in Switzerland, and several art communities all over the world, and allowing God to integrate my own creative pursuits with my spiritual passions, I have been able to help others both in a church context and outside it in the art world, integrate these two key areas.

I am also interested in what true identity is, and what it means in relationship with Christ—how we lose ourselves in order to find ourselves daily. How we receive our true names by coming closer to His. As Peter did.

I think prayer and study have become my main practices for my own growth and formation of the Life of Christ within me. Speaking and travel and translating cultures and their symbols continues to interest me as well. I love reading history through its symbolic life. And thinking about how to heal the imaginations of places and people.

 We move in a stream of mentors who have also integrated their imaginations into their spiritual life. People like George MacDonald, CS Lewis and others who were able to meet God through their creativity, and express that meeting, and dialogue.

 We have tried, over the years, to share the resources we have been given—the many teachers, who speak well about the arts and faith. And the many healers I have both studied under and learned from through books. We try to make these resources available for both artist and those who want to know God through their creative pursuits.

I have a heart for nations, and cultures. Amy has a keen mind for the details of His Kingdom, and a close intimacy with Father God. This has allowed her to teach many women over the years, how to know God as Father. She is a teacher. I would say, I am more a prophetic teacher or guide. As I get older, i want to do more spiritual directing for those I am uniquely called to—often creative people who also have a hunger to grow in God.

I work in and out of the church, and like Jeremiah, spend much of my time in the outer courts of the temple, where the people are talking. Yet, i also spend lots of my own time in a more priestly pursuit of prayer and study and vision in Him. In this sense, I am a mystic. I also like to express it all. The expresser part is prophetic, in that I love communicating what God is saying, in His Tone of expression. This is where the artist and the mystic meet for me. I see and hear, and then really desire to express it well. That will probably not end in me.

 We are so happy to be coming into new seasons of early eldership now, and beginning to get a heart to really mentor others better and more efficiently and wisely.

 To become good spiritual parents. I think He has given me a gift to discern and express His Thoughts and His Heart. Jeremiah is my model and favorite prophet. And he was given in such a time as his, and our times are very similar. Spiritually sensitive leaders are most needed now. One’s on insight and caring, and vision and passion to express it well.

 Creative expressers and teachers and counselors and hopefully equippers, are some of the things I think we are, and therefore do. We have integrated our art part and our spirit part in an active deepening relationship with Our Friend Jesus, and His Father. The Father of all Life. We hope to share that passion and radiance with others wherever we are.

 We are at an early eldership stage. It is good to know where you are on the journey. I was trained in art therapy, religious studies and counseling, and as an artist. I think He has been combining all three in recent seasons. I worked mainly as a prophetic counselor for many years, and leader or father in the arts, which I think i still do. Yet, I think He is adding to me knowledge and the ability to teach with more of His depth. Making me a more rounded spiritual father and mentor. This is to aid others in spiritual growth, and like St Paul be able to father and mother people in the Spirit. I’m excited about the new spiritual seasons we are entering at this time. And look forward to more thoroughly blessings other people, cities and nations.

 I am forming identity and creative workshops in which I facilitate spiritual growth and integration of creativity and spirituality founded in true identity. It’s fun framing some of the teachings He has given me over the years, and offer them more clearly to others.

 Sort of a spiritual counselor and cultural consultant especially to leaders in the arts and church leaders, is where i see my role heading. I would also like to do some mentoring, or spiritual direction, and offer people the resources I have found most helpful. I look forward to this new season of fathering in the arts, the church and among the nations. Let’s keep growing.

Helping others locate themselves spiritually, and think about what they need next. What spiritual practices they need. How to balance health in every area of life. And what types of changes they may need to make to accomplish a fuller life in Christ.

I also get insight into leaders and what they struggle with, and how to help counsel them. I enjoy this role of encouraging them into their next level of spiritual growth as well. Counseling leaders, especially in the church has been a growing passion of mine. Just letting them be themselves in Him, and speak their hearts and find their next in Him.

Often my role with leaders is to be an authenticator. Someone who is just themselves in Christ. Not needing persona or mask to be spiritual. But trusting Christ to let us be ourselves in Him. His enjoyment of the poems we are. This is a gift I’ve been able to offer many leaders who struggle with religious expectations or performance orientation which comes with ministry. Just to let them be themselves and just be with Him again in the midst of shepherding responsibilities. It’s a hard balance, and many just need a safe space to be seen heard and work it out. To be themselves again off stage.

I grew up with mostly church leaders and have seen their struggles over time. I enjoy helping them get free to be. I also grew up among artist and around art school and have a heart and insight into their struggles for identity. The common enemies of materialism, sorcery or witchcraft that come against them. Sexual darkness, drug use, addiction etc. I have known these enemies of theirs.

I also enjoying offering artist a higher context for their creativity—something higher than art school or often the church has offered. A Kingdom context. This is one of my passions, and I think i move in that integration, and can offer it to others.

 So church leaders (often the creative ones, or ones in between or on the edge; missionaries, church planters, worship or arts workers etc) and artist (often high impact ones) are where I shine. They are my global people groups I usually am led to bless into. For both, i am usually given insights which are helpful to them. It is a privilege to serve His Church and artist and bring them both more deeply into His Grand Kingdom! The enormous room above which is centered in Jesus Christ, Our King! And the Lord over every dimension of who we are. Father God loves all of us so deeply and on every level of who we are. He is the Author and Finisher of us all, and is able to make us more one, even as He is One! Amen.

From an article I’m working about the state of the church now. And what to be praying for. Specifically what types of leaders are needed now. It’s sort of an open prayer article…

  MLK said that the church is meant to be the conscience of the nation. Let her rise up and be that now, and speak as loving, unconfused, and informed (spiritually enlightened by His Spirit) priest in clarity interpreting these troubled days. For the categories of interpretation have been usurped and confused. The frames of discourse are not true. Bring us Your’s instead Lord. For You Alone are the Way, The Truth and The Life to live it by! You are the path of each nation, the truth about her story and the Life to empower her to live it!

And rise up wise men and women of God. Stir clear our consciences! Let us be readers of the times from His perspective. For we, as Jesus taught us, are responsible to be able to read the times from a spiritual perspective. Let’s. This is urgent in times of great interpretive confusion and such leadership crisis.

We were not good priest after 911, I ask that we would do better in the midst of this current crisis of confusion. God is a God of distinction–this is not also that, as we see in the Creation story. So we pray for those who can discern and make clear distinctions in our hour.

We know that you picked a sensitive Jeremiah type leader for such a time as his. And a Seer like Daniel to be in leadership, one who carefully studied the prophets and times, had visions and saw Your Throne of Authority, who was a practical mystic acquainted with Your Ways. We ask you raise up these types of leaders now.

Lord we need your Jeremiah’s now: those who can manifest and know both Your Heart and Mind about this present age. And speak in clarity and boldness, and in Your Peace (so Peace bringers; for we cannot gain understanding if we ourselves are not in Peace! Let us discipline ourselves in the ways of Your Peace as a practice and prayer for our times), from Your Voice. Stir us to pray and see and speak from Your Voice, and in Your Ways and tone (for the Tone of Love is the Voice of God; wherever you hear Love, go there, that is His Voice!) in our hour.