From Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, by Eric Metaxas:

“Who stands fast?” he asked. “Only the man whose final standard is not his reason, his principles, his conscience, his freedom or his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all this when he is called to obedient and responsible action in faith and in exclusive allegiance to God–the responsible man, who tries to make his whole life an answer to the question and call of God.”

This was how Bonhoeffer saw what he was doing. He had theologically redefined the Christian life as something active, not reactive. It had nothing to do with avoiding sin or with merely talking or teaching or believing theological notions or principles or rules or tenets. It had everything to do with living one’s whole life in obedience to God’s call through action. It did not merely require a mind, but a body too. It was God’s call to be fully human, to live as human beings obedient to the one who had made us, which was the fulfillment of our destiny. It was not a cramped, comprised, circupsect life, but as life lived in a kind of wild, joyful, full-throated freedom–that was what it was to obey God.

…one must be more zealous to please God that to avoid sin.  (p. 446)

Scott Wagner

My good friend, Brad Edwards, and I have been doing a lot of projects together over the past year. Photos for City Church‘s website, videos for GreenTree Community Church–that sort of thing. He’s really a talented brother and a great guy to work with.

On a recent video shoot, he grabbed this shot of the guy we were interviewing, but left it on my card. So I played around with it a bit. A great B&W preset that I have in Lightroom, a little fill light and pumped up the yellows a touch. I think we make a pretty good team.

]]> http://www.markgrapengater.com/2012/01/20/teamwork/feed/ 0 http://www.markgrapengater.com/2012/01/18/lessons-learned/ http://www.markgrapengater.com/2012/01/18/lessons-learned/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:49:20 +0000 Mark Grapengater http://www.markgrapengater.com/?p=705

Over the last few months, Stacey and I have been heading to a small town south of Chicago to do some pastor and preaching. It’s been a great experience overall, but after this past weekend we decided to call it quits. It was a pretty hard decision, but one that we feel God led us to, rather than just a knee-jerk reaction when times got hard. The previous Thursday before we went up there, they led a discussion that came to a vote on my presence being there. People that I trusted had been ones leading the charge against me. And after the cold reception that we received on Sunday, we decided that it would be in the best interest of all parties to end the short-term arrangement.

All that said, I have to say that it was one of the most concentrated learning experiences that I have had. I came up with 10 things that I learned through this process. Yes, it’s a list. We all like lists, as my favorite streaming music service keeps telling me.

1. Trust my instincts. Even though I am young and without tons of experience, God has gifted me in specific ways to lead his people.
2. Trust that God is doing a great work. Both in the people and in me.
3. Commit myself to prayer. For people, for me, for Stacey. Lean on God at every opportunity.
4. Be in the Word. It is life-giving. It is true and mighty. It speaks today as God has throughout time.
5. Ask Questions. Actively pursue the hard things. Where will this just not work? What is a challenge? What can change? What is a deal breaker?
6. Confront sin. God hates it. So should you. Confront it head on and be gracious.
7. I absolutely married an amazing woman.
8. Know where I am gifted. Don’t sell myself short. If any of my gifts are compromised, ask why and think hard about the situation.
9. Pastoring is like marriage. Can you put up with all her (the church’s) faults and still love and serve her?
10. Be reflective. Write down your thoughts; talk with others.

And even in the week since I wrote this out, God is still teaching me lessons and I’m sure will be much into the future.

Of Salt and Light from The Other Journal on Vimeo.

I was reading Tim Keller’s newest book King’s Cross and came across this following passage that completely undid me:

Follow the thread. You say, “That sounds pretty hard,” and you’re right. How can we possibly follow the thread? It’s simple but profound. Jesus himself does absolutely everything he’s calling us to do. When he called James and John to leave their father in the boat, he had already left his Father’s throne. “He left his Father’s throne above, so free, so infinite his grace.” And later he’s going to be ripped from his Father’s presence, on the cross. It’s going to look as if your thread is taking you into dead ends, places where you’ll get bloody, where the only way to follw the thread looks like it could crush you. But don’t try to go backward. Don’t turn to the left; don’t turn to the right. Jesus Christ’s kingship will not crush you. He was crushed for you. He followed the thread to the cross as you can follow yours into his arms. (p. 25)

Get this book and read it.

Introduction to Books & Resources by Timothy Keller from Redeemer City to City on Vimeo.

I’m currently listening to Cults‘ album by the same name–Cults. It has a nice indie-pop feel to it. Groovy, nice hooks. Easy to listen to the first time. They released a 7″ EP not too long ago. Pitchfork gave it an 8.5, if you care about that. Regardless, it’s good summer listening.

EMA’s debut album Past Life Martyred Saints is definitely worth a listen and it’s starting to grow on me. It has a dark static-y acoustic feel to it that was at first, second, third and fourth listenings haunting. But then I got to like the haunting. Like Casper. It’s a friendly haunt. Very raw sounding, so take some time with it. Pitchfork also gave it an 8.5.

Finally, for those who have a thing for Arcade Fire, here’s Modern Man performed in StL.

Modern Man from Mark Grapengater on Vimeo.

CityForum Work from Mark Grapengater on Vimeo.

I put together a video for City Church’s forum on work using Brad’s D7000 for time lapse. It starts on February 2nd on the 30th floor of the Laclede Gas Building (720 Olive) downtown St Louis at noon. Make an effort to come out. Some of the topics will be:

Hope to see you there.

If I had to define my style, I would have to say it’s something along the lines of Rugged American Work with Steve McQueen cool.  This translates into double-pocketed demin work shirts with pen slits in the pockets, plaids, flannels, leather boots and jackets, wool and jeans.  Things that are American made.  I have my whims occasionally, like my Onitsuka Tigers that have every color of the rainbow in them.  I like thinking that working with one’s hands is still valued and that, as my dad calls them, “office hands”–smooth and delicate–aren’t the norm.  Thankfully everyone is producing the work shirts right now and the old American work brands are found in most department stores right now.  Red Wing 875s were the original American work boots that I want my feet to be encased in.

Steve McQueen tends to body the old rugged American look, but also carry a sense of class in all of that.  His life echoes the same–it was only after encounters with the law and heading into the military that he became the actor that embodied that lifestyle.  Much like his movie persona, his penchant for driving fast and living fast, was embodied in his style.  Like the Persol 714s that had blue lenses and folded.  The 649s are pretty cool too.

I, having an OCD streak in me, have been scouring the internets for images and pricing for these items.  But with a wedding coming up and irregular employment, the prospect of spending this kind of cash is out of reach.  For now I will just have to obsess.

Do people who smoke out really need a day to “celebrate” that fact?  Are they some kind of persecuted group of people?  Is it an opportunity for them to do something different than what they normally do?

The answers to these questions are no.

It was mentioned to me earlier today that today is cough–National Pot Smoker’s Day–cough.  Like I said, I don’t think they need a day, but where would such a statement be made, you ask.  Well, at work.  That’s right, I got a job.

I’m working at Rooster crepe. sandwich. cafe. in the kitchen.  I’m one of two people that can actually make the crepes.  Probably because making crepes in the first place is a mistake.  I take a very runny egg-based batter and pour it onto a hot surface with no lip and spread it out quickly enough so that it spreads all the way to the edges, but not so fast that it doesn’t have time to set before I get to the edge.  It took me about two days to get the rhythm, but I can now make three at a time and get about 90 done in 45 minutes.  Other than “spinning” the crepes, I also assemble the crepes when they are ordered.  Overall, it’s a pretty easy job.  I gets stressful on Saturdays when we have over 300 crepes, alone, ordered from 8:30-2:00.  It’s a lot of controlled movement, thinking fast, doing it correctly.

Ministry is going well too.  I’m still being challenged and encouraged by Mike and Phil, which I would expect nothing less.  I’m being more proactive in pursuing people on Sunday mornings, those who I haven’t seen at City Church before, finding out their stories and sharing some of mine as well.  I tend to find the people that have just moved to the Lou and so I have a quick connecting point with them.  For others, I just make stuff up and hope for the best.  I’m kidding, of course.  Or. Am. I?

I’m connecting with quite a few of my neighbors also.  I hung out with the guys upstairs on Saturday while they smoked three racks of ribs and two pork shoulders.  Glorious smoked meats.  We watched the Cards game, which I’ve decided has to happen, just as I would watch fútbol in Costa Rica.  Of course, this is the 6 hour and 53 minute game making it a real stretch for me to care the extra 11 innings.  A lot of things can happen during that amount of time.  One thing of interest is Hailey deciding to try out flying and jumping out a two story window.  Thankfully, one of my neighbors, the smoker–of meats, not grass–caught her and she’s none-the-worse.

I’m exploring Saint Louis as much as I can also.  On Friday I went to Farmhaus, a new restaurant which focuses on local ingredients and classes up some of the homey classics: meat pie with chorizo gravy, bacon-wrapped meatloaf with a BBQ glaze, fish and potatoes.  They do their own charcuterie also, which makes me happy.  Yesterday I was looking for a particular herb and went to Produce Row, which seems to be the landing spot of all the produce that gets to Saint Louis.  It was pretty impressive.

I was also welcomed to Saint Louis last week when my car was broken into.  Nothing was taken, but they smashed my window.  Got it fixed quickly and all is well.

Lately the freshness of Christ has been on my mind also.  How I often don’t place my identity in him and what it looks like to do so.  How just as in the Old Testament, God sits on the throne in the tabernacle, God’s right place in my life is sitting on the throne of my heart.  I often forget that and snap at people “trying” to help me on the phone, but quickly remember that I have been extended grace and so should they.  Still there are other times when I don’t remember and I can only hope for more grace on my part from those around me.

Still hoping to return to Chicago to plant, so if you know anyone that wants to do that, send them my way.  Right now, however, I’m building relationships where I am and enjoying my time in Saint Louis and trying to keep my smoking relegated to meat alone.