TheyCallMePastorBryan

A while back, my friend Greg said something that sums up a lot of thoughts I’m having lately- “I’m struck by how boring and bland intentional communities and church plants really are.”  After hearing Greg say that, I immediately asked him if I could plagiarize it because it is exactly how I’d articulate my experiences.

If we’re to be honest, probably the two things most advertised as sexy to Christians right now are church planting and intentional communities.  Yet as someone who has been a part of, and is friends with people who are a part of others, these things are never the big super profound experience that they are marketed as.

The truth about church planting, intentional communities and such is that they are hard work.  They are boring and bland, if you are looking for excitement or the feeling that you’re a part of something big, I can suggest a lot of other places to be involved that will be more exciting.

Now I don’t say this to disparage church planting or intentional communities.  Both of them are passions of mine and close to my heart.  Rather, I just want to make sure I constantly talk about how underwhelming the experience really is.  Yes, there are exciting and chaotic moments, but just as often it’s the boring details, dealing with the same interpersonal issues that we deal with elsewhere. The fact that it’s underwhelming makes it no less worthwhile, but it’s important that it be emphasized so that we realize being a part of these things is something that takes a lot of commitment and a lot of time.

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I’ve been excited to hear about the development of the Foster Indy Mart.  Foster Indy Mart is an alternative shopping experience being developed just down the road from where I live.  It will be an indoor market open 5 days a weeks featuring a wide array of products and services.  A few of the things will include art, organic dog treats, new clothing, on-site sewing repairs and alterations.

I met with Brett Meyers, one of the people involved in the organization of Foster Indy Mart last week to discuss the goals of the project and came away feeling pretty excited about having something like this developing in the Foster-Powell/Lents/Brentwood-Darlington area.  It starts this Saturday, October 17.  The location is 7916 SE Foster Rd.  I have at least one friend who will be selling there, and I’ll be swinging by at some point to check it out.

Just as a last thing on this post, I’m going to throw an excerpt of the Indy Mart’s values and some contact info on here in case you are interested in finding out more.

Foster Indy Mart:

• Provides an accessible and affordable retail channel for artists, musicians, and community-based entrepreneurs seeking to sell products and services in a family-oriented environment.
• Supports an income-generation model for recessionary times that becomes a long-term shopping alternative for an expanding market segment.
• Provides income opportunities and a supportive social environment for some of the many un- and underemployed people in the greater Portland area.

For additional information or to inquire about low cost, day rate vendor space, email the organization at foster.indy.mart@gmail.com or call 503-706-7095

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One of the things that I’ve been working on hard lately is recalibrating my attitude.  I tend to come at ideas and others in an all or nothing way – you’re either totally with me, or totally against me.  It’s been demonstrated to me by how I talk about some folks in the Reformed strand of Christianity, and especially a certain pastor in Seattle.

I am learning to recalibrate my thinking to try to point out the positive in people who I disagree with.  I say that I want them to treat the people I respect that way, so I’m having to learn to hold myself to the same standard.  It’s really surprising how hard it is to point to the validity of thought in someone you disagree with, and I believe for that reason, that it is a worthwhile venture.

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I was browsing labor gigs on craigslist this morning, and came across a beauty of an entry.  I had to printscreen it because it was definitely on it’s way to getting flagged.  But it entertained me, so I in turn will attempt to entertain you by placing the text from it here:

There’s a gentleman who I loaned $4000 to last year that’s choosing not to pay me back. This guy works in construction and does tractor work, so he keeps his assets in cash. Even if I go to the judge with the promissary note we created I wouldn’t be able to touch his assets or paycheck because they’re all cash. If you help me recover this money, I’ll give you 1/3 or it.  His name is _______ phone number _______.

I definitely laughed at it, since the proposition is basically “steal $4000, keep me from getting in legal trouble, give me the money and I’ll give you a third of it back.”

When I checked it again this afternoon, the ad was gone.

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