Mark Scandrette

Right now I am overwhelmed with the daily neccesities of life. I had to set aside some of the more practical aspects of my life to concentrate on writing this past year, and right now I am feeling overwhelmed with what I need to catch up with: completing a remodel project on our kitchen and bathroom, assembling records for our tax person, spending quality time with my kids, and nurturing and developing the people I work with.

We had our weekly team meeting today for ReIMAGINE– and I was left feeling, again, like I have so much to learn about leading and serving a group of people on a journey together. I am manic about creative ideas, innovations and experiments, but  am somehow paralyzed when it comes to establishing systems of sustainability. I really need to be working with a team of people who know how to take vision and translate it into tangible goals, schedules and priorities. I hope I don’t wear out our team and want them to feel empowered in their gifts and important contributions to our common dreams.

Recently we’ve clarified that what we want to be about together is to be embodied advocates for the Way of Jesus. We see this flowing in three dimensions. We want to be about FORMATION: to be formed by the message of the kingdom and the example and teachings of Jesus. We want to be MISSIONALLY ENGAGED and in conversation with our cultural context, (which I would describe as the emerging, deep- ecology conscious, cultural creative and technically and globally connected leading edge of Western Society). We also want to see healthy TRANSFORMATION happen in the church and society.
So I have all kinds of ideas about how to do this. The challenge for our team is to settle on a tangible plan for how we will go about this together. I am eager to learn how to live and lead better.

This afternoon Craig Burnett stopped by to do an NPR style podcast interview with me about SOUL GRAFFITI. You can listen to or download our conversation here. Craig’s interview focused on aspects of the book that addresses our common desire for a more holistic understanding of “gospel,” acknowledging the essentially experiential nature of living spirituality. I hope someday to be less embarrassed when I hear myself speak on a recording– with less pauses and “um….ah.”

I was ill last weekend and had to cancel appearing with The Cobalt Season CD release and house parties. On Sunday night, my daughter Hailey took my place and did a reading of my Poem, The Road Ahead. Go here to see the movie clip (Thanks to Michael Toy).

The Spiritual Ecology Project:
A day of conversation about the emerging church and God’s mission in our world.

WHEN :     Tuesday, JUNE 12, 2007
9am - 12pm, & 12pm - 2pm

WHERE:    1040 Mariposa St. (between Pennsylvania & Mississippi)
San Francisco, CA 94107
directions and public transportation 
(there is parking nearby, though you may have to search for it)

HOW MUCH:  $10 donation at the door, to cover food & facility

Featuring:

Karen Sloan, author of Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church
Doug Pagitt, author and pastor of Solomon’s Porch
Nathan George, Founder of Trade as One
Mark Scandrette, author of SOUL GRAFFITI: Making a Way in the Life of Jesus 
Tony Jones, author and National Coordinator of Emergent Village
Barry Taylor, author and adjunct Professor of Theology and Culture, Fuller Theological Seminary
Linda Bergquist, Church Starting Strategist, adjunct Professor at Golden Gate Theological Seminary

Come early for a breakfast treat of homemade pancakes and crepes!

Breakfast served from 8:30am - 8:59am. We will begin the conversation promptly at nine o’clock.