Mark Scandrette

Next Sunday, June 3, I will be speaking on SOUL GRAFFITI, along with THE COBALT SEASON playing songs from their new album, IN SEARCH OF A UNIFIED THEORY at FLOOD, Sacramento. If you live in the area, come out and see us– maybe we can have dinner after the event (5-7 P.M.)

I don’t believe I have ever met Bill Dahl, author of the Porpoise Diving Life, but he seems like an interesting and soulful character, who has made his book available for free online. Bill represents what I believe is a growing constituency of people of faith who search for God and for a path of faith, with a sense of realism about the messiness and ambiguities we face in our daily lives.

SAVE THE DATE: Tuesday June 12, 9 a.m.-??

The stars have aligned and a critical mass of emerging church leaders happen to be in the Bay Area on the same date. We thought this convergence a good reason to host a day of conversation and friendship building among missional leaders and seekers.

The Spiritual Ecology Project. A day of conversation about the emerging church and God’s mission in our world., featuring Karen Sloan, Ian Mobsby, Doug Pagitt, Nathan George, Mark Scandrette, Tony Jones and Bob Carlton.

9 A.M. - 12 P.M. Introductions & Break Out conversations
12 P.M. - ???? Lunch and continuing open source conversation

Come for all or a portion of the days festivities.

LOCATION: San Francisco, TBA.

Please R.S.V.P. to Amy Ross. Limited Space available.

Details to follow shortly shortly.

My friend Nathan George has developed a very practical approach to addressing human trafficking and global poverty. Nathan is one of the most articulate, devout, hard-working and earnest people I have ever met. The work of TRADE AS ONE is worth your attention and patronage.

In a conversation at the book party for SOUL GRAFFITI on Saturday night I tried to explain my general approach to spirituality by suggesting that we try to live into our questions– about God and ourselves. The important thing is that we keep asking, searching and seeking. In previous generations people tended to rely more on external authorities and institutions for their religious answers. The remix of spiritual authority in our culture provides us with the opportunity to be more engaged in wrestling with our questions about how to love God and one another. The story of an authentic search and the conversation carries increasing authority in our society. I would even suggest that this is what Augustine is most remembered for (His Confessions more than his theology). And the warrior/poet/king David of Israel is the quenticential example of one who lived in the questions.

My friend Ryan Sharp is a contemporary example of one who bravely wrestles with the larger questions in a way that is soulful, honest and articulate. He teamed up this time with his wife, Holly Sharp and friend Dan Dixon to produce a wonderful new album called “In Search of a Unified Theory.” Less angry and more constructive than his previous Cobalt Season albums birthed out of an era of deconstruction, “In Search of a Unified Theory” is, I believe, a coming of age album for Ryan, in which he settles into a more mature voice musically and spiritually. The addition of Dan Dixon’s Eno-esque arrangements and instrumentation add sonic complexity,nuance and added intrique to Ryan’s singer-song writing and near tearful croonings. It is also more of a piano album than previous releases– with banjo and chimes added by Dixon. “In Search of a Unified Theory” is a hopeful audio companion for anyone striving to live with greater intentionality, conscience courage within the ambiguities of human fraility.

You can hear The Cobalt Season perform live at Goat Hall at the end of May. See details below. I will also be doing a reading from SOUL GRAFFITI as part of the festivities. (Ryan and I will be doing several dates together over the next few months).

My friend Tony Jones emailed me from Washington, D.C. and two other friends called to relish the brief moments when my book, SOUL GRAFFITI was in the top 1,000 on Amazon and in the top 100 for Religion & Spirituality books. Tonight its back down in the 1,700’s, but it was fun to have a few moments when it seemed like there was a spike in popularity.
This past weekend Luis and Heloize visited us from Sao Paulo, Brazil. I met Luis through my friend Sandro Baggio and they stayed with us for four days. Heloize doesn’t speak much English so she was very relieved and elated when we took her to have dinner with friends who speak Portugese on Saturday night. Luis and Heloize are part of what seems to be the Emerging Church conversation in Brazil– people searching for an authentic and missional path of faith beyond the crazy consumer hype of the health and wealth mega churches in South America.

This afternoon a group of us from SEVEN went to Garfield Park to play games– and hoping to connect with neighbors. We played Frisbee Football along with a new friend who was at the park. We are trying to be more intentional about being involved in our neighborhood together. We plan to hang out in the park every Thursday afternoon.

Tonight I took Isaiah out for a dad & kid date and suprized him by taking him to see Spiderman 3, which he is very crazy about. Then we went to a comic book store and out to Vietnamese at Tulan for dinner. Isaiah and I are good movie watching buddies– and he can talk for hours about movies he’s seen. I like watching Isaiah watch movies even more than watching the movie myself. He really lives in the action, characters and drama of the story, (except for the mushy parts where they kiss).