January 2020

This is a report on my present circumstances.

I continue to chase Jesus.

It is my contention that the presence of Christ is paradoxical. He is both immediate and intimate for any who wishes this. And he is always ahead of us. Working in the world, asking us to join Him in his work. There are no Godless places, only places forsaken by God's people. That is where you will find Jesus most incisive. But He is fast, and there is much to do, and you have to chase Him, and I hardly ever catch up.

From 1994 - 2012 I chased Him as a semipro Quaker.
In 1995 I caught up to Him in Scotts Mills for a while.
In 1997-2000 I chased Him around the Northwest doing family violence education.
In 2003,7 and 10 I chased Him around Central Africa.
In 2004 He slowed down enough lead us into a project in
              Christ-centered inclusivity called Freedom Friends.
In 2008  I started teaching marginalized young people.
In 2012  He whistled and pulled me into a deeper role working with 250-500 teens, many of whom were not only god-people-forsaken, but actively oppressed by evil.
In 2014 and 16 I tried to describe The Chase.
This description was mostly read by Q's and Xtians.


When you chase Jesus you have to travel light.
You have to be willing to throw the sand bags out of the balloon-basket.
In 2004 I left my yearly meeting and the recording certificate they had given me.
In 2008 I slowed down my travel in ministry.
In 2011 I gave up pastoral ministry
In 2012 I limited public ministry among Quakers to one gig a year.
In 2017 FFC lightened up significantly
In 2019 FFC lightened up some more and
I turned in my recording (again) and resigned membership

At this time last year I sat down with the  Jesus imminent, and asked Him what things looked like to Him.  He gave me a very vivid picture which looked something like this:


  
A freeway exchange with on ramps and not so many off ramps, where it was entirely possible just to go around in circles.

I said "Is this me? or bigger than me?"
"It's where you spend a lot of time."

"Am I going in circles?"
"You do spend a lot of time talking to each other."

"Is this message for me, or for others as well."
"You asked."

"What do you want me to do?"
"Wanna go Off-Road?"

"ok"

Almost immediately I had an invitation to spend time with incarcerated men.
Days -  I still watch for Jesus in a hoodie shuffling out of math class.
Nights -  I teach men who society has given up on.

And then I got an invitation from a group of these men to talk about bigger things than psychology.
And there was Jesus, leaning over a table, with a group of criminals, drawing plans on butcher paper.
The Goal? "Fuck rehab - we want transformation."

See God may be omnipresent. But the devil isn't.
And it took its eyes off some humans it though it had.
dumb that.


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