Reflections on "Fresh Start" by Doug Fields

A song that has always resonated with me is the song by U2 "Stuck in a Moment". When Bono laments that "...he is stuck in a moment and can't get out of it" there is something in those lyrics that I am drawn to. The idea of being stuck in life is something that I feel that many can understand on many different levels.

"Fresh Start" by Doug Fields explores this idea of being "stuck". Doug Fields is someone that I am very familiar with. He is the youth ministry guru that authored two important books in the youth ministry genre, Purpose Driven Youth Ministry and Your First 2 Years in Youth Ministry. Being that Doug Fields has largely centered his catalog so far in youth ministry, I was intrigued that his latest book "Fresh Start" was seemingly not about youth ministry.

With topics such as guilt, friendships, and rejection, Doug Fields draws upon universal themes with personal stories to articulate a simple message. This leaves the reader fairly engaged and encouraged throughout the read. Perhaps this book lacks a "wow" moment that draws us deeper into the scriptures. However, in what it lacks in "meat" it makes up for by being a pleasant and worth while read. Something that Doug Fields has a knack for in past works, and what he continues in "Fresh Start" is his conversational style. As a result you almost feel like you sat down with him over coffee and just talked.

Sometimes it is appropriate to resonate to the idea of being "stuck" in life. What Doug Fields has done here is provide some simple practicalities to point us in a direction that may give us a "Fresh Start."

You can find Thomas Nelson's page for this item here.

-Dan Jones


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

-Dan Jones

Blogger Rundown; Tiger Woods and More

Every once in a while the blogger world accumulates many good posts that I feel like needs to be shared with the Internet world. This is my feeble attempt to do so.


Blogger Rundown

You can read the thoughts of Adam Ellis about the Tiger Woods situation here.


Brian McLaren is counting down to his new book release, he is down to day 33 and you read about it here.


Donald Miller purposes an alternative to setting new years resolutions here.


Guardian's music blog has a post titled, "U2: Rock'n'roll's answer to the Book of Common Prayer?" which grabbed my attention, this is certainly worth a read.


Bleacher Report has a post about the rising wide receiver star Mike Wallace for the Steelers here.



Dan Jones


http://audaciousliturgy.blogspot.com/

"Eat the Fish, Spit out the Bones" A New Metaphor for a Prophetic Hope

This post will be a continuation of bringing new meaning to traditional Christian metaphors. I cannot emphasize enough on how often I have heard the illustration;

"Eat the Fish Spit out the Bones"

The story goes that when you eat the fish, one has to be diligent as to not swallow the bones of the fish. This being said, this diligence should not persuade us to stay away from the fish; as there are great nutrients to be had in eating the fish itself. So as we eat the fish, one must chew carefully and separate any bones away.

As I have heard this as a Christian metaphor it has always been used as a statement of caution in what we consume intellectually concerning aspects of our spirituality. But in doing so we should note that we can take the "false" teaching, and set them aside and move on to that which gives adequate "spiritual" nutrition.

Today I would like to purpose that we use this traditional "fish" and apply a new meaning. The traditional meaning of this story is that of one of caution and warning. Perhaps our new story can be that of one of a prophetic hope.

As we move and interact with others in the world around us, I believe that we need to see our environments with a "hope" perspective. Instead of observing all of the "evil" of this world and let it dominate what we believe will be the world's destiny, perhaps we can look at the world for what it could be, even within the current condition that it is in. When we are around those that are foul, crude, and selfish, perhaps we should see them as who they can be. So this hope will call us to look beyond current conditions to what is unseen. It will call us to set aside the "bones" and move on to nutrition. It will require a leap of faith. It is tempting at times to avoid all others around us that seem different or "of the world". Perhaps this makes us insecure of our identities within Christ. We are tempted to avoid this "fish" at all costs as to not choke on the "bones". The idea that the "evil" of this world can corrupt opens the door for fear to creep in. But as we recognize Jesus and how He interacted with those around Him, we can be confident in the fact that He ate the "fish", and separated the "bones". He seemed to look past gloomy conditions and breathed new identities....Simon-Peter and Saul-Paul just to name a few.

Yet many times we run away from darkness and the world. We are much more comfortable with exclusion and separateness. But we are not called to avoid the world at all costs. In all reality we are called to bring salt (Tasty-ness) and light to the world. May we choose not to avoid the "bones" and "fish" altogether as we interact with others that our different. As we do so may God bless the "nutrition" of our adventures as we seek to observe this world with a prophetic hope that allows God to breathe new identities into our environments that so often we find ourselves in fear of.

-Dan Jones

Addison Elizabeth Jones, a Big and Fancy Moment

This blog has been largely dedicated to seeing God in unusual places. For better or worse I have used peculiar life experiences to point to something larger. Sometimes these posts have worked, and more times then not, perhaps they just confused things. But the whole gist of these posts was to encourage our perceptions and train our eyes and hearts to seek God in areas we would never expect Him to show up.

But sometimes, every once in a while God shows up where we expect him. As in the fact that God shows up in little and unusual moments, He also shows up in our big and fancy moments. Addison Elizabeth Jones was born on December 13th 2009. It all happened real fast. We arrived at the hospital at 12:30 and she arrived around 1:30. It was all too much to process in such a short time. I was a daddy of one and now I am daddy of two, and a girl of all things! I would have never thought that I would be a father of a Girl. She is beautiful. It was a beautiful moment that will be etched in my memory for as long as I hope to live. (The same is true with my first born's birth.)

It's not that I felt God in any special way when Addie was born. He was there and present for sure. But that's not what leads me to write this post. I write this post out of gratitude. Big and fancy moments are gifts from our Creator as the small and unusual moments are. There is no need for any profound meaning to be extracted from something that may or may not be there, other then to take the obvious splendor of the moment and soak it in like a sponge. Thank you Addison Elizabeth Jones for reminding me to appreciate the moment as the moment it is and not just the moment it could be!

-Dan Jones

"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"...a reminder of the promise of 'peace on earth"

Peace on earth....a promise of an "inner peace" or perhaps something more global? Casting Crowns released a Christmas album in which they presented their arrangement of "I heard the Bells on Christmas Day". Mark Hall walks through the historical context in which this song was written. The context is certainly fascinating, and I encourage you to watch this video.

The question that I continue to ask this time of year is what exactly does it mean to have this peace? Is it concerning only an "inner peace"? Or is there any hint of something more global about this sort of peace? Anyone can pull a list of scriptures to argue both sides of this. Perhaps this peace can be dualistic in nature. These are thoughts that I am reminded of this time of year as Christians try to unearth what this incarnate Christ did for us. These are questions in which we should never stop exploring, as it may prove to be the most important questions going forward in world that has lost sight of both inner peace, and certainly peace on a global scale as well.

-Dan Jones

Thank you for all those who responded to the post!

Congratulations to Daniel Turner for Winning and Advanced Copy of The Bible As Improv, Seeing and Living the Script in New Ways, by Ron Martoia. Zondervan will be sending a copy your way shortly.

-Dan Jones

Win an Advanced Copy of Ron Martoia's New Book, Bible As Improv

Zondervan has offered to give away a free advanced copy of Ron Martoia's new book The Bible as Improv, Seeing and Living the Script in New Way on this very blog! This is well worth the read so I encourage you to enter to win.

If you haven't read my review of this book, please do by going here. Post any relevant reactions and thoughts along with your full name on this post, then email me you home address to danieljmjones@hotmail.com. I will select and announce a winner at random on December 18th at 1:00 pm, and Zondervan will send you the book, it is that simple! All entries must be received by Dec. 18th by 12:00 pm. Good Luck!

-Dan Jones