Tag: faith

faith

Lent: a rookie attempt

lent.jpgI, along with many symbol folks, are participating in lent this year for the first time. We have come to love the idea of lent being a seasonal rhythm preparing us for Easter.  For those of us from protestant backgrounds, we've talked about how this is new and unfamiliar territory for us.  But we're excited.  At our "40" gathering last night we shared some of thoughts of what we're planning on doing/giving up this lenten season.  There was a lot of talk of slowing down, creating space for rest, and to be more mindful of our busyness. Personally, I am doing a couple of things: 1.) giving up caffeine 2.) creating intentional space to "create" (write, draw, photography, design, etc.) each day of lent.  I will let you know how it goes.

UPDATE (2/27): I have been wrecked the past week with nagging headaches that grow as the day wears on.  Caffeine withdrawal no doubt.  The good news is that the creativity part is coming more naturally than expected.  Just about every day I find myself discovering space to create without even trying. Encouraging.

the symbol communities

symbol.jpg

The faith community (it's really more of a community of communities) that has begun to emerge here in the East Valley finally has an online presence @ www.symbolcommunities.org.  To help discover our identity together, we are tackling some exciting projects (which I will post about soon) and have scheduled a worship gathering (or collective) for Ash Wednesday entitled "40: a symbolic journey".  We are unsure of what the future holds for us, but we are sure that sharing a common identity forged around a shared way of life (living a symbolic life) is the road we're on.

 If you are in the Phoenix area and would like to share in "40" with us or would like to learn more about the symbol communities, email me at znewsome@mac.com.

 

The Symbol Life

 wr.jpeg

While in Northern Ireland last week, I had a chance to talk further with others who are a part of an emerging global community deemed,"The Symbol Society". While this society is in it's infancy stages (we've been accused of having a name and a logo and so were trying to form something logo-worthy around those pieces of identity), what is emerging from this conversation is a sharing in a common way of life – a symbolic one.  This symbolic life attempts to as Kester has said recently, "… to point to something beyond ourselves. It is to live in hope, realizing that everything we do will have some ill effect somewhere, but believing that to keep raising symbols will, in some small way, have some greater impact at some unknown time in the future."  I like Kester's definition of this symbolic life. 

There is something wildy attractive to me about intentionally living in a way that points to an alternative, counter-cultural existence found in the kingdom of God.   As symbols we will fail to fully represent what/who it is our actions point to, but at some point all symbols fail. After all, a symbol is not the thing it represents – it just communicates something about it.  It is my hope that my existence (along with all those on this symbolic journey) will communicate well the beauty, the hope, the generosity, and the love that is central to the kingdom and the king we point to.

It is along these symbolic lines that a local community is beginning to take shape here in Phoenix.  It is appropriately called, "symbol", or more formally, "the symbol communities". 

May we be effective symbols. 

 

@ Soliton in Northern Ireland

Kelli and I are taking part in the Celtic Soliton Sessions in Northern Ireland along with Andrew Jones, Jonny Baker, Pete Rollins, Ian Mobsby, Si Johnston, Gareth Higgins, Kester Brewin, and others. Thought provoking sessions so far as we move tonight to the North Coast for the residential portion of the weekend.

Some highlights so far:

– Having a pint with Pete Rollins talking about community and the "trickster" role of Ikon in Belfast. (picture coming soon).

– Meeting Ian Mobsby who leads a community called Moot in London.

 – Being exposed to the division, the hate, and the prejudice that has been such a part of Northern Ireland's history and how it affects the church here.

We anticipate that there is much more to come.

Here are some pictures we have taken so far 

Oh yeah…an arts venue, too!

In my previous post, I forgot to mention one of the biggest and most daunting projects taking up my time these days – starting an alternative arts venue in Downtown Mesa.  We're calling it "Found Arts" and it's will be a space devoted to the dreams of artists and non-artists alike.  The hope is for it to be a place where new and emerging ideas are created, expressed, wrestled with, and discussed through various forms of creativity.  Looking forward to this one – now all we need to $75k and we'll be on our way.

Seriously though, if you have $75k and are interested in sending it our way, we are all ears :). 

advent gathering pictures are online

 advent.jpg

Thanks to all of you who joined us last Friday for the advent gathering. I've put some of the pictures online that my wife, Kelli, took during the night.  Check them out.

The Advent Set @ Flickr 

And if you have some pictures you took during the night, we'd love to see them.  We've created a group photo pool where you can upload them.

The "Symbol Communities" Flickr group

….. until next time 

exploring advent

advent.gif

There are a number of us here in the Phoenix area who are together exploring the tradition of Advent this holiday season. Most of us, while people of faith, have little experience in the holy seasons. Our goal is to dig deeper into the spiritual side of Christmas while steering clear of the rut of meaningless tradition. In a sense we are on a much-traveled journey, but are committed to forging our own path. If you're interested in participating you'll find some details here. Or email me at znewsome@mac.com.

Hinting at the Divine

peterollins.jpg

As I was preparing for the gathering of our community this morning (we're looking at the concept of "symbol" as it relates to our lives, to our faith, and to our world – see the symbols of salt and light in Matthew 5), I found myself revisiting a book I finished recently by Peter Rollins called How (Not) to Speak of God.  I loved this book when I finished it a few weeks back and I am discovering that it is one of those books that sticks with you in it's challenges.  In other words, the ideas presented are only getting louder as time goes by.  In chapter 3, entitled "A/Theology as Icon", Rollins says something that I thought was particularly interesting:

"In a world where people believe they are not hungry (spiritually speaking), we must not offer them food but rather an aroma that helps them desire the food we cannot provide.  We (followers of Jesus) are a people whao are born from a response to hints of the divine.  Not only this, but we must embrace the idea that we are also called to be hints of the divine."

Just wanted to share these words.

You can find Rollins book at Amazon here. 

Engaging culture or living counter-culturally?

 ccimage.jpg

Travis and I started talking about counter-cultural living today and ended up at this deeply troubling (at least to me) question – "As followers of Jesus are we called to be counter-cultural or to engage the culture?"  The two ways of life seem contradictory at first, but can they be?  I think the answer to the question is "yes" – Yes, we are to live counterculturally as citizens of a kingdom that is counter-cultural to our present world AND yes, we are to flesh out this faith within the culture we find ourselves in. 

There is much to say here, but I want to let it brew a bit.  In the meantime….I would love to hear your thoughts.

zacknewsome.com - © 2022 - All Rights Reserved  |  site by VAUX digital