A Living Alternative

Last week I asked for some questions from you, the readers of this blog. Thankfully, in the 11th hour two people posted some great questions, which I have been thinking about over the last day or so. The first set of questions come from my friend Duncan (whose blog is a daily must for me):

I'd really like to ask you about what books you read in your life that you found most helpful to bring you to the point of where you are at?

This is a tough question to answer for two reasons. First, I read a lot of books, which makes it hard to choose. Second, as my last post pointed out, I am an INTJ, which means that I have a very broad and diverse range of topics and genres, all of which feed into the chaotic, intuitive brain of mine. That being said, let me give you an overview of a few.

When I was in high school, I couldn't get enough of (the late) M. Scott Peck (who I later learned was also an INTJ). "A Different Drum" is still a great resources on some aspects of spirituality and community. "Streams of Living Water" by Richard Foster is a wonderful celebration of the best of Christian diversity, exploring Biblical, historical and contemporary examples of each tradition. Henri Nouwen's works are essential to my faith, especially "The Return of the Prodigal Son". Dorothy Day's "A Long Loneliness" is perhaps one of the few biographies that I couldn't put down. Her diaries, ranging from the 1930's through until 1980, have recently went to print as "The Duty of Delight", which I have been loving.

Fiction is also important to me. Aside from my literary tastes, John Grisham's "The Street Lawyer" played a major role (along with Day) me landing in the inner city. Anne Rice's recent Jesus novels- "Out of Egypt" and "Road to Cana"- have been deeply enrichening for me. Stephen Lawhead is also a long time favourite of mine.

Who has influenced you most?

Again, this is hard to answer. My family, both immediate and extended, play an important role in my life. One side is French Canadian, the other Italian Canadian, which means big, vocal and well-fed relatives. I think it is in this context that my love for community was born. However, above all, it has been wife, Kim. This isn't just me being sappy, but an acknowledgment of the grace, love and patience with which she has helped me become who I am meant to be.

What's your hopes for Winnipeg, Canada and the church for the next decade?

My hope for Winnipeg is largely focused on our West End community, in which I would love to see an increasingly active and connected network of Christians from many traditions to build a community around Christ that impact the larger city. My hope is that the church in Canada will carry on our pioneering spirit in learning what it means to be missional Christians to our neighbours and the world. Genuine community is my passion, so seeing this emerge in the church at large would be a dream come true for me.

The next ones come from another blogger I follow faithfully, Mary:

What is your favorite passage of Scripture and why?

One of my favourite verses is Jeremiah 33:3:


Again, probably a reflection of my personality, the idea of God inviting us to call on Him to reveal great and mysterious truths in exciting to me. It drive me to pursue God to understand that which I do not understand (and there is a lot I don't understand!).

Is there a passage of Scripture with which you are currently wrestling?

I always, ALWAYS struggle with the Sermon on the Mount. Growing up, a few people taught me that Jesus never intended that we try to live out His radical commands in this revolutionary teaching. I didn't buy it then and I don't buy it now. Again, it is a radical manifesto that would revolutionize Christian communities if we spent time trying to live it out.

On this line, Grace tagged me in this meme (started by Brother Maynard), asking what my favourite book of the Bible is and why:

Aside from the Scriptures already mentioned, the book of James has always been critical to me. It demands that I walk the walk if I expect to have any authority when I talk the talk. Faith without incarnationally embracing it is useless, empty, dead- not faith at all.



Missional, Meme, Books, Church