Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known.
Archives For Life
- Iron Man 3 is fantastic. Watch it now.
- If Superman is Jesus, then Iron Man is Babel.
- I’ve been waking up without an alarm at 5 am. I don’t know if that means I’ve “finally become a morning person” or if it just means I’m pretty stressed out.
- Reading a lot of Anabaptist stuff for an independent study course. It’s easy to think they’re sexy because they are pacifists and stay out of politics. But I hadn’t realized how anarchist their ideas are. Fascinating.
- If you haven’t already, take a moment to read John Ortberg’s eulogy of Dallas WIllard.
- Constant readers will be happy to learn that I started a subscription to Grammarly.
- This video of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Commander Riker is an example of how the internet simultaneously celebrates and ruins my childhood.
Yesterday we learned that Dallas Willard passed away from cancer. While Willard’s day job was as a professor of philosophy at USC, he will be remembered for his writings on spiritual formation and discipleship. For those who met him, he will also be remembered for living up to what he taught.
I first encountered Willard’s writings in 2005, while I was undergoing that great personal transformation that most recent college graduates must endure. I was asked to help a church better understand the tangible ideas of discipleship that he expresses in The Spirit of the Disciplines. I went on to devour Renovation of the Heart and eventually The Divine Conspiracy. I now try to read one of them once a year.
I never had the chance to meet Dr. WIllard in person. It was heartbreaking to find out he wouldn’t be joining us at Missio Alliance this past month. Now we understand why. However, everyone who did meet him mentioned that he seemed just like he did in his writings, brilliant yet approachable, even grandfatherly.
This blog, in many ways, is inspired by his writings.
Here are five life shaping ideas I learned from Dallas.
- Ty Grigg (an Ecclesia Network friend) and Alan Hirsch are having a healthy debate on the idea of APEST as a way to organize the Church.
- Iron Man 3 opens today. Just the fact I heard it mentioned on NPR this morning shows how far we nerds have come.
- Social media has also been in the news because me and everyone else over 20 can’t understand the purpose of Snapchat.
- Most of my week (and weekend) will be spent in sermon prep. Here’s a preview.
Tweets