Here are a few pictures from Hope's Thanksgiving program. Her class was in charge of chapel and most of these shots are from that.

Every now and then I like to sneak off to a place to pray. I try to pick places that don't necessarily provide quiet but perspective. Here in San Diego, the beach is a great place to pray. Especially when you can sit up on a cliff and see nothing but ocean in front of you. That has a way of putting things in perspective.Another favorite spot of mine is Presidio Park, just above Old Town. This is a gem. I'm not sure many people -- even people who have lived here a while -- ever go to Presidio Park. It has two or three spots that provide good perspective. From one bench you can look out over I-8 and see Morena Boulevard and USD. The other spots direct you to Point Loma and downtown.Yesterday I chose the spot that looks directly towards Point Loma and spent some time in…

I'm about halfway through the book about the spiritual life of U2. It's an interesting read, especially since it weaves in both lyrics and interviews. It seems that Bono, The Edge, and Larry all became Christians while in their teens in Dublin, Ireland. Adam remains the only spiritual free agent.At times the author sounds more like a fan than an observer but it hasn't detracted from the book. One angle that I'm most interested in is how art and faith co-exist and how U2 has chosen to be more missional in their approach to art.The author uses the term "Christian ghetto" to describe the sometimes restrictive environment of the corporate church. Hmmm.

Thanks to my buddy Jonathan, I went to Berean's and bought two new books (and a Veggie Tales video for my daughters).The first book is one that I've been wanting to read for several months: The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus. He says the greatest threat to the movement of Jesus Christ is Christianity! McManus is the lead pastor at Mosaic in Los Angeles, a church that is forging a new way for postmodern ministry. Mosaic was influential in shaping some of my thinking regarding LifePoint.The second book is entitled, "Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2." Yes, that U2. Many people who like U2 don't realize their Christian background. This was a more spontaneous purchase. I saw it on display, thumbed through it, and bought it. At least now I can better appreciate my U2 iPod.Stay posted.

The following is from a blog called "Out of Ur." A great reference to Abraham's willingness to follow God in faith. I've posted it here because many people consider LifePoint to be a part of the emerging church conversation. It's a good post.How Emergent Are You? McLaren's Seven Layers of the Emergent ConversationIslam has its five pillars. Buddhism has its eight-fold path. Evangelicalismhas its four spiritual laws. And now the Emerging Church has its seven layers ofconversation. Last month I was part of a small gathering of church leaders that hosted anevening with Brian McLaren. And the conversation turned as hot as the chutney. Anumber of participants were eager to discuss the criticisms that have beenlevied against the emerging church in recent months. The hijacking of theemergent movement by those merely interested in new worship trends rather thanmore substantive issues aggravated others. Everyone was looking to McLaren tochime in.Always more…