Category Archives: Christianity

D1/S2: Notes in glimpses:

Nancy Beach, The Audacity of Hope

Artists and teachers see the dark more than the light – it’s ‘inspiration’

Perspective is everything. How do you see the world?

Are you a person of hope?

Trust and joy over cynicism and despair.

There is much wrong with the world. Just watch the news.

Telling the Truth: The Gospel as tragedy, comedy, and fairytale.

            “called to be himself…”

Christians often offer cheap, quick, overly simple solutions

Christians live in denial.

See the darkness before pointing to the light.

Bono:
All music is worship. It’s worshiping something, whether or not it’s God. Step through a doorway of truth to get to a sense of wonder. The best place to live is in the middle of a contradiction. Duality = tension = art = truth.

Cynicism lacks courage.

[My mind had been swimming around these thoughts ("Cynicism lacks courage") for the last few weeks, hardly knowing that God would make my vague thoughts utterly clear this week - and it's only the first day.]

Hope must penetrate to those who need it. Does our hope make a difference? Hidden hope is selfish.

Jesus was called a friend of sinners. Who are you hanging out with?

Christians are better at condemning than loving. Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save.

One person not in church, not a Christian?

Nickelback video – Save Me

Live your life with urgency, intentionality, bold love.

The local church is the hope of the world.

“All beauty is subversive.” – Ian Morgan Cron, Chasing Francis

Create places filled with hope.

USB bracelets for entry. Brilliant. 128 mb, but to be expected considering there’s 5,000 to give out.

The David Crowder Band opened the conference leading worship. They debuted a new song, also brilliant. Driving, building, layered, complex, live, and loops – everything I’ve come to love about that band. The hoedown was excellent, and Pocket would be happy to know that the banjo was out in full force. DCB is reminding me of Coldplay in a few ways, but their use of backing loops and some techno beats separates their music into something almost entirely different.

Dewitt Jones led the first session and spoke on Creativity. As a photographer for National Geographic for 20 years, he knows a few things. His images were breath-taking. My notes from the talk:
Find new perspectives.
Don’t see redundancy, see opportunity.
Creativity means falling in love with the world.
“Does your camera have juice?” – from the 5 year old Yoda.
“I live in Creation’s dawn…” – John Muir.
Make your life your art.
Life is not separate from art.
Don’t live in scarcity and fear. Believe in love and possibility.
“Unite my avocation and my vocation.” – Robert Frost (and Dewitt did a great Frost impression).
How do you fill your cup?
Quit flapping.
Take it all in, give it all back. Breathe.
Do what you love; forget the critics, including yourself.

Off to Session 2!