Hi, my name is Mark,

Hi, my name is Mark, and I’m a Twinkie-holic.

There, I’ve said it! it’s out in the open and man I feel so much better! Now, I’m not talking some one Twinkie a week habit – oh no; I’m talking a 12 pack habit a week baby! Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but let’s just say that the feeling of my blood sugar rapidly rising only to come crashing to the ground mere hours later is a feeling not unfamiliar to me. Oh yeah….then there’s the whole diet coke thing. Do I have to get into that too? No, I think I bared enough soul for my first blog.

Well, now that you know my greatest vise, you might be wondering what I hope to accomplish with this “blog”. Mostly I hope to clear the cream filling out of my mind. To focus all the thoughts and ideas that are flying around in this sponge cake packed brain.

In many ways all talk of a “new ecclesiology” (things of the Church) is old news to me. I’ve been asking these many of these questions since 1978 when I began a serious study of the Church. So hey – welcome to my party. Okay, it’s not really my party, but boy am I glad the discussion has risen to its current level; it’s long overdue.

What has profoundly affected my thinking (besides all the sugar) is the talk of soteriology (things of salvation). Guys like Dallas Willard, Todd Hunter, N.T. Wright have caused a major paradigm shift to occur. Through them the Lord has forced me to rethink most of what I believed salvation was and required of me. And let me assure you, getting through this soft yellow cake and cream filled brain means something. But what does it all mean? That’s what lies ahead. As my family, my friends and I being this journey from the established church to missional community the questions rage; what will it cost us; am I really willing to pay the price; have I really seen the value of the pearl; how Christ like can we really become in this life? Enough, enough! My brain can’t take any more.

Any who….if these questions resonate with you, come-on back and join let’s journey together.
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