I have just learned that Rick Meigs has been in a terrible motorcycle accident last week. Things are progressing well for hime, although the damage done to his body is extensive.
Please follow updates with Brother Maynard... here.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Monday, June 08, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Win a Dai Living Rug!
e sure to enter the giveway on Focus Organics website for their one year Anniversary and register to win one of my rugs!
Register here!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Recent Interview
I was recently interviewed by acclaimed journalist, Judith Ritter, for the launch of my new company this year. The name of the company is Dai Living.
Handmade, in Nepal, of luxurious handknotted Tibetan pashmina wool, these rugs are of the best quality that you'll ever purchase. Chooose a Pashmina Dai Living rug to adorn your home, spa, or personal space and partner with us in ending child labor in the rug industry through RugMark. A portion of the proceeds of each purchase goes directly towards this endeavor.
"We believe in abolishing child labor child by child, loom by loom, factory by factory, employer by employer, exporter by exporter, importer by importer, retailer by retailer, and consumer by consumer. Restoring childhood to the children of the world is possible and we all can help purchasing certified rugs."
My conversation with Judith sparked much interest on both parts. She was extremely interested to learn how large a role my faith convictions influenced the birth of Dai Living and the direction towards social justice. I also learned quite a bit from Judith as she shared some of her own insight from life experience. Here is part of the interview...
"It is clear that Brad Grinnen’s interest in the rug business extends well beyond that of the typical entrepreneur. While he most definitely is focused on the profitability of his venture, he is more interested in the benefits that profitability provides to the weaving community."
You can read the full article on Rugmark's site, here.
Dai Living's site can be found here.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Interview with Blindbeggar's Rick Meigs
Recently I completed an interview with Blindbeggar's Rick Meigs. Blindbeggar was one of the first blogs I began following. Dani and I were fortunate to be able to meet with Rick and his wife for a lunch in their home while we were visiting the Portland area a couple years back. Rick was kind enough to grant me this interview and I hope you enjoy it.
How long have you been blogging and how and why did you get started?
I began blogging back in October of 2005 if I recall right. I started the blog as a spiritual exercise, a way to learn to articulate and journal much of what I’d been feeling, thinking and doing in my spiritual journey. To be honest, I was a little afraid to become so transparent. If I’d gotten a lot of negative comments right off the bat, I suspect I would have backed away. But people were gracious and I soon found that others were thinking and feeling the same thoughts.
Part of my calling is that of catalyst, one who provokes or speeds significant change or action. I hadn’t intended that my blogging would become part of that calling, but God had other plans. It soon became part of my catalytic toolkit.
What inspires your pieces and your posts and are there rituals or habits you've formed over the years while developing your posts?
Posts are inspired by what I experience as I’m out following Jesus into the neighborhood, what I read, what I see and what I do. I have no ritual or habits regarding subject matter. If it causes a reaction deep in my soul, moves me emotionally (not easy, I’ve been told I have ice water in my veins), the Spirit prompts me, or I have an interest in the subject, I’ll blog. Passion is the best inspiration. If one is not passionate about something, I don’t see how one can blog well.
Rick, can you tell us what an ordinary day looks like in your life?
OMG, there is no such thing as a normal day. But let me give you an idea of what a composite day would look like.
I’m self-employed, so my commute to work takes about 30 seconds. Coffee comes first, then I start working. I work off and on all day until around 10:30 pm. I update my internet business site, response to emails (from 20-50 at day), answer calls from clients (I do sales and marketing consulting for 401(k) plan distributors and advisors), talk to reporters (from one to five interviews a week) and do all the administrative stuff necessary to run a business. In between work, I take time to go out for morning coffee with friends, people in my local network or people who need a listen ear, Bible study, read blogs, write, read books, prayer walk the neighborhood, visit with neighbors, spend time with my wife (very important and a priority), and twitter. I dumped Facebook. Just took too much time.
I also work into my week three hours of volunteer time at a local botanic garden, meetings for a gardening group where I’m on the board, attendance of neighborhood association meetings (monthly), local horticultural group events (usually as a volunteer), make rides with a local motorcycle group and work with the homeless. There are usually a couple of one off projects each month also. All this is stuff that puts me into the community and among not-yet-Christians. Jesus called us to be an expression of him and move into the neighborhood. So that is where I want to spend as much time as possible.
Then there are faith community activities like coaching and encouraging others towards living a life in “the way of Jesus,” weekly home group, ALPHA or “hospitably stuff” like having people over for dinner and cards.
From March – November, I’ll also spend an hour a day in the garden working. And then there is hiking and camping.
Blogging can take a lot of time and energy. Do you ever get tired of blogging and if so, how do you break from it?
I simply refuse to allow the “blogging beast” to rule my life. When I get inspirited and have the time, I blog. If that inspiration is Spirit lead, I make time. If I don’t have anything to say or make mention of, I don’t feel the need to post something anyhow. I also do take a periodic sabbatical from the blog, usually in early summer (when I’d rather be in the garden, riding, hiking or camping).
What I never tire of is the interaction with others through the blog. Comments are so important. Blogging is never about you, it is about conversation. I’ve learned so much from others.
Where do you draw the line in getting into your personal life or the lives of those you care for when you are creating a post?
There is a line there someplace, but it is going to be different for each person. There are confidences one simply can’t break. There is gossip and rumor to be avoided. There is also a tension between sharing story to encourage and sharing a tale to blow your own horn. As a catalyst, I tend to share what I’m doing to minister and impact people fairly transparently because we all need examples and stories of real doing in real situations with real people. You just pray that it will come across with the humility intended. If I feel it could bring pain IN ANY WAY, regardless of how good a yarn it is, I will never share it. Relationship is more important than anything else.
Your voice has helped to shape and even define the term 'missional'. What is 'missional'.
I’ll give you my canned answer, but keep in mind that how it is defined is often based on ones context and life journey.
Jesus told us to go into all the world and be his ambassadors, but many churches today have inadvertently changed the "go and be" command to a "come and see" appeal. We have grown attached to buildings, programs, staff and a wide variety of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people.
Missional is a helpful term used to describe what happens when you and I replace the "come to us" invitations with a "go to them" life. A life where "the way of Jesus" informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.
That last sentence is critical. To many people see missional as only “doing,” but it is equally about “being” -- living a life centered on Christ and in community with other Jesus followers.
If someone was new to the concept missional, where would you point them to start?
First, read Friendofmissional.org and see if the concepts their resonate with you. If they do, then find a safe space where you can read, ask questions and dialog about the missional paradigm. Missionaltribe.org is such a place. Also begin to read books like “Breaking the Missional Code” by Ed Stetzer and David Putman, “The Shaping of Things to Come” by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, “The Forgotten Ways” by Alan Hirsch or “The Fine Line” by Kary Oberbrunner.
Let me also make one other observation for those new to the missional concept. Don’t confuse it with the emerging church movement. There is some conceptual overlap, but they are not the same.
A lot of people are using the term 'missional' these days. Many prefer it over the term emerging. However, it does appear to have become a bit of a buzzword. What would you say to someone who was continually using the term in a manner which you feel is inappropriate?
Let me just quote my friend Brad Sargent, “Purveyors of missional emptiness ought to be sent to theological time-out until they have repented of their dilution of the term’s terms, meanings, and methods!”
There were many times in the life of Jesus where he attracted large gatherings or crowds. Does this mean that he was attractional?
No, it means he was attractive to many. To others he was the latest cool person to be around, a curiosity, or a person who could fix a problem. There are many and various reason why people gather around a people. But being “attractional” in the missional conversation is not the same as being attractive. Attractional is a technical term used to describe a church model that focuses on the Sunday morning worship gathering where things are done to attract not-yet-Christians and Jesus followers from other faith communities. It is very event focused. It says, if we could only get them to come to our event, they might like it and stick around. Attractional is not very attractive to me.
When my wife and I visited your home I was surprised to see the incredible garden you had developed. Where does this passion come from?
Man, Fran and I had such a great time with you and Dani. One of the great joys of life is to get to meet face-to-face people you have come to enjoy via the Internet. And we are getting old, so we love having younger people around ☺.
I grew up on a farm, so you might say that I’ve always had dirt under my fingernails. Dad was a “food” gardener, but mom loved her flowers. I recall as a 10 year old being out among her roses at 6:00 am on a quiet, still, warm, summer morning and feeling absolute peace and contentment. That experience as never left me, so I garden. It is a spiritual disciple, for where else can you see and experience His eternal power and divine nature so closely at hand?
Now here is a missional aside. There is not a division between the secular and scared. That is a Greek concept that isn’t known in scripture. We all have passions that are often manifest in hobbies and other activities. Most Jesus followers think of these are secular activities, but in reality they are scared and given to us for a reason. They are the open doors into our neighbor’s life and our communities. They are the foundation on which relationships can be built. When someone wants to know how to find the time to become involved in their community, I ask them about their passions and hobbies. One doesn’t need more time, just redeem the time already spent on things you love.
If you could only read one blog for the rest of your life, which would it be? (totally unfair question)
Totally unfair! But the space I’d be found at is MissionalTribe.org.
What is missional tribe and what is its purpose?
Well, it is many things to many people. The seven instigators purposely desire it that way so that it never is, but is always becoming. Institutions are organic things that became structured and lost their dynamic nature. All the energy is spent in ensuring its survival and structure. We don’t want MT to be like that.
When we were developing the site, we each wrote a short paragraph to what we hoped MT would be.
As a sample of our expectations, here is what I wrote: “Missional Tribe is a space where story and praxis is given emphasis over the theoretical and conceptual. It is a kinship of diverse people who practice ‘the way of Jesus,’ a way that informs and radically transforms their very being. It is a place where the great conversations around the missional paradigm can be brought together so they are evergreen and accessible.”
And Kingdom Grace wrote: “The Missional Tribe site will be valuable as a place to collect and link the missional resources and material already written. However, more importantly, it will be a place to collect grassroots stories as a means of teaching, supporting, and encouraging one another in both individual and community missional expression. Hopefully, it will also become a place of connection and conversation for people who find themselves on the missional journey.”
Bill Kinnon said, “Millions of pixels have been pushed across thousands of blogs and websites - discussing, questioning, telling stories about missional. But the illumination of those pixels has too often been ephemeral. Great insights have shone brightly for a moment and then been seemingly extinguished by the latest momentary brilliance. It shouldn’t be that way. And nor does it need to be. Missional Tribe is a grass roots organization committed to indexing the illumination; providing evergreen space to continue the light-giving conversations; and offering discussion space where stories can be told, ideas be illumined, and friendships be created and strengthened.”
This should give you a fair idea of what Missional Tribe is about and its purpose.
Thanks Brad for taking the time to converse about things I’m passionate about. Looking forward to seeing you and Dani next time your are out this way.
How long have you been blogging and how and why did you get started?
I began blogging back in October of 2005 if I recall right. I started the blog as a spiritual exercise, a way to learn to articulate and journal much of what I’d been feeling, thinking and doing in my spiritual journey. To be honest, I was a little afraid to become so transparent. If I’d gotten a lot of negative comments right off the bat, I suspect I would have backed away. But people were gracious and I soon found that others were thinking and feeling the same thoughts.
Part of my calling is that of catalyst, one who provokes or speeds significant change or action. I hadn’t intended that my blogging would become part of that calling, but God had other plans. It soon became part of my catalytic toolkit.
What inspires your pieces and your posts and are there rituals or habits you've formed over the years while developing your posts?
Posts are inspired by what I experience as I’m out following Jesus into the neighborhood, what I read, what I see and what I do. I have no ritual or habits regarding subject matter. If it causes a reaction deep in my soul, moves me emotionally (not easy, I’ve been told I have ice water in my veins), the Spirit prompts me, or I have an interest in the subject, I’ll blog. Passion is the best inspiration. If one is not passionate about something, I don’t see how one can blog well.
Rick, can you tell us what an ordinary day looks like in your life?
OMG, there is no such thing as a normal day. But let me give you an idea of what a composite day would look like.
I’m self-employed, so my commute to work takes about 30 seconds. Coffee comes first, then I start working. I work off and on all day until around 10:30 pm. I update my internet business site, response to emails (from 20-50 at day), answer calls from clients (I do sales and marketing consulting for 401(k) plan distributors and advisors), talk to reporters (from one to five interviews a week) and do all the administrative stuff necessary to run a business. In between work, I take time to go out for morning coffee with friends, people in my local network or people who need a listen ear, Bible study, read blogs, write, read books, prayer walk the neighborhood, visit with neighbors, spend time with my wife (very important and a priority), and twitter. I dumped Facebook. Just took too much time.
I also work into my week three hours of volunteer time at a local botanic garden, meetings for a gardening group where I’m on the board, attendance of neighborhood association meetings (monthly), local horticultural group events (usually as a volunteer), make rides with a local motorcycle group and work with the homeless. There are usually a couple of one off projects each month also. All this is stuff that puts me into the community and among not-yet-Christians. Jesus called us to be an expression of him and move into the neighborhood. So that is where I want to spend as much time as possible.
Then there are faith community activities like coaching and encouraging others towards living a life in “the way of Jesus,” weekly home group, ALPHA or “hospitably stuff” like having people over for dinner and cards.
From March – November, I’ll also spend an hour a day in the garden working. And then there is hiking and camping.
Blogging can take a lot of time and energy. Do you ever get tired of blogging and if so, how do you break from it?
I simply refuse to allow the “blogging beast” to rule my life. When I get inspirited and have the time, I blog. If that inspiration is Spirit lead, I make time. If I don’t have anything to say or make mention of, I don’t feel the need to post something anyhow. I also do take a periodic sabbatical from the blog, usually in early summer (when I’d rather be in the garden, riding, hiking or camping).
What I never tire of is the interaction with others through the blog. Comments are so important. Blogging is never about you, it is about conversation. I’ve learned so much from others.
Where do you draw the line in getting into your personal life or the lives of those you care for when you are creating a post?
There is a line there someplace, but it is going to be different for each person. There are confidences one simply can’t break. There is gossip and rumor to be avoided. There is also a tension between sharing story to encourage and sharing a tale to blow your own horn. As a catalyst, I tend to share what I’m doing to minister and impact people fairly transparently because we all need examples and stories of real doing in real situations with real people. You just pray that it will come across with the humility intended. If I feel it could bring pain IN ANY WAY, regardless of how good a yarn it is, I will never share it. Relationship is more important than anything else.
Your voice has helped to shape and even define the term 'missional'. What is 'missional'.
I’ll give you my canned answer, but keep in mind that how it is defined is often based on ones context and life journey.
Jesus told us to go into all the world and be his ambassadors, but many churches today have inadvertently changed the "go and be" command to a "come and see" appeal. We have grown attached to buildings, programs, staff and a wide variety of goods and services designed to attract and entertain people.
Missional is a helpful term used to describe what happens when you and I replace the "come to us" invitations with a "go to them" life. A life where "the way of Jesus" informs and radically transforms our existence to one wholly focused on sacrificially living for him and others and where we adopt a missionary stance in relation to our culture. It speaks of the very nature of the Jesus follower.
That last sentence is critical. To many people see missional as only “doing,” but it is equally about “being” -- living a life centered on Christ and in community with other Jesus followers.
If someone was new to the concept missional, where would you point them to start?
First, read Friendofmissional.org and see if the concepts their resonate with you. If they do, then find a safe space where you can read, ask questions and dialog about the missional paradigm. Missionaltribe.org is such a place. Also begin to read books like “Breaking the Missional Code” by Ed Stetzer and David Putman, “The Shaping of Things to Come” by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch, “The Forgotten Ways” by Alan Hirsch or “The Fine Line” by Kary Oberbrunner.
Let me also make one other observation for those new to the missional concept. Don’t confuse it with the emerging church movement. There is some conceptual overlap, but they are not the same.
A lot of people are using the term 'missional' these days. Many prefer it over the term emerging. However, it does appear to have become a bit of a buzzword. What would you say to someone who was continually using the term in a manner which you feel is inappropriate?
Let me just quote my friend Brad Sargent, “Purveyors of missional emptiness ought to be sent to theological time-out until they have repented of their dilution of the term’s terms, meanings, and methods!”
There were many times in the life of Jesus where he attracted large gatherings or crowds. Does this mean that he was attractional?
No, it means he was attractive to many. To others he was the latest cool person to be around, a curiosity, or a person who could fix a problem. There are many and various reason why people gather around a people. But being “attractional” in the missional conversation is not the same as being attractive. Attractional is a technical term used to describe a church model that focuses on the Sunday morning worship gathering where things are done to attract not-yet-Christians and Jesus followers from other faith communities. It is very event focused. It says, if we could only get them to come to our event, they might like it and stick around. Attractional is not very attractive to me.
When my wife and I visited your home I was surprised to see the incredible garden you had developed. Where does this passion come from?
Man, Fran and I had such a great time with you and Dani. One of the great joys of life is to get to meet face-to-face people you have come to enjoy via the Internet. And we are getting old, so we love having younger people around ☺.
I grew up on a farm, so you might say that I’ve always had dirt under my fingernails. Dad was a “food” gardener, but mom loved her flowers. I recall as a 10 year old being out among her roses at 6:00 am on a quiet, still, warm, summer morning and feeling absolute peace and contentment. That experience as never left me, so I garden. It is a spiritual disciple, for where else can you see and experience His eternal power and divine nature so closely at hand?
Now here is a missional aside. There is not a division between the secular and scared. That is a Greek concept that isn’t known in scripture. We all have passions that are often manifest in hobbies and other activities. Most Jesus followers think of these are secular activities, but in reality they are scared and given to us for a reason. They are the open doors into our neighbor’s life and our communities. They are the foundation on which relationships can be built. When someone wants to know how to find the time to become involved in their community, I ask them about their passions and hobbies. One doesn’t need more time, just redeem the time already spent on things you love.
If you could only read one blog for the rest of your life, which would it be? (totally unfair question)
Totally unfair! But the space I’d be found at is MissionalTribe.org.
What is missional tribe and what is its purpose?
Well, it is many things to many people. The seven instigators purposely desire it that way so that it never is, but is always becoming. Institutions are organic things that became structured and lost their dynamic nature. All the energy is spent in ensuring its survival and structure. We don’t want MT to be like that.
When we were developing the site, we each wrote a short paragraph to what we hoped MT would be.
As a sample of our expectations, here is what I wrote: “Missional Tribe is a space where story and praxis is given emphasis over the theoretical and conceptual. It is a kinship of diverse people who practice ‘the way of Jesus,’ a way that informs and radically transforms their very being. It is a place where the great conversations around the missional paradigm can be brought together so they are evergreen and accessible.”
And Kingdom Grace wrote: “The Missional Tribe site will be valuable as a place to collect and link the missional resources and material already written. However, more importantly, it will be a place to collect grassroots stories as a means of teaching, supporting, and encouraging one another in both individual and community missional expression. Hopefully, it will also become a place of connection and conversation for people who find themselves on the missional journey.”
Bill Kinnon said, “Millions of pixels have been pushed across thousands of blogs and websites - discussing, questioning, telling stories about missional. But the illumination of those pixels has too often been ephemeral. Great insights have shone brightly for a moment and then been seemingly extinguished by the latest momentary brilliance. It shouldn’t be that way. And nor does it need to be. Missional Tribe is a grass roots organization committed to indexing the illumination; providing evergreen space to continue the light-giving conversations; and offering discussion space where stories can be told, ideas be illumined, and friendships be created and strengthened.”
This should give you a fair idea of what Missional Tribe is about and its purpose.
Thanks Brad for taking the time to converse about things I’m passionate about. Looking forward to seeing you and Dani next time your are out this way.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Eating Mercifully
Eating Mercifully is a 26 minute documentary exploring some Christian perspectives on Factory Farming. Many Christians are not aware or completely ignore one of our first mandates, according to the Hebrew scriptures, to care for creation, including all living creatures. This short documentary is merely an introduction to animal care issues. Many who view this and are further along in awareness concerning animal care, will find the steps at the end of the documentary almost laughable. However, any step in a positive direction, especially first ones, are positive in my opinion.
If you are a believer in Christ give this a view and allow it to challenge you. If you are not a believer, give this a view and understand us a little more.
HT: Dr Gregory Boyd
If you are a believer in Christ give this a view and allow it to challenge you. If you are not a believer, give this a view and understand us a little more.
HT: Dr Gregory Boyd
Saturday, December 20, 2008
give, listen, help
you can get your copy of Give, Listen, Help here. Pablove Foundation was started after Pablo Castelaz was diagnosed with bilateral Wilms' Tumor, a rare form of children's cancer. proceeds from the all-star lineup album go to ...
an annual contribution to cancer research and treatment at CHLA's Saban Research Institute, one of the top cancer research facilities in the United States. It will also support play activities, music and arts programs and sponsor play rooms in the soft tumor units at CHLA. These 'units' are actually entire floors of the hospital, which are filled with brave, beautiful children at any time of the year. A strolling minstrel, a board game, a book, or an art easel bring such joy to the heart of a child whose life has been temporarily reduced to a small hospital room.
DISC 1
1. Garbage - "Witness to Your Love" (previously unreleased)
2. Radiohead - "House of Cards"
3. Of Montreal - "Jimmy" (M.I.A. cover)
4. Bat for Lashes - "What's a Girl" (Plaid remix)
5. Oasis - "Falling Down" (Chemical Brothers remix)
6. Rilo Kiley - "Draggin' Around" (previously unreleased)
7. Bloc Party - "Flux" (JKL remix)
8. The Faint - "The Geeks Were Right" (DIOYY remix)
9. CSS - "Rat Is Dead" (Rage)"
10. Decemberists "Billy Liar" (live)
11. Ra Ra Riot - "Can You Tell" (Little Ones remix)
12. Ladytron - "Ghosts" (Modwheelmood mix)
13. The Little Ones "I Don't Want to Dance" (previously unreleased)
14. Other Lives - "Paper Cities" (previously unreleased)
15. Two Sheds - "You"
16. Jack Johnson "All At Once" (live at Bumbershoot 2008)
DISC 2 - DANGERBIRD RECORDS
1. Silversun Pickups - "Table Scraps"
2. Eulogies - "Is There Anyone Here?"
3. Darker My Love - "Blue Day"
4. The Dears - "Crisis 1 & 2"
5. Sea Wolf - "The Promise"
6. The Curse of Company - "All the Mines"
7. One a.m. radio - "Old Men"
8. Ed Laurie - "Albert"
9. Eric Avery - "All Remote and No Control"
10. Dappled Cities - "Vision Bell"
11. La Rocca - "Cross the River"
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