Recently in People Category

My Dad just called me and asked if I had heard. I had not. 58 is too young. I enjoyed his role as Leo, and years ago, his role as Tommy Delaney on LA Law. From the article, he seems to have been a good guy to have around.

AP Wire | 12/17/2005 | Actor John Spencer of 'West Wing' dies of heart attack in LA

Actor John Spencer of 'West Wing' dies of heart attack in LA LYNN ELBER Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - John Spencer had much in common with the character he played on "The West Wing": both men were driven, recovering alcoholics who seemed to have rebounded from their health problems.

Spencer's death by heart attack Friday stunned fellow cast members, who said his health had appeared better recently. The actor, who would have turned 59 Tuesday, died at Olympia Medical Center in Los Angeles after being admitted during the night, said his publicist, Ron Hofmann.

During our trip up the mountain in the Smokie Mountain National Park, October 2004

My advisor during my days at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH 1990-91, Ken has been a good friend since, keeping in touch with me (and I with him) over those past 15 years, and he's always been one to whom I spilled some of my hopes for the future. It's probably he that is most responsible for getting me on my way into my calling to Online Community issues for the Church, and how this technology can be harnessed to help the church tell it's story, and help its people extend thier conversations. This blog has been one of those ways in which I can attempt to provide examples of how it is possible to allow our online realtionships to ease our searching and finding of embodied community, and then turn around and extend some of that give-and-take and invite people into just a bit more of our lives.

It will be great having him in town.

GBHEM: What's New

GBHEM Board Elects Bedell Associate General Secretary
The Rev. Dr. Kenneth B. Bedell has been elected associate general secretary of the Division of Higher Education of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM).

23 years ago to the day, Janet and I met, on our first date (it was supposed to be a blind double date, but the other couple broke up just days before and right after it was arranged, so I was given Janet's number to confirm that she still wanted to go. She did)

We went to the WEBN fireworks at the riverfront in Cincinnati, a Labor Day tradition in Cincinnati. Afterwards, we got some ice cream, then went to my place and watched a movie, Time After Time, which we have rented for tonight. We did this on the 20th anniversary of this date as well. I guess it went well, since 9 months and a week later, we were married. Now, 23 years and 2 kids later, a big part of me wants to get into that time machine HG Wells constructed, and go back to September 4, 1982 in Cincinnati, Ohio. But the path we took brings me no regrets, since it led to these particular two children (Brian was born in Cincinnati on March 10, 1989, and Kelli was born in Pusan, South Korea on April 8, 1998 and came to us after a year with foster parents in Seoul on April 15, 1999)

Janet just got a new EA (Educational Assistant) job at our daughter's school, so they'll be going to work/school and home again together everyday, as well as bring home some extra needed income. Wee-ha! We're going to Steak-and -Shake to celebrate (kind of a fancy fast food...and great shakes!)

We are renting a van and heading to Lake Erie (that's one of the "Great Lakes" for those of you geographically-challlenged). We have a place rented for a week, and I have a laptop borrowed from work, so I'll have at least a dialup way to blog and I expect to post a few pictures during the week, and finsih up Introducing Radical Orthodoxy, and continue on in Hauerwas's Community of Character. I've also been reading Hauerwas' postscript to Performing the Faith, where he responds to Jeffrey Stout's critiques of him in Democracy and Tradition.

It's been a rather hefty week at work, gettin' home late most days the past two weeks (like 6 or 7). The week could not have come at a better time. It would really be cool if they had broadband where we're going, but that's probably too much to ask. But the laptop has an 801.2b card, so if there's anyplaces that do, I'll be able to use that. Otherwise, assuming the phones work, it's dialup.

tb

My first grade daughter had an English assignment. Read the "telling" sentence and turn it into an "asking" sentence.

Telling sentence: The President Lives in the White House.
Kelli's asking sentence: Where does the president live?

The President makes important decisions.
Kelli: Who makes important decisions?

George Bush is our president.
Kelli: WHY is George Bush our president?

Classic.

I am in the Web Business, the Church-related Web business because of my time at United Theological Seminary in 1990-91, in Dayton , OH. I went there because of Dennis Benson, who had been a Youth Ministry Guru for me, mostly becuase I often found media studies type materials for youth in his works, and I contacted Dennis a couple of times during my Youth Ministry years. When I picked up a new book of his in a bookstore in 1989, I saw that he was in Dayton , directing a program in Religous Communication. After my son was born, I ventured up to talk to him. Soon after that, I visited a class ( I remember the year and month, because a TV in the student lounge was darwing a crowd, not becuase of the World Series game that was on, but because of what was happening at the start of that game: The Earthquake.

I ended up starting the MARC (Master of Arts in Religigous Communications) that following January 1990. My first class was a J-Term class where the class worked with Dennis to produce one of his Passages Radio Shows.

In the half dozen of Dennis' classes that took during my course of study, I was often coming away fired up about something; a discussion that had ensued after one of Dennis' stories (or maybe more than one). There was never a shortage of energy or depth of discussion in any of Dennis' classes. So many of the stories came out of Dennis' personal experiences or from stories (of which he has collected and produced I don't know how many , over the years, through his years of experience in radio and interviewing folks (including a few rock stars like Alice Cooper). It was easy to see why people found it so easy, or were encouraged to talk about things that may have otherwise been difficult, when watching and listening to the way Dennis would listen and interject further invitations to dig deeper.

I had been telling mutual friends, and lately, emailed Dennis and told him how I thought he'd make a great blogger. Weblogs are so encouraging of "personal stories", and enabling of quick snippets of personal insight as well as some longer personal presentations, and through this set of easy to master tools, enable us to weave a fairly personally flavored "expression" of self; one with "voice" as they put it in The Cluetrain Manifesto.

Ken Bedell ended up being my advisor in the MARC program, which , as I have written elesewhere, was certainbly in the cards, given where I ended up heading (directly toward some serious Internet -related Callings), but I am sure that also in that mix of formative experiences for my calling, the strength of story was deeply embedded in me by my contact with Dennis Benson.

He started a blog today, here

I'd suggest subscribing to to the RSS and watch what happens. I don't expect him to dwell long in the land of blogs before he begins to discover the wonders of story sharing in this rapidly growing land of Weblogs.

Kelli turned 6 years old on April 8

From thedoormagazine.com

The Tragic Loss of Mike Yaconelli
El Cajon, CA, October 30, 2003 – Mike Yaconelli, owner and co-founder of Youth Specialties, was involved in a fatal car accident late Wednesday night, October 29, outside his hometown of Yreka, in northern California. He passed away early Thursday morning, October 30.

I just read (via Blogs4God) that Mike Yaconelli, one of my favorite all-time writers (via the Wittenburg Door in its Youth Sepcialties days), died at 61 in an auto accident.

His "Back Door" column was always one of my favorites (usually the one I read first). I also read a book of his , "Tough Faith" and often quoted from it. MIke was also a great speaker ( I heard him a lot via Youth Specialites events, a nd had a few audio tapes of his presentations). I called him on the phone once, to talk to him about his Tough Faith book. That guy will be missed.

Thursday is Sept.4th, which is the 21st anniversary of the first meeting between Janet and myself. We did a blind date thing, going to the WEBN fireworks (Labor Day Weekend), 1982.

For talking about Janet and me and ther past 20 years,  as today is our 20th Wedding anniversary.  Part of the day is looking at job ads,  working on a couple of web projects,  and looking around for more of the same.

20 years ago today, also the year I began my first fulltime Youth Ministry job,  Janet and I got married in Cincinnati and she came to live with me in Keokuk, Iowa.  That was the beginning of what was to be a short-lived Youth Ministry career,  since it seems that I was destined to be involved in electronic communications as ministry,  and eventaully,  after I completed the MA in Religious Communications at United,  that was to place me squarely in the Web development profession. 

Look over in My Web Development section to read about what I'm trying to accomplish on the job front. I post it over there so the "20th Anniversary" headline stays at the top of this page,  and Check 20 years of marriage June 11 for more on Janet and Me and being married for 20 years.

I'm taking a trip up to Mayfield, KY to visit my former Youth Minister tomorrow.  A lot of "formative" experiences from those days, 1970-75,  which included visiting Koinonia Farms and the leagacy of Clarence Jordan,  being exposed to the story of The Church of the Saviour in Washington , DC,  a great early 70's honest to goodness coffeehouse (with blacklights and JCSuperstar blaring over the PA),  Mission trips, Serendipity-material and small groups and a sleepover at Lyman Coleman's house,  and many a great Labor Day retreat.  I went into the Youth Ministry as a result of all that,  and I hope I can find something like that for my son,  who will start high school this next fall.  What a time.  It will be great to talk to Mel.

Click the picture to see a 75k version

Click for 75k larger picture

The Kids (Kelli and Brian), Dec. 23, 2002

The movie we watched 20 years ago tonight.  I found the DVD version of this at Blockbuster,  and so I am taking that one home tonight.  Perhaps some Pizza Hut pizza to go with it? Read what I've written so far about Janet and I and 20 years

Wife Janet and daughter Kelli (4)

Slactavist showed a link to The Koinonia Partners site, which has a 7 minute video on Clarence Jordan.   I had written to show some mutuality concerning our veneration of Tony Campolo,  who was/is also a favorite speaker/writer/person

I visited Koinonia in the summer of 1974 with a small group from my high school youth group (our Youth minister had told us a few of the stories,  played a few of the tapes and records,  and so had influenced some of us.  I wandered around in the little shack where he went to study   Florence was there and told us some other stories.  Ladon Sheats was there.  I was 18,  and some of it was over my head,  but I remember the stories Clarence told (on the audio tapes),  and my Dad was also kind of taken with Clarence.  My dad ,  now retired from BellSouth,  is the director of the Williamson County chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Clarence was a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a doctorate in New Testament Greek.   I wrote a little piece about how he influenced me when I first started onto the web in 1994

Mission: Possible The inward-outward journey of Mary and Gordon Cosby. An Interview. Gordon and Mary Cosby. Interviewed by Jim Wallis in Sojourners magazine (Nov-Dec 1997)

Tony is certainly one I perk up and listen to,  on just about any subject.  Here is an 76 minute talk I just found (among others) : ""Christianity after September 11th"" If you do an Internet search on Tony Campolo, you'll probably find quite a bit of material about how Tony is a dangerous heretic,   which I find laughable (if it weren't so sad......nah,  I laugh anyway,  because as a Sociology major in college,  and a youth ministry veteran,  I have been a fan of Campolo's speaking and writing since I first herard him speak in 1980.

Favorite Authors (for the Book Section and People),  or authors I've bought and gone back for more

• Frederick Buechner
• Elizabeth O'Connor
• Matthew Fox
• Christopher Locke
• David Weinberger
• Tony Campolo
• Robert Raines
• Keith Miller
• Mark Dery
• Jim Wallis
• Howard Rheingold
• David Lochhead
• Dennis Benson

Our family pic I promised last night
The four of us Sunday, July 21, 2002

 

My immediate family,  me (46) wife Janet (42), son Brian (13), Daughter Kelli (4) (pictures to follow soon,  I have a good one of us from just this past Sunday)

Parents: Dad: Ermon(70)  and Mom: Shirley (68)

Brothers David (47) Mike (42) and Sister Jill (33)

Janet and I have been married 19 years (June 11, 1983)

Along with United Theological Seminary,  Ken Bedell has to be in there as the key person in my education and development there

Looks like the link I had for United Theological Seminary on myWebsite has gone dead,  but I never wrote a piece on United or its role,  even though it had an enormous influence on the direction my calling was to take.   The story is here

More people appear on the radar screen of my recollection tonight,  ones who opened up the possibilities for me in the new frontier opening up in the virtual landscape;  one where community happened in strange and exciting new ways.  Strange in terms of new medium and new technology,  but with a familiar ring to it:  like the things I was learning about new online acquaintances (and some new online acquaintances were people I knew of and who knew of me offline,  but never really knew or understood what I cared about,  nor I , them.)

I think of Ecunet and Howard Rheingold first off,  because it was 1993,  and I had just joined Ecunet,  while I was simultaneously reading a new book by Howard, "The Virtual Community".  I had always believed deeply in the value of ecumenicity within the Christain tradition but had experienced few opportunities to reallyy interact with a wide variety of Christians from diverse groups and denominations and see so many common concerns among us.  "The Virtual Community" wove tale after tale of the connection spawned between distant comrades,   and how they would drive long distances to meet or come to the aid of that unseen person with whom they had forged ties apparently very human,  despite the huge skepticism shown these relationships by the uninitiated.   The un-initiated they had to be,  for once one linked across the ether to that "place" where humans meet via some story,  shared concerns or interests,   and felt that "connection" --- parentheses only because of the pun not intended

I plan on "Featuring" some People,  along with "New Ones" I've added (or realized were always a part of the club) once every week at a minimum.  

Church of the Saviour (nmc*)in Washington, DC is way up there on any given day,  for it is through their vision,  most fully dispelled to me through the writings of the late Elizabeth O'Connor,  that I most fully grasped (or is it "glimpsed") the .........what is a brief but sufficient word?.........the Christian life; the call of the divine; the Kingdom of God; MY calling.  This whole thing of the "Call to Commitment" (the title of O'Connor's first book); that God has a community for us in whom  we find the support, energy,  and legitimization of our calling. 

(nmc*)- I have all this stuff I wrote about lots of things I will be saying again now that I am weblogging rather than plain ol html and stuff,  so my links to these,  when I remember to do so,  will have a (nmc) after them,  to indicate that it's some of my old stuff,  but I will usually be linking to it because I am commenting on it again and re-writing and re-remembering.

Later tonight,  when I get this silly upstreaming problem fixed,  I will start uploading the "Balcony People" section from my old web pages into the People Around Me Category.  I hope that Sub-Categories can be added to this.