memorandum from captain random


on sunday morning a young man who has been attending the gathering for only a few weeks came forward to make a confession of faith and be baptized. during his confession the guy said something like: "i don't know if any of you would call yourselves born again, but i feel like i have been born again. after a long period of struggle God has given me the faith of a child and i now know what it is to be filled with wonder." this confession was at once remarkably beautiful and a little peculiar, for as pastor phil and i discussed after the service, neither of us has used "born again" language to talk about the reconciliation of God in many years,* yet this man still spoke of God's radical work of restoration in this way. needless to say it was a beautiful sunday.

preston took his first tottering steps today. when interviewed later he responded that it was one small step for man and one giant leap for preston-kind.

i have the pink-eye yet the pix incessantly swears that she didn't fart on my pillow.

i am currently struggling through my last seminary class and considering whether i should show up at graduation with obama '08 plastered across the top of my mortar board.

there is a lot of cool emergent stuff coming up in the next couple of months. on april 29th will sampson will be visiting the boston cohort in order to discuss themes related to his book justice in the burbs. then, on august 3rd doug pagitt, tony jones and mark scandrette will be stopping by the gathering to belatedly commemorate the seventeenth anniversary of sadaam hussein's toppling of kuwait, hold court on why Christians shouldn't just pray and talk a little about their new books as well. good times.


* in fact, i don't think i have ever used that language to describe my, or prescribe others', experience. not that there's anything wrong with that.