Here are a few updates from friends along the way:

Politics with Land and McLaren
I could be wrong, but I am guessing that I might be the only person who has the cell phone of both Brian McLaren and Richard Land (for the right price, I will share).

I have also talked a little politics with both of them. So, when I see them together, it is must see TV. Click here to watch two guys you just don't see together much! (It may be the only time I have ever seen Richard not wearing a suit.) They are both among Time magazine's 25 most influential evangelicals. And, most remarkably, they have a pretty good conversation. Why? Because they care for many of the same things. They just come to some different conclusions on how best to address the challenges of our world today. Kudos to both for having the conversation.

Old People and Church Health
My New Jersey friend, Randy Smith, Lead pastor of Discovery Church, says too many believe the elderly have "cooties", and that this belief is damaging our churches. He is a church planting and in many plants, we don't see a good diversity of age. Randy explains,

We are missing out on something when we ignore the older generation. There I've said it. I like old people! When it comes to church, I don't like their music, I don't like their formality, and I don't like a lot of their traditions but I like the people.

...I think we hurt ourselves when we exclude the oldsters. They have wisdom, they have time, they have energy (for short periods of time!) and for all you pastors, they usually are good stewards! I'm not advocating that you haphazardly appoint five or six AARP members to your Executive Leadership Team. Actually, I'd warn you not to do such a thing with any age group. But I am saying that we need to find ways to marry the wisdom and years of spiritual growth of the old with the energy and adventuresome spirit of the new. How that's done is your job to figure out - you're the leader...lead!

Ticking Twitter Bombs
As I continue my (lame) quest to get people to Twitter, I mocked Jonathan Falwell until he started. I'd like to think I influenced Thom Rainer to twitter as well. However, in hindsight, is that really a good idea? Thom is, after all, my direct supervisor. He is now following me on Twitter. Why did I not think of that beforehand?

Another guy I called out for not Twittering started on Thursday... he is Matt Fry, pastor of C3 Church. Nice job, Matt... good to see you at Liberty.

Taylor Field Knows Squat
A couple of weeks ago I had lunch with Taylor Field, pastor of Graffiti Church in NYC. I am always humbled to be around guys that are engaged in ministry to the urban poor. That is where I started, but I don't serve in an urban setting anymore... and guys like Taylor make me want to.

He wrote a book that I really enjoyed. I asked him to tell me why he wrote it. He sent me this:

When I started out to write the novel Squat, I thought I was writing about the people I saw around me in my work--a guy begging on the streets wearing a blanket and reading copiously, a disturbed runaway living in an abandoned building, a do-gooder short-term volunteer who comes for a few months to help out and then returns to his normal life with some good stories, and an idiot with a baby squirrel in his pocket. Of course, in the end, each of them were really a part of me, and their feelings were my feelings. I think this realization has helped me as I continue to work in the Lower East Side with people in deep trouble, sharing nothing too theoretical-- a sandwich, a pair of socks, a word of encouragement wrapped in Christ's great news.

You can order the book here. Pick it up.

The Power of the Gospel - Translated
My friend Steve Childers sent me an email this week about his new book. The new book entitled Living in the Power of the Gospel by John Piper, Jerry Bridges, Steven Childers & Tim Keller (edited by Jerry Cross) was recently published in Spanish (as Vivir en el poder del Evangelio) by Lighthouse Publications' Harmony Books division in Mexico City .

Book Description: Learn how God's grace found in the power of the gospel brings transformation of individuals, churches and society.

To learn more about the book and purchase a copy: Click Here