Thoughts on Ashley Madison Scandal

Here’s some random thoughts on the Ashley Madison Scandal, marriage, shaming, and its impact on Christian pastors and bloggers. Reformation Sunday came early this year. An expected 400 Christian pastors resigned today in the wake of the Ashley Madison marriage cheating website being hacked and the names of subscribers, including the particularities and peculiarities of their sexual fantasies with a…

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4 Things NOT to do in Prague

I just wrote a post on what NOT to do in Prague as well as what to do for Hostels in Prague. What NOT to do: Its not difficult to have a good experience in Prague. Its a city for meandering slowly, appreciating the architecture, reflecting on its history, taking a photo, getting lost, and…

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Make your own Kitschy Bible Verse Poster

I just love those retro sky-cloud-light posters with an out-of-context Bible verse in the middle, as if God was speaking from behind the cloud. I saw the sky do that thing last week and a poster came to mind. I cant think of a decent Bible verse but maybe you can. Download it here.

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Why Earth Day Texas is the new SXSW for Baptists

 I recently visited Texas and met with some of the key leaders of the Texas Baptists. I was encouraged to see some necessary transitions and changes but was quite shocked to see the presence of styrofoam cups at the coffee machine in the main HQ. I believe EDTx is the new SXSW for Texas Baptists…

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Shall we blog again?

As you know, I shut down this blog nearly 2 years ago and yet I am still getting comments and emails on issues that appear to be relevant regarding HPV jabs, Emergent Village meltdown, the state of the global emerging church despite having moved on from the name, etc If I restarted this blog, right…

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Outreach Trends for Next Year

In July of 2013,  a well known Christian magazine that focuses on Christian outreach asked me what I thought they should cover in 2014. WHAT I SUGGESTED I suggested articles on urban agriculture, going off-grid, permaculture, voluntary simplicity, interaction with Muslims, nomads, social enterprise, DIY and self sufficiency, outreach that includes seekers rather than targets…

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Emergent Dust Storm

Yesterday I bought the brand new book, The Deconstructed Church: Understanding Emerging Christianity, by authors Gerardo Marti and Gladys Ganiel. I hope to review it after having a proper read over a good coffee but first I need to deal with one sentence in the book that bugs me and might affect the tone of my review.…

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New Blog at tallskinnykiwi.com

Thanks everyone for reading my old blog and walking with me for so long. It was an awsome and rewarding season. Come over to my new blog HQ at tallskinnykiwi.com and watch it grow into something. And please let me know where you are so I can follow your blogs also.

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Ten Years: WordPress and me

Have I really not blogged for a month . . . . . OOOPPPSSSS!!! Sorry everyone. I have been so busy building blogs for others that this blog has gone by the wayside. Actually, I intend to STOP this particular blog in a week’s time, June 3, in fact. Tallskinnykiwi has been existing for ten…

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5 Events at Kirchentag you dont wanna miss

Kirchentag Festival is off with a bang. Not sure how many people came out last night for the Opening Ceremony but estimates have been as high as 300,000. Who knows? Counting church people is a tricky affair, as I have blogged about before, so I will leave it to the experts. Here are my Best…

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In Los Angeles to see blood

  This Sunday I will be at the Brewery Art Walk in Los Angeles to see my friend Kevin do a live art installation based on the Book of Judges. He tells me there will be blood. I told him I will bring my diving mask. It all happens at 3pm at Studio 624. If…

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Enough for All – My Bible Study

If you are in Germany then you might be joining the 100,000+ people in Hamburg for Kirchentag 2013 (Church Day) on May 1-5. If you make it to my session, please say hello afterwards. The Kirchentag folk do an absolutely incredible job of organizing and hosting a massive scale festival  – the best organized I have…

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Rick Warren sets up memorial fund

I have been thinking of Rick Warren all week. A dreadful loss. Praying peace on the family after the tragic suicide of their son Matthew. Rick Warren just set up the Matthew Warren Memorial Fund for Mental Illness. I hope the fund does well in raising awareness of this issue that affects so many, including…

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Thoughts on Pope Francis

GREAT to hear waves of excitement over the new Pope. I am also excited about the appointment of Pope Francis, because . . . – he is from South America. – he is a humble man, riding the bus to work and refusing ecclesiastic titles.  – he has a heart for the poor. – he…

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12 Resources for Christian Generosity

My friend Sas Conradie from the Global Generosity Movement has just released 12 Resources for Christian Generosity: E.G. “Jay” Link’s latest book ‘Who’s In Charge Here?’ is now available. The pdf and Kindle versions of the book are free – just go to this webpage.   The Money Revolution is a website linked to a book that helps…

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Can I bleed on your carpet?

A great mystic and dear friend of mine passed away a few days ago. He was not feeling well and laid down on his wife’s lap. He didn’t get up. Steve Malakowsky, or Steve M as most people knew him, was a poet, mystic, a Jeremiah-type prophet, a father and a builder. He was an…

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Mermaids

We are in Lower Hutt at an Anglican community. Our truck is parked outside and we are listening to Nic Cave’s new record Push The Sky Away as it spins around on Josh’s 1957 Astor. Nice album. Reminds me of Jonny Cash, gospel, blues and Proverbs, especially those struggles around relationships and temptations of Mermaids.…

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5 things I am learning about social justice

PassionFest is going well. About 350-400 people here for this Christian based social justice festival. I spoke last night on 5 things I have learned and am learning about social justice. For those of you ask me to blog it, here they are. 1. We won’t solve the problems of our city by loving the…

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Wedding Day

Today is the big day for our family. Our Number One son Sam marries Jenna White. All very exciting. Lots of airport pickups. I got to bed at 3am last night. In a few hours we host the wedding ceremony. The pig is already on the spit. Yes, we are taking lots of photos and…

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