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mosaic

Peppermint-filled Pinatas

by Lon on March 25, 2009

Peppermint

First off, thanks Eric for sending me the audiobook for review!

Eric Bryant rocks… for a self-confessing Bald white guy. Peppermint-filled pinatas is a hilarious read, weaving in biblical truths and mostly embarrassing stories from Bryant’s own life – From his many attempts at serving outsiders, to a turning point relationship with his father, and even a lesbian encounter that had me laughing out loud.
Some quotes I enjoyed

- the church was still something I had to endure, one of the sacrifices god was calling me to make…
- more people see christianity as part of their past rather than as a guiding force for their future
- we want to live in an environment where the laws or policies enforce our beliefs and morality rather than engaging a lost and broken world where they live.

The most convicting personal innovation mentioned in the book would be his suggestion of not inviting people to parties, but accepting other people’s invitations as well.

One one level this speaks to us living lives where are presence is desired of course.  But on another level it’s about entering a space that we don’t own or control.  I expect everyone to attend my parties, but maybe I should take some of the 172 invitations i have waiting in my facebook account a bit more seriously.

Eric tackles moving from tolerance to love, with raw honesty, and redemptively.

Afterall, aren’t a lot of us ‘bald white guys’ on the inside?

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End of the emerging church?

by Lon on September 23, 2008

An article out of Christianity Today has been stirring some buzz – R.I.P. Emerging Church

Supposedly Dan Kimball, Erwin McManus, and Scot McKnight are starting up a new missional network that will have it’s orthodox theological foundation based on the Lausanne Covenant in an attempt to get away from the emerging/emergent labels.

It’s amazing how in a world that disdains labels how many labels we keep coming up with.  

From Tom Sine’s Emerging, Missional, Mosaic, and Monastic;

to Mark Driscoll’s Reformed/Relevants, Reconstructionists, and Revisionists;

to Wess Daniels’ Deconstructionist, Pre-modernist/Augustinian, Emerging Peace Church/Open Anabaptist, and Foundationalists;

to Scot Mcknight’s Prophetic, Postmodern, Praxis Driven, Post Evangelical, and Political;

to Darrin Patrick’s Emerging Conversational, Emerging Attractional, and Emerging Incarnational…

not to mention other labels/streams like catholic, orthodox, purpose-driven, simple, neo and non-reformed, etc, etc, etc.

It seems every now and a group of us have a need to repackage the thing all over again… and I think we need to, because terms do get old, and sometimes words are necessary to bring greater clarity.  However, I think we need to just as much reclaim the labels behind the great movements of the church throughout history as well, and not simply abandon them.  

Can’t wait to hear what the latest one will be called…

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Be the church…

by Lon on June 2, 2008

Our faith community has rebranded our no-church-sundays to Be-the-Church-Sunday, which is closer to the heart of our intentions.

The Scriptures describe the church with living images – a body, a bride, a family, a living temple of living stones.  The church is not a building, nor is it simply a gathering within a building.  We can be the church wherever we are.

I was sharing with my wife about how the only fear of releasing and scattering our community like this, was how people might reduce it to do-nothing-sunday, and the possibility of zero relationships being forged.  Her response was – it’s not like meaningful relationships are developed during a ‘church gathering’ either.

Sometimes I feel deeply saddened that we’ve structured the life out of our church communities.  It’s astounding that in a group of people gathering to celebrate the Wounded Healer, people might leave without ever sharing their struggles, or their joys, or their dreams with another person.

The traditional worship service, at times, can be a complete disservice to Jesus and his followers.

What did I do yesterday?

- Played with my daughter and took her to Ikea for breakfast
- Had an early lunch with relatives as they wondered why we weren’t ‘at church’ today
- Headed downtown and shared life and stories with Alan and Liz
- Supported a friend who is launching an intercultural intergenerational church plant – talked to people who were not like myself

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The Nova Experience…

by Lon on April 10, 2008

At The Nova Experience this weekend… Erwin McManus just spoke on Acts 17. I think this must be the 6th time I’ve heard him speak on it. Still, he manages to keep it fresh and squeeze further insight from it.

A few interesting side remarks he made…

He indirectly alluded to Mosaic being like Rob Bell’s Mars Hill having no money, no marketing, and ten thousand people coming, except they only shared the no money part.

Erwin described himself as becoming a top-tier heretic in the blogosphere with the Jon Gordon story last year.

He also shared about someone who had grown up in church all their lives that couldn’t stop wondering if he was going to heaven or Hell. Erwin told him he should just make a decision and decide he was going to hell… and spend the rest of his days making sure no one else goes with him.

Tomorrow I’ll be in workshops with Joseph Myers on Organic Community, Joe Manafo on evolving forms of church in Canada, Mark Buchanan on the rest of God, Jeff Lockyer on missional community, and Wayne Alguire for the mainstage session.

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Empty Cross…

by Lon on April 8, 2008

mosaic cross

Our community celebrated the resurrection Easter Sunday by a wonderful time of worship and painting.

I wanted to reflect on the Road to Emmaus that morning and Marty had passed me a wonderful idea that I just ran with.  In the story, the Scriptures state “Their eyes were opened” when the travelers realize Christ was among them.  This can be seen as very much a parallel to Adam and Eve’s eyes being open after eating the fruit.  Except rather than opening their eyes to sin, evil, and death, with the resurrection their eyes became opened to life and hope and beauty.

As a community we reflected, painted and shared on what or eyes have been, or might be opened to, if the resurrection were true.  Even the ‘older folks’ seemed to really enjoy the experience!

I had planned for people to simply take their tile home after the whole experience but no one wanted to separate their work from the whole.  Maybe if we ever get a building we’ll tack it up somewhere permanently.

Though the cross is empty, it’s now filled with all our hopes and dreams… cause He is risen.

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Advent / Christmas

by Lon on December 29, 2007

Key ideas from my talk this Christmas at Mosaic

We wait and anticipate – Our coming King

Though we wait, we celebrate – God who stepped into human history as Jesus

And as we celebrate, we incarnate – We follow Jesus in being his hands, feet, and voice in this world

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Mosaic Movement Resources

by Lon on October 25, 2006

This is a collection of resources related to the Mosaic movement out of L.A. It has been a tremendous impact on my life and my visions for church planting.

Notes, Articles & Interviews
Audio Resources
Video Resources
Mosaic Affiliate Sites
Books
Miscellaneous

I’ve got a bunch of other resources (CD’s, DVD’s, etc.) that I’ve bought over the years, that I’m tempted to put up, but I don’t want to infringe on any copyright issues. If you’re in the area, you’re more than welcome to borrow them off of me. All the resources here are just what’s readily available on the web. I’ll try to keep this post updated as I stumble across things. Let me know if you’re aware of others.

Here’s a snap of my wife and I as we visit Mosaic LA (at the previous night club) and connect for a moment with Erwin Raphael McManus

Mosaic Collage

NOTES, ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS

Scribble live group notes on Unleashing Beauty with Dave Gibbons and Erwin McManus
Notes on Erwin McManus talk at National leadership forum
Great notes from a discussion between Erwin McManus and Dave Gibbons
Interview with Erwin on Hot and sweaty pastor Nov/08
Article on the journey of Erwin McManus
The Ooze Article – Erwin on film and storytelling
Article on Catalyst by Eric Bryant on “The art of woo
Article by Erwin McManus on Focusing on Mission 2007
Article on the meaning of emerging by Erwin McManus June 2007
Interview with Erwin McManus on Swimming Upstream 2007
Article by Erwin McManus on being broken and fragmented 2007
Dancing from the pulpit – Article on Mosaic
Article on Comfortable Christianity and Mosaic
Notes from Humana 2.0 here, here, here, here, here, and here.
For a limited time only – preview articles and interviews from the Mosaic Alliance for free.
Article by Eric Bryant on MANAGING THE CREATIVE BEAST
Interview with Erwin McManus on Infuze 2006
Article
on whether Mosaic and Bethel are part of the ‘emerging church’ by Alex McManus 2006
Article on the history and culture of mosaic through an Asian American lens
Article
and another article on Erwin McManus at Catalyst 2005
Article
about Erwin McManus and Creativity 2005
Interview with Erwin McManus on thinking differently
Q&A
with Erwin by La Bodega 2004
Response article to me from Mosaic insider Soundchick 2004 part 1 and 2
Article on wholeness by Erwin McManus
Article on friendship by Erwin McManus
Article on a cause-driven church by Erwin McManus
Article and video by fresh ministry on postmodern ministry
Article in Relevant Magazine on Erwin McManus’ Barbarian Way
Alex McManus on pray247 interview
Article on Origins 2004, Recap on Origins 2005, Origins 2006 notes
Outline of Emerging Leaders program offered at Bethel
Article on An Unstoppable Force
Article on Mosaic and a vision for the world
Article on Ethos
Blogs of interns at Mosaic, here, here, and here.
Mosaic Navigator Eric Bryant’s blog , Eric’s latest blog.

AUDIO RESOURCES

Weekly podcasts
Lots of great teleseminars by Eric Bryant with the Origins Project cast
Alex McManus on blog talk radio – currently discussing ’strengths’
Exponentional Network 2009 podcast interview with Erwin McManus
Mosaic Life in Christ Talk: Erwin on Discipleship
Talks and interviews by Eric Bryant with McManus and friends.
Interview with Erwin on Christian Work at Home Moms
Erwin McManus session at Riverview church’s Big Weekend
Eric Bryant on Raising up leaders in Zurich
Radio Interview of Erwin McManus by Rodney Olson 2007
Erwin McManus at Upper Room Community on Chasing Daylight
James Robinson interviewing Erwin McManus on Soul Cravings and Uprising
Off the hook message on prayer by Erwin McManus
Jon Gordon story part 2 at Mosaic
Erwin McManus sharing about Jon Gordon deciding to follow Jesus
Rick Warren’s Podcast innovation interviewing Erwin McManus, Eric Bryant & Ralph Neighbor
Erwin McManus on Beauty Beauty at Mozaiek May 2007
Erwin McManus speaking at NewSong on Unmasking Mexico 2007
Interview here with Erwin McManus on the Drew Marshall show 2007
mp3 of Erwin McManus and a Buddhist on life purpose at Veritas 2006
California Baptist Seminary Chapel podcast with Erwin McManus
Erwin McManus at Mosaiek Church – A revolutoin of the soul A revolution of the soul
Alex McManus on a hitch hiker’s guide to the galaxy a hitch hiker’s guide to the galaxy @ Kensington 2006
Catalyst Interview Catalyst Interview with Erwin McManus 2006
Archived Podcast of Erwin McManus on Leadership
Making space for strange things to happen 2005
Erwin McManus Chapel @ California Baptist University 2005
Mosaic Leadership Advance Leadership Advance Message 2005
Erwin McManus – Prepare for Impact Prepare for Impact 2005
Erwin McManus The future has arrived @ Richland Hills Church 2004
C&MA 2004 Council Session 1 and Session 2 by Erwin McManus (both messages are on the second half of the mp3)
Parable of the Talents Parable of the talents by Erwin McManus @ Rock Harbour 2002
Audio sermons by Erwin McManus on Meaning, Community and Destiny
The Great Commission and Discipleship The great commission and discipleship by Erwin McManus @ Woodland Hills 2002
Erwin on The Fingerprint of God The Fingerprint of God @ The Veritas Forum 2001
Erwin on The Character Matrix Character Matrix @ The Veritas Forum 1999
Odeo - Seems to keep the last 10 or so messages archived from the podcast in case you missed any.

VIDEO RESOURCES

MosaicLA youtube channel
DreamLab Videos by Awaken
Erwin McManus on the Mosaic Alliance
Life Today interviews Erwin McManus on WideAwake
Erwin McManus & Eric Bryant at the first IdeaCamp
Several video clips of Erwin from rightnow.org
Erwin McManus on the most important thing to God
Erwin McManus on TBN
James Robinson interviewing Erwin McManus on Soul Cravings and Uprising
Willow Creek Arts 2007 Scribble highlights
Erwin McManus interviewing David Arcos Part1 and Part2
Erwin McManus clip at Catalyst Conference 2006
Over 20 video clips interviewing Erwin McManus on videovine including:
- The Biblical Model is to Disciple Unbelievers
- Communicating the Human Struggle in a Postmodern Context
- What one thing would you say to non-Christians?
- Small Groups and House Churches in a Postmodern Context
- Relevant Churches Transform Communities
Eric Bryant’s Executive Artiste video on youtube
Collection of Mosaic YouTube videos
A silly clip of the Mosaic five core values
Erwin McManus clip on taking one more step of faith
Quicktime video of Erwin McManus and a Buddhist on life purpose at Veritas
5 Messages by Erwin McManus in Korea on CGNTV 2006
Mosaic on CNN 2006
Mosaic dance clip during service
Television Evangelist Mosaic Rap video 2006
Chasing Daylight trailer from BlueFishTV
Alex McManus at APU Chapel 2005
100 Huntley Street interview of Erwin McManus2005
Awesome clips from UrbanPoets four video clips
Excellent Mosaic 2004 Recap Video
Erwin McManus Chapel 4 @ APU 2004
Erwin McManus Chapel 3 @ APU 2004
Excellent message by Erwin McManus summarizing Seizing your Divine Moment at Willow
Clips 1, 2, 3, 4 from Barbarian Way @ WillowCreek 2003
The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus at Willow (not the famous Leadership summit one)
100 Huntely Street interview on Creativity and Spirituality 2003
Erwin McManus Chapel 2 @ APU 2003
Montage of Erwin McManus on Heroes 2003
Erwin McManus Chapel @ APU 2001
Erwin on The Fingerprint of God @ The Veritas Forum 2001
Erwin on Character Matrix @ The Veritas Forum 1999

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Mosaic Podcast…

by Lon on May 16, 2005

You heard it here first… it looks like Mosaic messages have finally went public.

Current series on “Imagine”
http://www.mosaic.org/podcast/

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