I’ve been quiet here for a while for very good reason.  I’ve been in the process of starting an online magazine called Provoketive. It’s an idea I’ve been developing for over a year.  Most of my writing on issues like life, faith, justice and culture will happen over there, so if you are interested in following me, jump on over and grab the RSS feed for Provoketive.  We’re creating a space that will be very similar to this one but on a larger scale.  We’re also looking for writer’s.  We’ve been live now for 4 days and we’re already seeing over a thousand page views a day.

Come join us.

If you’re new to this blog, or stop in on a regular basis I want to suggest subscribing to it using Google Reader.  It’s the best aggregator of blog feeds that I’ve found.

Much love

Jonathan

I know I let the cat out of the bag with this Call For Submissions, but I want to formally let everyone know.  I’ve started a publishing company called Civitas Press.  Civitas (pronounced: siv-i-tas) is a hybrid publishing house that fits in between traditional publishing and self-publishing.  We’re offering a unique model for up and coming authors interested in publishing.  The idea is to create a network of authors working together, supporting each other, and learning from each other.  Civitas invests in an author’s big idea and pays 60% of the royalty, once a project recoups its costs.

I started this company believing that the traditional publishing process is broken.  It’s designed to take advantage of up and coming authors.  Yet self-publishing can be just as overwhelming in its complexity.  As I walked through the publishing process over the last three years, I realized there is a better way.

We’re currently looking for manuscripts and you can submit your “Big Idea” here.  You can sign up for our newsletter here.  If you don’t have a manuscript, but you are writer, consider contributing to our first project, “The Practice Of Love: Living Into The Kingdom Of God.” We’re looking for 1,000-2,000 word essays on the experience of practicing love.

The Outlaw Preachers are a diverse group of friends who love to passionately share the love and grace of the Gospel.  I’ve gotten to know most of the organizing group and consider them good friends.  I will also be presenting Discovering the God Imagination in a breakout session.  It’s in Memphis in December, and its incredibly cheap.  What more could you ask for.  If you want to have fun at a gathering, I can guarantee this is the one to come to.

Where: Memphis, Tennessee

When: December 3 – December 6

Who: Y’all or you’uns (preacher title not required)

How much: (re)Union is $49/person. Lodging is $59/person. So $108 TOTAL. That includes dinner on Friday night, breakfast every day, and drinks and snacks through the daytime and evening sessions. There is also a full kitchen for those with certain dietary restrictions.

Lodging and Conference: We have booked up the Pilgrim House Hostel & Retreat Center. The first 70 people to register will be there. Once we reach capacity, we have overflow accommodations made at an adjacent hotel. “This will either be a small family reunion or Outlaw Preachers Woodstock.” -Connie Jo

The keynote speakers include:

Adele Sakler of Queermergent
Brian McLaren; Author, Speaker, Pastor
Jay Bakker of Revolution NYC
Jeremy Ritch of Hold Fast Ministries
Phil Shepherd of the Eucatastrophe

Breakout session speakers include:

Brandon Mouser of Ink Church
Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith & Pirate Christian Radio
Derek White; UMC Pastor
Drew Tatusko
Jonathan Brink; Author: Discovering the God Imagination
John Harrison; Pastor
Marcus Gibbs of Ink Church
Pastor Nar; Losing My Religion Podcast

So it was finally time to do an update to my site.  I’m in the beginning phases of launching my book and I wanted a fresh start.  Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to be providing updates on what I’m doing, the book and some of my offers.  If you read this through RSS feed click through and let me know what you think.

Much love

Jonathan

So I’ve been away a while. But there’s a reason.  I’ve been downsizing my life.

Over the last several years my wife and I have been looking at the cost of “big”.  I have lived in a big house (3300 sq ft). There are some days I wanted to chop off the top of my house.  So about three months ago we decided it was time to let go of “big” and try on “small”.  We sold our house and essentially chopped off the top of our house.  We went from 5 bedrooms to 3 and down to 1700 sq ft.  My kids even share a room.

And we love it.

When we began this process I began to process the emotions of how much I am my stuff.  I bought the house 9 years ago and its sort of represented a pinnacle moment in my life.  It was the cool house in the great neighborhood.  But over time we began to feel the cost of it.  More was not necessarily better for us.  I began to notice how much we have to store stuff we don’t use more than once a year. Managing stuff requires headspace.  It requires thinking about stuff.  And as I let it go, I realize I don’t have to think about it.  The only thing we have to do now is sell a lot of our old stuff.  It fills my garage because we lost essentially four rooms.

As we moved out I noticed a couple of things.  We don’t need most of our stuff.  Downsizing has forced me to ask how much stuff I really don’t need.  Yet I coulndn’t find out until I actually let it go.  I won’t discover the value of less until I actually have less.  Two years ago my friend packed up 90% of his stuff and moved into an apartment for two years.  Two years later he gave away most of it.  In fact he lived in a small apartment and had virtually nothing.  Yet he’s told me several times it was two of the best years of his life.

The second thing I noticed is that smaller spaces are more intimate.  In my old house, I began to notice that walking to my over sized bedroom required a long walk.  Now it doesn’t.  As silly as this may sound, I realized that the “big” creates a huge waste of time and separation.  Now everything is closer and more intimate.  I’m sure at some points it may feel like we’re on top of each other, but I kind of wonder how much the old space allowed me to hide.  Now I can’t.

And as we sold the house, I began to wait for that moment when I would lament what I was letting go.  But it hasn’t come…at least not yet.  As we moved into our “little” house I began to see that less was actually more.

What about you? What do you need to let go of?

Today marks a new beginning, and a BIG announcement.

Over the last three years on this blog I’ve been exploring God’s mission of restoration in a very deep way.  It has been the  most thrilling experience of my life.  But over the last three months I’ve been pondering a change of focus.  I want to begin expanding my focus from predominantly theology to include what it means to live in the Way of Love.  I’m going to be sharing what it means to live an Adventurous Life. In many ways, this is a natural outcome of engaging God’s mission of restoration.  I will continue to explore theology, but also courage, compassion, politics, conflict resolution and relationships. I want to invite you to share this journey with me and contribute to the conversations.  I invite you to share your thoughts and comments freely and with passion.

I’m excited for this year.  I’m in the process of publishing my first book.  It will explore the root problem of human suffering, and how the narrative of Scripture and the Way of Jesus primarily works to solve that problem. It will offer a coherent emerging theological framework, and what I believe is the first alternative atonement theory in 800 years. My desire is to provide a reframing of the story in an entirely new way, one that will open communication for those interested in participating in the story.  I’m about 80% completed and hope to share more in the coming weeks and months.

I’m opening up a new coaching offer.  I am providing spiritual formation coaching to people looking to live a courageous life of love.  My primary focus is dis-covering what is already true, that you are a valuable human being created in the image of God.  I help people break down obstacles by understanding the root problem, explore dignity, identity and purpose, so you can uncover a life worth living.  This can include conflict resolution, relationship development, and spiritual formation.  If you are interested, call me for a free 30 minute introductory consultation.

I am also providing a consulting offer for pastors and missional community leaders looking to transform their organizations.  I’m still in development of this offer but wanted to put the initial word out.

Much love to all of you in the new year.