Jonathan Herron

Monday is for... Mowing?

In the meantime, in between time...

During this season of change, I am keeping busy with outside speaking engagements. 

For what its worth, here's where I'll be in coming weeks. 
If you're nearby, let me know and we'll grab coffee...

• July 13/15:  Momentum Conference, mainstage and 2 smaller talks w/2000 twinkie-fueled teens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  
  
• July 19/23:  TEXT Student Ministry Retreat, Meirs, Michigan
  
  
• July 24/25:  Bair Foundation Young Mens' Retreat, Canal Fulton, Ohio
  

Its our wee-little caffeinated mid-west tour!   Maybe we'll have to make up fun limited edition tour shirts for the roadies (Amber, Josiah, & Juliet the Wonder Pug).

But I digress.
If you have an upcoming event that you want to see punctuated with caffeinated communication, drop me a line and let's talk...

Phriday is for Photos

Astounding clouds hovering above.
Shot from Vail, Colorado during the Acts 29 Lead Pastors Retreat this past week. 

Little Man chasing photographer.
More on My Flickr.

Love Without Strings

Grace + Agenda = Not Grace

Love + Strings Attached = Not Love

The radical message of Jesus' Gospel is that though I am a miserable mess of a human, I am loved with uncensored - dare I say scandalous - unending love.

True Christianity = Love Without Strings

Twitterific

Amber & I are traveling to New Jersey over the weekend followed by the annual Acts 29 Lead Pastors Retreat in Vail, Colorado. 

No MacBook = Blog going dark for a week. 

You can get micro-blog updates and pix of our travels by following my Twitter...

Tozer on Adoration

"In the living, breathing cosmos
there is a mysterious Something,
too wonderful, too awful
for any mind to understand.

The believing man does not claim to understand.
He falls to his knees and whispers, "God."

The man of the earth kneels also,
but not to worship.
He kneels to examine, to search,
to find the cause and the how of things.

Our thought habits are those of the scientist,
not those of the worshiper.

We are more likely to explain than to adore.

God breathed on clay and it became man;
He breathes on men and they become clay."

- A.W Tozer

Shia LaBeouf's God-sized Hole

Twice in the past 2 weeks I've been asked why, years ago, I walked away from the entertainment industry to pursue ministry.

This past weekend's Parade Magazine cover story on actor Shia LaBeouf says it all.  If reading this article doesn't make you broken for people far from God, I don't know what will:

"Actors live dependent on being validated by other people's opinions...
I have no idea where this insecurity comes from, but it's a God-sized hole. 
If I knew, I'd fill it..."

Photogenic

3 Links: Facebook Name-Grab, Tim Russert, and Church

3 links heading into the weekend:

1)  12:01am tonight:  "This is more than 200 million users simultaneously scrambling in the greatest territory dash since the Oklahoma Territory's land run of 1889."

2)  Tim Russert, One Year Later.  Still bummed.

3)  My buddy and former lead worshiper for Catalyst, Josh Allen, will be speaking at Western Reserve's 3 services this weekend.  See you at the 11am service!

Sobering News for Pastors

Sobering news hit the blogosphere this weekend with the resignation of Gary Lamb from Revolution Church. 
I knew Gary a bit from my NewSpring days and am absolutely heartbroken for everyone involved. 

One thought that came to mind upon hearing the news was my thankfulness for the Acts 29 Network.  Over the years, A29 has strived to train church planters & lead pastors in this area: from transparent accountability to giving your email passwords to your wife to only hiring male assistants, I count it a blessing to have A29 training in ministry.

Finally, Geoff Surratt has a compelling, must-read blog post, An Open Letter to Pastors:

Satan will use ministry to destroy you. And God will not say to you in Heaven, "Too bad about your family, but awesome job building a great big church. Fist bump, dude."