Thursday, December 26, 2013

My Reading list for my Sabbatical May-July

Walter Brueggeman: Journey to the Common Good, and Prayers for Privileged People
Tim Keller: The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness
Keller and Carson: Gospel-Centered Ministry
Leslie Newbegin: Foolishness to the Greeks- The Gospel and Western Culture
Robert McAfee Brown: Unexpected News- Reading the Bible With Third World Eyes
Jimmy Buffett: A Pirate Looks At 50 (thanks Joe)
Richard Rohr: Falling Upward- A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
St. Augustine: The Confessions
James Baldwin: The Fire Next Time
St. Francis of Assisi: His Essential Wisdom
Shane Claiborne and Johnathon Wilson-Hartgrove: Becoming the Answer to our Prayers- Prayer for Ordinary Radicals
Richards and O'Brian: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
Brian McLaren: The Girl With the Dove Tattoo
Phillip Jenkins: The Next Christendom
The Didache: (1st-2nd century writings)

(read recently- amazing!)
Soong Chan Rah:The Next Evangelicalism 
N.T. Wright: How God Became King King and Simply Jesus
Perkins and Claiborne: Follow Me to Freedom
Shane Claiborne: The Irresistable Revolution and Red Letter Revolution (With Tony Campolo)



A few more books since then:  
Soong Chan Rah: Many Colors- Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church
Deitrich Bonhoeffer: Life Together
Mark Scandrette: Practicing the Way of Jesus- Life Together in the Kingdom of Love
Lisa Sharon Harper: Evangelical does not equal Republican... or Democrat
James Michener: Hawaii
Manny Ortiz: One New People- Models for Developing a multi-ethnic church
Tim Wise: (3 books) White Like Me; Color Blind; Dear White America
Howard Zinn:  A People's History of the United States
Jonathon Kozol: Amazing Grace
Alex Haley: Roots

Isabel Wilkerson: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

Rosalind Miles: Who Cooked the Last Supper?: The Woman's History of the World 
Jill Lepore: (3 Books)  The Story of America: Essays on Origins; New York Burning: Liberty, Slavery and Conspiracy in 18th Century Manhattan; The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party's Revolution and the Battle Over American History
Joseph Loconte: The Searchers: A Quest for Faith in the Valley of Doubt
David Berlinski: The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions
Emmerson and Smith: Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
Randy Woodly: Embracing God's Passion for Ethnic Diversity
Robert Lupton: Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt those they Help (And How to Reverse It)

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Dear Friends of Living Stones,

I did not get a chance to share at the event because I was getting in costume- I wanted to thank you all for your warmth and generosity toward me and my family over the years.

Earl Marlink told the story of well-meaning strategists saying about Living Stones (Then Sacramento CRC) "It's in the wrong neighborhood."  Earl's emphatic "NO!" sent shivers up my spine as I got into my Pharisee costume in the adjoining office.  

That "NO!" rings out against the very loud voice of our culture of "common sense", pragmatism and addiction to comfort.  When Jesus said to the woman who anointed him, "Your sins are forgiven....go in peace", he was shouting "NO!" to the pompous influence-peddling of the self-righteous Pharisees and inviting them to a new way of living, a new clarity on the depth of their sin and the power of God's grace, and thus a new way of valuing others...and neighborhoods.

When God called me to Sacramento 12 years ago, it was with a clear mandate to love the neighborhood of Gardenland/Northgate, another "wrong" neighborhood for church planting, in many ways similar to this South Sacramento neighborhood.  So I went, with so many unanswered questions, and so very much naivete, with so few slam dunk church planting skills.  But I had a crystal clear call to be whoever God was shaping me to be in that place; that one, and no other, because God cares about those people too, those specific people in that place, and not just a certain minimum number one must have to make it work- "200 in 2 years or too bad for you"....

Let me tell you, the people of Living Stones, that when I walked into your building and met your people and yes, heard your music, 12 years ago, I knew the Holy Spirit was there.  I had never experienced anything quite like it, yet it felt like I was coming home.  And, get this- it inspired me!  When I met you all, I heard God say, "See, what I called you to do and to be, it can be done, and I chose you to lead it."

So Earl, Paul, and all the people of Living Stones, thank you!  Thank you for listening to that still small voice and shouting down the pragmatic strategists- Wrong neighborhood? "NO!"  

Go Well,
Pastor Dave Lindner

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Prayer for Gardenland/Northgate

This is a Prayer that Pastor Dave wrote and offered at Kacie Stratton's going away worship service after her many years as the founder and Executive Director of The GreenHouse in Gardenland/Northgate.

It is all about you, God.  Kacie said that if people looked at the GreenHouse and said, “What nice people, what great things they do,” we are missing the boat.  But if people look at what is happening here and say, “What a great God they serve!” then that will be really something. 

God you are showing your heart of love for all people by what you are doing at The GreenHouse.  This whole work is about your gifting of your people and your call on our lives.  You desire for all of your beloved children to turn to you in worship.  That is the vision that you gave Kacie and that we carry on. 

Kacie told me about a dream she had where the children and families of her neighborhood, my neighborhood, Gardenland/Northgate, were gathered together, raising our hands, raising our voices in many languages, praising you, our creator who made us all lovingly in your image, with beauty and talent that you want us to use to accomplish your purposes right here in this place we call home. 

You have called us to partner with you so that your will can be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  So that your will may be done on Northfiled and Northview, your will may be done in Ninos Park, on Northgate and El Camino, So that your will may be done at Smythe, and Strauch, and Rio Tierra, Dos Rios, Grant and all schools.  May your will be done in Del Paso Heights, North Sacramento, Natomas, North Highlands, Oak Park and all the neighborhoods of this great city.  And may your will be done in each of us, changing us so that we may be agents of change wherever it is that you send us.  Even Oakland.  

God gather us into communities of love and care where we can grow to know and enjoy you, where we can be real with each other, recognizing the pain and brokenness that pervades the beautiful world that you have made, the brokenness that touches us all equally and that requires a savior, a savior whose great love and mercy offers healing to each heart, each family, each neighborhood in the whole world- every inch belongs to you, our Lord.

In his name we pray: Jesus
Amen