Monday, March 01, 2010

casting shadows on the city

The Clash once said "the city casts a shadow,"

....but our calling and vocation is to cast a shadow of Kingdom blessing/presence/influence on the
cities we are embedded in, and "church" in.

Here I am pictured, attempting to so do in my city (No, it's not trick photography or photoshop) contemplating
Ellul,
Beueggaman,
and Wink's words on cityshaping.
(see that serious theological look on my face?).

Maybe i need to be more like itinerant pastor Paul Hewson, who blesses and shadows the different cities he ministers in..even having a research assistant fill him in on the unique spiritual aspects of each city he visits, a kind of spiritual mapping, so he can be more effective. (When he finally ministers in our fair city of Fresno, he might want to read this)

Related:

Here's a good stretch:
RevKev was preaching...watch the clip right here (and whole hot sermon here) in Kansas City recently, and mentioned....in passing, partly joking...that so far, God hadn't healed anyone through his shadow..a la Acts 5:15.

Sequel: Hear Shawn Spiess (video below..somewhere, I can't find exact time cue..so Shawn, could you post story below in the blog comments) tell you about what happened an hour later!
(Bonus!: a great devotional by Raymond Jones also in same clip.. at 32:54ff), I will be using this message in my preaching class)



Cast shadows.



So I'm standing at the gates of the west
I burn money at the lights of the sign
The city casts a shadow of the perfect crime
I'm standing at the gates of the east
I take my pulse and the pulse of my friend
The city casts a shadow, will I see you again?

,,Ah say i know somewhere back'n'forth in time
Out on the dustbowls, deep in the roulette mine
Or in a ghetto cellar only yesterday
There's a move into the future for the USA.

I hear them crying
Eastside Jimmy and Southside Sue
Both said they needed something new

Standing at the gates of the west
In the shadow again
I'm standing at the gates of the west
In the shadow again
-The Clash

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