The careful grid of asphalt and dreams lay silently beneath us. Little blue circles of respite behind houses too close together and vast temples of consumer choice surrounded by moats of automobiles rolled along mile after mile. Autumnal brown grasses and egregiously watered golf courses flowed past us as we skirted the airway from east to west. My earbuds were blaring against the whine and whir of the twin jets of the Airbus A320, intravenously delivering the banjo-laden lyrics of Mumford & Sons.
Keep the earth below my feet
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak
Let me learn from where I have been
Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn
Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learnAnd I was still but I was under your spell
When I was told by Jesus all was well
So all must be well
It seemed apropos to my present circumstance. Julian and Jesus were traveling with me and all was indeed well. The closer we came to the earth below our feet the more details of storefronts and chain-link fences became clear. In-N-Out Burger beckoned enticingly off to our right and palm trees materialized from unsuspecting concrete-free zones. And as we landed I realized that somehow, in someway I was home.
Ten years ago we left Southern California for Cincinnati. We moved to be closer to family and to join God in the surprising, unexpected work the Spirit seemed to be doing in Cincinnati. It’s been a wild ride. We’ve been engaged in experiments of praxis, trying to actual do the stuff that Jesus calls us to in the gospels. We’ve failed, tried again, and failed some more. We’ve definitely learned a lot on the journey. And ten years later I find myself landing at LAX with my friend, and pastor of Vineyard Central, Josh Stoxen. We’re here for a Micah Groups orientation retreat. Fuller Seminary is hosting us for these few days as we learn about this new initiative by the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching.
Micah groups are preacher formation small groups. They are co-facilitated, multi-ethnic, ecumenical, diverse groups of preachers and leaders who are engaged in the intersection between preaching, worship, and justice. Surprisingly enough, that’s exactly the intersection I find myself in these days. Sometimes I’m wildly dodging cars in the middle, sometimes waiting for the light to change, but I’m there seeking and being sought. I love preaching. I love going on that homiletic journey with a congregation. Traveling by way of words and metaphor, by scripture and image, and by silence and space to a promised land of insight and transformation. What does it mean for the people of God to see worship and justice kiss? How might we as preachers lead well that into this intersectional space?
“The vision of Micah Groups is to form empowered, wise preachers who seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God leading others to join God’s mission in the world.” I’m excited about entering into this Micah Group process. I’m eager to do so with colleagues both known and unknown. I’m looking forward to being challenged by those who are different than I. There’s something about that courageous conversation that happens when folks from differing views encounter one another in honesty and humility.
Coming back to Southern California, and Pasadena in particularly, felt like coming home. Our first child was born here and we made lifelong friends. But there’s something else. There’s something about the air and the slant of the light, the way the grass squishes beneath my feet, the constant hum of cars, and the mountains hazily floating off in the distance. It’s good to be back.
May I “learn from where I have been” and may I “keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn” and, by God’s ever-present grace, may you do the same.
*To learn more about Micah Groups, including how to join the one Josh and Aaron are co-facilitating in Cincinnati, check out – http://www.micahgroups.org