Why I hate books.

Some years ago I made the mistake of reading a book about a new church community in Minnesota called Solomon's Porch. The book confirmed some of the things I had been thinking about church -- that it's relational, praxi-cal, Spirit-ual, communal. Other aspects of that particular church were Great for Them, but they Wouldn't Work for my community. I read the book a couple of times and put it on the shelf. After that I spoke to the pastor at a conference, did yoga with his wife, blogged a bit about his late night talk on the life-saving dimensions of quantum physics. Read a few dozen more books.

Time passes, including maybe 18 months spent in a fog. Maybe it was a pillar of smoke, but it sure felt like a fog.

On my desk since last September has been another book from Minnesota, this one by the pastor, Doug Pagitt. At some point it moved of its own free will to my nightstand. This morning I woke up at 4:20, feeling like I needed to read it today. I went back to sleep.

At 5:20, I had no other choice. Off to Peets with book.

Now I'm halfway through, and know why I had to read it today. Darned book. Should've gone back to sleep.

Please include my church community and their pastor in your prayers: God is changing something, and I think it's me.