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I moved into my new place today, in the Arlington, VA area of all places I thought I would be. I start a new job in two weeks or so. I’m working for a company called NRECA that serves electric cooperatives. I’ll be doing software development work for them.

I’m also reading Watership Down. Highly amusing.

I’m working on my singing. Entering the depths of a new season of songwriting as well, I think.

Thinking a lot. Trying to find a new church.

To breathe in the world freshly
     To find wonder in the mundane
To love pure as water
     To sing with the rivers
To laugh with the one who gave me life
     To be, simply be

This is my joy and heartache

I’m 10 days away from graduating from college. It’s an interesting feeling. It’s great to be this close to the end, but I’m way stressed out because of all the work I have to do in those next 10 days. Then, I’m sure there will be a huge sigh of relief on the 18th when I’m completely finished. I don’t have a job yet, but I’m working on finding one.

In addition to being excited about graduating, I’m also excited about the progress I’ve made vocally. I can’t wait to get home and record some new stuff. I’ve been working on some new songs.

Thanks to a friend I didn’t know I had (hey Nick!), I got a free copy of Andy Crouch’s new book, Culture Making. I finished it a couple of nights ago.

Mr. Crouch makes a case for a much broader view of culture than we typically assume. We might think of culture as “high” art, dress style, food etc. Crouch widens things considerably, suggesting that one of the primary purposes God created us to fulfill is culture making, defined as “making something” of the world around us. Basically, everything we’ve done with what God gave us in the garden is culture, including ideas (expressed as writing, music, painting, etc.), technology and social norms. When God gives Adam and Eve the garden of Eden and has them cultivate it and enjoy it and name the animals, he’s setting them up as culture makers, to do creative work with what he has given them.

Anyway, Crouch expounds greatly on this concept, and deals with culture and God’s working in the Bible. He’s basically trying to convince us that we need to be actively and creatively involved in culture making; and he’s giving us the tools we need to actually do that.

I think it’s going to take me a while to figure out exactly how Crouch’s book will affect my life. I’m pretty sure that it means some major shifts in my thinking, but it’s a bit abstract, so it can be hard to determine what kind of concrete response I will eventually have to the ideas he presents. Overall, I think Culture Making is a great book, and I recommend it to everyone.

I think one of the most interesting outcomes of the book for me so far has been a shift in my thinking about vocation. Understanding that we humans have a responsibility to cultivate and create culture, many callings that get questioned by those who think “full-time Christian service” is every Christian’s best “career” choice are given a rare legitimacy. It’s hard to tell what computer programming does for the glory of God or the ultimate good of other people. But when we view computer programming (or business management or plumbing or electrical work) as the creative cultivation of and addition to culture, we might better see why it is a pursuit worthy of a Christian.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of Culture Making. It’s definitely well worth your time.

I’m moving on from a lot of things right now. I just released my first musical project, and I think I’m ready to forget it now. I’m about to leave college life (in 3 months) and go out into the “real world” (as if I’ve been somewhere else for the last 4 years). I’m going to be leaving home and probably leaving this area of the country. I’m back in school after a summer of living by myself and interacting with my new church family. Lots of things are changing.

I think I’m starting to understand fear more than I have in a long time. I’ve been feeling afraid of the unknown a lot. Deathly afraid of failing. Afraid of losing everything in a moment (or moments) of stupidity.

But more than ever, the truths of the gospel are real to me. My complete inability to do any good. My past status as an enemy of God. His transforming grace working in my life to bring about change. His goodness to take everything that happens to me and bend it by his will to work for my good. His unfailing love and forgiveness, in spite of my sometimes habitual and intentional disobedience. His plan for me. His leading of me into pleasant places, where he is my satisfaction and my joy.

This is the gospel. This is where I live. I’m moving on, despising my fear and embracing the truth.