Know Your History

"I remember when we had to walk to school in the snow, uphill--both ways." So goes the famous rant, the intent of which is to drive home a point about how much easier kids have it these days. But the kids don't seem to get the point (I certainly didn't). What they learn is that the ranter is an old fogey, intent on telling stories from a past that doesn't concern them.

If there is a fogey book in the Bible, it's Deuteronomy. The people of Israel are on the far bank of the Jordan river, about to cross over into the promised land. But before they cross, Deuteronomy happens. Moses spends the whole book reminding them of everything the Lord has done for them in the past, and repeating all the details of God's covenant relationship with his people. I can see this mass of humanity staged at the bank of the Jordan, ready to cross. But Moses insists on reminding and retelling all their family history first. He says the word "remember" sixteen times in the book. In chapter 11 he tells us why: "Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm" (v. 2); "It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the wilderness until you arrived at this place" (v. 5). Without their stories, a whole generation would inhabit the promised land with no idea that it was promised at all; they wouldn't understand that their home was a gift from God, that the place they lived was decided by God and representative of their unique relationship with God. The land of milk and honey is one thing if you grew up in slavery in Egypt, and another if you grew up on milk and honey.

Our stories form a lens through which we view the world. Without them, the very same experiences have completely different meanings. This is true for our children if they never hear our stories, and for us if we forget our own past. This Sunday, each family in our table group will be bringing a story of God's provision to tell the others. It occurred to me while working on our story that my own children don't know much about how God has provided for us over the years, even rescued us in dramatic fashion more than once. I don't expect the kids to be riveted by our stories, and they already think we're fogeys. But the stories are still important. I'd like them to know that my low-income, blue collar upbringing was actually great; that people continue to have wonderful lives who have less money and stuff than we have right now. I'd like them to know that the generous giving of others has made the life we live possible, and that generous giving on our part can do the same for other families, or other kids who don't have families. I'd like them to know that God has seen us through, and the other families at our table also. This week, saying grace around the table will have a whole new meaning.

Next week, I'll post some of the stories that are shared. If you have a story of God's provision, I'd love for you to share it as a comment.

The New Math

Apparently, 22 divided by 2 equals 35. That was the math this weekend as we celebrated the birth of a new neighborhood table. Our 22 people at a recent table gathering was the signal that it was time to start a new group in the neighborhood adjacent to ours. But instead of ending up with 2 groups of 11, we had 17 at our table and the new table had 18. I'm not hung up on numbers, but the stories behind them were significant. Here are a few highlights:

• We discovered that there were people who would participate in a group if it was even closer to their home. "Pedestrian scale" - being within walking distance of someone's home - is significant even if the family still drives to the table. This tells us that having more tables covering smaller geographical areas is important. This thing will snowball as more new tables begin.
• People who have not attended a Sunday service at the Springs, and may or may not attend one any time soon, are participating in the new table. While we would love for everyone to attend our services, it is becoming clear that neighborhood life is the place where people are connecting, more than services. It is likely that in the near future, attendance at our tables will be greater than attendance at our services. If you take into account that the tables occur twice as often, attendance is already about equal, and tables are growing at a faster pace. Growth of the tables will drive attendance at services, not the other way around.
• There are probably people who think that neighborhood life is somehow easier for Brad and me because we're pastors. WRONG. We discovered that many people in our community would rather be in groups that do not include us. As soon as a group opened up close to them that did not have a pastor in it, people jumped in. Those of us on church staff are often the least effective in reaching people in our community because of the "clergy" stigma. Brad and I hate the clergy stigma and rebel against it, but it still exists. So all you "lay people" out there, take advantage of the opportunities you have!
• Starting a new group was a contagious win, not a grieved loss. Two families left our existing group to start the new one; instead of sadness over "losing" these families, the predominant feeling at our table yesterday was excitement; two more families are now more excited about their own opportunity to start tables in the near future.

By dividing our table, we added to our involvement and multiplied our potential to love our neighbors. It's the new math!

Several weeks ago, our table decided to purchase some cheap, kid-proof dishes that were washable, instead of going through a bunch of paper goods every time we met. We decided to give our dishes to the new group as a gift to encourage them in their new endeavor. So I presented the new group with their birthday present yesterday, and encouraged them to do the same for the next group that starts.

I hope Target and Wall Mart start getting a lot of cheap housewares business!

Tables Are Turning

This weekend is a landmark in the life of our fledgling church, as a new neighborhood table is scheduled to meet for the first time. A couple of other tables should begin also in the near future. I have waited and prayed for this moment for a long time, and I am excited to see it happen.

For the most part, our "original" tables were formed by organizing people into groups according to where they lived. The economies of scale when we started the church meant that we had three groups covering relatively large areas; in my particular case the group covered more than three subdivisions. This was a good start for us, but it isn't the end game. With the establishment of a new group this weekend, we will have our first group that is focused exclusively on a single neighborhood, and a second group in that neighborhood is likely to form there in the near future. This is significant for several reasons:

• Frequency of interaction increases as the physical proximity of group members gets closer. People see each other in the front yard or at the park. Their kids go to the same schools, and may even be in the same classes. Informal and spontaneous interaction is jet fuel for relationships.
• Neighborhood life is easier. "Pedestrian Scale" community--where group members are within walking distance of each other--means that instead of packing up the family for a meeting, you're just walking over to the Jones's place.
• Awareness increases. Because of the increased interaction, you know more about what is happening in other families' lives. You become more aware of needs in those families that you can meet, and they become more aware of yours. Things like car pools, play days at the park, and gatherings of 1 or 2 group members or families are now realistic. When a more serious need arises, families tend to know about it.
• The table becomes accessible to the neighborhood. This may be the most important of all. I've noticed over recent weeks that my immediate neighbors have "come by" the house several times when the table was meeting, but they seldom stay because most of the people in our house at that time are unfamiliar to them. When your table is truly in your neighborhood, it's accessible to neighbors who aren't already participating in neighborhood life. The table becomes an effective base for ministry to the community, as it should be, instead of being perceived as a church meeting that is more exclusive. It's accessible to Springs participants, people who attend other churches, and people who don't attend church at all.

One day it will be impossible for someone to live in Brittany Lakes, Bay Colony, The Landing, Rustic Oaks or Riverbend Apartments without experiencing the presence of Christ in their neighborhood. People won't be able to live here without someone caring about them and loving them in Jesus' name. They'll have opportunities to belong, play, grow and serve with people who are becoming Springs in their community. We're not there yet, but this weekend we're one big step closer!

Slime Time

My in-laws live on a ranch in central Texas. It's been one of my favorite places since my college days, when I used to run out there after classes to fish in the stock tanks or go dove hunting. But when you're driving around on the ranch, you have to watch out for mesquite thorns. Mesquite trees, even small ones, often have thorns over 3 inches long, and they go through a tire like a hot knife goes through butter.

My father-in-law has become a big fan of Slime, the green goo you can inject into any tire to prevent flats. The Slime coats the inside of the tire, immediately filling any puncture wound from mesquite thorns. Every truck, tractor, and lawnmower tire on the ranch has Slime sloshing around inside, just in case.

Activity is the slime of our lives. There is always a large pool of possible activities sloshing around, waiting for the first opening in our schedules to insert itself. Oh, look! We had a cancellation at 6:00 PM on Tuesday. The first question that comes to mind is, "What will we do?" And so the slime oozes right in. We're convinced our lives will go flat without it, but they won't. In fact, our lives roll along a little better if we let a little fresh air in.

Take a look at your family schedule. Is there an opening this week, when everyone is together at home in the evening? If not, you have been slimed! If so, resist the temptation to slime, and hold that time slot open for family dinner, board game night or an evening with the neighbors. It won't be easy. You may be so accustomed to living in slime that fresh air will feel foreign and uncomfortable to you. You may have forgotten how to have a conversation, or just hang out. You'll want to just watch TV and veg out, the ultimate slime of all slimes. But if you'll push through those feelings and engage your family, friends or neighbors instead, you'll feel the fresh air start to come in. Slime is...well, it's slime, but you don't realize how disgusting it really is until you've experienced life for a while without it.

UPDATE: As it turned out, Tuesday night was open on our schedule and I had just written this post. We knew of a family on our street in which the dad was out of the country this week on business, and we knew the mom had her hands full with 4 kids. So I grilled burgers and we invited them over for dinner last night. Awesome. Relaxation, good conversation, and service all rolled into one dinner time. "Simple. Refreshing. Connecting." I felt like these words we use at the Springs were very true of our lives last night. Say no to slime and give it a try!

The Springs Gives Back

Although it's not the most important thing about the Springs, the most attention-getting aspect of our church is the fact that we don't have services every week. A consultant recently called it "gutsy." Many people think we probably just don't have enough resources to have weekly services. Others just think we're weird. I'd like to offer another explanation: The Springs Gives Back.

For the past two services (which is three weeks, since we don't have a service every Sunday), we've been talking about margin in life, particularly time margin. Time is the most precious commodity in our community. I would argue that it's more precious than money: you can't get more than 24 hours each day. People in our community, if they can afford it, often use money to buy time: by hiring lawn services and house cleaners, by hiring day care and child care, purchasing airline tickets, and the like. Time is so valuable that anything fast is also valuable: fast internet, fast cars, fast food, microwave ovens. "Multitasking" has become a buzzword because of its time promise. We're even willing to jeopardize our health to get more time, by getting less sleep or trying to squeeze more into our days.

Competition for your time is fierce. Everyone seems to want some. Most church leaders, including me, have usually seen this as a competition we must join. Whoever gets your time wins. When I was a kid, churches often required 4 or 5 time slots each week for the faithful: Sunday School and worship, Sunday evening services, committee meetings, weeknight prayer meeting, and perhaps neighborhood visitation. But the church has been losing the time war: she now has a white-knuckle grip on Sunday morning--her valiant last stand--while the beach, professional sports, and kids' soccer leagues are trying to pry those fingers off one by one. How is she doing? -80% of churches' Sunday morning services have declining attendance.

Rather than begging for people's time, or attempting to use spiritual authority to demand it, or enticing people to church with the promise that it will be more fun or entertaining than all other options, we have decided to try something new. We're giving time back. We're still sounding the alarm that we collectively stink when it comes to how we allocate our time. But instead of joining the fray, we're learning and teaching simplicity, sanity, and relationships as Biblical life principles.

So what do you do with 2 or 3 Sunday mornings each month and no church services? Hopefully the things church is really all about, whether you're in a "service" or not. Spending time with God, investing in family, friends and neighbors, serving people in need. No time to get to know your neighbors or serve the poor? No time to invest in biblical community with other Christians? No time to actually do Christianity instead of talk about it? We can give you at least 2 time slots per month, each lasting from 4 to 6 hours. Compliments of Church at the Springs.

If you want something done...

"You know the old saying," says Gary Zeiss, a 50-year old attorney from LA. "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." Gary spoke these words on a night when his family met for dinner...at 10:20 PM, after a day completely crammed full of work, school, and extra-curricular activities. Mr. Zeiss, his wife and two children live a life that can accurately be described as insanely busy, and intentionally so. Why?--because society rewards multi-taskers and over-achievers, right? That was the Zeiss rationale to the AP reporter who attempted to keep up with them for a day.

With the "Life In the Margins" series, I am aware that we are swimming against a strong and deep current in American life, and many of you may be tempted to dismiss it as unrealistic. We're collectively convinced that the most successful among us are the workaholics, that if we are just willing to work longer hours than the next guy, success is bound to be ours. We hear that the greatest athletes are obsessed with their sport, coming to practice early and being the last to leave. Their great coaches practically live at the field house, pouring over film all night and neglecting their families. The great businessmen and women are driven to pursue success 24 hours a day. Great achievement requires everything--it's so obvious to us that it doesn't even need to be discussed. So 70-hour weeks are just what it takes. And it's a given that our kids have to give all their discretionary time to extra-curricular activities. And it's as plain as the nose on your face that if you want to be exceptional, you have to live like the Zeiss family. I don't know who started this rumor. Must have been some tired, stressed out workaholic who wanted to justify his lifestyle. Almost everyone believed it, so it must have worked.

I met a friend for coffee not long ago and he asked me about a job offer he was considering. It was lucrative, but required a time commitment that would change his whole family's life. He said, "This is just how it is at this pay scale. If you want to make top money, you have to put in these kinds of hours, right?" Not having ever been in that tax bracket, I couldn't speak from personal experience. I think I mumbled some mild cautions, but pretty much took him at his word. Who was I to argue? Maybe he was right. Well, as it turns out, the hours were even longer and the money more scarce than advertised (surprise). After a lot of stress, conflict, and family sacrifice, my friend picked up what was left of his life and moved on...to another job, equally lucrative but sane. Yes, such jobs do exist. And I owe him an apology for not saying more before he jumped into the quagmire in the first place.

The most successful people in the world do not sell their souls to the company. Hear corporate guru Warren Bennis talking about us ambitious types in his classic study of great CEOs and COOs called Co-Leaders: "Too often ambitious adjuncts make a Faustian bargain. They give up everything else in pursuit of top billing. They lose touch with their spouses. They become strangers to their children. They turn their backs on work that might bring them real satisfaction.... Avocations are forgotten. Friends drop away. In extreme cases, parents are lost and barely mourned. While many apparently successful people are able to live this way for long periods of time, they ultimately pay a terrible price.... At some point, their obsessive ambition has cost them soul and substance." He goes on to describe some of America's most successful businesspeople who refuse to make the "Faustian bargain." Among the examples: Steven Spielberg, who insisted on family time built into his schedule before he agreed to join Dreamworks; and Intel CEO Craig Barret, who refused to live in California where his headquarters was located--he commuted in once a week from Phoenix to prevent the job from gobbling up his life, and ran away to a ranch in Montana once a month to intentionally become out of reach. These guys are not just milking their companies for leisure lifestyles; they are among the most effective and successful leaders of our day. Bennis observes this trait so often in top business leaders that he lists "self possession and independence" as marks of great leadership.

So, if you really want to get something done, give it to a well-rounded, balanced person who has a life. Her family life and healthy relationships with friends and neighbors will make her better at her job than the burned-out workaholic who lives for the paycheck. His time away from the job actually makes him better when he's on the job. And since people with "margin" in their lives don't live just to get "top billing," they can actually care about the company they work for and not just about themselves. Margin is not in conflict with the American Dream. It is the lost ingredient of the dream that turned it into a nightmare.

We've reached the 1,000 Mark!

Thanks to you, we've now surpassed 1,000 readers on the Springs Letters blog! I hope this is just the first of many landmarks we'll pass by as we build an online community of people interested in living the Christ-life in all its fullness.

In honor of this occasion, I asked 200 of my closest friends to "do something special," so they posed for the photo above. I told them it was a bit over-the-top for them to all bow in reverence like that; they responded that they were actually all mooning me in unison. At least they did it in a 1,000 formation. Now I'm wondering why all my friends have matching blue jumpsuits...

I hope you'll take a moment to celebrate with me today by enjoying an ice-cold Dr. Pepper, doing nothing particularly productive for 10 minutes, and leaving a comment telling us why you are a Springs Letters reader/commenter. I would love to know what brings you here and what we can talk about that will mean something to you and spur us all on toward love and good deeds.

Thank you thank you thank you! Now on to 2,000.

Multiplication Tables

Sunday evening was different from our normal table, but a very exciting evening in that it represents the imminent multiplication of our neighborhood tables. We had 22 people at our house with new families who are wanting to get involved. It was really too many for people to be able to connect, but everyone understood and went with it. From our original group of 4 families from 3 adjacent neighborhoods, we are now clearly ready to launch at least one new group exclusively in Brittany Lakes. So this week we reviewed why neighborhood life, place-based community and the table are so important to us. It was very encouraging to hear people in the group talk about how it has changed their lives. Here are a few highlights from our gathering:

• Bev brought her parents, who were in town to visit. This is the first small group experience I've ever been in where families will bring their relatives to the group instead of cancelling on the group because relatives were visiting. This is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened with the group, and I love it.


• Bev's parents talked about their experience living in military housing, and the sense of community and mutual caring that existed on base among the families. It was a difficult transition to move into a civilian neighborhood in their retirement years, because "no one comes to the door." Wow, what an indictment and challenge. We are determined to transform our community into a place where people come to the door, help with the kids, share coffee, play together, and take care of each other. Perhaps we need a visit to a military base to learn how neighbors should treat each other!


• Two families are actually moving into new homes soon in order to reduce the fragmentation currently in their relational worlds and maximize their ability to connect with people. Their stories are like so many others: working in one town, living in another, going to church in another, kids spread out all over the place. Neighbors wouldn't attend their church because it was too far away; church friends would only see each other at church events; kids didn't go to school with church friends; living in the car, running from place to place. Their decisions to simplify this pattern so that the worlds of church, neighborhood, school, and friends all begin to converge will be life-altering for them.

If that picture of fragmentation mirrors your life, there is help and hope! We'll be getting practical about how God is leading us to change our way of living this Sunday--join us at 10 AM at the Perry Family YMCA for "Life In The Margins." Better yet, contact us for info on a neighborhood table near you and see it for yourself!

Lord, Save Us...

My wife picked up a book yesterday and I haven't been able to put it down. It's called Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, and it's also been made into a compelling documentary film. The author/producer, Dan Merchant, is a follower of Christ who set out to discover why Christians and non-Christians seem so hostile to each other in the public square; why those who don't profess to follow Christ feel like Christians hate them or view them as the enemy, and why Christians feel so threatened by those who don't share their belief system. What he discovered is both compelling and entertaining, heart-warming and unsettling. You can find out more for yourself at http://lordsaveusthemovie.com/.

Dan Merchant's concern over the current state of religious dialogue in America (or lack thereof), and his response, represent a groundswell of new thinking in Christian circles around the country. Many Christians are re-thinking their relationship with the larger culture, and figuring out how to join the dialogue about religious faith in some other way than by what Merchant calls the "bumper sticker culture." As a person who wants to have great conversations about faith with people in my community who believe very different things than I do, I think this is very important stuff.

There will be more to come as I finish the book and watch the movie, but the 10-minute trailer was enough to captivate me. One particular segment was hard to forget, as Merchant set up a confession booth at a gay pride event and confessed his own lack of compassion as a Christian to individuals who attended there. His confessions and their reactions are hard to forget. How does that strike you? Are people who have a distaste for evangelical Christianity winsome or repulsive to you? Are participants in evangelical Christianity winsome or repulsive to you? There aren't easy answers, but it's more than worth the time to struggle with them.

The Springs Cup

In honor of the beginning of the Masters golf tournament today, I'd like to introduce you to one of golf's most sought-after trophies. The Springs Cup ranks right up there with the Green Jacket and the Claret Jug on the list of prizes any golfer would love to claim as his own. Since I am currently the possessor of the Springs Cup, and since I'll never wear the green jacket or hold the claret jug, I pretty much have to say that.

The Springs Cup is a hand-decorated cup supporter made of high-impact plastic, ensuring that it will be around for a long, long time. Brad Gartman (surprise) created the Cup in 2007 and held it in his own possession for the entire summer and fall of that year. This is important to note, as the Springs Cup is awarded to the loser of any Church @ the Springs sanctioned golf competition, rather than the winner. Said loser is required to carry this dubious award in his or her golf bag until such time as another loser takes possession of it. Inevitably it falls out of the bag when said loser is playing golf with people who aren't familiar with the cup's significance. Humiliation, after all, is the point of the Cup's existence. How do you explain that you have a cup supporter in your golf bag?

I have fallen into a slump this year and have come into possession of the Springs Cup. I also got busted for removing the cup from my bag before an out-of-town golf outing. It just seems to stick with you. It's like a bad slice--no matter what you do to try to shake it, it just won't go away. But I received some much-needed advice on my swing from my good friend Donnie St. Germain, and I think I'll be able to unload the cup at my next opportunity. I mention Donnie's name primarily so there will be someone else to blame if things don't go well.

One day, the Springs Cup will be awarded at an annual charity tournament in our community, which will support a worthy work and provide an opportunity for friends and neighbors to play together. I can't wait for that day. Until then, I have the only golf trophy Tiger Woods will never have on his mantel!

Springs Letters Close to 1,000th visitor

As of the writing of this post, around 950 people have visited the Springs Letters blog. Plans are currently under way for a huge Blog Party when we reach 1,000 which should be by the end of this week! It will be a celebration you won't want to miss. Help us get to 1,000 by referring your friends to the Springs Letters Blog, and check back often this week--you may just be visitor #1,000.

Let the Little Ones Come and Throw Water Baloons

I didn't originally intend to give a table group report every week, but it has become unavoidable. Every time our group gathers, things happen that are so significant I can't help but write about them. And when it involves your kids...well, I can't resist the urge!

When we seek out relationships, we often look for things in common: common age or stage of life, common interests, common background, etc. Beneath this tactic is the assumption that sameness is a key to good relationships. Commonality makes us comfortable, gives us something to talk about or common activity to engage in. That's not completely bad, but it does have a dark side. For instance, it might also ensure that we don't learn from the different experiences of others, that we don't gain from the wisdom of older people or share any of that wisdom with younger people. It might just mean that we don't come in contact with people we need to serve.

Our neighborhood tables are organized almost exclusively by location. We're pursuing relationships with people who live near us, regardless of age, stage, color, background, belief, common interest or anything else. This means that adults, students, and kids are all mixing it up together at our table. When you do this, you realize how little the generations interact with each other. Most students, for example, rarely talk with adults other than their parents or children other than their siblings, and this reaps bitter fruit in their lives as they move into adulthood and haven't learned how to communicate with anyone except their peers. On the other hand, adults rarely listen to students or children (even our own). This was definitely the case when our table began several months ago, and we still have a long way to go, but each week there are signs that things are changing. Here's just one from this week.

Sunday afternoon was a beautiful, warm, summer-is-coming kind of day. My kids don't spend days like that indoors. Knowing that our table was gathering Sunday afternoon, our 14-year old, Jacob, decided to plan a little surprise for all the kids coming over (I think 10 kids and youth). He set up the slip-and-slide in the back yard, and filled up our ice chest with water balloons. Then he asked Mom to call all the families and have them secretly bring their kids' swimsuits over to the house. After sharing our meal and talking about our week, Jacob surprised all the kids with water fun in the backyard. They stayed out there until the sun went down, and still didn't want to quit, even though they were wet and shivering. One little girl, who came to our table Sunday for the first time, came up to me before she left and said, "your house is awesome!" What she meant was that a 14-year old had done something pretty uncharacteristic for his age: he had taken it upon himself to plan an afternoon of fun for a bunch of little kids. 14-year olds are supposed to have disdain for all kids, right? It was a proud moment for me.

Students don't ignore the world and play video games all the time by God's design. Neither do adults only interact with each other. I've met several kids over the years who dreaded their parents' involvement in small groups or Bible studies, because the kids had no part in it and were shooed away so the parents could "go deep." There is a place for that, but there is also a place for young and old, male and female, rich and poor, black and brown and white, married and single and divorced, to know each other, communicate with each other, even love each other. "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -Galatians 3:28 TNIV.

Core Practice #5: Biblical Community
Creed: I fellowship with other Christ-followers to accomplish God’s purposes in my life, others’ lives and in the world.
Text: Acts 2:42-47 - "All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Holy Places

I spent Spring Break in one of the most beautiful places on earth: Sedona, Arizona. For several days, we hiked and climbed and explored Indian ruins in this gorgeous high desert country. More than anything else we would just climb to a high spot with a good view and stare. The red sandstone cliffs and blazing blue sky command your attention; cool, dry mountain air tinted with the smell of juniper fills your nostrils and your chest; the world turns a little slower, and you just take it all in.

Boynton Canyon, where we spent most of our time, was considered a holy place by Native Americans who lived in the area, and has become a destination of choice for people around the world seeking spiritual enlightenment. A particular spot in the canyon was identified by noted psychic Page Bryant as a "vortex" in the '80s, where magnetic energy is supposed to be particularly strong, having certain spiritual benefits. Much of Sedona tourism is now related to this quest for spiritual awakening. The town is full of people and establishments offering help to tourists looking for heightened spiritual awareness.

My friend Curtis and his son Kyle had a funny encounter while hiking in the vortex area one day. They came upon a man who had attempted to meditate in the vortex and inadvertently sat on a cactus. His metaphysical experience, at least for that day, consisted in having his wife remove cactus thorns from his nether regions!

While I did lose cell phone reception there, I remain skeptical about the whole vortex thing. But I will say that there are certain places in the world where I've felt it was easier to connect with God. Places of natural beauty like Sedona have always been inspirational to me. I felt the same way on Trout Lake in northern Ontario, Canada, miles from the nearest road or fence. All of those types of experiences have not been in nature, though. Communion in St. Paul's Cathedral in London was another one, as was viewing the Sistine Chapel.

While I was taking in all the great scenery in Sedona, I read this excerpt from Anne Lamott's book, Grace (Eventually): "I knew that no one comes holier than anyone else, that nowhere is better than anywhere else....Nature, family, children, cadavers, birth, rivers in which we pee and bathe, splash and flirt and float memorial candles--in these you would find holiness." The statement gave me pause. I've spent many hours and many dollars travelling to places I thought would inspire me. Now Ms. Lamott is boldly proclaiming that nowhere is better than anywhere else. Should I have just stayed home?

I wouldn't trade many of my travel experiences for anything. Even small changes of scenery are often good for the soul. But I do think it is a step toward maturity to understand that the inspirational grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence (or the globe). Ms. Lamott is right: holiness is found at home as much as abroad, in the mundane as much as the exotic. But under the thick canopy of our usual routines and obligations, inspiration struggles to find light and grow. I have a sinking feeling that we've created lives for ourselves that squeeze all the inspiration out, and have to run away from them periodically to breathe again.

Ken Gire, in his book The Reflective Life, says, "It is a great loss that we awake to so many gifts on a given day, not only without opening them, but without knowing they are even there for us to open." Inspiration is all around us. It is not reserved for those who can afford exotic destinations, and is not limited to one or two exceptional experiences per year. The trick is not missing the gifts that are laid out for us with every new day. Natural beauty can still be found almost anywhere. Even New York City still has Central Park. In my neighborhood along the Texas Coast, Pelicans and wild parrots often nest on electrical service towers. It's a poetic move on their part, I believe, to claim these eyesores as natural habitat. I also love to fish; when I'm wading in Galveston Bay, I'm surrounded by refineries and shipping industry, and the water is usually the color and consistency of diluted chocolate milk. But sunrise or sunset over the water still moves me, and a speckled trout on the line is food for my soul as well as my table.

God is revealed perhaps most powerfully in relationships, which are almost always more substantive where we live than when we roam. Nothing is more refreshing than dinner with good friends, and nothing more inspiring than helping a person in need. Ironically, when we travel for fun or inspiration we almost always take our people with us--my trip to Sedona included both friends and family. Although it's below the radar of our consciousness, we understand that even the most dramatic experiences lack meaning unless we have people with which to share them. Solitude has its place, but even the monastics treasured their relationships.

It's unlikely that I'll ever lose my desire to travel. I love to see new places and meet new people, and those experiences broaden my understanding and vision of the world. But if I pay attention, the benefits of travel can be experienced year-round without leaving my home or community, and home can become a holy place. Perhaps the greatest awakening isn't found "over there." Maybe heightened awareness really means becoming aware of the gifts of everyday, the beauty of simple living, and the treasure of the people with whom we share it.