“Try to explain exactly how prayer works and you will quickly run against some very difficult puzzles. But people who are skeptical of prayer’s validity and power are usually those who do not practice it seriously or fail to obey when God reveals His will.” – Oswald Sanders in “Spiritual Leadership*”

The last time someone you knew was in a tragedy or ill did you approach prayer with a sense of hopelessness? And not even because you thought praying wouldn’t cut it, though that is likely. But hopeless because you knew you were approaching God in prayer, legitimately, for the first time in a long time. That this is someone you’ve talked ABOUT a lot, but haven’t been talking too much at all.

And you enter that time of prayer like “I am going to say the right words but seriously when was the last time praying really had power or worked?”

I struggle with taking the practice of prayer seriously. I think there are plenty of us in this same place. We will randomly browse the web and Twitter for hours but not take five minutes to be still and talk with Jesus.

We will get frustrated when people want to pray for a need because we think we should just act and solve it. I wonder if the disciples ever got frustrated that every morning when they could have gotten an early start traveling, but had to do a sweeping search of the town just to find where Jesus was praying.

Maybe we all need to learn to “gloriously waste time” in prayer with God today.

Maybe praying for someone in need really is the most powerful act of service we can offer.

Maybe we need to look at the behavioral priorities of the man we are following, and simply do likewise.

Maybe, like Oswald said, we think prayer is powerless because our disobedience has rendered it that way in our lives.

Maybe saying yes to prayer is saying no to late night: TV, Video Games, Social Web Browsing, and Work from Home.

Maybe praying with your spouse shouldn’t feel so awkward.

Maybe praying isn’t a contest of us properly constructing language to manipulate God and it is simply being ourselves in a relationship.

Over the past year the number of blogs I subscribe to in Google Reader has continued to decrease. With Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Pages, Google Buzz, Foursquare, and all the media and news outlets there are certainly plenty of sources of information in our world. Even in the topics of social media, web technology, and ministry there are plenty of fantastic authorities reporting and creating valuable conversations.

So why would I start a blog now?

Honestly, a main reason is that I’ve recognized I didn’t have a consistent place I was giving back to the community online at large that I have learned and grown so much through. It is also because I am in a season where I am being stretched, growing, and failing enough that sharing that journey could find a connection and value for some of you.

What is this blog going to talk about? You can find out more about me in the page above but I am passionate about how technology, the social web, new media, faith and the “flattening” of our world is creating incredible new possibilities. How do we start movements to effect change online? How does the social web help or hurt my faith? How can we partner with people from across the world for a cause? What does it look like to lead when control is dead? How do I organize myself in this digital world? What are the new opportunities to care for people? How is media changing in these new environments? How is what is happening online changing expectations for community offline?

These are just some of the questions I consistently face and I get so excited about connecting with those of you that face them too. That we can learn, share and work together as we motivated to make a difference. That is why I’ve started this new blog. To jump in on the conversations already going and to add my voice and journey to them. To write and publish in a way that focuses on VALUE and not “interestingness” or attention grabbing. To create a “NO HYPE ZONE” where we can learn, disagree, and move forward.

(Big thanks to John Saddington and his work on the Standard Theme that is running this new blog. He has just launched the new theme and in my experience with WordPress Themes it is one of the best I’ve ever used. Click here to view more details)

Well the Steward family is moving into another big leap in our journey! Over the past two years we have been in Southern California learning, volunteering and connecting with the amazing people and staff at Saddleback Church. We have been so blessed, mentored and cared for here by this church family that is it impossible to put into words. The hardest part in following God in this next move will be all the good friends we won’t be able to see as often as we would like (well that and the beautiful beaches and constant 72 degree weather).

Mandy and I both felt that 2008 would be the year that I found a “fit” in a church – and he has come through big time. A little over a month ago my good friend John pointed out a job posting for LifeChurch.tv titled: Online Community Organizer. Later, when I read the description of what LifeChurch.tv was looking for to Mandy we both agreed that this position seemed like a perfect fit for what God has been developing in me over the past two years – so I applied.

Since then it has been a fun whirlwind as we started the process of interviewing for the position. This last weekend we flew out to see LifeChurch.tv and the Internet Campus/Digerati team, and for a final round of interviews. This week were thrilled to accept the position of Online Community Pastor with LifeChurch.tv, serving on their Internet Campus/Digerati team.

Needless to say we are humbled just for the opportunity to be around the amazing talent and the hearts of the people at LifeChurch.tv. And I can accurately say this is a dream job on the dream team. The more we saw this weekend the more we were blown away by the faith and talent of the people there, and the vision they have.

So, pray for us as we take another big plunge in this journey. We have to get our house ready so it can start a schedule of showing to be re-leased, we need to settle up all the details here and we hope to be in Oklahoma by beginning of September!

When we were first deciding on moving out to California I did a series of posts titled “jump”. Those posts were all about how we were taking a step of faith to come out to California and connect with the people at Saddleback Church.

After we have just come back from being in Ohio for two week it gave us ample time to reflect on the last year and a half – and how far God has brought us in this journey and call. Both my wife and I feel like this is the start of chapter two in this call, and we are both super excited to see what God will do.

Here is what we both see on the plate right now as we enter this new phase:

1. Mandy has just left as a partner with the digital scrap-booking site/business ScrapGirls.com . Over time her responsibilities changed as the company grew and she was in a position where she wasn’t able to be a part of a creative process any more – which is her highest strength and passion. So she has stepped down and is pursuing several freelance opportunities while getting a great gig doing design at a local firm.
2. Mandy is also in the process of getting professional advice and is refining the book she is in writing. We just need to nail down the angle that will help readers understand the theme and the “take away” as one friend put it.
3. Contagious Solutions continues to grow, in fact the interest in the services my company offers is pushing on my limits to keep up. I am learning as I go in regards to running a business so I am back to have my nose in books to make sure I am not only doing things well – but not over doing them for the work and relationships I have. Hard work but awesome learnings.
4. I am starting seminary this summer or fall. Ever since I was in undergraduate study I have wanted to go into graduate school, but just have never really pulled the trigger. I am now I am just deciding between Golden Gate Seminary (where all my friends on staff at Saddleback go) or Fuller Seminary which has been on of my picks in the past and is just up in Pasadena.
5. As I first said over on the Who Are These Guys Blog, I am praying over what is either an “idea” or a “calling.” I feel like there is a tremendous opportunity building for a church to be built through a combination of online community and cluster groups (small group, house church, neighborhood congregation.) I am meeting and initiating many, many conversations right now with the innovators in this space as well as the best church plant movement people I can find. I am planning on starting the first step on this some time in the spring and I will keep you updated as things mature.
6. There is one more huge opportunity but alas I can’t really get into the details as of yet. It it significant enough that I want to mention it, and it falls along the lines of some of the stuff I was getting to do with the who are these guys podcast. If it becomes a reality you can be sure I will be posting about it all the time.

So, there is plenty for us to “jump” into in our lives right now. And even though we are doing all kinds of work that we love, money will still be tight as it is for all normal human beings in Orange County, CA. And I would lie if I didn’t say that there are days when I try to take the reigns back from God and control situations – which usually results in me feeling hopelessly overwhelmed, haha. But God is in control and he has revealed that to us every step of the way.

Jump chapter 2 – hold on it is going to be an even crazier ride!

“Can’t died in the poorhouse.” I can’t tell you how many times my mom said that to me growing up. I never really have let the principle of that message sink in until recently. Over the past two months God has been taking me into one of the hardest life-lessons yet. It isn’t about having our Uhaul stolen, it’s not dealing with being over 2000 miles away from all family, it’s not dealing with me not having an “official” job yet, all of those things can be dealt with. God has been forcing me to see that in him, all things are possible.
…
And that not only means I need to trust him, but that I need to stop discounting what he can do through me. I never realized how much I tell myself I can’t do something until the last couple of months. I never realized how many walls I put up in my life to keep me from really going for it, so I can stay safely where life is lived in my own power.
So, I am learning to stop saying “can’t” in my inner voice, and it is really hard. Take some time for reflection and look at the last couple of months and see if you can identify the times you have told yourself that you couldn’t do something. You will be surprised, I think, at how much negative self talk we all subject ourselves to every day.
Jesus believed in us. He believed in us so much that he told us that as we united we would do greater things for the world. He truly knows us in our broken condition, but he stills believes in us. He still loves us and has sent his Holy Spirit to unite and equip us to do God-sized things.
There is a big difference from having self talk that is under the full realization of our dependence on God vs the voice that tells us we can’t do things. Knowing you depend upon God for every move, every breath, every big thing is incredibly freeing! It is no longer an issue as to whether you can do it, but whether you can be faithful that God will show up. It is no longer about you having control or the power, it is having your heart in the right place so God’s power can flow through you. It is no longer about whether you can or can’t; because God CAN – EVERY time.
I believe what my mom said now. If I discount myself and spend more time mentally convincing myself that I can’t do certain things, my life will be poor. Poor in spirit because I let my self-centeredness turn me into a coward. Poor in heart because I have let fear grip me and paralyze. Poor in mind because I never pushed my own limits based on stereotypes and mis-informed assumptions of myself. Poor in faith because I never trusted God with anything I couldn’t just do in my own power.