Behind the Scenes

It seems our lives are measured in dog years.  Yesterday morning, on what would have been her thirteenth birthday, we put the remains of our beloved dog to rest in a corner of Sara’s garden.  And we cried, both at our loss of Sheba’s presence and in celebration of the love we shared together for so long.

We’re grateful for all thirteen of those years.  She wasn’t supposed to have so many. At six months of age our vet told us she wouldn’t live past five since she had such severe hip dysplasia. We were shocked at the news. Dogs don’t live long enough as it is, but only five years! As the news settled in Sara took a firm resolve.  “If she only has five years I am going to make sure they are the best five years any dog could ever have.” And she did, so much so that Sheba just kept on enjoying the life Sara made for her for eight extra years.

As we buried her ashes, we gave thanks to God for the gift Sheba was to our family.  She was a friend  to everyone and embraced life with a passion.  At the same time this black lab/German shepherd mix was a gentle soul. She thought fetching balls was a waste of time, but couldn’t resist a stick thrown into the ocean or a mountain lake. Swimming must have felt so good on her damaged hips. Perhaps her favorite thing was going for a ride in the car. You just mentioned a ride and she would go crazy, rushing for the door roiling with impatience.  Even if Sara didn’t have anywhere to go she would take Sheba for a ride anyway almost every day. She was Sara’s constant ompanion when working in the garden until her back legs wouldn’t follow her to get down there anymore, then she would sit on the grass watching Sara’s every move.

When she came into our lives I was still writing So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore, Sara had just earned her Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling and was employed by a local high school.  The God Journey wasn’t even a thought yet, nor was The Shack. We had no grandchildren. Sheba saw us through the joy of those years, as well as their challenges. And she fell in love with each grandchild we had and treated them oh so gently loving each grandchild in turn and winning them into her friendship.

On Easter a week before she died, all the kids were packed up ready to leave and were heading for the front door. All of a sudden we heard one loud bark from Sheba laying a rug unable to get up on her own.  That bark said everything:  “Don’t you dare leave this house without saying good-bye to me.” We all laughed at her indignation and rushed back to include her in the good-byes.

Yesterday morning we also reflected on what Sheba demonstrated to us about God’s love and care.  She was always there providing comfort and joy in the best and worst of times. Dogs are faithful no matter what. And you have no idea what adoration really is if you didn’t see Sheba watch Sara walk through a room. Her eyes were fixed on her with a look of wonder in her eye. She thought Sara was the most incredible human being to walk this planet.

We are embracing the grief now that our home is a bit emptier without her. We talk of her in the special places in our home where she used to keep watch. We speak of her often and how much we miss her. We made a video of her life to the tune of You Have a Friend in Me. We reminisce. We cry. We pray. Grief is a glorious process of crying out the pain to reclaim each memory, eventually taking out the sting of her loss and reveling in the joy of her time with us. It takes time, but it will work.

Yes, she is just a dog, but she’s was a beloved member of this family. She was a big part of the past 13 years and will always be a treasured part of our lives.  We miss her and all she represents to us.

But time marches on.

A new pup has already taken up residence in our home.

The Zoey years have just begun.

Actually there is no winner. Over three hundred of you offered your thoughts and suggestions to me through Facebook, email, and blog comments to my recent post about book cover designs for The Phenomenon of the Dones. Thank you all for your help. It is greatly appreciated. My artist on this project commented how amazing it was to have so many readers care so deeply about the cover and offer us their input. Some even sent their own cover designs. It is incredibly inspiring to see so many people offer their input and ideas.

So which direction are we going? That was tough. The problem for me was not that there are good covers and bad covers, but that all of them resonated with me for different reasons, and all of had things about them I’d want to tweak. That’s what comps are for, to begin the process and find a cover that is both attractive, inviting, and conveys the heart of what’s inside.

Option 3, the staircase climbing out of the basement, had significantly more votes than the other two options. Though I love that cover, it is a bit more “institutional-looking” than I like, and way more formal. I can see how it really speaks to the journey of someone coming out of a more institutional environment and into greater light, life, and freedom. What I didn’t like about it was that it made the journey of the “Dones” more preferable than those who are still in more traditional congregations growing in the same life, freedom and passions as those who are no longer there.

I loved the mystery of the second one, but not the overly sinister look of it. Some compared it to a Stephen King feature. What I liked was the open door outward, which really gets to the issue of the so-called “Dones” and the feel of those inside who are missing their friends and relatives who no longer attend. As I said, I hope this e-book will encourage a conversation among all God’s children whether they go or not about what God seems to be doing with the breakdown we’re all experiencing with the traditional congregation no longer being the soul source of community, discipleship, and engagement with the world.

So we have reworked Option #2 to a softer image. You can see a larger version of it below.

The danger of course of letting others give input is that some won’t like it or will have other ideas. In the end, of course, there is no right answer, obviously. Book covers like book reading is a matter of preference and there really isn’t a right or wrong.

Now I’ve got to get to writing the rest of it!

As regular readers here know, I’ve been writing another book online, this one a special report relating to the latest research on those being called the “dones”, those who are giving up on the traditional congregational model for church and are looking for more relational realities.  This series is designed to help people understand what’s being going on for the past twenty-five years or more while inviting the body of Christ from all her expressions to an expanding conversation about the nature of the church and its unity in our day.

Those are going to be combined into a book and since I’m getting toward the end we are working on a cover for that book. Last time, readers of this blog and those who “like” its Facebook page provided some helpful input to sort out a cover for Finding Church: What if There Really Is Something More? This isn’t a vote to decide, but a chance to hear which cover resonates with you and why, which is very helpful for us in crafting a final cover that will serve the project well.

My hope for this book is that it will invite all followers of Jesus Christ into a better dialog about the nature of his work in the world. I don’t want to see yet another division among those who are learning to live in Father’s love, this one between the “dones” and “undones.” We have to see the life of Jesus as larger than the specific way we might encounter his church. For those who attend a local congregation and for those who are finding life in his church beyond it, we need a better conversation that coincides with Jesus’ prayer that the Father would make us all one, even as Jesus and his Father are one.

If you’ve missed this series of blogs, you can find the links on my latest in the series.

Take a look at the covers above. Which do you prefer and why? What would make it better?  You can comment on the blog, my Facebook page, or email me with your comments.

Thanks for your help.  You all make a pretty incredible focus group.

Those of you that have read So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore will recognize the above photo. It was taken in San Luis Obispo, CA where the first chapter of the book was set. John disappears down this alleyway as Jake goes looking for him.  We were there awhile back and thought I’d post a picture of it. In case you didn’t believe it, people have been sticking their gum (and other things) to this wall for multiple decades. It is a bit creepy to be sure.

I am incredibly grateful at how this little book has touched lives around the world. I get email every week from people who found this story pivotal in their own journey. One of the more unique ones came in last week from Pooja and I wanted to share a bit of it with you.

I do not know where to begin thanking Jesus for your books and your life. I was born and raised Hindu and changed to Christianity at the age of nineteen. Thereafter for 18 years I was the most “faithful and committed Christian” that you could hope to find. My husband and I served our congregation in any which way that we could. He was both the deacon and the treasurer and I would not miss any opportunity to sing, teach or pray. However the spiritual emptiness that built inside of me caused me great depression and made me question my belief in Jesus.

To make a long story really short, I was on my way to agnosticism/atheism when the Lord met me in my closet in my home (My testimony starting from Hinduism leading up to this point is recorded in my book, And Then There Was Jesus.). Following this moment there was a very painful exodus from my church/community. The Holy Spirit kept on leading me to be like the apostle John. I felt like it meant taking a break from all religious activities and just spending the time to love and get to know the person of Jesus better and to start writing about Him.

I really doubted this inner voice. It was against everything I had been taught and whenever I missed my church friends the doubts would creep in. One day I prayed to the Lord to validate the thought that he wanted me to be like John and you cannot imagine my shock when I found your book So You Don’t Go to Church Anymore! Your book sits by my bed and reading it one time has not been enough. Whenever doubts creep in I go to different sections of this book and read it randomly and feel peace! You are an example of what God can do with just one person who follows their inner convictions no matter what the cost. I cannot say thank you enough!

Thank you, Pooja, for taking the time to write and let me know. I am honored that this book would be such a source of confirmation in your own journey and pray he will continue to lead you onward in his life.

Just a reminder that from now until January 31, we are sending out a free copy of In Season to everyone who places an order at Lifestream as our gift. And if you order a copy of In Season, you’ll get two for the price of one. This is only for US addresses, since shipping is so costly overseas, but if we can fit it into an overseas order without having to send another package, we’ll include one there too.

I was reminded of this in a message from a friend from Ohio today.  Harvey wrote:

I’m investing in another read of In Season… What a breath of fresh air! I’m savoring instead of devouring it this time! The second time around I think I’m getting more out of it.. Thank you for the gift! It is ringing so true to the changing seasons in me ! Helping me relax into His ongoing purposes in me today.

This book takes me back to my roots.  I learned to walk with God in a  vineyard and the lessons of John 15 have shaped my life since. What does it mean to abide in Christ and how does that lead us to fruitfulness and fulfillment?  And how does Jesus work in different ways in the different seasons of our lives? This is not a set of principles to follow, but help recognize the different ways his Spirit works in us depending on what we’re going through at the moment.

This is one of my favorite books. I’m always blessed to hear when others are drawing life from it as well.

I announced at the beginning of the year that I’ve declared “Travel Request Bankruptcy” since my list of invites has gotten unimaginably long and some of those requests are now outdated. So if we’re not currently in a conversation about my coming your direction and you’ve been waiting for me to let you know, please get in touch with me and let me know you’re still interested. Or, if you have it on your heart to host a conversation in your area and haven’t asked before you can let me know that as well.  I’m building a new list of where I might travel.

What does it take for me to come?  Very little, actually. It all begins with an invitation. As we explore that we’ll look for Father to give us a sense of purpose and timing and who might join us, whether you want it just for your group or are open to inviting others. There are good reasons for either of those choices and I am convinced that those inviting me will know in their hearts which is best.  But there are few places I go that others who’ve read my books or follow The God Journey podcast, wouldn’t also want to join in as well. I mostly help facilitate conversations about the things I’m most passionate about—walking more deeply in his love, the nature of God revealed at the cross, how grace transforms us, or how we engage his church in the world. Some people, however, prefer more of a seminar setting where I’m sharing on a specify topic over a weekend and I’m happy to serve that, too.

And I come without any financial expectations. I have never charged for my travel, not even for the plane ticket. I come at my own expense, and trust that God is able to provide however he desires. If your people inviting me can help share that, I am always blessed but it is not required.

Sorting out my schedule is never easy because if I go very far I enjoy making use of the time by staying on for 10-12 days to meet with others in a given region that also want to have those conversations.  That’s why I often post locations before details are settled, because I want to see what other opportunities Father might have while I’m in the area.  Last year I put a trip together that took me to the suburbs of Chicago, up to Wisconsin, over to Pittsburgh before I finished up in Northeast Ohio. It makes good stewardship of the travel costs and my time.

I’ve only scheduled two trips so far this year, one a brief swing through Southern California (Redlands, Dana Point, and Temecula) the weekend of January 29-31, and then to Charlotte, NC from April 1-11.  It also looks like I’ll also be in Tulsa, OK in late February and Alberta during the latter part of May or early June. There are still plenty of open slots on these trips if you live nearby and have something in mind, but get in touch with me as soon as possible. You can keep an eye on my travel schedule, or access it from the front page at Lifestream.

In addition, there are some other invitations that have my attention and where I sense that God may want to do something this spring:

• The United Kingdom
• Northern Ireland
• Maryland
• Charlottesville, VA
• Nashville, TN

If you are in these areas or nearby and want to host something, please let me know.  If  you just want to be informed when my travel details are finalized, please don’t write. A long time ago I lost track of all the people I know, where they live, and who wants me to contact them when I’m planning a trip to their area. So, I have an email list that tracks all that for me now. If you’d like to be notified when I’m coming to your area you can sign up on the Lifestream Email List and include your address.  (If you have previously signed up for Lifestream News or Travel Notifications you are already on that list.)

They say no one likes change except a wet baby. I remember using that line in a sermon years ago to great laughs. It’s not so funny anymore. I’ve actually come to enjoy change, well at least most of them.

No, I don’t enjoy when Sara moves things in the house from their usual spot and I can’t find them anymore. There I like familiarity. But in my own life and those around me, I’ve come to enjoy the changes that result from a growing confidence with the Father’s affection and engagement with him.  There will be more on this on the next episode of The God Journey Podcast.  Certainly the process isn’t easy, and in fact can be downright painful but the fruit of the process eventually overwhelms any pain.  When new freedoms emerge and people learn to live in his flow of love and grace, they feel as if a huge weight has fallen off their shoulders.  Many didn’t even realize they were carrying it. They notice it more when it’s gone and they can engage the ups and downs of life is so much lighter and more relaxed.

Of course not everyone around you will like those changes. They may miss the old you, or better said, what they could manipulate about the old you. One of the wonderful things Jesus’ church does in the world is to celebrate change with others and makes room it even if the relationship shifts a little. That’s how people and relationships grow, and the kingdom is about growth not stagnation.

None of that has anything to do with what I want to share today about some new changes at Lifestream, though. We had to rebuild our website due to some problems with the old platform we switched to three years ago and didn’t turn out to do for us what I was promised. So, we had to change again. Fortunately we’ve been able to keep most everything in the same place and I hope it will be an easier site to navigate. So hopefully this change isn’t all bad either.  We will continue to make some adjustments to the format for the next couple of weeks, but most you won’t notice.

The major change comes in our mailing list. Since we won’t be posting new issues of our newsletter anymore we folded all of our email lists together. For those who have subscribed to Lifestream News, Travel Updates, and the newsletter you will now receive all notices from Lifestream, which total about 3 or 4 per year, plus a notification if I’m traveling within 150 miles of where you live.  If you don’t wish to subscribe to that, just “unsubscribe” the next time you receive one of our emails, and I apologize in advance for any inconvenience this is to you.

In addition, you can also subscribe to my blogs on their respective websites at Lifestream.org, TheGodJourney.com or FindingChurch.com.  The sign up is in the upper right at Lifestream and Finding Church and on the lower left at The God Journey.  When you register your email, you will receive any new postings by email.  It’s a great way to keep up with all that’s going on around here

Unfortunately, since we switched platforms for our e-commerce we could not import your ordering details. The next time you order from us, you will need to register a new account with your shipping details.  Yes, that’s a hassle and I’m sorry.  Once we get through this transition, however, I’m convinced Lifestream.org will offer a better experience for those who find the resources here to be of help and encouragement to their journey.

Visit the New Lifestream.org

This has truly been an amazing year in so many ways.  Sara and I enjoy the place that God has given us to help encourage others on their journey and the perspective it gives us of his work in the world. These are truly amazing times we live in. Over the past few weeks we’ve announced a number of things having to do with Lifestream and what’s going on around here.  In case you missed any of it, I thought it might be helpful to put it all in one place:  

The Last Newsletter

This is the first newsletter we’ve done in three years, and it will be the last. We’ve done this for almost 20 years and there are just better technologies now to share more immediate information than a newsletter allows. Also the gap between issues got to wide since at this stage in life Wayne is working on books and other projects. You can view the latest version here, or go straight to the lead article, The Phenomenon of the Dones. We will continue to keep past articles in our archive and I will write more from time to time, but they will appear first in the blog before they are archived. If you want to keep up with all that we’re doing, please keep up with the blog or podcast. Next month we will launch a new Lifestream site and it will offer the opportunity to subscribe to the Lifestream blog so it appears in your inbox.  You can subscribe to the podcast now either through iTunes or by getting an email notice of new postings by signing up on the lower left of The God Journey page. 

Get a Free Copy of IN SEASON
With every order between now and January 31 we will include a free copy of Wayne’s book In Season: Embracing the Father’s Process for Fruitfulness and Fulfillment as our gift. It is a farmer’s view of John 15 and how to engage the process by which God invites us into his reality and shapes our lives with fulfillment and fruitfulness. Due to the significant costs of international shipping this offer is only for those shipped to US addresses. However, if there is room in the overseas packaging we will include one as well. You don’t have to do anything on your order to receive this gift.  We will just include it.

New Video Interview With Wayne

At the end of the summer Wayne sat down with Jeff Herr of DefiningRoots.com for a no-holes-barred question answer session where he freely probed my thoughts and passions and how I moved from being a pastor to helping those who felt they no longer fit in the traditional congregation. Jeff had had read my books and listened to my podcast, but we had not met before this trip. The result is an hour and 15 minute interview by a campfire in the growing dusk of late summer in Indiana. You can view it here.

Travel Invitations Bankruptcy
Wayne has had so many travel requests on a list, that it has become hopelessly out of date. So he’s assuming that if people still want him to visit, they will be in a continuing dialog with him about timing and purpose. If you are not currently in those conversations with him, please email him and let him know of your continued interest. Though he receives far more invitations than he can accept, he is always in prayer about those opportunities God might have for him.

Updates: The Shack and Jake Movies
The Shack Movie is now in post-production with a release coming in 2016 though a date has not been announced. Wayne visited the set during filming and has seen a rough cut of the production. Though he is not free to share in depth about what he’s seen until the movie is out, he’s excited about this adaptation of the story and the people it will touch.Also, So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore is in development and going well.The movie is tentatively titled, Out of the Game, and the screenplay is generating a bit of buzz these days with people in the industry. The script is done and some of the production team is being assembled.The story has been changed significantly, the same lessons are there for people who are tired of the religious game and want a more authentic spiritual journey. We are also receiving a lot of interest from the faith community with the screenplay. This is an amazing adventure.

Finding Church: What if There Really Is Something More?
The conversation continues to grow about finding church beyond our conventional congregations. If you haven’t read Wayne’s latest book helping people see the church Jesus is building, instead of the one humanity builds on his behalf, you can pick up a copy.It is available in print, by 3-book, or as an audio book. Links to order in all formats can be found here. It is also available now in German from a German publisher as The Community of a New Creation and in Spanish as a free PDF file.

He Loves Me Available in Spanish
For those who want to help spread the message in the Spanish-speaking world, this book is now in Spanish in print and by e-book. Order from Lifestream.org for paperback and by Amazon.com for Kindle version.

A Man Like No Other
We still find that many people don’t even know about this magnificent book Wayne and Brad wrote to illustrate some paintings about the life of Christ. A Man Like No Other is a powerful if unconventional look at the life of Jesus and many have found it useful to start family conversations about Jesus by making it part of their reading list. You can order your copy here.

Kenya
We continue to be involved with our Kenyan brothers and sisters in reaching out to the impoverished region of West Pokot.We just drilled two new wells for a total of six and have committed one million dollars over the next seven hears to help them find solutions to their food, medical, and education needs as well as to jump start a self-sustaining economy. We have helped train a team of four coaches who can help the villages work for their own solutions to these ongoing needs by using readily-available, local, low-tech resources to address the most significant need in their village. You can read a short story about the miraculous connections behind this story here.  If your heart is moved to help us, please see our Sharing With the World page at Lifestream. You can either donate with a credit card there, or you can mail a check to Lifestream Ministries • 1560-1 Newbury Rd #313 • Newbury Park, CA 91320. Or if you prefer, we can take your donation over the phone at (805) 498-7774.

Engage!
Just a reminder for those who are seeking to engage their own relationship with God, Lifestream has a series of 5-7 minute videos called Engage that Wayne recorded to help coach people as to how God builds a relationship with us.It starts with some specific ways you can begin to look for him in your own life, and then answers specific questions people have as that engagement begins.You can watch or download these videos for free and use them in your own personal journey or help facilitate a group of people exploring this growth together and encouraging each other in the process.

In a few hours I’ll depart for Orange County, CA and complete my last trip of the year there adding La Habra and Irvine to Toledo, Atlanta, Greenville, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Orange City, Sarasota, West Palm Beach, Denver, Loveland, Richmond, Riverside, South Lake Tahoe, Barcelona, Azille, Nimes, Fresno, Shaver Lake, Vancouver, Indianapolis, Walnut Creek, Prince Edward Island, Raymond, Millbury, Wichita, Chicago, Beloit, Jaynesville, Pittsburgh, and Millersburg, as some of the places I’ve visited this year.  In each of them I’ve been warmly received and generously cared for. Sara went on many of these trips with me, but many I went on alone because at times God has it for us to be in different parts of the world at the same time.

I’m often asked why I travel? If you know me well, you know I don’t enjoy most of what travel requires. I’ve never desired to see the world or enjoyed sitting on long airplaine flights. I don’t like being away from Sara and the family and friends we have in our lives. I wouldn’t do it to sell books, be a star at conferences, or to hold seminars. I do it simply because I sense that Jesus asks me to and the joy of that comes when I see lives touched and encouraged into more spacious places of God’s life. It’s part of seeing his kingdom grow in the world as I get to help people process their journey, learning to live in Father’s affection and connecting to others near them on similar journeys. In every one of those places above I have left good friends behind, even after knowing them for a few days. I love the people I get to spend time wtih and am honored by their stories and struggle to live deeply in the life of Jesus in a world that seeks to distract us from it.  

Sitting in a gathering in Trafford, PA on my last trip someone joked about me signing the plastic cloth on the table and the result is pictured above left. Yes, there were a lot of people around that table who had been deeply touched by some of my writings and podcasts and the conversation was robust, enlightening and heart-warming. Yes, I was there, but more importantly, when I leave I know that Jesus is still there. When I got back from this last trip, I found a note waiting for me that sums up why I travel better than anything I could say, and what I hope happens in people’s hearts when I do:

I am so thankful my friends invited me to come talk with you this week…I had no preconceived notions of who you were or what this event would be like, but considering the traumatic events I’ve gone through in the recent past, I still had some fears that you would treat me like the majority of other Christians in my life. I am so thankful you did the exact opposite – you showed me Jesus…but also you showed me a human who isn’t Jesus and you don’t pretend to be his twin or understudy.  Thank you for not being anything but who you are.  I am very quick to see the best in people when I have obviously been horrifically burned before in that department…but I have to learn how to trust in a SAFE, wise fashion eventually, so why not start with you?

If that’s what people get out of my visits, then I am deeply blessed. I don’t live this journey flawlessly but I hope to reflect enough of his light and life that others are encouraged in their own journey of learning to live in his reality. That fruit alone is enough reason to take this on the road when he asks.

Two others expressed similar gratefulness for our connection.  

“You reflect our Fathers love quite well, which might explain us acting like a bunch of fun-loving kids!”

“Thank you is too small a word to express how grateful we are to God for bringing you into our lives.  To have a brother to be able to visit with like we do with you is priceless…  We love how Father made your beautiful heart.”

I love what God does when he brings people together. I dont’ know where I’ll go next year. I’m still praying about what he might have in mind. In all honesty, however, I’ve had to declare bankruptcy on my travel invitations. I probably am not able to go to half the places I’m invited to and my list of invitations has gotten long and some on it are from a long time ago. So if you’ve invited me to come your way in the past, and we have not had any exchange about it in the last six months, please let me know again so I know there is still an interest and a purpose to my coming.

I’m amazed at how many people do this, especially when I don’t do many conferences or speaking events. I simply enjoy hanging out for a few days talking about this amazing journey and helping people process things they’ve heard or read from me. It also gives an opportunity for people in the same area who are hungry for similar things to connect. I’ve introduced a lot of people to others who became good friends.  I am often asked what it takes to get Wayne Jacobsen to visit somewhere. It simply takes an invitation and a wilingness to facilitate an opportunity for people to come together. There’s no manual for doing this. Mostly I meet with people in homes, garages, shops, or stores, wherever we can find a place for people to come and share part of a day together. If those people can help with my travel expenses and time away, that’s awesome. If they can’t, I know God will have other ways to take care of it.  

So the real heros are those that invite me to come, find a place for us to gather, communicate with those who want to come, and coordinate whatever refreshments and food we might share. Without them none of this would happen.  I am so grateful for all my hosts over the years. Their graciousness opens a wide door for others to be touched. Thank you so much for being part of his kingdom growing in the world…