Brad Crisler

I am, I have decided, the worst blogger in the brief history of blogs.

However, as one of many new year's "revolutions" I vow to update twice as much as I have so far (which puts me at one a month or so...haha)

We have had a very full, rich Christmas. The biggest stress for me was practice for the Christmas concert at Otter Creek. Dawn was singing and I was keeping the kids on the nights leading up to the concert. I would have problems being a full time mom. But the concert itself was glorious and worshipful and inspiring. I love me some Brandon Scott Thomas...

Well...let me say that over the past few years I have really discovered the pure joy in giving. This year I tried to put a lot of thought into the gifts I gave my co-workers. That was fun...Giving things to people that they would never have gotten otherwise....finding that special thing that leaves no doubt that you are actually putting much thought into the person not just a present.
Anyway, I gave my A&R friend Darrell Franklin and long time friend and collaborator Walt Aldridge both Civil War Union buckles that had been dug along the Battle of Nashville battle lines...and I (with very much help from my Father-in-law) built my business partner Craig Wiseman a "Tatergun"...More on that later:)

My best Christmas present? Itunes cards and the Movie "Serenity" Also got the acclaimed "Gospel of John" dvd....

Over the holidays I've been reading quite a bit including the brillant Thomas Cahill book "Desire of the Everlasting Hills" and have just started "Paul" by NT Wright.
I've also downloaded and listened to some lectures by NT Wright. All I can say is these lectures along with Cahill's book along with Randell Wilcher's classes on Paul have deeply moved me more than I have been moved in many years.
I think God is awakening me to the realness of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus of Nazareth. About how we in the 21st Century encounter Christ when we interact with those who are poor (literally and in Spirit) the downtroden, the weak, the needy, those that the world has rejected....I am becoming overwhelmingly convinced that we (I) cannot live in a perpetual middle class, white, intellectual state of being, never venturing out to rub up against those who are hopeless...and expect to rub up against the God that said "when you did it for the least of them, you did it for me"....

I have no idea where that is going to lead me and my family.

But isn't it ironic that we have found ourselves smack in the middle of a Church that has bought into this revelation and are on the move...outward?

I have some catching up to do in my walk with God. Father give me fleet of feet that I may get in line with your will.

Happy New Year....

BC