It Has Begun

I started it yesterday. No, for real. For really real!

I guess it actually began with one post, one rant on July 5th. Then the unthinkable happened: I named it. From there it all went down hill. Over time, it received it’s own section and a series of posts ensued. Before long I had a burning sense of obligation to let the cat–the vision–out of the bag.

The consummation occurred at Target, of all places. Yesterday morning I bought a file case, 3 legal pads, and some pens. The final “act” occurred in my office when I printed off 12 past blog posts. At around 8:00 PM EST, I gave birth to The Politics of Yeast, a premie on life support, but birthed none the less.

While I was sort of serious about writing an actual book when I started the series of posts on an alternative vision for reaching Capitol Hill, it has really only been in the last week that I have felt led to get serious about writing this thing. I’m excited, quite nervous, but passionate about this whole idea of approaching the Capitol Hill community missionally by loving it with the gospel of Jesus Christ and living within it incarnationally, and communicating that vision with the pen. I intend to see this project through to the end as in a finished, published book. But whether I self-publish it through some online self-publishing deal or somehow, by the grace of God, receive a contract with a publisher I really don’t care. Now don’t get me wrong. I would definitely love the real deal and desire to get the message out about this alternative vision, but I guess it’s the act of writing and wrestling that I am after.

I thought I would include in this post my working sections and chapters. Feel free to comment on what you’d like to see in this project, because I know some of you have been following my posts for a few months. Here is what I’ve come up with so far. These are the sections and chapters, with VERY working titles:

Ch. 1- Introduction

Sec. 1- Status Quo
Ch. 2- What is going on? (current efforts and tactics)
Ch. 3- Why SQ not working and harmful
Ch. 4- Scriptural Rebuke to SQ

Sec. 2- Mission Field
Ch. 5- Capitol Hill Community: A Reunderstanding
Ch. 6- Emerging Postmodern, Post-Christian Culture

Sec. 3- The Politics of Yeast
Ch. 7- A Parable
Ch. 8- Kingdom Vision
Ch. 9- Jesus & Politics/Culture

Sec. 4-American Christian Engagement
Ch. 10- Appeal to Gov. Leaders
Ch. 11- Appeal to Staffers
Ch. 12- Appeal to Christian Citizens

Ch. 13- Yeast: An Alternative Vision