In May 2005 I launched this space with the desire to explore, open handedly, the newness I was experiencing in every area of my life, but especially my spiritual self. (You can read more about the name novus•lumen, here). After entering a period of faith-deconstruction, I set out to offer new ideas and receive fresh understanding on a whole range of things: god, church, jesus, culture, the republican party, social responsibility, etc…For the first time I was giving serious thought to how this world worked, my place in it, and how God and faith (if in any way) fit into this new national epoch of terrorism, polarity, consumerism, globalization, diversity, power, despair, and greed. Launching this blog was a way for me to digitally ink-out what I was experiencing while living in the tension of an emerging faith and postmodern America, and add my voice to a similar national conversation which had begun a few years before.

Two years later I moved back to a place I fled 5 years prior: my home town, Grand Rapids, Michigan. While I returned to pursue the Master of Divinity at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, I am convinced I was beckoned back home, called if you will. Since returning I was placed in a wonderful church community where I have the opportunity to teach and lead. I also entered into this wonderful, yet mysterious, thing called marriage after the most AH-mazing gal on the planet said “I do.” It has been quite an interesting and exciting ride since!

Along the way I’ve made some great friendships, entered into some significant conversations, and fell in love with Grand Rapids. While I used to raise my nose in disgust at this city for being so backwards and thoroughly midwestern, I now believe that some significant things are going on here, both culturally and spiritually. For one, my city hosted one of the largest art competitions in the world with the largest prize, called ArtPrize. I have also seen a significant shift spiritually, especially among my generation (18-35), away from the hyper-dominant form of organized religion: Christianity. Not just any form of Christianity, mind you, but conservative Reformed and Evangelical Christianity. While Catholicism and Orthodoxy is present in this part of the mid-west, Reformed Christianity and variations of Evangelicalism dominate. This last shift has consumed my interest the last 2 and 1/2 years since returning.

Since returning after being disconnected form my hometown for really 9 years (4 in college and 5 in DC), I was amazed and alarmed at the shift away from the Church among many of my peers and even childhood friends. It seems as though a generation has entered the front door of the Church, endured 18 years of Churchianity, and swiftly exited out the back once they’ve gained their adult freedom. Now many here look upon the Church with as much disdain as the rest of America, viewing her as anti-gay, judgmental, and hypocritical. (See the books, unChristian , for more information on this national phenomenon.) The response from this area is two-fold: 1) like elsewhere, churches are aging and dying; and 2) like elsewhere, other more progressive forms of Church are popping up. Both responses have my attention.

In concern that my generation is leaving the American church en masse, I wrote a little book to challenge the church, especially the Grand Rapids variety, to think about the Jesus She shows and the Story She tells. In regards to the later response, I’ve begun to write more openly to challenge certain trends I sense within these emerging versions of Christianity. But here’s the deal: I want to do more.

In recent days I’ve had this idea to take this space and transform it into a hyper-local cultural and spiritual space of inquiry. As I have become more involved and fallen more in love with my city and considered my place in it, I’ve thought it might be nice to shift my focus away from the national conversation to the local one. Part of this came about through pragmatism: it is much easier to join a hyperlocal conversation and provide input to it at a city-wide scale than a national one. The other part came through a recent study and reflection on the Acts of the Apostles and noticing how hyperlocal Jesus desired His disciples to begin in order to affect change for His Kingdom.

So today, novus•lumen is going hyperlocal. While I certainly welcome input and reflection from my friends around the country, I am shifting my focus toward providing commentary, thoughts, musings, and reflections on the culture and spirituality of Grand Rapids.

But as I say in my about section, I want to come before my city, God, and the world open-handedly. I want to come to give because I think I have somethings to say about a few things, but I desire to offer them in humility. I also come to receive, because I am a journeyman and know that my own clearness and continued understanding will only occur in community and conversation.

While the tumbleweeds have wreaked havoc throughout this space for several months because of sparse content, my plan is to post at least 500 word posts two times a week to start on Mondays and Thursdays. My hope for the new novus•lumen 2.0 is that through my hyperlocal participation in the blogosphere I may influence some city-wide conversations and spark some “Ah-ha!” moments among my fellow journey-persons, all the while growing and clarifying my own understanding in the process.