Faith Dance

12 Favorite Quotes from 2008 (from Faith Dance)

Here are 12 of my favorite quotes this year concerning cgfs. 

Returning....

It's been a couple of days since I've blogged--for the most part I've been enjoying some unplanned but good quality time with Jennifer O.  Although a few weeks back I was planning to just see her at Christmas dinner during the week, things started opening up for us schedule wise and before we knew it, we spent good, significant time together five out of the last seven days--and that's largely the reason for me not to blog over the weekend that much. 

I originally intended to look at some books here over Saturday and Sunday, but alas, when opportunities open up to spend some good quality chunks of time with Jennifer, I don't pass them up!!!  This is the most time we have spent together in such a short stretch of time since 2006.  We had a blast: we saw two good movies, (Gran Torino--which was very powerful and I highly recommend it and The Tale of Despereaux--which, I thought was pretty good, too!) and had some good conversations over food and good drinks.  Also in there, was Christmas shopping for gifts and then post-Christmas shopping for deep discounts and buying certain items from gift certificates. 

As I mentioned earlier, Jennifer, me, as well as Sheila saw God do something wonderful in our friendship this past week.  You know when it is a God-thing of course--it is sweeeeet, unexpected, totally a gift, and you clearly see this as striking.  And all three of us saw God move like that.  This past week has been pretty sweet and cool. 

Highlights Christmas 2008

The past couple of days have been highlight-filled days of richness and feasting when it comes to cross-gender friendships:   

A Small Thing....

it is a small thing but with big meaning for this blog, for my book, and the hope of all cgfs in the world.  :-)

The picture you see in the upper left hand corner presently, is a picture Sheila gave to me as a Christmas present.  In the picture frame itself is "friends [frehndz} noun. plural.  1. those cool people with whom you can be yourself, act silly and laugh out loud.  2. the people with whom you always have tons of FUN!"

Merry Christmas: Faith Dance Style

I wish you all a very merry Christmas this year, faith dance style:

"No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found."

This my friends, extends to cross-gender friendships.  The blessings flow "far as the curse is found."  This means among other things, "joy" to the world not joy when we arrive in heaven only, but joy to the world, "as far as the curse is found."   The beauty of agape-love between sexes in cross-gender friendships as sisters and brothers in Christ can be experienced in this world.

Sharing Life in Cross-Gender Friendship

Cross-Gender friendship days.  They don't happen on a regular basis for me, but when they do, I normally highlight them on my blog.  I have prophetic reasons as to why I shine the focus on them.  It is the communion of brothers and sisters in Christ in its fullness that we will enjoy throughout all eternity.  I see these days as concrete, iconic signs of the communion to come and the communion present--underscoring ongoing freedom, fidelity, and inclusive love in marital spirituality.

It so happens that this advent season that I am blessed with another cross-gender friendship day. 

The Virtuous Woman

These insights are taken from Elizabeth Dreyer's recent book, Making Sense of God: A Woman's Perspective, and her chapter, "The Virtuous Woman."

 

The Social Psychology of Gender

The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations by Laurie Rudman and Peter Glick is a secular textbook that I want to blog on this next week

 

Alice Eagly from Northwestern University says this book is, "The best text I've seen to date on how gender influences social interaction." 

Lilian Calles Barger's Endorsement

Christmas came early for me tonight:

I received another endorsement today--this one from evangelical author Lilian Calles Barger.  Her plug for my book reads:

"Dan Brennan provides a provocative path to rethinking our sexuality and cross-gender friendships. It may be that sex scandals and broken marriages among Christians is the result of a famine in cross-gender friendships.  With sensitivity and insight Brennan explores an often uncomfortable topic and what might be the Achilles' heel of Christian relationships.   A must read for people seeking to build authentic Christian community."

Wow.

Through the Labyrinth: How Women Become Leaders

Over the weekend, I will be blogging on Living Spirituality and also begin looking at Through the Labyrinth: the truth about how women become leaders.