Where Has theultrarev Been?

Good question. I haven't posted in a month which is the longest interval since I started blogging in June of 2004.  I have so much to say and have 210 drafts as potential stuff I have wanted to blog about but haven't published.  My blog voice has been hoarse over the past couple months. Being underemployed and out of regular contact with colleagues and friends has left me somewhat thoughtless.  The Scripture says, "Iron sharpens iron."  I definitely have not had enough of that in recent times but I am so very thank for DRH, Jason and Scott who minister to me and help me think deep thoughts. I'm just not that sharp at the moment. I've also had some issues affecting my sleep and haven't been fully awake for a couple months. So I want to get back in blog action. I still have a lot to say about sex and marriage, church planting, theology, pimping the Anglican Mission, thinking missionally, evangelical culture, the Anglican crisis and other stuff. I have some more posts about Lessons Learned From Being Unemployed that will be forthcoming shortly. I think I also have been somewhat affected by the Facebook status line, which has made think in sound bytes instead of comprehensive posts. So what have I been up to lately?  I work on a case by case basis as a Private Investigator, or as my son Benny likes to think: I'm a spy.  Another way to think about it is as a paid stalker.  I'm probably the only ordained PI out there but it's entertaining.  It's not an everyday job but whenever they have work for me. I recently was out in OH at the Great Lakes Conference Ministerium Annual Meeting.  Traveled with the boys from Grace Cov in Clay.  Saw a lot of good people like Vernon the Demolish Derby Dude, Nate whose ecclesiology is whacked but has me thinking deeply about the future of the church and congregations, Weebs was our speaker and of course saw Lucco and the Shermanator.  It was all good. We've been going to church at Grace on and off over the past months instead of Catalyst. Miss Mazz and the Catalyst people.  I'm not sure it was a real intentional change.  I had so many speaking engagements in other churches that we didn't go to Catalyst for a couple months in the fall and then the same thing happened again in the winter.  After the second incident the family really wanted to explore some other options. Still have a deep affection for Mazz and Catalyst. We're still hoping to plant a church in CNY.  Phoenix, NY is still very much on our radar. Honestly I want more than Phoenix. I'm thinking long and hard about new churches in Liverpool, Mattydale, Cicero, Brewerton, Central Square, the north side of Syracuse and the Rt. 57 corridor from Liverpool to Fulton. When I say "We" I'm not using the royal we and talking about myself in plural. "We" is my wife and mission partners like Scott Emery. Just wondering out loud, how can we plant more than one church at once? Any ideas? Would you like to be part of a church plant in Central New York -- particularly one of the above named communities?  Let me know. Although I am part of a great church planting tribe, the Evangelical Covenant Church, we are very seriously considering planting with the Anglican Mission. Can you imagine, Fr. Steven M. Evans with the collar, vested and serving the eucharist? Could happen. I've been trying to rouse some interest for an Anglican Church plant in Rome, NY but it hasn't really resulted in much. I did create a web site for Oneida County Anglicans but it doesn't have much traffic and it's outdated like this site. This week I'm at the Ecclesia Church Planter's training with Scott and hanging with the likes of missional church planters/leaders Dr. David Fitch, Bob Hyatt, Chris Backert, JR Briggs, JR Woodward, Doug Paul, Winn Collier, and others. I received some free books: Let God: The Transforming Wisdom of Fenelon edited by Winn Collier and ViralHope: Good News from the Urbs to the Burbs (and Everything in Between) by JR Woodward aka DreamAwakener. UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLY good stuff. We're at Richmond Hill, an intentional ecumenical community and observing the daily hours, which I'm thoroughly enjoying. While I'm here, I also went to Trader Joe's on the search for 2 buck Chuck's which is now $3.29. I bought several. Little League has started and my three boys are playing at three different levels so I am at a game or a practice 5 out 7 days a week. My family is huge fans of Liverpool Little League. In three years with my boys playing on a total of 13 different teams, I have never seen a parent, coach, player or umpire act inappropriately. This league is so classy. So many positive people and so many people who give extremely generously of their time and invest in my kids lives. I'm extremely grateful. Full time ministry options remain very few and far between. I am exploring some retraining options and hope to announce something about that soon. Good things are coming my way and I'm excited. Please, please, please post a comment and let me know what you like or don't about the Land of the Ultra Rev. And tell me about your life.  Thanks.