Dream In Soul

For this Soul Connection Message Pick, here’s “5 Things Every Adult Should Know” from Axis, the 18-20+ community at Willow Creek Community Church. If you live near South Barrington, IL, check out their Gatherings every Wednesday night.

Message Notes:
- What do some of the plots of children’s movies in America tell us about the messages we give to kids about adulthood?
- “How do we begin to move out of our passivity and out of our consumption to begin to experience life in a real way?”
- “Life’s not about you, it’s about something way bigger than you, you just get to be apart of it…”

A few years back I attended a college ministry retreat, the Harvest Institute, and that’s when I first heard about Jim Munroe’s creative show the MAZE, which tours across universities around the country sharing both illusion and truth. Jim shared his story with us of facing serious illness and skepticism and overcoming the loss of a close friend. Below in a video from I Am Second, Jim recounts part of his journey:

Jim entered college with a skepticism about life. The idea of God seemed “silly”. He poured his life into a successful career in magic where a lot of his skepticism was confirmed. There really are “trap doors” and “smoke and mirrors.” But despite doubts, radical things were happening in Jim’s life to turn his world upside down. And then, just when he thought he had it all figured out: Leukemia. When faced with the choices of how to proceed, Jim knew his best chance of living was to allow himself to die first. Chemotherapy to destroy blood cells. New blood to replace his own. Yet how could he allow himself to endure the agony? And why was this happening?
- From I Am Second

Jim Munroe on Life Today

Jim appeared on Life Today a few years back and shared one of his cringe-worthy (and hilarious) tricks, watch below:

More About MAZE

MAZE is an experience that escapes the boundaries of any single definition. In stark contrast to the typical “magic show”, MAZE presents a unique blend of illusion, intuition, psychology, humor, mystery and danger.

The events that happen during a MAZE show leave you entertained, bewildered, distrubed and inadvertantly pondering the question “How can I know what is really true?”

MAZE exists to make waves in the ocean of the widely accepted, rarely challenged, cultural definition of truth.

Designed to evoke emotion, provoke dialogue regarding what you believe to be true, and to expose the rampant deception that exists in present day culture.

To learn more and for booking information visit: http://whatisthemaze.com

Watch a preview of the 2011 MAZE Tour below

“I have been reminded yet again that just because something is not known, celebrated, prominent, or esteemed on earth does not mean it does not have the attention of heaven.

“Never confuse prominence for significance or obedience.”

- Christine Caine in a blog post, “The Prominence Trap”

From the Gateway Worship album God Be Praised.

O the blood
Crimson love
Price of life’s demand
Shameful sin
Placed on Him
The Hope of every man…

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Watch how this illustration of Christ by photographer and social artist Jeremy Cowart is melded together – it’s a combination of creativity and intensity:

After the earthquake in Haiti last year I was inspired by Jeremy’s amazing Voices of Haiti photography project chronicling the stories of the survivors. Learn more about him below:

About Jeremy Cowart

He’s a photographer.
At his core, Jeremy loves to make art. Starting out as a designer, Jeremy really only began taking pictures to bring texture into his design work. Before he knew it, he loved photography (and was getting paid to do it.). So in April of 2005, Jeremy switched over to it full time and he has never looked back. In a relatively short amount of time, Jeremy earned the respect of artists, photographers, and celebrities alike. Now hailed as one of the trailblazers in the industry, Jeremy sees taking a photograph as merely the first step in creating a piece of art…