In "Soul Graffiti" Mark Scandrette writer, poet, and leader in the Emergent church movement uses vivid stories of his own life and the lives of the many people he has encountered in his home in the Mission District of San Francisco to explore what "good news of God" might mean for our particular time and place. He seeks to answer the central question: "How can we be about making a life in the way of Jesus?" Soul Graffiti is a simple and lyrical exploration of the essential message of Jesus as it relates to the experiences of contemporary spiritual seekers. He integrates theological insight with awareness of human psychology, culture, and daily life. Written to appeal to the sensibilities of those who inhabit a post-Christendom milieu, Mark Scandrette's deepest hope is to give readers greater motivation for, and a fuller sense of what it means to make a life in, the way of Jesus.
Table of Contents
Emergent Visions Series Foreword. Foreword. Acknowledgments. Preface. Introduction: Graffiti Punctuating the Silence. PART ONE: HEARING THE MESSAGE OF JESUS IN THE HERE AND NOW. Reading Gandhi in Palm Springs. 1 Curiosity and the Ghosts of the Past. 2 Rabbi and Revolutionary. 3 Community: The Path of a Companion. 4 Experiments in Truth. PART TWO: EMBRACING LIFE AS A GIFT AND SACRED TRUST. Are You Feelin' Me? 5 Darkness and Light: The Scandal of Eternity. 6 Our Eyes as Windows on the World. 7 Living and Telling the Story of Your Life. 8 Creativity: The Path of an Artist. PART THREE: THE GREATER WHOLENESS OF GENESIS-VISION. Fat Chance Belly Dance. 9 The Tiny Seed and the Big Tree. 10 Bread and Wine and the Deeper Magic. 11 Compassion: The Path of a Healer. 12 Beryl: A Semiprecious Jewel. PART FOUR: IMAGINING AND INHABITING THE WAY OF LOVE. Freedom to Run and Play. 13 Contemplation: The Path of a Mystic. 14 Dancing into the Circle. 15 Enter the Jesus Dojo.
Author Biography
Mark Scandrette (www.markscandrette.com) is the executive director and cofounder of ReIMAGINE (www.reimagine.org), a center for spiritual formation in San Francisco that sponsors city-based learning initiatives, peer learning groups, and The Jesus Dojo, a year-long intensive formation process inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus. Mark is a founding member of SEVEN, a monastic community working as advocates for holistic and integrative Christian spirituality. With extensive experience providing leadership in churches and community based organizations, Mark has been a minister, writer, and spiritual teacher for 15 years. Mark is also a senior fellow with Emergent (www.emergentvillage.com), a growing generative friendship among missional Christian leaders. He is married to Lisa Scandrette, an educator and textile artist. They have three children and live in an old Victorian in San Francisco's Mission District.
