I learned something interesting today. Japan’s prime minister Taro Aso is a Christian. That’s fairly remarkable given that the country’s Christians are estimated to be less than one percent of the population. Even more surprising, Aso is the third Christian prime minister in Japan since the end of World War II, although he is the first Roman Catholic.An article from The Japan Times recounts Christianity’s long but often overlooked history in Japan. I’ve been intrigued by Japanese Christianity since doing research for my book, The Divine Commodity. In  chapter one I retell the story of the Kakure-also known as the hidden or crypto-Christians. As The Japan Times article reports:

Christianity was repressed during the 16th century, seen by the government as a threat to national security, with the shogunate fearing foreign traders…

One of the key ideas of my book, The Divine Commodity, is the reduction of sacred things to commodities. A commodity by definition has little or no inherent value; it’s value is assigned or determined by what it can be exchanged for. For example, we do not value a ten dollar bill because of the inherent value of the paper, ink, or design of the object. We value a ten dollar bill for what it might be exchanged for- a night at the cinema, an overpriced drink at Starbucks, or a few gallons of gasoline.

The problem is when we make sacred things into commodities. When we no longer see God as inherently worthy of our worship because of who he is but because of what we believe he…

It is an honour to be here. A particular honour to be with you Mr. President. The world participated in the celebration of your election. Now the hard work begins. And now, also we should be as steadfast for you in the hard work as in the celebration. You don’t need cheerleaders but partners; not spectators but supporters. The truest friends are those still around when the going is toughest. We offer you our friendship today. We will work with you to make your Presidency one that shapes our destiny to the credit of America and of the world. Mr President, we salute you and wish you well.

And great news about your blackberry. I had the opposite problem. I got my first mobile phone the day after I…

I’ll be in San Diego this week for the National Pastor’s Convention hosted by Zondervan. Leadership’s assistant editor, Brandon O’Brien, will also be there and we’ll both be posting regular updates from the conference at Out of Ur. I’ve been to NPC a number of times in the past, and it’s always a great place to make connections. If you’re planning to attend and would like to chat, be sure to drop me a line.

The schedule this year is pretty full for me. Here are some highlights:

-Meeting with Dan Kimball, Dave Gibbons, Erwin McManus and others to discuss the formation of the new network which is still in its early phases of development.

-I’ll be teaching two seminars: “The Critical Role of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation and Preaching,” and “Why…

At any given moment we are each engaged in three dramas, but only one of them ultimately matters.

First, there is the drama of the practical. These are the events and measurable conditions that surround us every day. For many church leaders the current drama of the practical involves the economic crisis and keeping their ministries solvent. At other times the drama of the practical is about increasing attendance, launching a new program, or financing a building campaign. Those men and women who learn to master the drama of the practical are often the most revered and celebrated. They know how to get things done so we buy their books, attend their conferences, and listen to their advice.

But there is a second drama that many practical actors ignore-the drama…