Why Fibonacci Faith?
I’ll be honest. I love the fibonacci sequence for a ‘number’ of reasons. The structure and sequence inherent in this mysterious number pattern creates immense beauty, as seen throughout nature. I’m increasingly convinced that beauty is God’s love song, intended to woo us to Himself, if we’ll but listen and respond. My commitment to things that are beautiful: truth, hospitality, generosity, humility, and intimacy, are growing quickly as the world settles into increasing fear and isolation. So I’m keeping the fibonacci concept alive by renaming my blog in hopes that it will remind, each time I write, that beauty matters, as evidenced by the reality that God has built beauty into all nature, including math!
But there’s more, this sequence spirals outward, in a clear and expansive pattern. Ephesians 1:11-12 reads this way: “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got out hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.” A different translation says the same thing, when it says that history is headed towards, “the summing up of all things in Christ.”
All things! Salvation and transformation might begin in the deepest recesses of hearts, as we pray to receive Christ at a camp meeting, or in a motel room reading a Bible, or whatever. But the great news, the incredible news, really, is that this transforming work, which began there, works its way out, into my emotions, mind, will, body, vocation, finances, and more. As it does so, I begin to affect others around me; family, neighbors, friends, enemies, with this same infectuous transforming love. Love begats love in a sort of “pay it forward” way, so that shards of light and glory become scattered across the landscape of our world.
This means Christ is intended to affect everything, including politics, art, sexuality, public policy, consumerist habits, environmentalism, racism, and…well, everything else too.
So, this blog, at least for now, is about considering the vast and various implications of Christ’s transforming power. What does “Jesus is Lord” mean for us in the various areas of our lives we’re called to steward? That’s the conversation.
Who am I, the Raincitypastor?
Richard Dahlstrom
I love good coffee, early mornings and late nights, God, good conversation, climbing, music, movies, sport, art, food and wine, laughter, stories, sleeping outside, log cabins, beauty, scooters, Bikes, simplicity, generosity, creativity, hope.
Pastor of Bethany Community Church
Author of The Colors of Hope (free chapter here) and o2: Breathing New Life into Faith
Teacher with Torchbearers Missionary Fellowship
Welcome. I hope you’ll join me often.
Posted by Eric Dacus on October 20, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Can you please enable full article on your feed? Only getting the summary makes it hard to read in a feed-reader.
Posted by shannon price on October 26, 2009 at 2:00 am
hi richard, i go to bethany, but we have never met. i really enjoy your blog and i have been comforted, inspired, challenged, and encouraged by your words. my husband and i are traveling all over the world, so it helps me feel connected to bethany. i am a words person, so thank you for sharing yours in sermons and your blog. i just linked to you on my own blog where i’m trying out blogging, too. hopefully your words will make it all the way to alabama where my friends and family are. grace and peace. shannon
Posted by nicanor tamang on November 3, 2009 at 5:42 am
Dear Pastor Richard,
Hope you have not forgotten the Tamangs in the whirwind of blgs, twitter and facebook.
The simple message is still valid- God loves and wants all know him, repent and come to him.
It is wonderful to know you are still with Bethany which means commitment to the congregation and toleration of the congregation! To be pastor of one church for a long time means the people there really love you and praise God.
Be in touch
Nicanor Tamang
Posted by Kevin on January 8, 2010 at 8:45 pm
Fibonacci Faith? Did you get hacked or are you just on some sort of inexplicable math kick?
Posted by Kevin on January 8, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Ah, I get it. The title change came before the explanation. But does this not somewhat infer that transformation is predictable, even rational? I don’t think I completely agree with you on that.
On another note, I like how you refer to yourself as “The Raincitypastor,” almost like the protagonist from some long bygone radio drama.
Posted by Kevin on January 8, 2010 at 9:26 pm
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The RainCityPastor knows!”
Posted by Glenda on January 8, 2010 at 9:36 pm
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/alone.png
Posted by Sam B. on January 8, 2010 at 9:45 pm
I agree. However, I cringe when math professors emphasize how math is so beautiful.
Posted by Glenda on January 8, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Not me. I think there there is something glorious in symmetry and precision; I don’t know if I’d go so far as to call it “divine” but glorious, nonetheless.
Posted by Leif on February 10, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Ohhh man. I thought I have been really following what you’ve been preachin’, but now? Hey,…I struggled with Math 099 and your talkin’ Fibonacci? Maybe I’m not gettin’ it?
All things bright & beautiful brother! Keep preachin’ it!
Posted by Kevin on March 23, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Posted by Jeff Ensroth on March 29, 2010 at 11:37 am
Richard,
Greetings from Michigan.
I think you would be interested in the work of an old art teacher of mine, David Barr. http://www.davidbarrart.com/ In addition to his global conceptual pieces, his sculpture and wall reliefs are all based on the Fibonacci series. Beautiful stuff.
Thanks for the blog. It keeps my heart and memory open to meeting with you for coffee at the Greenlake Starbucks way back when.
Jeff
Posted by Katie Haak on April 11, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Hey Richard,
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for introducing yourself to me at church and saying hi. I have been going to Bethany for over a year now, but I am definitely a passive attender. I am a student at UW and I have many other comittments to college ministries and younglife, so I haven’t really invested wholeheartedly in Bethany.
That being said, I just wanted you to know that your sermons are such a challenging encouragement to me. I am excited at all the ways that I have been invited to be involved at Bethany.
Your sermon today warning agains “spiritual consumerism” was a good reminder to me to actively seek out time to be in intimacy with Jesus, as well as others who know and love him. I know this can be a conscious choice we make every day, regardless of where we are in life/work/school.
Thank you!
In His Love,
Katie
Posted by Kristi on May 19, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Lovely new theme! Also… tag cloud!
Posted by Ken Karg on May 24, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Richard,
I’m a past student and now full time staff member of Capernwray Harbour on Thetis Island we met briefly last fall when you taught here. i was the guy who helped you miss the float plane on the friday afternoon you were trying to get back home.
Just a note to say how much your ministry has been apart of the Christ transforming power in my life. I read your book at christmas and attended bethany a few months ago with a group of Capernwray students on a missions trip. Your sermon was on Romans 8 and was one of the best sermons i’ve heard in years (especially with the hockey analogies). Since then i’ve been downloading the sermon podcasts and listening to them while i work here in the maintenance department.
Thank you so much for your faithfulness it has been a really blessing and encouragement!
Posted by Deborah Ferguson on August 16, 2010 at 8:21 am
Hi Richard,
Didn’t know how else to contact you. After hearing your sermon on Aug. 15 about the beauty of Christ, I found this and thought you might be interested. Blessings!
http://experimentaltheology.blogspot.com/2010/08/thoughts-on-christian-art.html
Posted by Hannah Lunstrum on November 3, 2010 at 8:11 am
Hi Richard, I work with youth in Monroe Wa and I really enjoy your podcasts and blogs. Obviously you dont know who I am but I wanted to ask for your help. We are trying to make Monroe a better place for teens by starting usic programming and we need people to vote for our idea. You can see everything at http://www.refresheverything.com/letteensrock
Please, please please at least look at it and decide of you can help pass the word from there. Thank you so much for your time and consideration! I dont usually beg people but when its something you are passionate about its funny the things you will do!
http://pep.si/bTt0lb
Posted by mrmealor on November 18, 2010 at 10:41 pm
Love the site. Just found it tonight.
Posted by dena dillon on January 23, 2011 at 5:19 pm
Hi Pastor – question re: O2. In chapter on the Intimacy Invitation (or Invasion
): Prayer, you say that I can find more information on your blog about the practice of “silent” prayer – “focused on silence, sitting with the conscious awareness of Christ’s presence and listening for His voice.” (p169). Perhaps it’s on your blog somewhere, but I can’t locate it. Could you please provide the link or where I can find that resource? BTW – thanks so much for your powerful, timely messages. God has indeed given you a wonderful gift and you are using it to speak to us! Thank you and thank God!
Posted by raincitypastor on January 24, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Thanks much for the encouragement and I’m happy to provide the “missing link” (and grateful we’re talking about prayer rather than evolution!). This article covers the essence of the subject well, though I’d suggest starting with five minutes or so, rather than 25! I’d also suggest that it’s possible to use longer prayers or passages of scripture, such as the 22rd Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer, matching phrasing with breathing and repeating.
I hope this is helpful, and know that the broader American church, distracted as we are with pop stars, loud music, and glitter, desperately needs this simplicity. May you find joy in pursuing Him through this. PS – I’ve a new book coming in May, which I hope you’ll also enjoy.
Posted by Dena on January 27, 2011 at 11:10 am
Thank you! – Sorry, I don’t see the link??? Am I not looking in the right place?
We are on our second read of O2 and are very much looking forward to your next book! Thank again – dena
Posted by raincitypastor on January 27, 2011 at 11:20 am
http://www.stphilips.bc.ca/Rector's%20Writings/LearningtheWayofSilentPrayer.pdf
Wow… don’t know how it’s disappeared, but hope this helps. – and thanks again for the encouragement
Posted by Brian Barnes on February 2, 2011 at 9:48 am
Greetings Pastor Richard. Please consider publishing your blog on Kindle. It’s a very simple process that takes about 5 minutes to set up and then you don’t ever have to touch it again. It just picks up the feed from your normal blog and makes it available on Amazon for Kindle e-reader users. The only downside is that Amazon sets the price for the blog subscription ($.99/month), but I would gladly pay that for the convenience of receiving Fibonacci Faith on my Kindle. Here’s the link for setting up your Kindle Publishing account:
https://kindlepublishing.amazon.com/gp/vendor/sign-in
Thanks,
Brian Barnes
Posted by Diane M. Stemen on May 2, 2011 at 11:45 am
Where are you located state wise?….Need to get message out “JESUS is COMING….angel unaware*
Posted by jon demeter on May 5, 2011 at 5:37 pm
Richard,
We met last summer at Forest Home. I work with Athletes in Action. We hung out a couple times during camp, we talked about ministry and how to be a better communicator. I have a super hot wife and I made fun of those crazy shoes you wore to the pool.
I just wanted to let you know that I just received a copy of your new book. Thank you so much for thinking of us! I can’t wait to dive into it. I’ve also been listening to you via podcast over the last year. Very encouaraging to my soul.
I still have you on my radar for people to contact when our football team (U of Arizona) comes up to play the Huskies this fall. Thanks again for the book!