It’s incredibly hard work–this idea of staying centered. Balanced. Finding rhythm.

Within the last year, my wife and I have experienced the sudden death of her father (two days after finding out we were expecting our first child), moving states, changing careers, buying a house, selling a house, having aforementioned baby and taking a job as a pastor.

The last word I would use to describe the events of the previous 12 months is balance.

Life has been more difficult in the last year than I ever imagined. And though I wish there was some magical prayer I could pray to make it more manageable–there just hasn’t been.

And yet here I am, just weeks after finishing the RHYTHM journey with our second group. It wasn’t magical. But it was deep. And true. The movement, relationships and journey with this group of TWENTY men has left me hopeful, inspired and ready to press on. Our time together has given me hope that even amidst struggle, busy-ness, pain, new beginnings and ministry–that a deep RHYTHM is possible. That there is a way to stay centered even in the craziest of times.

I’m once again reminded of the magnitude and need for myself and my peers to lead in ways that hold us steady through the many traverse winters that life pulls us through. I’m reminded of the power found in deep connections to other people and a deep connection to God that we must fight to the death for.

Last week, while in Nashville, I had the privilege of connecting with one of the guys who finished the RHYTHM journey with our first group. His story over the last two years has been written full of adventure, life and hopeful risk. He inspires me. He reminds me to keep going. That even as I help lead the RHYTHM journey, I rest well knowing that I travel not alone. I am led well by the men that I travel alongside.

I’ve been reminded, by the very participants of this wild journey, that no matter how thick the journey gets–I am not alone. I can finish well. I can lead and love my family in beautiful ways. And for the two new groups of RHYTHMinTWENTY that will be launching in the next twelve months–they won’t be alone either.

This journey… it isn’t magical. But it is deep. And true. And every day, it’s making me a better man.

Ben Harms

It is hard to put into words how God is using this RHYTHMinTWENTY experience in the lives of the 20 leaders who just finished our first RHYTHM journey. One thing is for sure, God showed up in amazing ways.

I get a strong sense that TEN and TWENY years from now these guys’ lives, relationships and legacies will be different as a result of what God has done, here.

I wonder what the months ahead will be like in their journeys.  I am filled with hope that life will be different and I’m excited for what is in store as well for the future guys God sends our way.  To explore what it looks like to live with rhythm and balance, to unplug and really listen, to pursue God and the calling he has put into each of our lives—it has been no easy task. But after these last couple of years, I am more convinced that ever that this RHYTHM journey has been life-changing to that end.

I know that true strength in leadership, a leadership that lasts, that others with follow, that will make a difference, that finishes well–is not without struggle and challenge. Thank goodness it doesn’t take perfection and that it will likely be filled with mistakes and adjustments. But I do think it will take a resiliency to hold on through the highs and lows, a hope for the ongoing sacred moments He sends our way and a willingness to step into whatever He has in store for us.

I believe we are all a bit closer to figuring out what that looks like today.

I am going to miss the guys from our first group, but I’m excited to see what God has is in store in the months and years ahead.

Tim Bohlke

The first eighteen months of this RHYTHMinTWENTY journey, has been filled with amazing stories of deep transformation in the lives of leaders from all over the country.  As I have thought about the next two groups of twenty leaders to launch in the months ahead, I get excited for what God has in store.

We hope to deeply invest in 20 young leaders at a time, and invite them into a journey to encounter raw, real, and deep connections with God, themselves and others. It has been a pursuit to chase the dreams God has for them, to live with a greater sense of rhythm, to invest deeply in those they are closest to, and to begin to understand together, what it could mean to finish well.

It is a vision born partly out of the reality in my life and the lives of our team as well that leadership was at times a very lonely, isolated, and difficult walk. A walk that despite the successes carried with it some serious hazards and obstacles that nearly took me out.

As I think about these first two RHYTHM groups, there have been some amazing leaders God has sent our way.  And as a result of quieting down, changing the pace of their lives for just a few days, and listening to God, they are on a new journey, many with renewed commitment to pursue God, their families and new resolve to step into whatever God has for them in the days ahead.

Many times in my own journey I needed that ,“spring in the desert, or the roadway in the wilderness” that is talked about in the book of Isaiah. I needed to enter a harbor, and experience God’s grace and forgiveness. I needed a place to be resourced, restored, inspired, and encouraged to do what it takes to pursue God, to dream big, to run this race, and do my best to finish it well. That is part of what we have hoped for and some of what we have seen in these first months of this journey.

It has been an amazing ride so far, time to hang on and see what is next….

Tim Bohlke

This last year has been an amazing journey. It was a little over a year ago that I was in Quito, Ecuador at a leadership conference, when the vision for Harbor ministries and Rhythmintwenty came into focus. Through an amazing set of circumstances (which I would love to tell you about in the future) God brought me to a place of brokenness, then readiness to take a risk, and seek God like never before. It has been a humbling experience, as an amazing group of people, was willing to step into the unknown, come around the vision of seeing young leaders connect with their calling, and the dreams God has given them, and to seek God about what it means to start and finish well in their families, ministry, work, and their journey with God.

It is even more humbling, that people from all over the country, would consider joining us on this 2 year journey, as we pursue God together. For 20 people, the pursuit, the listening, the dreaming, and the relationships starts this fall. But that is only the starting place! We want to engage far more than 20 a year in this dream. We will have ongoing blogs on this site, monthly news letters for you to track what is going on, we want to  connect you to resources, that we hope will encourage you in your pursuit of God,and your hope of living a life of rhythm and balance. And next year, a NEW group of 20 will start the journey! So this really is just the beginning.

“do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past, behold I will do something new. Now it will spring forth, will you not be aware, it will be like a road in the wilderness, and springs in the dessert”  Ps 43:18-19

Here’s to pursuing those roads, and springs together ……

I look forward to talking to you soon,

tb 

            I’ve been on sabbatical for the last month and one of the goals of my sabbatical time is to get out in the world a bit more.  During my normal life it is very easy for my whole world to revolve around home and church with only occasional exertions out into the rest of the world.  I have friends who are pastors who regularly work local coffee shops, one who probably is at his caffeine haunt MORE than his real “office”.   I had always viewed such habits as peculiar.  After all I have a wonderful office.  My assistant makes coffee for me.  I have all my stuff there.  My chair is comfortable – my office is comfortable but the problem is that I can get so isolated that I forget that there is a world out there beyond the doors of Westwood Church that God intensely loves and is desperately trying to save.   

So I’m trying to do some writing in places like Barnes and Noble and Shirley’s Diner and Burger King (any place with free wireless J).  While I write I’m trying to look around and listen without being nosy.  I’m trying to pray for people I encounter, like a waitress the other day who was having a very tough morning, like a fast-food server headed home after his shift.  I’ve learned a lot during these “observation” times.  One of the things I’ve learned is that people are hurting, the lack of God in their lives shows like a giant weed patch in a garden plot.  Another thing I’ve learned is that people hunger for community.  In every single place I’ve haunted I have seen “regulars”.  At Burger King it was the FedEx guy who eats lunch there every day (skinny as a rail of course – I eat a double whopper and gain 10 pounds) and knows all the crew.  At Shirley’s it was the regular breakfast guys who hassle the waitress and never tip.  At Barnes and Noble it was a group of retired folks who come in to swap stories about loved ones lost, recent troubles and the news in town.  In just listening to them talk (again I’m trying not to be nosy but it is hard J) it is obvious they occupy those chairs about every single day.  And I wonder, why Barnes and Noble and not a church?  Is it that the coffee menus is larger?  Is it the books and magazines to be read?  I doubt it. 

I don’t know the answer but I suspect it has to do with authenticity.  How can we touch the waitress, the FedEx guy, retired coffee drinkers?  I wonder what a whole generation of men and women filled to the brim like a coffee cup with authentic life, genuine compassion, an honest faith released into the drinking holes, the coffee shops, the bars, the clubs would make on this world of ours.  I can’t help but dream….

Where does one go about cultivating authentic life, genuine compassion, honest faith?  Those are 3 of the questions we will gather together in Colorado in October to get face to face and eye to eye about.  Hope to see you there. 

Until then “Excuse me, can I get a refill on my coffee?” 

Scott

the beautiful thing about RHYTHMinTWENTY is that it isn’t an attempt at a one-stop fix your life type of event. it’s far more of a journey than a conference.

hence the multi-year aspect.

and up until now we’ve been talking about it being a three-year journey. well… we sort of suck at math. sort of. but not really. it’s actually three events that take place during three different calendar years (hence-three year journey).

but in reality the journey that we will be on together will span right around two years. (from the fall of ‘08 to ‘09 to ‘10). two year journey happening during three calendar years.

this doesn’t change anything. we haven’t changed our curriculum, or plans…. just a small tweak in language (here and on our website) that hopefully sounds a bit less intimidating.

so thanks for risking to come with us on this crazy adventure—we hope you’ll think about joining us in estes in ‘08, san diego in ‘09 and back to estes in ‘10.

here’s to starting new adventures,
b.h. and the RHYTHM crew.

In a couple of days, part of our team, and wives, will be heading to the lodge in Estes Park, where we will hold the Rhythm event. We are going to plan and pray with anticipation for what God has in store for 20 leaders and their families come October. 

Why families? Because this is not just about the 20 leaders a year we will be working with., This is about all the people we as leaders come in contact with, impact and influence. And the most important, most strategic of all those relationships is your own families that you either currently have, or will have in the years to come. In fact , getting leaders passionately connected to their families is a  core and compelling reason why I am on this journey. And God  reminded me of that last week.

I have been on a frantic pace the last few months. And last week a friend called with the news he had a couple of tickets the the Lakers/Nuggets playoff game in Denver. Now I am no martyr, I love basketball, I like watching it and playing it, but my 13 year old loves it even more. And the Lakers are his team. The problem for me was the only way I could pull this off was driving the 14 hours up and back the same day, and I had more than one person call me crazy for even thinking about it. But I decided to go for it, and it was a great day with Dylan. Watching him light up when the Lakers took the floor made it worth it. It was about much more than a basketball game , we had some great talks, we had alot of fun, and we made a fantastic memory, that will last a long time! 

On the long drive back, God reminded me of one of the key reasons .that we started Rhythm in Twenty . That in the business of life, and in the frantic pace of earning a living, chasing relationships,  pursuing ministry, and doing life, that we don’t miss the hearts of those closest to us. To the best of my ability I want to do that well, and encourage others to do the same.

talk to you soon,

tb 

I continue to wrestle with this comfort zone thing. In my life over the last couple years , God has frequently had me in an uncomfortable place. Everything from significant changes in the season of our family life, including one of our kids who wants to move to Chicago for college(which is not all sad, because I have a great excuse to see the cubs), to moving into a new job after many years of leading another organization, to helping me realize that weariness, boredom and routine in my life was putting me at risk, to helping me see that my marriage was not where it could or should be, to giving the extra time, and taking the steps of faith that needed to happen to see rhythmintwenty come to life.

Time and time again, Gods voice, his calling, has taken me to to the edge of some exciting,  overwhelming , often hard, but an always important place. I suspect many of you are at a crossroads of some sort as well. As you read this , and process the questions you may have about what this rhythm thing is all about, I would like to raise the stakes a bit. In some way, could God be calling you to this?For the last year, this team has been dreaming about what it would be like to have 20 leaders come to gather and encounter God, to seek him about what it means to live a life of rhythm , to find real community and to finish well. I believe God is calling many of you out, to join us on this quest and see where it leads.

Our hope is not in the process, the event, or in the applications, our hope is that God will show up and  move our hearts toward the 20 that he wants in this first year. It is an exciting time, an overwhelming time, an uncomfortable time, and I believe we are right where God wants us to be. Talk to you soon.   

tb  

I’ve been convicted by the blog entry of March 28^th “We are horrible bloggers”.  That sounds so hideous that I’ve determined to reform.   I’m Scott and I am part of the team who is praying out and puzzling out what God might have planned for this RHYTHMinTWENTY journey.   

I got involved partly out of selfish reasons.  For so much of my adult life I have not majored in healthy rhythm.  I’ve majored in achievement and gaining accolades.  I’ve majored in whatever “success” means.  I’ve majored in fun and a good cigar now and then.  But only in the past 5 years or so have I realized that my life is suppose to have a God breathed balance so that the journey that I take is the journey laid out for me by my Creator.   

So —— I’m trying to find that heart beat, that steady bass, that pulse that flows from the Spirit into my soul and then keep on the beat.  That’s what intrigued me about this dream of 20 guys gathering to talk about life and to make honestly a priority and to search for that beat.  I wish I had looked for a rhythm in life when I was a twenty-something instead of racing peddle to the metal into my forties.   

“And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2 

If even God sought out a rhythm for life perhaps I might need to also.  Ya think?  

May God’s Spirit pace your life today,

Scott

tomorrow we all journey together from far away lands to spend a few days in the pursuit of what God might have for this crazy journey. as we plan and prepare, know that the many faces and names of those of you who have already applied will be before us in everything we do. we will be praying deeply for you and your journey-we can’t thank you enough for risking in this endevour with us.

your prayers for our time together and our own relationships with one another are always greatly appreciated.

blessings,
the RHYTHMinTWENTY crew.