I am preparing to travel to Kansas City next week for my next Lewis Fellows Meeting. While Kansas City in the middle of winter is not an ideal place for a California girl to venture, I am very excited about the agenda planned for us while there. We will have the chance to visit Church of the Resurrection, a thriving United Methodist Church there, and dialogue with the large church's staff. We're reading Rev. Adam Hamilton's book in preparation for our visit there. I am also excited to visit with Tim Keel and Jacob's Well. I've been reading his book, Intuitive Leadership, and find it to be a book that resonates with me-- it speaks my language. Keel is not afraid to speak the truth and talk about the disconnect he feels between the modern church and the emerging church-- and how, if we are able to let go of the mechanisms and systems that are so entrenched and have been born out of the modern way of doing things, we will find the heart of what we need to reach those who speak a new language-- a post-modern language.
It will be good to see models of church, both successful mainline and emerging. And perhaps even have a chance to see Andy B. while I am there! I invite your prayers for my safe journey...as this reading will clue you in on why I am a bit more anxious than usual!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Me and Marcia Brady
This past Tuesday, my friend Nicole and I were asked to address a group of people at the local seminary about the Emerging Church Movement. We both assessed the room and immediately felt as if the oxygen was being sucked out of it. Lots of men in suits and ties, looking rather formal (translate: stuffy). I was clearly the youngest person in the room (there were a few other young pastor-types, but they seemed to be playing along with the dress code, if you know what I mean!).
We were told a little about who it was we would be addressing. But for someone who relies so much on understanding and speaking from context, I felt like I was speaking Japanese to a group of Norwegian scholars. Tough crowd, to say the least.
Nicole rocked! She talked passionately and articulately about theology and the Emerging Church, making good connections to the local church and to our Methodist roots. (She's a tough act to follow!) I was tasked with talking about worship, a subject I love to talk about. About a third of the way through, I realized that the humor I wrote into my part of the presentation was completely lost on almost everyone but Nicole. I was speaking from the language, culture, and world view that is comfortable to me, but foreign to most of the church. Because the Church is full of nice people, they listened to the presentation, but its purpose seemed lost on me and those gathered. It was like, "Okay, here's some information about what others are doing, and what these two are engaged in, isn't that nice!" It was not like the seminary was going to make a commitment to engage the Emergent conversation-- they don't have an angry mob demanding it. It's not like these folks in their suits are going to go out and learn more and find ways to lead their churches to change toward reaching the folks this movement is reaching. (Some may try, and they mean well). Mostly it just made me feel like Marcia Brady speaking in front a crowd for the first time-- no way would try and imagine those people in their underwear, but it was an awkward experience nonetheless.
It makes me appreciate Molly's most recent entry about death that much more. We seem to be so scared of things that are outside of our comfort zone, it's much easier for us to either be in denial, or act like an ostrich and bury our heads in the sand. I want to, as Molly suggests, "live faithfully, fearlessly, and freely." I admit it is hard to do in an institution that moves at the pace we do.
I know that I've got to keep doing what I'm doing-- and I thank God for a community like Hope where I am truly getting to lead from a place where authenticity, community, love, and following Jesus is what we're all about. They don't know that the greater church is endangered. Praise God for that.
We were told a little about who it was we would be addressing. But for someone who relies so much on understanding and speaking from context, I felt like I was speaking Japanese to a group of Norwegian scholars. Tough crowd, to say the least.
Nicole rocked! She talked passionately and articulately about theology and the Emerging Church, making good connections to the local church and to our Methodist roots. (She's a tough act to follow!) I was tasked with talking about worship, a subject I love to talk about. About a third of the way through, I realized that the humor I wrote into my part of the presentation was completely lost on almost everyone but Nicole. I was speaking from the language, culture, and world view that is comfortable to me, but foreign to most of the church. Because the Church is full of nice people, they listened to the presentation, but its purpose seemed lost on me and those gathered. It was like, "Okay, here's some information about what others are doing, and what these two are engaged in, isn't that nice!" It was not like the seminary was going to make a commitment to engage the Emergent conversation-- they don't have an angry mob demanding it. It's not like these folks in their suits are going to go out and learn more and find ways to lead their churches to change toward reaching the folks this movement is reaching. (Some may try, and they mean well). Mostly it just made me feel like Marcia Brady speaking in front a crowd for the first time-- no way would try and imagine those people in their underwear, but it was an awkward experience nonetheless.
It makes me appreciate Molly's most recent entry about death that much more. We seem to be so scared of things that are outside of our comfort zone, it's much easier for us to either be in denial, or act like an ostrich and bury our heads in the sand. I want to, as Molly suggests, "live faithfully, fearlessly, and freely." I admit it is hard to do in an institution that moves at the pace we do.
I know that I've got to keep doing what I'm doing-- and I thank God for a community like Hope where I am truly getting to lead from a place where authenticity, community, love, and following Jesus is what we're all about. They don't know that the greater church is endangered. Praise God for that.
Friday, January 04, 2008
A Scary Trend....
So I have noticed lately that everywhere I go people seem to be practicing what I'd like to call, "Dude, you don't matter, so I don't see you." Unlike mindfulness, a practice where you are encouraged to experience the presence of things and people around you, this practice is a way for people to build even taller and stronger imaginary walls-- so strong in fact, that they act as if they'll stop cars from hitting them, or conversely if it is the car, it won't hit what it "doesn't" see.
Why do I bring this up?
About a month ago, I was pulling up to a corner to turn right off my street to head back to the church. A young man, with no head phones, cell phone or anything else to distract him, walked across the intersection without once glancing around him to see if there were cars, bikes, aliens vehicles that might keep him from successfully and safely crossing the street. He walked, eyes affixed straight forward, never seeming to take his eyes off the horizon. Luckily, I noticed him heading across the street as I pulled up and was able to break a bit more than I would have normally. I could not help but think, "Dude, even in a pedestrian city like Boston, you don't look, you die!" As I drove down the street the same direction he was walking, I looked over to see if he might notice me staring at him. Nothing. Blank. Not in a Zombie sort of way, for I'd get my brain out of there as fast as I could. It was pretty clear, in his world, I did not exist.
Another example happened today as Joel and I finished our shopping at Trader Joes. I went to return the shopping cart to its shopping cart home while Joel got into the Jeep. As I made my way back across the street, being mindful of vehicles, carts, crying children, the lack of promised downpour of rain, I noticed two cars speeding in the parking lot in front of the store at me! Again, I attempted eye contact with both drivers only to find them staring straight ahead at the horizon.
So what's up with this scary trend? I still exist even if they don't look at me....did they not learn this? Is it way for people to thumb their noses at strangers? Or are we just that scared that someone else might notice us or we might notice someone else and be forced to do something?
Oh, and go see the movie, "Juno," if you have not. The best movie I've seen in awhile!
Why do I bring this up?
About a month ago, I was pulling up to a corner to turn right off my street to head back to the church. A young man, with no head phones, cell phone or anything else to distract him, walked across the intersection without once glancing around him to see if there were cars, bikes, aliens vehicles that might keep him from successfully and safely crossing the street. He walked, eyes affixed straight forward, never seeming to take his eyes off the horizon. Luckily, I noticed him heading across the street as I pulled up and was able to break a bit more than I would have normally. I could not help but think, "Dude, even in a pedestrian city like Boston, you don't look, you die!" As I drove down the street the same direction he was walking, I looked over to see if he might notice me staring at him. Nothing. Blank. Not in a Zombie sort of way, for I'd get my brain out of there as fast as I could. It was pretty clear, in his world, I did not exist.
Another example happened today as Joel and I finished our shopping at Trader Joes. I went to return the shopping cart to its shopping cart home while Joel got into the Jeep. As I made my way back across the street, being mindful of vehicles, carts, crying children, the lack of promised downpour of rain, I noticed two cars speeding in the parking lot in front of the store at me! Again, I attempted eye contact with both drivers only to find them staring straight ahead at the horizon.
So what's up with this scary trend? I still exist even if they don't look at me....did they not learn this? Is it way for people to thumb their noses at strangers? Or are we just that scared that someone else might notice us or we might notice someone else and be forced to do something?
Oh, and go see the movie, "Juno," if you have not. The best movie I've seen in awhile!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Happy New Year!
Hope your holidays were great....mine were, minus the super-cold that took hold after Christmas....still battling it, but with the help of medicine and rest hope to feel better soon....
I want to share with you a link to this post. It's written by my friend Krista who is serving as a missionary in Germany. She tackles something many pastors deal with in their ministry, personal time, and shares especially from her context. It is worth a read!
I want to share with you a link to this post. It's written by my friend Krista who is serving as a missionary in Germany. She tackles something many pastors deal with in their ministry, personal time, and shares especially from her context. It is worth a read!
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