signs of emergence in the Ham

09Sep08

fellow post-restorationists, as if one of them needed a nametag

signs of emergence are everywhere. so much going on right now. i want to share stories and news with the locals in the area who are on board with the emergent conversation or whatever you call it.

first, Greg had a great post on the EV blog not too long ago that i thought was brilliant—on the deconstruction of justice.

second, there is a pretty sweet consortium of folks coming together around a table to scheme up justice, dream up art, make some music and share in the Eucharist together. it’s called emuna, and one of the rhythms of this community is the creation of meditative/artistic environments that allow space and time for communion with God. it’s usually at Shades Valley Community Church–a.k.a. the old ice-skating rink in Homewood. stay tuned in to the website for their next environment, then block off an evening and enjoy. the first environment was entitled “born” and was a good sabbath experience. they’re doing some sweet stuff with their space over there–a creative, artistically gifted community. this Thursday (9/11 no less) emuna is gathering for a potluck and drum circle. can’t miss that.

yesterday was an amazing day getting to hang with Brian McLaren, the godfather of the emergent conversation. thanks to Ken I was able to hang out with some Co-op Baptists Fellowship folks with whom Brian was talking. an amazingly approachable, humble guy, Brian shared lunch at our table and i got to be a fly on the wall. i even buzzed around for a bit. then later Brian had graciously accepted our invite to hang at the cohort. nice turnout. there were something like 25 of us in the room. we talked justice, politics, evandalism, and such. Brian shared the story of his journey from pastor to social activist. he spoke about a time he shared with students at a camp. he was winging this lesson and had them right down the “issues” their church was concerned about. guitars in worship, drums in worship, inerrancy of the Bible, dancing… then Brian asked them to create a list of the issues they talk about at school–the important stuff. war, poverty, nuclear weapons, the environment, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse… it was then that Brian saw that “church” as they knew it hardly intersected with the larger issues of their lives. thus a child is born: the idea for Everything Must Change. essentially, he told those students, don’t worry about that other list. it will take care of itself. pursue the weightier things. i look forward to following him to Abilene later this month.

we’ve been fortunate to persuade Phyllis Tickle, the Godmother of Emergent, to spend time with us at Disciples Fellowship, Sunday September 14th, 5:45 p.m. she will be sharing stories, thoughts, and entertaining questions centered around her upcoming release The Great Emergence. you won’t want to miss this. i’m half-way through the read, and it is a beautifully written and sociologically prophetic message for emerging Christians that helps us locate ourselves in an amazing pattern of history. it’s convincing that right now is a “hinge time” in the history of Christianity–very exciting stuff. come get schooled in church history and catch a glimpse of the future. hope to see you there. (by the way, if I had a nickel for every guy I know that has a crush on Phyllis, it would make at the very least a buck [ahem Nic Fiedler, ahem Ken Haynes ahem ahem. ok, me too.])

also, later this month, the cohort is hoping to take a trip to our local Islamic temple for the last night of Ramadan. it’s something Brian suggested last night, akin to the “evangelism project” that ikon participated in–shutting up and learning about our neighbor’s way of faith.

nextly, we (Disciples’ Fellowship) are hosting the Emergent Southeast Regional Gathering Oct 31 (Reformation Day) thru November 2. looking forward to that un-conference chill event. rumor has it that Postmodern Negro will be here, giving us a different perspective of his hometown.

lastly, today, just found out that efforts to book Pete Rollins have succeeded. he’ll be passing thru B’ham (USA–not UK) in February on his “lessons in evandalism” speaking tour. very exciting stuff. i think part of the draw was when i told him Caputo’s friend, Keith Putt at Samford U was hoping he could pass through.

that’s all for now. glory.

Filed under: ecclesia   |  6 Comments
Tags: birmingham alabama, Birmingham Emergent Cohort, Brian McLaren, disciples fellowship, emergent, emerging church, Pete Rollins, Phyllis Tickle