prayer for Uganda

Jamie posts an urgent prayer request for the Pader region of Uganda:

"Many people in the Pader region have been forced to live in the IDP camps as a result of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the area. They live in extremely difficult conditions under the dubious, but essential protection of the government soldiers. In the last day or so the government soldiers have pulled out of the region, leaving the camps and communities unprotected. When questioned as to why, the commanding officers said only that the orders came from "higher levels".

"Please pray for the people in these regions as they are once again exposed to the dangers of the LRA. While the government soldiers are often violent and exploitive, they offered what little protection was available."

from my camera

I cleared the photos off my camera this morning. Thought I'd

share a few with you.

A while back I promised a pic of Cupcake after a good roll in the mud.





This morning I snapped this shot of a young deer finishing off Cupcake's grain crumbs from last night.






The she got spooked when I moved.

Keith and Ruby watching a movie.

Breakfast conversation

Breakfast Conversation
or
How to Know When You’ve Lost the Attention of Your Seven Year Old

Me: “After lunch we’ll go to the Museum and then we’ll walk around the pond by the Museum for a while.”

Ruby: “Great!”

Me: “Then we’ll go to the pharmacy, return our movies, and if there’s time we’ll get groceries before soccer practice.”

Ruby: “You know what else we could do?”

Me: “What?”

Ruby: “Well, not just us, but with the space people…”

Me: “Which space people?”

Ruby: “You know, the astronauts.”

Me: “Okay….”

Ruby: “We can go up in the space ship and fly to the other side of the sun to see which planets are over there and maybe discover a new galaxy!”

Me: “Yes, that would be really cool.”

I got the message. Museum- good. Pond- good. Grocery store- not good.

She’s right. Conversation over.

conversations

Brother Maynard is asking what we think of the newly revised Wikipedia entry on the emerging church. It's worth taking a look. I'm going to spend more time with it later, but I'd also like to know what you think.

In a discussion at my earlier post introducing Melvin Bray, Wes and Melvin are trying to help me understand paradigm shift in regard to the modern/ postmodern church. I'm also trying to figure out what is to become of the Church that is now. Please tell me what you think. I need all the help I can get.

And last but not least, Robby has new glasses. I feel his pain. At least I probably will very soon.

To those of you on my blogroll, I'm sorry for not commenting much lately. I try to get around to everyone when I can, but time is short these days. Lately I've been forced to choose between getting enough sleep or getting a little time to myself. Either choice leaves my fuse short- too short. I've been recently choosing the sleep, but I'll switch out soon. Won't make much difference in the long run probably. Hopefully I'll have something worthwhile to say before summer, but I make no guarantees.

Mainline Emergent/s- Meet Melvin Bray

Melvin Bray

Melvin Bray and Pat Hannon (Pat’s the one without dreads) are part of the Atlanta Emergent Cohort that led our worship services in the conference. I waited to mention the worship until I heard from Melvin (who owes me no apology at all). Melvin got to do some cool things like read poetry and responsive readings. Pat had the thankless chore, best I could tell, of running a sound board with several instruments and 6 or 8 mics, some cordless, which constantly moved around the room threatening all sorts of chaos. He handled the task very well. I doubt many of the folks in attendance (mostly pastors) had any idea what Pat was up against.

I enjoyed the worship at each gathering. Okay- I’m not totally comfortable with hip-hop in worship (there were several styles of music - including what I guess you’d call a form of jazz fusion?), but I was able to appreciate it for what it was and that it was genuine. I have to admit that it was also just nice- really nice- to not be the one leading.

Melvin has commented on two of my posts: "and in conclusion" and "Mainline Emergent/s: Frustration." Here is some of what he wrote in "Mainline Emergent/s: Frustration” in response to my wondering if the move from modern to post modern is a leap or a process:

“Wow. I've never heard that question posed before, Cindy. Leap or process? It so encapsulates the frustration I think we all have felt at one time or another as we've waded deeper into the Emergent conversation.“

If I might venture at some thoughts about it, I would guess that the question is not one of either/or, but when/when? From my observation, the process of emerging is mainly and necessarily intimate, both inwardly and interpersonally. But as emergence begins to take place, one takes these dramatic public and contextual leaps. Maybe the difference is between that of conviction and conversion, to use some good ol’ church language. It may take one a while to be truly convicted of a thing--like an addict becoming convinced of her addiction--but once the realization has been made, conversion (repentance) must be all out. One cannot wean one's self out of addictive behavior; it's a daily, flat-out, no looking back refusal of what use to be. At the same time, emergence never violates the right of every person in a community to be fully persuaded in his/her own mind and heart, which is why the conversation must be ongoing.“

So you end up with these churches that are most easily identified as "emerging," like Solomon's Porch, that seem so utterly different than what you and I may have grown up identifying as "church". Those who seem to have emerged most successfully have deconstructed and reconstructed anew what it means to be church where they are, and it’s refreshing, though often frustratingly so. If one is finding resonance with the conversation, one can't help but want to be a part of a local community seeking to embody these things, and if there isn't a large enough group close at hand to connect with, one looks to find what part of this Emergent-thing they might be able to incorporate in their current congregation. And that's where I think we begin to ask something of the conversation that it cannot give: Emergent fashion tips. “Emergent is not a style; its a way of being. Almost every stylistic element of a so-called "emerging church" has been co-opted from somewhere else--quite often the very denominational traditions out of which the persons involved are emerging. More often than not, what appear to be elements of an "emerging style" are old practices that have been given new meaning because they are now being embodied by a communion (a guild, perhaps) of folks who have been intentional in embracing specific practices that better fit their community to embrace God's Shalom in the here-and-now.”


I’m going to ask for some more discussion at this point. Melvin makes the analogy that emergence from modern to post modern is, in some ways- leaving out the obvious negative connotations, like the change an addict makes in adopting a new sober lifestyle. He also says that emergent isn’t a style to be imitated, rather a way of being. Point well taken.

In following that analogy a little farther (bear with me), can’t we say, though, that there’s a time an addict must act in a new way before being fully convinced that the change is good? Fear, anxiety, and uncertainty go hand in hand with willing change, right?

Melvin also said that perhaps the change happens through internal process and external leaps. Here’s my question: Do you think it’s possible that a congregation that knows it’s in need of something (but doesn’t know what) could be slowly introduced to a new way of internal thinking (emergence) about Christ and the Church through a series of external changes- as in worship?

Further in Melvin’s comments he pointed out that most people in churches that are fully emerging wouldn’t even know the term “emerging”. Considering that internal changes are invisible (duh), isn’t it possible that there are a lot of folks out there who are being spiritually readied for a change (by God), though are, as yet, mostly unaware of it? How do we address this possibility other than changing our behavior as a congregation first, a little at a time, to see if the new exterior “fits” our changing interior thoughts?

Of course I’m not proposing a forcing of “emergent fashion” onto unwilling congregations. But my observation is that even in some churches that are still fully modern and traditional there is an unsettledness, a readiness on the part of some, to realize something different/more.

I love the notion of a paradigm shift. It’s romantic and exciting. But I’ve yet to see a real example of one that occurred instantly. The Church has two millennia under its belt, and we’ve yet to experience anything but gradual changes. The politicization of the Church under Rome would have to be the fastest major shift, and even that, though decreed in one fell swoop, took centuries to be fully realized.

I believe the 21st Century will in fact see one of the most significant changes so far in the Church. I’m not yet convinced, however, that the old will have to die off while the new comes in a different door. We are today part of the generation in flux. Should those of us ready for the paradigm shift just abandon the millions of faithful followers and move on, while those not privy to the vision stagnate in their unsettledness?

The fact that 300 people, mostly clergy, attended a conference called “Mainline Emergent/s,” in the Deep South of all places, tells me perhaps it would be poor stewardship of the vision to choose to simply wait for the Church to fully realize her shift in thinking before beginning to act as if the change has already begun.

Comments?

stopping

I don't stop well. I don't like to slow down. Something sinister inside tells me that slowing down or taking a break is a sign of weakness. (That same voice says that paying to have my car washed when I can do it myself is lazy and pathetic. But that's another post.)

Yesterday I woke up tired. Not unusual, but I was unusually tired yesterday. All day I was plagued with the intrusive thought, "go to bed." I had no good reason for going back to bed (other than being tired- sic), and I had plenty of good reasons not to. So I didn't. In fact, I pushed harder. That's what I do. When it was bedtime I got a decent night's sleep (7 hours I think).

Today I woke up with a migraine that ranked on the richter scale. I didn't have to actually crawl to the kitchen for my meds this time, but it was a rough morning. I've stayed doped up all day and am at basic functioning level right now. I took a 30 minute nap before lunch. No wait- I didn't eat lunch, I just fixed my daughter's lunch. So skip that.

My husband graciously took Ruby to her activities this afternoon. (One very significant perk of his working from home.) But I still couldn't rest. Since they left, I've showered, done laundry, washed dishes, dusted, and cleaned the windows. I wanted to vacuum, but fear of the noise stopped me.

Hello, my name is Cindy and I can't stop.

Mainline Emergent/s- Meet Wes Avants

Wes Avants

Next up in my introductions to folks I met at the Mainline Emergent/s conference is Wes Avants.

Wes is pastor of Zoe Life Church in Woodlands, Texas. I asked him to write for us how he got to where he is today- pastoring a small non-denomination church community after years of pastoring in the Church of Christ. Here's what he has to say.

"My wife and I were born a month apart into a little Church of Christ where we were baptized and then married. That was followed by almost three decades of ministry in various Churches of Christ.

"As the year 2000 approached, we could see the world was changing, so we gave ourselves to exploring these changes, reading books and working with young adults. Cindy studied social work and I taught Psychology classes at the local community college. We learned that people were becoming disillusioned with churches while they become more attracted to Jesus Christ. And churches were not responding.

"In 2005, a friend who shared our concern and our dream for something better helped make it financially possible for us to resign from our previous church and give ourselves fully to discovering a way for the church to be “more like Jesus and less like church.” Along with a small group of like-minded friends, we thus began our adventure as explorers, visiting other churches and “practicing” what we were learning. By 2006 we had formed Zoë Life Church of The Woodlands, we began leasing a room for Sunday worship, we hosted weekly meetings for dinner and discussion in our home, and the size of our group slowly began to grow by word-of-mouth.

"What is the result? What is Zoë Life Church? It is an emerging church by all definitions, but instead of using a set of beliefs to define ourselves, we use six values and a mission statement. Our mission is “Helping people walk with God in the midst of a busy world.” Our values are Authenticity, Adventure, Beauty, Mystery, Rest, and Compassion. (You can find an explanation of what these values mean to us on our website http://www.zoelifechurch.org/.) These values represent what we see in the life of Jesus and they reflect what Paul described as the fruit of the Spirit. These values provide a vocabulary that cuts through the barrier of “church words” and speaks with greater impact in today’s culture, a culture that is so often filled with manipulation, boredom, hatefulness, arrogance, weariness and self-promotion. When someone wants to join in with us, we ask only that they understand and attempt to practice our six values.

"Now, what did I get from the Columbia seminar and why have I taken a month to reply? I attended the Emergent seminar because we found ourselves at a crossroads. When we began this emergent adventure, we disconnected with almost every relationship from our previous life. At the same time, we were painfully aware that we had virtually no retirement savings. Our two years of funding had run out and the income from our new church was a long way from being adequate. The combination of feeling isolated and financial uncertainty was a heavy load, and we needed to know if what we were attempting was truly worthwhile or just crazy. So I went to Atlanta with an open heart and open mind.

"What was my take-away? I do believe what we are doing is significant and very important. So my wife and I have spent the last month in some intense soul searching which has led to a renewed commitment to the emerging church. I think it has been one of the most difficult decisions we have ever made. It means walking into our future almost “naked” relationally and financially, but it has left us feeling at peace, “set free” as it were from being overly anxious about this life. There are about three dozen people in our new church and they are so very encouraging. I feel like a kid again in the best of ways.

"What’s next? God knows – but count us in. I can’t think of anything better to live for than doing our best to point people to Jesus."

we're okay

Hey everybody. We're okay. A tornado hit down the road from us and knocked out power until the middle of the night. We were all in the bathroom when the tornado passed over- just before touching down near here. We don't have damage, just broken limbs and some chairs tossed around the yard. Cupcake is fine. Some houses near here were damaged. I haven't been out yet, so I don't know exactly how near here the touch-downs began.

You've heard by now about the deaths of 8 high school students in Enterprise, Alabama. Americus, GA was pretty badly hit, too. We're certainly praying for those folks- hope you are too.

New Note: Keith called on his way out this morning. The twisted off trees begin less than a mile from here. We're feeling very thankful right now.

2nd New Note: After driving up the road this afternoon, I have to amend the previous "less than a mile" to less than half a mile. It missed our property by a few hundred yards. Hundreds of huge trees uprooted or twisted off. Some homes were damaged, but not severely-- (right here that is). It's a miracle. Several very small houses literally encircled by enormous felled trees- some within inches of the house. It makes you swallow hard and forget to breathe for a bit. And then I remember the eight families who lost their kids yesterday. One of the dead boys' fathers is serving in Iraq. God help them all.