It's only one week until Lent. I don't normally send pre-Lent greetings, but I thought I'd let you know about something CoolPeopleCare is doing in regards to Lent this year.
My friend, Dixon Kinser, is encouraging his faith community, St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church (Nashville), to try a proactive Lent this year. So, instead of using the 40 days before Easter to NOT do something (drink Diet Coke, eat chocolate, steal), he's challenging folks to actually DO something positive each day.
As a model of what can be done, we'll be focusing the content of our 5 Minutes of Caring articles on this idea.
So, if folks at your church want to get together and try to actually care for 5 minutes each day as a Lenten discipline, we're here to help. We've got a special page set up that explains what's going on, and if people from your faith community want to join in, let me know and we'll add your name to the list of people participating.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Thursday Night Dante ... an alternative theology pub
Cohortistas,
I'm trying an experiment. I've always been intrigued by the whole "Theology Pub" thing I see a number of "emerging" folks doing, and thought I'd give it a shot myself here in Nashville.
The setting: David-Kidd Bookstore Café at Green Hills.
The time: Thursday Evenings at 7:30
The text: Dante's Divine Comedy-- translation by Mark Musa (individual volumes available for as little as a penny on Amazon.com, plus shipping of course)
The format: We read one canto per week together, and talk about what it says and what it might mean for our lives
The agenda: Read, eat, talk, challenge, grow. 90 minutes max. Then go home or wherever the next place is for you.
The launch: February 22
The partners in crime: Rob Rexroat and anyone else who wants to try this
The intended audience: Folks who like Italian medieval and Renaissance stuff, people who don't like reading much, poetry geeks, and perhaps a few Christians. As of now, we have two Christians... help find the others!
The journey: We start in Hell for 33 weeks or so, then to Purgatory for another 33 weeks, then to Paradise for 34 more.
What to expect: Hell identifies sin that besets you. Purgatory is about growing in spiritual vision and grace. Paradise is about living from the deep well of God's abundant and transforming love. It's not about the places, the torments, the trials or the rewards. It's about the journey, and a God who's out to save us.
If you haven't read the Divine Comedy, but you always knew you should, here's a book club (if you want to call it that) where the amount of weekly reading is low, but the amount of learning and growth might be pretty high. Even if you come sporadically, or just once.
Let me know if you're interested. Or just show up next Thursday and/or succeeding Thursdays at Davis-Kidd.
Peace in Christ,
Taylor Burton-Edwards
I'm trying an experiment. I've always been intrigued by the whole "Theology Pub" thing I see a number of "emerging" folks doing, and thought I'd give it a shot myself here in Nashville.
The setting: David-Kidd Bookstore Café at Green Hills.
The time: Thursday Evenings at 7:30
The text: Dante's Divine Comedy-- translation by Mark Musa (individual volumes available for as little as a penny on Amazon.com, plus shipping of course)
The format: We read one canto per week together, and talk about what it says and what it might mean for our lives
The agenda: Read, eat, talk, challenge, grow. 90 minutes max. Then go home or wherever the next place is for you.
The launch: February 22
The partners in crime: Rob Rexroat and anyone else who wants to try this
The intended audience: Folks who like Italian medieval and Renaissance stuff, people who don't like reading much, poetry geeks, and perhaps a few Christians. As of now, we have two Christians... help find the others!
The journey: We start in Hell for 33 weeks or so, then to Purgatory for another 33 weeks, then to Paradise for 34 more.
What to expect: Hell identifies sin that besets you. Purgatory is about growing in spiritual vision and grace. Paradise is about living from the deep well of God's abundant and transforming love. It's not about the places, the torments, the trials or the rewards. It's about the journey, and a God who's out to save us.
If you haven't read the Divine Comedy, but you always knew you should, here's a book club (if you want to call it that) where the amount of weekly reading is low, but the amount of learning and growth might be pretty high. Even if you come sporadically, or just once.
Let me know if you're interested. Or just show up next Thursday and/or succeeding Thursdays at Davis-Kidd.
Peace in Christ,
Taylor Burton-Edwards
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Good Discussion on Thursday
Hey all,
I thought we had a good discussion on Thursday, at our meeting. I was glad to hear some folks voice their thoughts on the topic. I want to encourage everyone to continue to do that. I noticed that some folks were more in a listening mode. While I appreciate that, it seemed that newer folks had a lot to say. I would (honestly) have loved to hear from the regulars more.
Would anyone like to share their thoughts or comments about evangelism, pluralism, or whatever here on the blog? Or link to their own blogs if you are talking about it there?
I thought we had a good discussion on Thursday, at our meeting. I was glad to hear some folks voice their thoughts on the topic. I want to encourage everyone to continue to do that. I noticed that some folks were more in a listening mode. While I appreciate that, it seemed that newer folks had a lot to say. I would (honestly) have loved to hear from the regulars more.
Would anyone like to share their thoughts or comments about evangelism, pluralism, or whatever here on the blog? Or link to their own blogs if you are talking about it there?
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Festival of Homiletics coming to Nashville
I wanted to let everyone in the cohort know about the Festival of Homiletics that's coming to downtown Nashville May 21-25. For $235 (if you register by February 1) or $260 (if you wait till later) you can hear a lineup that includes Walter Brueggemann, Barbara Brown Taylor, Fred Craddock, Tom Long, Anna Carter Florence, Brian McLaren, Will Willimon, Gordon Lathrop, Jim Wallis, Jim Forbes, Cynthia Rigby, Will Campbell and others. The focus is on prophetic preaching.
Since you don’t have to fly anywhere, and you can sleep in your own bed at night, it’s the best bang for the buck for any con ed event you’ll consider this year!
Here’s the web site to check out the full lineup and to register: http://www.goodpreacher.com/festival/
Since you don’t have to fly anywhere, and you can sleep in your own bed at night, it’s the best bang for the buck for any con ed event you’ll consider this year!
Here’s the web site to check out the full lineup and to register: http://www.goodpreacher.com/festival/
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Sick of Emergent/C
I just unsubscribed to the Emergent/C newsletter. Why? Because practically every single one is a plea for money. In today's newsletter, the James Mills compares Emergent to Open Source computer software. Then he uses this comparison to ask for money, 2% of my income to be exact.
Open Source is a great idea. However, people work on it for free. That is the point. If Emergent is a "conversation," then we all have to contribute--but not to a guiding body. We should contribute through our presence, voice and prayers. We should also contribute by buying books or paying conference fees. But I don't see any reason for this conversation to be managed by employees.
My concern is that Emergent is becoming a denomination. And that is the last thing this member of the conversation wants to see. And it is one of the things that makes me suspect of this movement.
Do I believe in giving my money to the Church? You bet. The local church, parachurch ministries, ministry to the poor. But to a conversation? Count me out.
Responses? Other ideas? Where am I wrong? What am I missing? I would love to hear what you all have to say.
Open Source is a great idea. However, people work on it for free. That is the point. If Emergent is a "conversation," then we all have to contribute--but not to a guiding body. We should contribute through our presence, voice and prayers. We should also contribute by buying books or paying conference fees. But I don't see any reason for this conversation to be managed by employees.
My concern is that Emergent is becoming a denomination. And that is the last thing this member of the conversation wants to see. And it is one of the things that makes me suspect of this movement.
Do I believe in giving my money to the Church? You bet. The local church, parachurch ministries, ministry to the poor. But to a conversation? Count me out.
Responses? Other ideas? Where am I wrong? What am I missing? I would love to hear what you all have to say.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
January Cohort and beyond
Greetings all!
Any thoughts on topics of conversation for our January gathering and beyond? Post them here and let's get some ideas flowing.
What are you wondering? Any books or ideas worth exploring. Anything you have passion about or expertise in and would like to share? Any topics from last year that we should revisit?
The floor is yours....
Peace,
Dixon
Any thoughts on topics of conversation for our January gathering and beyond? Post them here and let's get some ideas flowing.
What are you wondering? Any books or ideas worth exploring. Anything you have passion about or expertise in and would like to share? Any topics from last year that we should revisit?
The floor is yours....
Peace,
Dixon
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)