Wonderings & Wanderings

Emergent Village at Solomons Porch

I'm up in beautiful Minnesota for the EmergentVillage national coordinators meeting.   

Solomon's Porch is very graciously  hosting us in their lovely new space.  Being a part of church start that is actively looking for space - I'm quite jealous of the old Methodist church that SP is now leasing.  They've taken out all of the pews and replaced them with their trademark sofas, coffee tables, and astounding art.  I've been to Solomon's Porch many times and always enjoy being in their worship gatherings.  Last night was a wonderful experience which included community creedal statements, a child dedication/baptism filled with prophetic metaphor, engaging personal story, and an opportunity for the Emergent leadership community to interface with a local missional community.  Many thanks to the Porchers for opening their doors to us.

Emergent Village is nearing the release of a new website that will empower our community at the grass roots level.  We're also working very diligently on justice/compassion initiatives - EmergentVillage in the future will forge its identity in active, missional Christianity. 

After many years in Emergent's leadership, I watched this story develop from the days over a decade ago when very few noticed us to this present season when we have a "brand" (like it or not) and are part of conversation that has been commodified to some level as methodology of ecclesiology.   EmergentVillage may never be able to escape its misrepresentations - but our narrative does continue on.  I remain excited and committed to this very organic community that is far more a missional friendship than any doctrinal or methodological generalization. 

Our future will be filled with the continuation of many initatives - publishing, events, etc.  But many new initiatives are also being explored.   As written eariler, but it bears repeating,  EmergentVillage has reached a point in its narrative when the embodiment of the heart of Christ as his kingdom through paths of compassion, justice, and creativity moves even more to the center of this friendship. 

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Cohort 2.0

I just got back from from the re-start of Raleigh-Durham's Cohort Meeting...

For the uninitiated, "cohorts" is term Emergent uses for local communities that gather to discuss the intersections of church, culture, theology, and life. These local groups have been developing all over the country. Just over three years ago, we only had a handful...but in the past year cohorts have been developing in most major cities around the country. For an example of a great cohort, check-out Uprooted in Chicago .

Chris Marlow (pastor of Sacred, a church plant in Raleigh), Tyler Jones (pastor of Vintage21, an Acts29 church near N.C.State's campus) and I are working to get the second version of our cohort going this fall. In the past, we've meet mid-week in the mornings and have had a great small group of professional pastors join us. But in this derivation, we have changed our monthly meeting time to the evenings to include a much wider group of persons who want to join us but are not available during the day. We have several friends in Greensboro, Eastern NC, and Southern Virginia who are also hoping to join us.

The Plan: We will meet for the time being at Vintage21 (off of Oberlin Rd., near Cameron Village and N.C. State - see Vintage21.com for better directions) at 7:30pm on the fourth Monday of each month.

Please feel invited to join us for a wide range of theological and cultural dialogue. One of our primary goals is to build/restore the voice of the church in the Triangle and a post-Christian culture.

Also, please feel free to drop me a line if you have questions or suggestions (Tyler and I will be developing the topics and "content" for the cohort meetings).

The Church in Transition

I did FINALLY finish the manuscript for my book — "The Church in Transition: The Journey of the Existing Church into the Emerging Culture!"

Zondervan is publishing it and it should be out by Feb. 2006. Dan Allender wrote a wonderful foreword and many friends like Brian McLaren have written kind endorsements.

I have many modest hopes for the book. I certainly hope it will bring me into to dialogue with leaders and churches who are taking active steps to translate their ministry into the realities of the emerging culture. I also that that the book will confront some misunderstandings and establish some dialogical boundaries related to fearful conversations about the emerging church and its contribution to the future of the church.

I would also love for this book to reinforce the connections between theology and the practices of ministry in the emerging culture. I'm certainly not breaking new ground here. But this is a point that I believe needs to be continually reinforced. A point that I make in the book is that copying emerging culture ministry practices without exploration of the thought and theology behind these practices has all of the inauthenticity of a bad combover.

The timing of the book was very challenging. I had imagined taking a sabbatical to do the bulk of the writing. Instead, the first manuscript was written from December through April in the midst of the first months of Emmaus Way's existance and during a season when we managing a couple family health issues. But, in retrospect, the book is much better because of the dialogue leading up to launching Emmaus Way and the experiences of the first months of this community.

I'm thankful it is done and for the added space in my life. The risk in writing this felt considerable for me (putting into words my thoughts, critiques, and hopes for the church generated over the last couple decades) and thus I grew through it. Some of my thoughts are clearer. Questions that have persisted now catalyze even greater motivation for further exploration and study. Most of all, it was a true privilege to write this.

"No, Thank-You!"

I'm just back from the Emergent Leadership Retreat in Northern Minnesota. For those following Emergent, there will be a series of communiques and press releases about continued structural development coming out very soon at emergentvilage.com and various other outlets. Emergent continues to adapt and develop with each new stage of the journey. Even with the realities of structures and organizations, I continue to marvel at (and relish) the friendship and spiritual intimacy of this leadership community. Thanks to Tony Jones for great hospitality. Susie Albert Miller is a new friend. She overflows with significant thoughts and blessings. Brian McLaren's stories about the growing interest in Emergent, a new paradigm of Christian community and politics in America, and the acclerating stream of post-Colonial Christianity around the world are overwhelmingly hopeful.

Isn't it a divine right to complain about airline and travel woes — If so, here's mine.
- One trip, but three airline tickets purchased on three different airlines (cancelled flight in Atlanta connection, new ticket to make meeting, missed flight on return, new ticket, weather cancellation of new flight forcing next day rebooking!)
- With three airlines and two one-way ticket purchased, I think I was flagged as the security risk of the day!

Every joke I've heard about "nice Minnesota" expresses what appears to be an indisputable FACT — they are so nice in Minnesota. On route to Tony's cabin, we stopped for some groceries. Grabbing the bag, I muttered a quick "thank-you." The clerk, stopped, turned around, made intentional eye contact, and then exclaimed with about as much passion as I use when watching a Carolina basketball player finish off a monster dunk — "NO, THANK-YOU!"

San Diego

I'm back from San Diego and last week's Emergent Convention. This will be the last convention done in partnership with Youth Specialties. Emergent, though, is already working to develop an national event for 2006. Our hope is to create a gathering that is broad in its interests (possibly consecutive events including theological dialogue, reunion, festival, and more) on a different economic model (read: "cheaper"). I think YS is to be thanked for partnering on this national event for the past several years. We were reticent at the onset for a such an event. In retrospect, the conventions have widened the conversation and served as entry point for so many. I would like to write over the next few days about some reflections from this event.

First — the interview — Larry King Live on Tuesday evening!

Brian McLaren, a friend and leading voice of Emergent, was asked to join Franklin Graham (Samaritans' Purse), Tim and Beverly LaHaye (of "Left Behind" fame), and T.D. Jakes on Larry King's show. All had been selected by Time mag. as among the 25 most influential Evangelicals in the country (cover story last week of January).

Brian deemed the interview "dismal" but I would object. Brian, as usual, was a voice of kindness, reflection, and gentle inclusion. He demonstrated the heart of the Christian way in his tenderness in questions related to homosexuality. He also was a prophetic voice in regards to the war in Iraq and the environment. I speak often here in Chapel Hill/Durham about our need to broaden the gospel beyond simple reductions. Brian exhibited this passion for a large gospel that embraces both a present and future kingdom in his admittedly marginalized contribution to the interview. Brian has taught us so much about missional Christianity.

Brian's role was marginalized because the LaHaye's provided some good and controversial theatre. Larry King continually probed at their answers. Perhaps their most unfortunate comment came as defense to the accusation that Evangelicals are unconcerned with the environment. Tim's response was the belief that the environment was created for "us" (presumably humanity). I would protest that this is gross misunderstanding of the creation narrative. I believe that God created, humanity and all of creation, as entities to exist in worshipful intimacy with a loving Creator. The charge to humanity is to lead, organize, protect, and redeem creation in its relationship with God. God certainly desire to redeem all of creation. Tim LaHaye's "Left Behind" series has attracted millions and millions of readers. I know of some who have been drawn toward God from these works and few others who have been horrified by them. I certainly don't want to disparage his voice or role in the Christian community. But I would strongly disagree on these comments related to the environment. The the Christian community needs to be a strong voice in environmentalism. Our theology of creation demands it.

Franklin Graham's answer to most questions was a brief synopsis of the Evangelical core message of personal salvation with God received through personal faith. I certainly agree with these comments. The challenge is that his repetition of this point, regardless of the question, threatened to reduce the gospel to simply personal salvation. The gospel includes but is so much larger than simply personal salvation. In fact, the salvation God offers is hardly personal. It is much better. We are invited to be in relationship with a God who is a triune community and through this relationship are brought into reconciled relationship with the community who worships God and all of God's creation that is being redeemed. The reduction of the gospel to merely personal salvation is what produces comments like LaHaye's and the belief that God's work is "all about us!"

This national, primetime interview reminds us of a significant challenge. This challenge is to be careful that the Christian community is not overrepresented or caricatured through just a few voices. The way of hope taught and lived by Jesus extends beyond our most careful and clever words. Christian community needs to be a widening conversation of voices. We need to embody the story of God's redemption in community life that describes this reality far better than our words. This is one of the greatest opportunities of the emerging church — to liberate the gospel from the trenches dug by liberalism and fundamentalism and to free the gospel from the highly individualistic and consumeristic expectations of American culture.

More on San Diego soon. I would like to continue this conversation on God's saving work. I have some recommendations from a few seminars on the saving work of God that is titled "the Atonement" in classical theological language.

New Blog

Emergent-US has created a new blog (emergent-us.typepad.com). I highly recommend it. I believe it will be an excellent corner pub for new friendships and conversation regarding the emerging church and culture. I will post there as well. Today, I'll be redundant and republish my post for emergent here!

Weather Report

I’m watching the weather today…

I’m writing from the Outer Banks of NC, a soul place for me. These long barrier islands are typically about 3/4 mile wide bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the East and one of NC’s large sounds on the West.

To truly love the Outer Banks, you have to love high wind and rapidly changing weather. This morning, I’m watching that big line of storms and cold weather that has crossed the U.S. this week creating havoc literally race across the Currituck Sound toward me. In the last hour — the sun has disappeared, the temperature has dropped twenty degrees, the wind has changed direction from due South to due North and has picked to gusts of about 40mph, and the rain is now pelting down. Just an hour ago, it was sunny and 60 degrees…

When I’m out here, I often meditate on change. The weather certainly makes the thought inevitable. This week particularly — I’m out here writing about transition in the church in our culture, reading emails from friends describing changes in their vision and hopes, and experiencing fundamental shifts in my own vocation at home. My Myers-Briggs temperament tells me I’m change-averse. But I can hardly quantify how enthusiastic I am about the many changes I’m experiencing and observing.

On a larger scope, I opened my email this morning to a couple letters from church leaders who are comprehensively rethinking their community expression of the Christian way. There are so many negatives that can be said of the church in our culture. But I’m hopeful. It is exciting to watch communities and leaders challenge the notions of church as program or isolated community and the gospel as commodity or a security blanket. As Jason Clark wrote recently on planetemergent.org, “emergent is not the emerging church.” So true. But it has been a real privilege to be part of one of the catalysts for these changes.

I’m also hopeful and excited about the many transitions of Emergent these last few months. The transition from a coordinating team to growing community of contributors and friends expresses our heart. We so desire this to be an open friendship and an open conversation shaped and bounded by a rule of community rather than organizational boundaries. If you desire to join in and contribute, please do so. There’s room for you.

I’m also enthusiastic to watch local learning communities and cohorts begin to take off around the country. We’ve long desired for local expressions of emergent to grow. Geoff Holsclaw is leading a strong team of folks (Rick Bennett, Andrea Summers, Mike King, Laci Scott) to continue to develop these expressions. Over the last few months, we’ve seen new conversations develop in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Miami, Nashville, and several other locations.

I also want to add my thanks to Will Samson for his tireless efforts in starting this blog and his work on the emergent website. These projects certainly fit the category of positive transitions.

Well — the rain out here has just “gone horizontal.” I can barely see the house next door. You gotta just love Outer Banks weather. But according to the weather channel, it will moderate in just a few hours (at least I’m not in Minneapolis, 14 below, sorry Doug…)

Tim Conder

November

Sorry for my month of inactivity on this site — November has been a vivid, challenging, and wonderful month for me. Here's an update of travels, activities, and life the last month:

Mars Hill Graduate School: A close friend was looking at seminaries a few years ago and came across Mars Hill's mission statement: "Exegeting Text, Soul, and Culture" and I instantly thought — this is what seminary should be about. Over the last couple years I have enjoyed getting to know Dan Allender and work of Mars Hill. This past month, I had the privilege to travel to Seattle and join their board of directors. One of my first assignments will be to help with a redesign of their MDiv program around these three passions of text, soul, and culture. A confession — I've been a long critic of the seminary process of ministry preparation. I felt extremely well trained in the arena of text (although this process was often compartmentalized from spiritual formation, life, culture, and even reality in terms of the time expectations of working pastors — does anyone remember the mantra of one hour of study for every minute in the pulpit?). But I also felt that I had been extremely lucky in having instruction from faculty (aka renegades) who were deeply interested in culture and the soul of a leader and the soul of community. I'm really excited about Mars Hill's desire to be a place to prepare leaders to embody kingdom and gospel in a post-Christian and postmodern world. It will be a privilege to join in and turn my long critique into hopefully a positive contribution.

Our family's fall has been shaped by my mother-in-law's treatment for leukemia at nearby Duke Medical Center. This experience has produced enough life observations for years. There are a couple oncology residents and nurses who embody the kind caring that Jesus insists on in the gospel (including one resident who is a former Division 1 NCAA football lineman who constantly demonstrates how strength and compassion are not alien entities). My greatest lessons have come from my wife, Mimi, who has given meaning to "honor thy father and mother" during this process. Her selflessness and diligence have been inspirational to me. In her wake, I'm constantly asking, "What/who do I love enough to merit such a determination and selflessness." Sadly, my list is too short.

This month I have also made a commitment (if approved by our fellowship) to lead a mission plant in downtown Durham, NC. I would like to use this blog space to chronicle many more of our dreams, failures, and accomplishments. But in brief, we're forming a community of persons who are excited about exploring a different manner of "doing church" that is appropriate to this context. One of our greatest dreams, hence the "mission plant" designation, is to develop this missional community with an intentional relationship with the Chapel Hill Bible Church. It's not a breathtaking discovery, but I have believed the Christian community desperately needs different types of fellowships in intentional partnerships and friendship with each other in our changing culture. I'm eager and excited about the possibility of living out this reality.

We have started a ministry cohort here in the Triangle ("Ekklesia"). Emergent has been slowly developing "cohorts" or "local learning communities" around the US and also in many other countries. These communities are designed to be sanctuaries where leaders can gather and discuss what it means to lead and do ministry in a changed culture. Many thanks Chris Marlow and Ken Nussbaum (founding pastors of "Sacred," an innovatiive emerging church plant in Raleigh) for taking the time and energy to get Ekklesia started. Our next gathering is on January 6 at Cafe Cyclo in Cameron Village (downtown Raleigh) at 10am. If you're local, please feel invited to join this new community. We are discussing Brian McLaren's "Generous Orthodoxy" in our meetings as well as sharing about our communities as a vital first step to ministry friendship and partnership.

Finally, I do want to recommend this last offering from Brian McLaren ("Generous Orthodoxy"). For many years, I've struggled to offer to friends who are engaging or exploring the Christian paths a book that does not lead the reader through a series of obscure presuppositions or insulting generalizations. I think Brian has truly succeeded in his efforts to produce such a book. This book is intended not as a final statement (note the very humble "Chapter 0" preamble) but as a provocation to greater dialogue. Brian, a friend I value, has always led with a tone of generosity, inclusion, and humility. Brian, thank-you for this bold and vulnerable contribution to the conversation.

The Gathering: New Mexico in October

I'm just leaving Emergent's "Gathering" near Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Gathering is the Emergent community' s family reunion. This is a time of great friends, innovative ideas expressed in a setting devoid of microphones and harsh critics, great food, stunning landscapes, and one of those tastes of the kingdom that Jesus insists is forming in our midst. It is truly a unique event, or non-event more specifically. There is no registration cost. No ideas are shared for an honorarium. In fact, we schedule our meetings (really conversations) after we arrive. These conversations are formed by the interests, questions, visions, and concerns of those who attend.

Some thoughts from this week —
• We had a great conversation of why church plants fail, why our evaluation of church plant failures could be entirely wrong(!), and the hope that the home church movement brings to the greater church.
• Other conversations included money, family life in the way of Jesus ethic and mission, life decisions and a life rule in following the way of Jesus to name a few.
• Doug Pagitt raised the idea of how the scientific transition from Newtonian Physics to Quantum Physics (don't snicker) can alter, refine and redescribe our Christology, notion of the Trinity, perceptions of past and future, the organic and spiritual union with Christ that we call salvation, and can truly shed light of the mysterious tension of the past, present, and future kingdom that Jesus announces! I haven't been more excited about reading a work of science in many, many years! Thanks to Doug for always living on the edge of exploration and mystery.

Don't get me wrong — there's a place for large events. Our convention (done in partnership with Youth Specialties) is an excellent large event and serves a critical role. But, nonetheless, the Gathering is special and I hope that some of you consider joining us next October. By the way, there are few places in the world more beautiful (or fun) than New Mexico in October.

I'm off to Seattle to see my brother's family (who we love and miss dearly) and the Harbers (wonderful friends who moved from Chapel Hill. After these visits, I'll have a couple days meetings at Mars Hill Graduate School. Mars Hill is a school that I believe can help revolutionize preparation for life and ministry. I'm excited about the opportunity to share in this vision.

Peace —
Tim

• BTW — Harry's Roadside Grille in Santa Fe has the best breakfast I've ever had, anywhere. The staff is as nice as the food is good.

Chicago

Sorry that I have been "blog-absent" for the last bit. The last two weeks of August in a university town are a bit crazy. I just got back from Chicago (an Emergent meeting). Our big adventure was being under a tornado warning for a couple hours. We were driving back from dinner in Elgin, ILL and heard the sirens blare. When we got back to our meeting locale at the International Teams Headquarters — Tim Keel, Doug Pagitt, and I decided to forego the basement to walk the grounds in pursuit of a tornado or funnel sighting. No sightings — but the closest funnel touchdown was only a few miles away. I think Laci Scott will be having tornado nightmares for weeks to come!

By the way, the hospitality of International Teams was an amazing gift to us. I was truly inspired by the way we were loved, taken care of, and embraced by this very thoughtful missions organization.

It was great as always to spend time with Tim, Doug, Laci, Brian McLaren, and Jason Clark (our Emergent-UK and international coordinator). Serious work was done, but whenever I with this group I always have a heavy and therapeutic dose of laughter and return with a few media "don't miss" recommendations. Here are my post-Chicago media recommendations —

•The British sitcom "the Office." Absolutely hilarious. Doug had the first season on DVD. A few scenes from this will surely grace a sermon or class in the future. I believe an American version is being made. I don't believe it can approach the humor of the "dilbert-like" work environment the British version portrays.
•Website: A spoof of recent Presidential gaffes (Bush and Clinton) with a decidedly liberal perspective (read: Republicans without a sense of humor should pass this one by). Best W. quote — "Our enemies never stop thinking of ways to threaten America — and so do we!"
•Book (on a more serious note): Brian McLaren's "Generous Orthodoxy" arrived Amazon the day we convened. I read a few selections of a copy Brian brought. This is going to be an excellent and important book.
•Blog: I hope you're reading Doug Pagitt's blog

I returned from Chicago refreshed, thankful, and feeling truly rich and blessed by the many friendships that I have developed over the last decade in YoungLeaders, TerraNova Project, and now Emergent (which is approaching its five year anniversary).

One meeting note to report — Emergent has truly become an international movement. Jason Clark and Brian McLaren have worked so hard as observers, scouts, and ambassadors around the world. Emergent now has leaders convening and organizations forming in the UK, France, Eastern Europe, East Africa, South Africa, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and more. When I hear these reports, I am humbly reminded that God's is truly doing something ecclesiastical in this world and we are just trying to follow the movement of God's Spirit.

I also want to plug the Emergent Gathering in Glorietta New Mexico on October 18-21. This is our annual pilgrimage, un-convention for the emergent community. It is informal, highly relational, fun, and inspiring. There is no registration cost. Those who share their ideas do so freely without any compensation. The only costs are travel, food, and lodging (very inexpensive at Glorietta, the huge Baptist camp just outside of Santa Fe). Santa Fe and New Mexico are breathtakingly beautiful in October. The informal worship gathering we did last year to end the Gathering was one of most overwhelming visual, prayerful experiences of my life (I felt like I was in Rivendell). Consider joining us for this time of thought, prayer, and relaxation.