When Is This Going to Get On Our Radar?

Did anyone see the census report statistics that just came out? We have a higher percentage of Americans living today in "deep poverty" than ever before--or at least as long as they've been keeping the numbers. The only increase in median income comes from those over 65 with investments and social security. There's a decent editorial in the NYTimes today, but you can find them elsewhere. Things are worse than most folks thought.

The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting children. The poor don't seem to be getting much of a voice in the blogs we've been posting back and forth, or have I missed it?

Prophets are rarely appreciated. They do sometimes comfort the afflicted, but most often afflict the comfortable. In fact, Wallis documented that when homes in the average Israelite village were roughly equivalent in size, there tended to be no prophet raised during that period. But when the discrepency became large between the homes size of the rich and the poor--during those periods God raised up prophets to address the situation among his people. Just peruse Amos a bit and you get the biblical sense of what Wallis is pointing to.

Where are the prophetic voices among the emergent communities? Is there not a word from God about the last, the lost, and the least? And are not post-modern women and men better able to see and address these? Someone out there, help me understand what the point of doing church a new way if our focus is just as inwardly focused as the old way of doing church? Please understand, I'm not being critical of you all. This after all is new, and is just taking its first steps. But does the emergent movement have any clue on how to overcome partisan bifurcation--a dividing of all things into the two a priori camps of conservative and liberal?

For me personally, we have got to get up a head of steam and learn to speak truth to power wherever and however we can. It a needs biblical, spiritual basis--but it surely needs to happen and happen more often than I am seeing it. I would love to see this happening and how it happens within the emerging church.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Hunters & Gatherers

There's a new cohort beginning to meet in Lafayette. The Hunters and Gatherers cohort will begin meeting on Thursday, September 7, from 7-9 p.m. in the Gallery Room, and will continue to meet every Thursday night. The cohort's founders are Nancy Mockros, who is a member of LifePath, an emergent church community in Lafayette, and Jeff Greathouse, the youth ministry coordinator at Christ UM Church. Since the Oubache Cohort is essentially an online community at this point and has no regular meetings planned, this is an opportunity for anyone reading this to join in the H&G gatherings. They will be reading and discussing No Perfect People Allowed: Creating a Come-As-You-Are Church by John Burke. If you're interested please e-mail Nancy at lifepath@insightbb.com. I've invited both Nancy and Jeff to participate in the Oubache Cohort blog so we may be hearing from them from time to time. I would also like to add that this doesn't preclude Oubache Cohort meetings at some time and place to be determined in the future.

Resonance

During the Sunday School hour, I've lately been wandering from classroom to classroom trying to find my niche after my favorite short crazy holy man followed God's call to Marion. I landed in a class that was just beginning to explore the "authenticity" of the New Testament. Seemed like an opportunity to stir up some trouble.

We watched a clip from a video. The speaker was setting up his premise and it seemed kind of OK - until he said something about inerrancy. I thought, "Oh boy here we go." The class leader turned off the video and opened the floor for discussion.

I waited a beat and no one spoke. I took a deep breath and started.

I spoke about the historical-metaphorical approach to Bible studies, first-century Jewish culture and oral traditions, and the difference between truth and fact. I thought I'd said way too much so I stopped and waited for someone else to say something.

Those who did speak up tended to agree with me. One person commented that she always wondered how the gospel writers could remember the exact words Jesus said. Others agreed. I was somewhat surprised (or maybe I shouldn't be) that there are others out there with questions. but are afraid to question.

The second session of the series wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, unless you want to get into an arguement on which gospel was written first and when. My reaction is generally - who cares? If you get all the Bible scholars in a room I think they would almost to a person agree that the New Testament was written during the first century. What else really matters after that?

I think I've found a Sunday School home - but I still miss the short crazy holy man.

Rocked

What's going on? Why is life so beautiful and terrifying? I must live in the now. This moment in front of the computer. There is pretty music playing. I am physically well. My family is ok except my parents, but they are surrounded by love....I pray for your love to both surround and invade them. I have work to do. ....eyes to see....

I miss trev, schnepperino, worship at the church, and donuts and laughter on friday morning. But here I am. And just yesterday I said to my family how much I love this new job...and I do. I just miss...

Life is sweet and good and sad and scary and ...and ...shh....there's the music again....I am being embraced by....life....Her life....a Grandmother rocking me and singing her song.

Well, I'm heading to the porch with the dog to eat my cheerios. I love you all. I thank you all for being a part of my life. I pray that the goodness of reality rock you and yours back and forth..back and forth.

Peace. Out.

Sweet Sabbath

Wow, what a sabbath day.

Joy and I went to a community worship in the park service. One of my Methodist churches joined with some churches from other denominations to put on the service on a most gorgeous August morning. The service was deep, rich, and beautiful.

We then drove to my parents in Ft. Wayne. They are going through a troubling time, and we kids and others are trying to see them through. It was good and right to be there.

Then we flew home, listening to good music on the radio, to see Rachel Marie who was home very briefly from college to do laundry and pick up the books she ordered on line....our sweetie.

David boy was in Lafayette for the weekend and called me to make sure I knew Tiger was winning the PGA this day, so I got to watch one of my heroes do his thing.

We then had our second Sunday evening worship and conversation experience. It was very cool because one of my pastors and his wife joined us. He is involved in the emerging church happening. It was an excellent time.

Afterwards, Joy, Jamie, and I walked down to the river. It is a cool evening, and the moon flowers were open tonight. Their smell is awesome!

And after God worked and created on all the other days, he rested on the 7th....blessed it and made it holy....and said again, Oh man, that is good stuff!

Today and Tomorrow

I'm watching a movie with Joy and David...CSA Confederate States of America.
Good stuff.

Rachel's been moved into her new home in Muncie and classes start Monday.
The girl's growing up.

Decided to live like Jesus today.
Want to tomorrow.

Down By The River There Was A Spark

Well, tonight, Joy, Jamie, and I walked down to the river and settled in the gazebo. We then began our first worship and discipleship experience of this new kind of God community.

First, there was a brief word on the Word from the pastor. (Joy asked me which one of us was going to be the pastor....good question..probably don't need one.)

Secondly, we had a time of Quaker silence.....being silent and seeing if anything good surfaces to share. There was.

Next, Joy sang a simple song. That ended the worship, and the discipleship part began.

We first discussed who we are as an emergent community and who we are not....what we believe and what we don't. It seems very important to me in a new kind of church to have this kind of conversation or pondering often and up front kind of like what people in AA do.

Lastly, Joy and I remembered and discussed the 9 ways of Jesus living. This probably took the longest, and we finished as we walked along the river.

So these are the first ingredients in the new soup we are cooking. They include:

Simple worship.

Defining and discussing who we are as an emerging kind of church.

Using the 9 fold Jesus path as our guide.

p.s. When we got home, Joy sang, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going." I wonder if this is that kind of spark.

Revolution!?

Tonight
the music plays
and i am well,
beyond well into shalom zone.
My question is
are there any revolutions left?
FDR put millions of unemployed people to work
planting billions of trees, building parks, and making trails.
It was a dream that he stuck to no matter what called the C.C.C.
Giving hope and purpose and beautifying the earth.
I am asking you my friends
do we have a revolution left in us?
Is there something that we are being called to give our lives to?
Will you help me start new kinds of God communities?
What if it takes the next 10 years of our life
to find out and participate in what the Highest is up to?
Kennedy stated that in 10 years we would go to the moon.
What is our moon?

Another Honest Psalm

I miss my friends!
But I love you God.

I've got a cool job, yet I have done something completely different the last 25 years...and this is really wierd!
But I do thank you for the good stuff that hasn't changed and the new challenge.

I am afraid of death!
But I'm going to live in this moment right now.

I don't have a local church community, and you guys take it for granted just like I did!
But Joy Ellen and I are going to try and start one.

Peace!
Out!

Three Things

I. Hey, I was looking for a book or an article that would be good for my pastors to discuss, debate and be en-thused by at our meeting in September. One of my young buck's suggested a book called In The Name Of Jesus: Relections on Christian Leadership by Henri Nouwen. It is a small, excellent book that I would highly recommend. Nouwen shares lessons he learned moving from the Harvard community to living at L'Arche community for the mentally handicapped and how this connects to a Jesus kind of leadership. It is based mostly on the story of the temptations Jesus faced regarding his leadership.

II. I was walking on the beach and I met a lady that the locals call the"turtle lady." She has lived near the beach for 25 years, and she watches for the sea turtles who come to bury their turtle eggs in the sand. After about 50 days, they, in her words, explode out of the hole like a volcano. She, sometimes with her friends, builds a barricade behind the babies so that they don't head the wrong way toward the lights of houses as well as builds little trenches for an easier path toward the ocean. A few out of a hundred will make a go of it to the water and in their new environment. But the ones that do survive and thrive will come back some day to the same beach to bury their eggs.
For us too, life is a challenge and it takes alot to head in the right direction, survive, and thrive. But we are not alone, and there are unseen forces helping us along the way. And perhaps we too can make the journey to just the right places where me might bring forth new life to this worn yet beautiful world of ours.

III. We just went to see Will Farrell in Talladega Nights. Very, very funny!