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Register Now for a Chance at $50 of Books
Every person registered for Gathering 2007 by
June
10 will be entered in
a drawing for $50 in free books from Wipf & Stock,
Doulos Christou and
Brazos Press (there will be 3 winners). So
register for
Gathering 2007 NOW (if you haven't already). To
register, go
to the EP
website,
log in, then select the registration button
in the left
column.
For a description of the Gathering, see
article 3 below.
New Book on Preaching by John Wright
Endorser John
Wright, professor of Theology
and Christian Scripture at Point Loma
Nazarene University, has a new book with
InterVarsity called Telling God's Story:
Narrative Preaching for Christian Formation.
Wright's new model of preaching
aims to connect the biblical text with the
congregation so that they are formed into a
true Christian community. Such formation
calls for interpretative engagement with both
the biblical narrative and the cultural
narrative that shapes our society. Wright
critically surveys current theories of
preaching and the variety of hermeneutical
practices, providing clear guidance and
practical direction for faithful preaching.
Those who know John know to
expect a creative, provocative, and
thoughtful read.
Marva Dawn writes:
"John Wright
very clearly
exposes both the prevalence and dangers of
the split between 'personal salvation' and
'mission of the nation-state' preaching in
North American culture and calls us instead
to the kind of preaching that will immerse
our listeners in God's larger story. His many
helpful insights into such topics as a
'homiletic of turning,' comedic versus tragic
moves, therapeutic and managerial functions,
and elements of congregational contexts will
positively affect your preaching and pastoral
care. This is a significantly constructive
book!" (Reviewed by Jon Stock)
Meet the EP
Greg Jarrell is a recent endorser of
EP who, like many others, has followed the
work of The Ekklesia Project for years via the
writings of members. He is excited about
officially becoming a part of the work, and
about building friendships with current and
future members. Greg is a part of the Hyaets
in Charlotte, NC. He and four other
members of the community share a home in a
low-income neighborhood and work primarily
with the youth in their immediate
surroundings. In addition to listening,
teaching, and modeling a life of discipleship
in a frequently violent environment, the
community is sometimes called to the sort of
hospitality that can be life-changing. They
have welcomed into their community a fifteen
year old named Jamar, who is currently in
foster care with the folks at Hyaets. In
addition to his work and hanging out with the
children in the neighborhood, Greg enjoys
playing and listening to jazz music.
Jessica Andrews, a recent endorser of
EP, is currently on staff with Young Life in
Washington, working and establishing
challenging, Christian friendships with a
variety of young people. Through an
internship that involved taking classes at a
nearby seminary, Jessica was further
challenged to wrestle with the hard questions
about her faith. This wrestling match helped
to lead her to EP, and she is excited to find
others who are exploring some of the same
questions about discipleship that she is.
Gathering News: Schedule Overview
Here is an overview of our three day gathering:
We will begin our time together Monday afternoon with
worship and Sharon Huey preaching. This will be
followed by an introduction to the theme of
congregational formation by Phil Kenneson. Late that
afternoon and evening we will hear some stories from
participants in EP's Congregational Formation
Initiative and have our traditional pizza party.
Tuesday begins with morning prayer and ends with a
quiet service of worship and footwashing. In between,
Steve Fowl will help us see what the book of
Philippians has to teach us about formation, and there
will also be workshop opportunities in the morning
and the afternoon.
Our time together Wednesday begins with morning
prayer, moves to a panel discussion of the joys of
congregational formation, and closes with a worship
service with Kyle Childress preaching.
See
the opening article for information on registration.
EP Finances
The EP continues to operate in the black for
2007. As of May 16th, we can report $6,222
in income (almost entirely contributions --
thank you!) and $5,022 in operating expenses
(expenses not directly related to the
Gathering). If you have any questions about
our financial picture, please contact
Treasurer Michael
Bowling.
From the Editor
After nearly 35 years of service as senior
pastor of large UCC congregations, I am now
serving as chaplain in two settings, one
compensated and one volunteer. The ethical
mandates of completing a parish ministry
require me to maintain complete distance from
the congregation I served these last 23
years for at least two years. Both my spouse
and I deeply grieve this necessary period of
separation from our cherished community, but
it also
provides an opportunity to experience some of
the new things God is doing in our midst. We
currently worship with an "emergent church"
that meets in a downtown bar. Shaped as I
have been by rigorous Reformed liturgy and
Biblical scholarship, I struggle at times
with San Damiano's informality (worship time
is listed as "10:30ish," which seems to be
code for "sometime around 11") and the
decidedly non-academic approach to scripture
("the Beloved Disciple must have been very
old when he wrote the Book of Revelation").
But the pastor and the congregation get the
heart of Jesus right most of the time, and
they take Christian discipleship very
seriously. So we are trying to open ourselves
to the ways the Spirit is moving through this
community of folks mostly in their twenties,
seeking to fulfill our role as elders. I am
finding there much of what I have long
yearned for: Evangelical Christianity's
unapologetic faith in Christ married to
progressive
Christianity's commitment to social and
economic justice, precisely the combination
many of us cherish in the EP. In an era
where Christ's Church knows so much division
and conflict, it is good to know that God is
weaving new webs of Christian unity. Oh, and
if the Brewers score six runs on more on
Saturday, the chicken wings are only fifteen
cents.
John McFadden, editor
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