|
|
|
|
IN THIS ISSUE....
New on bLogos
EP Gathering '10
Meet the EP: Roy Terry
Book Review: Desiring the Kingdom
Protest at Goshen
|
|
|
Eastertide Greetings!
Even the Protestant mainline seems to be paying some attention to the liturgical calendar these days, for which I am grateful. During most of my pastorate the entire year was regarded as "ordinary time" punctuated only by the three great festivals of our faith: Christmas Eve (poinsettias), Easter (lilies and trumpets) and Mother's Day (brunch). But many still struggle with Eastertide. If every Sunday is a celebration of the Resurrection, what makes the Sundays of Easter (or "the Sundays after Easter;" we're still sorting that one out) distinctive? It is a season when we are called to live the good news of the Resurrection daily, rejoicing that the Living One is truly with us. We live this good news until the festival of Pentecost invites us the celebrate the gift of our calling to be Church together. Our Gathering will take place in "ordinary time," but in the brief time we share I find Eastertide and Pentecost tumbling into one another in wonderful ways - I hope to see you there!
John McFadden
|
|
New on
bLOGOS
In Unity  We Lift Our Song
by Jenny Williams
One of the many blessings in my life has been the gift
of church music. I grew up in a family who valued
music and in a church that valued music. Because I
was reared in a high steeple church, I was privileged
to be exposed at a young age to string ensembles,
handbell choirs, professional singers, and an organist
who is a professor of organ music in a prestigious
university music program. Read More
Struck Blind on the Damascus Road
by Jake Wilson
The conversion of Saul provides us with the New Testament example of a conversion experience. Saul's transformation from a persecutor of the Lord to an Apostle continues to serve as a word of hope to the sin soaked conscience of those who feel that truly their failings are too great to be forgiven. The story of Saul's conversion gives narrative power to the concept of being "born again" from John 3 or becoming a "new creation" from 2 Corinthians 5. Read More
|
"'And God Said...': Language, Wordcare and Radical Discipleship"
As in prior years, we offer you this incentive to register early. All persons who register by May 30 will be entered in a drawing for one of 3 $100 gift certificates to our booksellers: Christos Doulos, Wipf & Stock and Baker/Brazos. Please help us by registering early.
We meet on the campus of DePaul University in Chicago July 6-8. We begin Tuesday with lunch (though registration will open at 10 am) and end just before noon on Thursday (no lunch provided). We have a pizza party for all (including commuters) on Tuesday night, with some exciting surprises in the works. We expect to have a small book(let) highlighting the importance of language to give to all participants. Lodging is in the DePaul dorms (bathrooms are shared by 2 room suites); it is secure but not plush.
Mary Bowling will serve as our registrar again this year. Here are costs and registration details.
- Single room $300 2 nights in single-occupancy room, 6 meals, registration
- Double room $200 2 nights in double-occupancy room, 6 meals, registration
- Registration $70 Registration only (meals can be purchased ala carte)
Register using this email . Enter your registration information (please paste this chart into your email): Name
Email
Phone
Mailing Address
Single, Double or Registration only?
Gender (if staying on campus)
Roommate request (Double Registration only)
Any other pertinent information, such as need for childcare, special dietary restrictions, etc.
As always, financial assistance is available to persons with need. Email Brent Laytham for details about this, or any other concerns or questions. |
Meet the EP: Roy Terry
Wanting to feature a "familiar face" to EP gatherings, I (Heather Carlson) invited Roy to introduce himself, and offer a few words about what his involvement in the EP has meant over the years.
Roy
writes:
I
am currently in my fourteenth year serving as the pastor of
Cornerstone United Methodist Church in Naples, Florida. In 1996 I
graduated from Duke Divinity School and my wife Leslie, daughter
Emily, two dogs, two cats, two horses and a fish all moved to Naples.
Leslie is a full time horseback riding instructor and owns and
manages Cornerstone Farm South. She spends her days training horses,
teaching lessons and spending several weekends a month traveling the
Hunter / Jumper riding circuit. My daughter Emily is a nationally
ranked rider and will be graduating from Palmetto Ridge High School
this year. In addition to my role as the pastor at Cornerstone I
also enjoy playing in a rock band, promoting local independent music
festivals and events and even host a local Indie Show on the radio.
Cornerstone
was a part of the massive "new church" development program
launched through the Florida Conference of the United Methodist
Church. While most seminary graduates might be thrilled to have the
opportunity to launch a "new church" I had my reservations. I
struggled with the market driven agendas that pervaded most of the
"new church" launch programs. I also knew that the underlying
expectations from the conference were focused on numbers and
finances. To put it bluntly, I was recruited to be a participant in
the last hurrah of American Methodism.
While
my reservations were correct in many ways, one of the blessings that
came with launching a "new church", was the freedom to seek wise
counsel and live into the leading of the Holy Spirit. Much of that
counsel came through brothers and sisters involved in the EP.
Stanley Hauerwas was a central figure in the development of what is
now Cornerstone. He wrote me a letter in response to my appointment
(for which he had great concern) which encouraged and held me
accountable to the language used in launching this community.
Stanley said, "Never use the language 'New Church' but always
refer to the work you are doing in Naples as 'Becoming God's
Church'." To this day Cornerstone draws heavily upon the
language of "Becoming!"
Other
brothers and sisters from EP also contributed greatly to the vision,
mission and virtues that surround Cornerstone. Brent Laytham came
down to visit Cornerstone in its first year and through his teaching
and friendship provided great insight and direction in Cornerstone's
early years. Dan Bell's friendship was also a helpful resource for
a young pastor thrown into the toxicity of the "Church Growth"
culture. All the voices of EP have found a place at Cornerstone and
are far more then just another resource -- they are a part of our
community.
I
became involved in the Ekklesia Project early on. The first official
gathering I attended was held at a monastery somewhere near Chicago. I
can't remember the name of the place but I do remember a massive
stuffed bear standing in the entry holding a mission box. I thought
if I put a couple of dollars in the box the bear might dance for me
but his dance had left a long time ago. I believe that might have
actually been the first or second (editor's note: it was the third, Roy, held at Techny Towers)Gathering. Since
then I have only missed one event and every year I look forward to
reconnecting with my EP brothers and sisters from all over the
country. Bound together in God's Story, EP is a refuge that offers
strength and encouragement for the journey. I am glad to be along
for the ride!
|
Desiring the Kingdom: Worship,
Worldview, and Cultural Formation. (Cultural Liturgies: Volume 1) James K.A. Smith. Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2009.
 James K.A. Smith's latest work is a
re-thinking of Christian
education through the lens of worship, formative
practices
and discipleship. As a
Christian educator, Smith writes in
conversation with educators who have
stressed the
development of a Christian worldview as the locus of
Christian
education. Smith finds that this focus
on
worldview offers a reductionist anthropology, one that
overly stresses the
cognitive aspects of human nature while
failing to adequately address our
embodiment. Smith's
response is to shift
the center of education from ideas and
beliefs to practices which form our
hearts and desires.
Accordingly, Smith examines the liturgical
practices of
several cultural institutions that teach and form us, often
without our awareness. The book concludes
with an
extended look at the way the practices of Christian worship can and
must serve as counter pedagogical practices to those of the dominant culture. Here Smith roughly follows the basic order of
worship, examining the formative power of worship practices to shape us as
liturgical animals. For example,
Scripture and the sermon help us to re-narrate the world while prayer teaches
us the language of the kingdom.
In some ways, EP endorsers will find much here they have engaged
before. Indeed, in the book's acknowledgments, Smith graciously offers a word of thanks to the Ekklesia
Project for the ways in which the EP has informed his thinking. Despite some
familiarity, Smith's book is engaging and wide ranging. He frequently draws music, film and fiction into
the conversation in a manner that is interesting and instructive. For those interested in searching out the
ways that worship shapes our desires and challenges our contemporary culture,
this books is a must read.
-- Jake Wilson
|
Goshen College's Decision to Play the National Anthem is Protested
Goshen College's decision to break a 114 year-old practice and rebuff a 500 year old Anabaptist heritage of nonconformity by playing the national anth em at the college's sporting events was protested on April 5 in a post-Easter Pilgrimage and Celebration organized by the Jesus Radicals. In addition to the primary task of publicly celebrating our risen Lord, the aim and end of this pilgrimage was to deliver a physical copy of the Letter of Resistance to the National Anthem at Goshen College. To date this letter has 1,260 signatories, including many endorsers and friends of the Ekklesia Project. Read more about the event and view pictures of it here. Signatures can still be added to The Letter of Resistance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
