A new landscape

I have not written for the past couple of weeks, not because I've had nothing to write about/from the emergent perspective, but because I've been so busy "doing" it that I haven't been able to blog it! The landscape is changing--literally today, when Paul Norman of Norman Landcraft (and a member of the PPRC at Weston) came with his crew and put new beautiful landscaping in front of the parsonage. I asked the guys if I could put their picture on my blog, and I would use them as a metaphor---they looked at me a little weirdly and then said "yes." So here it goes:
--The landscape is changing in our Annual Conference. Actually, it would be my belief that a rolling earthquake (if there is such a thing) is happening. Tomorrow is Pathways again, and I will be anxious to hear how folks estimate the impact of what we are doing, in rethinking mission and purpose of the conference, and much more, on the life of the conference
--The landscape is changing in my life in some seemingly small but wonderful ways. It is the summer, and I am on my "summer schedule"--not in the office much, still accessible by phone or email, but reading, reading, reading, and spending time with kiddos. I have really enjoyed, over the years, going to quiet coffee shops (mostly Starbucks, I will admit), putting the earphones on (used to be with a cd player, now with my ipod), and reading theology. Ah, my, that is the life.
--The landscape is changing (here the metaphor slips a bit) around emergent/emerging and the UMC. Wow. Here are just a few things happening: an UMC/emergent summit of invited pastors/others who are reading, thinking, listening about the conversation will meet during Church of the Resurrection's leadership institute this October-Brian McLaren is going to be there, I am one of ten or so people planning this--I have been asked to lead a workshop at our denomination's Congress on Evangelism in January on emergent and Wesleyan thought and practice; I have agreed to lead a workshop for the Wesley Studies Conference at Saint Paul in November on emergent and Wesleyan theology (I think that's what I'm doing)--I have been asked by Wesley Seminary to offer a part of the leadership for a meeting in December for episcopal leaders and other conference leaders in seven conferences in the eastern US on emergent and revitalization of churches (I think that is what it is). AND, even more important in some ways, saint paul emergent had a very good experience at annual conference (some folks brought a table display) AND Mike King emailed me to see if I wanted to help plan next school year's KC emergent cohort meetings/experiences. Also, I have asked to offer a presentation on emergent to our Missouri cabinet in late summer or early fall. They will be guinea pigs. No wonder I have a need to read this summer! Well, as I said to Hal Knight after a first phone call to plan the October meeting, in my estimation, because of all of this interest and my finally finding colleagues and an outlet for my interest, "Jesus must be coming soon"...it may be a sign of the end times. And as I told the emergent saint paul group a couple of months ago, if I should die anytime soon, make sure somebody stands up at the funeral and says two things: "She tried to be the best mother she could, and, she loved the emergent conversation."