I'm BACK!!!

The Sabbath rest from blogging is over, Jonathan!!! Since the blog address has gone out into all lands, I thought it best I write something. My haitus is not because I don't have anything to say---I just have gotten out of the habit, been busy, and having been DOING so much emergent and EMERGING so much I have not taken the time. But I will now. Some emerging things going on with me:
1) I am helping to coordinate the Kansas City Emergent Cohort with Shane Wessel, Tera Yaekel and Mike King. Doug Padgitt is coming to town next week and we (entire cohort invites) are meeting with him next Friday night at the Embassy Hotel. KC Emergent folk: watch your email for more info coming, I dare to promise, in the next two days.

2) The Christian Century article came out in the issue of Sept. 19. Jason Byassee, an editor there, picked up the Circuit Rider article and came out and did this wonderful piece on Tim and Jacob's Well. And I am actually quoted....wow!!!

3) I have prepared an educational hour with my cabinet colleagues which I will present next week on pomo and emerging conversation issues. It is all so hard to talk about.

4) I have been asked to do an hour at the Nazarene Theological Seminary's emerging church day next week.

5) I am doing something similar, but not the same, for Wesley Seminary-adjacent conference leadership on Dec. 1

6) I am teaching a workshop at Saint Paul's Wesley Studies conference in Nov on this stuff.

7) I am teaching, as I may have said before, at Congress on Evangelism in January on all this stuff.

8) I have begun a Young Adult Initiative in my district, trying right now simply to share my passion and to organize a task force that will help plan how we will live this out over the next three years.

9) I am within 12 blocks of Jacob's Well and am enjoying being more a part of that community

AND THE BIGGEST THING HAS BEEN:
The Umerging conference last week at Church of the Resurrection (basement!), which Doug Strong, Sara Shepperd from Wesley and Paul Ervin (bless him and the Foundation on Evangelism's generosity) put on for about 50 invited persons from around the country. A very interesting bunch. My main work was interviewing Bishops Jones and Schnase around issues pertinant to the conversation. Very interesting. I was troubled at how frustrated some present were with some of what went on in that conversation in particular, and am still trying to process all of that. All in all, a splendiforous experience. I am most humbled that many of the younger adults there were genuinely appreciative of whatever small part I played in this, and I felt extremely that this conversation, and my own role in it is a God given responsibiltiy and joy.

PS Other things going on: I have moved to Valentine and we all love it, though it is a funky old place with loud upstairs neightbors--I gave them a run for their money last night when the Cards won, however; Charge conferences are going well--I had four yesterday--I am no nearly as fatigued right now as I was last year, and am in a much better emotional place--I "dipped" a bit last week, but am taking what I think are healthy steps to take care of myself; I am struggling with weight (so why should this time be different than any other in my life?); I have a different hair cut--sort of "vintage" Cana says; Caleb's grades suck raw eggs; The cabinet remains a good place of community for me (I feel especially blessed with Kendall there...) ; Cana is in a good place right now; my heart is not heavy and my head is not bowed down...