Reading and Writing

Just a bit on what I hope to do over the next several months---read and write. Or write and read. Or, if possible, do both at the same time. I strongly feel a call on my life that never goes away, and have for over the past three years, to write about postmodernity, emerging/emergent conversation, Wesleyan tradition/theology, and the United Methodist church. I have done lots of teaching---and when I lead a workshop, I always write out fairly carefully what I will say. One issue with this for me right now is that I need to re-read some things. I am in the midst of re-reading Methodism: Empire of the Sun by David Hempton and reading the Stan Grenz book I referred to a few blog entries ago, Renewing The Center. Listed below are some article length pieces that I plan to write if the book thing doesn't go. I am thinking about just posting them on the web for use by whomever, as long as the whomever recognizes, when using them, where he/she/they got them. If you have other suggestions, for what you think would be helpful, please let me know. Here are some ideas:

---The Three Wesley Life Snapshots (Moravians, Field Preaching, Sending of Coke, etc to America) as ways that the UMC can reclaim its roots in facing our world and culture, especially in light of the emerging church movement

---The Reality of postmodernity and the challenges our new cultural orientation has especially for this very, very modern denomination of ours

---The Theological Roots of the Wesley Tradition and the identifiable theology emerging from the emergent conversation (okay, your guess is as good as mine as where I am going with this!)

---Wesley's "Third Way" and the Emergent church

---UMC Seminary Education and postmodernity

And some more "practical" article ideas:

---What is the Emergent Conversation (from a sympathetic UMC ds point of view)

---Prevenient Grace and Popular Culture--looking through the lens of grace to see that God is showing up in some very strange places.

Wow. Now if I can just discipline myself to get some of this done...