One of the reasons why....

My youngest "child", Caleb (this pic was taken today in the car) who turned 15 this week, is grounded big time. Don't ask why. Caleb loves to be on his own---walking the streets of Westport, playing guitar on the street, making acquaintances with just about anybody, and sporting a new look every once in a while. He has been "dressing up" since he could put one of my scarves around his neck and call it a cape. For his third birthday party, everyone, kids and adults alike, had to wear a cape (mostly towels) and jeans with holes in them---his idea. Caleb's hair has been so many colors that I can't remember them all. Whether it is because he is contrite over the grounding situation, or what, he was delightfully himself while he's been with me the last week. For example, my Prius has Bluetooth that connects with my phone and when my phone rings while I am in the car, the radio or CD stops--just stops. Caleb said this week that he wished that life was like that---it would stop when the phone rang...he later said he was being sarcastic, but I doubt it. He is so good on the guitar--playing punk, rockabilly, Bob Dylan, his own compositions. He plays bass at his dad's church on Sundays. And he is compassionate...one teacher at his school is not well liked by the kids, and Caleb has had real problems with her, but he resolved to be nicer to her because no one should be treated as badly as the kids treat her at school even if as he said about her "she smells and makes the floor shake when she walks".Okay, now I'm bragging...but having two children who are growing up creative and compassionate is not so bad...even if their grades sometimes are.
It is for this one child, and my other child as well, that I want the church to blossom with new life...and I see emergent as one petal on that flower (okay not a great metaphor...) My first child, Cana and I were listeing to the Buzz today, and the Ya Yas (i was informed today that I had not been pronouncing this correctly..is is Ya with a short "a" not Yah..) any way, their new single out is "Golden Lion"---the chorus of which says something like the Golden Lion has pointed me to the light...well you can see where my mind went...Cana let me say it this time and didn't pooh-pooh (say it like it looks) me.

Just say no to TV???

Lots of thinking still about the discussion between Dr. Marty and the four bishops yesterday. One comment that has stuck in my brain was made by Bishop Scott Jones of Kansas, when the discussion turned to the place of the media in escalating the "us and them" mentality that leads to divisiveness and entrenchment. Bishop Jones said what we need to do is just turn off our TVs. Many there smiled and I think may have even applauded in response. I later had a discussion with Cana Ruth my almost 17 year old daughter about this---her sociology class had been discussing this same thing. I told her that I'm not sure we should just turn off our TVs. Cana, who watches mucho TV by the way, said she believed that it might help us to turn off the TV more---that what with sublimating images, etc., our minds were being controlled in ways we don't even know. Good point. However...
I'm not sure if Bishop Jones' comments aren't a little off the mark. Might it be more appropriate for us to at least KNOW why "Lost" is so popular---what the music videos currently being watched are all about---why "Desperate Housewives" has made such a big splash? I guess I think that people's hunger for meaning and love and direction somehow gets answered, oftentimes in really screwed up ways, in some of what is on TV. And it would behoove more UMC pastors to be more culturally literate, not less, so that they can use the images represented in ways that both touch their parishioners, and teach the faith. And, as I shared with the cabinet on Tuesday, I believe that at some places, our God whom we as UMs believe is a God of prevenient grace, may have shown up there in the pop culture before we do---and we need to be co creators, transformers with our God who can take even TV and shape it into something for good and for grace and for new and abundant life. I need to think more on this.

Dr Marty, Four Bishops and ESP

Dr Marty and 4 Bishs
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

A very interesting experience of hearing a lecture at Saint Paul given by Dr. Martin Marty on civility and public and churchly discourse. Bishops Schnase, Jones, Sherer and Palmer responded after lunch and that was really delightful and insightful. One of the things I remember most was Bishop Schnase speaking about so much of the cantakerousness (my word) in church life is based in fear...and we are essentially to be, and seminarians were to hear this especially, agents of hope not fear.
Thanks for this pic from Fred Koenig in our Conference office. (left to right: Bishops Palmer, Sherer and Jones; Prof. Shannon Jung; Dr. Marty; and our Bishop Schnase, making, of course, an insightful comment as always :-). I was too chicken to take a camera phone photo.
I also was able to talk with Jeremy Blevins at lunch, and introduce him very breifly to Bishop Schnase. Emergent Saint Paul (hence, ESP--not at all sure I like that) meets for planning at a Chinese restaurant on Monday night in Westport. It is all pretty neat right now. We are talking seriously about the intersection of Wesleyan theology and emergent.
I also got to say hello to Susan Vogel, Hal, and Robert Martin, which was good. Doug Powe told me today that "if this McLaren thing is to come off, it's up to you!" (that is ME). Yikes, I'd better check with Laci ASAP!

Saint Paul, CR, and Dresden Dolls

Well, the emergent thing is coming of age in my life, I think. Tonight I had the real pleasure of meeting with several Saint Paul School of Theology students who want to think about how to create a community that interacts with the emergent conversation in some real way. Wow.

And Mark Calhoun told me that my article impacted his senior pastor in a positive way. Wow

And tomorrow morning, less than 12 hours from now, I am leading a devotion based on the Dresden Dolls single "Sing" at cabinet--yes I mean THAT cabinet--the bishop and the twelve district superintendents of Missouri. What was I thinking when I called Nancye and volunteered? Oh yeah. I was thinking "this emergent thing is very, very important and I have a deep and two year abiding call on my life about it, and the superintendecy may have come in to my life so I can work on younger adults issues in a way that makes more impact than before." Wow

Yes, it's been a long time...

Q104c1
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

And there is so much to say, but I won't try to say it all...some emergent highlights of the last 4 months: Writing the article on Emergent and Broadway UMC that came out in this month's Circuit Rider mag--March April issue, theme "Emerging Leaders." I think you can access it through the following address:http://www.umpublishing.com/resources/publications/circuitrider.asp?act=displayissue&cr_issue_id=65




Anyway I'm excited. Another highlight: attending the Emergent Theological Conversation at Yale in February; another highlight---Helping Doug Powe and Hal Knight set up a two day event featuring Brian McLaren at Saint Paul School of Theology in May 2007. Another highlight: even just today, a small one, talking for two hours in cabinet with campus ministry leaders from our conference regarding the future of that ministry and realizing that our strong, consistant, brilliant Bishop is holding us accountable and is taking very seriously younger adult ministry. Yeah! (i don't have the style right on this entry, I know...sorry!)

Overpromised and undercommitted

Commitment
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

That, I think, was the phrase I remember most from the younger clergy gathering I attended today, which Bishop hosted in Columbia. Thirteen of our clergy met to reflect on doing ministry now. I think this phrase, which I think Lucas from Schweitzer UMC in Springfield used to describe our churches when they are not at their best. Maybe more later, after my charge conference at St. Peter. The rock, don't you know.

Choosing the better part...

Christ in the House of Mary and Martha
Originally uploaded by scoxjohnson.

OKAY...original sin, exhaustian, unfocused, whatever you want to call it...I have been so mega involved with d.s.ing that I have put these things that I have dealt with over the past couple of months here on the back burner to such an extent that I am burning out with not "choosing the better part"...that is, not putting the passion I have for younger adults and all that involves, especially as it involves the emergent conversation, in any place of importance...I am certainly GOING ON to perfection, cause I sure ain't reached it yet! I worked this week, strained by fatigue and procrastination, on an article Dr. Weems asked me to do about emergent and Broadway. Though I don't feel very good about the articulation of it so far, it again got me in touch with what I feel the spirit is calling me to do and be...I did meet Brian McLaren this week at MNU which was good, good to hear him, and see so many folks interested in what he had to say...disheartening there were no more United Methodists there than were there. I am also looking forward to meeting with some of our conference's youngest clergy a week from next Thursday--I'm actually horning in on the bishop's meeting with them, but just can't help myself.