Many years (can it be ten??) ago I attended several events where leaders in what-came-to-be the Emergent movement gathered to talk about the future of the church. Many of them were Boomer-driven megachurch exiles who were sensing that the old/new Evangelical ways of being church were not working for younger generations, and perhaps weren't even faithful to the fullness of Jesus' message.
I met some wonderful people there: Doug Pagitt, Brian MacLaren, and others. But as a Lutheran woman it was a little like being a fish out of water. I had no goatee. The sacraments and Roman Catholic spiritual exercises were not exotic to me. And theologically my tradition had never bought the modernist-rational deal anyway.
In my current callings as pastor and Mom I have little space to connect deeply with emergent folk outside my immediate ministry circles, but I'm very excited about Chrisitanity 21, which will be held here in Minneapolis in October. All you have to do is read the list of speakers to know that this is not going to be the usual round of guys-with-big-churches instructing others on how church should be done. God be praised.
I can't wait to hear what Jenell and Debbie and Nadia have to say, among others.
So, if you're coming into town for this, let me know. I'd love to see you. If you want to register, use the code "wordbyword" and if we get enough through this blog I can offer someone a scholarship to go (or even a free hotel room. . . ).
