Focus

I feel like I could write about 15 different things right now. I'm am really taken aback by the whole "lack of female leadership in emergent" dialogue. I could go on about the whole good-ole-white-boy-with-goatee problem that abounds, but I think Lynette has articulated it better than I could, especially since she is actually in the movement and I'm in Tullahoma (definitely NOT an emerging area).

I could also write about a comment Jonathon made in his blog about what he likes about Jim Wallis. He said that he appreciated that Wallis knew who he was--evangelical. It got me thinking if I really know who I am. . .I mean if someone were talking about me to someone else and wanted to describe me in a few words, what would she say about me? Progressive evangelical? Liberal? Conservative? I have friends that when I hang around with them I feel like a total conservative. On the other hand, here in Tullahoma I feel like people must think Mark and I are flaming liberals. So I'm thinking. . .what would people say? (And then I'm also thinking is that thought even worth my time?)

The heaviest weight on my right now is finishing my CIC module. I was so excited to get to write something for fun since I edit and write all day long for work. However, the extra work is really starting to weigh heavily. I guess I'm feeling the same way that some of my writers feel when they are about to turn in an assignment and are worrying about the deadline.

Finally, my passion--the thing I want to think about constantly until it comes to fruition is this church plant idea that Mark and I have been talking about for the last week or so. We were dreaming of the greatest church we could be a part of and we got to talking about having a downtown church that wasn't known for the tallest steeple and the richest people, but for being the church for homeless people, travelers, young people, old people, rich people, poor people, multi-ethic, varying socio-economic situations. It would also just be a place where people loved being the church, loved each other, and hungered for time together in worship. We dreamed that we'd sing ancient hymns and talk before and after the singing about the beauty in the words so people could hang all for however many verses there were. We dreamed of the church writing new music to sing together--born out of the organic nature of the community. We dreamed that we'd have communion every week to feed our souls and then lunch together to feed our bodies. I know this is happening in places and we just don't know about them. I'm thinking though, that we don't know about them because they're not happening around here. I hope I'm wrong and naive about this.

At first we talked about how connecting to the whole emerging thing would be great, but then we remembered that methodism started as ministry with the poor and imprisoned. At the Healthy Churches event in Houston a British Methodist leader gave a message called "Remember the Foundry." He said that the worst thing to happen to the methodist movement was the "mahoganization of the church". That is, when the church became more about fancy buildings and pomp and circumstance than living out the gospel. I continue to be challenged by that. So, while the emerging thing is great and challenging for the church, I'm thinking that maybe United Methodists just need to go back to being who we were. We need to remember the foundry--where the spirit of true methodism began and the gospel was truly lived out.

I'm pretty sure I could keep on writing tidbits, but that's neither interesting nor fruitful. Excuse the randomness. I'm off to watch Life Aquatic. I hope it's good. Good night, friends.