1. I got back late last night after a very fruitful few days in Minnesota at the Emergent (Village) Coordinating Group meetings. Apart from plotting the overthrow of Evangelicalism and discussing innovative ways to continue to be threats to the Gospel, the Bible and the atonement, we decided to preemptively ask the publishers of Walter Martin's Kingdom of the Cults to save space in the appendix of the next edition.
I will be calling the Christian Research Council to ask why they have not dedicated an entire edition to Brian McLaren and Emergent, while others will be discussing our nominee for next year's SBC President (we missed the deadline this year). We sent thank you letters to Chuck Colson for his kind words and made resolutions regarding Emergent's stance on witch burning, the Soviet Union and the Vietnam War (we are trying to be historically accurate as well as relevant.
Seriously, it was a fruitful time with exciting decisions made and new initiatives to be launched. Many people blogged live and almost crashed the Solomon's Porch wifi. I was reprimanded for bringing a Dell (this is a Mac crowd). I hung with great old friends and met some new ones (thanks Thom and Colleen for the couch/ thanks Tim for the shared hotel/ thanks Joe and James for the rides) and realized how much more I care about the issues surrounding the church and Emergent (little things like theology, following Jesus, justice, creation, etc.) than what I presently am paid to do.
I ate my first (and last) Bratwurst, cringed with Tony Jones' wife at the possibility of her husband losing his feet (he may be book smart, but he is not lawnmower smart), heard many reasons to leave Florida (A is for Alberto) and assisted in the breaking of at least 3 Christian Missionary Alliance rules (dedicated to the pastor of the church we attend, who is CMA and must abide by the rules they do not abide by in other areas of the nation- thanks to the Florida CMA and its forward thinking progress).
As we discussed theology, politics, political theology, economic theology (a new discipline I am making up), pastoral issues, justice, wine and beer, the lack of hurricanes in Minnesota (and everywhere else), books we all want to write (and I fessed up to one I am dying to write) and a myriad of other topics, I wanted to drag my family up there and stay. Alas, this is always the issue with Emergent events. We throw good parties and have wonderfully deep, funny, spiritually challenging times together. I always leave feeling a bit like I did at the end of camp as a youth.
2. Tonight on Jay Leno you can see Ann Coulter and George Carlin in a Cage Match, no holds barred, standing 3 count and no biting (Coulter) or pulling hair (Coulter once more). Actually they just happen to be scheduled on the same show. Oops.
3. I am back in the office tomorrow morning (7:30AM meeting) for 2 days and then my family (sans Marley) heads to Naples (actually Vanderbilt Beach) for the week. Instead of making plans for vacation this year, we decided to take the week off and wait for a last minute deal someplace in the state. After checking Craigslist and some other sites, I mosied on down to Sky Auction. We will actually be staying on the beach in Naples for 7 days in a 2 bedroom condo with many amenities for under $250 (total, including tax and all fees).
I love a cheap vacation not involving Orlando.
4. My wife is dreading this hurricane season. At least if another storm comes while we are in Naples we have spent little money for the lodging. Plus, it is better to wait until the last minute during hurricane season, just in case.
5. Lastly, the denomination of my heritage once again reminded the world of why it is so relevant. Not entering the world of prohibition or the world of the Bible, the SBC has held its standard of alcohol free living and hypocrite making. Click here
1 comment:
"Southern Baptists have always stood against consumption of alcohol," said Dwayne Mercer, pastor of First Baptist Church in Oviedo, Fla., a member of the convention's resolutions committee. "Southern Baptists have always believed in total abstinence..."
thank you for misleading me on this one rick. thanks to your outright rebellion i'm now selling plasma for pabst, mainlining boone's farm and spending my saturday nights at doyle's, sipping beers with sinners and skanks. who knew that your convention was so wise?
i'm glad you enjoyed your time in minneapolis with the folks from the young leader's network, i mean the terra nova project, er...i wanted to say emergent, wait, my cult watch email just said they changed the name to emergent village. i suppose you guys can call yourselves what you want. i'm still referring to you as heretics.
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