The Other Journal’s, “Film, Faith, and Justice” this October 23-25. The featured lecturers:

• Christopher L. Hueurtz – Director of Word Made Flesh, a global community “serving Jesus among the poorest of the poor.”
• Rita Nakashima Brock – Theologian and award-winning author of “Saving Paradise,” investigating the Christian ideas of paradise and the injustices that have resulted from theologies of holy war and violence that stem from those ideas.
• J. Kameron Carter – Professor of theology and black church studies at Duke Divinity School, exploring modern constructions of race and their theological implications.
• Eugene McCarraher – Professor of Humanities and Augustinian Traditions at Villanova University, dealing with the interplay of faith and justice.

Peace, dwight

A very interesting, and I think very important conversation is about to take place around “the Gospel, politics & the future.”

Here is an excerpt from an email my friend Keelan Downton sent this morning.  “This June 8-10, scholars, artists, activists, and pastors will converge on Princeton to envision a course for Christian political engagement over the next decade. We hope you’ll be one of them. Over 60 leaders will guide a strategic conversation and deep meditation to discern what it means to be a prophetic Christian in America today.”

For more details visit: www.ev08.org

Peace, dwight

Tom & Christine Sine and the folks at Mustard Seed Associates are hosting a conference in Seattle. The event will pick-up on some of the themes of Tom’s latest book by the same title. Feb 28-Mar 1, 2008.

Peace, dwight

One of the advantages of being connected with Mars Hill Graduate School is the various events and opportunities that come along. One such opportunity is Brian McLaren’s Deep Shift tour in connection with his latest book, Everything Must Change.  Brian and friends will be stopping in a number of cities about the U.S. and will be in Seattle on April 11-12, 2008.

The organizers of this conferences are clearly tuned in to the emerging conversation as evidenced by their fantastic line-up of speakers and breakout leaders, including:

• Brian McLaren
• Mark Yaconelli
• Shane Claiborne
• Kara Powell
• Dan Kimball
• Scot McKnight

You can find out more by going to the main conference website or click here to register.

Peace, dwight

My friend Jim Henderson together with the collaborative team at Off-the-Map are gearing up for a national conversation happening in Seattle, in early November. This year’s theme is Hear·Listen·Connect.Presenters include Diana Butler Bass, Brian McLaren, Richard Twiss, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, and Todd Hunter and many others, I’ll even get to facilitate a workshop.

My working title for my workshop is:

Orthoparadoxy: embracing the gifts of sin, heresy, and ‘the other’

or

At-One-Ment:  re-imagining ‘a good Christian’

I offered a brief outline of what I mean by “orthoparadoxy” in the new book, Emergent Manifesto of Hope. But I want this workshop to be a practical exploration of how embracing “otherness” is in fact what faithfully walking in the way of Christ is like. We will look at a bit of the theology that undergirds this gracious, Christ-like way of being but mostly we will stretch our connective imaginations for embodying an Orthoparadox way of being.

For those of you who have been redirected to my personal site from Hear·Listen·Connect I thought I’d offer a bit of biographical info:

I teach practical theology at Mars Hill Graduate School and for more than 11 pastored an emerging simple church on Seattle’s eastside. I am active in interfaith and ecumenical conversation; currently serving on the “Faith & Order Commission” of the National Council of Churches. I am active locally, nationally and internationally with missional and emerging church movements. My wife Lynette and our son Pascal live in Bellevue, Washington.

I hope to see you at this conversation.

Peace, dwight

Allelon (Mark Priddy & Alan Roxborogh) is holding a gathering for creation of a Missional Order Andrew Jones and others will be there.

Missional Order Gathering
Pacific Northwest
Oct 15-18 2007

Another event coming up in Spokane is An Emergent Mainline Dialogue which will feature Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Karen Ward and John Franke.

An Emergent Mainline Dialogue
Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington
November 9 & 10

peace, dwight

Off-the-Map (Jim Henderson & crew) are hosting Hear·Listen·Connect in Seattle Nov. 1-3, 2007.  Among others the conversation partners include: Diana Butler Bass, Brian McLaren, Richard Twiss, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, and Todd Hunter. 

What would happen if we practiced dialog instead of debate?

What if we defended relational space as passionately as we protect our beliefs?

At Hear·Listen·Connect it’s OK to be honest, share your own questions/concerns and have genuine relationship with people who are different than you.

Here are some questions we will explore together at Hear·Listen·Connect:

Where’s the line between acceptance and endorsement and does that even matter?

Is it possible to have an agenda-free relationship and if so, is that OK?

How do you have conversations with people whose viewpoints disturb you?

What do you do when “they” move into your cultural space or you enter theirs?

Peace, dwight 

Spencer Burke of theOoze let me get a sneak peek at recently completed book, Out of TheOoze.  Having sifted through hundreds of thousands of web contributions to theOOZE.com Spencer Burke has selected a few choice offerings, inviting us to encounter the concerns, wonderings, and awakenings of real people seeking to live faithfully in the Way of Jesus in an era of growing church crisis.  I think there are 25 contributors to the book.

This is a good example of theology of the people, by the people and for the people.

Also if you haven’t registered for the Soularize learning party this fall, its time to get on it.

Peace, dwight 

I just finished reading Ron Martoia’s new book, Static: Tune out the “Christian Noise” and Experience the Real Message of Jesus. And I have to say that it is really a good read, not only well written but in the midst of cultural din around concepts like the “Kingdom of God” and “Salvation” helps us hear again. Good on ya, Ron.

Peace, dwight

“In beholding God’s central purpose, I found my own purpose. In touching His passion, I found my own passion.” – Frank Viola

Frank Viola has been an innovative leader in the simple church/house church movement for some years. His recent book, God’s Ultimate Passion: Unveiling the Purpose Behind Everything introduces us to three tales that furnish us with a breathtaking glimpse into God’s highest passion.

The first part is entitled “A Forgotten Woman: The Bride of Christ.” Viola begins by pointing his readers to the “hidden romance” between the great lover (God) and God’s beloved. Part two is entitled “An Eternal Quest: The House of God.” And Part three is entitled “A New Species: The Body of Christ & The Family of God.” This section speaks of Christians being resident aliens.

Well done Frank, good on ya.

Peace, dwight