WHERE I LIVE....

It really is all good in "da hood" when it comes to my neighborhood.

FRIDAY'S RANDOMONIUM- The O.T. pt.1

YIKES...

Watch what happens when a Fox News anchor person goes head to head with Westboro Baptist- SWEEEEET!!!

(h/t Marko)

BISHOP Q&A (Q1 AND BISHOP SCHNASE)

Ok, I'm beginning to unpack the Q&A time with Bishop Schnase and Bishop Jones from the UMerging Colloquy. Rather than post my opinions on each one- I'm going to post each question/response 1 at a time and hold my thoughts for the comment section along with you. I hope these will be a point of real dialog and working through tough issues of ministry.

click here to listen (about 10 minutes)

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to engage the Bishop's responses and each others' comments in a way that opens up the possibility for Kingdom building and imagining new ways of doing church.

THE LIBRARY IS LACKING...

I was reading Christianity Today's list of the top 50 books that have shaped Evangelicals and it would seem that my library is lacking. However I do own 10 of the 50 books listed, which is more than I thought. But those ten that I do own have been quite influential in shaping me. Check the list out and see how many that you own. Be honest- doesn't everyone have a copy of David Wilkerson's The Cross and the Switchblade somewhere in a box in the attic?

CALLING ALL TRANSLATORS

Back in 2001 Jay Voorhees and I made contact... with Brian McLaren for the first time. We were at very small conference where Len Sweet and McLaren were introducing the idea that in this cultural shift that we find ourselves in- postmoderns are natives and moderns are immigrants in a foreign land. And what is needed now are translators to help communicate back and forth.

I think as new expressions of ministry and the way we rethink church comes more and more prevelant the umc needs to find translators to help navigate.

So.... calling all navigators- brush up on your postmodernism- become familiar with what's going on... but also make sure you do a refresher course on your modernism 101.

j.norm

MARION ON THE INCARNATION

The Son took on the body of humanity only in order to play humanly the Trinitarian game of love; for this reason also, he loved 'to the end,' that is, to the Cross; in order that the irrefutable demonstration of the death and resurrection not cease to provoke us, he gives himself with insistence in a body and a blood that persist in each day that time imparts to us.
- Jean Luc Marion

KEEP SUNDAYING IN US LORD...

A prayer for Monday by Bishop Willimon:

Gracious God, by your Son, Jesus Christ, in the power of your Holy Spirit, you call ordinary people to do some extraordinary things as ministers of your Gospel. Preserve us, dear Lord, from Monday morning fatigue and Monday morning despair; keep Sundaying in us, even on a Monday.

This Monday morning I praise you for the woman who had the guts to face down three obnoxious adolescents in a basement Sunday School room yesterday, to tell them about Jesus, just because she has faith that even teenaged boys are children of God.

I thank you for the gift of the teenager who stood up and read Scripture in her little congregation yesterday morning, not because she wanted to, but because she is the best reader in the church. Praise to the church that recognizes her gifts; praise to her for her willingness to use her gifts in her church.

Thanks for the wonder of the young couple who, despite all they know of your determined propensity to commandeer a life for your own purposes, stood before a suburban congregation and dared to bring their baby for baptism, despite their inability to know how you may use their beloved baby in your Kingdom.

I sing the glory of the man, former factory worker, ex-alcoholic, who rose before a congregation full of folk nobody else wants to be near, and preached the good news of your salvation of the lost. Thanks for using his sermon to work a miracle, despite his grammar.

I laud the faith that you put in a man sixty years ago, that enabled him to arise again for the two thousandth Sunday of his career and, once again, preach the gospel even though in all that time and effort, he has seen almost no response, no measurable results. What faith he has in your faith in him!

In all times, and in all places under heaven, you have called forth people to witness to your work, to join in your work, to embody your grace, and to speak your judgment. For your blessed determination not to leave us to our own wretched devices, for the gift of your Body in motion, for your miraculous Sunday morning work among us, thanks.

Amen.

May the blessings of the God whose love knows no limits continue to "Sunday" you throughout the week. Peace friends.

j.norm

MOBY

Electronica music genius, Moby, shares his testimony here... pt. 1. It's worth the listen.

THOUGHTS...

This morning even though I still have not processed much of what I experienced over the last several days at the UMerging Colloquy but I am currently feeling a tremendous sense of of overwhelming grief and hope. My grief is that we are at a place where our leaders in the UMC are not necessarily able to hear the concerns and voices of emerging leaders in the UMC. I know some will read that and say that things have almost always been that way in the UMC since they can remember too. Maybe that's your experience however I would contend that as we are transitioning from a modern to a postmodern context (which does mean that we are still in a modern situation, only it is rapidly changing like never before) there is a barrier that is not about having a bishop who is liberal or conservative, a micromanager or a freespirit, a prophetic voice or a traditionalist, younger or older- it's about power and the ability to hear the concerns of a new kind of methodist pastor who is interested in new ways of doing church.

We happened to have at the colloquy two of the youngest bishops in the umc come and speak to us and allow us to ask questions. This is definitely not an "age" thing because although I wouldn't say they are both out to lunch- it is obviously that they are both highly intelligent and talented Christ centered leaders- but I'm not sure that they have "any" grasp on this emerging context in which some leaders, of all ages, feel called to respond to.

My hope however is lies in the collegues that I met and met up with over the week. We shared, struggled, worshiped and prayed for a new way to do church together. I heard about ministries that would seem as far from a traditional elder's context to elders talking about the changing dynamic of an urban neighborhood and how to reach the people around them and offer them hospitality and community.

My hope is with leaders like Hal Knight and Doug Strong who are able to see beyond the matrix of the everyday United Methodist Machine that is finely oiled and maintained by years of systemic power struggle to maintain thing as they are and not allow the Holy Spirit to do the Holy Spirit's work in raising up new kinds of ministry.

My hope is with the Foundation for Evangelism and visionaries there who are able to see past what is and invest in dreams of what might be. For all you bishops, ordained ministries, district councils and people of power- that's called RISK. Risking to love the unlovable in risky and messy new ways that may or may not produce visible "fruit" for a very long time is what what we're talking about.

Bishop Jones, whom I have much respect for and have been shaped by in my studies made the comment directly to me this weekend. My concern that I raised to him was that some people who feel called to ministry are both thankful for the spiritual practice of the itineracy system for elders but also feel called to a particular missional context- such as urban neighborhoods or rural areas to work among the poor and marginalized. How do we hold both in tension?

The last part of his response was- "There is much talk amoung professors and students in academia about the "poor and marginalized". And while we are all talking about it- there is still poverty and people who are hungry."

Bishop Jones- you are right. There is much talk. But if you had really heard my heart and the hearts of others in that room- I mean really LISTENED to our hearts, you would have heard people saying-
"BISHOP!!
SEND ME!!! SEND ME!!!
TAKE A RISK!!!
IT WON'T LOOK NEAT AND NICE!!!
IT'S GONNA BE MESSY BISHOP!!!
BUT SO IS POVERTY BISHOP!!!!
SEND ME!!! SEND ME!!!

IT MAY TAKE SEVERAL YEARS BISHOP!!
IT MAY TAKE 20 YEARS BISHOP-
BUT EMPOWRED COMMUNITIES TAKE TIME TO BUILD

WE MAY NOT WANT TO GROW INTO A MEGA CHURCH BISHOP
WE MAY WANT TO BREAK INTO ANOTHER CHURCH WHEN WE REACH
A CERTAIN NUMBER BISHOP!!

WE MAY WANT TO TRY SOME CRAZY STUFF BISHOP
BUT WOW WE'RE LIVING IN CRAZY TIMES BISHOP

I MIGHT JUST FAIL MISERABLY BISHOP
BUT I'D LOVE THE CHANCE TO TRY IT BISHOP
JUST INVEST IN RISK... CREATIVITY... AND THOSE WITHOUT A VOICE BISHOP

WHO WILL GO?
SEND ME!!! SEND ME!!!

in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit,
shalom.
j.norm

MUSTACHE FIGHT CLUB FOR MEN

(written on Friday evening)
Apparently Jay Voorhees is making quite the impression at COR this week, but not in the way that one might think. In the dark reaches of the basement where all us Emergent Wesleyans have been put there is another meeting going on. This one is much more sinister than the UMerging Colloquy.

So what is this group? The Mustache Fight Club!!! What are they fighting over you might be wondering. Well to put it lightly, one of the staches will come out on top in this over the top weekend brawl to be THE STACHE that resides on the baby face of Methodism's favorite emergent blogger.

So who will win? YOU DECIDE. Comment back your vote for which stache will win the title of "Dirk D." and call that baby face Jay Voorhees it's crib.

Contestants:
first up is the dali mustache

second we have the english stache

third is the fu-manchu

and the last contestant is the walrus stache worn by fred nietzsche

of course the reigning champion is the pencil style mustache currently known as Dirk D. but has found fame by such notables: Edgar Allen Poe and Marin Heidegger, and Ghandi.

Who will rise to the top (of the lip)? JAY WE ALL LOVE YOUR STACHE- DON'T CUT IT!! In this election- Your vote counts!!! Vote Green!!

shalom,

j.norm

WHEN THE MUSIC'S OVER...

Well the UMerging Colloquy has come to an end. Brian McLaren closed us out with challenging words to take Jesus' invitation to live into the Kingdom. I'm glad to have been part of this week and now Gavo and I are ready to hit the road and head back home. I look foward to seeing Jen, Jonas and Abby and to sleep in my own bed tonight.

More on the week to come....

shalom,
j.norm

UMerging... are we there yet?

It's been a great time thus far at the UMerging Colloquy. I've had wonderful conversations, had some hard words to wrestle with, and have made some new friends along the way.

So what have we been up too?

Obviously it's always great to hang with Gavin and while here we've discovered that our Worship Feast CD Project is out on the market. (Huh? Jenny, what's up?)

Jay Voorhees has obviously been kicking butt and taking names pushing the envelope on issues of ministry, ordination, and how we do church.

Rev. Fife... well what can I say he is just one mischeivious dude. He's shifty, taking on many different names... bombarding the blogworld with many different fraudulent personalities.

Susan Cox, a DS in Kansas, right now is leading a round table discussion with Bishops Scott Jones and Robert Schnase.

Here are a few snippets of what we've experienced so far. Rather than write about it you can hear it for yourself:

Singing/Worship last night

What is the Emerging Church- Kirsten Oh

Talk around my table about the Emerging Church

Our opening liturgy

more to come later

TWO METHODISTS AND A SAINT WALK INTO A BAR...

Like I said earlier this morning (last night for me actually), Gavo and I hit the road in the wee hours of the night to head to Kansas City for a colloquy/conversation between theologians and ministry practioners to talk about what role the emerging church plays in relation to the umc and vice versa. This was an invite only dealio but somehow I managed to persuade someone that they needed a token methodist from "Da Eastside". I'm not sure but that's my best guess as to how I'm here.

So here we are right now in the car racing along interstate 70 about 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City- Me, Gavo and St. Augustine. That's right St. Augustine's on pilgrimage with me too. One of my practices this weekend will be to engage two readings from and about Augustine. One is a wonderful book that I read over the summer and am going back to read again- "You Converted Me: The Confessions of St. Augustine" translated by Robert J. Emonson with study notes written throughout the book by Tony Jones, published by Paraclete Press. I love the translated version of this book and Tony's casual and insightful notes makes it feel like I have Augustine as a travelling companion alongside Gavo, as the ancient saint shares with me his life story and invites me to consider his faith and how it might inform my own. If you are looking for a devotion book you might consider it.

Augustine is also speaking words of wisdom from premodernity through Michael Hanby's book- Augustine and Modernity. This is a book in the Radical Orthodoxy series. Now this one is a little heavier reading but a perfect match for pilgrimage to a sacred space where we will be discussing the shift in ministry and life from modern ways of thinking and "doing" church to postmodernism (i would argue that we are still knee deep in the hold of modernity but quickly moving past it into something very different).

This pilgrimage for us feels much like other pilgrimages we've taken together- prayer books in the back seat, camera, road trippin sharing stories about life, good music (burlap to cashmere at the moment), looking for the sacred in most every moment, etc... the traffic cop pulling us over was a whole new adventure to the trip. What is very different this time around is our location. We have two destinations for our pilgrimage. The first stop in which we will be arriving in just a few minutes is Jacob's Well which is one of the "emerging congregations" that have been a model for the emerging movement. We'll be having lunch with Mo, their youth pastor and listening to how an emerging congregation equips for youth ministry.

The rest of the weekend we'll be hooking up with our buddy Jay Voorhees and pal Ingrid (who is currently in DC at Wesley School of Theology) chillin' at The Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City where Adam Hamilton is the Sr. Pastor. I hear this is a pretty big congregation. We'll see what else comes out of this weekend. More to come.

shalom,
j.

THE PILGRIMAGE OF ILL REPUTE

It's the pilgrimage that neither of us really wanted to admit to- which is why as the world was nestling in for a long evening's slumber as a trunk was closing with luggage nestled in for a long night's mysterious and secretive drive.

Gavo and I headed off into the night. Our destination- A UNITED METHODIST MEGACHURCH in Kansas City!! This is going to be a pilgrimage that we won't forget. But wait, this may not be what you are thinking... More to come tomorrow. Now sleep is beckoning at 4:20am.

THE BIG DAY!!

Well, tomorrow is a big day in the life of Nashville Metho-Bloggers!! Gavin Richardson and his fiance' Erin tie the big KNOT-O-ROO!!

It's been fun to see Gavin get ready for the big day tomorrow. All the "to do's" that come with being a groom, picking out and choosing, dropping what's going on and meeting up with coordinators and decorators, etc etc...

I remember my wedding "crunch time" and all the stress I brought Jen and her mom with my "procrastinating boo-tay".

I wish Gavo and Erin all the Shalom and love with their marriage, but before that I wish the groomsmen all the FUN tonight!!!! Yeah!!! Here we go!!

Also friends, if you get a chance- Jen has asked me to pass this along (and now a word from my darling wife):

"Hello Jonathon's blogging friends. Last Saturday we had a grand birthday experiencere for our son, Jonas. I am now exploiting my son's good looks to try and win a digital camera. Please visit this site and vote for Jonas and help us po folks from the east side out." Thanks. Your vote does count in this election, I promise!!"

Have a great weekend all,
J.Norm

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY- MY LIFE CHANGED AS I KNOW IT.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONAS. DADDY LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!!

SLIP OF THE TONGUE

This is a great short film that I stumbled on. Speaks to racism, gender issues, and consumerism... it's worth the watch and the spoken word in it ROCKS!!

Here's 10 Things You Can Do to combat negative and distorted images of women.

AND

Take action for women’s rights through the Feminist Majority Foundation.

shalom,
j.norm

NEW BLOG SOON

Rumor has it that someone I admire immensely will be starting a blog soon!!! I'll be linking to it from my site and announcing it just as soon as it is up and going. It will be one of those psuedo theological/political/ecclesiological blogs where the writer is lame and dosen't really have much to say-- I hate those kinds of blogs.... :)

shalom,
j.norm

LUCY FRIDDELL HAS ARRIVED

Welcome to the world- Lucy Fridell!!

On August 29th Carrie and Mike Fridell welcomed their new baby girl into the world. Lucy weighs 9lbs and 10.4 ounces. Carrie and Mike are wonderful friends of mine and Jen from our previous church- Blakemore UMC.

Rumor has it that she's already mastered rockhopping on a mountain bike.