Sunday March 10th Gathering

Hi everyone -

This Sunday March 10 we will gather at 3pm at the Schroeder's house in Grove City Nancy's House in German Village for an open and friendly discussion. The topic is from the Animate : Faith series, entitled "Cross: Where God Is." The speaker is Nadia Bolz-Weber, a tatted Lutheran pastor of an Emergent church in Denver.

Here is a sample:



Since the topic is about the cross, I thought it could be interesting if everyone brought a cross that they own personally. I know that in our house, I could find at least 10 - from wall hangings, to jewelry, to artwork - crosses are all around us. And sometimes they hold significance. So bring one or two of your personal crosses to share. How does the image, icon and idea of the cross impact your every day life?

As always, everyone is welcome! We'll try to have some snacks and coffee, but feel free to bring drinks or a light snack to share!

If you need directions or more info, you can email me (Jesse) at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com

This Sunday: Discussion

Hi everyone -

This Sunday, 4/17, we will have an open discussion at the Columbus Public Library Main Branch, in the 3rd floor board room, starting at about 2:30pm. (Note, the library closes at 5, so starting a bit earlier will be good. Please also note that there is parking in the garage below the library for a low cost, about $2, or you can park on the street nearby for free).

This is a very nice, quiet room, and very conducive to a group discussion. Also, I believe we could use a projector and speakers if we wanted to watch a video and discuss it. Some options:

- Video from Rob Bell: The God's Aren't Angry Anymore -or- Everything Is Spiritual
- Discuss any books or topics people are reading lately
- "Community Night" style open sharing and discussion
- Experiences of Lent 2011 - have you been fasting? what have you been thinking about? etc.
- Other topics that people are interested in?

What the hell??

Although the title of this post is a poor attempt at a joke, this Sunday we will be having a serious discussion about the theology of the afterlife, specifically the reality of hell and the implications of the traditional doctrine of hell as taught by the evangelical church.

Kyle Porter, who has done some great blogging at "Thoughts in Pencil," will be leading the discussion and sharing with us some of the information he's gained by examining the issue on his own.

This will be an open discussion and a chance to share questions, doubts and uncertainties about this difficult issue. Perhaps no other issue has the potential to be as divisive, challenging, and involve such serious ramifications. So while we will be respectful as always, we also want to present the opportunity to be real with ourselves and each other about what questions we may have.

We will meet at 3pm at the Global Gallery in Clintonville. (3535 N. High St.)


LOCATION CHANGE: Because the community room was not available at the Global Gallery, we have changed the location to Cup o' Joe in the Short North, 600 N. High St. (right on "the cap"). I think there is a parking lot just a little bit north, and meters are free on Sundays. Time is the same.

If you have questions or need more info, feel free to contact Jesse (schroeder.jesse@gmail.com, 557-5768)

It's Really All About God - An Intro

This Sunday, Sept. 12th we will discuss the book "It's Really All About God" by Samir Selmanovic, in preparation for his visit on Oct. 3rd. This is a book review I wrote a few months back. You can read it for an introduction. I'll try to post more resources soon. - jesse
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By far, the most compelling chapters of "It's Really All about God: Reflections of a Muslim Atheist Jewish Christian" are the Prologue and the Epilogue. In the intro, Selmanovic grabbed my attention and piqued my interest with the story of a Wiccan woman praying for evangelical pastors, a selection from the Sufi poet Rumi, and challenging questions like, "Is a God who favors anyone over anyone else worth worshiping?"

At first, it seems that Selmanovic is preparing to deliver a comprehensive theology of religious pluralism. He states that,

"the presence of the other in all its beauty, fragility, dignity, and need is demanding our answers. If God created all humanity but gave life-giving knowledge - usually referred to as 'revelation' - to only some of humanity, could God in any meaningful sense be though of as the One God and not only as a god?...To say that God has decided to visit all humanity through only one particular religion is a deeply unsatisfying assertion about God." (pg. 9)

But even in the prologue, the author quickly moves away from an academic approach and instead invites the reader to ponder his "reflections" (as the subtitle of the book says). He offers many questions, ideas and snippets to challenge the reader to seriously consider his premise: "For religion to recapture human imagination, the theology and practice of finding God in the other will have to move from the outskirts of our religious experience to its center. The heart of a religion that will bless the world is going to beat at its edges." (pg 13)

It is literary images like this last one - "the heart of a religion beating at the edges" - that are, at first easy to read, but jar the reader enough to go back and read them again, wondering about the significance of such an idea. Throughout the book, Selmanovic has the gift of putting into words the back-of-the-mind and deep-in-the-heart intuitions that many believers share, but have a hard time expressing (for one reason or another).

As previously stated, this is not an academic book. The typeface is large and generously spaced, and most pages have text boxes with short selections from the chapter. Most chapters begin with a personal story from the author's childhood or background in Yugoslavia. Initially, I was surprised and bit frustrated to have to read through these anecdotal accounts. I wanted more content and less fluff. But eventually I realized that the writing approach was intended to demonstrate several key points of the book.

First, the author successfully shows that he came as an outsider to Christianity and even religion at all. The stories of his family disowning him because of his faith and literally kicking him out of their home successfully provide a sort of "street credibility" to his later pronouncements about religious life. He can talk about "the other" because he has been "an other" in more ways than one. In a world often filled more with speculation than actual life experiences, I began to appreciate these stories because they made me realize that the author is not only offering a way to live that could be better, but he has actually lived this way for most of his life and now is sharing his experiences.

Second, by including personal stories in each chapter, another key point is subtly underlined again and again: This theology of "finding God in the other" can only be a reality in as much as it comes to life every day in each of us. It cannot be theoretical, it must be experiential. The personal stories of the author are a continual invitation to the reader to realize that my everyday life is also an experience of "finding God in the other," if I choose to live it that way.

Finally, while this book is not a self-proclaimed "emergent" book (published by Jossey-Bass, and not in one of the EV book series; it also sports no endorsements from any of the typical EV leaders), I think it goes as far as any emergent book written thus far in helping to explain what an emerging Christianity must (and does) look like. It is not a book solely considered with a theology of religious pluralism. Instead, the chapters address such topics as "The Secret of the Ordinary" (chp. 2; akin to "Transforming Secular Space" in Gibbs/Bolger), "The Blessing of Atheism" (chp 7; reminiscent of "a/theism" in Rollins), and "God Management Systems" (chp. 3; similar to the "New Kind of Christian" series by Brian McLaren). In short, the book aims to be as comprehensive as its title, attempting to offer a new way to understand how we understand and live with God, engage other people and their religion, and experience spirituality in a postmodern world.

Re-tellings of the "Feeding of the 5,000"

We had a great gathering today! Thanks for those who followed the time change and made it to the Global Gallery to read, discuss, and retell the story of the feeding of the multitude (Luke 10, John 6). The re-tellings were really fun. I was able to collect a few, and others were written in journals so they will have to share on their own time (Andrew! Kristen!) But I did type out those that I could, and thought I would share them here:

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"Outings with a large group of kids is not always easy, but as a teacher, its something you have to do. Do I have them all? Where are the lunches? Are they safe? These thoughts all ran through my mind as we became consumed in the crowd waiting to hear more from this man Jesus. The kids don't really know who He is or get his role in their community, but they don't really need to in their minds. He's interesting and unknown so they're intrigued - especially Michael. Meeting Jesus was all he talked about and as I did a quick head count, I realized he was gone. As any good teacher would, I began scanning the crowd and as I almost began to panic - there he was. He had pushed his way all the way to the front, practically standing at Jesus' side. What a pesty little kid, but bold you had to admit. Suddenly, he reaches into his bag and pulls out his lunch sack and offers it to a frowning friend of Jesus. He was offering them his food, and I thought about how insignificant that small amount was but what a big sacrifice that was for Michael, who had so little to offer coming from a poor family. But he was willing. Who could have guessed how his view of life changed with the feeding that followed. To some, it was just a free lunch; to Michael, having a small role in something so out of the ordinary. I knew he would never be the same." - Kellye Schroeder

"I was prepared. I thought ahead. I knew Jesus would talk for a long time. A LONG time....So I brought a lunch - a good sized lunch that would last me for the whole day. I didn't want to be hungry. I was smart about it.
But everyone else got caught up in the excitement, the aura, the emotion of Jesus and his miracles. I mean he was healing people right in front of our eyes! More and more would join the crowd, whether because they needed to be healed themselves, or they were adventure junkies - looking for a great story to tell their family and friends back home.
The crowd got bigger. We got further away from the city. And very few people had food or water. But I did. I was prepared. And I didn't plan to share. I was taking care of myself, like my mother had taught me. And I knew - no matter what happened to these other people - at least I would be OK.
Panic started to set in. People began to wonder about food, and looking to Jesus for direction. I can't be sure, but I thought I saw him get a little nervous himself. He held a little pow-wow with his disciples to come up with a plan. I snuck closer to hear what this genius Jesus - who hadn't htought about stopping his sermons for a lunch break - was going to come up with. I heard a disciple say, "But NO ONE has food!" I smirked, "Well I have food." They turned to me, saw the bread and fish I was munching on, and quickly snatched it out of my hands and showed it to Jesus. Before you knew it, wizz bang pow, there was food for everyone. Another miracle. Whoop dee doo.Everyone was glad to be eating, but no one realized it was my food they were eating! No one even asked my name.
Don't get me wrong. I'm happy people got to eat. I think it was cool what Jesus did. I'm impressed, and I'm going to check out another sermon sometime. But I just wish I would have gotten some more credit or recognition. I mean, without me, and my food, there never would have been a feeding of the 5,000." - Jesse Schroeder

"And Phillip said, 'Why did you ask us the question when you already knew what you would do?' Jesus said, 'Think about it. I asked the question so you would be part of figuring out the answer. First you used logic....but discovered it is too costly to buy bread for all of these. We don't have the money. Then you saw impossibility. There is a boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish. What is that among so many? Then you saw possibility when I said, 'Make the men sit down.' You believed.
I asked the question so you would be a part of finding the answer." - Nancy Jarosi

"Jesus mopped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The day was warm and he was tired from healing so many. They just didn't get it. He hadn't come to fix all of their problems. He had come to show them the reign of God, to show them how to join with him in bringing it to life. His gifts were meant to empower them, to inspire them to become givers. Yet they were so young. Like their ancestors, every gift led to a demand for more. Why couldn't they see?
Jesus groaned as he saw the multitude crest the hill. Here they come again. Even so, his heart filled with love. They were his people. Perhaps something new would show them - a miracle of community, of sharing, or offering what little they had to the reign of God.
He looked at the disciples. Something they got. Often they didn't. Peter looked poleaxed as the crowd came on. Dub as a rock - God love - but a heart of gold. There was hope for him yet.
"How can we feed them?" He asked. Would they get it this time?
Blank looks showed back. One small boy offered his lunch.
Jesus sighed internally as his followers smiled at the boy. "The reign of God is like a child's heart" he thought. "have them sit." he said. "Let them gather."
He paused to connect with God. One day, all would know this relationship. He gave thanks. And he was grateful. The boy would understand. He blessed the lunch and watched as the people were fed.
Soon a ruckus arose. Rumor echoed through the crowd. They wanted to make him King again. They didnt' understand what that meant. Didn't understand that he already was a king in God's reign. Another gift. Another demand that he do everything for them. Quickly he gathered the food and slipped away. The boy would understand. And he would continue loving the rest of them until they did as well." - Chad Johns

Upcoming Discussion....

Hi everyone -

It was suggested that we discuss some of the ideas from Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "The Cost of Discipleship" on Sunday March 28th. If you haven't read it, this is a very challenging book. Bonhoeffer writes in a very "point blank," "no bull" and "straight up" manner. A lot of what he says reminds me of what emergent folks are saying now, but I think he also levels some serious challenges that emergent folks should consider.

To prepare for the discussion, you could read the book online here (thanks for the link Angela). You could also download the audio book for free here, and listen to it on your way to work or as you walk around in the beautiful weather. Or I have a copy that anyone is welcome to borrow, and I'm sure the public library has several copies as well.

I especially am drawn to chapter 3, "Single Minded Obedience," but as always, anything is up for discussion.

Sunday's Discussion

We are meeting at Global Gallery in Clintonville at 3pm on Sunday January 31st. Everyone is welcome to join the discussion!!

Since nothing else has really been suggested, a quick idea - take it or leave it: I just got back from watching the movie "The Book of Eli" and it really has me thinking about the power of words, music, art, and the ideas (that word isn't big enough) that is communicated through these mediums. In short, the movie is based in a post-apocalyptic world in which few can read; there are no tv's, radios, etc; but of course plenty of weapons and fighting. The main character is traveling across the country in possession of the only remaining copy of the Bible, and there is a strong recognition that this book contains immense power - to be used for good or evil (cue dramatic music).

Anyway, I was thinking about the power of the words of the Bible - not just the dogmas or the ideas - but because the words themselves are beautiful and come from and connect with the human spirit, they are powerful - even if you couldn't really understand what they were all about. The same goes for many songs, paintings, dance, etc. There is something meaningful communicated, and it is important. We focus our societies and our culture around art like this. It has power.

So I thought that we could share parts of the Bible that mean the most for us - not in the sense that they inform our doctrine (necessarily), or that it is a "life verse" - but more that the words themselves are beautiful to you. They speak to you. They are a centering focus for your life. The Word has Power more than the weapons and powers of this world.

Along with words from the Bible, we could share songs, movie clips, stories, paintings, photos and other art that communicates this same kind of power.

Think about it; try to bring something to share or talk about; and we'll see where it goes -

Or we could talk about something else? Other ideas??

Discussion this Sunday

This Sunday (Jan. 3rd) we will meet at 3pm at the Global Gallery in Clintonville to have another discussion about the book, "Free for All." It has been well over a month since our last discussion about the book, so I suggest we pick up where we left off, in chapters 2 and 3.

In the second chapter, the authors give a brief recap of how the Bible has been used and interpreted by Christians in the 20th century. There are several key points of useful information, as well as clear statements demonstrating how the authors think the Bible should be read and used by a faith community.

If every one reads or re-reads these two chapters (pgs. 43-80), I think we will have plenty to discuss and catch up for a discussion Sunday afternoon.

As always, anyone is welcome to join the discussion, whether you have read the book or not. Also, if it will be your first time joining, we are excited to meet you! If you have any questions, feel free to email schroeder.jesse@gmail.com for clarification.

"Postchurch" Conversation

Frank Viola has two recent posts (here and here) on the Out of Ur blog. They are meant to be read together, and the bottom line is that he sees the "postchurch perspective" as unbiblical, unsustainable, and not genuine Christianity. In the first post, he says that "postchurch" is "built on the premise that institutional forms of church are ineffective, unbiblical, unworkable, and in some cases, dangerous. Institutionalization is not compatible with ekklesia" and ""any semblance of organization whatsoever . . . any semblance of leadership...is wrong and oppressive. Church is simply when two or three believers gather together in any format. Whenever this happens, church occurs." In the second article, he applies 6 characteristics of NT churches to "postchurches" and sees that postchurches fail all 6.

Viola has a very specific, NT idea of church (of ekklesia, the greek word for "church") in mind when he writes these articles. His ideal concept of church is an "organic" church. He writes, "By "organic church," I mean a non-traditional church that is born out of spiritual life instead of constructed by human institutions and held together by religious programs. Organic church life is a grass roots experience that is marked by face-to-face community, every-member functioning, open-participatory meetings (opposed to pastor-to-pew services), non-hierarchical leadership, and the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ as the functional Leader and Head of the gathering. Put another way, organic church life is the "experience" of the Body of Christ. In its purest form, it's the fellowship of the Triune God brought to earth and experienced by human beings."

In my opinion, the COEC is a very "organic" group of people, and we experience God in a variety of ways and settings. However, I would not say we are a church either. Are we "postchurch?" I'm not sure (mainly because I don't accept Viola's definitions as comprehensive).

Frank has also posted on his blog that "Some of the comments on the blog confirm my instincts to write this article, as a great deal of confusion abounds among those who have left institutional Christianity and have opted for “the convenient substitute” rather than the organic expression of the body of Christ." I think it would be interesting to get feedback from our cohort.

Are we "postchurch" or "organic"? Are these the same? Are there areas that Viola is missing?

Other thoughts? Post here, or on the Out of Ur blog.

Thomas Merton Discussion Starters

This Sunday we will have an open discussion about Thomas Merton and some of his main ideas. The discussion will be held at the Global Gallery in Clintonville from 6:30-8:30pm and is open to everyone. Below are a few ideas that I thought might spark some discussion:

• Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was a scholar and a monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky. He was a prolific writer and is best know for his work on the need for silence, solitude, and spiritual contemplation. Eventually, his work in these areas led him to interfaith discussions with Eastern religions.
  
• Merton writes about contemplation: "Contemplation is the highest expression of man's intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is gratitude for life, for awareness, and for being. It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent, and infinitely abundant Source. Contemplation is, above all, awareness of the reality of that Source."
• Another quote on contemplation: "Contemplation is essentially a listening in silence, an expectancy. And yet in a certain sense, we must truly begin to hear God when we have ceased to listen. What is the explanation of this paradox? Perhaps only that there is a higher kind of listening...a general emptiness that waits to realize the fullness of the message of God within its own apparent void. In other words, the true contemplative is not the one who prepares his mind for a particular message that he wants or expects to hear, but who remains empty because he knows that he can never expect or anticipate the word that will transform his darkness into light. He does not even anticipate a special kind of transformation...He waits on the Word of God in silence, and when he is 'answered' it is not so much by a word that bursts into his silence. It is by his silence itself suddenly, inexplicably revealing itself to him as a great word of power, full of the voice of God."
• In the monastic tradition, the purpose of Christian life is very different from that of the evangelical. Rather than a call to "do" something for God - whether it be evangelism, social justice, worship or preaching - the monk believes that the most important thing a person can do is simply experience God's presence and love him deeply. This love for God, evidenced in regular prayer and the community within the abbey, is a witness to the rest of the world of how life could be lived. Also, the prayers of the monks are a powerful spiritual force in the secular world, although they are unseen.
  

Some possible questions for discussion:

1. What is your immediate reaction to the ideas of silence, solitude and contemplation?
   
2. What are your thoughts about the monastic tradition? Where do you see monasticism in postmodern life?
3. Merton (and all mystical/contemplatives) spend much time discussing the experience of God's presence and what it means to love God sincerely and deeply in human life. How do you experience God? How do you express love for God? Do you think contemplation could be another path for this?
   
4. Meditation/contemplation is not unique to Christianity. Where else have you experienced/practiced this mystical activity? What do you think about Merton's interfaith dialogs based upon mystical experiences of God?
   
5. What might evangelicals and American Christians in general learn from the monastic tradition?
   

A possible side discussion could be about the so-called "postchurch" position. Author Frank Viola wrote a few posts about it this week on the Out of Ur blog (first post; second post) . His primary point is that those who claim to be "postchurch" are actually lazy in their commitment to a spiritual community and this is not a biblical understanding of church. However, I think that alongside Merton's ideas of contemplation as being "fully awake" to God's presence in all of life, being postchurch could be a movement out of and beyond church, finding and rejoicing in God's presence in the rest of the Christian life, not just in the one or two hours of church.

For some additional reading, you can see some of the blog posts I have written on contemplation here.

Doug is coming this weekend!

In case you forgot, Doug Pagitt is coming to Columbus on Sunday, July 19th. You can see more information here, and I've embedded a video below that has a little preview. I'm really excited for this event and I hope you and all your family and friends will be able to make it.

XWB Discussion Post #2

This post is a part of the online discussion about Doug Pagitt's book "A Christianity Worth Believing in anticipation of his visit to Columbus."

A Hellenistic Faith?

The following is an excerpt taken from chapter 5 in which Doug uses the story of the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 to show that in the 1st century, the new faith of following Jesus Christ was meant for different people of different backgrounds, races and lifestyles. He proceeds in the chapter to discuss how Christianity became more "set in stone" along with the development of Greek and Roman culture.

"So the Jewish believers were asking the Gentile believers to do whatever they could to make it possible for the two groups to meet together. The first few centuries of the Christian faith were all about this balance between diversity and unity.

But then something changed...Christianity started moving from a faith committed to multicultural unity to one requiring monocultural uniformity. In other words, Christianity began settling into one particular culture and worldview, and all adherents had to convert to that worldview if they wanted to follow Jesus. Strangely, that mandatory worldview was not the Hebrew worldview of the Jewish people. It was the Greek worldview of the Gentiles. ...

... By the time Christianity became the official Roman religion under Constantine, it was so deeply a Greek expresion that not only had the Jewish heritage faded, but many Christians were fearful of the Jews, and deep conflict between Jews and Christians was common. This marked quite a change. The influence of telling a dynamic Jewish story in and through multiple cutlures was replaced with a Greek monocultural expression of Christianity. It is from within this fully Greek worldview that much of our 'official' modern Christianity arose. ...

... Augustine and many who followed him needed to create complex theologies to smooth out the questions raised by all of these competing worldviews. Their theological explanations are brilliant for their situation, but they are just that - situational explanations. They are not in and of themselves the story of God. This is why it's important for us to recognize the cultural encoding that takes place every time a theology is created. every theology is grounded in a culture and set of culturally based assumptions and concerns. To hold to these theologies in the fifth century was to be faithful, for they were created as explanations for the understanding of the world at that time. But to hold to those same conclusions today, when the worldview that demanded them has expired, is simply foolish."

In my opinion, one of the most common mistakes religious people make is that they experience God in a meaningful and real way, and then they aim to replicate that experience with everyone else they know, regardless of any differences in background, personality or experiences. It seems almost contradictory to have a "flexible" or "changing" religion, because inherent in the concept of religion is a set of beliefs and systems that are unchanging, permanent, absolute.

But as we all know, the world - and the people and the ideas in the world - are all changing, and very rapidly. The faith of the 21st century, in many respects, is not the same faith as the 20th century, and certainly not the same faith of the 5th century when Augustine wrote.

But on the other hand, we have the creeds, we have the Scriptures, and we have the traditions of the Church. Does it all need to change? Herein lies the difficult interpretative task: Which beliefs are culturally bound and necessitate revision? And which are more permanent, more foundational and should not be changed at all?

Possible questions to discuss:

• In what ways do you see the ancient influences in the Christian faith?
  
• What parts of your current Christian experience do you feel are more being held over from cultural experiences of the past, and aren't really central to the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus?
  
• How do we determine what parts of our faith are cultural and what parts are permanent? Can we make such a division?
  

Violence and God Audio

We had a great discussion with Brandon Sipes regarding world religions, violence, conflict and spiritual life. It was great to see everyone there, and many thanks to Brandon for sharing with us.

I recorded the discussion and have uploaded it. You can access the mp3 here. If anyone would like to post other reflections or links here, feel free.

May 17 - Socialism Discussion

Glenn King has sent the following information through the cohort email listserv, but I thought it could be helpful to post it on the blog as well. All the links are to google documents.
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I took the initiative to give a presentation on the subject of socialism
particularly in its relationship to Christianity for the meeting of May
17. I would like to share some articles written both by myself and others
which can give to members some basic insights on both the diversity of
socialist ideas and history.

What I want primarily to do at the presentation is to lead a discussion
regarding the relationship of Socialism and Christianity. As part of
that discussion I am prepared to discuss aspects of the history and
ideas of socialism as needed. However I think that if persons do decide
to read these articles they will find them of interest and hopefully will
understand much better my own views on socialism. Feel free to respond
to these articles prior to the meeting. What I hope to do is to put
socialism on the map as at least a concept to be considered by Columbus
members of the emerging church movement. I hope the meeting on May 17 can
be the opening of a dialogue and not just the beginning and the end of
one.

Article #1: What Socialism is Not

Article #2: An Alternative Socialism

Article #3: Themes of Freedom, Power & Community

Article #4: Capitalism, Cooperativism, and Values

Article #5: Thoughts on the Kingdom of God

What would you like to talk about?

We would like to extend an invitation for you (or anyone) to ask any question or raise any topic for one of our discussion sessions. Whether you have attended our meetings before or not, you are welcome to ask a question or point out a concern - just something you would like to hear so-called "emergents" discuss. Nothing is off the table!

You can post your question in the comments section of this blogpost, or email schroeder.jesse@gmail.com. We'll post information regarding the discussion session later.

Sunday Discussion Wrap-Up

We had a great time sharing lunch together at Nancy's house - thanks so much for hosting! We tossed around different ideas for the future of the cohort, and I thought I would just jot down a few of them here (anyone can feel free to edit this post of remind me of things in the comments section). I think the three things that were settled were:

1. Fewer discussion sessions, perhaps only one a month.
   
2. Having an assigned "coordinator" for each month, or perhaps a few months at a time. This person would simply be in charge of making sure the blog info was updated and something was generally "planned" for the week and info was getting out to everyone.
   
3. Having a "planning" meeting that would take place once every three months or so. This meeting would be an informal and open time to discuss and suggest new ideas for the upcoming months. New ideas for different activities/meetings could be any of the following:

• Visiting a church together on a Sunday, and then sharing lunch afterward to discuss/process the experience (this is something we did together a few times in the past, but is hard to do if a discussion session is planned at 3pm)
• Doing joint service projects together. These could be random, or connected to programs people are already involved in (for example, picking up trash in Weinland park area, serving a meal at Bellows Ave. church, or something totally new).
  
• Increased inter-faith dialog, which would involved inviting people of other faiths, other groups from Columbus to be a part of our discussion. For example, inviting a Buddhist to explain and teach meditation practices.
  
• Inviting other "emergent" speakers to share with our cohort (similar to the Rollins event).
  
• Encouraging new people to ask questions or suggest topics that could then be discussed. This would not be "leading" a discussion session, but would give them the opportunity to suggest a topic/author/book/idea, etc.
  

Some of the tensions involve 1) Wanting to accepting, affirming and welcoming of everyone, but also continuing to develop a close bond with each other in the group; 2) Encouraging diversity and differing opinions while recognizing people will naturally stick with people they agree with; 3) Providing a service to Columbus, inviting new people, but we don't feel like the goal of the group is to grow bigger necessarily; 4) being open to other faiths and ideas, but not being ashamed of loving and following Jesus.

As always, the cohort is in the process of becoming and it is a joint experience. We are so thankful to everyone who has been a part of the cohort in the past, and we welcome everyone's continued involvement and input, especially to those new voices who have just entered the conversation in the past months. More than anything, we desire for everyone to feel accepted and welcome, and to grow in the way that they most need to, whatever that might be.

I did record the discussion for those who couldnt' make it but wanted to be there. If you want an .mp3 file, just email me at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com

What's Next?

This Sunday we'll be talking about Phyliss Tickle's book The Great Emergence again. The basic message of the book (in fact, it's the subtitle) is that Christianity is changing for a variety of different reasons. Here a few links that have shown up in the past weeks that offer different perspectives on the changes within Christianity:

• TIME names "The New Calvinism" as #3 of the top ten ideas that are changing the world right now. The article quotes Al Mohler as saying about young people, "They have plenty of friends: what they need is a God...The moment someone begins to define God's [being or actions] biblically, that person is drawn to conclusions that are traditionally classified as Calvinist." (See also this post by Mark Driscoll himself that includes 4 reasons why neo-Calvinism is so attractive) Interestingly enough, the article begins by offering the Calvinist slant of popular Christian music as evidence for the shift; a statement akin to one Tickle made at the conference in Cincinnati a few weeks ago.
  
• The prediction that Evangelicalism is coming to an end. First a series of posts found here, then picked up by several other blogsites. One of the most notable statements is that, "This collapse, will...herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian west and will change the way tens of millions of people see the entire realm of religion. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become particularly hostile towards evangelical Christianity, increasingly seeing it as the opponent of the good of individuals and society." While this is simply an opinion piece, the statement that "HALF of evangelicals [will] be something else within 2-3 generations/10-20 years" is similar to Tickle's statement that in the coming years, 50% of Christianity will operate within what she calls "The Emerging Center" or "The New Rose." (She also claims that "experts" agree).
  
• A bit of a heated blog-a-logue regarding the nature of "virtual community," primarily started by Shane Hipps, author of Flickering Pixels. See an interview here between Shane and Rob Bell, a longer one here with Zach Lind (from JEW!), and finally, the one that started it all (watch this one if none of the others). Essentially, Shane claims that true community must have the following: 1) A kind of shared history: This helps establish a sense of identity & belonging; 2)Permanence: This is how you get the shared history; 3) Proximity: You have to BE with each other to create meaningful connection; 4) A shared imagination of the future: This is especially important within Christian community. More interesting than Shane's claims were the responses by different bloggers, most notably AWC here, and Scot McKnight here and here, with a final response from Shane.

So, my point in sharing all these links is several. First, to give us a bit of shared resources to discuss on Sunday. So in the following days, as you have time, peruse some of these links, and perhaps post some more in the comments. But more importantly, I want to pose the question to be discussed this Sunday, "Are things in Christianity and religion at large really changing, and if so, what do we think is next?" At the last discussion session we briefly discussed some ideas of what might be the coming "authority" in terms of religion and even society (BTW, Tickle claims that the authority from the time of the Reformation until about the mid-1900's was "Sola Scriptura" or "Scripture alone").

In short, what will Christianity look like in 5, 10, 20 years? What does that mean about how we should be living and believing now? Where are the changes taking place, and where will the "new" Christianity be, and what might it look like?

Plan for Sunday 3.8.09

We need to finalize plans for this Sunday. Currently, we are planning on meeting at 3:00 at the Global Gallery for a one-hour discussion. Then we will move to Tree of Life at 4:00 for a one-hour wiki training session to work on our website. Even if you know how to edit wikis I would love it if you came to this because we will also be discussing style criteria and general qualifications to post something on the blog. Currently, I have posted that we will concentrate on avoiding over-consumption, buying US or from factories around the world in which workers are treated fairly, shopping at responsible stores, and trying to have some of our money reenter the local economy. However, these are just what I came up with and they are very much up for discussion.

If everyone who wants to help with the wiki (and really, this will take almost everyone to work) can please bring at least one idea of something you want to post - a product or business, that would be great...think of it as emergent homework. If we post a bunch of things right away it would really get it off to a good start.

Directions to Tree of Life are posted in the comments

Update: Discussion Topic
We will be having a brief discussion about Phyllis Tickle's book, "The Great Emergence." This book has been highly touted by other Emergent Village writers, and is seen as a synopsis of Emergence, not just in religion, but across all society (see recent youtube discussions here). Tickle argues that there are 44 different catalysts that are changing society and the way religion is experienced, and the result within Christianity is a "new rose," a movement within the various quadrants of the faith, resulting in new expressions. Words like "theonomy" and "orthonomy" as well as "the hyphenateds" will be discussed.

I am pleased to announce....

The "official"COEC Podcast! Or, for right now, xml feed that you can subscribe to, or download the most recent .mp3 of our discussion session or whatever else we feel like recording. The podcast address (for now) is:

http://homepage.mac.com/jaschroeder/podcast.xml

I have posted the discussion from last Sunday. Perhaps if we regularly post the discussions, we can use it as a follow-up discussion on the blog. Also, it sounds like we'll be able to record the event with Peter Rollins this weekend, so I'll try to post that as well.

Here are some different ways to download the podcast:

1. In iTunes, go to "Advanced" then "Subscribe to Podcast" then input URL
2. Subscribe to the URL in your RSS reader or Google reader, etc.
3. Just type the URL into your web browser and click on the file you want to listen to.
   

Right now, I am using a free MobileMe account from Apple, but it only has a 60 day trial and about 20GB of space (which would allow for about 20 episodes). If anyone has ideas for inexpensive and large online storage options, let me know.

Of course, if you have other input, questions, suggestions, or problems with the feed, just let me know!!

My faith is "more"

I feel like my faith has changed somewhat dramatically in the past year. I'm going to share a bit more of my church history, because I think that informs where I am now and where I'm going. 

In '05-'06, Kellye and I were really involved with a young church plant, based off of the Nazarene church at which we teach. There were a lot of great things going on at this church, but around Christmas of '06 we realized that the purpose and mission had changed from caring about people in real and practical ways, to church maintenance and growth. More significantly, we felt that we were losing very meaningful friendships simply because we weren't core leaders in the church any more. While my involvement in the church plant was the beginning of my re-thinking the important aspects of the gospel and the church, this experience left me feeling very hurt, frustrated, cynical and disconnected to the church. 

In January of '07, Kellye and I decided to take some students to Guatemala, and we dedicated most of our efforts to that cause, and then we spent a full month in Europe in the summer of '07. So for almost 6 months we didn't attend church at any one location regularly. During this time, I was stewing about the past hurts, trying to forgive in a real way, having conversations with family and friends about church and faith. And I was reading and learning about the Emergent Church. While in Europe, I read "An Emergent Manifesto of Hope," and the ideas and stories of the authors really resonated with me. My journal from that time period includes many fervent questions, excitement about new ideas, and fear regarding the future. Here is one selection: 

"What is very interesting at this point for me is that I feel like I have to hide this - that it has to be a closet conviction b/c if my Mid-Western, hyper-conservative, ultra-Republican - and yet still "Xian" peers, su-peers, friends and family and other church members found out - well, my views would not be respected encouraged or probably even recognized. I would lose my job and credibility. But when I think about past conversations, and possibilities for future ones - I know I am excited. There is something incredibly right in all of this "Emergent" thought. There is something that rings true w/ my soul." 

In August of '07 I was lucky enough to find the Central Ohio Emergent Cohort, or as I told my brother before we went to the first meeting, "some people I met online." Through the first few months of sporadic meetings, and then the year 2008 in which we intentionally met almost every week, my faith has certainly changed from the hurt, frustrated, angry, uncertain and timid European traveler. As I reflected today as to how I would describe exactly how my faith has changed, I think I would simply say that it is "more." 

First, my faith is more hopeful. I used to be plagued by the ever-present evangelical conviction that the rest of the world was certainly going to hell. But as I have learned that evangelicals do not have the corner on truth or the gospel, let alone God himself, I am much more hopeful. I am hopeful that salvation is much bigger than what I had previously understood it to be. I am hopeful that many more people are experiencing it in real ways in their life today, and many more will be in the future. I am hopeful for myself, and I am hopeful for those I know and love and work with. I can look back on my sketchy past and see what I've been through, and I know that people (and certainly God) will always surprise us. 

Second, my faith is more confident. Even though I grew up in a Christian home, in the church every week, in the Christian school and Christian college, I always felt timid about what I believed. I wouldn't confidently tell anyone that I was a Christian, because what that meant at the time what that I had to be judgmental of their lifestyle, condemn their beliefs, and consider myself better than most everyone else. But now, especially after spending a month in meaningful, honest, incisive, and powerful dialogue and community within the cohort, I can confidently say that I follow the ways of Jesus because I believe it's the best way to live - for myself, and for the whole world. And I don't believe that is an exclusive statement, meaning that those who do not agree are "out" or "excluded" from this wonderful privileged salvation, but rather it is an inclusive statement, meaning that this way of Jesus includes everyone - friends and enemies, sinners and saints, slave and free, Jew or Gentile. Because I no longer believe that North American evangelicalism and Christianity are synonymous (although they are also not mutually exclusive), I can be proud to say I follow Jesus, because I believe that it is something much bigger, much more beautiful, life-giving, challenging, true and wonderful - much more - than what I had ever previously believed. 

Finally, my faith - the faith in this something new, this something other and bigger than what I had previously believed and experienced - my faith is much more informed and intelligent as a result of being a part of the cohort this past year. Everyone in the group is so well-informed, and our conversations are very challenging. I always have to rethink and double-check what I'm going to say to be sure I really think it's right, and that's really good! Although we come from similar backgrounds, I also think we are very different, and that has helped me to learn more about myself and about God. As a result of talking about this "emergent faith" with other intelligent, well-informed, and I would say "Godly" people, has led me to be less concerned about what people in the evangelical circles will think or say, and more excited to share with others about what "more" there is to be found in the Christian faith.