From a Wild Goose Festival attendee

The festival is still going on, but we had to leave today, Saturday, about 2:00 PM.  I really wanted to see Richard Twiss speak, but I got to talk to him personally before we left.

It is going to take a while to digest all that I experienced at the event.  Initially I can say that I was uncomfortable about many things and comforted by many things.  I found Phyllis Tickle, Richard Rohr, Tony and Peggy Campolo, Matt Prichard, Diana Butler-Bass, Mark Pierson and Abdullah Antepli all very interesting and helpful on Friday.  I also saw Jay Bakker and I will be working on that one for a while.  I talked to people from many different countries, including an artist, Pete, from New Zealand, that had created a very moving piece about the death penalty.  He had a bottle of wine constantly pouring out on a table with a loaf of bread beside it.  Then he had about 6 plates set around the table.  The wine had stained the table cloth and it looked like drying blood.  On each side of each plate was a spike like the ones used on Jesus and then on each plate was a card with the typed menu of a last meal of a convict on death row.  It was interesting.

Today, I was in a group that talked about rites of passage for men and boys and how we can live into a healthy manhood as Christians.  It was a great experience and something I will be working on quite a bit in the future.  I have had conversations over the years with many people about how the church needs to help our young men grow up with rites of passage.  I missed seeing Brian McLaren talk about his books.  I listened to Michael Jacobs, Cherokee, play some good music.  When he started playing a recording of an Indian drum, I had to find where it was coming from and I felt so at home when I got there and saw 3 Indian dancers.  That brought me peace and joy.  I even got a tear in my eye because it felt like a piece of me was back at Robert Francis' place or in Cherry Creek, North Dakota, watching Lance dance.  Then we listened to Ed Dobson talk about the end of life, as he is suffering with ALS and not expected to live much longer.  That inspired me because he talked so much about life with some great insight. 

I cannot thank Virginia and Ralph enough for letting us stay at their home!!!!  It has been a long week since we started out Monday by flying to Tampa for a Franciscan Prayer retreat with CBF that went through Wed. and then having the great joy of attending the 20th Anniversary Celebration of CBF.  I hope to write more about all of this.  Right now I am tired and have to preach in the morning.  Talk to you later!

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin