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

another quote

After two and a half centuries of shacking up with “the American dream,” churches have perfected a dicey codependence between consumer-driven therapeutic individualism and religious pragmatism. These theological proxies gnaw, termite-like, at our identity as the Body of Christ, eroding our ability to recognize that Jesus’ life of self-giving love directly challenges the American gospel of self-fulfillment and self-actualization. Young people in contemporary culture prosper by following the latter. Yet Christian identity, and the “crown of rejoicing” that Wesley believed accompanied consequential faith born out of a desire to love God and neighbor, requires the former.

Dean, Kenda Creasy (2010). Almost Christian : What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church (p. 5). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.

I read this today and just wanted to share it.  Thanks to Lynnette for sending me an email that got me to this book.

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

We learned something from that

On March 24th I flew back to Missouri to work on my parent's farm.  We (my brother, my parents and me) are trying to switch from a grain based feeding program to a totally grass-fed system for the cattle.  I had done this with some steers a few years ago, so I was trying to get the foundation work done so Dad and Darin could make it work for the spring and summer.  There was a lot to be done and we did not get as much done as I was hoping.  I finally got one section of pasture all separated into paddocks with electric fence and got the fencer working.  This took a couple of days.  We decided to put the cattle in the paddock the morning before I flew back to Virginia. 
   It was a mess!  The cattle just walked right though the electric fence.  I ran (something a 44 year old over-weight preacher doesn't do often) around trying to get them back where they belonged, very frustrated.  Then we just took them out of that section of pasture.  Even though it was only 35 degrees out, I was hot, sweaty, angry, etc. etc.  I felt like a total failure.  All of that work down the toilet.  I had just caused more work for Darin and Dad.  What was I thinking?  I don't remember exactly what he said, but Dad basically said, "That was not a failure, we learned something from that." 
   He was correct.  We had learned something.  The cattle had never been around electric fence out in an open pasture like that.  They had to be trained to respect the electric fence.  I was trying to rush the process to fit my schedule, instead of taking the time necessary for it to really work correctly.  The failure was a learning process. 
    My brother set up an electric fence in the middle of a larger section of pasture.  The water source on one side and the area to feed hay on the other side.  The cattle had to walk around the fence to feed and drink.  They learned.  Now they are doing well with the electric fence.  Pictures taken 4/17/2011.

     In our lives and faith communities, we can learn from our failures if we are willing.  We just have to be willing to risk enough to have the failures.  Don't be afraid to fail and learn.

God be with you in the Journey!

Kevin                     

Take the Stone Away

Not what you might think.  I have been dealing with kidney stones since April 19!  I am constantly reminded that I am not in control through this process.  I am not sure even why these little pieces of mineral straight from the pit of hell are formed in my body.  Pain comes from within, but not in reaction to anything I might do.  It just shows up.  I often feel like I am doing just fine, almost no pain at all.  Then, I experience great fatigue at the vast discomfort that my body is going through and I had not even realized it was effecting me.  I am told my body should be able to take care of this, expel the stone with minimal pain.  But, I find myself constantly upset that things are not going according to MY PLAN!!!!!!  Just take the stone away!  Someone, somehow, with something!!!!!  I keep reminding myself that I should be learning something here.  Patience, walking with God in the midst of pain, stamina, grace, something!  Not happening yet, but I will keep trying.
God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Wild Goose Festival

I have been doing some reading about a big gathering that is happening at Shakori Hills Farm, NC, June 23-26.  It is called the Wild Goose Festival  http://wildgoosefestival.org.  Sounds like a interesting place to be.  I am frustrated that it is at the same time as the CBF General Assembly in Tampa Bay.  The Wild Goose Festival is definitely going to not be your ordinary "conference."  I have to say I am being very pulled to check it out.  Let me know what you think.
God be with You in the Journey!
Kevin

Cool Quote

To "listen" another's soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another. - Douglas Steere

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin

Why?

Why is the Christianity I read about it Acts so radically different than the Christianity I see here in America?

This questions was stated by Matt Carter on a Right Now video.  I think it is a good question that many people are asking and that has many answers.  What do you think?

God be with you in the Journey!
Kevin