Greetings all!

I trust folks are doing well.  As you know I have not posted anything on this blog in a while.  I did this not to distance myself from presbymergent as you are all individually wonderful folks, but only to help remove as many stumbling blocks as possible for folks trying to get to know me as me.  In any case, over the past months or so, a few questions have risen to the forefront and have included some folks from this community that I think are worthy of some attention, so I figured I would ask here.

The most pressing question for me right now in all of this was prompted by Phyllis Tickle at The Great Emergence Event in Memphis this past week where she challenged those engaged in the emergent conversation over the past 10 years to mature and think about what this REALLY looks like in the next stages of life.  She challenged those within the mainline churches to play our role in this transition and for those outside of mainline traditions to listen and interact.  So what do we say: what does this whole think look like as a structure, institution, etc.?  Is that even the right question and if not, what is?

My challenge is this, much like Beau Weston in his paper, Rebuilding the Presbyterian Establishment has asked some good questions, albeit with controversial conclusions, what will this community offer to the open source nature of the future beyond a critique of the current culture and structure of the church, no matter how good it may or may not be?  I certainly have some ideas that I will talk about as appropriate, but if there is any real movement in the church that is worth it’s salt, how does it mature into being an effective agent of change and transformation beyond those who are part of the movement?

Said gauntlet has been thrown, where and when will this plane land?  You tell me and us.

Now, I in no way to post this as any kind of mandate as moderator – how stupid would I have to be to think anyone, here or anywhere else would respond - but as one who sits in some great places of conversation about the future of the church.  Your voices are just as important as the voices from those of differing worldviews, so by engaging in this, you add your words to the narrative that we are discovering together – yeah, kind cheesy, but true - for we can never forfeit the voice, authority and power that each of us has been given to our care.

I see this as more of a challenge, nudging and yearning for the entirety of the church to enter into the many interactions that are happening in countless places in the church so that together we may find a way forward that aligns with God’s intentions for us all.

If you do decide to write something, please send me the link and/or watch out for a blog posting that will lift up some of these ideas as you can just send a trackback there.

Peace out, as the kewl kids say . . . or do they not say that any more ;-(

PS: Anyone planning on organizing some planned presbymergent spontaneity at THE BIG TENT in June in Atlanta?

PPS: I am ripping off Bloggers Unite and going to try doing a Presbyterians Connect monthly blogging challenge, so stay tuned and watch for the announcement at The Mod Blog.