gut reactions to day 1

I need to get off to dinner quickly, so I won't write much now, but I do want to say just a couple of things initially. I'm really glad Bishop Epting has allowed me the opportunity to attend this event. The conversation, uncomfortable as it may be, is important for the life of our church. As priests, pastors, ministers, preachers, parsons, whatever we have as our exclusive task making disciples of Jesus Christ. It is increasingly clear that the models used since the Enlightenment for church are no longer working. We have forgotten what our symbols mean. We have forgotten what it means to be loved and judged by God. We have, along with governments, artists, and most of the rest of the known world, abandoned culture on someone else's doorstep, orphaned for our fear of change.

What we heard today was a call to change. A call to new life. A call to the radical following of Jesus Christ in all of its sloppiness and discomfort. Day 1 was only a half day, I can't wait for day 2.

Speaking of the half day thing, the fact that today started at 1 allowed me the opportunity to stay up a little later than usual and catch the Daily Show and Colbert Report. In a blatant attempt to capitalize on Stephen Colbert's following what follows is my version of "tip of the hat, wag of the finger" for today.

TOH - to whoever found the Mclaren tartan at the back of Columbia Presbyterian Church and brought it forward during Brian's introduction.

WOF - to Presbyterian churches with family tartans in their worship space. What's the deal with that?

TOH - tallskinnykiwi.com for their deep ecclesiology concept which basically says this: we acknowledge the church in all of its forms and assume that God has lower standards than we do. God will bless those who we would not bless, and we should follow God's example.

TOH - to Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral in Atlanta, for bringing his senior staff to this event as their continuing education event

WOF - to the same for thinking I might be old enough to be on staff at VTS

TOH - to Tony Jones for mocking our collars and vestments, our magic words and magic bread, to help us see what the world sees.

More to come. I'm hungry.