Disclaimer - I tend to be a little cynical. I tend to complain. What follows might look like these two aspects of my character, and they are, but it should not be seen as dissapointment on my part with the events of the last two days. I am still uber-stoked about the new thing God is doing here at Mainline Emergent/s, and hope to be a big part of this conversation in the years to come.
All that being said, what follows are gut reactions to day 2.
1 - I wish baby-boomers had a mute button. You people have defined the conversation for 60 years now. Even before you were capable of speech, your parents, in an effort to forget the atrocities of WWII turned their full attention to you. You have been the center of the conversation for 60 years now, and I'm tired of it. I want the chance to speak. I am a borderline E/I, with a healthy IQ, and 27 years of life experience and I have something to say. You came to this event to hear what I, we, the Emergent folk have to say, and you still want to define what gets talked about. I wish you could be muted for 2 or 3 years to those who follow in your wake could be heard just long enough to change the tenor of discourse.
Perhaps an example will help. In the afternoon breakout sessions, Karen Ward led a group of 6 of us in what was supposed to be a discussion on the Emergent possibilities for eccumanism. What it became was some jackass boomer from North Cakilaki doing his best to learn everything they do at COTA so he could lift it and place it at 5:30 on Sundays for his Campus Minister to copy verbatim. Damn it! How many times are you going to lift someone else's program and watch it fail in your context before you realize life is not one size fits all. As Diana Butler Bass said today, "how can we implement one-size fits all programs in a world where we have 82,000 options for our morning cup of joe at Starbucks?"
I also don't care about your theology of open communion (which you are convinced is the only right theology of communion) because it doesn't matter. What matters is the intentional conversation about communion. You asserting your rightness only works to make me wish you would shut up, because whether or not you are right or wrong isn't yours or mine to say, and God, I'm fairly certain, won't give a shit one way or the other.
2 - We should expect pastors to be theologians, not just the distribution center for someone else's theological work. Doug Pagitt said this today, and for the first time I feel ok with this. Not that I think the 3 hour discussion my homiletics class had on Barth's homiletical theology was worth while, but to be able to engage in theological reflection with our communities is of much importance.
3 - A big part of this "emergent" thing comes from my #1 above; a deep longing to escape the modernist conversation of some baby-boomers. Can both of these groups (Emergent and Modernist) exist within the walls of one congregation? I wonder what this will look like. I want to be a part of this. I want you to be a part of it with me. As long as we can agree to share the power system, share the podium, and work together.
4 - From Karen Ward to Bishop Epting and the others at 815 - there are enough pockets of interest in Emergent Christianity in TEC to make this an initiative for the National Church. The fact that Bishop Epting sent me to this conference means there are people paying attention. I'm willing to work to make this National Church involvement happen. A conference at Kanuga, or perhaps at COTA, whatever. Let's invite these brilliant theologians to help us escape our modernist box of denominationalism and learn the bit of truth they hold about the kingdom of God. They, by working on this conference here, obviously want to learn what bit of truth we hold. Let's do this. Let's get a group of interested people together to plan this before the next General Convention. Comment and let me know if you'd be interested.
Phew, that was a lot of emotion to put to type, but I think I feel ok with it. Day 2 was an equally beneficial day as yesterday, and day 3 promises more good stuff. Grace and peace to you from God our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, and our continual sanctifier the Holy Spirit. Talk to you tomorrow.
11 comments:
Spankey, Well said and that's from a boomer. It's time for boomers to listen. I know I've been barking up the wrong tree when the US Congregational Survey identified my congregation without a "strength" to its name and I was devastated. I'll join you at Kanuga or anywhere to listen--something I'm not very good at Yet.
Hi -- Another Boomer here. A quiet one. Interestingly enough, some boomers in my break-out group labeled the younger emergent leaders as self-centered and arrogant.
Boomers like to talk (and get miffed with younger people control the talking.) I agree that many seem to have come here looking for quick fixes they can insert into their own contexts. Good luck with that.
Hey Steve - I'm really glad you're there and sending home these epistles! Enjoying them very much, and I very much hope you find success in getting TEC engaged with the emerging church conversation. Honestly, I'm skeptical about modernist and pomo existing as equal voices within the same congregation. I'd be more optimistic about church planting. But I'd love for you to prove me wrong!
As a newly-minted, non-cradle Episcopanglican who actually came into the church, in a roundabout way, because of my dabblings in the emergent conversation, I'm interested in what's going on at this gathering, particularly from your perspective. My blog, which isn't updated as regularly as I'd like, tells my story in a way, so I won't take up any more space here.
Anyway, I'd like to start a conversation with you.
Hi, Spankey
As a boomer at the same conference, all I can say is "Waaaaah ..." cry me a river. If you want to speak, speak! I agree that the jerk is a jerk, but you didn't have to cede him the conversation. get a backbone, why don't you?
I think you're right that us boomers have screwed things up enough, that's why I CAME to this conference, to listen to you all.
I wasn't there, but the key to allowing everyone a voice in a discussion is the moderator, so Karen's job was to make sure that the evil boomer didn't dominate.
Anywho, good post, don't assume us boomers are all alike, even though we are.
Spanks,
Look, I know this Ricko. And seriously, the guy needs to be medicated. He's my roommate, I ought to know!
Anyway, I LOVE the name calling, and there are too many voices here to be heard anyway.
thank you to all (boomer and otherwise) who have posted in response to my ranting and raving on today's session. In response to ricko I'd like to offer the following. The Rev. Eric Law it is the job of those in power (read here boomers) to give it up allowing room for those in positions of weakness (read me) to speak. In the midst of this role reversal it is my job then to re-authorize the old-power-holders their power back so that we might all gain from the perspective of all. Anyway, I'm not sure its my responsibility (nor Karen's I might add) to be the moderating voice when a man who has had the position of power for so long (and in all reality probably doesn't know his privilege) is once again dominating the conversation.
I wish I could be more assertive. I wish I wasn't scared of y'all. But as a senior in seminary, as a candidate for holy orders, I'm at the mercy of boomers. It is the dysfunction of the system that says I can't speak because you hold my call in your hands (whether you like that language or not).
Anyway, ricko, I don't hold you personally responsible. You said it so well. "don't assume us boomers are all alike, even though we are."
Let's work together to share the power structure. I want your voice in the discussion just as much as I want mine.
Hey, Spankey
Appreciate your comments, but there's one thing I'll quibble with. Whether you or Karen like it or not, she was in charge, she had the authority. She gained that when she accepted the gig. Now in a perfect world, we'd all respect each other's conversational space, each other's right to be heard, unfortunately that doesn't always pan out, and that's when it's the facilitator's duty to shut him/her up so somebody else has a chance, already.
Anyway, glad to talk to you, I'd love to chat some more about where our interests intersect.
Spankey, this is fascinating. Hope we can talk about it when you get back to seminary.
You are not a cynic Steve. When you realize that boomers will die before the Church does, and then you won't have to deal with them anymore; that is being cynical. So you can cut yourself some slack :)
Actually, I believe the person who made the comment about emergents being arrogant was about Spankey's age
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