memphis weekend

last weekend we participated in an emergent village gig in memphis which featured phyllis tickle and her book "the great emergence."  several folks from communality attended.  we had the joy of traveling with our friends will and lisa samson and laughing more than i have in years.  the trip down and back was almost as good as the time in between. 

during a pre-conference event, geoff and i joined jonathan wilson-hartgrove in leading a seminar on new monasticism.  we enjoyed the chance to talk with small group of people about god's work through this movement and life together in our particular communities.

the great emergence event was put on in a  grand cathedral.  i found phyllis tickle to be an astoundingly good teacher and communicator, especially since i hadn't read her book.  she suggests that we are a part of this "great emergence" - a cyclical experience of the people of god about every 500 years (the last time being the great reformation).  some valid critics take issue with this.  i just thought she was extremely clever and swept through history and culture in a gifted manner.  i took alot away from it.

the good stuff of the weekend was seeing old friends and folks from the emergent network.  we spent some sweet time with our friend joey (he and his family were a part of communality for a significant part of our existence) and nathan and his wife (nathan lived with geoff and billy during our first year of real life together in the city).  the time together with these dear ones reminded us of what we so easily forget - god's faithful, consistent, and colorful work in our lives.  unearthing good, funny, painful memories prodded us to remember that the story-richness of our lives is such a treasure.

thanks to the darling ryan, jodie, asher family who hosted isaac, we had a lovely time away and some mental energy and margin to think, connect, and laugh and laugh.