How veeerry interesting, said he. Thanks to Ryan Taylor for pointing this out. Of course, this is nothing "official" like a bunch of Bishops got together and are hosting this or the Vatican said, "hey, let's check out this emerging church thing" - nothing like that. But it's Catholics and Protestants, and "post-Protestants" I imagine, getting together to talk about such things under one roof. I think that's pretty damn cool - at least the idea of it is, to me.
This deal is being hosted by Fr. Richard Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico. You can go here to see more details about the conference. I haven't looked at the price yet - hopefully it's not an arm and a leg breaker like many of them are. Of course, it's in New Mexico so driving might be prohibitive for us East of the Mississipi folk. We shall see.
If you know me, you know I don't get too excited about conferences of this type. I've been more than my share of cynical about them, even the ones I've helped host. None of these big-shots make my hair follicles tingle any more. If anything, a big-shot name list makes me want to stay home and hang out with people on a porch somewhere. This, though, is interesting just because of the Catholic context, the ecumenical context.
For the most part, I'm thinkin' not too many Catholics are even aware of any such thing as "the emerging church." Brian Mc-Who?? Doug Who-gitt? Yeah, they're not going to know who that is. Are any Catholics interested, who know what the heck it is, for any other reason than that soon there will innevitably be a new crop of converts to the Reeeaal Church out of this bunch? You may not want to answer that, I may pop an aneurism. And I'm quite aware that some very conservative Catholics are familiar with Richard Rohr and would be hard-pressed to call him "Father." Oh well, I'm not that super-familiar with him really. What I've heard or read has been decent though. Let's not make it about that. Let's just not.
I'd like to go to this thing if for no other reason than to just be a proverbial "fly on the wall." I want to hear what's said and see what happens. You never know, I may just add another state to my list come next March.
"Then, if we cannot as yet think alike in all things, at least we may love alike. Herein we cannot possibly do amiss." John Wesley
"Keep your eyes on the crucifix, for Jesus without the cross
is a man without a mission, and the cross without Jesus
is a burden without a reliever." Fulton J. Sheen
"...I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be
completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self." Henri Nouwen
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