What a lovely little romp we’ve had! Jen’s top secret plan to host Emergent.alt was a raging success. We gleefully managed to fill almost every “session time” with our own personal gatherings at the lunch table, the poolside, or bellied up to the bar. One night we had about twenty people crammed in to our hotel room. I’m not sure how, but several bottles of wine and a dozen microbrews turned up, along with a half dozen bars of gourmet chocolate. I suspect that Juliana and her travel expenses account from Jossey-Bass had something to do about the wine….Can I just pause here and say that the fun and fashionable Juliana was one of the top five new finds at Emergent 2005, (best line: “I put a rhinestone collar on my boxer when I take him out…I like our bling to match.”). Fellow new-find luminaries include the fast-talking Mischa (from Tribe), Karen Neudorf (she of wit-and-wisdom), and the absolutely hands-down brilliant Brittiany Ochida (obviously a soulmate as she too is accidentally pastoring a gathering that meets on Thursday nights.) The presence of so many uber people gave me the undeniable urge to match make – but I resisted, having absolutely no record of success. Maybe that will be my job at Emergent Nashville…we’ll def. have to throw a bigger party to fit in all the lovely singlets! At any rate, I think it was about 1am when Jen got into her pajamas and bid the last stragglers to turn off the lights on their way out. It was like a late night parties in college with all my philosophy friends and wanna be writers…only without all the post-adolescent angst.

I did manage to make it to the EWLI luncheon which was really enlightening. I spoke with two women who are carving out new paths as widows. It was truly inspiring to listen to their stories of being unexpectedly born again after being broadsided by unexpected deaths. The men at the breakfast were asked to just listen, no speaking, and their reaction to their experience was very enlightening. I don’t know if the organizers meant to use this as a tool to experience “life on the other side,” but it was certainly effective in that way. I guess I never fully understood the injustice of all the silencing that woman experience (although I know that I’ve often been the victim of it.) Whether or not it was fair or kind to the guys-in-our-corner to use them in such an experiment is another story…

I also popped into a rather bumpy learning community session on Scripture hosted by Brian Mc Claren and Stan Grenz. The question in the room seemed to be “how do we tell people about the Bible, which is both absolutely true and utterly knowable.” I was struck with the realization that the question in my world isn’t “is there truth?” but “how do I find tools to get me through this crazy thing called life?” When I asked the practitioners for ideas about how to offer scripture to people who had had so much of it crammed down their throats that they’d developed a serious gag reflex, the whole room grimaced. I guess many of them didn’t have much experience with recovering evangelicals and regular-old-pagans who have had scripture wielded much like the conquistidore’s used the communion wafer. (Cram it down their throats then cut off their head before they un-convert.) I kept forgetting that Emergent is primarily for evangelicals. I got a glimpse at what my mainline pastor friends (all female) experience when they come to these things. I think we do a lot of internal thinking that goes something like, “Are we really still asking ourselves this question? Can’t we move on now to the issues at hand?” But for the evangelical guests, things like how to maintain absolute control of the Bible is often the questions that is still very much at hand. Sigh…..Anywhoo, it’s odd that a session on Scripture would give me such a distinct craving to continue my current binge of finding common truth in the holy writings of other traditions.

Harp 46 (a.k.a. April Stace and her family band) played Thursday night. (The set-up for worship at the EC is awkward. There’s a high proscenium thrust style stage and rock and roll lighting — great for a show, not so great for facilitating a worship experience.) It’s always such an honor to sit under the talent and heart of Harp 46. They totally laid it down on their last groove…sometimes when they get rolling I can hardly catch my breath — the musicianship is that good. April’s burning bush video has given me a lesson that I’m sure will serve me life long. I’ve always loved the story of the burning bush, but now she’s taken the phrase “from the far side of the desert” and made it a mantra for survival.

Last night was flash-and-fanbase for the community cum worship band, Tribe. I loved the video remix with beautiful footage from Baraka. V. nice. Brittany O was spinning next to me, her long black hair a centrifugal sweep around her as footage of whirling dervishes faded in and out, heads tilted, one hand grounding them to earth, one hand reaching for heaven. I couldn’t stay long though. For some reason the gig pushed all my buttons. Maybe it’s just a reaction to too many years of drum circle worship and the demand to be hyper for Jesus??? I really like drum circle worship though…or at least I used to…hmmm…I’m not sure what that emotional reaction was all about. But one thing I do know…There is nothing cooler than Lindell ripping up on the washboard! (Jug Band lovers unite!)

You know how much I love to talk, so you can imagine my delight at being interviewed not once, but twice. The first chat was for a project on early childhood experiences and how that influences the formation of spiritual practices in adulthood. The second was on Celtic/monastic worship. It will be a part of Lily Lewin’s sessions at the Worship, Art, Liturgy and Preaching (WALP) conference in April. (An event I tried to get invited to last spring, but alas, my efforts were in vain.) My seminar, “We Speak Art” went pretty well. No one freaked out about the lack-o-preaching at Monkfish/ThPM and I didn’t need to bring anyone up to speed on naked bikers or hanging with the pagans. I think the onramp/fast lane distinctions on the seminars helped people find their way to the right places. I did feel a little bit like a talking head though, and the all-glass atrium of a room kind of blew when it came to trying to see the powerpoint. But people rallied nicely when I stopped lecturing and said “Time to be contemplative and creative…ready, set, go!” We had a nice time doing lectio collages on a peace-lovin’ passage from Isaiah and a Buddist prayer contributed by one of our folks at the Abbey. By the way, Monkfish Abbey was a big hit. People loved the name and my new title as Abbess. Deborah Loyd totally lit up at the idea and chimed in with “I want to be MOTHER SUPERIOR!”

I managed to rally my resolve and make it through one whole seminar, being as it was Karen Ward’s on nu monasticism (which I’m going to cop for Nashvagas.) Karen did her usually great laid back job, and it was another chance for me to see the crew from Church of the Apostles, whom I’m rapidly falling in love with.

Emergent SD is behind us now and the five days of extroverting has left me at the airport dripping with exhaustion. (Thought not quite as bleary eyed as the dear Lindell, who dropped me off minutes ago on the way back to his exile in Pasadena. Thanks for the ride guys, and for the beer run with Pat last night.) The best part about leaving was that I didn’t have to mourn saying good by to my girlpower gals…’cuz we’ll all be at Emergent Nashville in May.

I better start stocking up on red wine and chocolates….