Migration

In celebration of Pentecost, this blog conversation has moved to its’ own home on the internet.  Please make a note of it, and tell all your friends (and enemies)!

http://emergingpentecostal.org

Doves in Sheep’s Clothing

In the town where I was growing up, there was a gritty, goth-flavored coffee shop on the main drag named In the Company of Wolves Cafe. Having been brought up right in the conservative evangelical tradition, I was careful to steer clear of the pierced, tattooed, androgynous X-ers who frequented that little patch of sidewalk, choosing instead to cross to the other side and hope to God I wouldn’t be taunted or teased for my religiosity. If that were to happen, I would have to defend my pride faith using whatever tools had been handed down to me by the God Police; to prove both the rightness of my religious persuasion, and the velocity with which they, on the other hand, were hurtling toward hell.

The cafe has since lost its’ lease in the larger scheme to gentrify the neighborhood by pushing in franchise productions. It was replaced by a high-end antique store and a St.Arbucks popped up magically across the street. What was lost, however, was not merely a hip, independent coffee house to the inevitability of big business. On a different, more personal level, I lost the freedom inherent in discovering the raw, untamed love of a Creator-God, the beauty of truly believing that he will remain within me as I remain within him in a powerful and present way. I lost my religion to the cultural apprehension and insecurity of an American brand of Christianity that didn’t really know what to do with the street-level manifestations of a philosophical postmodern shift. Not knowing what to do, we tend to either shame the behavior of what threatens our way of life (i.e., bohemians, democrats, queer people, etc.) or shore up the credibility of our own position by circling the wagons (i.e., position statements, manifestos, articles of belief that move beyond Jesus and even Paul and into the minutiae of life – a new law to replace a messy, grace-filled spirituality).

We culturally-insecure Christians do this all the time, this getting out of rhythm with the Holy Spirit, both personally and institutionally. Here’s a key example: in his response to the recently-published Evangelical Manifesto, James Smith points out that even the idea of a manifesto is likely a thinly-guised attempt to frame evangelicalism from a uniquely American perspective.

When the world finally reaches a tipping point at which the export of American Cultural Evangelicalism no longer carries controlling interest in the narrative of Christ’s Body (I think that time has already come, by the way), how will followers of Jesus here in the US respond? Will we be wolves, or doves?

I found out later on, after the cafe had closed, that it was run by a loving Christian couple who wanted to provide a safe haven for the social misfits who, for whatever reason, didn’t fit in. Looking back, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t have been welcome at my youth group (and that’s not a knock on my youth pastor, but on the social currents of cultural Christianity). I’m also pretty sure that, while I walked by that cafe from across the street, holding my breath, Jesus was inside, sharing a quadruple espresso with a mohawk-wearing punk, loving him and talking about the Way.

Leadership Forum June 20 ::: Featuring Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette

For anybody within driving distance to Oakland, California, who is interested in the development of faith communities in emerging cultures, you don’t want to miss this event:

Cultivating Faith Communities in Emerging Cultures

Some view our rapidly changing world with great dismay. Others view it with great hope. Join authors and innovators Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Mark Scandrette in a hopeful conversation about Cultivating Faith Communities in Emerging Cultures. You’ll have the opportunity to get a closer look at what’s happening on the cutting edge of the church in emerging cultures as Tony, Doug and Mark draw from real-life experience to lead three separate conversations on theology, church planting, and discipleship. A light meal will follow, which includes a Q&A forum with the authors, and opportunities to connect with other local people who are enthusiastic and hopeful about the role of the church in this new world.

Date: Friday, June 20, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. PST

Location: Sequoyah Community Church, 4292 Keller Ave. Oakland, CA 94605

Cost: On-Site = $20 (includes lunch); Off-Site = $15 (no lunch)

Questions: Contact John at jfohara@gmail.com

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON REMOTE VIEWING: This is a pay-per-view event. To reserve your seat at the live stream, a payment of $15 can be made by clicking the “TIP JAR” on the ustream.tv page on or before Friday, June 19, 2008. This stream will be password-protected on Saturday, June 20!

For those who are not within driving distance but would like to sit in on the conversation, we’ll be live streaming a pay-per-view channel at:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/culitvating-faith-communities-in-emerging-cultures

Is AGMergent Toking the Jesus Bong?

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I was outed.

In a recent post, Steve Knight introduces his readers to John Crowder, a clearly pentecostal/charismatic preacher who is apparently tagging himself as “postmodern,” if not wholesale emergent. Steve is tempted to label him an “emergent pentecostal,” but hesitates to do so and points out in a footnote that I may disagree with such an alignment.

Well, I do indeed; which provides a very interesting platform for me to paint a more nuanced picture of what I believe the budding relationship between the charismatic movement and the emergent conversation might actually be.

So here I am, at 11:17 p.m. PST, getting outed by Steve Knight and John Crowder as neither a cessationist (I believe in the continuation of the charismatic gifts, including speaking in tongues and prophecy) nor an unthinking, emotionally-fixated Holy Spirit junkie (I also believe that the entire counsel of Hebrew-Christian scripture has more to emphasize than those charismatic gifts alone, and that we Pentecostals would do well to balance our gifts-of-the-Spirit-diet with some of the fruit of the Spirit… particularly self-control).

My own theopraxis regarding the role of the Holy Spirit, to boil it down, is pretty straightforward:

Pentecost Writing Contest from Jesus Manifesto

The good peeps over at Jesus Manifesto are holding a writing competition in several categories on the subject of Pentecost.  I already submitted my entry (you’ll see it receive mention in the quote) but apparently they’re still shopping for good writers before tossing me the olive wreath by default .

We’ve got a number of prizes…but only ONE submission so far. I know most folks will wait until the deadline (which is May 11) looms closer…but we could definitely use some submissions.

Maybe this is just my skewed view on the world, but people who claim to make Pentecost a defining characteristic of their spiritual expression should have a word or two in them on the subject.  If you’re interested in, as of now, LITERALLY going head-to-head with yours truly, then submit your stuff at http://www.jesusmanifesto.com/2008/04/01/stepping-into-the-wind-a-pentecost-inspired-writing-competition/

First Meet-Up: No Casualties

I had a delightful time breaking bread and getting to know some of my fellow emerging pentecostal people from around Northern California tonight at our first meet-up.  RevTim was kind enough to record our  conversation for those of us who were there and promises to negotiate fairly with each of you before releasing highly sensitive audio files to the general public (that means you, T.T.)

All kidding aside, it was pretty cool to see ministers get together to talk about philosophy, theology and practice around a table of friendship.  Personally I feel like it was a hit and that there was a good vibe among us.  A whole bunch of ideas that were shared really stuck with me.  Thanks for being a part of it.

If you wanted to join us but had other meetings planned, or were out of the area, there will be other opportunities to get involved in this.  I would love to see local, ongoing conversations emerge out of tonight’s meal.  Please keep the rest of us informed if you’re planning something.  Can’t wait to do this again next year.

Emerging Pentecostal Meet-Up in Sacramento Apr. 22

Note: This is a Re-Post, making one final push for our upcoming meet-up next week in Sacramento.  If you’re in the area, please try to make it!

Join us Tuesday, April 22 for the first meet-up of Emerging Pentecostals for Northern California and Nevada. We’ll talk about the developing relationship between emerging church and the pentecostal movement, our own stories, and developing a framework for ongoing conversation. Tell your friends and come on down.

Sacramento EP Meet Up (.pdf download-and-print flyer)

Sacramento EP Coloring Page (for the kids)

Emerging Pentecostals NorCal Meet-Up

Sacramento, California

4.22.08 @ 4:55 p.m.

Strings Italian Restaurant, 9500 Micron Ave.

E-Mail RSVP by noon on day-of to:

jfohara(at)gmail.com

Just a Thought…

“Here’s a quote from a Korean leader: ‘When I encounter a Buddhist priest, I meet a holy man. When I meet a Christian leader, I meet a manager.’”

- 50+ year-old Church Administrative Assistant, who is considering stepping down because she’s disillusioned with the way we do church.

[HT = Jesus Manifesto]

John’s Story

This post is part of a series called “Stories of Emergence.” Tell your story here at Emerging Pentecostal by e-mailing John at jfohara(at)gmail.com.

This may very well be an overstatement, but I think I was emerging when I was lifted out of my mother’s womb. Before I knew the models and forms, before I could differentiate a sense of Self, before I knew the prejudice of preferences I was ever emerging. It was my natural state of being.

I didn’t realize this. It became obscured by the framing introductions of my world view and the limiting characterizations therein. I traded my emergence for identities like

Jonathan’s Story

This post is part of a series called “Stories of Emergence.” Tell your story here at Emerging Pentecostal by e-mailing John at jfohara(at)gmail.com.

I passionately want to be involved in the current mission of God in the world. I don’t want to be where God was five years ago. I want to know where his heart is today.

This is a wonderful idea, and I want to be a part of it. Thus, consider this my story of emergence, or of how I came to be involved with both the pentecostal church and what is commonly called the emerging church.

I met Jesus when I was just shy of fifteen years old, and met him through what you could call a dramatic encounter that took place in an Assembly of God church in Salisbury, North Carolina. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to be a part of the supernatural actions of God in the world. I wanted to be close to him in tangible ways, and I wanted to bring others to be close to him as well.

As my faith developed, I began to do grow in some very specific ways that together have shaped the person I am now, almost ten years later. First, I began to seek out how I, specifically, should serve Jesus with my life. I looked into being a pastor, a missionary to an obscure country, and a number of other things, because I felt strongly that I was called to reach out to people that were far from God.