An excerpt of a (potential) life/spiritual satire book I’m writing (more intended for a secular audience) is on the Ooze. But be forewarned, there’s alot of potty talk and rereading it myself a while after writing it, I do sound a little bitter and angry. I acutally feel less bitter and angry now, in significant part because of the wonderful community I’ve experienced with you guys here at EW. So read if you’re feeling daring, but I won’t be offended if you don’t 
Pastor Defends Invitation to Obama – AOL News
I saw this on AOL news this morning. News I don’t know much about Rick Warren. Obviously, I know who he is, and the famous book. I give him credit for standing next to his invitation. I read some of the comments in response to this. Many of them I agreed with…but of course there were the typical comments like “Democrats can’t be Christian’s”. After a couple of those comments, I decided it was to early for my blood pressure to rise that much. It seems that he is working for unity in this case. It is unfortunate that many Christians are causing problems in this area. The ironic part for me, is when these Christians get into fight mode, all it does is promote the cause they were fighting, even more. I don’t get why they don’t see that. Anyway, my two cents.
Reading the interesting comments about truth & doctrine in the other post, made me wonder, if we realize our ideas, about doctrine, truth, or even commenting on these topics, are so greatly informed by our cultural backdrop of postmodernity. The context of our environment, consciously or unconsciously, manipulates our answers, as well as our questions. I did a quick rundown of the last 300 years of these influences at my ethoughtsblog on xanga (gasp. I had it before I was on blogger, sorry.) There you can check out the influences we are under, (you get find it a the wit4life.com site, if need be.)
I’d like to pose the question- how many of you, my friends at emerging women, have notice we are sort of like fish swimming in water, and unaware that we are wet when it comes to our thoughts on these, and other matters?
There is sort of a vertigo quality to postmodernity, and the culture of it, that make it difficult to nail much down. I’m certainly affected because I’m part of my culture, and I think the answers I’m seeing show most of us are too. I’d say “all of us are”, but that would be too absolute. whoops.
Saying “Truth is a Person”, helps, but what does it clear up considering our particular thought paradigm? And do any of you see a move toward a different cultural backrop?
Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? : )
Space is available for more Christmas submissions over at The Ooze.
You can submit a general article, poetry, creative writing, reviews, or an interview. Our system can accept works that are up to 4,500 words in length. (larger entries should be split into sections before submitting them).
Click here to submit something through the site, or you can email Culture stuff to Tammy, Ministry stuff to Alan, and Faith stuff to me.
And, of course, everyone is encouraged to submit articles on any topic at any time. I’m just getting the word out on Christmas-themed submissions.
(My apologies to those of you who frequent both The Ooze and EW and and therefore read this more than once. 
)
During my seminary class this evening on world religions, we were discussing the role of institutionalized religion in society and individual lives. Conversation arose concerning the extent to which traditional religious belief and practice (of any variety) exist as a “crutch” for the masses who need something more certain and tangible to hold onto than what is really known about reality. And the question then arose, “what is the relationship between truth and doctrine?” In other words, to what extent does (or even can) doctrine correspond to truth/reality?
If you’re not familiar with Spencer Burke and his creation, theOoze.com, you should be. Spencer has been and continues to be one of the most provocative voices in the emerging church conversation, and especially in challenging institutional Christianity. TheOoze, has likewise become the single most influential website in the emerging church; a clearing house, if you will of emergent thought and conversation. It now draws over 250,000 visitors per month!
For years now Spencer has been hosting annual Soularize conferences, what he calls “learning parties”. This year’s learning party will be especially fun, set as it is in the Bahamas! Spencer asked my husband and I to let you all know about it and encourage you to attend. The best part is that you don’t have to wait till next fall for the party to begin. The journey actually begins now, through private message boards and live conference calls with a special learning group between now and October.
Anyhow, below is the official information that you can also access at the Soularize website:
Join us as we gather TheOOZE global community for a learning experience that will truly be one of a kind. Taking the best of both Soularize and ETREK, Soularize 2007 will be an online learning journey culminating with a three-day learning party in Nassau, Bahamas. Soularize 2007 will be bringing together both prominent and innovative voices in re-imagining Church for an online and offline dialogue in the first person.
Yearlong Online Learning Journey
As a part of the journey, you will join a learning group facilitated by some of the guiding voices from TheOOZE global community. Through a series of live conference calls, your group will interact with some of the freshest thinkers and practitioners in the Church, the marketplace, and the arts on issues facing culture and the Church. You will not only interact with our conference calls guests through the live calls; you will also get to dialogue with them and others in the learning community through private message boards.
The online learning journey will launch live on November 15, 2006 and lead up to the learning party in the Bahamas in October 2007. You can join the journey at any time along the process, accessing past learnings through the Soularize 2007 archived mp3s.
Learning Party in the Bahamas
This yearlong learning journey will conclude with a unique celebration in Nassau, Bahamas with your party host Spencer Burke where you will get to interact in person with keynote presenters, Rita Nakashima Brock, and Fr. Richard Rohr. You will also have the opportunity to explore the island culture and art scene, take an excursion to a private island, and swim with sharks [literally] – all while celebrating the collaborative learning journey by hearing from other learning groups. The learning party will take place in Nassau, Bahamas on October 25-27, 2007.
My friend Anne has alerted me to a virtual Posada that will be taking place this Advent. Here is the explanation of the tradition and how it will be translated to the blogging world that she sent to me:
A Posada is the tradition of taking the figures of Mary and Joseph into homes for a night or two during Advent. As the figures are in a home there may be prayers and reflections as they enter and leave and the figures may be an occasion for devotions shared with friends, family and neighbours while they are in that home. They then move on to the next home that has volunteered to put them up for the night or
two, and so on through Advent.A Posada blog is an idea to do something analogous with blogging. So instead of the actual clay or wood or whatever figures of Mary and Joseph we have a picture. Instead of homes we have blogs. Instead of family prayers we have a blog posting.
So the idea is that on Advent Sunday, I would post a picture of Mary and Joseph and offer some reflections and/or prayers for the occasion as my posting.
The next day someone else would post that same picture [either by posting it anew or by linking back to the 'original' image I posted] and offer their reflections and/or prayers, similarly.
They would also mention who is to post the following time and leave a comment on my blog at my Advent Posada posting to give the address of their posting [this would have to be the permalink, not just the blog address].
Then, hopefully, the next day someone else would
1) post the picture and make some prayerful reflection on their blog, and
2) make a mention of who is due to host the holy couple the following day
3) leave a comment at the previous day’s posting with a link to their
new posting, and so on.What should result is a chain of links as Mary and Joseph virtually
move from blog to blog day by day.
I will be participating in this. If you’re interested as well, leave a comment at Nouslife: Posada blog chain for Advent.
(edited for clarity)
