harmony not hierarchy

One of the speakers for Big Tent is Rachel Held Evans; she's the woman who wrote Evolving in Monkeytown. Currently, she's experimenting with a year of "biblical womanhood."

She just wrote a post called "Seeking Harmony, Not Hierarchy" on her blog, and I encourage you to read it. She discussed the Wesleyan quadrilateral: the balance between scripture, experience, tradition, and reason. I think that this is a topic that is relevant to us since many of us have experienced an imbalance of the four in our lives.

"In fact, I’ve recently come to realize that when I’m struggling with doubts about my faith it’s because one (or more) of these elements is failing to harmonize with the others."

No Gathering This Week...

Hey all,

Just wanted to communicate that there will be no Emerging Desert gathering tomorrow. We're taking a break as a good portion of the cohort is at the Emerging Church Conference at the Center for Action & Contemplation in New Mexico this weekend.

We'll pick up where we left off next weekend on March 29th. Cheers!

The Emerging Church Conference in Albuquerque

In case you haven't heard, there is an Emerging Church conf happening March 20-22 (http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/conferences/emer/).
Some of the speakers are:

• Brian McLaren
• Phyllis Tickle
• Richard Rohr
• Alexi Torres-Fleming
• Shane Claiborne

I just noticed the deadline for group registration is approaching very quickly.
To get the group rate ($135) we have to have at least 10 peoople register and need to have these registrations in mail before Feb 19. After that, the rate goes up to $165 if you register by Feb 22nd and $195 if you register after Feb 22nd after that.
So, that leaves this weekend and next weekend to get the forms filled out and turned in.
I'm wondering if we can get a head count or some idea of peoples plans to give us time to catch the early registration if we don't have enough to get the group rate.
Joy and I are planning on leaving for Albuquerque early Thur afternoon and heading back late Sunday morning. We would have room for upto 4 other people. Anyone else planning on going?
Can we start collecting registrations this Sunday?

Emerging Conference - Webcast Kickoff

That's funny - we we're just discussing this, and lookie loo, right there in my email! I would offer our house as a place to set up the webcast (2.5 weeks from now) and just a reason to do a BBQ we've been kickin' around, but I don't want to make everybody drive out here. Volunteers? Or, just say you'll come down (Germann & Recker -ish) and we'll do it here!

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Dear Friend,

On behalf of the Center for Action and Contemplation I invite you to join us as our guests on November 8 for a very important and exciting webcast by Fr. Richard Rohr entitled: What is The Emerging Church ?

I hope you have felt the excitement that something fresh and dynamic is emerging in the Christian community. Seemingly independently, there is new energy among Roman Catholics, Mainline Protestants, Evangelicals and other Christians for what we’re starting to call the “emerging church.” Now, the Center for Action and Contemplation is hosting this webcast in November as well as the first large gathering of Christian denominations in March 2009, so that we can explore this emergence and convergence together.

During the November 8 webcast, international author and spiritual teacher, Richard Rohr, OFM, will offer his evaluation, his own questions, and his hopes for this movement of the Holy Spirit that is taking place in both Europe and North America. Fr. Richard’s talk will be followed by a question and answer session where he will respond to e-mailed questions from webcast viewers around the world.

This is an exciting new step in the development in the Emerging Church movement and we invite you, your friends and colleagues to join us free of charge on November 8.

To register for the webcast please see the attached HTML invitation. To receive your free log on password, please contact me at ---@--- or alternatively you can phone me at -------

The webcast will be followed in March 2009 by a major international conference entitled, The Emerging Church: Conversations, Convergence and Action. Please visit: www.cacradicalgrace.org for more information on the conference.

I hope that you will be able to join us on November 8 and I look forward to assisting you with this.

Peace,

Catherine Dowling

CAC Programs Work Intern