it was wonderful yesterday to meet karen ward in person. we have liased via e-mail and blogs for a couple of years now. it was another (increasingly common) of those encounters where friendship has developed virtually first. karen blogs at submergence and is doing real missional church in seattle.
last night we spent the evening sharing our stories with students at the CDSP (church divinity school of the pacific) which is an episcopalian theological seminary. and it was absolutely inspirational to hear what karen is up to at church of the apostles in seattle. it’s real incarnational long term mission in the community – there’s lots of hype around about emerging church and lots of stuff being talked up that is nothing more than cosmetic change, but for me what karen is doing is where it’s at. it reminded me of andrew’s profound comment last year in france that the kingdom of god is a house full of poor people partying. the church is essentially a community base in a store front. they call it living room and have artists, DJs, iconographers – the new urban monks i guess! see the entry below for a link to an article on the church. karen is one of the few people i have met in america who are doing what i understand alternative worship to really be about.
it made me laugh when karen said that pretty much the first thing they did in the storefront was to get wireless internet access free for people who came in – sure enough they flocked in! i know mr jones would wholeheartedly approve of that strategy. and that it would confirm richard’s suspicions because yes she is a mac user and they have two emacs in living room that anyone can use for free…
Jonny, it was great to finally meet you and Karen and learn more about alternative worship. I’m pretty excited about the missional challenges you guys presented, and it’s becoming clear to me that I have to make a radical shift in my thinking about my ministry and how it pertains to the demographic with who I feel called to work. I also appreciate your reassurances that much of what is behind this movement is not simply re-branded conservative evangelicism, since that focus leaves a lot of people out in the cold. I look forward to your presentation this Saturday at the cathedral.
Karen was instrumental to give this young Lutheran (ok I’m not that young … I’m 32) some hope that those in the mainline church dont have to give up and do thing, leave or just follow existing ways of doing things, and of course she was one of the first who got me blogging!
karen glad you were able to make it… did you say hello? i don’t think i registered who you were – sorry. please come and say hi on saturday…..
wholeheartedly approve.
This sounds like something that I wish would have been videotaped.
How inspiring… I am learning slowly, after being kind of thrown into this world, that much of it is rebranded evangelicalism and it makes me want to leave.
Looking forward to learning more about what’s being talked about here…
This sounds like something that I wish would have been videotaped.
How inspiring… I am learning slowly, after being kind of thrown into this world, that much of it is rebranded evangelicalism and it makes me want to leave.
Looking forward to learning more about what’s being talked about here…
as one who attended the “Realize” gathering – just wanted to say thanks to all three of you presenters who journeyed such a long way to be there – it was wonderful for me to finally participate in an emergent event after reading a ton about the movement over the past 6 months – Amen! Amen! to the call to find Jesus & do mission……and running through my head during the entire day was that, “Jonny sure reminds me of my seminary professor John Goldingay…it’s almost eerie” – well, now that I am entering into emergent circles I am certain we will cross paths down the road…blessings….