A Conversation of One

Wow, another year gone bye and now you're posting on this blog again.

Well, I've been busy.

Yeah, haven't we all, is that going to be your perennial excuse?

I guess so, I get swept up in the various torrents of life events, and they carry me far down stream from my intended course, and I need time to re-orient.

Have you "re-oriented" then?

Not really, I'm just catching one of those waves, the ones that let you relax a little and cruise without much distraction or effort. I'm sure surfers have a name for it. I'll have to ask my son. Speaking of my son he's blogging!!! You can catch his stories at wanderingdan.

Have you noticed that many of the blogs you used to frequent are down?

There are a few, but there are some regular diehards out there too. I made the shift to blogging from bulletin board conversations, because it was the mood of the times. I had some reservations , as bulletin boards allow for more interaction with others around a common topic, they lend themselves to being more conversational, but blogging is so isolated. People might read your blog, but there's the crux it's YOUR blog, so you have to be popular to actually draw people in to read you, and then they have to comment to enter a conversation. So I find surfing blogs and making comments is more interactive than posting my own. Maybe I'm expecting blogs to be more like topical bulletin boards, but they are not really. I've never had much interest in popularity, too much attention makes me crazy.

You're already there.

A not so shameless plug

My wife and I have had the privilege of knowing a very talented woman who lives about an hour's drive from us.

Anne Lise was an accomplished opera singer in Europe, USA and Canada, now at 82 years she channels her creative energy through painting.

If you have any interest in art, please check out her work here.

Of course, I like most of her pieces, however I especially like the one entitled "My Grief".

If you visit the gallery, please leave a comment either here or at myartspace.

Thanks.

Critical Reactions

I have to admit to having strong emotional reactions to some forms of criticism, and criticisms of people that I hold in high esteem. My last post about attacks on emerging churches is a case in point. However I do believe that we need to listen to our critics, and the criticisms of those we hold in high esteem, and evaluate whether they have any merit. In the case of Brannon Howse and his tirades against emerging churches and Emergent, I could find no redeeming value in their perspectives. Sometimes crap is just crap.

However recently I’ve run into some criticism of Ken Wilber, and his Integral Model. On the website http://www.integralworld.net/ there is a wide variety of critics, some just ranting petty complaints and innuendos, but there are some that caught my attention because they put into words some of my vague feelings and misgivings (particularly those of Jeff Meyerhoff). But my expectation is not that Ken is a perfect being, he is a "cracked Icon" (as Scot McKnight might say). Therefore I do not expect him to not have flaws. I also recognize that he is not of the Christian persuasion, and he will probably not own his flawed-ness and ask forgiveness for offenses when he steps out of bounds, nor do I expect him to be committed to reconciliation with those offended, even though his integral theory supports such a value.

His critics do a justice in pointing out that much in the world of academic disciplines is not clearly and universally agreed upon, and that there is still much debate among various communities of learning, and the various fields of consensus that Wilber uses to construct his theories are far from the last word on the subject. That being said even his critics grant that the sheer volume of what Wilber is trying to encompass is immense and that what he has attempted to do is ambitious, knowledgeable, and creative. His critics say he has failed in integrating the enormous diversity of human knowledge and experience, but I don’t think they have the last word yet either. Still he has presented the best model I have seen so far.

I also have a tendency to emotionally react when I get hit hard by agnostic or atheistic criticism as well. But I also believe that I have something to learn from their perspectives too. Such as the website http://www.losingmyreligion.com/ where you’re blasted with the banner,

“26,000 children will die of starvation today. Why should God answer your prayers?”

That makes you think doesn’t it?

Good Journey

BTW: Just saw Brian McLaren's YouTube video "Atheist" song.

Spam Happens

Today in my email inbox, was a warning from Worldview weekend about the dangers of Emergent. It seems that Brannon Howse thinks people involved with Emergent, or emerging churches are apostates.

What the ...????

This is why I have a difficult time identifing as "christian" as this is what most people associate with the term.

Excuse me, I think I have to vomit now...

Staying Afloat

So...I have decided not to delete this blog, but to keep it. I wish I could slow down the pace of life long enough to write my reflections here. I just can't seem to find the time, when most of my energy is trying to stay afloat in so many contexts. Staying afloat with family relationships, with friends (whom I've neglected most of all) with community connections including neighborhood, business, etc... and that includes economically staying afloat, which is another drain on energy and time. I think it might be wishful thinking that I'll actually contribute something to the blogosphere. But I'm going to give it what I can, and leave it at that.

If you feel swamped, and unable to keep up with your blog in the way you'd like to, leave a comment and let me know that I'm not the only suffering slacker out there...

Thanks, and Good Journey

to blog or not to blog

It’s been a whole year without blogging…I’m not sure if I can sustain this blog anymore, because I’ve been able to DO so much more with my time since I took a year sabbatical. Most of that has been with people very close to me, family and friends who don’t blog anyway.

Recently I’ve been re-evaluating my involvement with emerging church stuff. It’s been a mixed bag of hope and disappointment. A few years ago I discovered the Emergent Village website and was thrilled to find like minded people voicing some of the same hopes and concerns about Christianity that I had. The ‘generative friendship’ and ‘conversation’ buzz words hooked me. The site’s evolution has been a mix of better and worse. But recently, I think the last three or four emails I have received from Emergent have been pleas for money, not unlike so many other religious organizations that I avoid. Where do you go from here?

I’m also contemplating deleting this blog. If you've received anything from what I’ve shared from my own journey, I’m delighted. If there is anything you want to take from this blog, please do so soon, because it may not be here much longer.

Peace,

Dan

Holidaze

I've been fairly silent lately, and will be for a little while longer. I've been abducted by the season and am in a holidaze. Can't think clearly, can't tie my shoes, can't find my glasses. Don't have time to even wipe my...anyway you get the drift.

May you survive better than I.