Dorothy Day was almost a Methodist…

As strange as it may seem, Dorothy Day might have been a Methodist.  I just started reading The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of the legendary Catholic Social Activist, and what has been surprising is about how often she talks about John Wesley and  her experience with the Methodist Church. 

Ultimatley, one of the most important Chrisitan figures of 20th century America began her faith journey by rejecting the Methodist church. 

…I had to choose the world to what I wanted to belong. I did not want to belong to the Epworth League which some of my classmates joined.   As a little child, the happy peace of the Methodists who lived next door to me appealed to me deeply.   Now, the same happiness seemed to be a disregard of the misery of the world (page 41).

I find this passage important for the future of the United Methodist Church.  The argument has been made and continues to be made that the Methodist Church is in decline because of its liberalism.  Though more of a hunch than a thesis, Dorothy Day’s epxerience tells us that something else is at play; the Methodist’s “disregard of the misery of the world.”

Filed under: bible, chicago, church, emergent church, united methodist , aldersgate, dorothy day, IRD, John Welsey, john wesley, Mark Tooley, methodist, misery, social activist, suffering, The Long Loneliness, united methodist

The Deep tradition of Prayer with Libation

At our All Saints Day worship service last night, we at Lockerbie Central United Methodist used an Africana Prayer with Libation.   On a day when we celebrate those who have walked the journey before us and with, this prayer connected our church with the deep tradition of our faith.  

It was an emotionally powerful exprience. 

 According to Wikipedia,  “A libation is a ritual pouring of a drink as an offering to a god. It was common in the religions of  antiquity, including Judiasm.”    Last night after reading through this prayer, people came up to a bowl in th middle of worship semi circle  and poured out a small amount of water as they called out the name of a loved one, a personal hero,  or prayed in silence. 

Such a simple act allowed our faith community to connect deeply with the best traditions of our church.  It is a prayer that most of us won’t forget.

Filed under: Africa, all saints day, church, emergent church, prayer, worship , Africana, all saints day, emergent, emergent prayer, judaism, lockerbie central, lockerbie central united methodist, methodist, prayer, prayer with libation, saints, tradition

Generate Magazine

GENERATE MAGAZINE came in the mail yesterday. The print is small.  The vision is huge.

Some thoughts and observations.

Affordable. 4 issues for $20.  You can get a second subscription for $14.  $7 off the shelf. Generate is also made more sustainably than about anything else that will show up in your mailbox.   If you are interested in the post-modern/emergent/missional/ Christian conversation, get yourself a subscription.  And buy one for your friend or church or whoever.

[Hardly] No Advertising. The advertising that is there adds to the magazine and conversation.  Mostly ads for emergent books and artists.   Amazing that such a beautiful, sustainably made magazine is affordable with hardly any advertising.

Food Issues. The cover art is from artist Mark Menjivar.  Its awesome (how is that for an art review) but I am most excited about a byline at the end of the article:

The You are What You Eat exhibit is ready to tragvel ato a ny community or gallery that would like to use it as a centerpiece for dialog about food issues.  The exhitbit has custom crates, made with traveling in mind.  For more infromation, visit markmenjivar.com.

That is one of the most exciting parts of Generate.  The story doesn’t end in the magazine.  There is opportunity and ideas to take the conversation to your local community.

Fighting Words. Sometimes the best fights break out in the book reviews and Generate does a good job of making normally staid book reviews interesting.  The book in review is  The New Evangelism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity. I haven’t read it, but the reviews and author response make me want to.

Doing Church Differently. The problem with magazines like Sojourners is that they often don’t highlight  the daily life of faith communities.  How they get started, where they are going, etc.  Generate highlights a few communities whose example could help emergents out as they start and restart their local cohorts, churches, and communities.  Generate profiles Presbyertian church planter and indie rocker Thomas Vito.  I will definitely be checking out Welcome Wagon.  I like what Vito says in the magazine, “An organzization made up of 100 churches of 100 committed people will be  far more effective to transform a community with the gospel than ten churches with 1,0000 people each.”

If you love or want to love the emerging church, then please support Generate.

 

Filed under: Christians, Lockerbie Central United Methodist Church, bible, church, community, emergent church, evangelism , church, conversation, emergent, emerging church, faith communities, food, food issues, Generate, gospel, local, local community, magazine, mark menjivar, missional, post colonial, post modenr, post modern, Presbyterian, publishing, sojourners, sustainable, The New Evangelism, Thomas Vito, transformation, Welcome Wagon, You Are What You Eat