Wondering Pilgrim is moving on...

... but not all that far! All you have to do is click here and you will be transported to this blog's new home. Once there, you can bookmark it or even click on the RSS feed to get updates in your e-mail. (Those over 45 need this info, so bear with me). This one will probably stay up for a little while longer, but everything here has been transferred across. Hope to see you there.

Attachments

I got quite attached to my little Asus eee laptop while travelling. The size of a paperback book, it did everything I wanted - lots of photo storage, web, email, office suite - everything. Alas, it's advantage is also a disadvantage - it's small enough to steal and that's what happened to it in the post church service chaos of last Sunday.

So I've been a bit grumpy as I've gone through the motions of filing police reports, pawn shop notifications and insurance claims.

Then I came across this story in Anthony de Mello's The Prayer of the Frog (Anand Press, 1989), p92

The great buddhist saint Nagarjuna moved around naked except for a loin-cloth and, incongruously, a golden begging-bowl gifted to him by the king who was his disciple.

One night he was about to lie down to sleep among the ruins of an ancient monastery when he noticed a thief lurking behind one of the columns. "Here, take this," said Nagarjuna, holding out the begging bowl. "that way you won't disturb me once I have fallen asleep."

The thief eagerly grabbed the bowl and made off - only to return next morning with the bowl and a request. He said, "When you gave away this bowl so freely last night, you made me feel very poor. Teach me how to acquire the riches that make this kind of light-hearted detachment possible."

Don't know that I would have passed my "golden bowl" over so easily, but I recall Jesus saying something very similar about the things we get attached to.

For another take, check out the discussion on this site on how to deal with thieves! It's a lesson on "how not to market the church" to thieves or anyone else for that matter. Perhaps Nagarjuna can show us all a few things about how to follow our master!

New links

I've just updated some links in the sidebar to the right, mostly around the Stone-Campbell theme. I find I'm talking in terms of "Stone-Campbell" rather than "restoration movement" these days, as the latter term can be and often is misconstrued. As ever, it is a meeting with individuals who engage the challenges of their time with principles that are transferable from the age of the New Testament to their milieu, and which we can keep on discovering and applying to the unique challenges and opportunities of our own time, that pays dividends. This calls for flexibility rather than rigidity, and all too often (myself included) apologists for "restoration" have been trapped in structures and understanding of New Testament practices that have been brittle and unbending. Stone and Campbell seem to have been effective counterpoints to each other - with Stone's emphasis on response to the movements of God's Spirit and Campbell's concern for doctrine, structure and correctness. Together, perhaps, both eclipse these characteristics with a focus on the unity of Christ's church so that evangelistic endeavour might be effective.

Anyhow, the Disciples Historical Society link takes you to a range of interesting sources, articles and reflections that explore the Churches of Christ story, and the Great Communion site has lots of ideas on how to prepare for an event that promises significant opportunities for the world-wide Stone-Campbell spectrum of the church at large.

Does green have a dark side?

I occasionally post "sustainable energy" news clips to the PeaceChurch mailing list, particularly where the church in Australia is adding something to the debate. Responses are inevitably mixed - no less earlier this week when I posted the following:

Some 40 religious leaders (including Churches of Christ, as well as leaders from Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Baha'i faiths) sent a letter to the Fed Government "calling for immediate and decisive action on climate change"(8.8.08)It coincided with a visit to Australia by Pacific church leaders who are deeply concerned about the effects of climate change on the region. The letter can be seen at http://mediaroom.victas.uca.org.au/?p=330

Some of the feedback (with permission from all sources) can be found in the comments section on this post. You may like to continue the discussion there, remembering that light is more illuminating than heat - which, given the topic, sounds like a terrible pun!

Now here's a good link to a WCCC summary

Trust the Disciples to put up a succinct yet pithy summary of World Convention that takes us onto the next step - preparing for the "Great Communion.' See their site here. You will also find a link to a slide show of convention highlights there. My own pictures are on Flickr, albeit with restricted access. Contact me if you want in.

Home again

This short post is for the benefit of those who are concerned that I'm still holed up in an airport somewhere. I am home and running to catch up with all sorts of things. Will get back to blogging ASAP.

Cooling my heels at LAX

Arrived at LA airport about noon. The plane for Changi leaves in 13 hours so plenty of time to cool my heels - reading, blogging, waiting to check my bag in. A deaf bloke circulates the tables selling pens and little stars & stripes badges. I buy one of each. Shortly after the PA system begins blaring announcements warning passengers they are not obliged to give money to "solicitors." I've been a soft touch all the time I've been here - apparently over generous when tipping and falling into conversation with "solicitors" and inevitably slipping the odd buck here and there. I am really surprised at the low rate of pay here. Service people and even "solicitors" go out of their way to be friendly and polite. Should not enterprise in hard times be rewarded, or am I exacerbating "the problem?" This is one cultural reality I think I would find difficult to get used to if living here longer.

Giving thanks where its due

A number of delegates to the convention were impressed when I said that I was present largely through the largesse of my home congregation at Wembley Downs. So this would be a good spot to say thanks to folk like John & Margaret Somerville and Ken Patterson and my church board and elders who prodded me when I was humming and harring as to whether I would attend this gathering. It seems that congregations that are alive to the passion and vision of the Stone-Campbell heritage, while enthusiastic in a local or regional setting, are straining to catch the global vision. Many jurisdictions are experiencing the anxiety of restructure and are thus internally focused. It will always be incumbent upon a few, across all three streams, to be a kind of "global Jiminy Cricket" - voices to keep reminding us that we need to remember where we came from in order to know where we are going. So my thanks to Wembley Downs for their largeness of vision and the will to put strength (and their minister) behind it.

By the way, Jenny tells me a lot of folk have been reading this blog and discussing it. How about bringing the conversation on line and using the "comments" box at the end of each entry. You can sign anonymous!

Post Convention Reflections

Los Angeles

World Convention is an odd animal - difficult to categorise. One passport screener asked whether I was here for business or pleasure. Those who know me well know that I rarely give black & white answers - it's just not in my make up. I said I'm here for a convention. He said "Oh, business." But I suspected business had certain conditions on my type of visa - so I said "No! We have no business sessions planned!"
"Oh, then pleasure?"
"Not primarily, it's a church convention and we come together from all over the world to network and learn from each other. That's what a convention is."
The screener just shrugged his shoulders and let me through.
But that's it - coming together from all over the globe and learning from each other and our experiences and work as part of the Stone-Campbell movement.
Inevitably and importantly, the host country wields great influence on the agenda. As part of the home of the movement that gave birth to Churches of Christ in its various manifestations, Nashville was a great choice. Both Campbell and Stone were present here, and a lot of the history and zeitgeist of their passion is here, reflected not only in the presence of Lipscomb University and the elegant quarters of the Historical Society of Disciples of Christ, but the prolific presence of churches in this "buckle of the bible belt." The frontier urgency seems prevalent too, in the downtown street scenes where, bars, music and gospel seem to jostle quite comfortably and un-selfconsciously alongside each other.
The effects of the 100 year split are felt very keenly with lamentation by some, but also indifference by others. The passionate diligence of those for whom healing the split is of paramount importance, however, will, I feel, eventually win the day.
For visitors to the US, the emphasis on reconciliation was an education.The issues that separate don't loom as large elsewhere. US members seem surprised that the Australian scene does not differentiate over much between Disciples and Independent distinctives.
Some felt that the emphasis on healing US divisions, the launching of the Great Communion, etc might have been overstated in an international gathering where there are other concerns - difficulties in several African nations and the Indian sub-continent and South America, indeed the presence of guests from poorer countries where there are differently urgent and important matters to discuss. There were forums and plenary occasions where all received their due, however.
Body of Christ theology tells me that whenever one part is in pain and needs healing - we all send our antibodies in to do the therapeutic work. The significance of the American roots of our movement is so important that if it fails to be strong we all suffer. The hospitality, candid honesty and will to heal exhibited by our host country modelled well what the church can be in any corner of the globe.
Anyhow, that's my reflection as I sit here in LA waiting for the long plane ride home.

Campbell Country

At last a hot spot at Nashville Airport where the homeland security guard is so friendly he says "Pass right on through, Dennis!" It's still a few hours before my flight to LA, so I'll just upload my journal re the journey through Campbell stamping grounds -

Travelling east through the plains of Ohio, we cross the river of the same name into the rolling hills of West Virginia, a north-south panhandle some 20 miles wide and maybe 100 miles long. This is Campbell country. My eyes had still been getting used to the deep green of the Kentucky and Ohio countryside we'd been crossing. Here the green is greener still as we catch a glimpse of the occasional deer (yes - the Bambi kind) skipping off through the heavily wooded mountain sides. The steep winding road takes us to our lodgings in Bethany, renamed from Buffaloe by Alexander Campbell when he applied to run a post office from there. By that stage his writings supporting the Restoration plea had become so prolific that incoming mail warranted its own facility. I was halfway through re-reading Louis Cochran, The Fool of God: a novel based on the life of Alexander Campbell (Standard, 1958).

It was an uncanny feeling of being able to recognise and feel familiar with the various rooms of his perfectly preserved home – a rambling mansion by the frontier standards of the early to mid 1800s. He added to it three times to accommodate his various enterprises, including 14 children to two successive wives, a school, a printing press, and a thriving farm (on which, for some time, he raised merino sheep). To sit in his place at the long dining room table at which he entertained often up to thirty guests, to gaze upon the ornate furnishings of the Stranger's Hall where he received various luminaries of early American history, to poke around in the cellar where his first wife, Margaret (then with three small daughters), agreed to live so they could accommodate a boarding school), to look through the separate study he built 100 yards from the house, was to find oneself once again in a “thin place.” A tour of Bethany College, a large and imposing liberal arts university founded by Campbell, testified to the boundless energy and enterprise of this man for whom sound education and deep faith in Christ alone as expressed through a church uncomplicated by man-made creeds was the core of his being.

After overnighting in Cincinatti, we visited the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. The Shakers were a sect to which some signatories of The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery later subscribed. A separatist community something like the Amish, they adhered to a particular millennial view that stated Christ had already come in their leader (a woman) and that their task now was to live out the heavenly simplicity of the perfection of the kingdom of heaven on earth. Consequently their work was their prayer, permitting no flaws . Such visions of perfection led to continuing improvement in agriculture, medicine, hygiene and household items (this is where the flat straw broom originated). Their expertise in such matters was much sought after. Caught in the crossfire of the American Civil war, the millennial vision evaporated and the Shaker communities began to dwindle. Workers were leaving farms for the factories in town. The Industrial Revolution with mass production facilities overtook them. Enforced celibacy did not improve their chances either. Today there are three remaining Shakers living in Maine. One remaining legacy is the a capella music that forms one genre of the Country and Western spectrum.

A platypus at Otter Creek

Otter Creek Church of Christ was one of a number of Nashville churches that graciously hosted World Convention visitors today. The church is an adherent of the a capella tradition, but for the last ten years has worked diligently in promoting healing of the divisions within the Stone-Campbell movement. One leader wryly observed that they were sometimes referred to as "Odder Creek" because of this and other positions. A number of us came to Otter Creek because of connections made on the Stone-Campbell tour earlier. We were warmly received and hosted at a luncheon that followed. I was able to share my congregation's fondness for the platypus, a kind of "Australian otter" that defies easy description. Again, some pictures will be added as soon as I can find a hotspot that my wifi will connect with. Heading home tomorrow, so not sure how soon I can tune in here again.

Don't forget where your umbilical cord is buried...

Sound advice to young men leaving an African village to make their fortune abroad. Umbilical cords were interred in the ancestral burial grounds - a permanent reminder of roots, belonging and identity. The closing day of convention centred on the place where the metaphorical umbilical cord of adherents of the Stone-Campbell movement, indeed all Christians - is buried, the Lord's Table. A moving but simple ceremony heralded the year of the Great Communion, leading up to the celebration on October 4th, 2009, of the bicentennial of Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address. Some pictures later of this and the preceding night's Grand Ol' Opry style celebration featuring Tommy Emmanuel.

Brazil in 2012

Tonight, acceptance of the invitation from our churches in Brazil to hold the 2012 Convention there was accepted with acclamation. Under normal circumstances, Zimbabwe, the home of incoming president, B. J. Mpofu, would have been the country of choice, but the current situation makes this difficult. No doubt we will hear more of arrangements as they unfold.

1809-1909-2009

Get ready for the Great Communion of 2009 - the Bicentennial of the document that is regarded by many as the foundation of the Restoration Movement (Thomas Campbell's Declaration and Address. It is also the centennial of the split in the movement that became formal when the US Census of 1909 listed Churches of Christ and the Christian Church as separate denominations. The approaching bicentenary is providing an urgent incentive in dialogue between representatives of the three streams in the USA for next year's celebrations. A visit today to the Historical Society of Disciples of Christ opened access to a rich resource for research and study.

More Aussie Awards at Nashville

Tonight the Garfield and Grace Todd Awards were offered to Sonny and Fran Graham for their life work amongst aboriginal people, to Ash and Angie Barker, founders of Urban Neighbourhoods of Hope (UNOH), and to Neville and Lil Muir for their work with International Deaf Ministry. Dr Philemon Paur of Dhond Hospital in India also received the award.

African Worship

I took a deep breath and plunged into the African experience this morning. There is no such thing as observing an African worship service. You have to participate. Led by delegates from Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Zimbabwe, about 80 people took part in the singing and dabncing prayers. The vibrant, soul-tugging worship had this rational being wiping leaky eyes and slowing down a racing heartbeat. Might try the a capella service tomorrow!

Historic Decision at Nashville

For the first time ever, representatives of aid agencies belonging to the three streams of the Restoration Movement have agreed to work together on a unified approach to mission in Vietnam.

Day 2 at WCCC

The day begins with a choice of six different worship centres, Disciples, a capella, contemporary, African, Hispornic and Spanish. I choose Disciples which features the Gender Road Disciples Church Choir, gowned and swinging with a mix of classical and soul music.

Later, the plenary bible study is led by Rhonda Lowry, an a capella member breaking from a tradition that does not usually countenance women speakers. Indeed, reflecting on Mark 5, the story of the healing of the haemmoraghing woman, and the dynamic of trust, fear, liberation and enfolding into community in the narrative, Rhonda declares "Women in our tradition have been silent for too long." Recognising the still divisive elements that challenging such traditions may entail, reference is made to the C & W song, "We come from a long line of love."

Many workshops present themselves as choices, and I go to hear Ash Barker present the Jesse Bader Memorial Lecture. I have heard this courageous Australian missionary before, but I am curious to see how his incarnational methods of living amongst the poor in a Thai slum is received here. He compares Thai animism with "Christian animism" - any attempt to manipulate God to do what we want rather than being obedient to God's leading. He develops his method of serving the poor around the priciples of authentic relief, education, protest, modeling after the style of Jesus and transformation. He fields many questions and has indeed provoked deep thought.

In the evening, special recognition is given to Avon and Deslee Moyle for over 30 years outstanding service in indigenous ministry. Sonny Graham receives the award on their behalf. A similar award is made to Ross Norling for the work he and his late wife, Helen, have done amongst aboriginal communities in the Pilbara.

Opening night of WCCC Nashville

A French youth choir, contemporary gospel, the parade of flags representing the 150 countries in which RM is present, a reading of a portion of John 17 in Maharathi (sp?) and a rip roaring Black American style sermon by Cynthia Hale kicked this Convention off to a good start. Cynthia grasped the nettle using both John 17 and Ephesians 4:1-6 as the base for her oft repeated assertion "It ain't complicated!" What ain't complicated? The call of the church in general and the various streams of the RM in particular to be united in Christ. Reminded me again of the observation several days ago. "Christ said we are one - we just imagine we are not." There was a standing ovation when she concluded.

Nashville update

Back in Nashville where my wifi doesn't connect for some reason - so I cant upload all I have written on the last few days travelling through historic sites relating to the beginning of Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement. Today was the Leaders' Forum of World Convention and the hordes are descending for the next few days of inspiration and fellowship on a global scale, even if not as well registered for as one might expect. Feeling pretty beat and in need of some rest. Just got drenched in another Tennessee thunderstorm (some relief from the 95 degree heat, anyway!) I will upload the evening and morning I spent as a guest of the Campbell clan and, later, the hospitality of the Shaker Village as soon as I can make a connection.