The First Post

Welcome! It is good to have you here. My hope is that this blog can be a place to see what one emergent Christian faith looks like, in practice and in process. May it be a place of renewal and rejuvenation to your faith.

In her book The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why (imo, a must read for anyone engaged in ministry), Phyllis Tickle identified four rings of emergent viewpoints and practice within each category of Christianity in America. She named them the Traditionalists, the Re-Traditionists, the Progressives, and the Hyphenateds. As the church plods further along in the irrepressible process of the "great emergence," she uses the metaphor of a group of heirs who have been left Grandpa's old home to explain the perspective and values of each ring. I most identify with the Progressives who "...instead of being refurbishers, they are remodelers. For them, it makes more sense not to restore what one has by retouching its former beauty, but rather to simply open the whole place up a bit more. Progressives, accordingly, can with confidence remove some inconvenient walls, replace some drafty windows, and even knock off an obstructing porch or two without sensing any damage to the integrity of the family home" (pgs 141-142). Though on my days when I am tired and discouraged I will admit that I am sympathetic to the Hyphenateds who say we'll keep the apple trees and salvage the hardwood floors and the antique doors, but knock the rest of it down and build something new. But really, I think there is a lot of wisdom and beauty in what was left to the church by previous generations, our cloud of witnesses. Just as I am doing with my own 1964 home, I think we, as the church, need to update the electrical, replace the windows, install better insulation, open up the kitchen, and think about how our yards can be more generative.

I named this blog "Life Beneath the Cloud," because I had a dream once of God coming to me in the form of a cloud and since then that is how I have imagined myself: a sojourner beneath the visibility and obscurity that is God. As mentioned above, I also live beneath the cloud of witnesses who have passed along their experiences of life with God in their art and innovations, in scripture and other writings, in liturgy, in theology, and in practices. Beneath the clouds, I find The Way.

Here is the place where I hope to play with and reflect on practices and ideas that are more sustainable, hospitable, empowering, and restful. Here I hope to share with you thoughts that I'm mulling over, but still working out, books that have inspired me, spiritual practices that guide me, and experiences that open my eyes and nourish me.

If you would like to learn more about me, please check out my website.