Reflections on the Great Emergence - part 1

Man makes plans that'll knock him flat,
God kicks back and laughs.
~ Peter Case (4th of July/Christmas Rag)

While my initial reaction to the Great Emergence event being a mere 2 hours away was "of course I'm going...", time has a way of creeping in and rearranging good intentions. It literally was not until the night before we would leave Little Rock for Memphis that plans were finalized, a decision was made, bags were packed, and sights were set.

Jerusalem was kind enough this weekend to point out I'd yet to post anything about our experience in Memphis, so I figured it was high time I share at least my initial post-conference reflections. Perhaps, she'll even contribute a guest post with some reflections of her own (*hint*hint*).

I suppose the first thing I would note is how different this conference felt. I've participated in my fair share of conferences - Sojourners, CCDA, LeadNow... to name a few. The Great Emergence gathering was marked by both solemnity and cordiality. We had come together to share in prayer and liturgy, to listen to authors share about their works, to commune with one another and listen to each other's stories, to rest and renew.

It wasn't about new strategies or methods or programs, it was about how God is moving, how He has moved, how He will continue to move, how in Him we live and move and have our being.

I came home feeling like I had just partaken in something very humble and very sincere, and I came home with hope renewed for the Body of Christ and for God's kingdom on earth, as it is in Heaven.