soularize

Well John and I have returned from the Bahamas and we had an amazing time enjoying the beauty of God's creation in the Bahamas as well as stimulating, encouraging and challenging conversation with other followers of Jesus. Let me just hit some of the highlights for you and then I may reflect on some other things this week at a deeper level. I am trying out my .mac account and have posted some of my pictures here for you to see. they are mostly landscape shots.

• snorkeling with NT Wright on the uninhabited Rose Island
  
• engaging in conversation about life, faith and culture with some Harley Davidson store owners ton Rose Island over a white wine/lemonade mixed drink
  
• meeting Brennan Manning and listening to him tell his story of recovery and learning to become the beloved
  
• learning the importance of loving people instead of trying to convince people
  
• reading my poem C.I.T.Y for the conference
• considering and being overwhelmed by the reality of heaven not as a time and space location but as a realm of life where God rules and reigns and in addition to that the church is the non-spatial location of heaven on earth - the reclamation of paradise
  
• meeting, talking with, dreaming and sharing struggles with Lee Rabe, the lead pastor of Threads in Kalamazoo, MI
  
• watching the Boston Red Sox win the World Series
• bragging to others from around the world the amazing and great things God is doing in and through the church in the city of Pittsburgh, especially our community, the open door. it was great to feel proud, honored and overall stoked about who we are becoming.
  
• learning about and being inspired the host church New Providence Community Church, who started a community garden where the kids spend 1/3 of there Sunday School year in this garden learning in and from God's creation.
• considering my role as a poet who Richard Rohr said, "have the ability for you to fill in the gaps and we like the poets need to teach and help people to SEE."
• hanging out with John Creasy, dreaming with him about the open door, our unique context and gifts, writing a book, organizing a conference in Pittsburgh and praying together.
• engaging in a serendipitous conversation with AJ, a local Bahamian graffiti artist who had a show in the church building, he gave me one of his pieces about consumerism, see some of his work on my .mac site.
  

Also check out Jordon Cooper's blog posts from the past 5 days to see more details. Carnegie melon just voted Jordan one of the 100 most influential bloggers.

soularize

Tomorrow morning I will rise early, butt early, and head to the airport with my co-worker THE REV. John Creasy and hop on Delta flight 1219 to Atlanta and then skip down to the Bahamas. John and I will be hanging out there for 4- 5 days at a gathering called soularize. Yes a conference in the Bahamas!!! While we are there we will participate in lots of conversations and hear from the likes of NT Wright, Brennan Manning, Richard Rohr and Rita Brock. It will be restful and relaxing as well as stimulating. The entire first day of the conference is on an uninhabited island. A day where we can begin to decompress and unplug from the hectic pace of life. No cell phones. No internet access. Just taking on the God-created beauty of a private deserted island in the middle of the Bahamas. Imagine spending your first conference day not worrying about which seminar to go to, but simply connecting with friends new and old as you spend the day floating in the water, exploring parts of the island, or sitting together under a palm tree. While on the island, we will gather together in the inexpressible beauty of an open-air meeting hut to begin our few days together.

I will try and post some of our adventures!