(e)mergent Voyageurs

I was deeply saddened upon hearing of the death of Rosa Parks, one of the Mothers of the American Civil Rights Movement, who has always stood out as one the people who inspired me with their courage and strength and grace. Her death has had me considering other people who I have looked to for wisdom and inspiration- heroes if you will.

Thinking of this, I raise the question with a few people in our community (averaging about 23 years old, making me the oldest one in the discussion). My only rule was that “Jesus” & “my Dad” were givens. I was surprised to find that none of them really had anyone they considered a hero. While I am not an advocate of “hero worship”, I do believe that we can learn a great deal from people who have modelled that which we believe to be “heroic”.

So I am curious: Do YOU have any heroes like this? Let me know who they are and why. I will list a few of my own here, explaining how they impacted, especially in leading me into and through the emerging journey. I look forward to reading you ideas.

Here are mine:

Co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, Dorothy Day is one of the single greatest inspirations in my life. Her willingness to serve and live with the poor, while still naming and engaging the systematic injustices of the world, challenges me to see that to battle the principalities of this age, I must be rooted in the lives of those who need the liberty. In so doing, Day models what Christ promises us- that we will discover that our own liberty is caught up in theirs. Additionally, as a writer from a long line of journalists, I love the way she used her writing gifts to effec change and express herself.

For those wanting to know more about Dorothy Day, read her moving autobiography “The Long Loneliness”. For a more accessible (if a forgivably watered down) version of her story, see the movie “Entertaining Angels”, also an excellent resource.

Dr. King was the first person who taught me that social and spiritual realities are most often one and the same. He taught me the power of a revolution of non-violence and love, even in the face of hatred, suffering and death. As I read more about his life, I also see the failures and mistakes of his life, which serve NOT to discredit him, but to give me hope that in my own flawed humanity I can do great things. It is important to remember the injustice that was done in the name of a “Christian” world, but also that there were men & women who could respond to this with true Christlikeness.

For a great exploration of MLK’s life, read “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr”. You would also not be disappointed by reading any of his many sermons, many found online.

I bought “Return of the Prodigal Son” by Henri Nouwen on a whim, reading it in less than 12 hours. It was a book the marks a point of change in my life. Nouwen’s authority as a writer deepened after his involvement serving at the Daybreak L’Arche community in Ontario, where he was loved for himself, not his brilliant mind and served those who could never acknowledge his sacrifice. He struggled with homosexuality orientation, yet was dedicated in obedience to both his vows and his faith.

His published journal, “The Genesee Diary”, is such an honest glimpse into the heart, mind and life of the author, I think it is a must read.

In addition to being a brilliant Biblical scholar and “discipler”, Bonhoeffer lived his life authentically according to his deepest held beliefs in a time that left little room for compromise. His conflicted involvement in the attempted assissination of Hitler does not cast the shadow upon my admiration of him, but reminds me that we cannot always be sure of what is right, but neither can we stand still. He is a true martyr of the faith that I deeply respect.

Of his books, the powerful “The Cost of Discipleship” and the essential “Life Together” immediately come to mind. Also, the movie “Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace” is also an excellent portrayal of some of the crucial events of his last years.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the people who are inspirations to me. I can think of many others, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Peter Maurin, Medgar Evers, St. Francis of Assisi, to name a few more. You will also see that the nature of this list reflects the realities of my life & ministry in the inner city neighbourhood, where issues of poverty, race and injustice is ever-present.

I look forward to hearing from you.

On Monday, I had the opportunity to sit on a panel of “emerging church leaders” for a conference held in Winnipeg by Providence Theological Seminary. The conference, entitled “Ministering With The Emerging Church”, hosted Dr. Gary R. Collins. While the bulk of the conference centered around the concepts of coaching as counselling (with an emphasis on how this could apply to postmodern people), Monday focused specifically on the dynamics of the emerging church conversation.

Initially, I was hesitant to sit on the panel for several reasons. I am hesitant to be labelled an “emerging church leader”, preferring to say that my ministry and faith have been informed by the realities of the postmodern worldview that I came to naturally. Additionally, I did not want to communicate that my ministry with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Winnipeg represented the nature of YWAM International, which is not a fair reflection. However, I was excited by the prospect of connecting with the other panelists, as well as try to help others understand the emerging journey who might be concerned, suspicious or even resonating with it.

Brother Maynard posted an excellent couple of posts on the conference, the first here and the second here. In his first post you can find a list of the other panelists and their blogs or bios (with the exception of Tom- anyone have his info?). Take the time to check these posts out, along with the comment sections following.

For myself, I was somewhat encouraged by the response we received. Inevitably, there were/are many in attendance who still conceive of the emerging conversation as a stylistic or methodological trend- a kind of “seeker sensitive remix”. To disspell these misconceptions sufficiently would have required more time and, perhaps, less “conference”. However, I suspect that many were challenged to give it a second thought, and perhaps many found resonance (and hope) in what was shared.

I was also very blessed by the generous, friendly and willing spirit of Dr. Gary Collins, who was able to offer a perspective of the conversation that was fair, affirming and nonthreatening. While we differed with him on many issues, he was always willing to stand corrected, ask questions and encourage further dialogue. I hope to continue developing the relationship with him.

Thank you to Providence for hosting this event and inviting me to be a part of it.