LOS ANGELES, MINNEAPOLIS — Synagogue 3000 (S3K) and Emergent have announced a ground-breaking meeting to connect Jewish and Christian leaders who are experimenting with innovative congregations and trying to push beyond the traditional categories of “left” and “right.” This will be the first conversation that brings them together to focus on the enterprise of building next-generation institutions. Leaders from across the United States will gather during the inaugural session of the S3K Leadership Network’s Working Group on Emergent Sacred Communities,... Read more

Assisi continues to be one of my favorite cities in the world. Medieval castle ruins, winding streets, friendly shopkeepers, and, of course, the spirit of St. Francis. The Giotto fresco cycle of Francis’s life is breathtaking. Praying in the crypt below the lower basilica is a deeply spiritual experience. Climbing la Rocca Maggiore affords a fantastic view of the city. But I must say that my most compelling memory of Assisi, and it happened again today, is the smell of... Read more

I’m sitting in Rome at the Lot 87 Bar, drinking a shot of grappa and writing away. Rome may be the greatest city in the world. I was IMing a friend, and he said that some people have told him that they don’t like Rome. You know who doesn’t like Rome? Wussies! They say, “Rome is dirty and smelly and there’s crazy traffic.” Those people like clean, wimpy cities like Vienna and Salzburg and Munich and Florence. Rome is a... Read more

OK, time to set the record straight on a few things: 1) I took no offense to Lisa’s question. I did not suspect that she was trying to trap me. It seemed to me an honest question. But, it’s just as honest to me to wonder why people are accusing me of saying things that they freely admit I didn’t really say. I personally found Lisa’s question honest and compelling — even courageous. 2) The follow-up question was less gentle,... Read more

I had an interesting, and somewhat disheartening, experience at the Saturday night “Late Night Theology Discussion.” I was asked, in effect, to defend things that I didn’t say. That is, a well-meaning woman said, in effect, “In the seminar this morning, you didn’t say that you’re a realtivist and a universalist, but that’s what I heard.” When I declared that I would not defend my own non-declarations, a guy chimed in with, “Yeah, that’s what I heard you saying, too,... Read more

I’m going to be involved in an ETrek course (a collaboration between TheOoze.com and Biblical Seminary). It’s on youth ministry, and is taught by Mark Riddle. More info here. Read more

I will miss Kyle. As one is wont to do in these technologized times, I just went back through all my email exchanges with him — he was such a wonderful and generous guy. Once I recommended him for a speaking gig, which he took and did a wonderful job at. A couple weeks later, I received a gift card for The Cheesecake Factory in the mail from him, along with a grace-filled thank you note. That blew me away... Read more

I’m on the National Working Group of the “Faith as a Way of Life Project” at the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, and we meet twice a year to have “on the ground” experiences followed by discussion about how faith does or does not intersect with various spheres of life. In order to reflect on faith in our political life, we convened for three days in Washington, D.C. We met with various individuals at different levels of government, from... Read more

READ THIS!!! Read more

If you came to the late nite theology discussion, Tony Myles has a great recap here. Read more