{"id":3169,"date":"2011-06-27T10:30:37","date_gmt":"2011-06-27T15:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/?p=3169"},"modified":"2011-06-27T10:31:08","modified_gmt":"2011-06-27T15:31:08","slug":"the-wild-goose-festival-gratitudes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/tonyjones\/2011\/06\/27\/the-wild-goose-festival-gratitudes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wild Goose Festival: Gratitudes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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This week, I\u2019m going to be posting on different aspects of the Wild Goose Festival, which was, from my perpective, an overwhelmingly successful gathering. \u00a0Truly, I cannot imagine that it could have gone much better than it did, and I\u2019m proud to have been a volunteer at the first Goose.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got lots to say, so I\u2019ll address different aspects of the festival, like the music, the talks, sexuality, and even some of my friendly suggestions to make the festival better next year.<\/p>\n

But to begin, I want to post my thanksgivings:<\/p>\n

Thanks to the festival director, Gareth Higgins<\/strong>, for friendship. \u00a0Also, thanks to Gareth for asking me to coordinate the team of speaker hosts, and thanks to Gareth for approving, at the last minute, a reprise of the Church Basement Roadshow on Saturday night. \u00a0Thanks also for inviting Courtney to photograph the festival. \u00a0(N.b.<\/em>, her photos will be available later this week.)<\/p>\n

Thanks to Reverend Vince Anderson<\/strong> for joining the Church Basement Roadshow: A\u00a0Rollin\u2019 Gospel Revival<\/em> and making the Brother, the Professor, and the Preacher sound better than they ever have.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Mark Scandrette<\/strong> and Doug Pagitt<\/strong> (and Svedka) for convincing me that bring the Roadshow back one more time was a good idea.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Jay Bakker<\/strong> for speaking the truth from his heart.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Pete Rollins<\/strong> for being utterly serious about recovering the very heart of Christianity\u2026by rejecting Christianity.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Nadia and Matthew Bolz-Weber<\/strong> for inviting me to play guitar in the bluegrass liturgy band, and thanks for asking Courtney to be a reader \u2014 it was the first time that Courtney and I have been in leadership of a liturgy together.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Leo Brunnick<\/a><\/strong> and Deborah Arca<\/a><\/strong> of Patheos for renting an RV and allowing Courtney, Doug Pagitt, and me to not only sleep therein, but also to invite scores of friends up to RV Hill for nightly parties that stretched past 2am.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Devin<\/a><\/strong> and his posse of young, restless, reformed guys for not only taking a chance on the Goose, but for being self-proclaimed conservatives who came to learn and converse. \u00a0Plus, they volunteered!<\/p>\n

Thanks to Paul Fromberg, Andrew Marin, and Phyllis Tickle<\/strong> for not only being on a \u201cSexuality and Justice\u201d panel that I moderated, but for rolling with it when I called several audibles during the hour.<\/p>\n

Thanks to so many of you who:<\/p>\n