The Psalters are a Force of Nature. Get Caught at the Goose!

May 24, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

If you haven’t already heard, we want to let you know that the PSALTERS are going to be rocking the stage at Wild Goose! The Psalters are a genre unto themselves, defying easy categorization. A Philadelphia Weekly writer describes them thus: I’m…watching the Psalters celebrate rootlessness and internationalism, mixing radical Christian propaganda with multiethnic polyrhythms and neo-Dickensian refugee ragamuffin chic. The woman next to me wears a full-on Middle Eastern burka, from which protrude long, electric green dreadlocks…The tall dude at the... Read more

The Transformative Power of Questions – Elissa Elliott

May 23, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

Not too long ago, a family member told me, in hushed sad tones, that he was praying for me. I wasn’t ill. I wasn’t going through a tough time. No, I had simply expressed doubts about a steadfast tenet of Christian faith. Mind you, I had not said I believed my alternate supposition; I had only asked the question. It was a grave mistake, one that required fervent prayer (on the part of my family member) that God “lead me... Read more

Goose Around the Web

May 20, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

In recent weeks we’ve had a flurry of friends of the Festival (trying saying that five times fast!) sharing their Wild Goose anticipations via blog and video. Here’s a taste: We are very aware that it will not be the perfect gathering of people that will solve the entire cadre world’s problems and bring ultimate cosmic transformation, where candy cotton flowers will bloom and angels will be putting us to sleep with holy lullabies. But because we know the Sacred have... Read more

Cry for Justice – Andy Scott

May 19, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

“Violence Triggered by Arson Attack on Cairo Church.” “Christians Targeted in Iraq.” “Is Islam the Problem?” “Coptic Christian Protesters Block Main Highways in Egyptian Capital.” “Vatican Condemns Killing of Christian Official in Pakistan.” These are just a few examples of international headlines concerning the recent turmoil in the Middle East. As the 24-hour news cycle continues to flood our screens with images of heartbreaking struggle and pain, it is easy to be disillusioned and disconnected by both the scale of... Read more

The Gift of Tears – Hugh Hollowell

May 18, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

Several years ago, I was speaking at an event. It was a large secular audience, so I gave my mostly secular talk. In that talk, I mentioned I run a faith based organization. I also used the example of gay marriage as a way that relationships change how we feel about “the other.” That is really all I said about gay marriage, or homosexuality or really, anything about my own faith. (You can pause now and watch this talk, if you’d... Read more

Playing in the Dirt: Kester Brewin

May 17, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

As a someone who’s spend a lot of time at Greenbelt and other festivals, I’m drawing to thinking about how what Wild Goose is actually going to look like, and feel like. How a site is set up can say a huge amount about the values of an event, whether that be a Presidential inauguration or a weekend camping. So one thing I’m hoping Wild Goose isn’t going to be is… clean. We’re used to clean homes, places where we know how things work and what goes where, but one of... Read more

A Quiet Conspiracy – Tom Sine

May 16, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

I’ve had the delight of participating at Greenbelt five or six times over the past 20 years. I’m so grateful to God that the art, music, spontaneous celebrations and prophetic voices that have characterized the UK’s premier gathering are now coming to the United States. There’s nothing like this justice-art-music-spirituality festival in America. Now is a good time for this event. American Christians need to hear voices that transcend the shrill polarization and fear-mongering that have attracted the masses. We need voices that remind us of Jesus’ call to reach out to the... Read more

Naked Emperors, Undead Christians, & Seedling Signs

May 13, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

What does it take to build an authentic and substantial social and spiritual movement in the 21st century? We love it when friends “get” what we’re about, and want to work with us to accomplish precisely this. The Mennonite Weekly Review published a piece about the Wild Goose Festival and our connection with the Greenbelt Festival in the UK. Here are some highlights from the article, by Vic Thiessen, former Director of the London Mennonite Centre, now re-located to Winnipeg and working with the Mennonite... Read more

Why People of Color Should Be At the Wild Goose Festival – Melvin Bray

May 11, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

Why People of Color Should Be At the Wild Goose Festival by Melvin ‘The Token Space-holder’ Bray My appeal is simple. People of color must involve themselves with the Wild Goose Festival otherwise the color balance in all the photos will be off! Yes, seriously, I believe that in due season the Wild Goose will change the landscape of faith imagination in America, even as the Greenbelt Festival has done so in the UK over the last 30 years. There was... Read more

Dancing in the Streets! – Ian Cron

May 10, 2011 By wildgoosefestival

My alarm clock randomly selected the Martha and the Vandellas song Dancing in the Streets to wake me at 5:00am this morning. My first two thoughts of the day were that the sound of the snare drum on that song is supernaturally amazing, and secondly, the Wild Goose Festival is only 43 days away! I was into my second cup of coffee when I figured out why these two seemingly unrelated thoughts came one right after the other. My soul... Read more