Existential Punk

"Revelation" Through Online Fellowship: i Interview Peter - Conversation 8

Peter says, 'Adele asks me what I think about "online fellowship" - is it legitimate? I think so, and it's going to change the world faster than ever before (that could be bad or wonderful!)'

There's REALLY Nothing Wrong With Keeping Santa in Christmas, People!

This from my dear friend, Peter Walker, at Emerging Christian, had me rolling on the floor laughing my ass off. It's so true! He even has a great rant in a vlog about this whole idiotic fight over keeping 'Christ in Christmas'! Also, there's a thought-provoking post from one of Peter's commenters, Luke Sumner. As i like to say, ALL THE HOLIDAYS!!!! Enjoy!

'Evolving in Monkey Town'

My dear friend, Rachel Held Evans, has her first book coming out next year. She was kind enough to interview me for the book and i made the final cut! i am honored and wish to share the details of her work with you. From her blog:

"Over 80 years after the Scopes Monkey Trial made a mockery of Christian fundamentalism and a spectacle of her hometown of Dayton, Tennessee, award-winning writer Rachel Held Evans explains how evangelicalism survived by successfully adapting to a modern environment.

As a result, the conservative Christian community so embraced modern rationalism that Evans grew up in a culture obsessed with apologetics and the Apostle’s call to “always be ready with an answer” in defense of the faith.

But when rehearsed answers to tough questions about religious pluralism, human suffering, biblical interpretation, science, heaven, and hell fail to quiet her own doubts, Evans finds herself in the midst of a faith crisis that forces her to reconsider all she thought she knew about God.

Evans concludes that if her faith and the faith of her generation is to survive in a postmodern world, it must once again adapt to its environment and evolve.

In a changing culture where new ideas threaten the safety and security of the faith, Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions is a fearlessly honest story of survival."

Release Date: June, 2010

Publisher: Zondervan

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Something Beautiful Podcast, My Interview With Pete Rollins

Back in February when my good friend, Pete Rollins, was in Richmond, i had the wonderful opportunity to interview him. i am so not a technical person, so when i met Liz and Jonathan Monday evening for dinner, Jonathan was able to download a compressed version. It is now up live at Something Beautiful Podcast. i hope you enjoy it!

Rollins is the founder and coordinator of the experimental collective in Belfast, Ireland, Ikon. he is also a writer, speaker and blogger.

He’s the author of the books, “How (Not) To Speak Of God,” “The Fidelity of Betrayal: Towards a Church Beyond Belief,” and most recently, “The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales.”

Christianity 21

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Christianity 21: Faith in the 21st Century
21 Voices
21 Ideas
21 Minutes Each

HT Julie Clawson!

We live in a time of epochal change.

Many find this change exciting; for others, it’s a challenge. Call it globalization, pluralization, or postmodernism, this change affects our economy, politics, government, and education—all of society. And, of course, our faith and our churches are not immune to change.

So we have gathered 21 of the most important voices for the future of Christianity—21 voices for the 21st century—to speak into our future as people of faith in this age. They represent a diverse array of backgrounds, interests, and passions, and they will provide a wide range of innovative and challenging presentations.

Christianity21 is less a conference and more a happening, an event—a gathering of voices and ideas that will shape the future of our faith. And to the 21 voices, we want you to add your voice, whether you’re a seeker or skeptic, leader or layperson, disciple or doubter.

We hope you consider joining your voice to ours at Christianity21.

Friday, October 9 – Sunday, October 11
Colonial Church of Edina
6200 Colonial Way
Minneapolis, MN 55436
$195

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i am very sad to not be able to attend this exciting event as we will be in Indonesia. BUT, i encourage you to attend this very important event!

Something Beautiful Podcast, Part 1 Of 2

My good friend, Thomas AKA Heaphonaught, has interviewed me for the Something Beautiful Podcast. This week Part 1 is up and next week Part 2 will go up. Enjoy!

In Plain English

HT to my great friend, Thomas, who blogs at Heaphonaught's Nanolog, for these 'Plain English' explanations of Twitter and Podcasts:

Publisher's Weekly Review Of Pete Rollins' Upcoming Book

 Pete Rollins' newest book, "The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales", will be released this April by Paraclete Press. Publisher's Weekly recently reviewed "The Orthodox Heretic" in it's Religion section under Nonfiction Reviews.

The Orthodox Heretic: And Other Impossible Tales Peter Rollins. Paraclete, $19.99 (164p) ISBN 978-1-55725-634-8

Don't be fooled by the slender spine of this unusual book. Rollins, the Irish philosopher/po-mo theologian who has previously published How (Not) to Speak of God and The Fidelity of Betrayal, upends some of Christians' most cherished platitudes about God in his newest outing. He cautions readers that the book is not to be read quickly, for acquiring information, but to be savored slowly for possible transformation. Mostly, the book lives up to this billing. Rollins recasts some of the most familiar parables of and stories about Jesus, sometimes subversively—as when he proposes a version of feeding the 5,000 that shows Jesus and his disciples pigging out on meager resources while the multitudes look on, starving. His point? That Christians are the body of Christ, and when we oppress the poor and hoard scarce resources, we are saying that represents the kind of God we serve. Although not all of the parables work equally well—some could use further illumination—Rollins is a tremendously talented writer and thinker whose challenges to Christianity-as-usual should be well-received by the emergent church crowd, if not beyond. (Apr. 1)

A Hint Of Bergamot

My great friend, Thomas, aka Headphonaught, has invited me to join the photography blog he started the first of the year. i am really excited as i need a creative outlet and this will give me motivation! i will be carrying my little point and shoot with everywhere now! Keep checking back to see the great creativity going on over there! i have addes it on the side under 'COOL MEDIA SITES'. Thanks, Thomas! YOU RAWK!

It's called a hint of bergamot, which he describes below:

"I've started something new... and I am looking for folk to participate.

a hint of bergamot is a photoblog where I will post one pic per day... well that's the intention anyway... and I am looking for folk who would be willing to post their pics (one per day).

I'm not looking for amazing pieces of art [although that's kind of "in the eye of the beholder" and subjective anyway]... I want the blog to be a visually inspiring space... where we share our insights into the specialness of the ordinary. So if your photo is from your phone (even iPhone pics are allowed) or from your fancypants dSLR... it doesn't matter... its about the moment."

Here's my first photo posted today!

 

All The Holidays!

i want to wish everyone who stops by Existential Punk frequently, once in a lifetime, or every now and again a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAY, or ALL THE HOLIDAYS, depending on where you live on this big planet or your religious or non-religious affiliation!

i am so very grateful this holiday season to be blessed with a beautiful and generous wife, awesome friends and family close and far, in person and in cyberspace, and two loving dawgs i adore. Thank you ALL for enriching my life beyond belief! i am blown away by the beautiful community in my life.

May you all, despite any differences and similarities in thoughts and discussions over the past year have a very blessed and peace-filled day of being in the company of people and animals who love you!

Thanks to ALL of you who have made this space a great journey and space for interesting conversations. i am looking forward to seeing how 2009 comes together in the life of this blog. i look forward to more thought-provoking conversations and learning much from my readers.

Mucho Amore!

Existential Punk