|
For today's post, we want to connect you with two resources that Pastor Alison mentioned in her sermon on Sunday: 1) The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle, and 2) The Post-Evangelical Collective. In her sermon, Alison shared about Tickle's argument, from The Great Emergence, that we are living through a period of historical upheaval — marked by significant social, economic, political, and religious change. According to Tickle, “About every five hundred years the empowered structures of institutionalized Christianity, whatever they may be at that time, become an intolerable carapace that must be shattered in order that renewal and new growth may occur.” We currently find ourselves in one of those every-500-year periods, which means that we — as individuals and as a community — have the opportunity to help shape the "new, more vital form of Christianity" that is emerging in this historical moment. One of the ways that the River is doing this is through the Post-Evangelical Collective (or the PEC). For those who haven’t heard the term before, post-evangelical is a descriptive term that can apply to individuals or to faith communities. It describes former evangelical Christians who have experienced a break with evangelical subculture, beliefs, or practices. Although not every individual who is part of our community here at the River would describe themselves as post-evangelical — the River, as an organization, is a post-evangelical church. What we mean by that is that the River was founded as part of an evangelical denomination called the Vineyard. And then, over a decade ago, we experienced a break — leaving the Vineyard for reasons not limited to, but including our conviction that God affirms LGBTQ+ individuals and relationships. For many years, post-evangelical churches like ours were pretty isolated after choosing to leave or, in many cases, being forced to leave their previous denominations. The PEC set out to change that by building an ecosystem where churches like ours can connect more easily with one another. There are a number of ways they are doing this. Once a month, the PEC hosts a webinar devoted to a relevant spiritual topic. Anyone connected to the PEC can join these webinars — you do not have to be a pastor or work for a church. Past guests have included Zach Lambert (who wrote Better Ways to Read the Bible), Hillary McBride (who wrote Holy Hurt), and Andrew DeCort (who wrote Reviving the Golden Rule). If you are interested, you can receive information about upcoming webinars by subscribing to the PEC mailing list. Once a month, Alison joins a call with PEC pastors around the country to build relationships, to share ideas and resources, and to collaborate with and learn from one another. And, for the past two years, she's attended the PEC’s national gathering in the Spring. Next year’s gathering will be taking place in Cambridge, Massachusetts at our sister church, Reservoir. If you are interested in joining Alison and other members of the River staff who will be attending, please reach out for more information! In her sermon, Alison said this about the River's involvement with the PEC: "It’s been really exciting for me to see the variety of ways that this partnership has been bearing good fruit at the River. For example, there are so many resources that I have discovered through the PEC ecosystem. Ones that I’ve benefited from personally and have also been able to share with all of you in sermons, and Resource of the Week posts, and the Lending Library, and in one-on-one conversations. Brian Recker, the author of Hell Bent who came to speak here recently, is someone I got to know through relationships in the PEC. And at the book event we hosted, it was exciting to meet so many people in our region who are exploring similar faith questions. The church map on the PEC website has been a great way for folks to discover the River — I know of some folks here who found us that way! And the map has also been a really helpful resource when members of the River have moved away from New York City — it has allowed us to better support them in finding a faith community wherever they land. Engaging with the PEC has also helped me to feel more supported as a pastor. When navigating new or challenging situations, it’s been really wonderful to be able to reach out to other PEC pastors to hear about their own experiences and approaches. There are so many ways that we are benefitting from our engagement with the PEC, but perhaps, just as exciting to me are the ways that we are contributing to and helping to shape the movement. The same way that we are learning from other PEC churches — other PEC churches are learning from what we are doing here at the River. In addition to the official PEC churches listed on the website, we are also a resource for churches that aren’t quite there yet. Churches that are considering breaking with evangelicalism or becoming LGBTQ+ affirming but need some support to get there. Through our involvement with the PEC — and in various other ways — we are helping to shape the new, more vital forms of Christianity that are emerging in this historical moment. And our impact extends far beyond New York City."
About the Post-Evangelical Collective
The Post Evangelical Collective exists to connect, cultivate, and resource post evangelical churches. We are church leaders, artists, and other stakeholders who find ourselves estranged from the dominant expressions of American Christianity. Shared Values
Articles About the PEC
0 Comments
In her sermon last Sunday, Pastor Alison shared about how impactful it was — during her years at Union Theological Seminary — to learn from classmates who came from a wide variety of Christian traditions. Alison said this: "[Prior to seminary] I had primarily spent time in evangelical and post-evangelical contexts. So, while I had become quite familiar with how things worked in those particular worlds, I hadn’t had much exposure to how diverse Christianity really is — how many different expressions of Christianity have existed throughout history, around the world, and even in our own country right now. Part of what I found so exciting about this discovery was that it challenged the narrative that any one group of people — no matter how big or loud they are — owns the Way of Jesus. I also found it really heartening to realize that I wasn’t alone in the questions I was asking or the yearnings I had for a more beautiful, liberative expression of Christianity than the dominant versions we see represented in our media today. It was so encouraging to me to discover that Christians have been wrestling with doubts and questions since the beginning of the faith; that there is actually great diversity of thought within the Christian tradition; and that there is so much wisdom to be gleaned from fellow travelers who have walked and are walking the Way of Jesus in the world." This week's resource, Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints, is one that can help us learn from and be encouraged by a range of Christian role models, as well as "people of diverse faiths working for more love, kindness, and justice in their corners of the world, even when that means rocking the religious boat." The book is marketed as middle-grade nonfiction (ages 9 and up), but in our experience it is also great for teens and adults. We used the companion curriculum with RiverYouth a few years back and it was an enriching experience for our youth and our adult volunteers alike!  About the Book
Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints is an illustrated children's book about people of diverse faiths working for more love, kindness, and justice in their corners of the world, even when that means rocking the religious boat. With original portraits from more than two dozen artists and engaging profiles of people from different faiths and different eras, these are stories that inspire, educate, challenge, and encourage. (There is now a companion curriculum also available for home or church use.) Some of the people featured in this book are well known, like the beloved St. Francis of Assisi (a favorite of Hufflepuffs everywhere for his love of animals), who gave up a wealthy inheritance to serve the poor, Rumi, the Sufi poet, and Thich Nhat Hanh, the beloved teacher who developed the concept of engaged Buddhism. Some are well known, but the deep faith motivating their work is lesser known, such as Harriet Tubman, Florence Nightingale, and Mr. Rogers. Others are less known such as Bayard Rustin, an American Quaker whose role in the civil rights movement of the 1960s is often downplayed because he was a gay man; Maryam Molkara, an Iranian Muslim transgender rights advocate; and Regina Jonas, the first female rabbi to be ordained whose story was almost lost to history. In particular, Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints emphasizes the stories of women, LGBTQ people, people of color, Indigenous people, and others who are too often written out of religious narratives. These stories move us towards more love and a faith that works for the common good of us all. Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints is a middle-grade nonfiction (ages 9 and up) book. You can read several sample profiles here. About the Author This book is written by Daneen Akers, a writer, producer, teacher, and mother who believes deeply in the power of stories. Her past projects have explored faith, identity, and belonging. She is the mother of two children who are the true inspiration for this book. Daneen found that most of the books she’d read as a child that had anything to do with faith were not compatible with the type of faith she now has as an adult and parent. She knew she needed better stories for her own children, stories that help us transcend fears, connect with each other, engage in justice, and model an expansive and fully inclusive view of the Divine. She'd removed a lot of faith-based materials from her home that no longer fit, but she realized there weren't a lot of options for replacing those resources. As a storyteller, the clearest place for her to start adding back to their bookshelves was to tell stories about people of faith who have been motivated by a vision of a loving, just, and compassionate Divine, people whose faith works for the common good of us all. Some of Daneen’s previous projects include the Seventh-Gay Adventists documentary and Outspoken short documentary film series. About the Publisher Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints is published by Watchfire Media, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity. Watchfire Media produces life-affirming, spiritually expansive books and films for the spiritually unconventional who have children in their lives whom they want to be comfortable with the big questions of faith and meaning, awed by the beauty of the world and her people, and ultimately committed to love, kindness, courage, and justice. Free Copies As part of our non-profit mission, we are happy to be able to offer a free copy of Holy Troublemakers & Unconventional Saints to anyone who would like this book as a resource but for whom funds are a challenge currently. Just use the Contact page to send us a mailing address (or an email to send a free digital version to for non-U.S. mailing addresses). Thanks to our donors who make this program possible.
About Hell Bent A former evangelical pastor explains why we can stop worrying about hell and start focusing on love There is a black hole at the center of Christian spirituality: the doctrine of hell. No matter how hard we try to believe in a loving God, the fear of eternal torment always lurks at the back of our minds, warping our sense of what love means. Worse still, many churches act as if the point of Christianity is not to follow Jesus but to secure a get-out-of-hell-free card—and to “save” everyone you know by converting them to your religion. For many of us, the whole story of Christianity has punishment at the very center. But does the Bible really say we’re going to hell if we don’t do or believe the “right” things? In this taboo-shattering book, former evangelical pastor Brian Recker takes an honest look at scripture and reveals what has been true all along: Hell isn’t real, and God’s universal love is radically inclusive, in this life and the next. By removing punishment from Christianity's center, Recker boldly reimagines the core questions of faith, such as why Jesus lived and died, and what it means to be “saved.” It’s time to rediscover spirituality as Jesus taught it: loving God, and loving our neighbors as ourselves. Whether you’re Christian, exvangelical, or anywhere along a deconstruction journey, Hell Bent is the perfect resource to help you replace fear and church hurt with healing and peace. In her sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Alison asked us to consider measuring our impact — as individuals and as a community — by measuring in love (à la "Seasons of Love" from the musical Rent). She told us, if following Jesus is all about the pursuit of unconditional love, then our pursuit of impact should be the same. Reflecting upon the events we see in Acts 10-11, Alison spoke about the power of the ripple effect. How the internal shifts that happen within each of us can lead to shifts in the ways we show up in the world -- in our relationships and workplaces and neighborhoods and so on. And how the people we impact will go on to impact other people, who will impact other people, and on and on. The ripple effect can be hard to quantify with numbers, but it’s a really beautiful image. It reminds us that every person — including each of us — has the power to make a difference. And that small actions are often more powerful than we believe. Alison encouraged us to: 1) Consider the possibility that our small acts of kindness are more powerful than we imagine. 2) Consider that, perhaps, “the world” that we hope to impact is not just out there, but also wherever we happen to find ourselves. To help us think further about the power each of us has to positively impact the world for the sake love, we want to point you to the inspiring work of two different individuals — Danielle Coke Balfour and Jane Goodall. During her sermon, Alison shared a few images from Danielle Coke Balfour of Oh Happy Dani. Balfour is an artist, activist, speaker, and entrepreneur who creates art about living a more just and hopeful life. Through content creation, resources, products, and experiences, she aims to inspire everyday advocates (like you!) to do good daily, right where you are. Balfour does an amazing job of "using art and words to help people seek justice and stay hopeful." She hopes to "inspire people like you to live a more just and hopeful life by doing good daily — right where you're planted." There are many ways to engage with Balfour's inspiring work!
Another resource we would like to share with you is the work of Jane Goodall. Goodall — world-renowned ethologist, conservationist, and humanitarian — died recently at the age of 91. Goodall is best known for her 65-year study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania. However, in later years her focus expanded and she became a global advocate for human rights, animal welfare, species and environmental protection, and many other crucial issues. Goodall's work lives on through her foundation; her prolific writings; her participation in many films, documentaries, and museum exhibits; through Roots & Shoots (her global humanitarian and environmental program for young people); through the impact she had on countless animals and people over the years; and through the inspiration of her life and memory. Goodall was famous for saying that “every single one of us makes a difference every day -- it is up to us as to the kind of difference we make.” Goodall truly believed that each of us has the power to make a positive difference and that small actions add up to big impacts. Through her words and example she reminded us that we are all connected in a tapestry of life and each of us has an important part to play in making the world a better place. There are many ways to engage with Goodall's inspiring work!
|
RSS Feed