"What? This is a joke, right?" But, Pastor Megan was not joking. Tonight, at Community of Travelers at St Aidan's, we were going to walk to the Safeway across the street and hand out palm leaves for Palm Sunday. Safeway. A place where I regularly shop for groceries. A place where non-church people…

I've been reading a lot of blog posts and Twitter tweets recently on Rob Bell's views on hell. I hadn't heard of Rob Bell before this flurry of posts, but I'm not any the wiser for them, because it seems that Rob Bell's views on hell are in a book that most of the bloggers and tweeters haven't read yet.

I've written a couple of blog posts on hell, which produced some interesting and revealing reactions.

When Jesus spoke about anyone going to hell it was…

I added a post to my other blog about the controversy surrounding the new Rob Bell book (and his video).  While I have no real take on him personally, I do have some on heaven, hell and the whole way we use it.

http://cumberlandemergent.blogspot.com/2011/03/weighing-in-on-rob-bell-controversy.html

For those who were unable to attend the Episcopal Village event in Boston on March 5th, here's the audio from this event. 

Rev. Ian Mobsby's keynote address  

http://www.stpaulboston.org/avms.asp?avstartid=146

Q&A to keynote address

http://www.stpaulboston.org/avms.asp?avstartid=147

Interviews with…

I posted a new entry onto my blog that I hope I can get some discussion on:

cumberlandemergent.blogspot.com

How's that for a thought?  Here's the story:

     When I was little, I attended a rural United Church of Christ in Ohio.  It had towering pines and three massive stained glass windows.  One of my first memories is of my baby brother getting baptised when I was a little over 2 years old.  The reason I remember is my older brother and I were left crying in the pew while our parents abandoned us (well, that's how it felt, anyway).

     I attended this church from…

Sunday 20 February.

Pro Cathederal Dublin

time 15.00

Cardinal Sean o Malley. apostolic visitor to Ireland. Diarmuid Martin. archbishop of Dublin. will participate in the washing of feet. of people who are survivors of child abuse

It has been very exciting to read an advance copy of this book in preparation for the Australian book launches.  It is really stimulating to read because so much of New Monasticism is experimental and 'emerging' in the full sense of the world so the writing is fresh and wonderful!   Graham Cray's…

I live in Dublin, Ireland born. 23/03/1964. I am a survivor of child abuse. I have a disability I enjoy political debates theological, my education is basic, the best education that I have recieved came from experiences in life, people whom I met. one is getting old these days there is no grey hair showing

I am interested in a refreshing radical Franciscan spirituality, which is based on the Gospels, hospitality, solidarity prayer with people who are…

There is an article from Reuters (as reported in Yahoo news) that headlined "Popularity of vampires spawns subculture, scholar says."  The article goes on to talk about how there is a subculture of doctors, lawyers and other people that act normal by day, but act out vampire lifestyles with willing others like themselves at night.  There was also a recent article in the Daily Mail (UK) entitled "The christening without much Christianity: Anglican church offers 'baptism lite' to attract…

From Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien: '...Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world; small hands do them, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.'

I've been perusing a book by Jim Palmer called Divine Nobodies. It seems to pose the question as to whether organized religion is effective in reaching the lost. He and other writers have encountered young people who want to know Jesus and learn his ways, but don't want to be 'Christians,' because as…

http://anglicandominican.blogspot.com/2011/01/reforming-north-american-christianity_14.html

Thank you Elisabeth for your comment.

     I read recently of a conference held in Atlanta in January, 2011 called Passion, attended by 22,000 college students. The purpose of the conference, as quoted from the website is 'At the heart of it all, Passion exists to see a generation stake their lives on what matters most.  For us, that is the fame of the One who rescues and restores, and our opportunity to amplify His name in everything we do.

     If this conference is a sampling, there is tremendous interest in the coming…