Baltimore Emergent Cohort

Baltimore Emergent Village Cohort

1. May 15th--Jesus for President
   Our next gathering will be on Thursday night 5/15 at 8pm at Kiss Cafe (2400 Boston St. Baltimore, 21224). Our topic will be the recently released book, Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw. I encourage you to pick up a copy--there are lots of pictures for those who don't like to read much :). Publishers Weekly has this to say: Starred Review. Here is the must-read election-year book for Christian Americans. What should Christians do when allegiances to the state clash with personal faith? Haw and Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution) slice through politics as usual and well past the superficial layers of the culture wars with their lucid exploration of how Christians can and should relate to presidents and kings, empire and government. Their entertaining yet provocative tour of the Bible's social and economic order makes even the most abstruse Levitical laws come alive for our era. They also provide a valuable political context for Christ's life, reminding readers that Jesus did not preach the need to put God back into government—he urged his followers to live by a different set of rules altogether, to hold themselves apart as peculiar people. The compelling writing is enhanced by a lavish, eye-popping layout. The pages are a riot of textured callouts, colors, photos and fonts—the perfect packaging for a message that must compete in a world of sound bites. With this second book, Claiborne emerges as an affable, intelligent, humorous prophet of his generation, calling people out of business-as-usual in a corrupt world and back to the radically different social order of the biblical God. (Mar.)
2. CityPaper article
   The cohort was featured in this week's Citypaper. Go check it out (you can find the full article here), it a good perspective on what we are the emerging church and this cohort are all about. My and Saranell's work with Next Generation was also highlighted along with some other folks who were at last month's cohort. The next cohort gathering will be on Thursday April 17th at 8pm at Kiss Cafe in Canton. Hope to see you then.
3. Next cohort gathering Tuesday March 25th
   The next cohort gathering will be on Tuesday March 25th at 8pm at Kiss Cafe at 2400 Boston St. in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore. Kiss Cafe is easy to get to and has plenty of available parking. There is a full menu available. We will be on the left side of the restaurant. We had a great gathering in Feb. and look forward to another one this time. We do not have a set topic at the moment , but since we have not gathered for awhile, it might be interesting to talk about what we think the church that is emerging is, can be, and how we can make a difference in the blog. Feel free to post any preliminary thoughts or rumblings on the cohort blog. See you in a few weeks, Tim P.S.--It is not too late to sign-up for the Deep Shift conference on Friday and Saturday in Vienna, VA. Let me know if you want the $20 off discount code. Hope you can make it!
4. Upcoming events--NT Wright and Deep Shift
   Over the next month, there are 2 interesting events that may be of interest. First, NT Wright is coming to Baltimore to speak at The Ecumenical Institute of Theology at St. Mary's Seminary on February 25th and 26th. His topic for the lectures is "The Bible and the Future." N.T. Wright is the Anglican Bishop of Durham, England and is arguably the world’s most prominent biblical theologian. For more information, visit the St. Mary's website and follow the links. Then, on March 7-8th, the Deep Shift tour featuring Brian McLaren, Linnea Nilsen Capshaw, the Cobalt Season, and others will be in Vienna, VA presenting an experience of Brian's book, Everything Must Change, and implications which grow from it. You need to register by March 5th. To get a discount code for $20 off, email Tim. Hope you enjoy these events!
5. The Cohort is BACK!!!--2/27
   After a period of hibernation, the Baltimore Cohort is again going to meet. Many of us have missed being together and others have been itching for a chance to participate. The next gathering will be on Wednesday February 27th at 8pm at Kiss Cafe at 2400 Boston St. in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore. Kiss Cafe is easy to get to and has plenty of available parking. There is a full menu available. We will be on the left side of the restaurant. This month's discussion will be on Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope by Brian McLaren. Come whether you have read the book or not, whether you have liked the book or not, and share your thoughts, ideas, and questions. We'll also consider ways to read the book with others. E-mail Tim with any questions.