EmergingPhoenix

EmergingPhoenix

1. Resurrection & The Problem of Pain
   We will meet at TILT ROOM again, in Castleberry Hills, this Tuesday, 29 April, from 8-10pm.
   
   Several regular participants in the Emergent cohort showed up at Emory last Wednesday to hear N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham for the Church of England. Wright has been formative for many as a proponent of narrative theology and scholar of the first century who has challenged Christians to pursue a theology that is intellectually honest.
   
   In his newest book, Surprised by Hope, which he discussed on Wednesday, he identifies Resurrection as the most significant occurrence (his exact words were "the linchpin") in the Christian story, perhaps the only thing that creates hope and meaning in a human story fraught with suffering.
   
   He echoes this same theme in a recent online conversation hosted by beliefnet.com with Bart Ehrman, a distinguished professor at UNC, renowned biblical scholar and agnostic. Ehrman is a former evangelical who lost his faith while wrestling with the problem of pain and suffering. For Ehrman, Christian and Hebrew scriptures offer at best contradictory explanations for suffering, none of which suffice. He discusses his views in his recent book, God's Problem.
   
   I invite you to read Ehrman and Wright's brief 3-part exchange, and to come prepared to share your thoughts. Allow me to offer a few guiding questions:
   
   • What is the significance of resurrection?
   • Where does resurrection leave us on the problem of pain?
   • What makes it difficult for many to hear this as adequate?
   Finally, I'd also like to offer this meditation on the resurrection by Rev. Debbie Blue at House of Mercy in St Paul, MN. I hope it enlivens your view of the resurrection, as it did mine.
2. some local pots to stir
   We will meet at TILT ROOM again, in Castleberry Hills, this Tuesday March 25, from 8-10pm.
   
   We have two major events this summer in July, and a third in the fall and need to develop some strategies for them this month. We especially need folks to design logos, get things to printers, set up web sites and registration, get them listed in the right places like free papers and clubs/bars/churches/whatever.
   
   the two July things are:
   
   July 18,19 Re-Connect featuring Shayne Claiborne and the Jesus for President Tour.
   
   
   July 25 The Church Basement Roadshow, Featuring Mark Scandrett, Tony Jones, and Doug Pagitt.
   
   
   
   Both are being held in Atlanta. We are co-sponsoring the re-connect event and we are the ones to pull off the Church Basement Roadshow Event.
   
   We will need to discuss venue and purpose and buy-in. I think we need to ask the same critical questions we have been along the way- "what will this generate in terms of the kingdom of God?" We have INnocence Atlanta as a partner in the first event and who knows how we'll approach the second event- perhaps a concert/art show.
   
   The ReCONNECT eventsite is being built. here are the details until then.
   
   

   What would happen it 300 drastically different people from inside Atlanta decided to risk building relationships with other followers of Jesus to generate justice in our city?
   
   Some of us in Atlanta, seeking the beloved community in the Jesus Way, but in very different organizations and contexts got to dreaming... After dreaming, and after enjoying some coffee together we decided that this should happen more often and with more folks. So we decided to attempt two little things. We called a couple folks, had a few meetings, got the help of a few other folks and now your in the loop with us.
   
   re:CONNECT is a one time event invented to accomplish these two simple things. After we're done we'll pack up our tents and you'll never hear from us again ('kinda like eHarmony for faith and action). We're sure that many folks have already met, and that there are already great organizations and networks underway- we just wanted to do our part to stir it up a bit more. Oh, and we have the help of some great friends of city justice, Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw. Our two things are:
   
   1. to connect Christians to hands-on justice opportunities in the Atlanta area
   2. to set up generative friendships between Christians who live and worship inside Atlanta.
   
   
   partners and contributers
   atlantaemergence.blogspot.com
   sub-urban.org
   www.missionyear.org
   www.creationcare.org
   www.kidcultivators.org
   www.fcsministries.org
   churchasart.com
   www.innocenceatlanta.org

   
   Our third event is a SE cohort regional gathering.
   
   

   We have other cohorts from as far away as Charlotte, Raleigh, Tampa, and Nashville who would like to join us and who feel Atlanta is a good middle point. The GATHERING idea has happened for 7 years in New Mexico and is less an emergent church attractional or education event, and more about being with folks in similar walks of life/ministry and making time together for a few days.
   
   It has included preparing much of our food from scratch. Playing games. Sharing poetry and music. Doing Yoga and taking walks through the woods. That kind of stuff.
   
   One key for us in the south, since this will be our first attempt at this we want to be intentional about shaping this for who we hope to be our colleagues over the years to come. This means being intentional about the traction an event like this could hold with the African American community in the south, perhaps the Neo-Soul community?
   
   We will talk about the fall gathering as a third priority as the first two must be wrapped up soon!

   
   If you have thoughts on how to organize our time or themes and ideas to focus our project, feel free to pipe in and to take on as much leadership as you'd like.
   
   
   
   

3. INnocence ATLANTA volunteers needed
   INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING with INNOCENCE ATLANTA?
   
   Please join us this Tuesday, March 11 at 7 pm for our monthly volunteer meeting. It will be located in room 102 at the College of Management at Georgia Tech. The meeting will begin as an informational session and lead into clear action oriented steps you can take to help fight child sex trafficking. We will focus on educating attendees as well as plugging them into their desired capacities within Innocence Atlanta. The meeting with start at 7 pm and end no later than 8:30 pm. For detailed directions please see below:
   
   http://mgt.gatech.edu/about_us/map_directions.html
   The classroom is on the first floor of the building, in room 102. (You'll see a Starbucks attached to the Barnes & Noble. Between Starbuck's and Ray's Pizza is a little entryway into the Management courtyard.)
   
   Please RSVP to julie@innocenceatlanta.org by SUNDAY, March 9 and write "Volunteer Training" in the subject line if you are able to attend. Thank you!
   
   --
   ~ Julie
   --
   Julie Riggs
   Community Relations
   Innocence ATLANTA
   706.346.2138
   www.innocenceatlanta.org
4. Artist's Way group
   Troy Bronsink will be facilitating an Aritst's Way creativity group for the next 9 Wednesdays at Tilt. For more info you can visit his blog, churchasart.

   

5. policy advocacy
   On February 26, 2008 a group called A Future Not A Past formerly known as Georgians Against Child Prostitution and Trafficking, sent this. The folks at Innocence Atlanta gave a positive reference for this group's efforts. Now, as with any kind of public policy advocacy, spreading the word, contacting your representative, and setting up key contacts between city influencers and their representatives is key. So consider how you can make the most of this challenge.
   
   
   Stop the Prostitution of Children in Georgia
   
   A Weekly Advocacy Update from the 2008 session of the Georgia General
   Assembly.
   
   
   Advocacy Update #6 2009 Budget Process Slows
   
   
   The House has not yet made decisions about the 2009 budget where we
   are seeking $560,000 for a regional assessment center to serve
   commercially sexually exploited adolescent girls.
   The House Human Resources subcommittee who oversees this project has
   now heard testimony from both the Department of Human Resources
   Commissioner and the public. Final decisions will be reached on the
   House recommendations in the next two weeks. It is critical that each
   and every subcommittee member understands the importance of full
   funding for a regional assessment center to serve prostituted girls
   and feels our support as they stand up for what is right.
   Continue to talk with your House member and the subcommittee members
   (in some cases, assistants' email addresses are listed).
   
   Rep. Mark Butler (Carrolton - 18th Dist.) / 404 653 2246 /
   mark.butler@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Jeff May (Monroe - 111th Dist.) / 404 656 5105 / debbie.redd@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Buddy Carter (Pooler - 159th Dist) / 404 656 0213 / bcarter331@aol.com
   
   Rep. Keith Heard (Athens - 114th Dist.) / 404 656 0220 /
   keith.heard@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Jerry Keen (St Simon's - 179th Dist.) / 404 656 5052 /
   jlkeen@bellsouth.net
   
   Rep. Judy Manning (Marietta - 32nd Dist.) / 404 656 7868 /
   rebecca.hammock@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Bobby Reese (Sugar Hill - 98th Dist.) / 404 656 0254 /
   bobby.reese@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Len Walker (Loganville - 107th Dist.) / 404 656 5139 / lwalker@nfumc.org
   
   Rep. Stan Watson (Decatur - 91st Dist.) / 404 656 0220 / stan_watson@matria.com
   
   Rep. Chuck Sims (Ambrose - 169th Dist.) / 404 656 0287 /
   chuck.sims@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (Decatur - 83rd Dist.) / 404 656 0265 /
   marymargaret.oliver@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Larry O'Neal (Bonaire - 146th Dist.) / 404 656 5103 /
   kay.goodroe@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Richard Royal (Camilla - 171st Dist.) / 404 656 0265 /
   dawn.baker@house.ga.gov
   
   Rep. Penny Houston (Nashville - 170th Dist.) / 404 656 0202 /
   talmadge.james@house.ga.gov
   
   I will keep you posted as more and better information becomes available.
   Onwards and upwards!
   
   
   Find Your Legislator
   
   
   email: janice@afuturenotapast.org
   phone: 404 805 5134
   web: http://www.afuturenotapast.org
   "A Future. Not A Past." is the new campaign to end child prostitution
   in Georgia (formerly known as Georgians Against Child Prositution and
   Trafficking).