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A Post-Conference Reflection with Phyllis Tickle

Posted Mar 31, 05:19 AM | 1 comments | by Editor | Link

by Jonathan Brink:

The following is part of an interview I did with Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence. I got to spend time asking her for her reflections on the weekend in New Mexico.

Brink – What was your impression of the Emerging Church Conference in Albuquerque?

Tickle – I’ve never felt more energy in a room in my life. That was my initial, overwhelming reaction was sheer intensity. Maybe that’s the right word. Sheer intensity. Nobody was there because somebody persuaded them to go, or because it was the in thing to do.

My second impression, and it had been my original one before going into the conference, and then it became secondary to that intensity, was a happy intensity. I didn’t see anybody unhappy with what was going on, with what they were hearing, with what they were saying to each other. There was a kind of joyful intensity to it. You could feel it coming up out of that room right up onto that (stage).

And the third impression was, I laughed to myself and said, “The reformation just ended.” (laughing) But it did in a way.

Brink – I cannot begin to tell you how I felt exactly the same way. It was weird.

Tickle – It was weird. By jingo, we just closed that chapter. (laughing) It was so funny, you know. Who would have ever…Just amazing. Right up through the Eucharist, that closing Eucharist. What a thing of beauty that was. But it was there from the get-go.

And then of course the third thing was, oh thank you, it is about half over 50.

Brink – How did you feel about that? Because Memphis was about (a younger) crowd. Albuquerque was the polar opposite. It was every age and tradition.

Tickle – The Anglimergents met on Thursday and I just stopped the meeting and everybody over 60 please raise your hand. And about a third who were over sixty. And so I felt good about it, but going into New Mexico, it was there baby. That’s really exciting to me.

Brink – And here’s what’s interesting to me over this whole experience. I’m so glad you say that because part of my generations frustration is has been that it almost felt like we didn’t have elders to have conversations with. And it was that void that was missing the older voice. And when I walked into that room I almost cried because it was like, “The elders have arrived.”

Tickle – The elders have arrived. And you might know it would be Richard Rohr who knew how to make that happen.

The fourth thing was, if we had to the the conference over again, I would (create the opportunity to solve) the need about what was actually happening in the trenches. Swapping stories about what one cohort is doing, or what one house church was doing, or one deep ecclesia was doing. Fortunately that last session we allowed a little bit, but it was a little short.

It was great to have the table talk, but I wish there had have been ten tables talking in a room by themselves, swapping stuff. [This idea actually did happen in the post-conference and led to some amazing results, which validates Tickle’s ideas.] And then reconfiguring what the ten tables are and doing it all over again. But that there be a great exchange of practical, hands-on, experiential, what-do-you-think.

And we’re going to have some outright, theological conversations. We’re having, and dancing around them. The whole business of the Trinity for instance, the nature of forgiveness, the nature of atonement. It doesn’t have to be a big deal but there has to be some table talk about that too, as we work that out.

Brink – I think what the heart and soul of what everyone was feeling was, “We so long for reconciliation.” We’re tired of dividing. Let’s not let that be our legacy.

Tickle – Absolutely.

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Jonathan Brink is the Managing Director of Thrive Ministries. He loves exploring restoration and reconciliation in all its forms.

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