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cool talks, cool mp3s.

If you didn't get to make it to Advocacy Days this year, you can click below to listen to two of the speeches at the Saturday night UCC/DOC event. Krista Johnson is a young adult Disciple leader, and she challenges the idea that children and youth cannot wrestle with and be a voice on justice issues. Michael Kinnamon, legendary Disciples professor from Eden Theological Seminary, speaks about the ecumenical movement and its maturity. Good stuff. Listen and load them into your iPod.

http://www.disciplesx.com/audio/krista-johnson.mp3

http://www.disciplesx.com/audio/michael-kinnamon.mp3

st. brigit

I've been doing some reading for Early Christian Communities, and our focus over the next few weeks are the traditions and legends of Celtic Christianity. The stories about St. Brigit are astounding, imaginative, and funny. Here are three of my favorites.

And I shall reveal this miracle too for your delight, in which her pure, virginal mind and willing hand were united as one. When she was pasturing her sheep on rich and level ground that was thick with grass, she was caught in heavy rain and returned home soaked to the skin. Finding little gaps, the sun shone into the house. Her eyes deceived her and mistaking the sun's ray for a solid beam of wood, she hung her wet clothes upon it, as if that were what it really was. But the clothes did indeed remain hanging on the delicate sunbeam.

Celtic Christianity's intertwining with nature is just incredible, as you can see from above. What a cool little story.

But speaking of this miracle, it is fitting to recall another one. In the potent strength of her ineffable faith, Brigit blessed a woman who, though she had taken a vow of chastity, fell through weakness into youthful lust so that her womb swelled with child. The fetus disappeared, without  coming to birth or causing pain, and the woman was restored to health and to penance.

Okay. A saint performing an abortion? What?

And my favorite: 

On another extraordinary occasion some lepers asked this venerable Brigit for some beer, but she did not have any beer to give them. Seeing water that had been prepared for baths, she blessed it in the strength of her faith and turned it into the very best beer, which she generously dispensed to the thirsty.

Nice. Who needs wine in Ireland, right? 

nice.

This is my first post from the new web browser-blog-and-more called Flock (www.flock.com). I would encourage you to check it out. You can integrate it with all sorts of other websites, sharing your bookmarks, pictures, and favorite links. Fun stuff. I am going to see how it holds up as my main browser for a few weeks.

oh look, mom. he’s writing again!

I just got done with a busy weekend, probably one of the busiest of my life. Starting on Friday night, Ecumenical Advocacy Days (www.advocacydays.org) kicked off. I made it out to Crystal City in the ol' T-bird and proceeded to watch the Wesley Theological Seminary choir perform. My dear friend and dorm mate, Mayuris Pimentel, sang a bit of a solo -- she rocked. The rest of the worship was interesting and rousing, a call to action for a Christian of any stripe or persuasion interested in the forgotten among us.

I was glad that there several Disciples in the crowd, and there were numerous young adults. I have to give credit to Sara Critchfield for being the passion behind that effort -- the conference had over 250 young adults present from several denominations. Awesome stuff!

On Saturday, I attended the Salt & Light conference, a congregational renewal event sponsored by the Christian Church Capital Area (that's where I work). It was wonderfully successful, with great speakers and atmosphere. The "young adult ministry" workshop in the afternoon, by Kelly Ingersol, was provocative -- but I had to bow out a little bit early. I returned to Ecumenical Advocacy Days for our joint DoC/UCC event. Phoebe Spier performed, Michael Kinnamon spoke, Krista Johnson represented, and more. You'll be able to hear snippets of this in my first podcast, coming out soon.

Finally, on Sunday, I hit Heritage Christian Church to promote camps & conferences, and then pretty much bottomed out. I wanted to return to Advocacy Days, but I was exhausted. By the way -- I was fighting "minimal pneumonia" all weekend/week. On Monday, we closed things off with a great come and go pizza/networking hour at the Methodist Building. It was great discussing some young adult disciple issues and meeting other nice folks (hey Kristy from the ELCA!).

I'm glad it is over -- I may finally be rested from the ordeal. Look for some great updates on the site in the next week, including my first official DisciplesX.com podcast. (Oh, and I have new links up to on the right side of this page. Check 'em out.)