It's been almost four months since I said I was "coming out of retirement" on facilitating this blog, and sadly, this is my first post since then. Guilt overwhelms me. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. Not sure what's motivated me to get back on it tonight...perhaps it's because I've been messing around with domain purchase/registration and getting a couple of other websites (TBA) set up too...or perhaps it's because I know I'm about to get flamed by our "concerned" friends for this video, so I figure, why not get back into the blogging about sacraments and liturgy, since that's just the sort of "evidence" the CNs will capitalize on to brand me "emergent" (which continues to baffle and befuddle me - yes, BOTH baffle AND befuddle...)??
This blog has been a pet project of mine since July 2006 - over four years now. And while my efforts as a blogger have waxed and waned - more a lack of discipline than anything else - my passion for sacramental and liturgical renewal, especially within the Church of the Nazarene, has not diminished in the slightest. For example, I still have a dream of getting a group of us together for some kind of retreat/symposium/task-force at some point in the not-too-distant future, and now that my doctoral work is behind me (although my dissertation manuscript still sits unpublished on my desk), perhaps this is something I can pour some effort into.
So, when I realized that Blogger provides free hosting, and since I'd already bought the domain back in June and all I had to do was map a few things (I confess I still have no idea what I actually DID, but hey, it worked!), I am proud to announce that sanctifyingworship.com is now the official home of what was once sacramentalnazarenes.blogspot.com!! And while I was at it, I thought after all these years the blog could use a face-lift. I'm not 100% sold on the new vibe, but maybe it will grow on me. Blogger has added a lot of features and templates since the last time I mess around with any of that, and actually I'm quite impressed (at least initially) with the options. At one point I'd considered migrating the blog over to Wordpress, but I think I'll leave it here - if nothing else, 1) it's free (wordpress is $12 a year to map to a custom domain), and 2) I'm already very familiar with the user-interface (as are the rest of the contributors). An expanded site exceeding Blogger's capabilities may one day be necessary, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Also, I probably need to "weed out" some dead links in the side bar (it's inevitable), so if you notice anything screwy, let me know please!
Finally, I feel that perhaps it would be useful to "expand the conversation" a bit - what with all the other ch-ch-changes afoot. I confess I'm exactly sure how to do this, or how (for example) to reword the little "about" blurb - it's still a pretty good description four years on. Obviously those of us who have kept the conversation alive are Nazarene (mostly; at least historically), and our primary vantage point and "concern" (heh) is for the COTN, but of course the contemporary trend toward liturgical renewal and ressourcement is not exclusive to our little corner of the evanglical world. So I figure this is as good a time as any, as we phase out the "sacramentalnazarenes" moniker concurrently with this "restart," to see if others want to join in the conversation...who knows.
That's enough for now...way past my bedtime, even for a Friday night. Let me tell you all - ANY who might stumble over here and read this, whether faithful blog-followers or newbies - how much I appreciate the community that has formed around this site. I know it has been a real life-line for several of us (including, not least, me!). This is all I ever hoped it could be: an intentional community of like-minded folks supporting one another, sharing ideas, making an impact in the ministries to which God has called us, and sharing about the things we all care about. And this only happens because of your willingness to offer up your thoughts/ideas/hearts to keep the conversation alive. Thank you. Here's to four more years, and beyond.
9 comments:
(still so bummed that after all that time using haloscan for our comment engine, it all went away...I mean, I have all the comments in an exported file, but it seems there is no way to reintegrate them into the blog into their original posts, without doing it manually...I knew when this happened when haloscan shut down that the only hope would be to basically "re-start" the blog. So, here we are, then...)
Brannon & all - Just want you to know that I'm always reading. Don't often post, but there's at least one out here reading.
Jeremy: if you ever want to write something for the blog, just let me know.
Retreat or Symposium?
-Retreat
Its purpose:
As Dr. Hancock has already outlined:
"1) worship and pray together, 2) share stories about our contexts and experiences, 3) talk about future gatherings and the function of the group, and 4) collaborate on the creation of some liturgical resource(s)."
Time of Year:
Spring, because summer is supposed to be a holiday in lots of countries but is crazy and fall is the only thing crazier than summer. Spring represents a change and newness. Sanctifying Worship is all about regeneration. I assume such a retreat would involve Nazarenes chiefly and thus propose that the retreat should be some time between the Wesleyan Theological Society annual meeting and TNT at TNU. At first I thought this suggestion was purely selfish but upon reconsideration I think many who might join in on such a retreat might be involved in one or both of these events. Would April Fool's Day weekend be a possible target?
Location:
Nashville or Louisville are within driving range of a good percentage of the population of the country and both cities contain a plethora of religious institutions that could serve as resources. Both cities also have fairly large international airports. The cost of the retreat could be kept low in these cities as well. I am imagining a campground or retreat centre in Davidson County.
Length:
One night to start with.
Cost:
Under $75 for three meals and lodging
If we started planning now. This retreat could happen in April of 2012. I do not think that is too ambitious.
I would love to help plan, communicate, or do whatever else is necessary to make such a weekend possible.
Hunter Dale Cummings
256-425-3550
hunterdcummings@gmail.com
Thanks, Hunter! would love to work with you on organizing this, if you're willing and interested. I'll be in touch. I have a couple other ideas re: location/facility but Nashville in certainly on the radar. And I think $75 is do-able. we just did a worship ministries retreat at our district campgrounds in SWOhio w/ 22 of my team members for $50/ea. for lodging and 3 meals.
I appreciate your input, and, as I say, I'll be getting with you on this. All your ideas are great.
Brannon, I echo what Jeremy said about reading without posting. I appreciate your work. I too just finished my doctoral work and am free to participate a little more fully. I would love to be a part of a retreat like you proposed. I am on the west coast but if people were willing to fly to Portland I can get us a place on the beach on the Oregon coast and can provide the food as well at no cost to participants. Just an offer. I would be willing to head to Nashville as well depending on timing.
Blessings,
Brian
I like Brian's idea for a location... I am more inclined to go visit him now, than say if he were in Wasilla, Alaska (though the fishing would have been better).
I think if we use a Nazarene site (college, church, campground) that would keep the cost low, which I am sure we all would favor.
Though, I would suggest, we do this after Easter if possible.
I'm with JB... after Easter is best. I know summers are "busy" but they are best for me since my wife teaches and would be able to leave without big child-care issues that would be present the rest of the year. Plus my DMin seminars are in Jan and June so after those between July and Nov I have no real course work obstacles.
I love the idea of going to the West Coast, but even with free lodging and food I think the plane ticket might be cost prohibitive for me. But hey, who knows!
Glad to see some new activity here. We just started weekly communion between now and Epiphany. After that who knows. We are also doing some neat things with an Advent Lessons and Carols service with communion on the 1st of Advent and an Epiphany L&C on the 9th of Jan to bookend the whole incarnational cycle. I'm also trying to adapt Wesley's Covenant Service to fit it in with a "Dedication" theme and use Christmas music on the Second Sunday of Christmas (1st of the new year).
I'll post it when I'm done with it for all ya'lls comments.
For you and with you,
EF+
Just one more person chiming in to say I'm reading... and looking forward to the conversations...
Post a Comment