Tag Archives: C21

Christianity 21 Recap

by on October 14, 2009

I’m certain I will not be able to recapture the magic of Christianity 21 here, so instead I offer you a few snapshot moments/cursory observations that were lovely ones for me.

- There was something incredibly authentic and open about the overarching tone of the conference. The speakers came from so many different starting places not to mention current paradigmatic residences, and each one stood up and spoke directly from that place with passion. In other words, nobody was faking it. And you could tell. (This may not seem all that special, but as someone who has gone to her fair share of churchy conferences, I usually leave thinking a fair chunk of what I just watched was a puppet show with very calculated string pulling.)

- Shane Claiborne was working the registration desk swiping credit cards. And, as Tony humorously put it, “he doesn’t even BELIEVE in credit cards!” There were a handful of pastor-speaker-author guys there, and they spent the weekend moving chairs, working tables and sitting in the back listening. And they could not have been more genuine about it all. Thanks guys!

- When you invite 21 people to come and say what they think most needs to be said at this point in Christian history, you leave the conversation pretty wide open. I for one was fascinated to see what kind of mashup it would create. And what it created was a symphony of hope and humor, wit and doubt, justice and presence and a desire to live “close to the ground” as real people who live in a real world with both real problems and real possibilities. It was a symphony of eyes wide open, hands brimming with the dust of the earth.

- There was a dad who was carrying his baby in a sling and walking her up and down the aisles during an entire session. The baby kept playing with the dad’s hair. I kept watching them and smiling, thinking, “It’s so good that we didn’t ask life to stand outside so we could take copious notes.” We tend to do that at conferences.

- C21 was a feast of artistry. In addition to the compelling presentations, Paul Soupiset was working his magic live-sketching with pen and paper, Shauna was painting, HeatherLynn was singing, and Courtney was taking photos (that you must see). When you added in the stained glass windows and generally open-feeling sanctuary, it was a wonderfully rich place to spend those hours.

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It’s almost time…

by on October 8, 2009

for Christianity 21. I’m packing up my sweaters and getting ready for a wonderful few days with a great group of people. I hope to see a lot of you there! If you aren’t able to make it but want to keep up with what’s happening, click on the right to follow me on Twitter and join the C21 Twubs.

See you next week!

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Counting Down to Christianity 21

by on August 5, 2009

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This October I’ll be joining twenty other voices at a groundbreaking conference in Minneapolis to discuss what Christianity looks like in the 21st century.  If this is the first you’ve heard of C21, you should know that it really won’t be conference life as usual.  Each of the 21 presenters is going to unpack just ONE idea, one idea they find most important for the future of the church, in the span of 21 minutes.  It will be like firecrackers going off, one after the other, lighting up new hopes and dreams among us, spurring on really good conversation that will surely follow us all the way back home.  A number of us will be sticking around until Sunday morning and preaching around Minneapolis and then going out to lunch with people afterward before heading home.  It is going to be a full and fun-filled weekend.  AND, you should also know that C21 will have yoga sessions in the morning and afternoon (bestill my heart!),  spiritual direction sessions, and the fabulous and wise Shelley Pagitt to advise you on natural health- all complimentary!   (That’s not even a complete list, just the ones I find most exciting.  Check out the website for more offerings!)

As you can tell, I’m a little excited about it.

I’m thrilled to be in the lineup with these other fantastic people and am eager to hear what they have to say.  I’m most excited about this conference because, admittedly, I’m an idea junkie.  My idea of a perfect day is to be surrounded by creative people who share what they are thinking and provoke my own sense of wonder and imagination.  I always come back from invigorating conferences like these brimming with hope and curiosity, which I consider two of the most essential ingredients to a well-lived, well-loved life.  As if that weren’t enough, the in-between times at conferences that become opportunities for conversation and good food and strengthening old friendships and discovering new ones is enough to make my cup runneth over.

I’ll be using my 21 minutes to talk about the thesis of my forthcoming book- that God is a boundary-breaking God of hope and promise.  I’m having a great amount of fun figuring out a way to span the entire story of Scripture in 21 minutes and highlighting all those places of hope and promise along the way.   Dear reader, get thyself to Minneapolis in October and join the parade!

www.christianity21.com

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