Phoenix Journal Update

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Hello friends!

We've been gone for a while, but I'm here to give you an update on where we've been and what's coming up.

Peace be with you,
Landon

Barbara Rossing: The Raptured Exposed

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As we wrap up Season 1 of The Phoenix Journal, we offer you an interview with Rev. Dr. Barbara Rossing, Professor of New Testament at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and author of The Raptured Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation.

Speaking with Dr. Rossing is Eric Elnes, author of The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity, and former guest with us here on The Phoenix Journal. This interview was originally used as a part of his old podcast at Crosswalk America.

This is a fascinating interview which drags us into the reality that the rapture is not a biblical concept and that holding a "rapture theology" is dangerous for how we live and move in the world.

This episode will be the final episode of Season 1. Please send us some feedback at landon (at) thephoenixournal (dot) org, and stay tuned. We're already at work trying to get Season 2 up for you!

Grace and Peace,
Landon

This week's episode is delayed.

Sorry for the delay on this week's episode. We hit a snag and are feverishly trying to get something up for you. Thanks for your patience.

Landon

Angela Sims: Nuancing a Black Theology of Liberation

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Given all the media attention to Rev. Jeremiah Wright (wikipedia entry) a few weeks ago, I though it might be a good idea to survey what some regard as one of the most potent theological traditions in America - Black Liberation Theology.

Like all liberation theologies, Black Theology has its starting point in the lived experienced of a group of people - a people who are dispossessed. It has been no surprise to myself and others who are familiar with the tradition, that most "white" commentators (listen to the show for a definition) have struggled to find the beauty in Rev. Wright's words.

I also find it not surprising, now that polls have shown Sen. Obama to be well on the other side of this "scandal", that we have heard increasingly little about Rev. Wright. I suppose that if a black guy isn't playing his assigned role of scapegoat, then we don't need to pay attention to him. How sad.

I think you will really enjoy this interview with Angela Sims. She is extremely intelligent and personable, and very humble considering her obviously strong grasp on the subject matter. I found that talking with her was very similar to conversations with my mentor from seminary, the Rev. Dr. Stephen G. Ray. There seemed to be a depth of wisdom in what she said that I longed to know myself. I am grateful that she was so willing to be a part of this experience, and to help us come to better terms with a theological tradition that has eluded many in the recent weeks.

For those who don't know, the song being played on the piano during the show is "Lift Every Voice and Sing" - the black national anthem. The YouTube video the audio was taken from can be found here.

Landon

0:01: Intro
2:30: Introduction to interview with Angela Sims
5:08: The origins of "liberation theology"; Gustazo Guteriz and "preferential option for the poor"; from orthopraxis to orthodoxy;
10:27: The impact of liberation theology on the world or theology; emergence of James Cone, Mary Daly, Katie Geneva Cannon, Kwok Pui-lin (Off The Menu); "all theology is local"
13:10: "Systematic theology" is assumed to be "white"
14:00: Characteristics of liberation theology; "the master's tools can never be used to dismantle the master's house"
15:47: James Cone and the emergence of Black Theology
17:15: Definitions of "black" and "white" in Black Theology; Kelly Brown Douglas
20:10: The "blackness" of Trinity United Church of Christ
21:40: James Cone's orginal project critiqued for its Barthian flavor
24:00: The source of Black Theology is the lived experience of the black community; "to sides of a shared story"
27:30: The experience of suffering the black and white communities
28:44: Sims on the media's commentary of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright; "racial language"
34:28: Sims on the Obama/Wright relationship
40:38: "An Open Letter to America regarding Rev. Jeremiah Wright" by Rev. James McLeod
46:27: Outro

Romeo Ramirez: Hearing the Voice of the Oppressed

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This week we replay my 2005 interview with one of 2003's Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award winners, Romeo Ramirez of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.  I recorded this interview int eh weeks before Taco Bell's parent company, Yum! Brands Inc., agreed to pay the tomato pickers one penny more per pound of tomatoes, effectively doubling the workers' pay.

I was struck, as I listened again to this interview, that humans will do horrible things to one another in pursuit of greed.  Having just celebrated Holy Week, the reality that Jesus died for people such as this is too overt to ignore.

There is a very simple thing we can do right now to help this situation:  Sign Oxfam's petition encouraging Burger King to join Taco Bell and McDonalds in honoring the human rights of the workers by improving their wages.

landon

Tony Jones: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier

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Our guest this week, Tony Jones, is a man on a mission.  Having served for the last several years as national coordinator of Emergent Village, he has just published what some are calling the best introduction to the almost decade old  emergent movement.  Tony's new book, The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier, is a tour de force through the origins of the movement as well as a constructive response to the movement's critics.

Tony was a sport during this interview.  You'll notice in the audio that the sound is a bit garbled at points.  Something happened with the program I was using, and my voice was almost imperceptible to him.  However, he graciously carried on, outlining some of the major points in the book.  To make up for the lack of "interview style back and forth" I decided to intersperse Tony's comments with excerpts from the text (hoping to give it a pseudo-This American Life flavor).

The New Christians is a great read, and a much needed addition to the discussion about the state of Christ's Church.  Speaking personally, it was a 2x4 of God's call upside my head.  Tony is dead on with his assessment of much of the state of the church.  The only question now is "Are we going to listen?"

Have a great Holy Week,

landon

0:01: Intro

1:43: Introduction to Interview with Tony Jones; What is the emergent church?

3:35: Jones on his faith journey; grew up in "old school mainline" church in a youth group with a Young Life flavor

6:04: Jones on being invited to Campus Crusade for Christ, kept questioning the system

6:53: Jones on visiting local mainline church during college

7:20: Excerpt from The New Christians, Chapter 4: "The Theology, Stupid"; Dispatch 9 - The emergent movement is robustly theological

8:22: Jones on how the church's theology needs to change; "They're getting the Gospel wrong"; the Gospel should be indigenous

10:00: Jones on the origins of Emergent

10:22: Excerpt from The New Christians, Chapter 6: "Inside the Emergent Church"; Dispatch 19 - Emergents downplay the role of clergy

11:52: Jones on the new understanding of authority; the rise and example of Wikipedia; 

12:52: Jones on the desire of people to have a voice in church as they do on the internet

13:33: Excerpt from The New Christians, Chapter 3: "Who are the emergent christians?"; Dispatch 7 - an envelope of friendship should surround all discussion of doctrine

15:10: Jones on the brokenness of the world; an emergent view of political diplomacy; 

16:30: Jones on growing up in Mr. Rogers' world; "When you grow up in Mr Rogers' world, you see the cross of Christ as a point of reconciliation"

17:29: Jones on the importance of the internet in reshaping the social structure of our society

18:21: Excerpt from The New Christians, Chapter 1: "Leaving the Old Country"; Dispatch 1 - little importance put on denominational differences 

19:25: Jones on the lack of allegiance to one Christian ideology

20:32: Jones on clergy being tied into the "church system with that health insurance and that pension fund"

21:40: Jones on church members as "free agents"; Brian McLaren's Generous Orthodoxy

22:30: Jones on the difference between conservatives, liberal, and emergents

23:10: Excerpt from The New Christians, Chapter 5: "After Objectivity, Beautiful Truth"; Dispatch 12 - embracing the whole bible

26:22: Jones on emphasizing one part of the Bible at the expense of the rest; the Revised Common Lectionary omitting portions of the weekly readings

28:35: Jones on the problematic nature of the Bible; the biblical text reflects human nature in its complexity; tragedy is "horrifying but not shocking"

30:06: Excerpt from The New Christians, "Epilogue: Feral Christians"

31:57: Outro

Fritz Gutwein: Living a Life of Justice

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This week I sit down with the Rev. Fritz Gutwein, field coordinator for climate and energy policy for the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice programs.

This was a very exciting interview.  One thing I have often disliked about "liberal justice types" in the church is their propensity to keep saying the same thing that every one else is saying.  I'll admit, I love Nobel Laureate Al Gore for the awareness he has brought to the discussion on global warming, but if I hear one more church person mimic his talking points I'm gonna scream.

Fritz is a different kind of cat.

Our conversation naturally broke itself into two parts.  During the first part we spoke of "justice theory" - about what it means for people of faith to be prophetic and out front on the one hand, and to be effective and build consensus on the other.  Fritz brings his many years of wisdom to bear on this subject, and is able to communicate the value of faith based action well.

In the second part of our discussion we look specifically at the document "Faith Principles on Global Warming."  This document outlines four principles of faith - justice, stewardship, sustainability, sufficiency - and explores how we can be better stewards of our earth home.  Living up to my hope, Fritz was able to bring these principles alive in a theologically and spiritually mature manner, and connect the pieces that many have been struggling to connect.

Friends, this interview is a real treat.  I know you'll like it.

Landon

0:01: Intro

2:07: Introduction to interview with Rev. Fritz Gutwein

4:05: Gutwein on basics of NCC eco-justice programs; on people of faith speaking to elected officials

5:55: Gutwein on the beginnings of his understanding of the relationship with faith and politics; Africa and the experience of faith encouraging politics;

9:20: Gutwein on "thinking the church was more ready than they were"; no every issue is worth going to the mat over

10:38: Gutwein on building effective coalitions

12:20: Gutwein on the church taking up cause they no they will lose; "Some changes do need to happen over night, but most of them don't";

13:12: Gutwein on the difference between legislative action and prophetic voice; 

14:45: Gutwein on the need for specificity in legislative action

15:51: Gutwein on his justice "conversion"; exposure to Baptist Peacemaker and Sojourners magazines; 

18:48: Gutwein on the development of the "Faith Principles on Global Warming"

20:14: Gutwein on the need for acknowledgement and awareness in justice work; the poor feel the impacts of natural disasters in a larger way

23:03: Gutwein on what calls us to to justice action

24:05: Gutwein on Jesus being where 2 or 3 are gathered

25:15: Gutwein on working for justice as a spiritual discipline; justice as a path to a relationship with God; transformation through an encounter with the living Christ in justice work

27:35: Gutwein on the need for justice work on the macro level

28:26: Gutwein on the critique that "we're not here for long, so why care for the earth"

30:39: Gutwein on the value of stewardship; the parable of the talents

31:56: Gutwein on sustainability; the connection of stewardship and sustainability

34:47: Gutwein on the principle of sufficiency; we can choose to plunder the earth; "we need to live as if we expect everyone to have an abundant life";  circling back to justice

39:19: Gutwein on the theological call to sacrifice; "It was GOOD that God sacrificed"

39:53: Gutwein on justice action on the individual, village, and global village levels

46:38: Outro; Promo for next week's show with Tony Jones, national director of Emergent Village and author of The New Christians: dispatches from the Emergent Frontier

Bruce Reyes-Chow: The Future of the Church

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This week we are treated by "friend of the Journal" Brian Ellison as he fills in as guest host.  All together now: "Thank you, Brian."

Recently, Brian and I sat down with PC(USA) Moderator candidate Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow as he was in Kansas City visiting some friends.

As I'm sure you will hear in the interview, we had a great time talking.  Bruce is really a very solid guy.  He loves his local congregation and his denomination a great deal, and the most evident thing about our conversation was the hope that he has for Christ's church as a whole.

Bruce "gets it."  He understands that if we are going to help the next incarnation of the church be what Christ has called it to be, then there is a lot of work to be done.  Bruce has committed himself to being "in the trenches" when it comes to work with his regional network (called a "presbytery"), and he has striven to show the saints that have gone before that he is serious in his love for the church.  My favorite moment during our conversation was when he said that the younger generation needs to "show up" and "put our time in" if we are going to be taken seriously.

Whether he is elected Moderator of his denomination or not, Bruce is definitely one to watch for how we can faithfully move into the next phase of life together.

Landon

Carrie Newcomer: Finding the Sacred in the Commonplace

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0:01: Intro

1:47: Introduction to interview with Carrie Newcomer

2:36: Newcomer on "being midwestern"; a "true and authentic voice"; midwesterners as "polite firebrands" (e.g. Wendell Berry, Scott Russell Sanders, Parker Palmer)

5:50: Newcomer on being a songwriter

8:17: Newcomer on the "really good questions" of life

9:30: Newcomer on becoming a Quaker; "my best words come out of the silence"

11:20: Clip of Newcomer's song "Geodes"

11:53: Newcomer on response to "Geodes"; geodes as a metaphor for paying attention to miracles

14:04: Clip of Newcomer's song "Where You Been"

14:35: Newcomer on life being less rich when we miss the miracles in life

15:24: Newcomer on writers getting to "live twice"

16:15: Newcomer on album "Regulars and Refugees"

16:45: Newcomer on the blur of the sacred and secular; "I get a chance to offend everyone"

18:17: Newcomer on playing in different venues

19:15: Newcomer on following "as the way opens"; on not putting  the sacred in a box

21:30: Clip of Newcomer's song "Map of Shadows"

21:58: Newcomer on liminal spaces

24:01: Clip of Newcomer song "Two Toasts"

24:53: Newcomer on working with Parker Palmer & Scott Russell Sanders

26:56: Newcomer on activism

31:52: Clip of Newcomer song "Leaves Don't Drop (They Just Let Go)"

31:25: Newcomer on the reality of change

34:2o: Clip of Newcomer song "Clean Edge of Change"; stepping into the unknown

36:31: Introduction to Brian Ellison's reflection on Gerard Manley Hopkin's poem "God's Grandeur"

37:08: Ellison reads "God's Grandeur"

38:24: Ellison reflects on "God's Grandeur"

41:24:  Outro, Promo of next week's show with Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, pastor of Mission Bay Community Church and "2.0 Candidate" for Moderator of Presbyterian Church (USA).

Centering Prayer and Prayer Shawls: Connecting with God

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0:01: Intro

2:27: Introduction to interview with Rev. Rob Carr; origin and method of Centering Prayer; Contemplative Outreach

4:21: Rob Carr on the "first half of his spiritual life"; taught to question and explore; Christian faith was an intellectual exercise

7:35: Rob Carr on "the seed of the mystical"; out of the "head" and toward the "heart"; exposed to Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen, Frederick Buechner, Kathleen Norris, Gerry May, Desert Fathers, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Thomas Merton

9:58:  Rob Carr on his transformative "prayer dream" of following Jesus in first century Palestine; 

15:10: Rob Carr on Mary of Bethany sitting at Jesus' feet; offering presence and openness to Jesus

17:22: "There is nothing more crucial than holding Jesus' gaze"

18:30: Rob Carr on the effects of Centering Prayer on his life; "God has quieted me"; anger is a choice not a reaction; expanded sense of interior freedom and spaciousness

21:18: Rob Carr on the Fruit of the Spirit; Fruit of the Spirit as "capacity"

22:40: Rob Carr answers the charge that Centering Prayer is selfish; the risk of burn out

26:10: Rob Carr on the posture of John the Baptist; "I must decrease, he must increase"

27:17: Rob Carr on the mystery of the "new creation"

28:05: Introduction to interview with Janet Bristow of The Prayer Shawl Ministry

28:35: Janet Bristow on the definition of a prayer shawl

29:18: Janet Bristow on the practice and theology of making a prayer shawl

30:35: Janet Bristow on the grassroots development of The Prayer Shawl Ministry; graduated from The Women's Leadership Institute with Miriam Therese Winter

33:33: Janet Bristow on an "embodied spirituality"; everything is circular and relational

34:50: Janet Bristow on a comparison with traditional "masculine" spirituality; "As a woman you know there's something else, too"

36:17: Janet Bristow on blessing a shawl

37:37: Janet Bristow on the need to center one's self

39:05: Janet Bristow on the similarity of experiences on the part of the shawl recipient; a sign that God is with us; he practice as a sacrament

42:28: Janet Bristow on the way her understanding of prayer has changed, The Prayer Shawl Ministry has enhanced my understanding of prayer

43:49: Janet Bristow on the contrast of shawl making and Centering Prayer, its good to keep a journal

45:39: An "open letter" to the "Confessing Church Movement" from the Rev. James McLeod

56:52: Outro; promo for next week's show with progressive Quaker singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer and her new CD, The Geography of Light

(image: "Prayer Tree" by alistairas)

Eric Elnes: Discovering a New Christianity

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0:01: Intro

2:22: The history of the phoenix; quote about the phoenix by Clement of Rome; introduction of the Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes

4:40: Who is Eric Elnes?

6:20: Eric Elnes on the origin of, and process of writing, "The Phoenix Affirmations"

9:45: Arriving at "version 3.8", not a definitive list

11:45: The structure of the document

12:10: An overview of "Christian Love of God"

12:40: Eric Elnes on the interfaith affirmation; speaking as Christians to the Christian community; "we need ot own our problems"

14:25: Eric Elnes on the need for vibrant artful worship

17:10: An overview of "Christian Love of Neighbor"

18:05: Eric Elnes on social justice and God's identification of the poor, outcast, and oppressed

20:15: An overview of "Christian Love of Self"

21:00: Eric Elnes on the progressive need to "love one's self"

23:17: Rev. Brian Ellison reflects on part one of Elnes interview

28:35: Eric Elnes on the origin of Asphalt Jesus: Finding a New Christian Faith Along the Highways of America and his 2500 mile walk

32:30: Eric Elnes on the new Christian, grassroots faith he found on his walk

33:33: Eric Elnes on the characteristics of an inclusive, compassionate, progressive faith that was "category defying"

34:37: Eric Elnes on the three energies of Christian Faith

35:00: Eric Elnes on "Anger" (Good Friday) energy - "Someone killed my Jesus!"

36:12: Eric Elnes on "Angst" (Holy Saturday) energy - "What happened to my Jesus?"

38:04: Eric Elnes on "Awe and Wonder" (Easter Sunday) energy - "God is up to something!"

39:55: Eric Elnes on reaching out without walking a pilgrimage; recalling Hereford, TX;

42:50:  DVD of The Asphalt Gospel

45:42: Rev. Brian Ellison reflects on part two of Elnes interview

51:24: Outro

Politics Needs Religion: Faithful Engagement in the Public Square

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0:01: Intro

2:34: Introduction to interview with Dr. Brenden Sweetman, author of Why Politics Needs Religion: The Place of Religious Arguments in the Public Square

4:34: Dr. Sweetman discusses two different reasons why politics needs religion

7:11: Dr. Sweetman describes why he wrote his book

8:25: Sweetman on the difference between religious affiliation and religiosity

10:04: Sweetman on Pew Forum poll regarding a candidates religious preferences and their favorability

11:53: Sweetman on the marks of a worldview; how we invoke our worldview; secularism is itself a worldview

14:00: Sweetman on political candidates appealing to a large number of worldviews

15:42: Sweetman on Barna study indicating "born again" believers will vote for Democratic

17:26: Sweetman on the role of religion in the 2008 election cycle

19:57: Introduction to interview with the Rev. Brian Ellison

20:42: Ellison describes his Sunday School class on religion and politics

23:30: Ellison describes the discussion of the way religion is used (ie - Christians on Islamic Fundamentalism)

25:18: Ellison on Gov. Mitt Romney's Faith in America address, and the simplification of religious faith

27:24: Ellison on the benefit of the class to the church members

28:26: Ellison on the diversity of the congregation and town

30:27: Ellison on the class members' suspicion regarding faith statements by politicians

31:20: Ellison on the benefit and health of honest disagreement

31:35: Ellison on the inability to separate politics from the practice of faith

32:37: Ellison on shepherding a diverse political congregation; on giving members tools to engage the political sphere

37:00: Ellison on the diversity of theological interpretation based on political and cultural context

38:18: Ellison on his own political involvement

43:04: An "Open Letter" to President Bush

49:00: Promo of next week's show: The Rev. Dr. Eric Elnes, author of The Phoenix Affirmations: A New Vision for the Future of Christianity

(image: "The Lecture" by James M. Thorne)

About The Phoenix Journal

A new Christianity is on the rise - that much is certain.  What does it look like?  That's what The Phoenix Journal is here to explore.

Produced and Hosted by the Rev. Landon Whitsitt, TPJ's mission is "to promote and encourage a progressive Christian worldview by exploring its presence in the lives of people and demonstrating its value to creation as a whole."

TPJ is named for "The Phoenix Affirmations", a list of twelve affirmations constructed by a group of Phoenix, AZ clergy who felt that Christianity needed a prominent voice countering the rising tide of radical fundamentalism.

In 1998, a group of Christian clergy gathered in a Phoenix coffeehouse, concerned about the increasing marginalization of moderate and progressive voices within the public sphere of Christianity. These clergy came from several traditionally “mainline” denominations - United Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Lutheran.  (From Who is Crosswalk America?)

What eventually resulted were "The Phoenix Affirmations":

The public face of Christianity in America today bears little connection to the historic faith of our ancestors. It represents even less our own faith as Christians who continue to celebrate the gifts of our Creator, revealed and embodied in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Heartened by our experience of the transforming presence of Christ’s Holy Spirit in our world, we find ourselves in a time and place where we will be no longer silent. We hereby mark an end to our silence by making the following affirmations:

As people who are joyfully and unapologetically Christian, we pledge ourselves completely to the way of Love. We work to express our love, as Jesus teaches us, in three ways: by loving God, neighbor, and self.

Every week TPJ will seek out the places where a progressive Christian worldview (as articulated by "The Phoenix Affirmations") can be found.  We will celebrate and encourage this expression of our faith as it can be found in art, politics, fellowship, and other aspects of our lives together.

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