Well friends, this Friday I will be attending an event in So. California that I’m simultaneously excited and nervous about. It is an event presented by Peter Rollins, author of How (Not) to Speak of God, a book that completely blew my mind — in a good way. Peter definitely dances on the edge, but he is also really on to something powerful.
This event incorporates several things that intrigue me, including theology, magic and beer. Here is some of the info from the promotional materials:
Join incendiary Northern Irish philosopher and theologian, Peter Rollins, and a cadre of hand-selected presenters, artists and musicians for a day of discussion and reflection on the role of the church for those pursuing a life of faith.
The daytime portion of the event will involve a mix of talks, workshops, reflections, music, magic and plenty of time for networking and learning from your peers. We’ll be exploring innovative and subversive ways of rethinking the role of church life—ways that question old orthodoxies and the age-old distinctions between theism and atheism, faith and faithlessness, spirituality and materiality and that open up new paths that embrace doubt, complexity and ambiguity.
In the evening, we’ll descend upon the Monkish Brewing Company where the networking will continue, accompanied by a Homebrewed Christianity event, live music, close-up magic and the exclusive launch of a specialty Lenten beer, lovingly crafted by New Testament scholar turned Brew Master Henry Nguyen (the first one’s on us).
…Walk away from the day with some new ideas for ripping away the curtain that protects your community from a more authentic presence…and develop a few new friendships along the way.
Why am I nervous? It’s not because of challenging theology… I know I can sift through many perspectives and still hold my own. But, I am nervous because of two things: I’m an introvert and I’m kind of old for this event.
My introvert is anxious because it is a small event (50 only) and will include a lot of face-to-face interaction, all of which can leave me exhausted. It also takes me a while to find my feet in a group, and this is a 12 hour event, so there will be less time to acclimate. My age is a bit of a concern, because the promo literature says that “This event is aimed towards those interested in the theory and practice of Future Church (Pastors, youth leaders, and students).” While I am very interested in the theory and practice of the Future Church, I am not really as young as they are thinking (I’m not sure I’ll make it to the final minutes of the event, as I’m usually in bed by 10 pm). I hope that I will be accepted despite my age and limitations, because even though I am no longer at the front end of my ministry, I do think that it is part of my calling to help make way for what God is doing in the ‘always being reformed’ church.
I will try to tweet (Lord Have Mercy!) during the event to let you follow along if you are interested (and if I can remember how to tweet). My Twitter handle is @RMBlackwell.
I would appreciate your prayers for safe travel, stamina and good insights.
You can find out more about this event on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/458528940916034/?ref=ts&fref=ts
Thoughts & Images from the Heart 
Things to remember: You ARE magic. You came to your calling later in life, so you’ve probably been in the ministry a similar length of time. You have always been forward-thinking. You believe in paving the way for the next generation. MAGIC. BEER. And it’s only 12 hours, three or four 12-hour days. You can always sleep on the way home.
I hope it is a grand time and that they receive you with open arms.
Interested to hear about it but not twittering!