Story Sharing in Portland

Story Sharing in Portland
by Eric Conklin

A few weeks ago, an evening of story sharing was held at the United Methodist Church’s Peace House in the Irvington neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. There were about 75 people present from a variety of experiences and traditions, all of whom came curious to hear stories and make connections with others. I emceed the event, which was fun and a little nerve racking! There was an opportunity to talk about each of the sponsors for the event, where Missional Wisdom was one of 3. This story sharing event has been an ongoing project of the Parish Collective, a network of neighborhood expressions of micro-faith communities, inspiringly born out of the work of Paul Sparks, Tim Sorens, and Dwight Friesen.

Wisdom for the Way, SpotlightRachel WellsDecember 15, 2017Eric Conklin, story, PortlandComment

Christ is Mystery

Christ is Mystery
Advent, Week 3
by Andrea Lingle

If Paul was a Jew among Jews, I am a first-born among first-borns. I live my life religiously. About twenty years ago, I went hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina with my family and some family friends. The place where we were hiking crossed a rocky bald where there were patches of sensitive lichen. A helpful sign instructed hikers to follow a trail of yellow painted dots to minimize the ecological impact of hundreds of booted feet. After a few minutes of ambulatory dot-to-dot, we sat down to look at the view. My mother, always aware of her children, had seen my careful attempts to minimize my lichen-impact, and teasingly asked if I was sitting on a dot.

God is Amazing

God is Amazing
by Wendi Bernau

The wonder and mystery of the Holy Spirit astounds me. I am humbled when I have the privilege to participate in the movement of God anytime I am able to listen and respond to God’s leading. Case in point: I had applied for and received grant money to facilitate an arts retreat for recovering alcoholics at a women’s transitional housing facility in Chicago the first weekend in November. There is a lot of prayer and energy expended in preparation for these retreats: the elements, flow, etc. I’m a feeler, and it has to feel right.

Spotlight, Wisdom for the WayMissional Wisdom FoundationDecember 8, 2017Wendi Bernau, artComment

Christ is Love

Christ is Love
Advent, Week 2
by Andrea Lingle

The flow of the love of Jesus is the atomic signature of the Christ. An atomic signature is a unique array of electromagnetic waves or signals that every atom emits and absorbs that allows persons with the right equipment to identify anything on an elemental level. The body of Christ, in all its diversity is known by love. I do not mean only love given or received in the name of Christ, but love. The love of the Jew, the Greek, the Muslim, the agnostic, the addict, the sex worker, the evangelical, or the Pope is the signature of the living Christ, incarnate in us, come again.

The Cochran House

The Cochran House, an MWF Epworth House
by Justin Hancock

Dear Friends,

The residents of Cochran House have spent the last several weeks out in the garden, clearing away grass and weeds and turning the earth in preparation for planting both winter and spring seeds. It occurs to me that this is very much like what we have been doing as a community in relating to both our neighborhood and our anchor church.

Spotlight, Wisdom for the WayMissional Wisdom FoundationDecember 1, 2017Epworth House, Justin Hancock, garden, Epworth Project, communityComment

What Is Christ?

What is Christ?
Advent, Week 1
by Andrea Lingle

What is Christ?

Jesus lived two thousand years ago and was called Christ. So, it seems clear that we could infer things about Christ from Jesus.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
by Andrea Lingle

The leaves are falling from the trees here in the western North Carolina mountains. There have been piles of people flowing through our little town as people pause their lives to come experience the spectacle of gold and red against a cerulean sky (that’s a fabulous blue color).

But I didn’t.

Wisdom for the Way, DevotionalAndrea LingleNovember 22, 2017advent, Advent Incarnate, Andrea LingleComment

Foundations Workshop

Foundations Workshop
by Stephanie McKellar

November 2 - 4, 2017, the newly re-formatted Launch & Lead cohort met in Winchester, Virginia for our first gathering together, the Foundations Workshop.

We begin with spiritual direction, in the safe space of the Rotunda; we are hosted in our weekend by Shenandoah University. Matt Johnson welcomes us to the space with an abundance of spiritual tools to facilitate our spiritual practice.

That's a Wrap

That's a Wrap
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Week 10
by Andrea Lingle

It is a monumental thing to begin. It is a gentle grief to end.

We have a lovely little spreadsheet that helps organize the themes for this newsletter. The weeks are tallied, the authors write, the blog roll—well, it rolls. But, what isn’t recorded in those little boxes is the wrestling.

Devotional, Wisdom for the WayAndrea LingleNovember 15, 2017theme VI, The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, script, reason, traditio, experience, Andrea LingleComment

The Julian Way

The Julian Way
by Matthew Schroeder
Matthew is a young man who found his way to the The Julian Way through a connection we have with Britney Burroughs, the Methodist campus ministry director at University of Texas Dallas. Matthew received his master's degree in English from UTD, and Justin and Lisa Hancock met him a few years ago as they were speaking with the Wesley Foundation leadership. The Julian Way has traveled with Matthew as he has discerned a call to ordained ministry and applied to Perkins School of Theology.

Does This Make Sense?

Does This Make Sense?
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Week 9
by Andrea Lingle

There is a petition going around Facebook in my area. A power company has been cited for excessive disgustingness at their coal plant, and they are being required to clean up. To defray the cost of said clean up, they have proposed an upcharge to their customers.

Julian 360

Julian 360
by Rev. Justin Hancock

Hello friends and companions of The MWF Dispersed Community. I am excited to tell you about a new initiative from the Julian Way.

Beginning in November, The Julian Way will unveil a blog and community forum based around disabled identity and culture.

Sola Reason

Sola Reason
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Week 8
by Andrea Lingle

Five hundred years ago a priest hurried along the streets, trailing papers and worry. He was late. It was All-Saints’ Day and he was late. He would be reading the gospel message. He tugged his jacket over his shoulder and stooped to grab a handful of papers that had fluttered loose. As he rounded the corner to the church, he skidded to a stop.

Devotional, Wisdom for the WayAndrea LingleNovember 1, 2017Andrea Lingle, theme VI, The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, reason, Martin Luther, historyComment

Holding Loosely

Holding Loosely
by Melissa Turkett, Epworth House resident

Melissa here (of the Susanna Wesley "Swesley" House Epworth community). Over the last year and half or so we have been fully engaged in the work of urban farming, ending food deserts, and creative imagining of food forests at the Swesley house.

Beyond Buildings

Our Common Experience with God: Beyond Buildings
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Week 7
by Adam White

“The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people.”

We all have heard this familiar song.

Ironically, and let me know if I am off base here, we only hear this song sung in churches. Today, as a collective body seeking to experience Christ together, the “church” is having an identity crisis.

The Holy Middle

There is something humbling and sacred about opening your doors and sitting at the table every week alongside the least of these. At Bonhoeffer House (a Missional Wisdom Epworth House), we gather with our homeless, low income, disabled, and homesick (immigrants) friends and neighbors for conversation, meal, and prayers for those who wish to join. I don’t know of any other space in Dallas where such a strange group of people would ever gather together as a family.

Landscapes or Flowers?

Our Individual Experiences: Landscapes or Flowers?
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Week 6
by Adam White

One of my favorite things to do is going to visit museums. Now that I am married, I get to drag my partner Blair along with me. Recently we visited the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, which, if you are ever in Fort Worth, you should go and check out (fo’ free!).

Right Here Right Now

Right Here Right Now

We are excited to share that Amy Oden, one of our instructors for Launch & Lead, has published a new book, Right Here Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness. Below is a review by Shaun Lambert, Baptist minister in London, for
The Baptism Times: Online newspaper of the Baptist Union of Great Britain
(http://www.baptist.org.uk/), not yet published.

Wisdom for the Way, SpotlightMissional Wisdom FoundationOctober 13, 2017MWF connections, books, mindfulness, Amy OdenComment

The Tradition Behind our Tradition

The Tradition Behind our Tradition
The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, Week 5
by Adam White

Traditions, we all have them—the understandings, practices, events, and so on that can be passed down from generation to generation. Maybe you have a tradition of singing certain songs with your family around Christmas time. Perhaps you have a tradition of eating specific dishes that have been handed down from your family. Or, it could be that you are in the process of creating your own traditions , like taking a trip with friends someplace new every year.

Wisdom for the Way, SpotlightAdam WhiteOctober 11, 2017Adam White, The Wesleyan Quadrilateral, theme VI, tradition, God UnboundComment

Heart of the Neighborhood

Heart of the Neighborhood
by Wendi Bernau

The Heart of the Neighborhood event at The Mix on September 16 was filled with great energy, centered around the Grand Opening of the newly renovated commercial kitchen.

Spotlight, Wisdom for the WayMissional Wisdom FoundationOctober 6, 2017Wendi Bernau, The Mix Kitchen, The Mix, community, neighborsComment