20 Years since 9/11 – a retrospective and prospective
It's hard to believe, but we're coming up to the twentieth anniversary of a day that will never be forgotten by those who lived through it. My friends Tripp Fuller an Diana Butler Bass invited me to be part of a series of conversations about September 11, 2001, and what has happened over the twenty years since, leading up to January 6, 2021, another unforgettable day for many of us.
How has September 11 affected our Christian communities? What shadows did it reveal among some? What strengths did it evoke among others? What has happened to us in the years since?
Not only are we going to engage in retrospection, we are also going to engage in foresight too, asking ourselves what choices we face in this moment that will set our course going forward.
Here are some of our planned topics:
- 20 Years of Religious Decline
- The Rise of Authoritarianism
- Repentance & Resistance
- Inter-religious Learning
- Theology & Spirituality in Times of Rupture
- Christianity - Should I Stay or Should I Go?
You can learn more and sign up here:
https://homebrewedchristianity.lpages.co/911class/
It's offered based on donations ... we don't want anyone to miss this because of funds. We hope you'll invite some friends to participate.
Based on our planning and conversations so far, I think this is going to be truly extraordinary.
Here's Diana and I discussing the event -
PS - after you register, be sure to enter your email here - https://kingsumo.com/g/p5iqot/oh-god-what-now-christianity-20-years-after-911/gjwjg2x
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This Sunday Night: Join Diana Butler Bass and me online for an hour of conversation
Here's the info:
Theology and Memoir:
Why Talking about God Gets Us Talking About Our Own Lives, too
Please plan to join us July 25 on Zoom for a conversation
between Diana Butler Bass and Brian McLaren.
Chat will be open and questions accepted, discussed and answered.
You may have noticed a lot of great theological writing has an element of memoir. Why is that? What might it mean for you, your spiritual growth, and your self-understanding?
Join us and let’s talk about it!
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Wild Goose Festival – Labor Day Weekend!
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If you’re a preacher or Bible study leader …
My friend Paul Nuechterlein is one of our most insightful theological leaders. He leads a weekly online study you might be interested in. The upcoming theme is "Preaching the Gospel of One New Humanity." You'll find more here ... http://girardianlectionary.net/reflections/year-b/proper11b/
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Global Warming: What You Need to Know Right Now
Here's a recent highly-understandable summary on where we are with global warming:
https://www.tomorrow.io/weather/blog/global-warming-status/
I do quibble with one statement in the article, that we don't need to point fingers. I actually think we do. We need to point fingers at these four groups.
- The Fossil Fuel Industry. See this important article about Exxon. As Senator Sheldon Whitehouse recently said, "Exxon knew; Exxon lied; Exxon paid front groups to do its dirty work; Exxon corrupted our politics; Exxon has never come clean; and Exxon is probably still at it."
- The US Government (and other G20 governments). G20 nations give more than 20 times the subsidies to fossil fuels than they do to renewable energy. That's crazy and has to stop.
- 139 climate deniers in Congress are holding our nation - and the world - hostage to their ignorance (or corruption). You should know who they are and vote against them. Here's a list of 109 representatives and 30 senators.
- Anyone who promotes false or misleading information. Want to know how to respond to the six most common climate fallacies? Here's a short fact-based summary.
Thanks to reader Peter C for encouraging me to post more on this topic. It really is urgent. And that's an understatement.
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