wow, I haven't blogged on here for a while. I guess that's what happens when life gets busy and different priorities are set. I really want to get back into this, however, as I prepare for heading back to Iowa... yeah, I'm doing that in a few months, and I have been appointed to a church there. Nothing is "official" yet... so I'll tell you for sure in a few weeks. It is a small town congregation in Iowa, though.

I've been attending emergingumc: a gathering for the past few days... and i think i have a billion notes and insights. ideas about how to move forward in my faith. and feelings that i am NOT alone in this whole process. practical suggestions about how to begin changing the ethos of congregations and respond to the people around me.

i'm also currently working on my senior thesis... maybe i'll post a few insights here when i have time. its about how to take postmodern wesleyan theology and "emerging" practices and contextually bring them to the "farmlands of iowa." someone suggested I should try to publish it... and while that would be nice, it will be at least a year of loving on this congregation before I can earn enough trust and have enough conversations that in actuality i might be able to do it. so maybe my writing will be how i did the prep work, and the rest of the publication will be my own reflections on being a minister in that context and then how it starts to be fleshed out in the life of that particular church. and i think that WOULD be helpful to others.