Moseses, Miriams, Monarch Migrations

&Teaching for Redemptive

Community

Dori BakerNov. 11, 2014

“I am not alone in my wild ideas for re-framing theology, but I have found other wild thinkers and doers to curate my wildness, my holy wildness.”

Three Jack-isms

As theologians and meaning-makers, religious educators are about the work of helping others to become the theologians and meaning-makers of their own life experiences.

Our meaning-making takes place at the very innermost core of our individual selves, and simultaneously and necessarily at the outer edge of our traditions, where it must do the risky work of ongoing public interpretation if it is to be redemptive.

Our meaning making is not for the sake of inner peace, nor for the sake of preserving our traditions or institutions – although these are surely sacred purposes – but always for the sake of an aching world, for the sake of community.

•Culture of Anxiety

•Culture of Busy

•Done with Churchly Ways

•Places to be vulnerable

•Practices of prayer and sabbath

•Mentors for the hard stuff

Global Presencing Institute

MIT April, 2014

Trans-local learning is

“what happens when separate, local efforts connect with each other, then grow and transform as people exchange ideas that together give rise to new systems with greater impact and influence.” (Wheatley, 2013, 28)

As theologians and meaning-makers, religious educators are about the work of helping others to become the theologians and meaning-makers of their own life experiences.

Our meaning-making takes place at the very innermost core of our individual selves, and simultaneously and necessarily at the outer edge of our traditions, where it must do the risky work of ongoing public interpretation if it is to be redemptive.

Our meaning making is not for the sake of inner peace, nor for the sake of preserving our traditions or institutions – although these are surely sacred purposes – but always for the sake of an aching world, for the sake of community.

All Saint’s Day, 2014

Works CitedBooks

Borg, Marcus. Speaking Christian: Why Christian words have lost their meaning and power -- and how they can

be restored. San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2012.

Bedford, Nancy. “Little Moves Against Destructiveness: Theology and the Practice of Discernment.” in Bass,

Dorothy and Volf, Miroslav, Practicing Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

Hill, Alec. Principled Pluralism: The Challenge of Religious Diversity in 21st Century America. The Huffington Post.

Oct. 21, 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eboo-patel/principled-pluralism-reli_b_3530332.html.

Scharmer, Otto. “Leading from the Emerging Future.” San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013

Wheatley, Margaret. “So Far From Home: Lost and Found in Our Brave New World.” San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler

Publishers, 2012.

Wheatley, Margaret. “Walk Out Walk On: A Learning Journey into Communities Daring to Live the Future Now.”

San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011

Websites

www.fteleaders.org The Forum for Theological Exploration

www.chriscorrigan.org Exercises in seeing the church as a living system

http://cassidhehart.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/let-my-people-go/ Words to “Let My People Go”

http://www.society6.com/royalmontgomery “Don’t let anyone tell you you are less than sacred” artwork