Emergent Village DC Gathering
So I've been trying to figure out what I want to say about this past weekend. Like I mentioned in my last post, I spent the time as part of a group out in Washington D.C. who met to re-imagine the future of Emergent Village. But as simple as it was beforehand to say that I was going to help discuss the future of EV, it is much more difficult to express what actually happened. I know there are a lot of people wanting to know what we all decided – what the future will hold so to speak. But hard concrete decisions were not what came from this time. Oh, we have direction, and vision, and momentum from which such decisions will form in the near future – but no descending from the mountaintop proclamation. Not that it was ever that sort of gathering to begin with. And while there were some great conversations about ideas and possibilities (which I am still personally processing and will trickle out here over time), I think I should share a bit about the structure of this gathering and the more personal impact it held.
To be blunt, this gathering was nothing like what I expected. First, I spent the entire weekend utterly frustrated because I had lost my voice – as in literally physically. I couldn't even talk the first evening, and for most of the weekend I had the whispering dying cow in puberty voice. So I couldn't be as open or as social as I wanted to be simply for the fact that I couldn't physically talk. I got to meet people there who I had been wanting to meet in person for years as well as reconnted with old friends, and I could barely have a conversation with them. But even beyond my own personal going crazy issues, the weekend wasn't what I expected. Granted, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I had some vague idea of strategic planning sessions – just not the boring kind since this was, after all, emergent. My biggest fear going into it was that there would be just a lot of talk and that nothing would get accomplished. But in truth, the weekend was spent in a group spiritual discernment process. When the facilitators, Pam Wilhelms and Dwight Friesen, told us that the first evening my initial response was "oh crap." I'm not exactly the sort of person who generally gets much out of that sort of spirituality. My experiences with such guided processes in the past were rather hollow – words that never translated in anything meaningful. But since I was there anyway, I felt like I needed to give what I could to help make the discerning process work. So with with a bit of fear, I submitted to the process and the guidance of the facilitators.
And it was hard. It has been a very long time since I've so completely submitted to anything that I care about. And to be honest, there were times when the process really pissed me off. I just had to keep reminding myself that what we were doing was theoretically for the good of the whole and just bite my tongue about my frustrations. I realized sometime during the second day, that far from this gathering feeling like a group of mature adults making important decisions, I felt like I was at youth group camp being led into a spiritual experience by trusted leaders. Not that the leaders treated us like children, but that that was my age reference for the last time I experienced something similar. We worshiped, sat in silence listening, had break-out groups on the floor, used markers and butcher paper, took nature walks, meditated on the sky – all for the purpose of forming the collective whole that can trust and speak into each other in love. It was like camp. And the crazy thing was that it worked. We were all open enough and trusting enough to submit to the process that we were able to enter into the collective space where our agendas and egos let go enough to listen to and discern the wisdom of the whole. It was sacred, it was raw, and it was mind-numbingly exhausting. But it was good.
So we shared ideas and spoke of what emergent has meant in the past – the good and the bad. And we spoke of what values of emergent we truly do hold dear. We shared with each other what our wildest dreams were for what is emerging and how best to achieve those dreams. And there was debate, there was push-back, but there was also a lot of harmony as the group understood the language of the whole. I admit there were times during the process when I was scared. There were voices there suggesting that perhaps to achieve our dreams and avoid commoditizing the message we need to let emergent die. For those of us non-denominational mutts for whom emergent is our only tribe, the possibility of losing our home (even for good reasons) was frightening, but it had to be addressed. Others thought that helping emergent become the better version of what it already hints at was the route to follow. My favorite image from the time was provided by Michael Toy who described a vision for emergent as a "floating organic seminary for missional living." I was also grateful to Eliacin Rosario-Cruz for the encouragement to instead of dwelling on the emergent aspect of Emergent Village to focus instead on how we are a village – helping each other live towards the same Kingdom goals.
And so our suggestions for the future of Emergent Village generally point towards those ends. We are about being a village of friends – learning from and supporting each other in the way of Christ. We share and give away power and the voices of the many are heard. How that will look and which structures will be created or retained is yet to be determined. But I am hopeful for the future. This group submitted ourselves to being stripped raw and made vulnerable with each other to discern these directions. Our dreams of seeing a world that celebrates justice and the kingdom guided the recommendations we gave for structures and leadership. And we are committed to doing what we can to build this community called Emergent Village to help fulfill those dreams. There is still much to be decided and a lot of work to be done, but we all left this space hope-filled that we all have a great story to live out.
julieclawson(at)gmail(dot)com 
Julie,
I've been wanting to hear about what went down at EVDC09, so thanks for the update. I think taking up the villageness in addition the emergentness of EV is loving and kind reminder that we want not to think that we have emerged and want that church over there to do so too; rather that those of us living here, in new and old communities, do just that — live — and our living has changed/is changing. Perhaps that's the best way to describe the emergent church: we want to be the people that change.
Thanks again.
Matt Oakes
I like the idea of focusing on the village part as well as the emergent part, with a concern. I am one of those who at the moment would not be part of the village. I feel myself on the cusp of the movement and think I would love to be a part of it. Sadly, my experience with other groups that start off with strong connections is that they end up drawing the boundaries around those friendships and we move from welcoming people into the village to deciding who belongs in the village. I think that is a big part of why many people do not find home in established faith communities. We are very friendly and enjoy those relationships with those we already know, we do not see those wanting to come in and be a part of what we are enjoying.
I certainly hope that doesn't happen with emergent village and the larger movement.
Dear Emergents,
Thanks very much for your words about the D.C. gathering. Sorry I could not have been there.
I would like to invite you to a gathering that is part of what we are calling a new monasticism. From AUg. 4- August 31 there will be a Pilgrimage of Peace at Rolling Ridge Retreat Center in West Virginia. It's an opportunity to share in a daily life of sung prayer, work, conversation on peace-making and more… Based on the life of the Community of Taize we'll become a contemplative community for a little while as a gesture toward something more enduring.
For more info go to http://www.speakingofpeace.blogspot.com and also to http://www.rollingridge.net
stefan@songsofpeace.net
bsabath@sojo.net
Julie – Thanks for posting this. I was curious about the meeting. I appreciate you sharing such
a personal perspective. Like you, I feel a little panic when I hear talk of letting emergent die. The conversation and community has been so helpful to me. Not only do I want and need it but I think there are so many people who will need it in the coming days…like David.
David – I can relate to your suspicions – I also had some of the same concerns – especially since
I was older, not in full time ministry and came from a more conservative side of things. However, I have been blown away by the hospitality and generosity that is prevalent in the conversation/movement. I believe that sort of attitude flows down from people like Brian McLaren and Tony Jones. Sure there have been times when I didn’t feel my voice was as appreciated as I wanted it to be (yeah – I’m human and have an ego) but my overall experience has been great. The emergent community is made up of human beings so it certainly isn't perfect but imho it is so much better than what I had experienced in the past when it came to Christian community. (btw – I first connected with EV about 2 years ago)
EUREKA…I have been reading about this emergent village for months it seems, and never knew where it was. I am ELATED to find out that the Emergent Village is in Washington, DC! In what part of DC can I find this village? I want to see it for myself. Any help you can give (address, neighborhood, etc.) would be greatly appreciated.
sincerely,
christopher
Thank you for this Julie. It was great meeting you there and I share your sentiments about not letting EV die in hopes of new growth. In many ways I feel like the season of dormancy is what EV is in right now. New life can occur without a forest fire.
Check your datebook for early August, maybe we can squeeze an interview in for your new book!
Julie, thanks so much for these thoughts. They really resonated with my experience– especially the part about this weekend being exhausting! And I too was struck by how all of us fiercely independent and innovative people truly submitted to one another and to the process– that was no small miracle, from my perspective.
I also wanted to say that my personal fears of the possible 'death of emergent' and my concerns about helping the agents of emergence to be empowered to do their thing(s) were allayed by my constant reflection that people like you and Mike and others have been so effective at gathering people for events and projects. The fact that you've started so many things like Emerging Women, Emerging Parents, and The Brand of Julie Clawson give me a lot of hope for the distributive goodness of EV. (BTW, I refer to your brand with not the slightest hint of snark– I'm really glad that you're writing and leading and doing your entrepreneurial thing. The world is a better place for it!)
David – there was a lot of talk about perception of insiders/outsiders this weekend. We all felt the need to have greater transparency within EV that allows all people easier access to the innerworkings of the group. Up til now information has been hard to obtain, and as much as the idea of welcoming all voices was talked about there were few channels for invitation and distribution of those voices. So we did discuss how that could change.
Jon – Keep me posted about August – I look forward to connecting with you.
mike – brand? really?…
And yes all of independent people finding something important enough to us that we would willingly submit is crazy. The whole experience was so different than anything I have ever done before. Which is kinda sad. shouldn't this be how the church always functions – with trust and submitting to each other for the good of the whole? But I've never been in a place where I could so completely trust others – ever.
Thanks, Julie. This is great. And please do write more as it comes to you!
julie, i've been meaning to mention that when i first read of your inability to speak at this conference it struck me that this might be a prophetic experience. i think maybe God was giving you–and everyone there thru your experience–a tangible experience of not being able to be heard and instead focused on listening to the voices of others.