tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54032322024-03-07T02:55:37.518-05:00Rude Armchair TheologyJust a personal web journal, often on theological topics. It's "rude" in three senses: "crude" in that I have little formal theological training; "offensive" in that the things I write unintentionally tick folks off sometimes, and "rough" in the form of occasional spicy language. If any of that turns you off, then I'm sorry to see you go. Otherwise, welcome!
Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.comBlogger476125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-6610657682876777472012-12-21T08:56:00.001-05:002013-06-03T11:19:01.888-04:00On a dark dayThis is the gospel, the good news: You are loved. No matter what.<br />
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These are the lost, in need of good news: Every single one of us.<br />
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This is the Church, the Body of Christ: Those who embody the gospel by loving the lost.<br />
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This is the bad news: If the gospel is not embodied, it is bullshit.<br />
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Usually I'm all about robust exchange of ideas. But right now, if you're inclined to demonstrate the wrongness of the above claims, you can shove your theological debate up your ass. Doesn't mean I'm laying claim to Truth; just that I'm fresh out of f$cks to give at the moment.<br />
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There's some rude armchair theology for you, on this dark day. <br />
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Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com67tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-72979660028194425462012-07-05T18:36:00.000-04:002012-07-05T18:36:15.072-04:00Beliefs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Preach it, Rufus.*<br />
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In case you can't read the image above, it's a quote from Chris Rock's character Rufus the Apostle from the movie <i>Dogma</i>. Says Rufus: "I think it’s better to have ideas. You can change an idea; changing a belief is trickier. Life should be malleable and progressive; working from idea to idea permits that. Beliefs anchor you to certain points and limit growth; new ideas can’t generate. Life becomes stagnant."<br />
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I think Rufus is right on. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I really want to work hard to not have beliefs. This might sound strange from someone who identifies fiercely with the Christian Church - and it may well sound strange to some of my friends within the Church. But upon much reflection, I really just don't think that "beliefs" are a very good idea. I'm trying to do my darnedest to avoid them.<br />
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So, for example, I'm not interested in saying, "I believe there is no god", as an atheist would (though I will have to confess a lack of belief in any concretely-imagined concept of a divine being). But nor am I interested in saying, "I believe God is One in Three" (though I find very rich and helpful symbolism in Trinitarian thought) or "I believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God" (though I remain a devoted disciple of Jesus as the ultimate - for me - image of Love in human form).<br />
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So you're probably saying - well, it sure sounds like you have beliefs. And maybe I (along with Rufus) am just arguing semantics. But to me, "belief" means something like "coming to a conclusion about something for which there is insufficient evidence to decide". That just seems unwise to me. So instead, I try to have other things instead.<br />
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I have ideas, like Rufus suggested.<br />
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I have conclusions based on scientific evidence. Due to the nature of science, these are of course provisional.<br />
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I have opinions. I support marriage equality (even though I think that "marriage" as we know it is a hot Constantinian mess) and I think the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2012">indefinite detention provisions of the 2012 NDAA</a> are a horrific idea. For example.<br />
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I have heuristics. Rules of thumb. Things that I think work well a lot of the time. The Sermon on the Mount, for example, is full of those. I'm a fan.<br />
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I have hunches. For example, I have a hunch about the thing that happens when groups intentionally seeking discernment have moments of clarity that lead them to helpful and healing action - which Christians often attribute to the Holy Spirit. I have a hunch that that's a real thing. Perhaps "Jungian collective unconsciousness" or "adaptive social sensitivity" or something is a better interpretive construct for that sort of thing than "the Holy Spirit". I'm not super-concerned about interpretive constructs. I think that for many phenomena that we don't understand very well, there's a wide variety of interpretive constructs/images/symbols that might be productively used to talk about them. I think when we latch on to those constructs and make them "beliefs", they can (but don't necessarily) become harmful.<br />
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(Another example might be mental illness. As someone who suffers from bipolar disorder, I actually think that the ancient interpretation of some forms of mental illness as "demon possession" was not as ridiculous as it may seem. That's a pretty apt image for what it's like sometimes. But when you take that too seriously - and morally judge someone for "dealing with demons" - or prescribe exorcism instead of psychiatry - then it becomes harmful.)<br />
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I have hopes. For example, I have a hunch that there's no continuity of consciousness that survives death. But I have a hope that I'm wrong. I also have a hope that the human race's future might be characterized by lots more love and grace (what Jesus referred to as the Kingdom of God), rather than by various forms of human-made apocalypse. I don't expect God to just take care of that for us while we sit back and keep screwing things up...nor do I believe that the "myth of progress" will inexorably march us to that outcome. Yet I persist in this hope.<br />
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All these things, I have. All these things are provisional. My dear friend Deanna once described belief as a "stake in the sand" - something you put down in order to function in the world, but could pull up easily when appropriate. Something provisional, in other words - like Rufus's "ideas".<br />
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I suppose many of my "other things" described above could be called "beliefs" in this sense. Maybe I am just quibbling about language. So be it. But I guess "belief" is just not a word I'm finding very helpful right now.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*The above image is credited to The Interwebs. I don't know who made it, and since they amusingly credit it to Chris Rock a line that was written by Kevin Smith, I'm not too concerned about the image creator chasing after me for lack of attribution.</span></i>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-60103829946519589662012-07-03T00:08:00.000-04:002012-07-03T00:08:42.756-04:00A short thought about maturity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a thought I had, following Wild Goose Festival (East) 2012 and my experience there both with friends, and reflecting upon a number of talks which touched on recovery from traumatic experiences:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
It's a rare and precious thing to be capable of coming alongside someone as a friend without needing to explain them to yourself - that is, to offer your presence while allowing your friend to maintain their own mysterious integrity, free from your need to fit them - and their thoughts, actions, motivations, joys, passions, and sufferings - into categories that make sense to you and make you feel comfortable. I hope to grow in this capability.</blockquote>
I posted this in an online group, and my friend Janine responded with the following:<br /><blockquote>
I'm with you, Mike, hoping to grow in this capability too! Perhaps non-dualistic thinking is the basis for being able to grow in this way. Seems to fit with Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation for today:<br /> <br />"Reality is paradoxical and complementary. Non-dual thinking is the highest level of consciousness. Divine union, not private perfection, is the goal of all religion (GOAL).<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
"Reality is “not totally one,” but it is “not totally two,” either! All things, events, persons, and institutions, if looked at contemplatively (non-egocentrically), reveal contradictions, create dilemmas, and have their own shadow side. Wisdom knows how to hold and to grow from this creative tension; ego does not. Our ego splits reality into parts that it can manage, but then pays a big price in regard to actual truth or understanding.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
"The contemplative mind will be at the heart and center of all teaching in our new Living School. Only the contemplative mind can honor the underlying unity (“not two”) of things, while also work with them in their distinctness (“not totally one”). The world almost always presents itself as a paradox, a contradiction, or a problem—like our themes of “action and contemplation,” “Christian and non-Christian,” or “male and female” first did. At the mature level, however, we learn to see all things in terms of unitive consciousness, while still respecting, protecting, and working with the very real differences. This is the great—perhaps the greatest—art form. It is the supreme task of all religion."<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
~ Richard Rohr, June 2012</blockquote>
I have to admit that I was surprised and a little proud to be tracking so closely with thoughts from Fr. Richard, whom I admire very much.<br />
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<i>image: </i><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall" style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" style="border: 0px; vertical-align: middle;" title="Attribution" /></a></span><span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #0063dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" title="Attribution License">Some rights reserved</a><span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">by</span><span style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/teenytinypieces/" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #0063dc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">janiebug2010</a>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-6462484132273138102012-05-16T16:01:00.000-04:002012-07-02T23:40:12.045-04:00Modern and postmodern cultures, and individuality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's a half-baked thought that I recently posted on my church's <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/unauthorizedtheologypub">Unauthorized Theology Pub</a> (a Google Group). I'm not sure how solid my reasoning is, but my friend Maria wanted to refer to it online, so I'm posting it here, too. Enjoy, and feel free to push back.<br />
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I was thinking - and a lot of this thinking came (as good things so often do) out of a conversation with my friend Maranda - about "modern" vs. "postmodern" Western culture. I'm using those terms in an extremely colloquial sense - not at all an a technical or academic sense - and not really in a sense that has direct relation to philosophy or literature. More in the way that "emerging church" folks tend to casually toss the terms around as descriptors for the cultural shift that (a lot of us think) has really been gathering steam in the Western world in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Just for the sake of argument, let's suppose that those terms are adequate to designate the "pre-shift" and "post-shift" flavors of Western culture. If you haven't been in on this kind of "modern vs. postmodern" cultural conversation, then this is probably not going to make much sense to you.<br />
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So an interesting aspect of this particular cultural sparring match is that both "sides" seem to think that the other "side" is scandalously individualistic. It's dogma among folks who consider themselves "postmodern" that individualism (at the expense of community) is one of the hallmarks of modernity, and that "modern" culture glorifies it in the forms of things like consumerism, self-sufficiency, suburban isolation, unlimited entertainment choice, judgmentalism, etc. On the other hand, many "moderns" regard "postmoderns" as selfish brats who glorify their own personal pursuits and passions at the expense of any concern for the common good.<br />
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How can this be? Are they both right? Well, pretty much, IMHO. I really don't think that the modern => postmodern shift has much to do, in itself, with a shift from individualism to communalism or vice-versa. Rather, it's a difference in how community is conceived, and that difference is both one of scale, and one of direction.<br />
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Regarding scale (to vastly oversimplify), "modern" favors big fishes and big ponds. It favors the successful individual in the large-scale, institutional setting (the nation, the corporation, the school board, the megachurch). "Small fish" individualism is promoted as well, as long as it's a) within the well-worn channels (both network and cable) ;-) carved out and prescribed by the big fishes and the institutions, or b) the sort of minor "safety valve" protest that lets off steam without actually threatening the institutional systems (like when the Architect created the One to keep the Matrix in balance).<br />
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By contrast, "postmodern" favors small fishes and small ponds. The most significant community is the immediate community - the circle of friends, the "tribe", the club, the house church, the meetup, the cohort, the class or workgroup. Small communities claim the ability to set their own values and priorities, and individual "small fishes" are encouraged to explore their own individual journey and passions as long as it's in harmony with the values and needs of the community - and often with little regard for the standards of the larger, institutional systems.<br />
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Regarding "direction", I just mean that in "modern" cultures, "community" is defined through membership in top-down hierarchical institutions. In "postmodern" cultures, "community" is more likely a flat organization of equals, horizontally networked with other similar groups.<br />
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As I write that stuff out, a lot of it sounds like gross oversimplification, among other forms of egregious BS. But my whole point is: I really don't feel like one type of culture is more individualistic or more community-oriented than the other. It's just a matter of how "community" is defined, and therefore which "community's" standards the individual is expected to live in harmony with. The nation, or the neighborhood? The church denomination, or the neo-monastic group house? The statewide school board, or the democratic classroom? The Fortune 500 company, or the open-source development workgroup? Etc. In many ways, individual freedom can be much greater - and much more encouraged - in a "postmodern" paradigm.<br />
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So in many ways, we "postmodern" people really are selfish brats.<br />
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Thoughts?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>I think the image, from the seminal film </i>Monty Python's Life of Brian<i>, is copyright Sony Pictures, all rights reserved. Go buy or rent their awesome movie.</i></span>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-6730435964217067482012-04-25T23:02:00.000-04:002012-07-02T23:38:21.969-04:00So I bet you thought I was straight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Quick note: With the help of dear friends and family, I've been in pretty intentional discernment about doing what I'm doing right now - that is, coming out of the closet - for about six months; and I've been in "passive" discernment about it for much longer. So the timing of this has almost nothing to do with the fact that </span><a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLovePodcast/Page/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dan Savage</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> called out people like me on his podcast this week. But in any event: there you go, Dan. One formerly closeted bi guy, joining the fight.)</span><br />
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Unless you have specific reason to think otherwise, I'm guessing this post's title is fairly accurate. Further, I imagine that's true if you've known me for years and years, or if we're just acquaintances, or if I'm only somebody you decided to follow on a social network. Why? Because we're culturally conditioned to assume that everyone is straight, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisgender" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">cisgender</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monogamy" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">mono</a>, unless we have serious reason to believe otherwise.</div>
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Which is pretty much the reason I'm telling you otherwise. (Well, that, and because the cultural assumptions of "normal" - and the bullying that helps to enforce those assumptions - sometimes provoke <a href="http://www.thetrevorproject.org/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">kids to kill themselves</a>.)</div>
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So here are the facts, at a certain level of detail:</div>
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I've been married to an amazing woman for 17 1/2 years. (I've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder for 11 1/2 of those, which is proof enough of "amazing", I think.) Our married relationship has always been monogamous, and I've been faithful to her throughout our marriage. Also, on the very rare occasions that the subject has come up, I've generally not corrected anyone's assumption that I identify as straight.</div>
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If you know me well enough to know all (or much) of this, I certainly don't blame you for thinking I'm straight.</div>
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More facts: before I was married, I didn't have a whole lot of sexual experience. However, I did have sex with more than one person, and not exclusively with women.</div>
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Let's take a break to review some helpful tools:</div>
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- The sex researcher Alfred Kinsey first published the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_scale#Alternate_measures_of_sexual_orientation" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Kinsey Scale</a> in the 1940's. It's limited, but it's a useful shorthand. It rates sexual orientation on a scale from 0 (100% heterosexual) through 3 (50/50 bisexual) to 6 (exclusively homosexual).</div>
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- Fritz Klein added some nuance to Kinsey with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Sexual_Orientation_Grid" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Klein Grid</a>, which rates 7 categories related to sexual orientation on a scale of 1 to 7 (roughly corresponding to Kinsey's 0 to 6). It also takes into account change over time.</div>
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So, the scoop? The common assumption, based on my long-term, monogamous marriage and the general cultural default, would be that I am a 0 on the Kinsey Scale (exclusively hetero). If fact, I am a 1 - 2. Taking into account the Klein Grid categories, my responses vary a bit in the different categories, and they are definitely weighted toward women, but I am not exclusively hetero in any of those various dimensions.</div>
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The final row on the Klein Grid is self-identification. (So here's what I came to say.) I've spent most of my life failing to correct the default assumption that I am 100% hetero. It's easier that way, for sure. Being married to a woman, I can easily pass as straight.<br />
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But I don't want to do that anymore. I want to stop doing it for the sake of my own authenticity. And I want to stop doing it in some small hope of helping other folks - especially young folks who also don't conform to the cultural assumptions regarding sexual orientation - to feel authentic and valid in their own skin.</div>
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So for the record, here's how I would prefer to identify, in regard to sexual orientation. I'll give you several options, in order of preference.</div>
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1) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pansexuality" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Pansexual</a>. This is the most accurate and authentic label to describe my sexual orientation. Essentially, it means that my potential ability to find someone sexually, physically, personally, and emotionally attractive is not automatically limited by their biological sex, gender expression, or gender identity. (Please refer to the <a href="http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/1600-Genderbread-Person.jpg" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Genderbread Person</a> if a reminder of what these terms mean would be helpful.) My attraction is weighted toward women, similar to the way in which some people might be especially attracted to redheads, or to tall people, or to extraverts, without that preference in any way ruling out their attraction to folks with different characteristics.</div>
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2) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisexuality" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Bisexual</a>. You can call me bi. It's totally OK. The distinction that's made between pansexuality and bisexuality is that "bisexual" implies that gender/sex is binary, while in fact there are lots of possibilities in between and perpendicular to "male" and "female", including genderqueer, intersex, and much more. That said, the vast majority of folks who identify as bi are <i>absolutely not</i> trying to say that there's no way they could be attracted to someone who isn't 100% unambiguously male or female, as sometimes seems to be implied by writings on pansexuality. So you can call me bi.</div>
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3) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queer" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Queer</a>. Don't think I'm listing "queer" third because I don't like it. If you call me queer, I'll take it as a compliment (unless it's not one). It's an appropriate label. The only reason it's my third preference is that it's so general. It doesn't convey much information. I can be more specific, and that seems helpful, so I will. That's all.</div>
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4) Straight. Most people who don't read this will probably continue to presume that I'm straight. That's OK. I rightly pass for straight, and have done for most of my life. In the future, if someone explicitly mentions making this assumption, I'll correct them. But it's not as if I find the label inauthentic, inappropriate, or offensive. It's reasonably accurate for me. It's not like I'm a 6 on the Kinsey Scale, or a 4, or even a 3. However, if you have read all this and are having trouble dealing with it and would just prefer to think of me as straight, my request to you is this: If I am someone who is important to you, please try to grapple with this part of my identity. I would be grateful.</div>
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So, um, that's it. I'm not as straight as you probably thought I was. My hope is that, by rejecting that assumption (and continuing to do so going forward), just one other person - possibly a young person - who is also outside the sexual "norm" will feel just a little more OK with who God made them to be. And in any case, this means that I'm just a little bit more transparently who <i>I</i> am. I feel as if that's worth something.</div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-42054916938894632892012-01-12T21:25:00.000-05:002012-07-02T23:37:53.436-04:00Help the Nuba people of SudanSo I was contacted late last year by Jessica Dotta, who is working with an organization called <a href="http://www.mediachange.org/">Media Change</a> which (in Jessica's words) works "with non-profits that serve orphans, widows, the hungry and thirsty, the persecuted, and those who are counted as the 'least of these.'" Jessica's been rounding up bloggers and asking us to be on a mailing list to post occasional features that get out the word about folks in need, and what God is up to via the non-profits trying to serve them. This post is my first one from Media Change. (Fellow blogger friends, if you want to participate, <a href="http://bloggers.mediachange.org/">here's where you can sign up</a>!)<br />
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So, please read on for an opportunity to help the Nuba people in North Sudan. (The rest of the blog post is taken directly from Jessica's version, 'cause she said it better then I could.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.savethenuba.com"><img align="left" alt="" height="219" hspace="10" src="http://bloggers.mediachange.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/savethenuba_logo2.png" title="savethenuba_logo" width="252" /></a>Have you ever wondered what you would have done had you been alive in 1940 and were one of those who knew about the Holocaust?<br />
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Would you have been a person of action or a person of silence?<br />
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It is perhaps one of the most important issues to wrestle with. More than once in our lifetime we will find ourselves at a crossroad, one where the decision we make will reveal as much about our character as our convictions.<br />
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<a href="http://bloggers.mediachange.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/HungryBelly.jpg"><img align="right" alt="" height="270" hspace="10" src="http://bloggers.mediachange.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/HungryBelly-225x300.jpg" title="HungryBelly" width="203" /></a> There is a genocide happening right now in Northern Sudan. The government is eradicating their own people. If we don’t speak up and help, no one else will. Each time North Sudan launches an attack to kill their own people, and we in the Western world remain silent, we give our permission to continue.<br />
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It is easier to overlook what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Sudan because the task feels overwhelming and thinking about it can make us feel helpless.<br />
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The truth of the matter is that one person alone cannot save the Nuba People. But a community of people acting in unison can.<br />
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<a href="http://bloggers.mediachange.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Orangeshirt2.jpg"><img align="left" alt="" height="270" hspace="10" src="http://bloggers.mediachange.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Orangeshirt2-225x300.jpg" title="Orangeshirt2" width="203" /></a> One of the most extraordinary acts found in mankind is when a member of the human race deliberately goes out of his way to help another. It is love in action. It is loving your neighbor. It is doing unto others, as you would have them do unto you.<br />
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This month, The Persecution Project Foundation has launched a campaign called Save the Nuba. In order to prevent another genocide, they need the help that only a community can offer.<br />
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For those who can afford it, the need for food and medicine is desperate.<br />
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<img align="right" alt="" height="180" hspace="10" src="http://bloggers.mediachange.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Whatifyoucouldntfeed-225x300.jpg" title="Whatifyoucouldntfeed" width="135" /> For those who have little to give, they’re asking for petitions signed, for awareness to be spread through social media (Facebook, Twitter and blogs.)<br />
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For those who are passionate about this cause, they need your help raising awareness.<br />
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Will you join us in speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves?<br />
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Please visit <a href="http://www.savethenuba.com/">www.SavetheNuba.com</a> to learn ways you can help.Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-71050997179802839362011-11-30T11:04:00.001-05:002011-11-30T11:28:27.302-05:00Mac rant<div class="separator">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZv9m2S68xucK_qfgtGSlS1qTZ58utz4GIvHvea1ucA1cSkq8l9MJWpAY4dGzHuUaebVNHwy215_1h6jx0K8KpbiIkYFqZpLkHGaKeGNa4yxKEmF0L-kU7EOKmDox0yiBsHrwc/s1600/303937_10150343584090902_765870901_8092954_1213130194_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZv9m2S68xucK_qfgtGSlS1qTZ58utz4GIvHvea1ucA1cSkq8l9MJWpAY4dGzHuUaebVNHwy215_1h6jx0K8KpbiIkYFqZpLkHGaKeGNa4yxKEmF0L-kU7EOKmDox0yiBsHrwc/s320/303937_10150343584090902_765870901_8092954_1213130194_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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OK, so as of this year, I'm a fervent Mac convert. Dyed in the wool, drank the Kool-Aid, bought the t-shirt, dyed the t-shirt with Kool-Aid. Whatever. Not going back.<br />
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However.</div>
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The way Macs do window and app management is boneheaded. (Disclaimer: I'm still on Snow Leopard, but I don't believe Lion has improved this stuff - I'd be glad to be wrong.)</div>
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In Windows, here's how you need to think about managing your windows and programs - opening things, finding things, managing what's eating up your resources, etc.:</div>
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1) Is the app open *or* pinned to the task bar? Great! You can find it in the task bar. Always, always, always. Doesn't matter if it's closed and pinned, open and minimized, open and in the foreground, or open and hidden behind another window. Always in the same place, in the task bar. If you want it, you know where to find it. And it'll be clear whether it's open (which means its eating up resources) or not. Hint: if you close it, it's closed, and not eating up resources.</div>
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2) Can't find the app in the task bar? It must be neither opened nor pinned; you'll need to open it from the Start Menu or something if you want it. If you use it a lot, you might want to consider pinning it so you only ever have to think about #1.</div>
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Here's how it works on Mac (Snow Leopard, anyway):</div>
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1) Is the app open and in the foreground? Yay! You can probably find it, because you're looking at it! Also, because you're looking at it, you know it's open and using resources. That one's easy!</div>
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2) Is the app open and hidden behind some other window? Good luck finding it. There's no indicator in the dock that it's open. (You might be able to tell from the little glowy light that it's *running*, but that doesn't tell you whether or not you've actually got any windows open.) And if you try to click on the app icon in the dock, very often nothing will happen. What?? The window's already open. So it's behind another window. Not MacOS's problem. Start pawing around in Exposé or whatever, or dragging windows around. Good luck.</div>
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3) Is the app open and minimized? OK, *then* you get a little window icon on the right side of the dock (if you've turned that feature on). Make sure you keep careful mental track of which of your windows are minimized and which ones aren't, so you'll know whether looking down there will be of any use to you. And don't try clicking on the main app icon in the left-hand part of the dock to get back to something you've minimized. That doesn't do anything, silly! You're supposed to click on the one on the right! Did you forget it was minimized? You need to keep better track of that stuff, in your brain.</div>
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(I know that's because you might have multiple windows. But if you've only got one, why not open it? If you've got three, why not bring them up in Exposé? Really, "do nothing" is the best you could manage??)</div>
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4) Is the app *running*, but with no windows open? This state is visually indistinguishable from "running with a window hidden behind other windows". So make sure you keep careful mental track of whether you've got any windows hidden behind other windows. Also, as a special feature, most Mac apps will happily keep running (and eating up resources) even if you don't have any windows open (and even if they don't have any legitimate background work to do). I'm always running around looking for rogue glowy lights in my dock so I can close programs that I'm not actually using right now. On Windows, almost always, the little X means "If this is the last/main window for the app, close the app - don't just close the window and keep the app running and eating up memory." On a Mac, the little red circle usually means, "Close the window, but even if this is the last/main window, keep the app running, because lightning-fast startup is more important than ongoing performance of the apps you're actually using." No, it's not.</div>
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5) Is the app actually closed - no little glowy thing on the dock? OK, then you know where you stand, and it's as convenient as Windows - open pinned apps from the dock; for other things, head to your Applications folder. But once you open it, make sure you keep careful mental track of whether it's:</div>
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- Running (and eating resources) with no open windows, or</div>
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- Open and minimized, or</div>
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- Open and hiding behind another window, or</div>
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- Open and in the foreground.</div>
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One of the few things I miss about Windows is that in Microsofty-land, the first state mostly doesn't exist (unless there's a reason for it), and the second, third, and fourth are visually identical: wherever your windows happen to be, you can always find them in the task bar.</div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-81285732569687589212011-09-23T23:28:00.001-04:002011-11-30T11:30:05.263-05:00My new tat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RjV0E-2_ys-HaP1Syqi_rLCkjJ09gq9Af2JG3xu7iqAp4bdl9bSEWNhDd2cBlecOqYdBVO2xKVMb72p8TGTxhzJkcKC47EMvINOQhdGpuCChJ3hsJwq_Adj85OaiSln2m60P/s1600/tat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RjV0E-2_ys-HaP1Syqi_rLCkjJ09gq9Af2JG3xu7iqAp4bdl9bSEWNhDd2cBlecOqYdBVO2xKVMb72p8TGTxhzJkcKC47EMvINOQhdGpuCChJ3hsJwq_Adj85OaiSln2m60P/s640/tat.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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Hey y'all - check out my gawjus new tattoo (above).<br />
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See the chalice in the middle? See what it's sitting on? You know what that is? That's a <a href="http://commontable.org/">Common Table,</a> yo. :-)<br />
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Here's a pic of my amazing tattoo artist, <a href="http://www.axtattoo.com/Site_4/Welcome.html">Amy X (aka Ax)</a>, working her magic:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTbMGuZpMn5y2lPF485v8k0S23Dcr709kKRX7GJshYh1rMZpgveg_s_oOKOqrJNPMrz9x3AwaVXM4osx2OKl8s5otEJoHUFwq68SBaj8TVWyAPmRe0K630oCIAwmsA_A2epER/s1600/tatting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTbMGuZpMn5y2lPF485v8k0S23Dcr709kKRX7GJshYh1rMZpgveg_s_oOKOqrJNPMrz9x3AwaVXM4osx2OKl8s5otEJoHUFwq68SBaj8TVWyAPmRe0K630oCIAwmsA_A2epER/s400/tatting.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you live in the DC area and are thinking of getting some ink, you'd be a damn fool not to talk to Amy.<br />
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Photo credits go to my tat buddy, the lovely and labyrinthine Maranda Tennyson.<br />
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And a big hat tip to our extraordinary friend <a href="http://moffou.blogspot.com/">Amy the Moffitt</a>, who introduced Maranda and me to Ax!Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-21269562646754740042011-09-18T21:08:00.000-04:002011-11-30T11:31:01.682-05:00Live Lectio/Flash Fiction - Exodus 12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJn9ILbZQQwmqVGEe9Ku7RK4rK0EiKhfN3U5eyXy3IjMJ14SwfdAhzrwYQpsXJkLmnuPc_OXYkwByycPxQQDex3MNcBuDxwCUTj9RDfUbRNiB4A7RHop2o6Ve8GQWHtZrS1cx/s1600/3615278953_b9e070e481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJn9ILbZQQwmqVGEe9Ku7RK4rK0EiKhfN3U5eyXy3IjMJ14SwfdAhzrwYQpsXJkLmnuPc_OXYkwByycPxQQDex3MNcBuDxwCUTj9RDfUbRNiB4A7RHop2o6Ve8GQWHtZrS1cx/s320/3615278953_b9e070e481.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a fictional response to a reading of a passage of scripture during Common Table's Sunday morning worship service on retreat at Shrine Mont on 4 September, 2011. It's also a cross-post from our shared Common Table blog; please see <a href="http://commontable.tumblr.com/post/9836677225/live-lectio-flash-fiction-exodus-12" title="the first post in this series">the first post in this series</a> for context, as well as the biblical passage being responded to.<br />
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<b>Disobedience</b><br />
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It was only an hour before the appointed time, when the Lord would send his angel of death - the angel with the flaming sword that would cut out the heart of each Egyptian family. Rachel snuck out while her father was bundling their few possessions, and her mother was cleaning the remains of the tiny leg of lamb they’d been given by their next door neighbor.<br />
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She moved quickly down the street, careful not to slosh the blood in the bowl she carried. At each Egyptian home she reached, Rachel dipped her rag into the bowl, and hastily dribbled blood on the doorframe.<br />
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She kept on running into the dark, painting hope on as many doors as she could reach, until the dawn broke, and Rachel heard the first wails of anguish from the homes further on down the street.<br />
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<i>image: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fefefe; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" style="background-color: #0063dc; color: white; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; vertical-align: middle;" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; vertical-align: middle;" title="Noncommercial" /><img alt="No Derivative Works" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noderivs_small.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; vertical-align: middle;" title="No Derivative Works" /></a></span> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;" title="Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License">Some rights reserved</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/panavatar/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;">panavatar</a></span></i>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-31727721253589193742011-08-10T08:56:00.003-04:002011-08-11T10:38:42.364-04:00Queer Theology Synchroblog #SCEP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIKE9R4rcPUTnWLXL5D4PzTW6W06Wm4agQxP4jMiFrLWtUuyzK2JoC8uxgTt1XcKMIdDFAbcFTeq7Eu4B9nHLICP45kUsXDgb72E7_RXtHwno5KafxCitYpzquObSBxc45a7o/s1600/scep-largrectangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIKE9R4rcPUTnWLXL5D4PzTW6W06Wm4agQxP4jMiFrLWtUuyzK2JoC8uxgTt1XcKMIdDFAbcFTeq7Eu4B9nHLICP45kUsXDgb72E7_RXtHwno5KafxCitYpzquObSBxc45a7o/s1600/scep-largrectangle.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<b>UPDATE:</b> I added the current list of synchroblog participants at the bottom. I'll try to update it later in the day. Peace!<br />
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~~~~~<br />
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So first, Jules threw down a <a href="http://mojojules.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/a-challenge-to-emergent-leaders-who-are-allies-to-lgbtq/">double-dog dare</a>.<br />
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Then (or actually, maybe it was first), Brian put out a <a href="http://www.briangerald.com/queer-theology/">Call for a Queer Theology</a>.<br />
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And then Shay, the Anarchist Reverend, said, "<a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/2011/07/synchroblog/">let there be a synchroblog about this stuff</a>", and lo, there is a synchroblog. I think this will be part of it, though not a big part.<br />
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(And all this is part of the <a href="http://www.sanctuarycollective.org/empowermentproject/">Sanctuary Collective Empowerment Project</a>, which is being dreamed up as we speak by the folks I just mentioned, and others!)<br />
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Shay's challenge to straight, cisgender folks (like me) is this: "If you’re straight and interested in solidarity I want you to share how being in relationship with queer people has deepened your faith and spiritual practice." I'm finding that both an extremely easy charge, and an incredibly difficult one.<br />
<br />
Queer people who are dear to me have had a huge impact on who I am. In particular, my friendships with a bisexual woman named Jennifer, a transsexual woman named Perette, a bisexual woman named Rachel, a gay man named Ben, and a lesbian woman named Sarah have been, over many years, a huge formative influence on my life - and my faith and spiritual practice are a huge part of my life. But to tease out those connections seems challenging - and perhaps needlessly so. How much have Peri's spiritual openness - combined with her skeptic's impatience for spiritual bullshit - influenced my own combination of openness and cynicism in matters of faith? How much have Jen's insights on the intersections between issues facing different oppressed groups (Jen also happens to be disabled) informed my own (limited) appreciation of the complexity of social issues that I (and the faith communities I am a part of) try to engage? How much have Rachel's spiritual gifts - her heart's seemingly bottomless capacity to embrace, love, value, and offer hospitality to others - challenged me to open up wider myself? How much have Ben's commitment to service and Sarah's joyful approach to life brought me hope for the future?<br />
<br />
I think the answer to all of these is "lots and lots". There are many other people who identify as LGBTQI who have helped to form me, and many other ways in which the dear friends I mentioned have touched my life. There are also many people who do <i>not </i>identify as queer who have had a huge formative influence on my life, faith, and practice. Is it the queerness of my dear LGBTQI folks that makes them, and their impact on me, special? No (well, not <i>just</i> that)...and of course! Queer folks are not the only people who have been a deep part of my formation as a person of faith. But queer folks have been HUGE in my formation - and in ways I could never count or enumerate, they have impacted me. They've impacted me in the manner that everyone who has been dear and influential to me has done that - by being themselves, by sharing of themselves with me, by loving me. Their queer identity is a part of what has made each of them the beautiful person they are - and, in turn, has become a huge part of what makes me who I am, too.<br />
<br />
For that, I say: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!<br />
<br />
~~~~~<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #322f28; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
Here is the list of participants:<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #322f28; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
Shay writes <a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/2011/08/queer-theology-synchroblog" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Queer Theology Synchroblog home</a>.<br />
Brian writes <a href="http://www.briangerald.com/queer-liberation/" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">“Why Queer Liberation Must Be Queer Led”</a><br />
Cindi writes <a href="http://cindik.com/2011/08/queer-theology-from-a-reluctantly-queer-theologian.php" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Queer Theology From a Reluctantly Queer Theologian</a><br />
Gabe writes <a href="http://www.malakhgabriel.net/?p=339" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">The Queerness of Christ: And over Or</a><br />
Christians for Justice Action write <a href="http://wp.me/p1wWpW-8S" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">“Imagine the Possibilities Four Years From Now”</a>.<br />
Darrel writes <a href="http://wildfaith.blogspot.com/2011/08/queer-theology-outside-box.html" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">“Queer Theology: Outside the Box”</a> at the Blog of the Grateful Bear.<br />
Ken writes <a href="http://pieceofthepuzzle.net/wp/?p=141" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Queer Theology</a>.<br />
Peterson writes <a href="http://wp.me/pkI1d-NZ" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Lazarus Come Out!</a><br />
Mike writes <a href="http://mcroghan.blogspot.com/2011/08/queer-theology-synchroblog-scep.html" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Queer Theology Synchroblog #SCEP</a>.<br />
Cindy writes <a href="http://www.united-church.ca/files/exploring/trans/creative-differences.pdf" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Creative Differences in the Image of God</a> (this link opens a PDF)<br />
Jules writes <a href="http://mojojules.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/synchroblog-being-queerly-forward/" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Being Queerly Forward</a><br />
Vince writes <a href="http://blog.vincentcervantes.com/2011/08/loving-promiscuously-queer-theology-of.html" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Loving Promiscuously: A Queer Theology of Doing It</a><br />
Alison writes <a href="http://postsem.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/why-im-queer-too/" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Why I’m Queer Too</a><br />
Sonnie writes <a href="http://heysonnie.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/god-made-me-queer/" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">God Made Me Queer</a><br />
Ellen writes <a href="http://blog.chron.com/keepthefaith/2011/08/through-a-glass-queerly/" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">Through A Glass Queerly</a><br />
Steve writes <a href="http://knightopia.com/blog/2011/08/10/in-solidarity/" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">In Solidarity</a><br />
Matt writes <a href="http://matthewbeams.com/article/a-love-that-goes-beyond-welcome/" style="color: #4f998d; text-decoration: none;">A Love That Goes Beyond Welcome</a><br />
Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-84188656487225759262011-07-26T23:01:00.000-04:002011-07-26T23:01:51.548-04:00Radical inclusiveness, "safe spaces", and other mythical beasts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNKgfXSJPXsqfHuyGSvmxlnFtz4sSXpDHjHjxSmfQ0uODVMRjXktRtgr7TGPze0sP31CVf2xPnbnr_DstmuPjtaGJL-0i_QDgm7kFeEeiK2OMp9gT-27OuZvIByUwWE0niq-p/s1600/5888096174_8c619a3f44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNKgfXSJPXsqfHuyGSvmxlnFtz4sSXpDHjHjxSmfQ0uODVMRjXktRtgr7TGPze0sP31CVf2xPnbnr_DstmuPjtaGJL-0i_QDgm7kFeEeiK2OMp9gT-27OuZvIByUwWE0niq-p/s320/5888096174_8c619a3f44.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Wow - the interwebs (or at least the corners of them webs that I tend to hang around) are really abuzz with questions of inclusiveness (can communities and gatherings be radically inclusive and welcoming to absolutely everybody?) and "safe space" (can those same communities and gatherings be places where folks - perhaps folks with a given identity - can go without fear of feeling threatened or unsafe?). The grand prize, of course, goes to the community or gathering that can achieve both: inclusive to absolutely everyone, and at the same time safe for absolutely everyone.<br />
<br />
No, of course I'm just kidding. That last one is absurd. Not gonna happen, this side of "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."<br />
<br />
But what is possible? What's worth shooting for? Obviously (to me, anyway) inclusiveness and safety are both Good Things worth striving for. Obviously there's inherent tension here. How might we try to navigate this tension?<br />
<br />
One of the first - and best - posts I saw recently on this topic was Katie's blog on <a href="http://insideouted.blogspot.com/2011/07/safe-space.html">Safe Space</a>. I highly recommend that you <a href="http://insideouted.blogspot.com/2011/07/safe-space.html">go read it</a>. Katie has more wisdom on these tensions than you're going to find here.<br />
<br />
Then, I ran across an excellent point/counterpoint on these subjects. Neil Christopher, in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pastor-neil-christopher/can-we-truly-be-inclusive_b_904048.html">Can Christians Truly Be Inclusive</a>, argues for erring on the side of safety for some folks (specifically, some historically oppressed folks). Matt Scott replied with <a href="http://themattscott.com/2011/07/23/20/">On (False) Inclusivity</a>, in which he calls us to err on the side of radical inclusivity. (These are my own ridiculously oversimplified reductions of their articles - please go read them and let them speak for themselves.)<br />
<br />
So mostly because all of these folks - and many others among my local and global friends - have got me thinking (and because sometimes I do this weird exercise in which I think out loud in public on this blog) I thought I'd noodle a bit on this tension myself. Because I can feel myself tending toward long-windedness already, I think I'm just going to rattle off a bunch of bullet points. These are not facts; they are opinions that I throw out there for potential discussion. They aren't even necessarily opinions I hold tightly. I'm probably wrong. That's OK.<br />
<br />
Anyway, here goes:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>There is no such thing as safe space. (Just ask Katie.) There is also no such thing as perfect inclusivity. Just as these values are in tension with each other, each is also impossible to achieve as a standalone value. Sorry.</li>
<li>That said, it is worthy and necessary to attempt to create "safe spaces". We need to enter into these spaces with eyes open to the fact that they cannot be perfect. (That's why I put the phrase in quotes.)</li>
<li>We also need to realize that "safe spaces" can only possibly aim to be "safe" for <i>some</i> folks - <i>not</i> for all folks. A space <i>cannot</i> simultaneously be "safe" for both LGBTQI folks, and folks who are powerfully threatened by / threatening toward LGBTQI folks. There <i>cannot</i> be a space that's "safe" for both atheists, and folks who are powerfully threatened by / threatening toward atheists. These are just examples; the same would be true of any other potentially controversial aspect of someone's identity: orthodox Christian believers, political liberals, Rush Limbaugh fans, homeless folks, etc.</li>
<li>Now before you get all bothered about my previous bullet point, let me clarify. I'm defining "safe spaces" as places where a particular category of people (or multiple categories, but never <i>all</i> categories) can go without (much) fear of feeling threatened. I'm sorry, but this simply cannot be a space where folks who are threatened by / threatening to the "safe" categories of folks are also welcome. Not all communities/gatherings should strive to be "safe spaces" in this sense, but we do need these, especially for folks who have a history of being oppressed.</li>
<li>Other communities/gatherings will not (and should not) strive to be "safe spaces" for certain categories of people. These spaces (if they are Christian spaces) should instead strive to be radically (but not perfectly) inclusive. Why? Because Christ crossed every boundary and invited every last goddamn one of us sinners to the table.</li>
<li>These radically inclusive spaces cannot be "safe spaces" in the sense I defined above. They must remain spaces where feeling threatened is a real possibility - for everyone. (Feeling threatened is possible in "safe spaces" too, for they are never perfect, but it's more likely in these radically inclusive spaces.)</li>
<li>That said, in these radically inclusive spaces, it is possible (though HARD) for folks who are threatened by / threatening to one another to be in community. How is this possible? Not by excluding <i>people</i> - not at first, anyway. Instead, by establishing a firm community ethos - and consistent messaging from community members and leaders - that certain <i>behaviors</i> are not acceptable. These are behaviors that are abusive, dehumanizing, and/or excluding to other people in the space. Did I mention that establishing and maintaining this ethos is HARD?</li>
<li>It bears repeating: this is really, really hard. I think it's especially hard in spaces which are too large for everyone to know everybody else. Because all a bully needs to practice his or her abusive craft is a little bit of secret space, out of the sight of the rest of the community.</li>
<li>Inevitably, there will be folks who cannot abide by this ethos, or who feel too threatened to stay. These folks will either decide to leave, or (if they have been abusive or exclusionary) they will need to be confronted within the community, as outlined in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2018:15-20&version=NIV">Matthew 18</a>. This is why radical inclusiveness can never be <i>perfect</i> inclusiveness, even in spaces that do not attempt to be "safe" (as defined above).</li>
<li>So what should most Christian communities and gatherings strive for? It's up to the particular group and their particular composition, gifts, and sense of calling. Some should definitely strive for "safe space" - the Metropolitan Community Churches, and their particular calling to be a "safe space" for LGBTQI Christians, are a beautiful thing, for example. Many traditional Christian churches are, de facto, "safe spaces" for orthodox, believing Christians in their particular tradition - which means that they are <i>not</i> "safe spaces" for folks who are threatened by / threatening to people with those beliefs.</li>
<li>Many "emerging" Christian communities - as well as many more traditional ones - are striving for the sort of "safe-ish" radical inclusivity in which <i>everyone</i> is welcome to the table. Places where atheists and Muslims and Buddhists are just as welcome as orthodox Christian believers - although (in contrast with, say, many Unitarian-Universalist congregations) the overall character of the community remains Christian. Places where LGBTQI folks, and folks who do not believe that God is OK with folks being LGBTQI, can both come to the table together, pray together, eat together, sing together, serve together, laugh together, weep together, lead together. Etc. I think the community that I'm a part of, the Common Table is that kind of community. It is not a place where any particular group of people - be they orthodox Christian believers, lesbians, atheists, etc. - can feel completely "safe" from words and behaviors that they may find uncomfortable or even threatening. It is a place where all of these folks should know that behavior that crossed the line into abuse, exclusion, or dehumanization would not be OK - from <i>anybody</i>. It is messy. It is also beautiful.</li>
<li>We would all be a lot happier, I think, with a lot more up-front, open discussion about these issues in our communities and gatherings. What kind of space are we striving to be? "Safe"? For whom? Inclusive? What does that mean? Can we please talk about this shit, rather than set folks up for (even more than the usual) nasty surprises?</li>
</ul><div>OK, them's all my bullet points. I knew I was gonna be long-winded. Holla back, y'all, if you have any reactions. Peace!</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>image:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;" title="Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License">Some rights reserved</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">by</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/trucknroll/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;">Trucknroll</a></span></i></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-40688645622257499302011-07-25T21:20:00.000-04:002011-07-25T21:20:17.675-04:00The mother lode (of resources for folks wanting to work in solidarity with LGBTQI folks)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWDkCc_Fl_VgIqJ_TR0yq3N1rXfaYP26henyXv5QaWx77K8fMiU5O3ZfPdpYA5batt7spTXXLBzRHhKnIo_D_EqZEY0Jtc2ELsz_xcPUqtOwNG6LkBLTlqTQ0cOwwWznoaT4Q/s1600/5793815827_1e995eac77.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWDkCc_Fl_VgIqJ_TR0yq3N1rXfaYP26henyXv5QaWx77K8fMiU5O3ZfPdpYA5batt7spTXXLBzRHhKnIo_D_EqZEY0Jtc2ELsz_xcPUqtOwNG6LkBLTlqTQ0cOwwWznoaT4Q/s320/5793815827_1e995eac77.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
So Shay (the Anarchist Reverend) <a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/2011/07/convoloop/">got sick of having the same conversations over and over again</a> and created a <a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/resources/">resources page</a> It's full of good stuff (including lots of stuff I previously linked to, and lots of stuff I hadn't seen yet). It's a great meta-resource - thanks, Shay!<br />
<br />
A couple of other resources folks have put in my path:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://swirlinc.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/10-ways-to-be-an-ally-2/">10 Ways to Be an Ally</a>, via <a href="http://queermergent.wordpress.com/">Adele</a><br />
<br />
And finally, a post (via Shay) that asks, <a href="http://radicalmasculinity.blogspot.com/2008/09/can-we-stop-using-term-ally.html">Can we stop using the term ally</a>? I find its argument pretty persuasive, so I'm personally going to try to stop applying that term to myself. It didn't feel all that comfortable a fit, anyway.<br />
<br />
Thanks, all!<br />
<br />
<i>image: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="ccIcn ccIcnSmall"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Attribution" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_attribution_small.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; vertical-align: middle;" title="Attribution" /><img alt="Noncommercial" border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/cc_icon_noncomm_small.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 3px; vertical-align: middle;" title="Noncommercial" /></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;" title="Attribution-NonCommercial License">Some rights reserved</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">by</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/10623456@N02/" style="color: #0063dc; text-decoration: none;">kfwk_lobo</a></span></i>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-31324718817097717572011-07-20T10:42:00.001-04:002011-07-25T20:58:55.896-04:00A challenge to Emergent leaders who are allies to LGBTQ #21LGBTQchallenge via @mojojules<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKggXEiHFtFzWcNV149pk8PCM8x2vhsummhC0RtwXhDZN6XDiYULNOBM95DU3xxnH3j0d1uWG-JlDmo-4NNCWcfcFGYSIxTgOp9-xRBdEW4BEhrMC0Q6ZFOOKXYEUfZcncihp/s1600/double_dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKggXEiHFtFzWcNV149pk8PCM8x2vhsummhC0RtwXhDZN6XDiYULNOBM95DU3xxnH3j0d1uWG-JlDmo-4NNCWcfcFGYSIxTgOp9-xRBdEW4BEhrMC0Q6ZFOOKXYEUfZcncihp/s320/double_dog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My friend Jules has thrown down a gauntlet. Check it, y'all:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>If you are an emergent leader, have organized gatherings, and you are an ally I dare you to do a C21 part 2. You say your an ally and you want to actively support those of us in the conversation (and those not in the conversation) who are queer put your actions where your mouth is. I challenge you to organize an event to highlight LGBTQ as the voices who are speaking. 21 LGBTQ, 21 minutes to speak. Use your power of influence to finally show that you aren’t just talking this stuff, but you mean it. I dare you. I double dog dare you!</blockquote><br />
<a href="http://mojojules.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/a-challenge-to-emergent-leaders-who-are-allies-to-lgbtq">Read her whole post</a>. Do eeeet!<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Pretty simple, no? The time has come, no? It would be a good step forward in the direction my new friend Brian Gerald Murphy points toward in his <a href="http://www.briangerald.com/queer-theology/">Call for a Queer Theology</a>.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The time has come, yes! Emergent leaderly, conferency friends, let's get this done. Soon. How's 2012? I'm not callin' y'all out by name - yet. (I'd do it privately, don't worry.)</div><div><br />
</div><div>My dear friends, we have been dared. Not just dared, but Double Dog Dared. There is only one honorable response to the Double Dog Dare.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Let's get this done.</div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-82577936495355636612011-07-17T22:22:00.001-04:002011-07-25T20:59:08.940-04:00More resources along the way toward becoming an ally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBqJowfbZQq5mvhYXNbAZYhFhTcZVBSwHkpG82TN_FiGYZTkULX18vIlLL0yTgUfVef_DOCPOPO8c2UWBub478k5F1PkOfL50KPiJv6VF1mViBlERb0n6VcANVz1wW4A6EW-r/s1600/4006513228_2fa81e2fd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBqJowfbZQq5mvhYXNbAZYhFhTcZVBSwHkpG82TN_FiGYZTkULX18vIlLL0yTgUfVef_DOCPOPO8c2UWBub478k5F1PkOfL50KPiJv6VF1mViBlERb0n6VcANVz1wW4A6EW-r/s320/4006513228_2fa81e2fd2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>Well, if you've been reading my blog (that is, on those rather rare occasions when there's been something to read), you probably saw <a href="http://mcroghan.blogspot.com/2011/06/wild-goose-is-not-safe-wgf11.html">a couple</a> of <a href="http://mcroghan.blogspot.com/2011/06/preaching-gently-to-choir-wgf11.html">recent posts</a> where I referred to my intention - laid within me, egg-like, by a certain <a href="http://www.wildgoosefestival.org/intro">Wild Goose</a> - to open myself to being formed as an ally for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer-identified (LGBTQ) folks, especially within the Church.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>I said I wanted to use this blog as a place to record helpful resources, and thanks to some awesome folks I met at the Goose, especially <a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/">Anarchist Reverend</a> and <a href="http://www.briangerald.com/">Brian Gerald Murphy</a> (there are a couple of awesome bloggy resources right there - check out, for example, Brian's post <a href="http://www.briangerald.com/queer-theology/">A Call for a Queer Theology</a>), I have a bunch of items worth recording. So here they are:</div><div><br />
</div><div>First of all, a couple of items written for white allies confronting racism (their own, and others') which are excellent and helpful:</div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf">White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack</a></li>
<li><a href="http://damaliayo.com/ICFI/ICFI.html">I Can Fix It: Volume 1: Racism</a></li>
</ul></div><div><div>Next, a couple of community projects:</div></div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.sanctuarycollective.org/">Sanctuary Collective</a> - they're currently rebooting their online presence, but you can check out their excellent collection of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SanctuaryCollective">YouTube videos</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.gaychristian.net/">The Gay Christian Network</a> - if you're a Christian who's interested in formation as an LGBTQ ally, I highly recommend joining. It's an incredibly welcoming community, and I'm pretty hopeful about the potential for forming friendships with folks there</li>
</ul></div><div>Finally, a couple of extremely helpful documents for straight and cisgender aspiring allies of LGBTQ folks:</div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.cs.earlham.edu/~hyrax/personal/files/student_res/straightprivilege.htm">Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack II - Sexual Orientation</a> - based on the resource on racism linked above</li>
<li><a href="http://www.gayyouth.org.uk/support/your-stories/trans-life/trans-respect-etiquette-support-101">Trans Respect/Etiquette/Support 101</a></li>
</ul></div><div>OK, one more. <a href="http://insideouted.blogspot.com/2011/07/safe-space.html">Katie's post on Safe Space</a> is incredibly insightful. It might merit a blog post of its own from me (well, it merits a lot more than that, but I may or may not get around to a blog post), but I wanted to list it here. Check out Katie's blog. You'll be glad you did.</div><div><br />
</div><div>That's all for now. You got more good stuff for me? Please share! Peace!</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abeams/">abeams</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">rights</a>) // kittehs can be allies too!</i></span></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-4402056530780545452011-06-30T17:42:00.005-04:002011-07-25T20:59:24.014-04:00Preaching gently to the choir #WGF11<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51fYjPnlq70DyXCsIoSNYfcnK2wi8XxLqZHGYZv-RumKOVfJ-UT-oSlskap85NeK8xmrIO09O442KNZAcYLW_rXbxI4oKr_LGy1pztVFG5cKxP9HmqBLN-o980W72OO2vQZwr/s1600/2787887306_950a93a258.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624139267051075634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51fYjPnlq70DyXCsIoSNYfcnK2wi8XxLqZHGYZv-RumKOVfJ-UT-oSlskap85NeK8xmrIO09O442KNZAcYLW_rXbxI4oKr_LGy1pztVFG5cKxP9HmqBLN-o980W72OO2vQZwr/s400/2787887306_950a93a258.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
The following is a re-post of a comment I left earlier today on <a href="http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/">Peterson Toscano</a>'s blog. Peterson is a Quaker performance artist and activist. He grew up within the conservative evangelical church, and spent 17 years in various "ex-gay" programs, trying without success to change his sexual identity. After coming to his senses and coming out as a gay man, Peterson (who is one of the funniest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting) turned his painful history into a comedic one-man show, <a href="http://www.quakerbooks.org/doin_time_in_the_homo_no_mo_halfway_house.php">Doin' Time in the Homo No Mo' Halfway House - How I Survived the Ex-Gay Movement!</a> which exposes some of the suffering inflicted by that movement. When the time came for him to move on from re-living that part of his life, he set about working on self-formation as a strong and eloquent ally for transgender folk, many of whom still suffer more constant, serious oppression than their lesbian, gay, and bisexual brothers and sisters - and sometimes face discrimination and ignorance from LGB folks themselves. Among other things, Peterson began combing the Bible, together with trans* Christian friends, and found gold nuggets of story that could be interpreted - at least speculatively - in a trans*-positive way. These became <a href="http://www.petersontoscano.com/transfigurations">Transfigurations - Transgressing Gender in the Bible</a>, a new piece of comedic performance art. Peterson has also done <a href="http://www.petersontoscano.com/">a bunch of other cool stuff</a>. He performed and spoke this past weekend at the <a href="http://www.wildgoosefestival.org/intro">Wild Goose Festival</a>, excerpting from both of these works, and he rocked my world.<br />
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</div><div>The post on which I commented was called <a href="http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/what-i-carried-into-wild-goose/">What I carried into Wild Goose</a>, and in it, Peterson confesses his frustration with Christian leaders in a conservative evangelical context, who privately sympathize with the plight of their LGBTQ sisters and brothers, but who are not willing to take the risks involved with publicly saying so. Go, read it, and while you're there, check out some more of Peterson's wisdom, witness, and humor. My comment follows:</div><div><br />
</div><div><div></div><blockquote><div>Peterson, thanks for this. Your thoughtful, faithful honesty and courage continues to humble me. I think a related – yet not identical – problem is people like me. I’ve never been part of the conservative evangelical world. I grew up outside the Church, and I’m now a part of two churches: a middle-sized, traditional-ish Episcopal church, and a very small (30-40 adults plus kids) trans-denominational “emerging” church. Both of my church communities are very progressive, open, and welcoming, with LGBTQ folks demonstrably welcome (including in leadership positions), though neither is by any means perfect. As an individual (and, to some extent, a leader) in these communities, I have always been open and honest about my unequivocal belief in equality regardless of sexual or gender identity – but it has been far too easy for me to act as if there’s no particular need for me to do more than that. I mean “the Church”, for me (that is, the rather open and progressive communities I’m personally a part of), is doing OK, right? This boat’s not in need of rockin’. We’re all equal and welcome and loved, and all’s right in the world.</div><div><br />
</div><div>And this, while I’ve also campaigned for years for the idea that we need to think and act and connect outside our parochial little tribal worlds – that the Church is so much bigger than that. This, while I’ve been a part of a community that, despite its small size, incarnates that idea by including and celebrating folks of so many different church backgrounds – Anglicans and Methodists and Charismatic/Pentecostals and Brethren and Catholics and agnostics and Lutherans and Presbyterians and atheists and Baptists and, yes, Evangelicals coming together as one Body of Christ – not uniform, but together in community. This, while I’ve been active in Emergent Village, which in this respect (ecclesiological diversity) looks like my little church writ large. So what exactly is my excuse, living as I am within these larger, ecclesiologically diverse contexts, for thinking and acting on such a small, safe, limited scale when it comes to the place of my LGBTQ brothers and sisters? Well…er…um…it sure has been easier for me that way….</div><div><br />
</div><div>Well, brother, all I can say at this point is, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’ve been so silent for so long. But I hear you loud and clear, and you (along with many other folks I was blessed to spend time with at the Goose) have finally spoken to me with words and witness that have managed to penetrate my thick head and heart – words and witness that the Spirit has been trying to get through to me for some time now, I believe, though I’m well-practiced at ignoring her. I’ve begun work in allowing myself to be formed as an ally. I hope I’ll be led to ways I can help. And I thank you, again, for your witness.</div><div><br />
</div><div>(And if anyone else reading this is like me – straight, cisgender, liberal, progressive, living and perhaps leading in liberal/progressive contexts, preaching gently to the choir, enjoying the safety and affirmation of that situation, and feeling OK about our place in this changing world – can I suggest that we ask ourselves, our LGBTQ friends, and the Spirit if that’s really all we’re called to at this moment in history? The Body of Christ is bigger than our little progressive ghettos, and the Church as a whole is responsible for great pain and suffering, every day. Are we being called to help do something about that? Are we listening?)</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br />
</div></div><div><i>photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/celebdu/">celebdu</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">rights</a>)</i></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-57226459832173743162011-06-30T15:39:00.008-04:002011-09-18T21:25:25.588-04:00The Wild Goose is not safe #WGF11<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lb679UC267_LMWQi1SS22w5FV92wP6QheOPRgRjFiqrBYGNra2FGhouPBtT0EKeU9GyEFQ-HiWYzNZLNqcFjbohL8u3xoyrt2yt1wn-r14HCcBoGDvJ43mej5SsqJ5tJHxxD/s1600/264167_10150217963476980_579826979_7467501_2794467_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624102559368715714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lb679UC267_LMWQi1SS22w5FV92wP6QheOPRgRjFiqrBYGNra2FGhouPBtT0EKeU9GyEFQ-HiWYzNZLNqcFjbohL8u3xoyrt2yt1wn-r14HCcBoGDvJ43mej5SsqJ5tJHxxD/s400/264167_10150217963476980_579826979_7467501_2794467_n.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
This past weekend, I attended the <a href="http://www.wildgoosefestival.org/intro">Wild Goose Festival</a>, in Shakori Hills, NC, with something like 1700 other...I dunno...misfits for Jesus? Something like that. It was "a festival of justice, spirituality, music and the arts...rooted in the Christian tradition and therefore open to all regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination or religious affiliation." It was amazing. For four days, we camped, walked, talked, listened, sat, ate, drank, hugged, laughed, prayed, sang, danced, and wept together.<br />
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The Wild Goose is a Celtic metaphor for the Holy Spirit. She blows where she will, and (like Aslan in the Narnia books), she is not safe. I have felt her gentle breeze before, as it gently grabbed me by the ankle, turned me upside down, and banged my head repeatedly into the ground, after repeated attempts to whisper vital information into my ear and heart had proved noneffective.</div>
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I can't speak for any of my fellow Goose people, though I suspect I'm not alone. I don't really know if I went to this gathering - a gathering named for God's dynamic Spirit - expecting to come home unchanged. All I know is, that's not what happened.</div>
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I'll be a while sorting out all the ways this past weekend has affected me. I'll probably follow up this post with some more reflective posts on that topic. For right now, I'm actually using my blog (which I haven't used much, lately) for a very practical purpose.</div>
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The one thing that I feel clearly seared into my heart following my experiences at the Goose - the one thing that is prompting me to begin a process of formation leading (relatively quickly, I hope) to action - is a much-belated conviction that I have been a piss-poor ally (really, not worthy of that title at all) to my Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender sisters and brothers, despite the fact that I am a card carrying member of the institution that is doing more than any other to cause pain, suffering, and injustice for folks in those communities - that is, the Church.</div>
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I have many people to thank for this change of heart - long-time friends and folks I'd never met before this weekend. I won't try to list them all here - many of them will probably turn up in future blog posts - but I do want to mention my dear friend <a href="http://sweetbiandbi.wordpress.com/">Rachel Swan</a>. (Who will probably be like, "wha??" since she and I hardly talked about these issues at all this past weekend, despite spending lots of hours together and in company with others who were discussing these topics.) I want to mention Rachel, because just about all of the Spirit-leading I experienced at the Goose - in this area at least - flowed in one way or another from our friendship. Rachel, dear, thank you for being you - and thank God, too, for making you that way. :-)</div>
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In light of my experience, I am beginning an intentional process of opening myself to formation as an ally - one who actually uses his voice, risks and spends his privilege, and potentially helps make a difference in the world (and more specifically in the Church) in solidarity with my LGBTQ brothers and sisters.</div>
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As I begin that process, I think I'll use this blog to record resources and stepping stones I find along the path that seem helpful. I'm doing this for my own accountability, and also as a potential resource for others who might be feeling this particular call from the Wild Goose of God's Spirit.</div>
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So here's one, via <a href="http://www.briangerald.com/">Brian Gerald Murphy</a>: a challenging talk from Dr. Omi Osun Joni L. Jones on "6 rules for Allies". (Thanks, Brian!)</div>
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More to come, Goose willing....</div>
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I've never participated in a <a href="http://synchroblog.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/its-here-stories-of-the-wild-goose-july-synchroblog/">synchroblog</a> before, and this post was not originally intended to be part of a synchroblog, but now it is, and I think I'm supposed to (and it's my pleasure to) link to the host of amazing folks who are also blogging about the Goose:</div>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Anna Snoeyenbos – <a href="http://kathyescobar.com/2011/07/05/dreamers-lovers-and-status-quo-rockers/Anna%20Snoeyenbos%20%E2%80%9CWild%20Goose%20Festival%20%E2%80%93%20A%20Spirit%20of%20Life%20Revival%E2%80%9D" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wild Goose Festival – A Spirit of Life Revival</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lee Smith - <a href="http://leesmithnd.com/?p=512" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Goose Bumps: Opportunities Everywhere for Offense. A Fair and Objective Review</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ryan Hines – <a href="http://rmhines.com/?p=877" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">30 Years Later – “Controversy” at Wild Goose</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Karyn Wiseman – <a href="http://ltsp.edu/flying-goose" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Flying With the Goose</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kyla Cofer – <a href="http://www.kylajoyful.com/2011/06/i-went-to-wild-goose-fest-and-came-back-in-love/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I went to the Wild Goose Fest and came back in love</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brian Gerald Murphy – <a href="http://www.kylajoyful.com/2011/06/i-went-to-wild-goose-fest-and-came-back-in-love/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Born Again (Again) at Wild Goose</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Chris Lenshyn – <a href="http://anabaptistly.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/chasing-the-wild-goose/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chasing the Wild Goose</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cherie at Renaissance Garden – <a href="http://renaissancegardenblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/wild-goose-return.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wild Goose Return</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Deborah Wise – <a href="http://revdeborahcoblewise.blogspot.com/2011/06/wild-goose-chasing.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wild Goose Chasing</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Custodianseed – <a href="http://custodianiseed.livejournal.com/118025.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“every day they eat boiled goose”</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Will Norman – <a href="http://twentysomethingdisciple.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/back-from-the-wild-goose-fest/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Back from the Wild Goose Fest</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Martin at Exiles in NY – <a href="http://exilesny.blogspot.com/2011/07/day-4172-greenbelt-and-wild-goose.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Greenbelt and the Wild Goose</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Kerri at Practicing Contemplative – <a href="http://practicingcontemplative.blogspot.com/2011/07/waterfowl-in-my-life-july-synchroblog.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Waterfowl in My Life</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Allison Leigh Lilley – <a href="http://alisonleighlilly.com/blog/2011/chasing-the-wild-goose/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Chasing the Wild Goose</a> and <a href="http://alisonleighlilly.com/blog/2011/catching-the-wild-goose-thanks-and-first-thoughts/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Catching the Wild Goose: Thanks and First Thoughts</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Abbie Waters – <a href="http://abbiewatters.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/jessica-a-fable-2/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Jessica: A Fable</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Steve Knight – <a href="http://knightopia.com/blog/2011/07/03/why-wild-goose-festival-was-so-magical/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Why Wild Goose Festival Was So Magical</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tammy Carter – <a href="http://blessingthebeloved.blogspot.com/2011/07/visual-acuity-and-flying.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Visual Acuity and Flying</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Michelle Thorburg Hammond – <a href="http://lawyerturnedto.blogspot.com/2011/06/i-heart-jay-bakker-and-peter-rollinsall.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I heart Jay Bakker and Peter Rollins</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Matthew Bolz-Weber – <a href="http://hikerrev.blogspot.com/2011/07/remembering-wild-goose.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Remembering Wild Goose</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paul Fromberg – <a href="http://eatingwithjesus.blogspot.com/2011/06/celebrating-interdependence-day.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Celebrating Interdependence Day</a></span></em></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">David Zimmerman – <a href="http://loud-time.blogspot.com/2011/06/wild-goose-festival-recap.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wild Goose Festival: A Recap</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dan Brennan – <a href="http://danbrennan.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/06/u2-wild-goose-and-deep-freedom-.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">U2, the Wild Goose, and Deep Freedom</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mike Croghan – <a href="http://mcroghan.blogspot.com/2011/06/wild-goose-is-not-safe-wgf11.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Wild Goose is Not Safe</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">John Martinez – <a href="http://indiefaith.org/?p=658" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Table</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Callid Keefe-Perry – <a href="http://theimageoffish.com/2011/07/01/wild-goose-festival-reflection/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gatekeeping the Goose</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eric Elnes – <a href="http://www.onfaithonline.tv/darkwoodbrew/the-inaugural-wild-goose-festival-recovering-something-lo" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Inaugural Wild Goose Festival: Recovering Something Lost</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shay Kearns – <a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/2011/06/the-power-of-a-tshirt/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The Power of a T-Shirt</a>, <a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/2011/06/apologizing-to-over-the-rhine/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Apologizing to Over the Rhine</a>, and <a href="http://anarchistreverend.com/2011/06/public-vs-private-part-one/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Public vs. Private (Part One)</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Glen Reteif – <a href="http://glenretief.blogspot.com/2011/07/duck-duck-wild-goose.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Duck Duck Goose</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Peterson Toscano – <a href="http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/2011/06/29/ive-been-goosed/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve Been Goosed</a>, <a href="http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/2011/06/30/what-i-carried-into-wild-g" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What I Carried Into Wild Goose</a>, and <a href="http://petersontoscano.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/what-i-blurted-out-at-wild-goose/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What I Blurted Out at Wild Goose</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Seth Donovan – <a href="http://confessingqueer.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">About More than “The Gays”</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://confessingqueer.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>TSmith – <a href="http://tsmith0095.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/what-ill-take-from-wild-goose/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What I’ll Take From Wild Goose</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://tsmith0095.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/what-ill-take-from-wild-goose/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Dale Lature – <a href="http://wp.theoblogical.org/?p=7408" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wild Goose Reflection</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://wp.theoblogical.org/?p=7408" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Steve Hayes – <a href="http://synchroblog.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/its-here-stories-of-the-wild-goose-july-synchroblog/khanya.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/wild-goose-chase/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wild Goose Chase?</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://synchroblog.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/its-here-stories-of-the-wild-goose-july-synchroblog/khanya.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/wild-goose-chase/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Minnow – <a href="http://minnowspeaks.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/grace-response/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Grace Response</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://minnowspeaks.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/grace-response/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Christine Sine – <a href="http://godspace.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/wild-goose-encounters-with-a-thin-space/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Encounters With A Thin Space</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://godspace.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/wild-goose-encounters-with-a-thin-space/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Jeremy Myers – <a href="http://www.tillhecomes.org/wild-goose-chase/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Giving Up the Wild Goose Chase</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.tillhecomes.org/wild-goose-chase/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Robert – <a href="http://nornironimmigrant.wordpress.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thoughts On the Inaugural Wild Goose</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://nornironimmigrant.wordpress.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Anna Woofenden – <a href="http://annawoofenden.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/the-slippery-slope-reflections-at-the-wild-goose-festival/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Slippery Slope Reflections</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://annawoofenden.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/the-slippery-slope-reflections-at-the-wild-goose-festival/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Wendy McCaig – <a href="http://wendymccaig.com/2011/07/06/loosing-the-goose/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Loosing The Goose</a></li>
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<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: 'Droid Sans', arial, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://wendymccaig.com/2011/07/06/loosing-the-goose/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></a>Joey Wahoo – <a href="http://practicingresurrection.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/into-the-wild/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #00b7f3; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Into The Wild</a></li>
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And also (unofficially) my amazing friend Rachel!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7a7a7a; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Rachel Swan – <a href="http://sweetbiandbi.wordpress.com/2011/07/05/goosed/">Goosed</a><br />
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Peace!</div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span">photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kjreeve">Kirsti Reeve</a>, used gratefully with permission</span></i></div>
Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-16611900078945577092011-05-23T02:18:00.006-04:002011-05-23T02:38:01.425-04:00Why I don't need a tabletJust to annoy people, and also to prove (to any who still had doubts) that I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed (given that I'm paid to code apps for tablet computers), I made the following Venn diagram to explain why I don't need a tablet, and why I remain skeptical that anyone else really needs one either. I'm pretty well convinced that Apple and Amazon (because I feel exactly the same about e-readers like Kindle) created a brand new market out of nothing but thin air and gee-wiz-wowee-cool-factor. I suspect that the only folks who really "need" a tablet are those for whom it's really the <i>only</i> computer they need - very light users who pretty much just do web browsing, reading, and quick emails (and Skype with the grandkids). Alls the rest of y'all, lugging around your iPad or Nook along with your laptop in your bag and your iPhone or Android phone in your pocket - well, it sure does look cool, I'll give you that.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, here's my diagram. I'm sure you'll agree that that's settled, now. Carry on.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpDqV-XpZOP7yTO9-MrThub-FtqN1Aws2kHrqMOWsMp5xcnLjzp90YeFGBnzP3c26t4gmIwF8HOZ6ZgMeKg41bfvGPvdIbSs3hs4pbujIPwFc3uh7Qt6pddKk-ZWzOGZyMrCw/s1600/Tablet+Venn.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpDqV-XpZOP7yTO9-MrThub-FtqN1Aws2kHrqMOWsMp5xcnLjzp90YeFGBnzP3c26t4gmIwF8HOZ6ZgMeKg41bfvGPvdIbSs3hs4pbujIPwFc3uh7Qt6pddKk-ZWzOGZyMrCw/s400/Tablet+Venn.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609795086655322338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 440px; height: 330px; " /></a></span></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-74076647321522278382011-02-24T10:32:00.002-05:002011-02-24T10:35:12.949-05:00God is like music<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWr9azBHV8I/TWZ3qXTABBI/AAAAAAAAAsk/nubW6LMkHe8/s1600/Gleex-wide-community.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xWr9azBHV8I/TWZ3qXTABBI/AAAAAAAAAsk/nubW6LMkHe8/s400/Gleex-wide-community.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577276758236857362" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 279px; " /></a><br />Since my nine-month depression last year, I've been struggling with belief. I've pretty much always been a theist - even when I was a Buddhist; it just seemed natural to me. But since last year, I've been wavering between atheism, agnosticism, and a rather vague theism. This has been a bit distressing, given that the Church is so central to my life.<div><br /></div><div>For the last few weeks, since they've resumed publication, I've been listening to the <a href="http://www.emergentvillage.com/podcast/2010-emergent-theological-conversation-episode-1">podcasts</a> of the 2009 Emergent Village Theological Conversation with the great<span><span> </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Moltmann">Jürgen Moltmann</a>, while running on the indoor track at the Y. (Go away, winter. You bother me. I want to run outside instead.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been ruminating about something Moltmann said in the bit I listened to the other evening. He was asked to comment on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Atheism">New Atheists</a>, and he said something about how, sure, people can live without God. People can live without music, too....</div><div><br /></div><div>So on the drive in this morning, suddenly I really wanted to hear the song "<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=video&cd=3&ved=0CDgQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DmNIwSYp4N-Y&ei=HW1mTbeiJYHGlQffsJ2CAg&usg=AFQjCNHGZeO1_M_YqEhFwdmsXO9vfHod9w">Popular</a>", sing by the great (in a different way then Moltmann) Kristen Chenoweth in the Broadway musical <i>Wicked</i>. (Yes, as a matter of fact I do believe that my sexual identity is more secure than my theological identity at the moment...but why do you ask?)</div><div><br /></div><div>And while listening to Chenoweth's soaring vocals and thinking about Moltmann's well-grounded theology, I had one of those moments of (what felt like) clarity that immediately had me sobbing and almost needing to to pull over: God is like music.</div><div><br /></div><div>Think about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The atheists are right. We can be said to have invented God...just as we can be said to have invented music. (It wouldn't exist on earth if we hadn't invented it...shut up, whales; you're not important right now.)</div><div><br /></div><div>The agnostics are right...even though they don't really claim anything. (They're always right.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Any given believer is not wrong, just as any given composer is not "wrong". But music is not arbitrary, and is not <i>simply</i> a matter of taste. Though we may be said to have invented it, at the same time it seems, in some sense, to be built into the fabric of the universe. There's a difference between music and noise. We don't know everything about that difference, and opinions will differ about what's good vs. bad music, and people are always inventing (or discovering?) surprising and unprecedented facets of music...but in a very real sense, music <i>exists</i>. "Music" is real; "musical" and "unmusical" are real; and all of this is not entirely up to us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe it's just me, but suddenly this seems like a profound metaphor for understanding God, who (I'm given to understand) is Love.</div><div><br /></div><div>The major difference, it seems to me, is in consequences. Ideas about God (good and bad), it seems, are much more likely to cause people to love or hurt other people, and to change their lives for the better or for the worse, than are ideas about music. (Though of course music is hardly without power in these regards.) I'm not going to quibble about whether consequences are eternal or temporal - our lives go on for as long as they do, and we either turn them toward love, forgiveness, and grace, or we don't. All of our choices affect us for the rest of our lives, or until we choose differently...whichever comes first.</div><div><br /></div><div>But anyway, thanks are in order to the professor and the prima donna, for giving me something to chew on.</div><div><br /></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><span >image by Michael Yarish, AP/Fox</span></span></span></i></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-42052569101105814612011-02-18T01:19:00.004-05:002011-02-18T02:40:20.862-05:00Dude-fanciers and chick-fanciers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTgyDRf1xpL5Ka-xv43x3AIN_m6ubgQLukOC67cu4JAt8t02v9_vrXx2_AR48Dm8-h8STuTFmHwApo79wWN7Vqu1MISxSHgzHhw9fuQRWWVEHvm-_Yt7eEPrusJE6bcf4iuwO/s1600/rainbow+people.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTgyDRf1xpL5Ka-xv43x3AIN_m6ubgQLukOC67cu4JAt8t02v9_vrXx2_AR48Dm8-h8STuTFmHwApo79wWN7Vqu1MISxSHgzHhw9fuQRWWVEHvm-_Yt7eEPrusJE6bcf4iuwO/s400/rainbow+people.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574924929122131522" /></a><br />I'm convinced that if we weren't so concerned, as a culture, with making sure we can stigmatize The Gays, we would be looking at a rectification of our language around sexual orientation. A word like "homosexual" is great for building a linguistic fence around a group of people and defining them as "the other", but for practical purposes it's shit. So someone is "homosexual"; therefore they are attracted to people who share their gender. And which gender would that be? See, it doesn't provide you with enough information to actually tell you squat. You also need to find out their own gender before you know what the word "homosexual" is trying, and failing, to tell you: that is, what gender they might be attracted to. A word like "lesbian", chock full of both gender and sexual orientation data, is more useful, but it's also rather limited by the fact that most people are not attracted exclusively to only one gender. So is this so-called "lesbian" a 6 on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinsey_scale">Kinsey Scale</a>, or a 4? Or perhaps even a 1 who's currently in a (theoretically atypical) relationship with a woman?<div><br /></div><div>Another problem with "homosexual": it lumps together people who have very little in common apart from a shared history of oppression. I'm not trying to minimize that - that shared history (which is still here in the present) is HUGE - and of course lesbians and gay men should band together to resist that oppression - along with folks who identify as bisexual, transsexual, intersex folk, queer, questioning, allies - heck, anybody who wants to join the struggle. But when you think about it, if you could somehow magically remove that shared history of oppression, a lesbian would have a lot more in common with a straight woman (female gender and its cultural accompaniments) or a straight man (attraction to women) than she does with a gay man with whom she shares neither gender nor sexual orientation. So what use is a term like "homosexual", really?<br /><div><br /></div><div>What would really be useful, from the standpoint of linguistic practicality, are words that describe the group of people who are typically attracted to men, and the group of people who are typically attracted to women. You know, "dude-fanciers" and "chick-fanciers". So, for example, "chick-fanciers" would include heterosexual men, bisexual men, bisexual women, and lesbians. Instead of the rather inaccurate, "Oh Patrick, you look scrumptious in that leisure suit - you'll drive the ladies wild!" we'd have a truer alternative. I say inaccurate, of course, because while some "ladies" might indeed find Patrick irresistible in his leisure suit, it's unlikely that many lesbians (at least those of the Kinsey Scale 6 variety) will be swooning over him. On the other hand, it's entirely possible that Patrick will turn the head of a gay man or two. Saying that he will impress "dude-fanciers" covers all the appropriate bases without overstepping. (Of course, real human behavior is still not that simple: an individual straight woman or gay man might find Patrick an insufferable bore despite his spiffy duds; an individual lesbian or straight man may well be moved to reward his hotness with a wolf whistle. But that's not important right now.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Who cares if someone is attracted to members of their own gender or members of the opposite gender? Those categories were interesting from a clinical point of view back when homosexuality was labeled as a pathology by the medical community. Those days are long behind us (thank God!) and a label like "homosexual", it seems to me, is chiefly useful nowadays if you're interested in perpetuating the bigotry that led to that clinical diagnosis. But it <i>is</i> useful in everyday speech to talk about whether somebody (of whatever gender) digs lads and/or lasses. Especially if they're single, and you're an aspiring matchmaker. (Probably it would be handy to have a term for folks near the middle of the Kinsey Scale. "Equal-opportunity-fancier"?)</div><div><br /></div><div>You may not like my choice of labels (me neither), but you've got to agree that words like this would be more practically useful than words like "homosexual", if we weren't so keen to delineate "homosexuals" as deviant. Well, OK, you don't have to agree, and if you think I'm full of crap, that's what the comment box is for. :-)</div></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-79285135285540584762010-12-16T16:55:00.003-05:002010-12-16T17:01:30.337-05:00Karaoke at the office holiday party<div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Here are two videos of me singing (in the first, I'm trying not to make my co-worker, Ramya, look bad) at the office holiday party. Another co-worker decided to use the occasion to test our video partner company's iPhone video upload app, and still another co-worker sent us the embed code, so why not. (Alas, Ramya's near-perfect rendition of "My Heart Will Go On" was not captured.) :-(</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Anyway, here we are, singing:</span></div><div><br /></div><b>A Whole New World</b><br /><br /><object id="flashObj" width="486" height="412" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="@videoPlayer=713599946001&playerID=30497969001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAABxSMNQE~,T0rBI44Ene8eG3phXZte8QBPKXR9y3EY&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="@videoPlayer=713599946001&playerID=30497969001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAABxSMNQE~,T0rBI44Ene8eG3phXZte8QBPKXR9y3EY&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" swliveconnect="true" allowscriptaccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>La Bamba</b><br /><br /><object id="flashObj" width="486" height="412" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="@videoPlayer=713595675001&playerID=30497969001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAABxSMNQE~,T0rBI44Ene8eG3phXZte8QBPKXR9y3EY&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="@videoPlayer=713595675001&playerID=30497969001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAABxSMNQE~,T0rBI44Ene8eG3phXZte8QBPKXR9y3EY&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" width="486" height="412" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" swliveconnect="true" allowscriptaccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-60285915206844783302010-12-15T13:00:00.006-05:002010-12-15T20:55:19.826-05:00Geek corner: easily hyperlink text in any Windows program<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Gu34Hj6rVNrqoFKDfz4s9xDp9qKh65uOswp5D5fEBa2rQ7vh2HaHAQm8Q-VuYgRbSH0CpLE_1gbDIUtnRr4CNYYrTkak9rDwRnH6n7n58WUKAuUwlHqbsxlD4GetFNg28sDT/s1600/8734717_3dd3b98d57.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Gu34Hj6rVNrqoFKDfz4s9xDp9qKh65uOswp5D5fEBa2rQ7vh2HaHAQm8Q-VuYgRbSH0CpLE_1gbDIUtnRr4CNYYrTkak9rDwRnH6n7n58WUKAuUwlHqbsxlD4GetFNg28sDT/s400/8734717_3dd3b98d57.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550991784964059490" /></a><br /><div>Disclaimer: this is geeky, but you might find it useful.</div><div><br /></div><div>Further disclaimer: this is a Windows-only solution. If you use a Mac, Linux box, or CR-48, find your own geek to solve this problem for you.</div><div><br /></div>I don't know about you, but I'm constantly writing documents (emails, blog posts, word docs, etc.) using various rich text editors, and wanting to hyperlink text in those documents. Generally speaking, I have found this frequent use case to be too much of a pain in the ass. The steps are:<div><br /></div><div>- Copy the URL you're linking to onto the clipboard (perhaps using Ctrl-C).</div><div>- Highlight the text you want to hyperlink.</div><div>- Find the "make this a hyperlink" button or feature in the program you happen to be using. Often this is a button that looks like a little chain, hiding in some toolbar somewhere. Perhaps there's a hotkey for it. Perhaps not.</div><div>- Wait for the "make this a hyperlink" dialog box to pop up. Make sure your focus is in the "URL" textbox in that dialog.</div><div>- Paste the URL into the textbox (perhaps using Ctrl-V).</div><div>- Press the "OK" button or hit Enter or whatever.</div><div>- Huzzah!</div><div><br /></div><div>These are the steps I <i>want</i>:</div><div><br /></div><div><div>- Copy the URL you're linking to onto the clipboard (perhaps using Ctrl-C).</div><div>- Highlight the text you want to hyperlink.</div></div><div>- Hit some hotkey to "paste" the URL onto the text in such a way as to make it a hyperlink.</div><div>- Huzzah!</div><div><br /></div><div>(In fact, I sheepishly admit that I am always accidentally blowing away the text I wanted to turn into a link, and replacing it with the URL I wanted to link to, by forgetting that it <i>doesn't</i> work this way and hitting Ctrl-V. This means that I'm a dunderhead. Probably you're not.)</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I did what every good programmer does when they want to solve a problem that can obviously be solved with code: I Googled to find out if anyone has already made a solution I can steal.</div><div><br /></div><div>That failed. I did find <a href="http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/23884/create-your-own-insert-hyperlink-feature-in-any-app-with-autohotkey/">an AutoHotkey script</a> which does this trick when you're working in a raw HTML code editor, but I wanted something that will work in rich text editors (such as Gmail and Microsoft Office programs) as well as apps that actually have a "raw HTML" mode (such as Blogger and WordPress).</div><div><br /></div><div>So I did what any good programmer does when Googling fails: break down and write some damn code. But not, as it turned out, very much code at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>As it happened, I only needed a very tiny bit of glue to solve this problem, because others had gotten it nearly there. My final solution features a modified version of <a href="http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/23884/create-your-own-insert-hyperlink-feature-in-any-app-with-autohotkey/">the AutoHotKey mentioned above</a> (by Lowell Heddings) as well as <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/jmstall/archive/2007/01/21/html-clipboard.aspx">a C# class</a> to simplify interactions with the Windows clipboard (by Mike Stall). Beyond modding Lowell's script, all I actually had to write were two lines of C# code. FTW.</div><div><br /></div><div>So anyway, now I can copy a URL to my clipboard, highlight a chunk of text in any HTML-aware Windows app, hit Ctrl-Alt-V, and turn that text into a hyperlink. Want the same capability? Here's what you do:</div><div><br /></div><div>0) You'll need the .NET Framework 2.0 (or better) - you've probably got it already.</div><div>1) Download and install <a href="http://www.autohotkey.com/">AutoHotKey</a>.</div><div>2) Download <a href="http://shunyata.net/d/LinkPaster.zip">LinkPaster.zip</a> and unzip it to somewhere convenient, such as c:\Program Files.</div><div>3) In your LinkPaster folder (such as c:\Program Files\LinkPaster), double-click the InsertHyperlink.ahk file to install and run that AutoHotkey script.</div><div>4) Huzzah! You should be off to the races. Let me know if it doesn't work.</div><div><br /></div><div>(BTW, this hack made me very happy while I was writing this post.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Enjoy!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/small-world/">small world</a> (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">rights</a>)</i></span></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-47858977111154815052010-07-21T16:28:00.003-04:002010-07-21T16:44:04.479-04:00RegretsI found out this morning that a friend of mine died last week, apparently of natural causes. He was my age. We had fallen out of touch in recent years, despite that we lived near each other, because we had become frustrated with one another, and I was all too willing to comply with his stated desire to be left alone. In the years since then, I've thought about reaching out to him, but I never did. He could have done the same, of course, but might very well have refrained from doing so for no other reason than that he thought I was still mad at him. (I wasn't.) For my part, the reason I didn't reach out was simply that I sometimes found him frustrating, and therefore I didn't really want to.<div><br /></div><div>"There will always be time for reconciliation later" is one of those lies that we tell ourselves, which I think we know very well are lies, even as we are comforted by them. I wish I had not been so hard-hearted and lazy, but there's fuckall I can do about it now.</div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-20503319770629076142010-07-12T16:48:00.013-04:002010-07-13T20:55:23.521-04:00On relationship and belief<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWWRJoLsNYaP9C83UUSnXWpZwqG91ay_0rfamxGPPiOrCT73vNTJ2NBuP8B3Bft3dsz05lkCzOi6E5j6MWdXoq8d8BrTmqwXiIyeBkQdhHssU5Zl9NhbC7Q3-MYslqNbJyoZE/s1600/3399829838_dcb4623ece.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIWWRJoLsNYaP9C83UUSnXWpZwqG91ay_0rfamxGPPiOrCT73vNTJ2NBuP8B3Bft3dsz05lkCzOi6E5j6MWdXoq8d8BrTmqwXiIyeBkQdhHssU5Zl9NhbC7Q3-MYslqNbJyoZE/s400/3399829838_dcb4623ece.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493554296342624226" /></a><br />There's currently quite a bit of discussion around my church, <a href="http://commontable.org/">the Common Table</a>, regarding issues of belief and unbelief. These are exactly the sorts of things that churches ought to be discussing (as opposed to <i>not</i> discussing them in a quietly unhappy manner), so this is a healthy thing, I suppose.<div><br /></div><div>"Beliefs" have never been something that Common Table (CT) has particularly emphasized. There's a paragraph on the topic in our <a href="http://commontable.org/heart/">Heart Document</a>, which is just about the only written constitutional document for our community. Here's what it says:</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>Beliefs: We believe our doctrine is adequately encompassed in the <a href="http://commontable.org/beliefs/">Nicene Creed</a>. This is the guiding compass we will follow as a church, while still providing the freedom for members of the church to question and explore matters of faith openly.</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>The reason for adopting the Nicene Creed, as I understand it, was due to the fact that the majority of CT's members, at the time the Heart Document was formed, came from a post-evangelical background. That is, they came from a world in which churches would commonly post a very detailed doctrinal statement on their web site - a statement including doctrines regarding salvation, predestination, heaven and hell, the Atonement, the Bible, etc. Many in CT at the time felt that these sorts of statements served to build walls between a given church and other churches where folks might disagree on some of those doctrinal points. Instead, CT adopted a statement of belief which (despite its checkered formation history) has been affirmed by the vast majority of the worldwide Church (Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant) for the vast majority of the Church's history. The idea was to unite us with the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church - not to cut us off from it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some things to note about the Nicene Creed: We have a Father God who is a mighty Creator, but mostly left to mystery. We have Jesus the Son who undergoes an Incarnation, suffering and death, Resurrection, Ascension, and Second Coming - but the hows and whys of those are mostly left unspecified. (Though if you happen to be schooled in ancient Greek philosophical categories, it does tell you <i>precisely</i> the manner in which He was begotten. FWIW.) And we have a Holy Spirit, a Church, a sacrament of forgiveness, and a hope of resurrection and a new world - all of which are described in the briefest terms. There's nothing there about the nature of the Bible, or what exactly happened in the Atonement, or who gets salvation and why, or any of a number of other doctrinal points upon which folks might have strong (and divergent) opinions.</div><div><br /></div><div>This brief and somewhat enigmatic statement of belief has been a part of our community culture for years, but it's never been the most prominent thing. We mention it in our Heart Document, post it on our web site, and use it in worship - some times more frequently, some times less. In our Heart Document, we call it "adequate". Some folks have felt it was too much, some too little - so "adequate" is perhaps about right.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also notable is the second sentence in the "Beliefs" paragraph: "This is the guiding compass we will follow as a church, <i>while still providing the freedom for members of the church to question and explore matters of faith openly</i>." The Creed sets some direction for the community as a whole, but in no way seeks to put boundaries around the community - or the intellectual and spiritual journey of individual members.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, the paragraph on "Beliefs" has been very much held in tension with the next paragraph in our Heart Document:</div><div><br /></div><div><div></div></div><blockquote><div><div>Mystery: God is big and we will never be able to fully understand Him. We are not afraid of unanswerable questions. We also believe that God can be experienced through the sacraments and that He works to reveal himself through the arts.</div></div><div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><div><br /></div><div>So why am I inviting you to care about this? Because lately, some folks have (if I'm hearing them well) been wanting a more central place for a belief statement in our community, and/or a belief statement that goes well beyond the Nicene Creed in the ground it covers.</div><div><br /></div><div>A good friend of mine recently asked an excellent question: why would anyone want to join an organization if they don't subscribe to all of the beliefs that the organization is centered on?</div><div><br /></div><div>It's an excellent question, and there could be a variety of answers to it, but I want to suggest that one possible answer is: some organizations aren't centered on a set of beliefs.</div><div><br /></div><div>I would further suggest that, as I personally understand it, Common Table is one such organization.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't mean to suggest that belief isn't one vital aspect of our life as a community. I just don't think it's our center.</div><div><br /></div><div>As an example, my friend mentioned Greenpeace. Why would someone join Greenpeace if they didn't believe in protecting the environment?</div><div><br /></div><div>But I think Greenpeace is actually an example of an organization that's not centered around belief, but action. The point of Greenpeace is to protect the environment - that's why people join. It's not because they share certain beliefs. Sure, maybe there's one big belief that spawns all the action: "The earth is worth saving." But there are lots of smaller beliefs that many Greenpeace activists might believe are central to their work, such as, "Veganism is a necessary part of caring for the environment." Many Greenpeace activists believe this. Many do not. They set those differences aside because in the end it's all about the action.</div><div><br /></div><div>In Common Table, we say the Nicene Creed is our guiding compass - but a compass is not a center. A compass provides direction. It's a tool. It's not the core.</div><div><br /></div><div>What, then, is our center? To me, Common Table is centered on relationships. Here's our Heart Document again:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><blockquote>Community: The Common Table exists only in the relationships among its members. We desire to foster a community where people are both accepted completely and encouraged to become more like Christ. We recognize there is tension between those two concepts of acceptance and accountability.</blockquote></div></div><div><br /></div><div>This obviously speaks to the relationships among the community members, which are (I think) core to who we are. But it also speaks to the relationship which I would like to think is at the real center of our shared life: a discipleship relationship with Jesus. To me, we are a Christian church because we, as a community, seek to follow and be formed by Jesus - not because we (collectively or individually) subscribe to any particular set of beliefs. As with Greenpeace, there may be one or two big beliefs that spawn all these relationships - "Jesus is worth following" and "these people are pretty cool", perhaps. We may differ on all kinds of beliefs, but we set those differences aside, because it's all about the relationships - including, centrally, our community's commitment to a disciple relationship with Jesus.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Admittedly, an authentic attempt at relationship with Jesus - as with anyone - both shapes and is shaped by certain beliefs. To engage authentically with the Jesus described in the Bible and yet believe he would support antisemitism requires amazing ignorance, yet lots of people do it. Similarly, an atheist engaged with a community that seeks to follow Jesus should be challenged, regularly, by the obvious fact of Jesus' theism. And no, I'm not equating atheism with antisemitism - just saying that a relationship requires openness to the other person: you notice things about them. It would be hard not to notice that Jesus was a theistic Jew.)</div><div><br /></div><div>I recognize that for many folks, a church is, by definition and without exception, centered around beliefs - otherwise it's not a church. I acknowledge, honor, and respect that point of view, and still submit my personal opinion (nothing more than that) that Common Table Church is centered not around beliefs, but around relationships.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center; ">* * *</div></div><div><br /></div><div>When I read Pete Rollins' recent post, "<a href="http://peterrollins.net/blog/?p=1177">Oh death, where is thy sting?</a>", it really knocked me on my ass, because it so completely nails exactly where I've been lately (as I've struggled with some depression, anxiety, and existential crisis). Pete says:</div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div>[Paul] Tillich writes of three anxieties (that are simply different ways in which nonbeing makes its absence felt). There is the anxiety of fate which, at its most extreme, is encountered in a despair that we face death. Then there is the anxiety of emptiness (where we experience our various projects as unfulfilling) that can degenerate into the despair of total meaninglessness. And finally there is the anxiety of guilt (where we feel that we fall short of our own being). An anxiety that, at its most all encompassing, is felt in the despair of condemnation.</div><div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Yep, that's me lately. Pete continues:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><blockquote>Tillich questions the idea that the way of Christ provides religious answers to our existential questions. Rather he attempts to show that Christ invites us to participate in a way of being that enables us to live beneath the shadow of these questions. Joyously embracing life while fully acknowledging their presence. Living in such a way that they are deprived of their weight and sting. In doing this he points to the possibility of a God arising from the ashes of the death of the religious God. A God that can be described as the source of our ability to live fully in the midst of our existential doubts.</blockquote></div></div><div><br /></div><div>This God, described by Tillich and Rollins as ultimately indescribable by religious answers - by statements of doctrine and belief - is the God I personally need, desperately, right now. This is the God of the "Mystery" paragraph in our Heart Document, and to a large extent also the God of the "Beliefs" paragraph, since the Creed leaves so much room for mystery and so many details - salvation, atonement, judgement, eschatology, etc. - unspecified. This indescribable God, beyond our understanding, is so much bigger than these anxieties of fate, emptiness, and guilt - and also bigger than our creeds and doctrines. This is the God I long for, and the God toward whom I see Christ pointing me.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">* * *</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So I, personally, need this kind of faith (centered on mystery, not certainty) and this kind of church (centered on relationships, not beliefs) for at least three reasons. In order of decreasing selfishness:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">1) I need the kind of faith/church that welcomes heretics for those times when I am a heretic. I need a faith/church that welcomes agnostics for those times when I am an agnostic. I need a faith/church that welcomes atheists for those times when I am an atheist. I need a faith and a church that welcomes me.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">2) Some of my dearest friends identify (for the moment, anyway) as heretics, agnostics, or atheists. I need a faith/church that welcomes them.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">3) I believe (ha! - I said belief is an important aspect) that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WybvhRu9KU">God is love, and God loves everyone</a>. I need a faith/church that welcomes everyone.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In my experience, centering on beliefs builds divisions with those who (even temporarily) do not share those beliefs. Centering on relationships does the opposite - it brings people together despite their differences. This has been my experience of Common Table Church in the five years I've been connected with it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And as long as the relationship that's at the core of our community is our relationship with Jesus - following after him, being formed by him - and as long as we in our relationships with each other are committed to maintaining that tension between acceptance and accountability - in short, as long as we are <i>faithful</i> to Christ and to one another - belief, to the extent that it is helpful, will follow. But in my opinion we must not put it first.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">image by </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alicepopkorn/"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">alicepopkorn</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (</span></i><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">rights</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">)</span></i></div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-10812410307858224842010-04-21T09:17:00.004-04:002010-04-21T09:39:23.659-04:00Grateful for my Dad<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInmOEuF2ecQ137fYtv3NUEz-2R-FPx6kqJJYGta-vlTkyg055dwcsD4kzgGv8rqOKT9mEKRhDwaoea5DfVcfNy49Z0dX5vdqfqO69MLbe-PL3TeuuTHb0apnRKG2YAlo2Bwxj/s1600/n174100043_30155041_915.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhInmOEuF2ecQ137fYtv3NUEz-2R-FPx6kqJJYGta-vlTkyg055dwcsD4kzgGv8rqOKT9mEKRhDwaoea5DfVcfNy49Z0dX5vdqfqO69MLbe-PL3TeuuTHb0apnRKG2YAlo2Bwxj/s400/n174100043_30155041_915.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462583319269572626" /></a><br />My Dad passed away two years ago today.<div><br /></div><div>I miss him terribly. At the same time, right now, I'm feeling very strongly how much he's really, truly not gone. It's cliche. It's not a thing that would have comforted me when grief was newer. But right now, it feels true: there's a very real sense in which Dad lives on in me, in Sean, in Mom, and in all of us whom he loved so well. Like I said in <a href="http://mcroghan.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-eulogy-for-my-dad.html">my eulogy for him</a>, so much of what's good and lovable in me comes from Tom Croghan.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm grateful for you today, Dad. Thank you.</div><div><br /></div><div>All my love,</div><div>Mike</div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5403232.post-15052904341979014452010-04-07T17:19:00.005-04:002010-04-07T17:46:24.538-04:00TransFORM Network East Coast Gathering<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNx_Jj5rItIpAvyitDRTaYr82GgXgZ5BJxCWDRHot6w8jLoif1Y17KAGfMxHatbicr4_D97qxyhEVZkx4eJMzeSBJBe9jMiJ1ePEyw_ddYPj7SCtYXxbJFQm7DINeJV29Yzvk/s1600/TransFORMdc-savethedate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNx_Jj5rItIpAvyitDRTaYr82GgXgZ5BJxCWDRHot6w8jLoif1Y17KAGfMxHatbicr4_D97qxyhEVZkx4eJMzeSBJBe9jMiJ1ePEyw_ddYPj7SCtYXxbJFQm7DINeJV29Yzvk/s400/TransFORMdc-savethedate.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457510166034765394" /></a><br />Following the requisite apology for not blogging much lately (sorry - I'm sure your RSS reader has felt empty and unloved) ;-) I would like to make a preliminary "teaser" plug for this really awesomely cool conference coming up (April 30th through May 2nd), right in my own back yard (Wesley Theological Seminary in DC). It's:<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.transformnetwork.org/page/transform-east-coast-gathering"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The TransFORM East Coast Gathering</span></b></a></div><div><br /></div><div>From the web site:</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>We are gathering missional practitioners on the East Coast to learn from each other and to mobilize others for forming new missional communities.<br /><br />Whether you’re a pastor, prospective "church planter," or simply interested in finding out more about transformational missional communities of practice, this gathering is designed to inspire and equip you to go and do likewise!</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.transformnetwork.org/page/transform-east-coast-gathering">Click through</a> and check it out. An awful lot of my good friends, both local and remote, are going to be there, and many of us will be speaking or leading workshops. My friend Deanna and I will be doing a workshop entitled, "The Practices Must Support Each Other: Engineering Communities That Work", which will pick up some themes from <a href="http://mcroghan.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-i-really-think-9-caution-with.html">this blog post</a>, among other sources.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's free! And it will gather a ridonkulous collection of cool people in one place. So y'all come!</div>Mike Croghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18099387827886541138noreply@blogger.com1