This post is in honor of David Fisher who posts at Be the Revolution. He got booted from a ministry position at his church for hanging out with we SynchroBloggers. Our March post was about alternate consciousness, and February was about Love. Somewhere between the two SynchroBlogs a person in his church found his links to something one of the SynchroBloggers said, and decided to call the leadership. This led to a gentle, but obviously still hurtful parting of the ways.
I asked David if I could post on this a few weeks back. He said yes, and this seemed like the perfect time. So here ya' go David!
Now David had already had a few difficulties because he had attempted to reach out lovingly to the Gay and Lesbian community without the typical scripture bombing, and he made a few comments on an old blog challenging church hierarchy, and promoting women in leadership. These had not been positively received, so he laid low.
Suddenly he was discovered sneaking about in the Land of Blog again, but Heavens to Betsy! he was writing with the devilish SynchroBloggers! He had made some comments about the ineffectiveness of the Evangelical Church, and even worse one of those other SynchroBlogs referenced something about a feminine perspective of deity, and perhaps another about strange alternate consciousness experiences. Now these were not David's words, but he had links to these SynchroBloggers, and that was the end of the end.
When we consider challenging the status quo of Christianity are we fishing for trouble? Or is it the good and righteous thing to challenge status quo in these quickly changing days?
I think David Fisher is fishing for men, and has found a little trouble, because he went deep. If we bottom fish we might come up with fish, or we might come up with old boots. David got the boot, but I expect he'll be finding lots of fish soon.
Check out my other Synchroblogger friends at the links below:
David Fisher - Be the Revolution
Mike Bursell - Mike's Musings
Restoring Our View of Humanity at Eternal Echoes
Persecuting the Marginalized at JohnSmulo.com
The Ends Justify the Means at Calacirian
Billy Calderwood - Billy Calderwood
Seeking First Righteousness at Tim Abbott
Jamie Swann - More Than Stone
Persecution and Martyrdom at Handmaid Leah
"Don't squash the counter-revolutionary/the plank in my own eye" at Jeremiah
The Martyrs of Epinga at Notes from the Underground
Terrorism in Christianity at The Rivera Blog
Persecution or Poor Elocution? at "Hello," said Jenelle
28 comments:
Go, Phil, Go! Nice post!
Ditto. :-) I'm infamous now!
Thank you for the encouragement. Like you, I have discovered people coming from all over the world, supporting what's in our hearts at Revolution, because the hearts are beating to the same beat.
I'm honored to have you all as a part of this exciting and scary journey.
Shalom
David's wife here.
Just to clear David's name a little maybe ;) - - I was the one who wrote most of the stuff that got us in trouble (when I was blogging at inhiscourts).
Which is kind of weird if you think about it. David and I were coleaders (equal partners in leadership in Revolution) but because our church doesn't fully recognize women in leadership (something we didn't even know at first) David was the one alway pointed to as the leader and when it came down to things I said, they talked to him about it.
AND YET, when it came down to the wire, even though I wasn't recognized as a full leader, I apparently still had the power to have us removed.
anyway, just a little clarification there. Although, it was the syncroblog that they pointed out as a big "straw on the camel's back" issue...so you can still take credit for that Phil ;) hehe...kidding.
Are you kidding me. This has Johnny Beloved all over it.
Jamie,
Thanks. I loved your post.
David - go bro! I'm glad things are working for your good.
Makeesha,
I take credit, and induct you into the Heretics Hall of Infamy. Good on you.
Woo! I've been Zaque Attaqued!
See how Emergent you really are? - Heretics Emerging from the closet together!
wow phil, it's everything I ever wanted, I can now die a fulfilled woman ;)
I don't know whether I'm glad or discouraged that it wasn't my remarks that got someone labeled guilty by association. I've thought about running a disclaimer when I'm involved in the Synchroblog, but have decided not to do so. One would hope that people would realize I can only speak for myself.
Hey you guys, well at least I can say I'm doing one thing that Jesus said to do ...
and that is....
hanging with the marginalized (David, Mak, and Phil) :)
"I think David Fisher is fishing for men, and has found a little trouble, because he went deep. If we bottom fish we might come up with fish, or we might come up with old boots. David got the boot, but I expect he'll be finding lots of fish soon."
Fishing for men (and women, of course), indeed!
- from another devilish synchroblogger!
Phil - thanks for posting on this, especially as it inspired todays blog. If what happened makes us all a little more wary that's a shame. If it makes us all a little wiser, that's good.
Like Adam, I wondered about putting a disclaimer against my general SynchroBlog post but a certain righteous indignation that I would even consider it. No way do I want to appear to be apologising for a bunch of people whose opinions I value, whether I agree with them or not.
ahh devilish syncro bloggers unite- think I recognise myself in one of those terrible "blogging sins"- femine divne amongst other things- how hard it is for the evangelical church to live with questions!
Well said Phil.
Keep on encouraging the dialogue!
dialogue is fun not evil... baaah!
Makeesha,
Thanks for clarifying. How interesting and a sad commentary on the state of things.
Phil, you the man for getting this Synchro thing spinning. It's fun.
but carl, open, thoughtful and uncensored dialog might lead a person to think independently - - and we all know what that makes people - - democrats ;)
Makeesha, isn't it strange how a little experience with being rejected by status quo makes us giddy drunk with our own heresies? :-)
Adam,
You are well on your way to be a trouble maker of a grand sort.
Jamie,
Gee, now I'm marginalized too. I feeling all infamous tonight!
Mikecamel,
Thanks for going underground with us, you devil-boy.
Tim,
Thanks for those words about being wiser, but not wary.
Sally,
I knew you'd recognize yourself. You too make the Heretics Hall of Infamy!
Carl,
If only every Christian could learn this lesson. Good word.
Jenelle,
Thanks for being a person who sees the fun in challenging thinking.
Interesting that the "boot" was given for a feminine perspective of the Deity. It's not a direct
correlation - and, some may argue, a counterpoint - but I find it interesting the two of the most
respected names in cultural christiandom - Elisabeth Elliot (Gren) and C.S. Lewis both describe how some aspects of the Diety are so "masculine" that all
(especially men) must relate to God in ways that are often characterized as "feminine." Even though they are both conservative authors, something tells me that
if they were to emerge on the cultural christian scene today, they might also get the "boot" from some culturally christian churches.
-Jeremiah
phil, I think it's an example of how if you don't laugh you'll cry. And once the crying starts, all you can do is throw in the towel. So you laugh and you move on in your heretical ways, trusting that God's got you firmly in his grip.
is it only me who sees the irony of David and Mak getting the boot for someone reading a blog and following links - it reminds me of when we used to pray at school and one of the kids would always say to the teacher: "so and so had their eyes open during the prayer" and the teacher would respond well you must have too..."
crazy days :)
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