Phyllis Tickle coming to visit

Noted "emerging church" writer Phyllis Tickle is coming to visit today at a local church (St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Ivy) and I am looking forward to hearing what she has to say in person.  I've read some of her books and "seen" her on youtube, but am glad to be able to hear her and be with her in person.  Though I am pretty firmly ensconced in the "institutional church"  - as one who wears one of these funny collars - I think that many of the observations and questions posed by the likes of Tickle, McLaren and others are important ones.  We certainly live in a time of rapid change, and the church is, of course, affected by this fact.  So, on this rainy day in the midst of Advent, I hope Tickle will offer some ideas that get me thinking.

~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

Phyllis Tickel interviewed ...

Phyllis  Tickel is a leading figure in the Emerging Church movement.  She is a thoughtful writer and speaker on the church, and on the ways that some "new" forms of practicing our faith actually have their roots in "old" ancient forms of Christianity.  She was recently interviewed after speaking at a conference, and speaks with great humor and wisdom about our Christian Faith.


~The Rev. Peter M. Carey

"Every 500 years, the church has a rummage sale." - Bishop Mark Dyer

"Every 500 years, the church has a rummage sale."
~Bishop Mark Dyer of the Diocese of Bethlehem (PA)

everything is prone to change, and perhaps we are at one of those times!
from "The Great Emergence" by Phyllis Tickle

Read Bishop Dan Edward's reflections on this topic at his blog HERE.

Here is a bit:
"The metaphor has to do with moving out of an old house and disposing of things we no longer need or that no longer work."
This odd adage is a solid historical observation. About every 500 years, give or take a few, the Church has a dispute, a big split (bigger than the little denominational chippings off that happen all the time), there is a new expression of Christiainity -- actually 2 new expressions because the old group is transformed too. The Church is re-energized and spreads the Gospel more effectively than before. It happened in the time of Gegory I, again in 1,000 when the East and West divided, again in 1522 with the Protestant Reformation --"