Posts Tagged ‘Brian McLaren’

Neither Here nor There - Cover ImageI am pleased to announce that the new anthology of liminality, Neither Here nor There: The Many Voices of Liminality, is now available for pre-order! This anthology of sixteen international authors has been in process for three years and has finally come into fruition. As the editor I chose all the contributors, edited their work,  and penned the Introduction, First Chapter and Conclusion. Barbara Brown Taylor has written a stunning Foreword.

Liminality is the in-between state of being, the transitional domain, between the known of ordinary life and the unknown of the future. That ambiguous state includes great disruption as well as the potential of deep transformation.

From Barbara Brown Taylor’s Foreword:

“You are holding a wondrous book in your hands, full of startling stories about people who accept the risks of engaging liminal space … I can ignore these liminal gifts as easily as anyone but, like the other authors in this book, I am convinced that they deserve my best attention, both for myself and for the life of the world. In all the ways that matter, they are the truest parts.”

And Brian McLaren’s endorsement:

“Timothy Carson has brought together an amazing array of diverse writers of uncommon skill to transport readers to a place they may never have been before, a space between familiar spaces and beyond the dualist mind.”

Please share the good news with all those who may not only find this book personally intriguing but also a helpful tool for study groups and classes.

This past Spring two study groups in the congregation read and discussed Brian McLaren’s Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha and Mohammed Cross the Road? The gist of the book is that Christians need to redefine themselves as strong and benevolent (not hostile) toward those of other faiths. At the end of our read we asked ourselves what step we might take to be that presence of love in a multi-faith world. Our answer was to host the local Muslim community for a meal and evening of story telling around their next observance, Ramadan.

This coming Sunday night, June 23, 6:30 p.m., we will gather in our fellowship hall to receive our interfaith guests and extend hospitality. After breaking bread and introductions we will invite them to share their own stories of Ramadan and what it means to them.

Peacemaking takes many forms and reaches in many directions. But one thing is for sure, peacemakers are blessed when they are actually doing it, making peace. It is something active, an action in the world that defies assumptions of the culture and society in which we live. And  unless someone takes the first step and then the second … we will never cross a road together in peace, shalom, salem, paz or pax.