Healthy Dialogue

I didn't sleep much on Tuesday evening. My restlessness wasn't caused by anxiety or worry. And while the iced coffee I had at 7 PM may have contributed to it, I really don't think that was the primary reason either.

You see on Tuesday evening I gathered with six other members of our faith community at Uptown Coffee in Mt Lebanon for the first of five summer conversations on the gospel and culture. I walked away from our two hour conversation energized, invigorated, hopeful, and proud. Proud that people with different backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives could engage in thoughtful, honest, open and searching dialogue.

Central to our discussion was the idea of worldview. Is there such a thing as a "Christian worldview?" Or might it be better to think about developing and nurturing a biblically faithful worldview?

I was especially proud of my people in light of some of the mud slinging that is going on this week. Perhaps some of our national leaders could learn some lessons by joining us at the table.

If you are interested, here is a brief description of the conversations.

What is the Gospel? How do we understand the story of God's salvation history and what impact does that have upon they way we live our lives in the world today? Where and how does the Gospel interact with our culture and what is our role as ambassadors for Christ in the south hills of Pittsburgh and beyond?

This summer you are invited to join in a series of conversations about these and other important questions. Our series of discussions will be based upon five Fermi Project Shorts - commissioned essays created and designed to keep the People of God informed and exposed to the ideas shaping our context and the opportunity for cultural influence. Each week we will learn together from some of the sharpest thinkers and practitioners in the Church today and from one another as we discuss together how to connect with God, one another, and our world in a deeper way. Our schedule and topics include:

June 24: Living the Gospel in Culture
July 1: The Problem of Good
July 8: Post Modern Wells
July 15: Glocalization: Engaging a Flat World
July 23: Picture Justice: Embracing a Global Neighborhood

If you are in the neighborhood, why not stop by and join us? Next Tuesday we will be discussing, "The Problem of Good." Be forewarned: you just might lose a little bit of sleep.

Stay connected...