This hasn't been updated for some time - today is October 10, 2005 - so here are a few more literary excursions that have been important to us. The influence of Brian McLaren on those 'rethinking church' has been profound. You can make your way to more information about him at several sites including

http://www.anewkindofchristian.com and http://www.emergentvillage.com

His trilogy is "A New Kind of Christian", "The Story We Find Ourselves In", and "The Last Word and the Word After That". You might also look at "a Generous Orthodoxy" , "Finding Faith" and "More Ready Than You Realize". He has a new book coming out called "The Secret Message of Jesus". There are others worth reading that you can discover at his web site.

"The Prodigal Project - journey into the emerging church" by Mike Riddell, Mark Pierson and Cathy Kirkpatrick begins with the dedication, "We dedicate this project to the lovers, dreamers, dancers, outcasts, subversives, prophets, weavers, misfits, players, artists, healers, mystics, activists, questioners, laughers and cooks, who have been bruised but keep following Jesus." Read this book - it's not only their thoughts about what they feel and believe about faith and worship, but it's also a rich "how-to" manual of practical experiences of worship. Their web site is http://www.prodigal-project.com

Renée Altson has written a powerful narrative called "Stumbling Towards Faith". She writes, "i am 'working out my salvation with fear and trembling,' i am at war with doubt and fear and uncertainty, but ultimately i do believe that there is something good and beautiful that still exists." Her blog site is http://www.ianua.org/weblog.php

One of our group has been moved by the work of Diana Beresford-Kroeger. She is a scientist deeply concerned for the holistic health of the planet and whose book "Arboretum America" is described as "a passionately intelligent, exquisitely illustrated guide to the native trees of the North American continent that offers an informative and entertaining blueprint for rebuilding the biosphere."

Reading the book, "Reimagining Spiritual Formation" by Doug Pagitt and the Solomon's Porch Community, several statements seemed to resonate with us. We've listed a few. Perhaps they reflect the worship community you are a part of, or perhaps a community you would like to be a part of. We've included a small list of some other writing that has helped us in asking and answering questions. We have also spent a lot of time on the internet. One site that has been very helpful is:

http://www.alternativeworship.org

This site is managed by Paul Roberts and Steve Collins. You could also visit:

http://www.solomonsporch.com

"... we started . . not because the pews in other churches were full, but because the places of dream making and leadership in other churches were full. There were too many existing communities of faith in which outsiders simply hear words about God packaged in attractive and relevant ways and too few places in which all could participate and experience the transformative workings of God through community. Our desire was to create a place where those who are envisioning new ways of Christianity could give birth to their dream together."

"Our gatherings are about God. Because we believe God is to be the centre of life and that God adds texture taste and depth to life, we gather to learn, experience, and share God in many of the ways Christians have for thousands of years."

"There is no soft pedalling here... We believe Jesus is the Son of God and that we worship Jesus as the Lord and Saviour of all. And yet we seek to do more than simply worship Jesus or hear the teachings of Jesus or gather in the name of Jesus. Our desire is to arrange our lives to follow God in the way of Jesus."

"(This is) our attempt to be people of useful faith - a blessing to the world. Our practises are genuine expressions of our collective community, not marketing tricks. At first glance some of our ways might seem trendy and many will likely change as our community changes, but we are not trying to be culturally chic. "We are trying to live a life that is candid and authentic. We are not interested in living a fulfilled version of our current lives, we are seeking to become something else, something more." "Authenticity is more valuable to us than slick production or professional execution. We would prefer to have people speak, sing and create with sincerity than with polish."

"We have never been satisfied with people looking over our community to decide whether we have the "right" emphasis, core values or programs to fit them. Rather, we ask people to bring to our community their contributions and by their involvement to help us be more life-giving." "When new people join us, we become a new community. We ask them to contribute and lead us in new ways. This undoubtedly adds a level of structural difficulty, but so far it has been well worth the effort."

" we are a community brought together more by asking the same deep seated questions than by having all the same answers."

". . . We live as a people needy of the Kingdom of God rather than as a hip people who have something to prove."