Here in Memphis, I’ve joined together with many Christians to celebrate Phyllis Tickle at the Emergence Christianity conference (hash tag #EC13). We’re hearing presentations from Mrs. Tickle about the subject of the book of the same name (Emergence Christianity) and responses from dozens of people involved in emergence. I’m loving it!

There is plenty to say, and I may do so after I get home. But what I am really getting the sense of, more than ever before, is that this thing she is describing is not just a thing and not just a moment, but a movement. A group of people conversant in emergence got together yesterday to discuss whether or not those participating in the emergence conversation are in fact part of a movement and apparently they agreed. Today, listening to Phyllis talk about where we’ve been as church and where we are going, it really felt like I was part of a movement. Not that I got in on the ground floor, mind you. The people who got together at the first Emergent Gathering can make that claim. But it did feel as if something is starting now and that something is ours in this moment and that we are part of something big that is moving beneath our feet.

I hope to explain it more, but for now, I’ll end with this: I love church. Not necessarily my church, because that makes an idol of the local. And not necessarily The Episcopal Church, because that makes an idol of the tribe. But I love feeling that the church has a future and more importantly, that we in the church will be doing big things.