Trey Hall on Urban Village Church

Trey Hall, co-pastor at the new Urban Village Church in Chicago, joins us to talk about the beginnings of that community. Trey tells the inside story of gathering a new community together and connecting them through rich liturgy, engaging small groups, and a progressive spirit. Check out Urban Village Church at UrbanVillageChurch.org.

The mashup for this episode comes from Sujan Steven's apt "Chicago" and Coldplay's "Clocks." If you know of a worship leader that can work similar magic, please let Trey know!

Jim Perkinson with the Detroit Villages

Jim Perkinson joined the Detroit Villagers for the November Community Gathering. During the conversation Jim gave some poetry, told about his experience creating Christian community in Detroit, and offered some tips for those practicing community today!

Cash4Jesus and other ideas from the mind of Josh McKamie

Josh McKamie chats about his ingenious plan to engage students at Wayne State University in a revolution...of serving others. He's making this happen with a textbook by Shane Claiborne, $100 "kingdom assignments," and local guest speakers on topics like:

Detroit History: French Furs, the Automobile, Uprisings, and Exile

Street Crime and Political Corruption, or Murder and Text Messaging

Homelessness and Housing, or 'Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)'

(Can you tell Josh loves Sufjan Stevens?)

Transforming Leaders 2009

Take six college students, place them in intentional Christian community in Detroit, give them internships with non-profits and church ministries for 8 weeks during a summer and what do you get? This podcast is a wrap up of the Transforming Leaders 2009 program. TL interns give their feedback on the ups and downs, the inspirational and challenging events, and invite other young adults who may be interested in this kind of experience to apply for Summer 2010.

TL09 LINKS
Motown Mission Experience

Ailanthus Community House

Jeremy, Jess, and Chelsea from the Ailanthus Community House tell us about living the life of a Detroit Villages community. They joined us for an evening at ReMember 2009, a young adult gathering at Lake Louise United Methodist Camp and this recording is from a session they did telling the story of how their community formed, how they live together, what their mission and discernment is like. If you want to visit Ailanthus, stop by on a Wednesday for their great potluck!

Sounds of Jerusalem

This week, an auditory trip through the Holy Land. Sounds from Carl's recent pilgrimage and thoughts on the realities of Israel/Palestine. Edited together on Good Friday, this is a reminder to us all that these events we re-tell this weekend have a real place in which they occurred. Sound selections feature singing, prayers, found audio from around the Old City, and clips from some of the various international groups traveling alongside the Methodist group during their ten days in country.

Essential Conversations with Ann Delisi

Ann Delisi has been a fixture of Detroit radio for many years. Her work on 93.9 The River, 96.3 The Planet, and now 101.9 WDET FM has put her at the forefront of Detroit-connected music. Today we ask Ann to give us her insight into the music of the Motor City. You can find more info on Ann's new show "Ann Delisi's Essential Music" at wdetfm.org/

Music for the podcast today comes from a great Michigan band, The Great Lakes Myth Society. Check them out!

Early Monasticism and the New Monastics - Lecture #2

Second in the series of online lectures from Paul Perez. Today Paul gets into The Rule of the monastic communities, St. Benedict's in particular. Issues arise like mutual obedience and mutual leadership. Also, what happens to Christianity when persecution and martyrdom end, and imperial powers claim the faith? What will Christian communities do today to claim a distinct rule together?

Early Monasticism and the New Monastics - Lecture #1

In an attempt to better understand the current New Monasticism movement Paul Perez takes us back into the writings, teachings, and sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. This online lecture was originally broadcast as a part of the "Early Monasticism and the New Monastics" class for http://beadisciple.com If you'd like to join us for the next and final online lecture, surf to http://emergedetroit.org/live at 7pm on Tuesday, March 17.

[For those looking for monasticism-themed clothing, T-shirts celebrating the Abbas and Ammas can be found at http://www.printfection.com/emergetees]

SLAM! Jeff Nelson 2

More selections from Jeff Nelson along with music gleaned from a recent worship service at City Church of East Nashville.

SLAM! Jeff Nelson, and Puddle Jumping

Jeff Nelson started writing poetry with the birth of his son Casey and has built up a collection of poetry that pulls from his life, his faith, his family, and the cultural landscape of the City of Detroit. Visit him online at http://www.youtube.com/user/caserj and drop a note in the comments on which poem moved you.

Advent Hymn #5: No More Turning From the Child [Reprise]

Perhaps a fitting song for this day after Christmas. It speaks of our tendency to turn away from Jesus soon after celebrating his birth, to look for him in the wrong places. The truth of the incarnation is that Jesus comes not through the seats of power, and yet overpowers those seats anyway. Of course his is a power unlike any other which not so much coerces and transforms those that it touches.

No More Turning From The Child
word by Charles Wesley, music by Carl Thomas Gladstone

Where is the holy heaven-born child,
Heir of the everlasting throne,

Advent Hymn #6: Heaven Cannot Contain

This song brings the mystery of the incarnation into real personal imagery. Jesus our brother. God is born. Part of this dust. And even though the the recording is a little rough, I hope it is a song that helps us remember the great paradox of the season - God among us. Pdf chord chart available over on the Local Liturgy. Please download and share!

Heaven Cannot Contain
Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Carl Thomas Gladstone

Glory be to God on high,
And peace on earth descend;

When Cultures Collide, We Are Given

Daniel Stanka (email) talks about his time as a visiting seminary student to the Motor City. Daniel and his family spent about 4 weeks here this summer traveling and doing an internship for Daniel's seminary studies in Germany. Paul opens up the conversation with a book about cultural clash and difference and the challenges and joys of such a setting.

Advent Hymn #5: Shepherd's Hymn

I didn't realize how fond of the shepherds was CW until working with this text and noticing the ones around it. It seems that all of his songs claim solidarity with these "regulars." You do get the vague sense that Charles saw shepherds as somehow lowlier than himself, "even shepherds..." is the usual context. But if we strip away what might be latent class-ism, we get song texts about the moment when God's angels make the announcement of Jesus' birth to the most normal of folk.

Shepherds' Hymn
words by Charles Wesley, music by Carl Thomas Gladstone

Advent Hymn #3: Jesus Will Not Refuse the Song [Reprise]

Advent and Christmas are known for the music that we sing in worship services and on caroling trips. In this song Wesley confirms the tendency to sing about such a joyful time. Maintaining his solidarity with the shepherds Wesley acknowledges that not all of our music-making will be professional done. But, he says, Jesus as our shepherd knows, understands, and loves us anyways. (Get the chart on the Local Liturgy page!)

Jesus Will Not Refuse The Song
Words by Charles Wesley, Music by Carl Thomas Gladstone

Advent Hymn #2: Away With Our Fears [Reprise]

This song captures the inscrutable reality of the Divine taking up residence among the mundane. The Father present as Child. God's holiness revealed in this human. The Christmas season might beg the question, "Why this way God?" Wesley helps us remember that even in this mystery we can find beauty, hope, and an end to fear if we will let God enter as God plans.

Away With Our Fears
words by Charles Wesley, music by Carl Thomas Gladstone

Immanuel’s birth
Immanuel's birth
What triumph on earth!
Yet could it afford
Yet could it afford

Advent Hymn #1: Those Infant Hands [Reprise]

Bringing back the Advent song texts from Charles Wesley that we've been reclaiming over the past few years. Those Infant Hands is a great text that revels in both the innocence and utter power of what God does in the Baby Jesus. Watch for links on the Local Liturgy page for chord charts - we hope these songs will be used and shared by communities all over.

Those Infant Hands
word by Charles Wesley, music by Carl Thomas Gladstone

Those infant hands,
of the heavenly stranger,

Jamie Moffett and the Ordinary Radicals

After helping found the Simple Way, working with homeless folks in Philly, and creating the "Another World Is Possible" video resource with Shane Claiborne, Jamie Moffett has set out to tell the story of new monasticism and the rest of the crazy radicals. Visit the calendar to get info on the screening of Jamie's film in Ann Arbor on November 17th.

Put Your Hands Up For TL 2008!

Interview with the 12 Transforming Leaders interns from this year's Wildemere intern house. Conversation about living in Detroit, working with various residents of the city, and exploring ministry in the context of all of it.

A General Methtopia!

Alex Plum, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Bill Gates, Sr. shoot the breeze about the latest General Conference. At this even Methodist from all over the world gather to discern how we do church together. Money and awareness of anti-malaria efforts wer raised. And the first democratically elected woman president of an African nation address the quaddrennial gathering of her United Methodist denomination.

Matt Bistayi UnLeashed!

Conversation with Matt Bistayi about the recent "UnLeashed" event at the Lansing Center and his trip to the "Emerging Church For the Existing Church" conference in Denver. Matt was lead organizer for this second UnLeashed event and gave some times of teaching around "Quadri-living" - or how we live out authentic expressions of our faith in Jesus through scripture, reason, tradition, and experience. Watch for more information on UnLeashed 2009 at getunleashed.org

Chapel, Cru, and Stephencolbertification

In this double interview between Andrew Kimball and Carl Gladstone, they explore the history of Christian groups at Albion College and the relationship between these groups after an incident involving the issue of sexual orientation and Christian leadership. After a number of years the Christian community at Albion is taking big steps to unify after what many have called a 10 year "split."

12 Marks: Radical Hospitality

A conversation with Eric Kieb on the 3rd chapter of Schools for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticiam regarding the role of radical hospitality to the stranger in our emerging missional communities.

Love146.org Flags Craigslist

Interview with Kathy Maskell of http://love146.org and organization working to end child sex slavery and exploitation. Kathy discusses her role as the U.S. Advocacy Director and the organization's new initiative to hold Craigslist accountable for the prevelance of ads placed through the web site that are used to traffick women and children. Please check out love146.org for more information on their mission, links to parnter organizations, and briefings on how you can participate in current initiatives.