I am in full gear for lists and planning for a short camping trip. It’s been a while. I realized how long it had been when I opened my old spreadsheet and found “books on tape” and “toys” on the packing list. Oh my!

This is not just a camping trip, however. Since I heard about it last fall, I’ve been excited about the prospect of going to the Wild Goose Festival.  It’s a time and space to listen and talk about spirituality, justice, the arts and music. Yeah. I’m stoked.

The list of those who will be performers and speakers are among my favorites. The opportunity to kick and back and engage in thoughtful dialogue is a little daunting. I admit to having fears of being up to the conversation. There are so many people with much more wisdom and insight into the issues that will come to the forefront. But, I believe the future of the Church depends on our working through questions carefully and with new eyes and being willing to consider trying new solutions to our world’s problems. So for the sake of my children and my children’s children, I’m willing to wade in hip deep.

Maybe it is this willingness to engage “new” solutions that seems to frighten others, and shakes loose some highly agitated critics. It’s humorous. Not only are they not attending, they are painting the whole festival, and all of us who attend it, whether participant or performer, as being left-wingers. Whatever.

The ways in which we have organized and funded churches, cared for the poor, sick and/or dying, or watched over the planet’s resources are not going to work a generation from now. The Johnnie and Reedy Girl are quick to remind us. And I’m willing to learn.

It was out of a realization that a “boomer church” was not speaking to our daughters’ growing faith that we left the “traditional contemporary Christian” type of church and moved to an emergent church. We also noted that the messages they were hearing, and the people who were preaching them, were not articulating faith in Christ in a way that the world that they will inherit could begin to understand. And then, we finally realized that what we (as the parents) were sitting and listening to every week did not give us food for thought or motivation to grow and change.

If it were just my family, I’d think, “well, it’s just because we’re square pegs in the holy round holes.” But no. I talk to other parents. I hear their frustrations with ‘status quo’ thinking. Folks like Greg and Quyen, Todd and Teresa make me dig in and think. I look at what is plastered on the pages of Christian magazines and shudder. Do the editors really think that this is what people want to read?

Houston, we have a problem.

So even though this event is billed as something for 20-somethings, this “way-past-20-something” is ready to learn, grow and be stretched. Just camping with 1200 of my new closest friends should do that! Especially in the 90 degree heat! 😀

Anyway… I’m back to my lists. Making piles and culling out things I really do NOT need. And praying, thinking and praying some more.

God, make me ready!