Last week I had the privilege of being interviewed for the Praxis Podcast. I’m being dead honest when I say this:
It was the absolute most fun I’ve ever had on an interview!
DJ and Aaron (the hosts) kept it fun, laughable and serious all at the same time. It was a blast. I know you all with enjoy this … ESPECIALLY the last 17 minutes, which include 10 off the wall questions they asked me totally unrelated to homosexuality as well as the outtakes from the interview!
Listen to it here.
And while you’re on their site, take a listen to Professor Soong-Chan Rah talking about the white captivity of the Western church—it’s fascinating and controversial!
Hope you enjoy the fun!!!
Much love.
http://www.themarinfoundation.org/
Showing posts with label Speaking across America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Speaking across America. Show all posts
Monday, June 29, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
New Flip Camera Experiment
As you can see by my 'mug' looking at you in this video, I just bought a Flip Camera to start recording short bites of my life within this unique bridge building experience that the Lord has laid before us. I hope you enjoy this new way of interacting along side my written posts as well!
Tell me, what types of things would you all love to see through these videos as I move forward in this fun experiment?
Much love.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I'm Speaking at a Gay Bar Tonight
Tonight will be quite a night for us all. I’ll be speaking at a gathering called Elements, and they are hosting it at Roscoes—a well known gay bar in Chicago. Elements is an evangelical Christian organization who seeks to live life differently, in the places regular evangelical folks don’t tend to ever go. They bring in one controversial speaker a month, and hold the event in a controversial place that aligns with the speaker’s topic. So here we’ll be tonight at a gay bar, mixing up straight evangelicals with Roscoes normal GLBT patrons (and we can’t forget all of the folks from the different shades of faith and sexuality from The Marin Foundation who will be in attendance as well).
It will be a very exciting time and I pray the Lord uses this as a launching pad for other great connections to make significant bridges for the Kingdom. If you’re in Chicago, please feel free to come and by and experience an unforgettable night of productive dialogue!
Much love.
www.themarinfoundation.org
It will be a very exciting time and I pray the Lord uses this as a launching pad for other great connections to make significant bridges for the Kingdom. If you’re in Chicago, please feel free to come and by and experience an unforgettable night of productive dialogue!
Much love.
www.themarinfoundation.org
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Pray for Me
Yes, I’m running. I’m running fast and furious and the Lord is taking me where He needs me to go even though I haven’t found a time to breathe quite yet. As you can see on my schedule to the left, from May 11-May 24 I have 13 speaking events in 14 days. This is not a complaint, this is a request for prayer for my strength, courage and awareness to be able to be bold enough to each day enthusiastically preach and teach what the Lord has given me to challenge the GLBT and conservative communities to live countercultural to mainstream (secular and religious!).
I have found that talking about such a hostile subject to large crowds lends itself to some ‘unique’ experiences, stories and lives that have been dramatically affected by the pervasive culture war. This can be very, very draining day in and day out as I want to give, and do nothing less than share in that pain, hurt or excitement as much as I am humanly able. I have come to realize that I need much more strength than I am able to muster through periods like this one. So please lift up these times on my behalf. Although even after May 24, it doesn’t slow down all that much, but at least I’ll have a day off more regularly. Praise the Lord in all things!
Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers.
Much love.
www.themarinfoundation.org
I have found that talking about such a hostile subject to large crowds lends itself to some ‘unique’ experiences, stories and lives that have been dramatically affected by the pervasive culture war. This can be very, very draining day in and day out as I want to give, and do nothing less than share in that pain, hurt or excitement as much as I am humanly able. I have come to realize that I need much more strength than I am able to muster through periods like this one. So please lift up these times on my behalf. Although even after May 24, it doesn’t slow down all that much, but at least I’ll have a day off more regularly. Praise the Lord in all things!
Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers.
Much love.
www.themarinfoundation.org
Thursday, March 12, 2009
This Weekend's United Church of Christ Event
This weekend I will be speaking to a group of United Church of Christ (UCC) clergy members in the St. Louis area. As many of you know, the UCC is one of the denominations that are being torn apart by the topic of homosexuality. Although much of the UCC has already decided upon an affirming stance (a pro-gay theological belief system) that includes ordination of gay and lesbian people, there are still factions that believe in a traditional interpretation of Scripture.The fight within the UCC has become public news, especially in the Midwest region. I was therefore asked to come and speak to a gathering of UCC clergy, both progressive and conservative, together, to help facilitate a peaceful and productive dialogue to help stop the fighting. If you think of me over the weekend, please pray for my time with those in the UCC who will be in attendance, as the Holy Spirit will move throughout our time and let there be significant changes within each side’s understanding and will to build bridges towards each other and for the Kingdom.
If we can’t work with our own, how can we expect those on the outside to believe in what we claim?
Much love.
www.themarinfoundation.org
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
I'm Back from Off the Grid
Yes, I’m back! I’ve actually, and strangely, missed posting; so I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I thought I’d throw out some reflections from my most recent 3 State, 8 day trip. Throughout this trip I had the privilege of speaking to the ‘whole’ of what encompasses a majority of the Christian community:
Spoke (and preached) in 2 churches (Lawndale Chicago and Harbor San Diego)
Spoke to 2,000 pastors about what it means to productively build bridges with gays and lesbians in their local communities (National Pastors Convention)
Spoke to a couple hundred college students about making a significant impact on their college campuses by going places they don’t fit in, or belong (Jubilee Conference)
A few major things stuck out to me throughout the past 8 days….
Lawndale is Legitimate
It was one of the major honors of my life to have a chance to speak at both services at Lawndale Community Church. The white, Wayne ‘Coach’ Gordon, founded LCC a few decades ago in the absolute middle of the worst neighborhood in Chicago. 30 years later the Lord has used him to totally change the culture of what it is to live in, and work in Lawndale. Coach founded the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) with Dr. John Perkins, and they have taken their model of the 3Rs: Relocation, Reconciliation and Redistribution, across the world [yes, it’s the same model I have used with The Marin Foundation since our inception]. In working with the Federal Government, Coach has been able to receive millions of dollars in grants in which 100% of that goes directly into the Lawndale community, culminating in one of their most recent projects—a brand new state of the art health center which includes a full hospital (English and Spanish), a brand new workout facility, gyms, pools, etc.—the nicest this world has to offer, all placed in the middle of a neighborhood nobody believed in. The moment I stepped into their sanctuary (no, LCC is not a mega-church, nor does it have any new buildings), the Spirit of the Lord was so clearly present. I didn’t expect to be swept away with such emotion, but as I walked in I realized that each person who enters those doors want to be there, want to love the Lord, want to worship, and have each made a cognizant choice to do so—because everything in their neighborhood goes against those choices. What a powerful pace, LCC and its congregation. And I was just humbled to participate in their history in some small way.
National Pastors Convention (NPC) is Legitimate
Just go to the link of NPC above, and check out the caliber of folks who were apart of this extraordinary event. Everywhere you turned was a “famous” Christian pastor or author just chillin’ in the San Diego sun, open to whatever conversations they might happen upon. Throughout the week I had some of the most mind-blowing, stimulating conversations of my life! On one of the days, I also felt kind of like cattle getting herded around from interview to interview by my publicist (which, by the way, I was totally ok with!!!); from Rev! Magazine to Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal to Outreach Magazine to the LA Times to the Ooze.com. And I got to finally meet and hang out with a man I’m totally obsessed with: AJ Jacobs, who wrote the New York Times bestsellers Year of Living Biblically and the Know It All. If I could just follow him around my whole life, I’d be a happy guy. What an experience! As for my times of speaking, check this out: NPC partnered with the Christian Global Network Television (CGNTV), and CGNTV chose to broadcast (translated into various languages) my Answering the Tough Questions on Sexual Identity workshop on their station—reaching as far as South Korea! Wow…I don’t have much else to say about that! And then during the introduction to my time speaking at the General Session on Thursday evening, Andy Crouch, who is the Senior Editor at Christianity Today International and author of Publisher’s Weekly 2008 Best Religion Books: Culture Making, said in front of 2,000 pastors:
“I just finished reading Love is an Orientation last night, and I have to tell all of you that this book is explosive! And I don’t know where or how the dust will settle … but that is the exciting, yet very scary part. I have never read anything like it before.”
How about that for an introduction—and I just met the man about fifteen minutes before he said that!? I never expected anything like that. In some not-so-small-way, it’s just another reminder of the importance and uniqueness of what the Lord has asked us to faithfully do as a distinct follower of Him; completely backwards to what the Christian community has always done.
Jubilee is Legitimate
The last time I was in Pittsburgh the crowd wasn’t really too excited about my message. But there’s no better way to change that then to get a bunch of hungry and eager college kids riled up about a bridge building message between them and the GLBT community! It was such an exhilarating (and ridiculously refreshing) time to see the undying and raw passion that so many college kids have, yearning to know how to productively build bridges with their gay and lesbian classmates and campus groups. I just wish you all could have been there experiencing the excitement, yells and Spirit-lead passion these kids had—interactively soaking up each of my words with the anticipation of getting back on campus to counterculturally immerse themselves where they all know Christ would have been. No more walls; no more barriers; no more campus directors persuading them not to experience a life different from theirs! We’re moving this thing grass-roots style, and I can’t wait to see how the Lord will continue to work.
Conclusion
All though I was on the road for 8 consecutive days, having 14-16 hour days of non-stop talking, meeting and collaborating (or as Shane Claiborne says: Plotting Goodness), I have returned better off then when I left! Be encouraged as well—because when I go to all of these places I’m going for all of us, representing each and every bridge builder out there who longs to see a new day of reconciliation in this culture war.
Much love.
http://www.themarinfoundation.org/
Spoke (and preached) in 2 churches (Lawndale Chicago and Harbor San Diego)
Spoke to 2,000 pastors about what it means to productively build bridges with gays and lesbians in their local communities (National Pastors Convention)
Spoke to a couple hundred college students about making a significant impact on their college campuses by going places they don’t fit in, or belong (Jubilee Conference)
A few major things stuck out to me throughout the past 8 days….
Lawndale is Legitimate
It was one of the major honors of my life to have a chance to speak at both services at Lawndale Community Church. The white, Wayne ‘Coach’ Gordon, founded LCC a few decades ago in the absolute middle of the worst neighborhood in Chicago. 30 years later the Lord has used him to totally change the culture of what it is to live in, and work in Lawndale. Coach founded the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) with Dr. John Perkins, and they have taken their model of the 3Rs: Relocation, Reconciliation and Redistribution, across the world [yes, it’s the same model I have used with The Marin Foundation since our inception]. In working with the Federal Government, Coach has been able to receive millions of dollars in grants in which 100% of that goes directly into the Lawndale community, culminating in one of their most recent projects—a brand new state of the art health center which includes a full hospital (English and Spanish), a brand new workout facility, gyms, pools, etc.—the nicest this world has to offer, all placed in the middle of a neighborhood nobody believed in. The moment I stepped into their sanctuary (no, LCC is not a mega-church, nor does it have any new buildings), the Spirit of the Lord was so clearly present. I didn’t expect to be swept away with such emotion, but as I walked in I realized that each person who enters those doors want to be there, want to love the Lord, want to worship, and have each made a cognizant choice to do so—because everything in their neighborhood goes against those choices. What a powerful pace, LCC and its congregation. And I was just humbled to participate in their history in some small way.
National Pastors Convention (NPC) is Legitimate
Just go to the link of NPC above, and check out the caliber of folks who were apart of this extraordinary event. Everywhere you turned was a “famous” Christian pastor or author just chillin’ in the San Diego sun, open to whatever conversations they might happen upon. Throughout the week I had some of the most mind-blowing, stimulating conversations of my life! On one of the days, I also felt kind of like cattle getting herded around from interview to interview by my publicist (which, by the way, I was totally ok with!!!); from Rev! Magazine to Christianity Today’s Leadership Journal to Outreach Magazine to the LA Times to the Ooze.com. And I got to finally meet and hang out with a man I’m totally obsessed with: AJ Jacobs, who wrote the New York Times bestsellers Year of Living Biblically and the Know It All. If I could just follow him around my whole life, I’d be a happy guy. What an experience! As for my times of speaking, check this out: NPC partnered with the Christian Global Network Television (CGNTV), and CGNTV chose to broadcast (translated into various languages) my Answering the Tough Questions on Sexual Identity workshop on their station—reaching as far as South Korea! Wow…I don’t have much else to say about that! And then during the introduction to my time speaking at the General Session on Thursday evening, Andy Crouch, who is the Senior Editor at Christianity Today International and author of Publisher’s Weekly 2008 Best Religion Books: Culture Making, said in front of 2,000 pastors:
“I just finished reading Love is an Orientation last night, and I have to tell all of you that this book is explosive! And I don’t know where or how the dust will settle … but that is the exciting, yet very scary part. I have never read anything like it before.”
How about that for an introduction—and I just met the man about fifteen minutes before he said that!? I never expected anything like that. In some not-so-small-way, it’s just another reminder of the importance and uniqueness of what the Lord has asked us to faithfully do as a distinct follower of Him; completely backwards to what the Christian community has always done.
Jubilee is Legitimate
The last time I was in Pittsburgh the crowd wasn’t really too excited about my message. But there’s no better way to change that then to get a bunch of hungry and eager college kids riled up about a bridge building message between them and the GLBT community! It was such an exhilarating (and ridiculously refreshing) time to see the undying and raw passion that so many college kids have, yearning to know how to productively build bridges with their gay and lesbian classmates and campus groups. I just wish you all could have been there experiencing the excitement, yells and Spirit-lead passion these kids had—interactively soaking up each of my words with the anticipation of getting back on campus to counterculturally immerse themselves where they all know Christ would have been. No more walls; no more barriers; no more campus directors persuading them not to experience a life different from theirs! We’re moving this thing grass-roots style, and I can’t wait to see how the Lord will continue to work.
Conclusion
All though I was on the road for 8 consecutive days, having 14-16 hour days of non-stop talking, meeting and collaborating (or as Shane Claiborne says: Plotting Goodness), I have returned better off then when I left! Be encouraged as well—because when I go to all of these places I’m going for all of us, representing each and every bridge builder out there who longs to see a new day of reconciliation in this culture war.
Much love.
http://www.themarinfoundation.org/
Friday, January 9, 2009
Big Personal News about the Inauguration
I recently got a phone call from the Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Coalition in Washington DC—and they asked if I could speak at their interfaith service and vigil the night before the Inauguration. The theme of the service is Peaceful Nonviolence, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. I will be talking about the impact of homophobia and bridging the evangelical community (originally there was a well-known Jewish Rabbi who was to talk generally on the topic of homophobia, but due to a cancellation they thought an evangelical Christian instead, would raise eyebrows; and they thought of me!). Among the others (from a variety of different faiths) who will be speaking is Jim Wallis from Sojourners, and in attendance at their DC service will be a variety of Washington politicians and governmental elite.
What a sweet opportunity! I feel so blessed and I am very excited for this chance to be in Washington the night before the Inauguration and talk about the importance of God’s call and command to build bridges between His children and the GLBT community. And to think that there will be other faiths and politicians in attendance, pray that the Lord’s words through me that night will draw many more people to Him.
Much love.
http://www.themarinfoundation.org/
What a sweet opportunity! I feel so blessed and I am very excited for this chance to be in Washington the night before the Inauguration and talk about the importance of God’s call and command to build bridges between His children and the GLBT community. And to think that there will be other faiths and politicians in attendance, pray that the Lord’s words through me that night will draw many more people to Him.
Much love.
http://www.themarinfoundation.org/
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Big Fall Season Starts Tuesday
Starting this Tuesday, October 7th, I begin my 2 ½ months of ‘round the country speaking about The Marin Foundation and our bridge building work! Here is my upcoming schedule (thus far), and I ask that you please pray for me – my mind, safety and productivity as I move from one place to the next trying to make a significant impact for the Kingdom within the gay and conservative communities.
Throughout this time of speaking I also have to completely finish editing my book, keep up with my graduate work, celebrate my 1 year wedding anniversary, run The Marin Foundation and love my wife! It’ll be crazy, but more than that, it is what the Lord put me here to do!
So, here we go …
October 7-9 The Coalition will be hosting the 2nd Pastor’s Roundtable, this time for the Progressive Inclusive Christian pastors to be held in Long Beach, CA.
October 10-13 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento, CA. For more information
please visit http://www.nywc.com/. Times as follows:
October 10 General Session with Shane Claiborne (Jesus for President)
and Jarrett Stevens (The Deity Formerly Known as God)
7:30-9:45pm
October 10 Individual Talk Back Session from 10:15-11:15pm
October 11 Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth (8- 9:30am)
October 12 How to Productively Answer the Tough Questions about Sexual Identity (3:30-5pm)
October 17-19 Andrew Marin will be officiating a Wedding in Tampa
October 22-26 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Christian Community Development
Association (CCDA) National Conference in Miami, FL. For more
information please visit http://www.ccda.org/.
Thursday October 23 from 3-4:15pm and Saturday October 25 from 1-
2:15pm
October 31-November 3 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Youth Specialties National
Youth Workers Convention in Pittsburgh, PA. For more
information please visit http://www.nywc.com/. Times as follows:
October 31 General Session with Margaret Feinberg (The Sacred Echo
and Organic God) and Soong-Chan Rah (Growing Healthy
Asian-American Churches) 7:30-9:45pm
October 31 Individual Talk Back Session from 10:15-11:15pm
November 1 Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth (8- 9:30am)
November 2 How to Productively Answer the Tough Questions about Sexual Identity (3:30-5pm)
November 10-12 Andrew Marin will be speaking at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas,
TX. For more information please visit http://www.ethosdallas.org/.
November 14-16 The Coalition will be hosting the 3rd event in the Southern California
Series. This is an all-day training open to the public to bring the
Conservative Christians and the GLBT community together. For more
information to participate, please contact John Lewis from Urban Youth
Workers Institute – john@uywi.org
November 21-24 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Nashville, TN. For more
information please visit http://www.nywc.com/. Times as follows:
November 21 General Session with Shane Claiborne (Jesus for President),
Tony Campolo (Eastern University) and music by the David
Crowder Band 7:30-9:45pm
November 21 Individual Talk Back Session from 10:15-11:15pm
November 22 Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth (8- 9:30am)
November 23 How to Productively Answer the Tough Questions about Sexual Identity (3:30-5pm)
December 9-11 Andrew Marin will be in Philadelphia, PA attending The Gathering hosted
by Tony and Bart Campolo at the National Christian Conference Center.
Much love.
www.themarinfoundation.org
Throughout this time of speaking I also have to completely finish editing my book, keep up with my graduate work, celebrate my 1 year wedding anniversary, run The Marin Foundation and love my wife! It’ll be crazy, but more than that, it is what the Lord put me here to do!
So, here we go …
October 7-9 The Coalition will be hosting the 2nd Pastor’s Roundtable, this time for the Progressive Inclusive Christian pastors to be held in Long Beach, CA.
October 10-13 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento, CA. For more information
please visit http://www.nywc.com/. Times as follows:
October 10 General Session with Shane Claiborne (Jesus for President)
and Jarrett Stevens (The Deity Formerly Known as God)
7:30-9:45pm
October 10 Individual Talk Back Session from 10:15-11:15pm
October 11 Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth (8- 9:30am)
October 12 How to Productively Answer the Tough Questions about Sexual Identity (3:30-5pm)
October 17-19 Andrew Marin will be officiating a Wedding in Tampa
October 22-26 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Christian Community Development
Association (CCDA) National Conference in Miami, FL. For more
information please visit http://www.ccda.org/.
Thursday October 23 from 3-4:15pm and Saturday October 25 from 1-
2:15pm
October 31-November 3 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Youth Specialties National
Youth Workers Convention in Pittsburgh, PA. For more
information please visit http://www.nywc.com/. Times as follows:
October 31 General Session with Margaret Feinberg (The Sacred Echo
and Organic God) and Soong-Chan Rah (Growing Healthy
Asian-American Churches) 7:30-9:45pm
October 31 Individual Talk Back Session from 10:15-11:15pm
November 1 Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth (8- 9:30am)
November 2 How to Productively Answer the Tough Questions about Sexual Identity (3:30-5pm)
November 10-12 Andrew Marin will be speaking at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas,
TX. For more information please visit http://www.ethosdallas.org/.
November 14-16 The Coalition will be hosting the 3rd event in the Southern California
Series. This is an all-day training open to the public to bring the
Conservative Christians and the GLBT community together. For more
information to participate, please contact John Lewis from Urban Youth
Workers Institute – john@uywi.org
November 21-24 Andrew Marin will be speaking at the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Nashville, TN. For more
information please visit http://www.nywc.com/. Times as follows:
November 21 General Session with Shane Claiborne (Jesus for President),
Tony Campolo (Eastern University) and music by the David
Crowder Band 7:30-9:45pm
November 21 Individual Talk Back Session from 10:15-11:15pm
November 22 Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth (8- 9:30am)
November 23 How to Productively Answer the Tough Questions about Sexual Identity (3:30-5pm)
December 9-11 Andrew Marin will be in Philadelphia, PA attending The Gathering hosted
by Tony and Bart Campolo at the National Christian Conference Center.
Much love.
www.themarinfoundation.org
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