Progressive Christians flock to Wild Goose festival!

By Norman Jameson

Monday, June 27, 2011

PITTSBORO, N.C. (ABP) -- From Ontario, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta and dozens of towns and cities between people pulled into the dusty pasture in rural central North Carolina to see if four days chasing the wild goose in community with others could crack barriers and deepen their spiritual lives. The Wild Goose is a Celtic metaphor for the Holy Spirit. It is also the adopted name of a young organization and of the first event it sponsored June 23-26 that drew some 1,500 to Shakori Hills near Pittsboro, N.C. The Wild Goose Festival is fashioned after the Green Belt festivals in England that have drawn crowds for 37 years. Mike Morrell, left, is publicity director for Wild Goose. Garreth Higgins, a writer and film critic from Northern Ireland, is executive director.   Far from being a Woodstock with Christian music, the Wild Goose Festival drew an eclectic crowd of various faiths, primarily Christian, who ranged in age from toddlers to totterers. While they were diverse, their common accouterments were sandals, water bottles, hats and personal collapsible chairs.  “We wanted to create a gathering to promote justice, spirituality and art, with the hope to nurture a community of people who want to live out a more just and creative life,” said Mike Morrell, publicity director for Wild Goose. Stages and tents dotted the 72-acre art festival and concert venue, shading big name authors and musicians. Special interest venders ringed staging areas, knowing they found a receptive crowd. Social justice and the arrest of various evils such as torture, war, bad water and gender discrimination found articulate voice from volunteers who engaged anyone who would catch their eye. Engaging people was easy. Beneath the shade of every tree and tent spontaneous conversations ignited with a simple look or comment about the words of the latest speaker or the song of the latest singer. Families tossed a softball during breaks and mingled easily among friends they’d yet to meet. In one tent folks hoisted mugs and praise in the manner of Martin Luther during a “beer and hymns” hour. The four-day international lineup would be a draw wherever they might gather. Just a sampling: Tony and Bart Campolo, Michael Hardin, Phyllis Tickle, Steve Lawson, Tom Prasada, Doug Pagitt, Brian McLaren, Lynn Hybels, Margot Starbuck, Jim Wallis, Abdullah Antepli, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Shane Claiborne, Ed Dobson, Tom Sine, Paul Knitter, Frank Schaeffer and Nancy Hastings Sehested. Musicians such as Jennifer Knapp, The Psalters, Derek Webb and Billy Jonas kept thoughtful, fun and worshipful music strains seeping through the oaks and riding the breezes almost constantly from several venues. Contributors were names familiar to those who just read a newspaper or watch the evening news and many more familiar to more narrowly defined niches in the well-read crowd. All waived their appearance fees. To a friendly audience, Brian McLaren explained how he’s dealt with criticism of his work. He said he’s just glad it came when he was mature enough to handle it. Brian McLaren said Jesus' role was to save humanity from itself and turn it to God, not to be a cleaver that divided people into a "heaven bin or a hell bin." (ABP photos by Norman Jameson) “The Christian environment is such an unsafe place that people fear to speak their mind,” he said. “It shouldn’t be such a cruel and terrifying place.” He’s realized that often his critics don’t even understand what he’s saying and criticism comes from “people paid to be guard dogs. When a stranger is at the gate, they’re to bark.” Jim Wallis spoke of the “idolatry of politics” and Frank Schaeffer of the calamity of wealth concentration in the hands of a few. In the United States, he said, just one 10th of 1 percent of persons control 25 percent of the wealth. Wallis said the problem with current politics is that it offers no solutions. Big problems have easy solutions, he said. To fix global poverty, “invest in women and girls.” To fix domestic poverty, “fix the scandal of education.” To fix the deficit “treat the budget as a moral document.” Organizers would say there was neither “performer” nor “audience.” Everyone was either a “contributor” or a “participant,” according to Garreth Higgins, a native of Northern Ireland who is executive director of Wild Goose. The Wild Goose board was formed just two years ago, although the idea has been percolating much longer. Higgins, who lives in Durham, N.C., was hired in March 2010. Wild Goose is chartered in Kansas City, basically because that’s where board chair Mike King lives. He and Morrell are members of an Alliance of Baptists and United Church of Christ church start known as Trinity’s Place. “The Spirit of God flows, and we just stepped into the flow,” Higgins said. The outdoor venue, rather than a conference center or hotel, provides a reminder not to “take ourselves too seriously,” he said. Everyone is “sweating together,” sharing food and portable toilets. Many camped in tents on the grounds for three nights. The lone commonality among participants is likely their universal search for a spiritual reality more creative and gripping than what they’ve found in a local congregation. “Religious institutions historically have been bad in modeling creativity,” Higgins said, while acknowledging exceptions such as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and ancient sculpture and cathedrals. “Too much about the way religion is done is imposing rules. “I want this space to tap into the source of inexhaustible love, which is God,” Higgins said. “I want people to go through the next year full of love and inspiration – to love ourselves better and others more.” Morrell said one goal of Wild Goose is to “create a reconciling space by way of Jesus.” “Our goal is not to convince anyone of anything,” he said. “But if we all have dignity the world will be a better place.” -30- Norman Jameson is reporting and coordinating special projects for ABP on an interim basis. He is former editor of the North Carolina Biblical Recorder.  This blog copied from the Associated Baptist Press at http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/6517/53/

Mission Trip to Tarahumara Mexico.

Mission Trip to Tarahumara

In my travels I meet some fascinating people which included recently the artist Bill Baker. His amazing pastels are a beautiful record of some of the most remote traditional cultures around the world. So when he invited me on an extreme mission trip to Mexico I knew the Holy Spirit was planning another adventure.

My mission trip to Mexico was a little dangerous. The day we were to travel, the front page of my Yahoo had an article on the drug wars in Juarez, stating that 4,000 people had been killed recently and a total of 13,000 in the last three years in Mexico. We had to travel through Juarez twice for this trip and as stated in the article - one of the most dangerous cities in the world. We prayed that our car would be invisible! I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico, one of my favorite states. Bill Baker and myself, with our interpreter, Eva, stopped off along the way to pick bags full of apples to take. I saw a Roadrunner (the state bird) run along an adobe wall and I was very excited. I took this as a sign of blessing from God as the mission trip we were on was for Roadrunner Ministries International. We drove through to El Paso, Texas and stayed the night on the border. In the morning we crossed Juarez and got our visas - Bill finally got his visa approved and we prayed our way to Chihuahua City. We then prayed our way through several thunderstorms and watched them move to our side. In the evening we made it into the Copper Canyon and Creel - a small town that reminds me remotely of a ski resort town. It snows here in winter but the weather was lovely this time of year. Bill told us that last year the entire police force in this town were killed by the drug lords. Hmmm more prayer! The next morning we drove into the Copper Canyon and found small villages along the way to minister to. We gave out CD's with the gospel in Tarahumara. The CD's had testimonies, the Gospel and some worship songs in their native tongue. All who received them were grateful and some had tears in their eyes, as this was the first time they had received such a gift. Some of these CD's will be played over and over and over and shared with their extended families. We continued through incredibly beautiful landscape - enormous rocks, fir trees and fields of bright green corn. We passed through many rivers and past log cabin villages. We decided to go to a remote town deep in the canyon. We took the 4WD up incredibly steep roads on mountain ridges till we thought we were lost on an old logging trail. Finally we came down into a valley where we could see houses. We had made it! We found a place to stay in the dormitory of the school. I played basketball with the kids and 'hide-and-go-seek' with some of the local boys around the huge magnificent boulders out the back. I had bought school supplies to give out and bubbles. The next morning we walked to each house taking photos and giving out CD's. The reason we took photos was because Bill Baker is an incredibly talented artist and he takes these photos back home and then paints with pastels beautiful scenes of these people to raise money for more trips. Bill has been to over 50 countries sometimes hiking for days to find the most remote people to share the gospel. He has many amazing stories of God's provision and protection from his travels to the ends of the earth! The Tarahumara are an incredibly colorful but rather shy people. They wear sandals made from old tires called huaraches and are known for their stamina as they can run for days chasing a deer until it drops from exhaustion. They are the fastest endurance runners in the world. They live in the valleys of the Copper Canyon, four times the size of the Grand Canyon. They evaded the Conquistadors for the most part, yet still attend a Catholic service every Sunday and hold festivals mixed between Christianity and their own religion. When ministering to a different culture it is important to consider the impact you may be making. Doing aid work, even being generous like giving a candy or a dollar to the children, can be very damaging to an entire community as they may not have dental services. Children may not go to school when they can earn more than the average daily wage by begging from tourists. Native people around the world are always in danger of losing their traditional culture and we as missionaries need to think 'in what ways will I be impacting and influencing this area'. The traditional dress of these villages is slowly disappearing with the men no longer wearing their "zapetas" (loincloths). The Mexican government is planning to bring hotels into the Copper Canyon to bring the tourists. This will increase employment in the tourist industry and the desire and ability to purchase western products. Coca Cola bottles and cans already littered the road on the way to these remote villages but Coca Cola built the dormitory and the beautiful school where we stayed. When entering these villages it holds a sense of sadness for what is to come. The young people are already out of control with drunken violence. They are poor yet with television are starting to see an outside world full of material goods and temporary relationships. What can we bring to them as Christ's followers that will not damage their unique identity and culture but treasure and strengthen it and bring them new life, freedom and joy. Will it be a western form of religion that tells them to worship in an 19th Century European style that isn't really working even for our young people? How often have we built churches with pews and given them some hymns in their language and suits and ties to wear and told them this is the true and only acceptable way to worship? Is this what we should continue to do? When will we start to think outside the box and see church as not a building or a set of behaviors but as a group of broken people living in community. The Tarahumara already have a Catholic form of religious worship yet have no real understanding of the gospel. The devastating tragedy of the first missionaries to Mexico and the Native Americans brought the threat of conversion to Catholicism or "we will chop off your hand"! How will we bring in the simple life changing power of the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, who bought liberation from bondage and healed people physically, spiritually and emotionally? How will we teach the power of a personal relationship with Jesus, to receive the Holy Spirit and learn how to hear the voice of God, to learn the power of prayer and how to love extravagantly, in families and in communities? I have been a missionary in the past and have seen the danger in being untrained in social anthropology (or another's culture) and even untrained in the basic gospel of Jesus. I could have done a lot of damage (I didn't do any good) and I felt that I had accomplished almost nothing except taught some people English and had fun in an exotic country. A few years later I attended a Discipleship Training School which changed my life forever, and I realised I had missed out on some essential training. Before I had been doing it in my own strength without any understanding of my true power in Jesus Christ, without an understanding of spiritual warfare or the importance of hearing God's voice. There are different ways of positively impacting different cultures, that don't detract from their God-given uniqueness, around the world and even cultures in our own countries. We need to be very aware of the impact we are making, the assumptions we make about what is good and evil in another culture, and we need to open our eyes to see where the real spiritual warfare is. Lets start to think about how to treasure the uniqueness of other people's cultures and help them deal with modernity that will help maintain their identity in God. Religion, church and Christianity doesn't need to look the same in every culture. Why do we think the way we do it is the way it should be done for everyone else? Maybe we should stop building church buildings that open one hour a week and start building community centers or discipling the Church as the group of sinners called the Body of Christ and think outside the box? Does anyone know any good books or articles suggesting a new form of missional approach to bring the power of God through discipleship to other cultures without the baggage of religious structured tradition? If you would like to discuss this article and give suggestions please comment at the end of this article. More photos of the beautiful Raramuri/Tarahumara in the Sierra Tarahumara/Madre of Mexico. For more information about Discipleship Training Schools around the world check out this video. If you would like Nicki to come to your school, conference or church to help infuse a passion for prayer please email: BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com

I am currently in the UK meeting some incredible people and attending some alternative worship events. I am preparing to join the European leaders of the 24-7 Prayer movement in Amsterdam for a conference before heading off to create prayer rooms in Kenya and Malawi. I am currently needing over $3000 to cover the airfare and other expenses so if you would like to be part of this incredible mission opportunity by sponsoring me I would be so grateful. I am looking for monthly sponsors so if you would like to partner with Blissful Ministries and become part of this creative ministry sharing the passion for prayer, it would be a great blessing. Because of the spiritual warfare in these countries I need a solid covering of prayer. I invite you to become a prayer warrior and whenever the Spirit prompts you to pray for the work I will be doing, for protection in mind, body and spirit and for adequate financial resources. I am grateful that God has provided for my needs and even for the desires of my heart, I am constantly amazed by his provision. He is a God who spoils and gives above and beyond. I have not regretted living this lifestyle with the adventures and faith and dependence it is teaching me. For a while it may seem easy and possible to live on almost no income but for the long term there definitely needs to be money coming in for bills and health insurance. If you would like to support this ministry financially (either with a one-time gift or monthly support) please contact me (donations are tax-deductible in the USA). Checks can be made out to FLASH Ministries (the non-profit 501c3 that is sponsoring my ministry). Please include 'Prayer Ministries' on the subject line and send it PO Box 495 Ooltewah, TN, 37363 USA. Donations by credit card are also accepted. Those in Australia or overseas can email BlissfulMinistries@yahoo.com for further details. Thank you for blessing this ministry and helping to change the culture of prayer. Blessings, Nicki Carleton I believe! Blissful Ministries PS. The above photo has been selected by Bill Baker to paint and I am very honored. If you would like to bid on the finished product please let me know! This church in Cusarrure looks after all the poor children in the community and these two precious girls are sitting at the foot of the cross in the church yard.

Prayer Rooms Update If you are in the location of a prayer room and would like to help or participate in a conference or mission please contact me. NOVEMBER: Malawi, Africa Three week Prayer Room and helping at an evangelistic meeting. OCTOBER: Amsterdam, Kenya Women's Mission and Safari, Masai Mara, Kenya October 9-15 Building a 24-7 Prayer Room Attending the International Gathering for 24-7 Prayer Leaders Europe October 1-4 SEPTEMBER: Ireland, UK, sharing at Newbold College. AUGUST: New Mexico, USA Mission trip to the remote Tarahumara People in the Copper Canyon Mexico. Sharing the gospel.

Farewell to Hawaii

My journey in Hawaii has come to a close. What an incredible four months of sharing God's passion for prayer with so many beautiful people. I have made wonderful friends here and thank each one for the Aloha spirit and will miss the smiles, the ohana and the white sand and turquoise waters.

I want to thank especially Lt Chaplain Mark Hughes who allowed me to use his house and car while I was on the island and he was on deployment. Without this incredibly generous sacrifice there is no way I would have been able to stay and do so much ministry. I am so grateful. I found my way here because of the Seibel’s encouragement and hospitality and am overwhelmed to have been so blessed.

It will be a joy to leave knowing that God is taking me on a new adventure and has things to accomplish through me in different places around the world. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty because I enjoy traveling, seeing beauty and doing new things so much but God knows what makes me happy and gives me the desires of my heart as I follow after him - other people have stability and jobs and family but luckily I am able to travel and do some random unique work that other people may not be able or want to do so I happily oblige... I love being a pilgrim, a missionary, a disciple.

I would ask that you continue to pray for me as the Spirit may prompt you in the next few months. My ministry usually involves an incredible amount of spiritual warfare but as I enter into new territories I know that it will increase. Here is my mission:

Sharing the gospel with the remote Tarahumarra People in the Copper Canyon Mexico .

Flying back to my base in Chattanooga Tenneesee to establish a permanent prayer room in the Collegedale Church .

Flying to Ireland , where I will be going to UK, France and Amsterdam working with 24-7 Prayer Boiler Rooms as they build prayer rooms in schools, and visiting the international gathering of the www.24-7Prayer.com leaders. I may also be putting on some interactive worship events at Newbold and Cologne colleges.

I will be helping to host a Women's Retreat, Mission and Safari in Kenya in October - if you or others would like to attend this incredible opportunity in Masai Mara please contact me.

Then I have been invited to go to Malawi for a three week evangelistic event for prayer and sharing the love of God.

How do I know God is my guide? My little miracle story...

The day I was to book my ticket to Europe I asked God, “Do you really want me to go to Europe it feels so selfish... is this what you want me to do?” I have been wanting to go to a 24-7 prayer gathering for two years now to find encouragement with other people in full time faith ministry like me that build prayer rooms and change the culture of prayer all over the world. So I asked God to speak to me and give me a sign as a confirmation. I asked him to guide me as I opened my Bible. I asked him to make the first text I looked at an encouragement to book my ticket.

Here's where me eye fell to the instant I opened my Bible.

Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

²³But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, ²⁴I plan to do so when I go to Spain . I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. ²⁶For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem . ²⁷They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. ²⁸So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. ²⁹I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

³⁰I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. ³¹Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, ³²so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. ³³The God of peace be with you all. Amen. Romans 15.23-33

As the tears fell I realized that I had God’s blessing and that his desire was to travel with me and we would enjoy doing this ministry together. I always thought I was working for God. At the same time I also knew that my ministry was 100% God and 0% me. I knew that his Holy Spirit was the one that inspired and produced all the ideas and gave me the strength to do it. Now I was seeing it from a different angle ~ I was assisting God on his mission and he enjoyed my company! I love this revelation of God’s heart and hope that you are encouraged too by this. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will be protected and guided and comforted, that all my needs will be supplied. I also look forward to some incredible times of ministry where I will be surprised by God. My faith has been increased as I know that it is all completely within God’s will. Great things happen with great faith and a Great God.

This is not the first time God has confirmed his will in such a razzle-dazzle way. Be encouraged to seek the heart and will of God. To hear his voice and confirm it so you are living and breathing the will of God.

Be blessed on the journey.

Nicola Carleton (Nicki Carleton - facebook)

i Believe!

Blissful Ministries

407-873-2809

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation in support of this ministry please email me!

PHOTOS: Different prayer rooms in Hawaii

Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.

May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.

A song of ascents. Psalm 134