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Wondering Pilgrim

~ the ramblings of a perambulent and often distracted sojourner

Wondering Pilgrim

Monthly Archives: July 2008

Opening night of WCCC Nashville

31 Thursday Jul 2008

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in churches of christ, nashville, restoration movement, Stone-Campbell

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churches of christ, nashville, restoration movement, Stone-Campbell

A French youth choir, contemporary gospel, the parade of flags representing the 150 countries in which RM is present, a reading of a portion of John 17 in Maharathi (sp?) and a rip roaring Black American style sermon by Cynthia Hale kicked this Convention off to a good start. Cynthia grasped the nettle using both John 17 and Ephesians 4:1-6 as the base for her oft repeated assertion “It ain’t complicated!” What ain’t complicated? The call of the church in general and the various streams of the RM in particular to be united in Christ. Reminded me again of the observation several days ago. “Christ said we are one – we just imagine we are not.” There was a standing ovation when she concluded.

Nashville update

30 Wednesday Jul 2008

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churches of christ, nashville, restoration movement, Stone-Campbell

Back in Nashville where my wifi doesn’t connect for some reason – so I cant upload all I have written on the last few days travelling through historic sites relating to the beginning of Churches of Christ and the Restoration Movement. Today was the Leaders’ Forum of World Convention and the hordes are descending for the next few days of inspiration and fellowship on a global scale, even if not as well registered for as one might expect. Feeling pretty beat and in need of some rest. Just got drenched in another Tennessee thunderstorm (some relief from the 95 degree heat, anyway!) I will upload the evening and morning I spent as a guest of the Campbell clan and, later, the hospitality of the Shaker Village as soon as I can make a connection.

This is where it began

28 Monday Jul 2008

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Cane Ridge, restoration movement, Stone-Campbell


Sitting in this rough hewn log cabin church at Cane Ridge near Paris, Kentucky – the focus of the revivals of the Second Great Awakening on America’s western frontier in the early 1800s – is a special experience for those steeped in the principles and witness of the Restoration Movement. Even by today’s standards, this place is remote and off the beaten track. Yet tens of thousands gathered and camped here for all sorts of reasons, the main draw card being unusual manifestations of the Holy Spirit as revival preachers of all sorts roamed around the campsites evangelising and serving communion under the eye of Barton Stone. Not many are knowledgeable and/or comfortable with such a phenomena being so critical to the rational foundation of RM history. It was both Stone and Alexander Campbell’s claim, however, that a profession of faith in Christ was based not only on careful logical thought but was equally a matter of the heart. Sharing communion here with the tour group was indeed a “thin spaces” occasion.

Nashville Pilgrim’s Progress – the beginning

26 Saturday Jul 2008

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in churches of christ, nashville, restoration movement, Stone-Campbell

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churches of christ, nashville, travel

Right – just found a place that seems able to connect with my little Asus eee, so here’s the prequel to the above.- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } –>

  1. How to kill time in transit at the vast Changi air

    terminal – although kill’s probably not the right word. When you’ve got five hours freedom from being straight jacketed in economy class for 22 hours, transit is a gift. “People watching” one pamphlet suggests. I found a place in this spread out city of terminals where there were no people to watch – just a spot to relax and unwind – lots of wide open spaces here – you have to hunt them down though. This photo is taken on the elusive third deck of Terminal 3.

  2. Taipei – an unexpected stop where we disembarked,went through another security check and re-boarded. It was 2300 after an 0500 start. The 2 hour journey across x time zones and the date line then commenced. Tried to catch some zeds but was woken twice for meals even though I wasn’t taking them. Fully crowded flight.

  3. Los Angeles. Border protection! What an experience – a frantic cranky pressing crowd from several international flights all pressed together and being herded along gangways, tunnels and through doors into something like sheep races. (Remember that scene from Crocodile Dundee?) My attempts at courtesy were met with scornful derision by some and open mouthed bewilderment by others. The accepted custom seems to be “Mind your own business” and don’t respond to another’s distress. This was noticeably the case when a small Asian woman was trying to grab her elusive bag from the carousel – which seemed much higher than most. It was making it’s third circuit when I lunged and grabbed it for her. She was grateful but the surrounding crowd stared like stunned mullets as if this was an audacious action. Perhaps they thought I was going to run off with it! I also let a group of Spanish speaking people in front of me because they were separated from each other and somewhat agitated. The lady immediately behind me berated my action, saying it would have been nice if I had had the manners and magnamity to let her in as well. I apologised and responded that, if she was part of the group, she was quite welcome to go before me. Even if she was not. I stood aside to allow her ahead. She refused and said nothing more. The immigration interview was an abrupt, “What is the purpose of your visit?… How long are you staying?… bye bye!” About 50 minutes altogether which wasn’t bad considering the large crowd, many of whom were having trouble filling out the immigration forms through lack of English. Thanks to Google Maps and Street View, I already had the route to my overnight stay imprinted on my brain. It was a healthy 30 minute walk from the terminal. Great stretch of the legs! Great bed! Great breakfast!

  4. People watching. Unavoidable on return to LAX for Nashville connection. The world passes through this place. An hour’s wait at check-in did not pass without interest – the prolific amount of Spanish spoken – the paparazzi chasing celebrities who most vehemently do not want to be photographed, Rastafarians on skateboards, uniformed folk shouting at crowds of confused looking travelers, too-late commuters banging on terminal observation glass trying to get their departing aircraft to return. Everyone speaks loudly announcing their conversations for all to hear. The obesity issue is notably common.

  5. Tipping. Not sure how this works but I’ve done it twice – the bloke who delivered my breakfast and the shuttle baggage handler. $5 a piece and the response was generous. A lot of these jobs are at minimum wages and tips are the only way that those in the service industry – mostly immigrants – can keep body and soul together. For the traveler, the cost of living seems to be cheaper here when one does the exchange calculations so I think it’s a win/win situation. (Later note – the tipping left for the chambermaid at my Nashville stay was refused – so go figure!)

  6. Through the Looking Glass. I thought my feeling of disorientation was due to jet lag. I’m now convinced that it’s due to the effect of “opposites.” It’s all pervasive. The traffic drives on the opposite side and the pedestrian flows echo it. Light switches are “upside down.” Hot and cold water taps are reversed. Whereas GST is included in the advertised price at home, here it is added on – necessitating keeping an internal calculator in one’s head. It grants me a new appreciation of what newcomers to our own shores must experience as old yet benign habits are continually challenged.

  7. Nashville – with what first impressions shall I compare thee? Right now I’m thinking Ballarat – a large busy country town with a lot of history and ambience – but rather than gold it’s country music (another kind of gold) that puts this place on the map. My room looks out on the Union Station Hotel – a grand old building from the early 1900s when Nashville was more famous as a rail hub. An African-American man (who worked for a company called “Driving Miss Daisy”) offered me a ride from the airport for $20. Travel weariness had set in and I wasn’t in the mood to hunt down a hotel shuttle and I thought it a good price so agreed. The conversation and local knowledge was worth it. After settling in I ventured out at dusk to find a bite to eat – just a snack. The only thing that looked open was McDonald’s and it was actually closing (yes, I know, hard to imagine!) Lots of down and outers around. I must have seemed like one because the young man behind the gas station counter offered to pay the extra 20 cents for my $5.20 turkey sandwich and drink. Off to bed now – three whole days in one place with time to soak in! (Later note – went back to the Golden Arches the next day about 6pm thinking to get a light salad having had an Angus beef sub with trimmings for lunch. Ordered a South West Premium Salad thinking it would be the modest size of those served back home. Well this is super-size country and it came with deep grilled chicken on a huge dinner plate. One can eat quite well here on a very modest budget.)

  8. Downtown comes alive. Around mid-afternoon, every delicatessen, beer-hall, bar and eatery in the “honky-tonk” strip begins to vibrate with all the genres of live country music. I shoved my way past about ten places in a row that were filling up with people to listen to the live performances – and that was before hitting the 2nd Avenue entertainment strip.

  9. Met up with Clive and Cherryl today we were soon drenched in a good ol’ Tennessee thunderstorm. Some java coffee in an old icecream parlour sorted us out. Later visited the Country Music Hall of Fame a masterpiece of modern architecture that showcased the development and rise of country music in elegant style. Just as elegant was the more classically styled music conservatory alongside, not in competition, but as complimentary. a harbinger, perhaps of the diverse streamscoming together for this convention.

 

 

Signing in from Nashville

24 Thursday Jul 2008

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in churches of christ, nashville, restoration movement, Stone-Campbell

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mission, nashville, poverty

G’day readers, here we are. Lots of stuff already written up for this pilgrim’s journal here, but there’s a problem connecting my laptop to the hotel’s wifi system, so until I find a hotspot that works, I’m using the public internet in the lobby. I’ll load the report on the journey here when I can. Circadian rhythms have just about righted themselves, so I’m just taking a relaxing day wandering around the downtown area and getting some orientation. Ended up under some trees on the river bank just past a replica of the fort from which Nashville was founded. Pretty hot and muggy, so stayed there a while reading up on Alexander Campbell’s life story as imaged in “Fool of God.” Hopefully good preparation for the tour over the weekend of historic sites associated with him. Looking for an ATM in the downtown district, one could not help but notice the proliferation of notices warning against giving money to “panhandlers” – the fine print advised it was preferable to give food and water, but also gave a phone number to which one could refer those in need. On the river bank I was aware that I was sharing the shade with a range of possible homeless wanderers. Rammed into a bench was a crumpled newspaper published by a homeless advocacy group. Right on the spot I could learn about the plight of the poor in this region and the challenge to assist that is being addressed largely by the churches. The problem is that food distribution points are best accessible by car and the main mode of transport for the homeless is walking. The advocacy group has a centre in the downtown district from which they can give advice and support, but the lease does not allow them to give material assistance from the premises. Lobbying for government funding for homeless assistance programs seems to be part of their work as well. The talk in the general media is about raised levels of anxiety as more families become homeless due to the sub-prime crisis. It will be interesting in convention week to hear some perspectives on this, and whether there is strength in the so-called domino-effect on our own country – and also clues that may help a similar but different crisis for the growing number of homeless in Perth.

Off to Nashville, Tennessee

11 Friday Jul 2008

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in churches of christ, convention, nashville, pilgrimage, restoration movement, travel

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Why would a home territory boy like me suddenly take off to cowboy country in the USA? A love for country music? Nup! Hiding from the law? No way! Three quarter life crisis? Don’t think so. I’m sure it’s something to do with the hosting of the World Convention of Churches of Christ. It’s one of the few occassions left for the gathering of our movement on a large scale. National Conferences are pretty much a thing of the past in this paradoxical age of decentralisation and, yet, vast access to the universe through technology. I’ve only ever attended World Convention on two other occasions, both when Australia was host – Adelaide in 1970 and Brisbane in 2000. So why Nashville in 2008?

Several reasons:

  1. Nashville is close to some of the historic roots that gave birth to the Restoration Movement, the church family I have most identified with from the age of four. A great opportunity to connect here as churches from all over the world consider how the principles of this movement are best interpreted for the 21st Century.
  2. Networking – living in what is sometimes called “the most isolated capital city in the world” can foster an unconscious parochial outlook, internet not withstanding. Close proximity for a couple of weeks to a wide range of international personalities will assist my antibodies in fighting off any lurking isolationist virus!
  3. The very process of overseas travel of which I have fleeting experience is stimulating my resourcefulness. I have learned a lot. I don’t want to present myself as a “mark” by looking like a naive open-mouthed tourist as I weave my way through unfamiliar territory in getting to Nashville – nor do I want to be an obnoxious know-it-all. Let me be a pilgrim – well prepared and open to learning along the way. “Awareness” is what I pray for on a journey that is structured but not rigid.

I hope to use this blog that has endured several recent fallow periods as a journal for reflections along the way. ETD is just over a week away. The week is chockablock with work to be done so next time I blog will probably be enroute.

Janet’s blogging!

02 Wednesday Jul 2008

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Africa, mission

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It took a trip to Africa to get my sister blogging. Janet recently returned from a few weeks voluntary work at Kitgum, Uganda. She intended to blog while there – but things were pretty full on. She’s starting to put her reflections down now and the blog should build over the next little while. You can read her blog by clicking here.

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