Next Generation Baltimore » Artifacts

‘Heaven’ at Theology on Tap, 6/26

Tim — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:36:11 +0000

This week we are going to follow the lead of Stephen Colbert (dangerous perhaps, but likely humorous). On Thursday’s The Colbert Report, the guest was N.T. Wright talking about his book Surprised by Hope (which Colbert claims may be Hillary Clinton’s next book title). Wright is an Anglican Bishop in England and is writing about Heaven. He and Colbert have an interesting conversation about what heaven is like and its significance. You can watch their conversation here or below.

We too will talk about ‘Heaven’ on Thursday night–does Heaven exist? is Heaven an actual place? are there entrance requirements? would be really want to go to Heaven? what would heaven be like we when got there? and your questions too.

We are gathering at the Chesapeake Wine Co. from 8-10pm

Feel free to post a comment below as well.

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A story from Rwanda

Saranell — Fri, 23 May 2008 13:54:49 +0000

As we speak Tim Hartman and another Next Gen participant are at the Amahoro Gathering in Rwanda. Tim sent an encouraging story. Last year while in Uganda with Amahoro he met Mirielle who started and ran a clothing business.

Here’s the story: One of my personal highlights of the day was during the tea break when
Mirielle said that she wanted to talk to me. Essentially for the next
45 minutes she told me how she had used the $50 I gave her as an
investment after last year’s conference. Last year, I encouraged her
to use her business skills to encourage and empower other business
women. So when she went home, she found a friend of hers who had no
work and was just staying at home with her parents. Mirielle told her
that she would help her to start her own business selling clothes. So
Mirielle took her to Congo ($20 round trip for each of them, $40
total) and they stayed with a friend of Mirielle’s and they bought
some clothes and Mirielle instructed her how to run a business–such as
do not let anyone take clothes and tell you they will pay you later.
No cash, no clothes. So they went back to Burundi and the friend sold
the clothes, kept the profit–bought more clothes, paid Mirielle back,
and now is paying for herself to go to University and has a job too.
The whole time I am thinking to myself…really, really–our $50
actually made that big a difference! How remarkable and thanks be to
God!

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Growing Herbs?

Gina Baird — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:35:35 +0000

I’ve really felt encouraged and inspired to find new ways of “living responsibly”- thanks for letting me learn from everyone’s great ideas! Since we live in a 5th floor apartment, a garden isn’t really an option. However, when I went to the farmer’s market last weekend I came home with a new spice plant! The guy selling it said that they can grow indoors or outdoors, and I thought it might be a fun new way of “eating locally.” Anyways, I’ve now been learning about oregano plants, and other herbs - anyone know if it really can just grow properly sitting inside on our windowsill? Thanks!

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Gina Baird — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:12:19 +0000

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/environment/

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Earth Share

Gina Baird — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:22:22 +0000

Another great website. You may have even mentioned it before, but if you click on “Tips by Season” or “Tips by Topic” there are a lot of really great ideas! http://www.earthshare.org/get_involved/earth_saving_tips.html#by_season

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Baltimore Free Store

Gina Baird — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:57:26 +0000

I don’t know too much about this, other than the website appears to fit in perfectly with our recent conversations: http://freestorebaltimore.org/Home.html

Anyone know more?

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CNN’s Compassion Forum

Tim — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:21:32 +0000

So I watched CNN’s Compassion Forum on Sunday night (if you missed it, it’s on YouTube), as I watched my mind was going a mile-aminute. The format was CNN’s Campbell Brown and Newsweek’s Jon Meacham (along with various faith-leaders in the audience) asked 45 minutes of questions related to faith, the world, and the presidency–first to Hillary Clinton and then to Barack Obama. Some of the questions were (as Campbell Brown warned us) “deeply personal”.

What I found most striking was that these candidates were being asked so many questions that were beyond their field of expertise and right in mine. I’ve been to seminary; I’ve studied theology and the Bible. These advantages were not shared by Clinton and Obama. In contrast to most speeches by and debates among Presidential candidates, I found myself more knowlegeable about the issues. I am not an ‘expert’ on Health Care or Trade or Macroeconomic policy or international relations. Many times during the Compassion forum I heard what amounted to surface, pat answers which did not reflected the depth of the tension present in considering issues such as why evil exists or when life begins or whether God wants a certain person to be President. Are we asking too much of our candidates to expect that they could be experts on everything? And how much of our vote should be based on a candidate’s ability to integrate his/her beliefs with his/her positions?

I felt that one of CNN’s commentators after the forum summed it up well when he stated that “Obama seemed more articulate about how his faith has informed his policy positions.” Much of what was said all even was remarkably un-integrated. Faith on one hand and then policy and politics on the other.

All told, I did enjoy and appreciate the forum and frankly, I (secretly) hoped that I could have helped to prepare the candidates for the questions they might receive, just as there are people who help with debate-prep. They mentioned that there are plans for a second Compassion Forum later this year with McCain and the Democratic nominee. Maybe then I could help out?

Did you see the Forum? What are your thoughts?

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Tick Tock

ryansharp — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:58:31 +0000

">The Cobalt Season - Tick Tock

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