Catching up with the Wild Goose Festival
We didn't really know enough about the recent Wild Goose Festival to attempt to make sense of it for you. But thanks to the Odyssey Networks we can let the festival speak for itself. Here is a brief description of the enterprise, followed by a video. What do you make of it?
Modeled after the nearly 40-year-old annual Greenbelt Festival in England, The Wild Goose Festival, recently held in Shakori Hills, N.C., was described by organizers as a opportunity for followers of Jesus to celebrate justice, spirituality, music and the arts. The festival, though, was open to all, regardless of belief, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, denomination or religious affiliation. "What we all share is this sense that there is this spiritual dimension to life that we want to live from and and work from," Brian McLaren, a pastor and one of the festival organizers."Secondly, we're all interested in issues of justice and the common good. My little summary for is it that we're concerned about poverty, the planet and peace. And I think we all share the sense that the arts play a key role in this.
Hmm.
Response #1: Wish I'd gone, looks like a wonderful program...maybe next year.
Response #2: Apart from four seconds of Phyllis Tickle, all the voices on the video are men's voices. You know, people do notice things like that. I wish we could be more intentional about presenting a balanced view of our leadership, with respect to both gender and age.
Pamela Grenfell Smith
Bloomington, Indiana
Posted by Baba Yaga![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 15, 2011 9:05 AM
Have to agree. As a great supporter of the 'emergent conversation' (and therefore the Wild Goose Festival) I have to say this is one of their real blindnesses. Because many of the leaders are "post evangelicals" it's a pretty male-dominated movement right now. May we "post liberals" in the conversation need to keep raising that problem!
Posted by Chris Epting![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 15, 2011 9:53 AM
I say this with no offense intended, but ONLY in an Episcopal Church blog could a video showing nothing but what amounts to a bunch of peace-loving, inter-faith, environmentalist, gay-friendly, social-justice hippies dancing around in the forest and playing guitars be immediately called out for not being PC enough. I mean, to someone perhaps just looking in on this website, that can't come off as good image of our church, makes one think more that our church is dominated by a bunch of angry old ex-Woodstock types. Which, honestly, doesn't really attract people. - Chase Schuster
Posted by Chris Capaldo![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 15, 2011 11:18 AM
P.S. It signed me in under a friend's Facebook account, as for the different name!
Posted by Chris Capaldo![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 15, 2011 11:22 AM
It sucks when you believe in all the things these folks believe in but find no way to identify with, nor have any desire whatever to participate in, an event like this. Do "liberals" only show up at Woodstock, and never at High Mass?
Posted by Clint Davis![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 15, 2011 11:59 AM
Of course we're at Mass, Clint, but we're harder to spot there because we aren't wearing our tie-dyed tee shirts.
Pamela Grenfell Smith
Bloomington, Indiana
Posted by Baba Yaga![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 15, 2011 12:26 PM
peace-loving, inter-faith, environmentalist, gay-friendly, social-justice hippies dancing around in the forest and playing guitars be immediately called out for not being PC enough. ...that can't come off as good image of our church, ... Which, honestly, doesn't really attract people.
That depends, Chase.
Is to be peace-loving, religious diversity-respecting, environment-protecting, LGBT-affirming, social justice-building merely being "PC"?
Or are those things ESSENTIAL to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The answer to those questions will determine whether this is counter-productive or not.
JC Fisher
[I'll agree that dancing in the forest playing guitars is *strictly optional*, and may not present TEC in the best musical light! ;-/]
Posted by tgflux![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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July 15, 2011 3:40 PM