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Paint Your Story: True Nature and Purpose

Saturday, 10:00am | Studio

This workshop is a fantastic way to experience the healing power of art. With the guidance of a facilitator you will learn how to express yourself through abstract color. One of the wonders of this process is that there is no right or wrong way to apply color to the canvas. It is simply a free-flowing expression of yourself.

You will quiet the chaos so you can begin to discover what makes you unique, why you are here, and what steps you can take to begin to fulfill your True Nature and Purpose. The workshop encourages self-awareness and personal motivation.

When all is said and done you will become the proud owner of a unique piece of abstract art!

Stephanie Hester

Stephanie Hester is the Founder and Visionary of Audacious Faith, the parent company of the Paint Your Story program. She is also a successful speaker and artist. Having worked with both Fortune 500 and Inc. 500 companies she has been speaking and hosting team building workshops for over 20 years. She began painting as therapy for her PTSD and her art is now displayed in homes and businesses across the country. In her own words, “I paint to heal, to communicate, to celebrate.” She is an advocate for our military and is involved with several organizations that support them and their families. The author of the motivational book Choose a Better Life: Common Sense for Uncommon Living, Stephanie’s mantra is: “you can’t always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you respond to what happens to you.”

StephanieHester.com

Session ID [1]

Devils, Monsters, and Madness: A Theological Roundtable with Mary Button, Robert Saler, and David Finnegan-Hosey

Friday, 1:00pm | Studio

Popular depictions of mental illness have often served to stigmatize and misinform. In particular, the association of mental illness with demonic possession or with violence and horror leads to misperception and stereotypes, and even to abuse, of those with mental health struggles. But can the same arenas of literature and theology that have caused harm to people with mental illnesses also be spaces from which people draw strength, even liberation? Mary Button, Robert Saler, and David Finnegan-Hosey will examine the surprising interactions between devils, monsters, and madness – and the healing possibilities contained therein.

David Finnegan-Hosey

David Finnegan-Hosey is a campus minister, currently serving as a Chaplain-in-Residence at Georgetown University. He is author of an upcoming book, Christ on the Psych Ward (coming in 2018 from Church Publishing Group), a series of reflections on his journey with bipolar disorder, psychiatric hospitalization, and Christian spirituality. David is passionate about the intersections between faith, story, mental health, and social justice. He also has a blog and a podcast, though who doesn’t these days (but don’t let that keep you from checking out foolishhosey.blogspot.com). A graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, David lives in Washington, DC with his wife Leigh and their adorable dog Penny Lane.

Mary Button

Born and raised in East Texas, Mary Button is a liturgical artist and activist. She received a BFA in Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and earned a Master of Theological Studies from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Her artwork has been exhibited across the United States and the United Kingdom, with exhibitions at the Museum of Biblical Art in New York City, the Church Center for the United Nations, Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, and Wesley House at Cambridge University, to name a few. She currently serves Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN as their Mission Developer.

You can check her artwork out at marybutton.com.

Robert Saler

Photo and Bio to come.

Session ID [8]

Faithmarks Gallery & Interactive Wall

Faithmarks Tent | All Weekend

Faithmarks is a gallery show that explores the intersect of spirituality and the art of tattoos. It has been seen by more than 15,000 persons continent-wide. Faithmarks has added 20 new images to the show this Spring, including former Wild Goose performers and best-selling authors.

Do you have a faithmark? Stop by to participate in an interactive version of Faithmarks. We will photograph your Faithmark and the photo onsite. You’ll then assign the Wild Goose theme word that most resonates with your ink: Lament. Welcome. Identity. Evolve. Revolution. Love. Over the course of the festival, we’ll build a creative wall of tattoo images, segmented by theme, displayed for all.

Don’t forget to also come by and get a Wild Goose tattoo from award-winning artists Jennifer Edge and Anier Fernandez. Sign-up for tattoos are on a first come, first served basis. @faithmarksphoto

Anna Golladay

Anna thrives on curating creative & entrepreneurial possibility via Work of Place and Faithmarks. She is a United Methodist pastor, a creative ninja, entrepreneurial to the core and sarcastic to a fault. Via Work of Place, she helps urban churches understand how their underutilized facilities can work alongside burgeoning entrepreneurs, often lacking in resource and financing, with the intent of sparking both neighborhood revitalization and an increase in ideators who change their communities. She is also the curator and founder of Faithmarks, a photographic art exhibit that showcases the spiritual stories behind tattoos. With storytelling at the heart of this traveling show, Anna invites our stories to provide the creative foundation for the new Kingdom that is needed, not to bind us to the mold of the one that birthed us. Instagram and Twitter: @unholyhairetic

www.ourfaithmarks.com

Session ID [9]

“This Is an Inappropriate Conversation”: A Participatory Discussion on Justice vs. Reconciliation

Saturday, 11:00am | Workshop

In 2015, author Michael T. McRay traveled through Israel-Palestine, Northern Ireland, and South Africa interviewing dozens of people about justice and reconciliation. He often noticed that the oppressed preferred language of justice rather than reconciliation, while those with power preferred reconciliation to justice. One Palestinian group declined his request for an interview about reconciliation by saying, “This is an inappropriate conversation. We are occupied. We should discuss justice.” In this collective discussion, McRay will invite those gathered to brainstorm the connection between justice and reconciliation, interrogating whether the terms are opposed to each other or whether they might need each other.

Michael T. McRay

Michael T. McRay is a writer, educator, and storyteller. He’s the author of “Letters from ‘Apartheid Street’: A Christian Peacemaker in Occupied Palestine” and “Where the River Bends: Considering Forgiveness in the Lives of Prisoners.” He’s adjunct faculty at Lipscomb University, founder/curator of Tenx9 Nashville Storytelling, and initiator of Narrative 4 Tennessee. He holds a master’s in conflict resolution and reconciliation from Trinity College Dublin | at Belfast.

michaelmcray.com

Session ID [12]

Swimming In Circles

Saturday, 9:00am | Portal

Using Rilke’s poetic image of circles, we shall discuss how to bring circles of trust to your community. In a world wherein trust is imploding, TRUST is the key to our collective future. From the establishment of trust within our souls, to the family, to the community, to all upon the planet, this is the new tsunami of love which we are privileged to motivate.

Gard Jameson

Gard Jameson teaches Indian & Chinese philosophy at the University of Nevada.
He is the Chair of the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada and Children’s Advocacy Alliance. He is the author of 3 books, Phaethon, an epic of the West, Monkey, the epic of China, and Ramayana, the epic of India. He and his wife co-founded Volunteers in Medicine of Southern Nevada and the Jameson Fellowship, jamesonfellowship.org.

Session ID [13]

An Exploration of Common Humanity Through Coming Out Stories

Friday, 10:00am | River

What do a couple of lesbians, a Japanese immigrant, and a 92-year-old Southern Pentecostal father have in common? The desire to be seen for who they are. During this session, their stories will intersect with very different results. Listeners will be encouraged to identify where they have experienced acceptance as well as rejection, simply because they are different. At the end, each participant will create original art to tell his/her/their story. Use your body as your canvas for your tattoo that shouts of your story of “”being seen””. Or for the fainter of heart, grab some paper and paint your joy or pain. We’ll display our art anonymously and spend some time reflecting on other’s voices. There’s no doubt; you will laugh, cry, think and have fun in this session. So, join me! Feel the power of story and self-discovery.

Tio Eshleman

Tio Eshleman is nothing if not passionate. From her early years in Pennsylvania to her exploration of the (inside) of a Pasadena mental hospital, she draws on her life as a gay, half-Japanese bipolar gal to create powerful stories of common humanity. Her stories pull you in. They make you giggle, ask you to sit with your tears and help you experience the “Ah…” of reflection. She is a highly-decorated physician and educator, recognized for her ability to connect with her patients and her students. If you don’t catch her in the middle of an operating room story to illustrate the beauty of grit, you’ll find her toodling about Little Rock, Arkansas. She can be found in the evenings relaxing by a backyard campfire with her mother, Setsuko, and with Sammy, her super smart poodle, IHHO.

Session ID [14]

CADRE: Congregational Assets Deployed to Restore Equality

Saturday, 4:00pm | River

In post-uprising Baltimore, a small group of congregations are reshaping the conversation on economic justice. C.A.D.R.E. (Congregational Assets Deployed to Restore Equality) is a grass roots movement to invest church assets back into the community with expectations of financial and social return, led by a small group that includes a Presbyterian social entrepreneur, an Episcopal former banker, a Lutheran recovering attorney and an Episcopal priest. Micro-loan funds managed by individual congregations are being used to build independent businesses in some of Baltimore’s most challenged neighborhoods with the goal of restoring dignity to all those involved.

Jim Kucher

A self-described “ecclesiastical agitator”, Dr. J. Howard “Jim” Kucher is an internationally recognized thought leader in social entrepreneurship. An Assistant Professor in the Brown School of Business and Leadership at Stevenson University; Kucher teaches courses in social and commercial entrepreneurship, marketing, management, sales, project management and product development. Jim also works as a consultant to leading and emerging social benefit initiatives and has assisted over 100 area nonprofits and social enterprises in developing new models for meeting the needs of their constituents while increasing the sustainability of their organizations. An ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), he has been an annoyance to various leadership boards at the local and regional level. Jim is the founder and lead organizer of Baltimore C.A.D.R.E. (Congregational Assets Deployed to Restore Equality), a grass roots movement to invest church assets back into the community with expectations of financial and social return.

www.facebook.com/cadrebaltimore

Session ID [15]

The Next Reformation

Saturday, 4:00pm | Lecture Hall

In this talk, Brandan draws on studies done over centuries to explain and explore the dramatic changes we’re experiencing as part of humanity’s shift in consciousness. He will explore that the future of what spiritual communities will look like and offer practical
suggestions of adapting to this new era.

Brandan Robertson 

Brandan is the author of Nomad: A Spirituality For Travelling Light (DLT Books, 2016), the editor of Our Witness: The Unheard Stories of LGBT+ Christians (Cascade Books, 2018), and writes regularly for Patheos, Beliefnet, and The Huffington Post. He has published countless articles in respected outlets such as TIME Magazine, NBC, The Washington Post, Religion News Service, and Dallas Morning News.  As sought out commentator of faith, culture, and public life, he is a regular contributor to national media outlets and has been interviewed by outlets such as MSNBC, NPR, TIME Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Associated Press.

Acclaimed as one of “the most hope-inspiring young Christian leaders”, Brandan has been an honored guest speaker at a wide range of venues, from lecturing on spirituality at Oxford University, teaching on LGBT+ rights at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, to speaking at the White House on the impact of religiously-motivated bullying. He is the host of the popular Traveling Light podcast, where he explores the deep questions of life with some of the most influential thought-leaders in the world today.

www.brandanrobertson.com

Session ID [16]

Postcards from the Great Spiritual Migration

Saturday, 9:00am | Lecture Hall

Postcards from the Great Spiritual Migration
As more and more conservative evangelicals are transitioning to a more generous and spatious faith, progressive ministers are increasingly faced with the herculean task of assisting these pilgrims in their spiritual migrations. This presentation will offer the progressive minister both a conceptual roadmap of common mile markers to be expected and a bevy of resources to draw upon along the way. The session will also include a panel discussion/Q & R comprised of ministers who have made the transition and are currently active in helping others make a similar journey.

Matthew Huett

 

Matt has spent the past 20+ years as a pastor and a university professor. He has recently relocated from central Florida to western Carolina where he serves as a teaching pastor, bartender and campus missionary.

Bec Cranford

Bec Cranford is a self-identified Bapticostal misfit preacher* from Atlanta, Georgia. When she’s not hanging out with her dog Basil or painting, you can probably find her at the Gateway Center working to make homelessness brief and rare in the city. Or at Candler School of Theology, rocking her students’ socks off. Or, preaching, marrying folks, or sitting on her front porch with friends, having conversations about life, God, and everything in between. This year at the Goose, Bec’s happy to serve as Volunteer Coordinator and offer hospitality to everybody she meets.

Session ID [17]

The Parable of the Lego Brick: Creating New Communities of Faith Through Imagination

Luke, Laine, Annabel, and Oliver Lingle

Saturday, 12:00pm | Bridge

What is imagination? According to Webster, imagination is the ability to think of new things. My children love Legos. We do not go barefoot in our house.

The Christian church is experiencing a time of uncertainty. What does it look like bear the resurrected Christ into the world? Where do we, the exhausted and worried, find the strength to move forward into a new day.

I believe through both relationship and imagination we can begin to live out these questions.

When my children get a new Lego set, they follow the instructions, put the set together, and then break it apart and mix the Legos back in “the brick.” Then they begin to imagine new ways to put them together. What does imagination have to do with faith? I invite you to join me and my children to play with Legos and explore this question.
Luke Lingle

Luke Lingle
(Luke, Laine, Annabel, and Oliver)

Luke is a western North Carolina local who is searching for new ways to connect with God and people. Luke is an ordained United Methodist elder who has worked in the local church, as a church vitality strategist, and is now the Director of Community Development for the Missional Wisdom Foundation which teaches about and experiments with new forms of Christian Community. He is also a father, husband, basketball fan, and grill master.

As we are learning from quantum mechanics, at its most basic level, matter only exists in relationship to something else and we understand God as fundamentally relational within the trinity, so to know and experience God we do so most fully through relationship with others. Therefore, Luke believes that the way forward for Christian spirituality is through community.

Luke lives in Candler, North Carolina, with his family. www.missionalwisdom.com and www.hawcreekcommons.com

Session ID [18]

What Can Christians Learn from the Spiritual But Not Religious?
Mike Clawson

Friday, 2:00pm | Bridge

This interactive workshop will help Christians think together about what they and their faith communities can learn from the segment of the population known as the “”Spiritual But Not Religious”” (SBNR). It will by facilitated by Mike Clawson, a religion scholar, former church leader, and SASR (“”Spiritual And Still Religious””).

Mike Clawson

Mike Clawson is the founder of the The Spiritual Transformation Project which works at the intersection of spirituality and social change. He recently completed his PhD in Religion at Baylor University writing a history of the Emerging Church Movement. A former church planter, he currently lives in Austin, Texas with his two children where they enjoy geeky movies, swimming holes, and taco trucks on every corner.

Session ID [21]

Living the Desanka Way Everyday

Saturday, 5:00pm | River

Desanka is a spiritual community with a mission to walk in the way of Love. We are a collection of individuals from varying faith streams who love to Love – to BE Love. We will be discussing WHY we do what we do, WHAT we actually do and HOW we do “”Desanka””. We will talk about what the Desanka Way is and how to implement this conscious, Jesus-centered lifestyle and ministry in one’s community and life. A panel of seasoned Desankaites will be available for Q&A after the short presentation.

This program will be presented several times throughout the weekend in the Desanka Spirit Café.

Jordan Bowman

Jordan has been coming to Wild Goose since 2011. He has volunteered for many years and now is serving as a contributor. Jordan also contributes to Goose and many other gatherings by serving with Desanka. A passion for loving and for being love to strangers all over the world coupled with a deep respect for the teachings of Jesus led him to Desanka and he jumped right in.

When it isn’t festival season, Jordan splits his time between perusing a Business degree from NC state University and leading a boys mentoring organization in the Raleigh area called Journeymen Triangle.

Jordan aspires to do many things during his short time here on this Earth. He plans to use his degree and life experiences to assist in the spiritual revolution, this time of global conscious awakening that we are living through and can be a part of.

Peter Lanier  

Peter is an avid gardener, landscaper and writer. He has been serving with Desanka since 2014. Currently he is managing the Desanka Community Garden, which aims to provide our local community with fresh produce, and he contributes content for the Desanka website blog.

Jenna Bowman 

Jenna can usually be found riding around the grounds in various trucks, putting up and down the festival and making sure it all works. When she’s not doing that, you may find her helping out at the Desanka tent. She’s been volunteering here since The Goose’s second year.

She’s traveled and lived in Kenya, India, Peru, South American, and the U.K., knows various different sign languages and has worked with the Deaf worldwide. Jenna treasures family and community, and has a heart to serve, to give and spread love to anyone and everyone. She’s Interested in anything and everything involving human connection, nature, meditation and spirituality.

Papy Fisher 

Papy is a warrior-lover, attempting to love every person in the world with the One True Love. His paying gig is being an Outreach Pastor at Fellowship of Christ, EPC in Cary, NC where he is given amazing latitude to teach, train, equip and release some of the most giving and loving individuals in God’s green earth. Papy, when asked what he believes, considers himself “”biblically conservative and socially liberal””. Yes – oxymoronic, but that complexity is Love and Papy is all about Love.

In an attempt to revitalize and invigorate the faith-life of young adults in his circles, Papy has founded Desanka which is more of a movement rather than an organization or mission arm of a church. Through Desanka (and another non-profit he helped co-found called Journeymen Triangle, a mentoring network for boys and men), Papy hopes to mobilize a generation of “Lovers-of-Jesus” that seek to love others in the worth, the words, and ways of Jesus.

Papy is made more socially stable by his faithful wife of 34 years, Debbie. He has 3 adult sons and 100’s of spiritual sons and daughters he refers to as his “lovelies”. And they are lovely because they are each loved by the Person of Love. #DesankaOn

Session ID [22]

Seeing and Living the Interconnected Life
Brandon McKoy

Saturday, 1:00pm | Bridge

“Collaboration” and “coordination” are words that define Wild Goose. They are vital because we understand how separation and isolation destroy communities. Yet, influenced by our individualistic culture, we tend to see people, relationships, and communities as separated units. Stories of separation and individualism permeate identity formation, human development, and relational practices. Social constructionism offers an alternative view that begins with the central idea that we create our world through our relationships and the stories we share. Brandon McKoy applies the insights of social constructionism to generate a paradigm shift that introduces a broader and richer story, giving our “”collaboration”” and “”coordination”” deeper roots and sustainability. Brandon will guide us to reimagine identity formation, how we understand relationships, and the power of language and story. Participants will also be invited to try on the lenses of social constructionism to see how their relationships and interactions may be viewed differently.
Brandon McKoy

Brandon McKoy

Rev. Dr. Brandon McKoy serves as the Senior Pastor at New Hope Baptist Church in Gastonia, NC, and he is an adjunct instructor at Gardner-Webb University in the department of religious studies and philosophy. His book, “Youth Ministry from the Outside In: How Relationships and Stories Shape Identity” (InterVarsity Press, 2013) has been used by seminaries and divinity schools world-wide to reimagine ministry practices. Brandon is also an Associate for the Taos Institute—a community of scholarly practitioners who extend social constructionist dialogues into diverse settings.

He recently contributed the chapter “Seeing through the Mirror” in the book “Spirituality, Social Construction, and Relational Processes” (Taos Institute Publications, 2017). The book, an edited collection, explores ways that spirituality and social construction, can enrich each other for the benefit of the world.

www.newhopegastonia.com

Session ID [23]

I Am Water, I Am Waiting: Discovering Water’s Biblical Witness

Saturday, 10:00am | River

This workshop explores the theme of water in the Bible through the contemporary lens of water pollution and fracking and its effects on women, families and communities. Bringing her experience as a preacher, educator, and “fractivist,” Leah Schade will work with participants to be part of a collaborative dramatic sermon preached as the character of Water in the story of the Woman at the Well (John 4:1-42). Our work together will demonstrate how we might listen to and amplify the voice of God’s Creation – as well as “the least of these” within the human community – through discourse, liturgy and creative preaching.

Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade

The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for 16 years, Leah has served congregations in rural, urban, and suburban settings. She earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and completed her dissertation focusing on homiletics (preaching) and ecological theology (caring for God’s creation). Her book Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecological Theology and Homiletics (Chalice Press, 2015) is available at www.chalicepress.com. Leah has served as an anti-fracking and climate activist, community organizer, and advocate for environmental justice issues, and is a trained workshop leader for Lutherans Restoring Creation, a grassroots movement helping congregations learn how to “go green.” Samples of her ecologically-themed essays, articles, sermons, book and film reviews, and other writings can be found on her Patheos blog: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ecopreacher/.

www.creationcrisispreaching.com

Session ID [24]

JustSpirit

Friday, 11:00am | Lecture Hall

JustSpirit invites the radical activist into the heart of prayerful contemplation to rejuvenate and renew the Spirit within. While the work of sacred activism is critical to living out our truest values of faith, discernment and spiritual grounding is equally as important. This session is a sneak peak of a fuller “”retreat in everyday life”” program being launched in 2018 for participants worldwide who are hungry for the spiritual depth and nourishment needed to be a healthy contemplative in action. Integrating Ignatian spirituality, imaginative prayer, spiritual direction and tools for discernment, JustSpirit invites the do-er into be-ing so that the work of social justice is met with self-care and intimate relationship with God and one another.

Linda Flynn

Leader, Spiritual Direction Team

Linda Flynn is Executive Director of the Charlotte Spirituality Center, a spiritual and educational institute that offers training of spiritual directors, companionship in spiritual formation and spiritual direction in the Southeast. A spiritual director and retreat leader for sixteen years, she specializes in Ignatian Spirituality, discernment, twelve step, and the Enneagram. With a degree in Hospitality Management, Linda received her ministry training through the Jesuits, the Enneagram Institute, her certification from the Charlotte Spirituality Center and supervisory certificate from “Together in the Mystery Supervision Program” associated with San Francisco Theological Seminary. A member of Spiritual Directors International, Linda describes herself as a progressive, ecumenical Catholic who values community, non-violence, and equality. Linda is also the co-founder of the annual event “Blanket Banquet” for the homeless and author of the retreat workbook “Praying Twelve Steps With Jesus: A Journey Back to Wholeness.” Her hero is Dorothy Day.

Brian D. McLaren

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good.

Notable among the many books he has authored are: “A New Kind of Christian”, which won Christianity Today’s “Award of Merit” in 2002; “Everything Must Change” tracing critical ways in which Jesus’ message confronts contemporary global crises; and We Make the Road by Walking, marking a turn toward constructive and practical theology. His 2016 release, The Great Spiritual Migration, has been hailed as his most important work to date.

Brian is married to Grace, and they have four adult children and five grandchildren. His personal interests include wildlife and ecology, fly fishing and kayaking, music and songwriting, art, history, and literature.

brianmclaren.net/

Session ID [25]

A Jew and a Gentile Walk Into a Bar … Mitzvah

Charles Bretan, Chris Henson

Saturday, 4:00pm | Goosecast

Job the In-Patient: An Interfaithed Discussion on Depression, Faith, and the Meaning of Suffering
“The response to someone’s suffering isn’t theology . . . [t]he response to suffering is comfort and love” (David Freid).
What does Job tell us about depression? Does Job have depression because he has sinned or that his
faith is weak? Job also can inform he we interact with others living with depression.
Session participants will use Jewish and Christian interpretations of Job to discuss our faiths’ reaction to depression as well as the role of suffering in each tradition.

Charles Bretan

Both of my parents were Jewish, but that is not what makes me a Jew. I am a Jew because I choose to be: because I choose to live my life in a Jewish way. I choose to study Torah and to live by its precepts; I choose to keep Shabbat and to follow mitzvot; and I choose to eat toasted bagels with a shmear of cream cheese, lox (not nova), and a nice slice of onion. Born and raised in Miami, I now live in Greensboro, NC with my wife, Gail, and our two sons, Lee and Evan. I am a teacher by trade and by disposition. With degrees in education from the University of Florida and from Nova Southeastern University, I have taught almost everything from composition to scuba diving and from leadership to life saving.

Chris Henson

Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology/Human Resource Development from NCSU (1998), and received his M.Div. from Duke (2001). He is an ordained Elder (2006) in the Western NC Conference of the United Methodist Church, serving as a pastor for over 15 years, first in England followed by appointments in the Piedmont-Triad of NC. Chris was the Pastor-in-Residence with the Wesley-Luther Fellowship at UNC Greensboro. Presently, he’s a resident chaplain at WFBMC where he is responsible for the burn unit and adult behavioral health units. Chris is a husband to Summer, father to Sophie, admitted cigar-arsonist, creative, subversive, and living with clinical depression.

Session ID [26]

Mysticism: The Divine Romance

Saturday, 3:00pm | Library

Does your experience of God resemble a torrid love affair more than a staid spiritual discipline? Inherently relational and undeniably intimate, mystical encounters with God have the potential to draw us into the Mystery in a very personal way. But without a safe place to share our stories, feelings of loneliness and isolation can develop. Join Victoria in this experiential exploration of Divine Romance through contemplation, lament, movement, music, poetry, and most importantly, stories. While the mystic path is a solo one, it doesn’t have to be lonely. All mystical traditions are welcome, bring your stories and an open heart. Participants are invited to arrive with yoga mats, blankets, or other items to create a space of comfort for this authentic and often vulnerable experience.

Victoria Lantz

Victoria Lantz brings to life her experiences of the Divine through a variety of creative expressions. She is an author, poet, podcaster, artist, speaker, song writer, meditation leader, spiritual gathering facilitator, and sacred listener. Her self-published books include God Is: An Accidental Mystic Discovers the Nature of God, You’re Not Crazy: and Other Encouraging Words Every Mystic Needs to Hear, Longing: Poems from a Mystic Heart, and Union: Mystic Musings and Stories. She also hosts the God Is Podcast available on iTunes and the You Have Been Invited Meditation Series available on Insight Timer. Additionally, she helps others embrace their spiritual journeys through her Let’s Get Real! gatherings and in one-on-one listening sessions. Currently living in Phoenix, Arizona, Victoria can typically be found hiking the desert landscape or playing her pineapple ukulele. Visit her website at VictoriaLantz.com.

Session ID [28]

Renew Your Contemplative Heart of Compassion

Saturday, 9:00am | Library

Caring in a compassion deficient culture can cause compassion fatigue. To renew the contemplative heart of compassion and tackle challenges to sustaining it, small groups will (a) share stories of “Matthew 25:40 moments” and (b) identify factors dissonant with your clear call to compassion, such as privilege, resentment, and competition. What gifts of compassion do you need to reclaim and leverage? What do you need to let go? Spiritual director and therapist, J. Marshall Jenkins, Ph.D., will frame the discussion using material from his recently released book, Blessed at the Broken Places: Reclaiming Faith and Purpose with the Beatitudes.

J. Marshall Jenkins

J. Marshall Jenkins, Ph.D., is a writer, counseling psychologist, and spiritual director. Through his writing and listening ministries, Marshall strives to validate the faith and empower the discipleship of people facing emotional pain. The Beatitudes point to rich insights for that mission, and he shares them in his Beatitudes Blog at www.jmarshalljenkins.com and in his recently published book, Blessed at the Broken Places: Reclaiming Faith & Purpose with the Beatitudes (Skylight Paths, 2016). He received certificates in spiritual formation at Columbia Theological Seminary and in spiritual guidance at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Since 1987, he has served as Director of Counseling at Berry College and conducted an evening private practice in psychotherapy and spiritual direction. He lives in Rome, Georgia with his lovely wife, Wanda Cantrell.

www.jmarshalljenkins.com

Session ID [30]

The Story You’re Not Telling: How Shame Stories Can Hijack the Narrative of our Lives

Saturday, 3:00pm | Portal

Story wields immeasurable power in our lives. We get dealt certain facts, some traumatic, and we build story around them to help us make sense of what happened.

If there is a story that you are not telling anywhere to anyone in any way, it islikely because you’ve attached shame to it. Shame kept in the dark grows. It metastasizes. Shame stories do the same thing. They become bigger, more powerful. They inform the decisions we make and the people we bring into our lives.

The story you’re not telling is running the board. It’s likely in charge of your whole life.
In this interactive session, participants will seek to identify those stories and release them.

You either own your story, or it owns you. Period.

Laura Parrott Perry

Laura Parrott Perry is a writer, speaker, and co-founder and CEO of the non-profit Say It, Survivor – an organization devoted to helping survivors of child sexual abuse reclaim their stories as part of the path to healing.  She is the author of the popular blogs, In Others’ Words, and The Golden Repair on DivorcedMoms.com. Her work has been featured on Trigger Points Anthology, No Make-up Required, Huffington Post and in Boston Magazine. Laura is a frequent public speaker on the topics of story, child sexual abuse, addiction and shamelessness, and was a contributor at Wild Goose Festival 2016.

Laura is currently writing her first book on the topic of story and the power it wields in our lives. She is the single mother of two incredible human beings and the devoted servant to a glorious dog.

sayitsurvivor.org, inotherswords.com

Session ID [31]

Holy Listening with Breath, Body, and the Spirit: Through prayer, yoga, and aromatherapy

Saturday, 12:00pm | Landing

What is Holy Listening? It’s listening for the holy in and around us, it’s listening for God. Ever considered fostering your connection with God using your whole self? Why not join us for this time apart as we experience various ways of listening together? We will explore lectio divina (meditative scripture reading), breath prayer, yoga movement, and aromatherapy with essential oils. This invitation to embodied spirituality is accessible to all and requires no previous yoga experience. Offering kindness and care for your soul, we will explore these tools together in community and listen for God with your whole self – breath, body, and spirit.

Whitney Simpson

A stroke at age 31 forced Whitney to slow down and listen more deeply to her body. In the process she discovered how to listen more deeply to God. Over a decade later, Whitney’s healing journey led her to author Holy Listening with Breath, Body, and the Spirit. Through her work as as a spiritual director and retreat facilitator, she incorporates yoga and other ancient tools, encouraging the sacred connection of breath, body, and spirit. Whitney completed certification in spiritual formation at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and is a 500-hour certified yoga instructor. She is the founder of Exploring Peace, offering soul care resources for exploring the gift of God’s peace with the whole self. Whitney lives with her family in Tennessee and can be found online at www.ExploringPeace.com. Good books, the great outdoors, hot tea, dark chocolate, and the Trinity are good for her soul.

www.exploringpeace.com

Session ID [32]

Lost Dreams and New Storylines: An Exercise in Hope
Marshall Jenkins

Saturday, 11:00am | Portal

We grieve not only lost loved ones from the past but lost dreams for the future. These visions of hope arise from story lines that give our lives coherence. Healing comes as we first honor dreams with anger and tears, then as we sense a new narrative. In small groups, participants will share dreams for beloved community lost this year, then signs they discern of an emerging story. How have we heard these stories before in scripture, song, and experience? We will share in the larger group words and images of hope that tie together each group’s shared exploration.

J. Marshall Jenkins

J. Marshall Jenkins, Ph.D., is a writer, counseling psychologist, and spiritual director. Through his writing and listening ministries, Marshall strives to validate the faith and empower the discipleship of people facing emotional pain. The Beatitudes point to rich insights for that mission, and he shares them in his Beatitudes Blog at www.jmarshalljenkins.com and in his recently published book, Blessed at the Broken Places: Reclaiming Faith & Purpose with the Beatitudes (Skylight Paths, 2016). He received certificates in spiritual formation at Columbia Theological Seminary and in spiritual guidance at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. Since 1987, he has served as Director of Counseling at Berry College and conducted an evening private practice in psychotherapy and spiritual direction. He lives in Rome, Georgia with his lovely wife, Wanda Cantrell.

www.jmarshalljenkins.com

Session ID [33]

Using Prayer Beads to Speak Your Truth, Heal Your Spirit, and Experience God’s Peace

Saturday, 2:00pm | Landing

For thousands of years and across traditions, beads have been used to connect with and pray to the Divine. Yet beads can serve another important purpose: creating safe space in which to offer up our stories of pain and trauma. This is no small thing. It can be difficult – scary even – to speak our truth before God. But such truth-telling opens the way for healing, trust, peace. Join award-winning author Kristen Vincent as she shares her personal story of trauma and transformation, offering practical ways to incorporate prayer beads into your healing journey. (Prayer beads not required!)

Kristen Vincent

Kristen E. Vincent is an award-winning author, speaker, and artisan whose passion is spiritual formation, including the use of prayer beads. She is the author of A Bead and a Prayer: A Beginner’s Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads, and coauthor of Another Bead, Another Prayer: Devotions for Use with Protestant Prayer Beads (with Max Vincent). Her newest book, Beads of Healing: Prayer, Trauma, and Spiritual Wholeness, explores how prayer beads can be used to heal from pain. Kristen travels frequently to lead retreats and workshops. She is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and The Academy for Spiritual Formation (#34). She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, Max, a United Methodist pastor, and their son, Matthew. Kristen loves words, the mountains, gatherings on her porch, and dark chocolate. She continues to make progress in her lifelong quest for the perfect chocolate mousse. Find her at www.prayerworksstudio.com.

Session ID [34]

Turning Dashed Dreams into Hope: How Infertility, Child Loss and Failed Adoptions Led to an Orphan Care Movement.

Friday, 12:00pm | River

I longed for one child. And as it didn’t happen after 8 failed IVF and 2 failed adoptions, my life felt lost in lament. But, grace’s surprising dance opened my eyes open to God’s bigger dreams. I realized I’d become the mother to hundreds as I started the foundation: Our Courageous Kids. Join me in exploration of how our lives might not go the way we expect but beauty can come from the ashes!

Elizabeth Hagan 

Elizabeth Hagan is the Executive Director of Our Courageous Kids, a foundation dedicated to orphan care education, a free-range pastor in the Washington DC area, and the author of a spiritual memoir, Birthed: Finding Grace Through Infertility. She’s now an adoptive mom and the family travel agent as together with her husband, Kevin they’re always planning their next trip.

www.elizabethhagan.com & www.ourcourageouskids.org

Session ID [38]

The Anatomy of Disaster: Learning Spiritual Resilience from the Prophets

Friday, 9:00am | Landing

We are inundated with difficult news and the world can be so hard to deal with sometimes. Marita Anderson, chaplain and writer, discovers how biblical prophets dealt with their own and their people’s trauma–and also gave us tools to deal with ours.

In my exploration of ways to remain awake in a world of pain while also sustaining hope and courage, I was inspired by the poetry of the Hebrew prophets. I was drawn to the prophets, who lived through destruction, famine, and exile, because they embodied the kind of courage that I was seeking. What fascinated me is that they described the brokenness of the world and the ruin of war, but they did not cave in to despair. They gave voice to a traumatized nation, and yet they provided life ­affirming hope. I have put together a presentation about trauma and hope, with lessons from Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Second Isaiah.

Marita Anderson

Marita Anderson is a Chaplain with a Master in Jewish Studies from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California. She has served as Chaplain Intern at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, providing spiritual care to families in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the Rehabilitation Unit. Additionally, she served as an Interfaith Chaplain at Cedar’s Sinai Medical Center, working with patients on the Oncology and Maternity Units. She is passionate about the exploration of spiritual resilience and courage in times of crisis. Marita also holds a Master in International Affairs with a concentration in Security Policy and Middle East from Columbia University. In her early career, she studied Arabic and Hebrew, while working as a researcher for various non-profit organizations and agencies in New York City. She was born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine and immigrated to the United States at the age of 11.  Marita currently lives in Atlanta, where she is working as a freelance writer and educator. She shares her life’s journey with her husband, Rabbi Spike Anderson, and their three children.

www.lightandbones.com

Session ID [40]

Conservatives are from Mars and Progressives are from
Venus: Finding Our Way in Another World

What does it look like to welcome those who are against us? To include those who would exclude us? To at least keep talking to those we think are jackasses and really listen? Our world feels even more divided today than a year ago, and we are growing less and less understandable to each other: Republicans and Democrats, “progressives” and “conservatives.” If we are going to do more than further alienate and exclude one another – if we’re going to change the world together – we will have to practice new ways of engaging each other that diffuse defensiveness with openness and meet fear with firm, loving non-violence. Hearts and minds evolve in relationships, when we are safe enough to be open to other stories and experience both brokenness and hope in the presence of grace. Come share stories and questions about challenging relationships, unlikely transformations, and creating space for connection.

Jennifer Ould 

Jennifer’s journey has brought her from the heart of hardcore fundamentalism, through conservative evangelicalism to a much more open and curious faith. Along the way, she has been a Republican activist, graduated from Tennessee Temple University, received an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, worked to build bridges between conservative Christians and the LGBTQ+ community, served on the vestry of a progressive Episcopal church, helped launch Gilead, an inclusive non-traditional church near her home in Chicago’s most diverse neighborhood, and advocated for the LGBTQ+ community in uncomfortable spaces. Wild Goose has been an important part of Jennifer’s journey and she hopes to continue helping make it a space that welcomes questions and transformation.

Jennifer runs, preaches, is learning storytelling, and blogs at jennifereould.com.

Session ID [42]

God is Not an Asshole (and Other Things I Wish My Church Had Told Me)

Saturday, 5:00pm | Landing

An honest life of faith is a life of questions. But too often, our churches do not create space where we can say out loud the things we all tend to secretly wonder: is there a god? is god good? does it care about me? Is this religion all bullshit? Too often, we wrestle with those questions alone — wondering all the while if we’re the only ones. In this session, I want to create space to doubt out loud. I’m going to share my story of disillusionment with the god I experienced growing up in church, and tell you about how I followed those questions to somewhat-heretical conclusions in search of a Christianity that is Beautiful, a Gospel that is Good News, and a God who is Love.

Micah Murray

Micah is your typical somewhat disillusioned-but-tenaciously-hopeful post-evangelical millennial. He grew up in a weird home school cult, did a brief stint as a missionary in Africa, went to Christian college, got married, had two kids, got divorced, and now goes to therapy a lot and writes angsty stuff on the internet. People tell him all the time that he shouldn’t be a Christian anymore after all the shit he’s experienced in the name of that religion, but by some combination of stubbornness, laziness, and the grace of God, he still claims that faith (most days). Micah lives in Minneapolis with his two wild boys, where he makes websites for artists and authors and entrepreneurs and waits (impatiently) for spring.

micahjmurray.com 

Session ID [43]

(Yoga) Community Eye Gazing to Ease Racial Tensions

Saturday, 3:00pm | Lecture Hall

The eyes are the windows to the soul which happens to be color-blind. Let’s gather to gaze with the lens of love into one another’s silent pain, into one another’s patiently unfolding story. This practice has been revealing miraculous healing all across the world over the past few years. Join Anita Grace as she leads us into a deep place of safe and healthy connection, overriding the conscious mind’s judgments and opinions. We will wait on the Lord with faith to uncover and transform our subconscious racial tensions and beliefs. This session should last about 40 minutes. With music by Thom Buchanan.

Anita Grace Brown

Anita Grace Brown is a wife, mama and yoga + meditation teacher hailing from beautiful South Jersey. Each day she enters the meadow with Sierrra, her golden retriever to affirm that ‘Either everything is a miracle, or nothing is”. She loves being a student of life even more than her role as teacher and humbly returns to Wild Goose for all the gifts of music, art and justice. Anita leads practice from her sacred heart connected to the Christ mystery in us all.

smilingheartyoga.org

Thom Buchanan

Thom started playing the guitar at the age of 12, and has been honored to back-up artists such as Jeff Fenholt, Phil Driscoll, Darlene Zschech, Joe & Becky Cruse, Cindy Cruse-Ratcliff, Kent Henry, legendary studio guitarist Mike Deasy, Georgian Banov, JoAnn McFatter, Don Potter, Suzy Wills-Yaraei and Roy Fields, to notably name a fewHe has musically supported ministries such as: TL Osborne, Reinhard Bonnke, Rodney Howard-Browne, Lou Engle, Jerry Brandt and Jerry Saville.

He is the founder of the bands SonsUVthundr, Thom Buchanan Band and (Band dú Soleil – currently). He’s been joined by his life-long friend and bandmate, Juma Sultan (percussionist for Jimi Hendrix), in all three of these bands. He has played on hundreds of other’s albums and has released three LP’s of his own: “”Living On Borrowed Time””, “”Beautiful”” & “”Christmas Revisited.” He is a New York native and is, currently, making his home in High Point, NC, with his wife Caroline and their children.

Session ID [44]

Laugha Yoga: Intentional Laughing
Kristie Miles

Saturday, 3:00pm | Bridge

Laughter has many physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits, including: releases endorphins which improves mood; boosts immunity; lowers blood pressure; relaxes and unwinds the muscles; nurtures hope and optimism; improves self-confidence; improves alertness; improves social cohesion and strengthens relationships; reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort; shuts down the stress hormones released in stressful situations.
Laugha Yoga is a program of intentional laughing to achieve these many benefits. No yoga poses are performed; participants just need to bring a desire to have fun. I will lead a group in the Laugha Yoga practice and end with a relaxing meditation.
Kristie Miles

Kristie Miles

Kristie Miles is an Ordained Presbyterian (PCUSA) minister and the Director of Pastoral Care at Westminster Canterbury of Lynchburg Retirement Community in Virginia. She is a Certified Thanatologist and tries to balance that by practicing Laugha Yoga. Her favorite ancient Greek word is “Spoudogeloios” which is formed from two words: “spoudos,” which means “serious” or “earnest,” and “gelein,” which means “to laugh.” In other words, “spoudogeloios” is “serious-playful” or “solemn-joyful.” Hot Springs is her favorite place in the United States!

Session ID [46]

An Awesome Story of Open Adoption

Saturday, 11:00am | Episcopal

Adoption is a subject that many people know little about. Gina will describe her experience with open adoption and then lead an open forum with discussions about other peoples stories and see how people connect with each other.

Gina Gass

Gina Gass was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. She graduated with a bachelor’s in theater and communication from the University of Toledo. She works for the college of Engineering recruiting high school students. She has a Lutheran and Catholic background and is appreciative of all faith walks. She has been in numerous plays and wrote, directed, and produced her own show as her senior thesis at UT. She loves performing and connecting with people. She hopes to create a free flowing session where people from all walks of life will be able to relate and connect with each other in a profound way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whUiZeuQS8M

Session ID [47]

For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community

Saturday, 1:00pm | Library

The American Time Use Survey finds that we nearly five hours of leisure time per day. But, do you feel like you get that much down time daily—or even weekly?
We all say we are “crazy-busy” or that “there aren’t enough hours in the day.” Why does the data suggest otherwise?
The 24-7-smart-phones-as-appendages era that blurs the boundaries of work and play, ordinary and sacred. Plugging in comes with the perception that we are always “on.”
But that is not what God intended for us. Using the ancient practice of sabbath (ceasing), this talk will facilitate conversation about what it means step out of the chaos and embrace our need for rest, worship, and community.
The result? More meaningful, “present over perfect,” lives.

Rev. J. Dana Trent

The Rev. J. Dana Trent is a graduate of Duke Divinity School and adjunct faculty member at Wake Technical Community College, where she teaches World Religions. Dana is an ordained Baptist clergywoman, award-winning author, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Her work has appeared on Time.com, The Christian Century, Patheos, and Sojourners. Her second book, For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community, will be released October 1, 2017 by Upper Room Books. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, a devout Hindu and former monk. Their Christian-Hindu interfaith marriage is chronicled in Saffron Cross: The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk (Fresh Air Books, 2013). She loves naps with cats, vegetarian food, and teaches weight-lifting for the YMCA.

jdanatrent.com

Session ID [48]

Christo-Shamanic Transfiguration Ceremony 

Saturday, 3:00pm | River

One of the pivotal moments in the Jesus story is what we have called his Transfiguration. Jesus and three of his closest friends had gone to a mountain to pray. At some point clouds gathered around him and his clothing shown brilliantly like the sun. Then a voice spoke from the clouds saying: This is my beloved son, listen to him.
This experience helped prepare him for what he would soon experience under the hands of Empire during his final journey to Jerusalem.

We find ourselves in a such a pivotal moment in history.

Many of us have found our own paths leading to our personal ‘Jerusalem’ where we will have, or will, come face-to-face with an Empire of hatred, violence, and injustice. Through a Guided Shamanic Journey we will join the Christ on the Mount and will experience a personal and communal Transfiguration: an experience of high-vibrational Radiance; affirmation from Spirit of each one’s identity as the Beloved; recognition of each one’s call; and a blessing of each one’s work for the benefit of all Creation.

Narcizo Martinez

Narcizo Martinez, affectionately known as ‘Pastor Nar’ or the ‘Christian Shaman’ (XianShaman), is a life-long lover and follower of the Way of Jesus. Central to his spirituality are Two Foundational Principles: (1) Great Spirit has expressed itself at all times, in all cultures, and through all people; and (2) God is Love. Nar has traveled within multiple streams of the Christian tradition since he came to faith during the Jesus Movement. He delights in the ability to freely flow within a broad spectrum of spiritual communities, expressions and practices … Christianity, Paganism, Hinduism, Buddhism and especially Shamanism – which he sees as the root of all religious and spiritual traditions.

Nar is a lover and a healer and a hugger. His gifts of healing are largely expressed through touch (Sacred Touch); through ceremony (usually involving the Medicine Wheel); through aromatherapy and massage; and through Sacred Plant Medicines. He is also an artist/maker specializing is handcrafted jewelry, a podcaster, and, yes, an ordained minister.

xianshaman.com

Session ID [49]

Christian Peaceable Arts

Friday 10:00am | Library

When Jesus appeared after his resurrection, he said: “Peace be with you.” “Be not afraid.” and “Love one another as I have loved you.” How do we embody and actively live these mandates and assurances?
Principles from scripture, Tai Chi, and contemplative practice help us to manifest these while engaged in conflict and in settings where healing is needed. This workshop introduces a number of interactive and meditative practices for actually loving our enemies, being unafraid, giving blessing, and building peace, using body mind metaphors and practices. In our current polarized world, maintaining a calm center and loving orientation is so important to our own and to other’s well being. Heal our wounds and divisions with whole body participation, not just ideas!
I would also offer an early morning Tai Chi and Qigong session if desired.,

David Harold

David Harold M.Div. LCSW

David Harold is a long time psychotherapist, social activist, and practitioner of cross cultural healing and meditative traditions, while remaining grounded in his Christian faith.  With over 40 years practice in Tai Chi and Qigong he is working to integrate principles from these practices with western psychological and Christian contemplative ways to embody personal and social peace.

Session ID [50]

Inefficiency Podcast

Friday, 12:00pm | Goosecast

 

Matt Inman

Matt Inman is a psychotherapist with a private practice in Austin, Texas. He hosts Inefficiency Podcast, a show exploring the sacred inefficiencies of relationships, convictions and spirituality. Matt admittedly has the most to learn about living inefficiently. His wife is encouraging him in creativity and his kids are teaching him the importance of play. While Austin is home, part of Matt’s heart is in Kansas City, MO and several pieces are scattered up and down the California coastline.

Instagram: @inefficiencypodcast twitter: @inefficiencypod

Session ID [51]

Laughter for a Change!

Saturday, 3:00pm | Landing

The relationship of comedy, peacemaking and faith is one not often considered.  Too bad!  At our workshop, we will share from history and global cultures especially fun examples of comedy, festivity and play successfully engendering resistance to oppression and leading to healing and social transformation.  We will share some pertinent ideas from Christian theologians. We will playfully explore biblical texts that (surprisingly!) encourage laughter in emerging God’s realm.  Our workshop culminates with the spontaneous creation of an event utilizing merriment for protest and social justice…that we’ll then share with the whole Wild Goose Festees! Come learn how powerful – and fun – comic peacemaking can be!!

(Not to sound too coercive, but some sort of wacky tchotchke of a lovely parting gift may await all who come to our workshop. Just like what Jesus would probably do.)

Jane Voigts & Laura Gentry

Revs. Laura Gentry and Jane Voigts have been building unique bridges between comedy and theology for a long time.

Laura, currently the pastor at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lansing, Iowa, is also an internationally known master of the spiritual and health practice known as “Laughter Yoga.” She has recorded 6 CD’s and created the book and film Laugh Friends: A Laughter Workout for Kids. Laura continues to lead a popular community Laughter Club at her church and an annual Laugh Fest that draws laughter leaders and sacred tomfoolery from around the nation.

Jane, a United Methodist pastor currently residing in Waverly, Iowa, was a professional comedian (and “Czarina of Fun”) before being called to bring her screwy sensibilities into the Church. She continues to explore how the Bible functions as a comedy, with, among other things, her show The Bible Cabaret: A Musical & Comedy Revue Starring the Old & New Testaments that she performs around the country. With several polyester pant suits.

www.janevoigts.com

Session ID [54]

Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community and Surviving to Adulthood

Saturday, 12:00pm | River

Through an embodied and emotionally stirring combination of stories from Latinx religious leader and author of Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood, Patrick B. Reyes will move the audience through a process of vocational discernment. Emerging from his work with young people of color surviving violence, the theatre of the oppressed style presentation will leave participants inspired and ready to participate in the sacred work of creating conditions in which people of color can thrive. Patrick tethers the presentation to the many forms of violence and oppression felt by communities of color and offers inspirational stories about survival, community and hearing God’s call to live. This practice has been offered to young adults surviving domestic and systemic violence, church leaders, and theological educators who are all inspired to co-create a more just and inclusive world.

Patrick Reyes

Dr. Patrick B. Reyes is a Latinx practical theologian, educator, administrator and institutional strategist. He currently serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Doctoral Initiatives at the Forum for Theological Exploration (fteleaders.org). His expertise is helping communities, organizations, and individuals excavate their stories to create strategies and practices that promote their thriving. He consults, speaks, and offers workshops for communities seeking to embody their vision of justice and inclusion. Informed by his home community of Salinas, California, Patrick has published research focusing on the intersection of popular religiosity and social action. He is the author of the book, Nobody Cries When We Die: God, Community, and Surviving to Adulthood (Chalice Press, 2016). The work explores the role of stories and violence in vocational discernment. You can find out more about how to work with Patrick at www.patrickbreyes.com.

Session ID [55]

Your Life. Your Canvas. Your Masterpiece: Co-creating Your Life as Sacred Art

Friday, 2:00pm | Landing

I deeply believe that we are all artists in charge of the greatest Masterpiece on earth: OUR LIVES! This is an “all hands on deck” moment in human history where all of our unique gifts & #SOULSPARKLE are needed NOW to help heal the global heart. Through powerful storytelling, guided expressive arts, deep ritual, Qoya movement & unconventional spiritual teachings come learn to step into your full (r)evolutionary potential in this lifetime in this immersive workshop. There will never be another you. It’s time to share your deepest gifts to meet the worlds deepest needs so we can make love the new bottom line!

Rev. Lainie Love Dalby

Rev. Lainie Love Dalby is an Misfit Minister, Embodied Leadership Mentor & Sacred Artist on a mission to free human spirits that have been oppressed and devalued to Sparkle SHAMELESSLY™ & step into their power. As a spiritual thought leader with her own brand of multimedia ministry, she is dismantling old systems, ideas, and ways of being that promote separateness and limit our full (r)evolutionary potential. She is also deeply passionate about ending the violence we perpetrate against each other and our own bodies by reminding us of our inherent Divinity within. Like a modern day medicine woman, her ultimate goal is to help us feel more comfortable in our own skin and live in greater alignment with who we truly are by unleashing our bold creativity, innate wildness & fierce feminine courage. As global ritualist Barbara Biziou has said, “Like a great sculpture, Lainie Love can see what lives inside of you and frees it to live fully.” http://www.lainielovedalby.com/

Session ID [56]

Re-Segregation: Educational Injustice in a Post Affirmative Action America

Friday, 9:00am | Portal

This session will ask participants to think together about the road blocks to educational achievement that exist for the urban and rural poor, persons of color, immigrants and other marginalized groups in the US. We will look honestly at the landscape of K-12 and post-secondary education and ask ourselves what role we as individuals and collectively as communities of faith may have played in shaping this landscape to the detriment of those who could most benefit from greater access to quality education at all levels. As a group we will brainstorm ideas about next steps to address these issues in our local communities co-creating potential solutions utilizing George Lackey and Bill Moyer’s “Four Roles Relating to Change.”

Joseph Caldwell

Dr. Joe Caldwell currently serves as the President of the Memphis Center for Urban and Theological Studies a fully accredited college level program devoted to making higher education available to some of Memphis, Tennessee’s lowest income neighborhoods. Additionally Joe has served in teaching and administrative roles at Gardner Webb University and Golden Gate Baptist Seminary. Deeply committed to social and educational justice Dr. Caldwell is currently chairing the “Memphis Teach-in on the Church and Civil Rights” which is part of the National Civil Rights Museum’s one year commemoration of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

www.mcuts.org

Session ID [57]

Faith in Action: Spiritual Activism for Justice in Palestine-Israel

Saturday, 9:00am | Landing

This year marks half a century of Israeli occupation of the Palestinian people. This discussion will focus on faith-based activism for justice in Palestine, exploring relationships between religion and resistance, spirituality and activism. How do our faiths draw us in to organizing around Palestine-Israel? What stories are we telling ourselves about God, and how do they inform our struggles for justice and equity? In dialogue with one another, we will reflect on spiritual activism and a just peace in Palestine-Israel, drawing especially on liberation theologies, and the work of Naim Ateek, Gloria Anzaldua, Farid Esack, and Thich Nhat Hanh.

Alexa Klein-Mayer

Alexa Klein-Mayer recently graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in religious studies. After joining Students for Justice in Palestine her freshman year, she went on to serve in a number of roles, and worked on the NUDivest campaign, which successfully passed a divestment resolution through student government. Since August, she’s been organizing in DC with Friends of Sabeel North America and Sanctuary DMV. She will be attending Harvard Divinity School in the fall, focusing her studies on Buddhist chaplaincy, liberation theologies, and queer theory.

www.fosna.org/

Session ID [58]

The Intersection of Faith and Racial Justice

Friday, 10:00am | Portal

A discussion on the intersection of faith and racial justice, directed toward white people and those at the beginning stages of understanding the current issues surrounding racial justice. Includes discussions about the intersection of race and American history, mass incarceration, economic policy, immigration, privilege and fragility. Participants will learn about current racial justice movements and what it means to be a truly supportive ally.

Jacqui Buschor

Jacqui Buschor is a justice-obsessed organizer, policy wonk, and soon-to-be-seminarian living on the Westside of Columbus, OH. With nearly ten years experience, her deepest passion is teaching and leading people of faith toward new, creative ways of doing justice together and experiencing the transformative power of community.

Session ID [59]

Coming to terms with your own whiteness

Friday 11:00am | Library

What is whiteness? And after you figure out what that means, what do you do about it? Join Abby Norman, Nichole Morgan, Andi Cumbo-Floyd, and Morgan Guyton as we talk about our own journeys in deconstructing what it means to be white.

Abby Norman

Abby Norman is a former teacher who is currently in seminary at Candler and seeking Methodist ordination. Abby has an awesome husband and two hilarious children. You can find out about all of that at abbynorman.net.

Morgan Guyton

Morgan Guyton and his wife Cheryl are co-directors of the NOLA Wesley United Methodist Campus Center at Tulane and Loyola in New Orleans, LA. He has just released his first book How Jesus Saves the World from Us: 12 Antidotes to Toxic Christianity with Westminster John Knox.

www.patheos.com/blogs/mercynotsacrifice

Andi Cumbo-Floyd 

Andi Cumbo-Floyd is a writer, historian, and farmer, who lives at the edge
of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, 4 cats, 4 dogs, 6
goats, 3 rabbits, and 40 chickens. She writes about the history and legacy
of slavery in Virginia, and you can find more of her writing at andilit.com
and ourfolkstales.com.

Also find Andi Cumbo-Floyd at
www.andilit.comwww.godswhisperfarm.com

Nicole Morgan

J. Nicole Morgan is a Christian Fat Acceptance Advocate. She is currently writing a book on fatness and faith to be published by Fortress Press in 2018. Her work centers on fat acceptance in the church and how a broader, intersectional, understanding of justice equips the church to better love all of our neighbors. Nicole earned her Master Degree in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Public Policy from Palmer Seminary of Eastern University. She lives near Atlanta, GA where she enjoys sewing, hiking, and being the cool Aunt. Find Nicole @jnicolemorgan and on Facebook at Fat Faith.

Session ID [60]

Coming to Terms with Your Own Whiteness

 

Andi Cumbo-Floyd 

Andi Cumbo-Floyd is a writer, historian, and farmer, who lives at the edge
of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband, 4 cats, 4 dogs, 6
goats, 3 rabbits, and 40 chickens. She writes about the history and legacy
of slavery in Virginia, and you can find more of her writing at andilit.com
and ourfolkstales.com.

Also find Andi Cumbo-Floyd at
www.andilit.comwww.godswhisperfarm.com

Abby Norman

Abby Norman is a former teacher who is currently in seminary at Candler and seeking Methodist ordination. Abby has an awesome husband and two hilarious children. You can find out about all of that at abbynorman.net.

Morgan Guyton

Morgan Guyton and his wife Cheryl are co-directors of the NOLA Wesley United Methodist Campus Center at Tulane and Loyola in New Orleans, LA. He has just released his first book How Jesus Saves the World from Us: 12 Antidotes to Toxic Christianity with Westminster John Knox.

www.patheos.com/blogs/mercynotsacrifice

Nicole Morgan

J. Nicole Morgan is a Christian Fat Acceptance Advocate. She is currently writing a book on fatness and faith to be published by Fortress Press in 2018. Her work centers on fat acceptance in the church and how a broader, intersectional, understanding of justice equips the church to better love all of our neighbors. Nicole earned her Master Degree in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Public Policy from Palmer Seminary of Eastern University. She lives near Atlanta, GA where she enjoys sewing, hiking, and being the cool Aunt. Find Nicole @jnicolemorgan and on Facebook at Fat Faith.

Session ID [60]

Public schools: An Institution Worth Fighting For

Saturday, 9:00am | Workshop

In this session, education professor and urban educator Tuf Francis will describe four attributes of public schools: their original purpose, some historic development as an institution, the power of schools as a lever of social justice, and the current political and economic attacks on our schools. Most of the session will be devoted to a dialogue where individuals will be invited to share their experiences with their local schools (as parents, students, or teachers) and participate in a public “”think”” to strategize means of participating in our own communities to help these critical social institutions survive these difficult times.

Tuf Francis

Tuf (pr. “toof”) Francis began playing music on a single Middle Eastern drum, called a derbeki, 24 years ago. He broadened his musical repertoire over the next few years with guitar, drum kit, and song writing and recording. He was a public high school teacher, youth group leader, and praise leader from 1997-2007. He then took a seven-year hiatus from music to finish a doctorate in teacher education at the University of Michigan (inevitably making him an insufferable Michigan football fan). Currently, he is a family man, tenure track professor, scholar, public speaker, and active musician. His research interests focus on initial teacher certification, education program development, and building partnerships with inservice teachers. His speaking and musical efforts focus on helping churches and other organizations raise money for philanthropic causes. Check out his music video, To the Party, on youtube.com. Learn more about Tuf and his music: @TufFrancis and www.tuffrancis.com.

LISTEN
Session ID [61]

Stories to Get Us Through
Daniel V. Goodwin

Who here’s committed to the fight for liberation and justice ? Why? Let’s talk about that. In “Stories to Get Us Through,” bring the stories that connected you to the work of justice and resistance, and especially the ones that keep you in it. As we take time to share these stories, we’ll cover the basic community organizing tool of the one-on-one meeting as a means for mining these stories in others. Here we’ll see how specific stories can build and sustain movements, and we’ll unite our own stories to sketch out a vision for the world as it should be.
David V. Goodwin

David V. Goodwin

David V. Goodwin is a recent MDV graduate of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. During seminary he has organized for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Fight for 15, the People’s Lobby, and Seminarians for Justice. He is also a storyteller and creative writer, which he uses in his ministry to, among other things, retell biblical stories as anecdotes and folktales. At Wild Goose, he hopes to bridge these two passions, encouraging the storyteller in everyone as a powerful resource for building the world-as-it-should-be. You can find David on Twitter @theoforyourself and at  theoforyourself.wordpress.com.

Session ID [62]

Rahab’s Red Thread: Fibers and Fiber Arts in the Bible

Saturday, 12:00pm | Studio

This interactive session will use arts and crafts to examine fibers and cloth from the Bible. We will discuss the history, technology and metaphors of Biblical cloth, and will handle, prepare, and spin flax and wool. A loom will be set up, and all invited to weave.

Sally Kirkpatrick

Sally Kirkpatrick loves playing with cloth and string, and the fibers of which they are made. She is a fiber artist, teacher and physician, who believes in the power of sensory experience to deepen and enrich our understanding and relationships, with ourselves, each other, creation and God. She lives with her husband and daughter in northern Maine, where wool abounds.

Session ID [64]

Native Language: Speaking Poetry Together

Friday, 11:00am | Portal

We gather in community in many ways, around a table, around an idea, or word. Lament, welcome, identity, revolution, and evolve, are words found in sacred and historical texts, and in our own stories. We will explore each of these words in old and new texts and as we have experienced them in our own lives. In doing so, we will weave together an unfinished tapestry of poetry that will become installation pieces on the campground. Our collaborative poetry will then invite the rest of the community to explore and share. The power of the Wild Goose community lies in our ability to connect with and for each other. The synergy of our common vernacular multiplies in our shared stories in this workshop and discussion session. No previous poetry or other writing experience required. Sharing will be an invitation, not a demand.

Amy Vaughan

North Carolina poet Amy Vaughan re-discovered her muse in September of 2014 and wrote a poem a day for over a year. Since then, she continues to write poetry and prose frequently and recently wrote 40 Days of Lament And Grief, a collection of poetry shared during the season of Lent. Her poetry finds its way into artwork at galleries in Charlotte, into her sermons, shared in yoga classes and retreats across North Carolina, and as seed material in her poetry workshops and public readings. An ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, Rev. Vaughan has worked for the last five years with UMAR, an agency that supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While teaching high school English, she won two National for the Endowment for the Humanities summer residencies, first at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and second at the Breadloaf School of English in Middlebury, Vermont.

www.facebook.com/amy.vaughan

Session ID [66]

Truth telling: Creating a Space for Grief and Community Centered Lament with Jessica Knippel & Friends

Saturday, 11:00am | River

We would like to facilitate a workshop around how to engage in creative and dynamic forms of liturgical lament for various communities as well as create a specific lament for the Wild Goose community. We believe that creative community centered lament and the creation of space for grief is the rough ground from which creative nonviolent activism and insight can be birthed through the act of truth telling. Jessi Knippel, Tamisha Tyler, Ashely Stratton, Andre Henry, Emily Joy, Annie Biers, Leslie Foster, Christine Cooley & Erin Schendzielos

Jessica Knippel

We are a group of artists, academics, theologians, spiritual leaders, therapists, and activists (mainly from California, Tennessee & Georgia) engage in creative and dynamic forms of liturgical lament for various communities. We believe that creative community centered lament and the creation of space for grieving is the basis for creative nonviolent activism and insight.

Session ID [68]

Prayers of Illumination

Saturday 2:00pm | Studio

Prayers of illumination ask the Holy Spirit to lead us from darkness into light, chaos into order and cynicism into meekness. The invocation names the lament of distance and the hope of embrace. Through the linked embroidery of Dutch books and hand written prayers; this art instillation grows as a community asks for the Spirit’s guidance in responding to the vulnerability of its undocumented members and the pressures of gentrification. The piece is currently being created in the Baxter neighborhood of Grand Rapids, MI. at Eastern Ave. Church. During Wild Goose prayers will continue to be stitched into the piece.

Emily Ulmer  

Emily is the Worship Arts Coordinator at Eastern Avenue CRC in Grand Rapids, MI.

Session ID [69]

Tenx9 Story Event

Friday, 4:00pm | Studio

Tenx9 Nashville (“ten by nine”) is a Belfast-originated monthly community storytelling night where 9 people have up ten minutes each to tell a real story from their lives. It’s about real people and real stories. It’s not about professional storytelling; it’s a place for the nervous and the unsure to get up and give it a go. We make space for the ordinary, because we believe everybody has a story. Our WGF theme will be “Home.” To learn more about Tenx9 and our approach to storytelling nights, meander around our website at tenx9nashville.com. Tenx9 is a place where stories may very well break your heart and put it back together again. If you want to feel deeply, join us for Tenx9 at Wild Goose. Hosted by Michael McRay and Brittany Sky.

Michael T. McRay

Michael T. McRay is a writer, educator, and storyteller. He’s the author of “Letters from ‘Apartheid Street’: A Christian Peacemaker in Occupied Palestine” and “Where the River Bends: Considering Forgiveness in the Lives of Prisoners.” He’s adjunct faculty at Lipscomb University, founder/curator of Tenx9 Nashville Storytelling, and initiator of Narrative 4 Tennessee. He holds a master’s in conflict resolution and reconciliation from Trinity College Dublin | at Belfast.

michaelmcray.com

Session ID [73]

Creating a Culture of Peace
Daniel Petersen-Snyder

Creating a Culture of Peace (CCP) is a nationwide program for community- based peacemaking. The innovative design of CCP provides a holistic and practical foundation in spiritually-grounded active nonviolence. We will provide a brief discussion of the structure of the training and then engage participants in activities which are part of the training and will give a sense of the scope of that training. The session is participator focused and relies on the wisdom, experience and talents of the participants as well as the skills of the facilitators.
Daniel Petersen-Snyder

Daniel Petersen-Snyder

Daniel Petersen-Snyder, CCP Board Member and Facilitator, has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York since 1991, mostly working with children and youth with severe psychiatric and emotional problems. As part of his work he developed curriculum for training staff on inpatient psychiatric units in creating nonviolent therapeutic environments which encourage tolerance and healing. He is also an instructor in training to prevent child abuse and sexual harassment.

creatingacultureofpeace.org

Session ID [74]

Millennials and the Church in the Age of Trump: Randy Reed and panel

Saturday, 11:00am | Library

A panel discussion led by Dr. Randy Reed and three millennials who have been engaged in researching Millennials responses to Religion and Politics. They will both tell their own stories and the stories of those they have interviewed about where the institutions of church and politics have failed and where there might be hope for the future.

Randy Reed

Dr. Randall Reed is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. He is a sociologist of religion who works on millennials and the Emerging Church movement. He is coeditor of a forthcoming book “Millennials, the Emerging Church, and Religion: Problems and Prospects” (Cascade Press, 2017) as well as several academic articles on the Emerging Church and/or millennials.

David Colbert
David Colbert is a youth leader, worship minister, and blogger at IChurch in Hickory, North Carolina. As a recent graduate of Appalachian State University, he is now in the process of becoming ordained as a full-time pastor at IChurch. David has been involved with youth for 5 years now, and is sensitive to the need of community among Millennials. It is his goal and life’s passion to see how Millennials can fall in love with the Church all over again.

Jenny Buchanan

Session ID [75]

Why engaging with the Spanish speaking community might just change the English speaking world.
Carlos Rodriguez / Happy Sonship

Saturday, 11:00am | Living Room

This will be an interactive look at the experience of latino families in America today (and how welcoming that experience into your life…can transform your world). It will be a combination of stories of love, fear and finding God when you’re far away from home.
*A bit of dancing, passion and necessary Spanish will be included.
– Bienvenidos.

Carlos Simply Sonship

Carlos is passionate about reaching the world with God’s radical love. He is a provocative preacher who serves the local church and loves to pastor prisoners, young adults and anyone who dares to think differently. For 15 years he has been traveling the world reaching the most broken people with hugs, passion and the stories in Luke 15. In 2014 he began HappySonship.com, an online magazine that reaches thousands of people daily by sharing the message of grace via whatever the heck is trending on the web. He is the author of Simply Sonship and the upcoming Drop The Stones. He also works as the director of Catch The Fire Latin America and is a Pastor at Catch The Fire in Raleigh, NC. Carlos and (his British darling) Catherine have two gorgeous boys and are awaiting a baby girl through adoption.

Oh yeah, he also wants everyone to know that he’s a Puerto Rican and he can’t wait to tell you all about it.

happysonship.com

Session ID [77]

Queering the Gospel

Saturday, 10:00am | Landing

What, exactly, is a queer gospel? Heresy or hope? Is it only for LGBTQ people or can it speak more broadly?

In this interactive workshop the founders of QueerTheology.com will share the good news of the queer gospel. It’s a gospel that speaks powerfully to marginalized people of all identities and gives hope and inspiration as we work to create a more just world. We will share stories from the life of Jesus and the early church and talk about how those stories continue to be guiding lights for the church today, and how, when they are put into conversation with queer and transgender identity, they become powerful examples that challenge and provoke.

We’ll also walk participants through how they can find their own sacred stories in Scripture and write their own theological narratives, no matter their identity.

Shannon Kearns, Brian Murphy, Queer Theology

Queer people have more to offer the world and the church than what we are not. We have a unique way of experiencing the world and this is a gift to ourselves, the church, and theology. Do you want to move past apologetics and into a theology that is life affirming and challenging? So do we.

QueerTheology.com was founded by Father Shannon T.L. Kearns and Brian G. Murphy to provide inspiration, support, and resources to LGBTQ+ Christians and their supporters.

Fr. Shay is a transgender man. He has an M.Div from Union Theological Seminary and is a Priest in the Old Catholic Church. He is also a playwright, speaker, and writer. Brian G. Murphy is a filmmaker, activist, and entrepreneur. He has a passion for using digital storytelling engage hearts and inspire action.

Brian G. Murphy is a filmmaker, activist, and entrepreneur. He grew up evangelical Christian in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC and for the past ten years has been engaged in faith-based activism and social justice work. He participated in the 2007 Soulforce Equality Ride and co-founded Legalize Trans*.

Brian has a passion for using digital storytelling engage hearts and inspire action. He works with visionary individuals and organizations to develop and share their work through online channels: web, social, email, and video. He has worked with qubo Television Network, GLSEN, Red Letter Christians, The Simple Way, Tony Campolo, and the Evangelical Associate for the Promotion of Education; as well as producing television shows and short films.
QueerTheology.com

Session ID [78]

Owning Your Story, Impacting Others

Saturday, 11:00am | Landing

Too often as queer and/or progressive Christians, we often have to defend our existence or our positions, often leading to heated discussion, arguments, and battle lines being drawn between people. What if we were able to shift that? What if it were not about being right or wrong, and instead was about learning how to be more whole? In this workshop presentation, we’ll discuss the science of why debate doesn’t work, how to see the humanity in others even when they can’t see it in us, and how to use one’s personal story, especially as it pertains to our numerous intersecting identities (gender, sexuality, race, etc), as the grounding for impacting others, communities and the world around us.

Kevin Garcia

Kevin Garcia is a writer, speaker, musician, and creative based in Atlanta, GA. He graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2013 with a BM in Music Education, and has been everything from a barista to a corporate office worker to a non-profit professional since then. After coming out in the fall of 2015 as a gay Christian, Kevin has reached thousands of individuals across the globe with his blog, theKevinGarcia.com, his podcast, “A Tiny Revolution,” and through speaking engagements at churches and universities. He’s heavily involved with The Reformation Project’s mission to make the global church more inclusive, is presently a candidate for a Masters of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and an active member of Grace Midtown Church. In addition to LGBTQ advocacy, Kevin’s passions include vocal jazz, tacos, and really horrible dad jokes.

www.thekevingarcia.com

Session ID [79]

Reimagining Church: Economic/Entrepreneurial Possibility

Friday, 12:00pm | Workshop

Part talk and part group interaction, this presentation will encourage small groups from churches or communities to come together to dig deep into the ways in which they can look at their neighborhood/church narrative and begin to frame what a gift-based economy might look like for their facilities. What kind of entrepreneurial development is most needed in their community and is their facility one that could change lives? What kind of space planning is needed? Who are the “gate keepers” that might cause challenges? The attendees will walk away with worksheets for “next steps” after having engaged in frank talk about money and economic partnership justice work.

Anna Golladay

Anna thrives on curating creative & entrepreneurial possibility via Work of Place and Faithmarks. She is a United Methodist pastor, a creative ninja, entrepreneurial to the core and sarcastic to a fault. Via Work of Place, she helps urban churches understand how their underutilized facilities can work alongside burgeoning entrepreneurs, often lacking in resource and financing, with the intent of sparking both neighborhood revitalization and an increase in ideators who change their communities. She is also the curator and founder of Faithmarks, a photographic art exhibit that showcases the spiritual stories behind tattoos. With storytelling at the heart of this traveling show, Anna invites our stories to provide the creative foundation for the new Kingdom that is needed, not to bind us to the mold of the one that birthed us. Instagram and Twitter: @unholyhairetic

www.ourfaithmarks.com

Session ID [80]

jusTalk: Life at the Intersections

Friday, 9:00am | River

This movement toward collective liberation cannot happen unless we embrace life at the intersections. “jusTalk: Community Organizing through Faith” reclaims the essence of faith, lifting it out of the confines of Christianity, to make the practice of our faith the foundation of community organizing. This presentation lives at the intersection of Community Organizing and Faith. It hones the skills of community organizers and empowers others to become organizers. It is also interactive, teaching listeners the gift of personal story and demonstrating why it is our most powerful tool for community organizing. Participants do not have to believe in any god to benefit from this presentation.

Reverend Dr. Denise Donnell

The Reverend Dr. Denise Donnell is an ordained elder in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Denise spent the last 5 years of parish ministry on a successful journey in a cross-racial appointment at Mississippi City United Methodist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Gaining a much larger parish, Denise made the transition from pulpit to community pastor by joining the Human Rights Campaign as Senior Faith Organizer.
The Human Rights Campaign believes total liberation is possible for all God’s children in our lifetime. To that end, Denise has devoted this season of her life to advocating specifically for persons who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer (LGBTQ).
Dr. Donnell holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Jackson State University (1994), a Master of Arts Degree in Secondary Education from The University of Mississippi (1996), a Master of Divinity Degree from Perkins School of Theology (2003) and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Jackson State University (2008).

Session ID [82]

City Love: Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels

Saturday, 2:00pm | Open

Much spirituality focuses on finding the Holy in the wilderness. Yet Christians are a people whose story starts in the garden, but ends in the city. How do we truly see both grief & joy on every block? “City Love” is a facilitated conversation about the ways cities share us spiritually, with storytelling of growing into my identity as a daily-commuting cyclist and learning to fully love my city by biking it daily as a spiritual discipline. Laura Everett is the author of “Holy Spokes: The Search for Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels.”

Laura Everett

Laura Everett is happiest exploring somewhere new, preferably by bike. Laura is the author of “Holy Spokes: The Search for Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels.” Ordained by the United Church of Christ, Laura is formed by many parts of the Church. By day, Laura serves as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches, scouting for signs of Christian unity. By night, she’s an unabashed urbanist and a bicycle evangelist. Laura aims for attraction not persuasion. A moderately competent seamstress, Laura loves working with her hands. She believes the work of this moment is to notice and dismantle the racism that has divided this nation and the Church. She’s convinced that if we’re all not free, it isn’t the gospel truth. Laura lives in Boston with her wife Abbi, who has a far more interesting vocation as a middle school Latin teacher.

Session ID [83]

The Imperatives and Practices of Faith-Based Community Organizing

Saturday, 10:00am | Portal

This will be an interactive workshop or presentation of the imperatives and practices of faith-based community organizing. We seek to motivate and empower faith-based communities (broadly defined) for substantive social change for justice in this political moment that so desperately needs organizing. This is both “”movement work”” that aligns faith communities with broad diverse coalitions for justice AND theological/liturgical work that is transformative of the inner relationality and spirituality of these communities.

Tim Conder

Tim is the founding pastor of Emmaus Way in Durham, NC. He organizes nationally with the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) and locally with Durham CAN serving on their Strategy Team and as a leader of their Clergy Caucus. Currently he working with IAF on a national campaign against gun violence (Do Not Stand Idly By) and locally with CAN on policing transformation, affordable housing, living wage legislation, and educational reform in Durham. Tim is a PhD Candidate at the University of North Carolina in Cultural Studies researching as a pastoral leader/ethnographer in the NAACP “Forward Together” Moral Movement in NC. He is the author of three books including the forthcoming “Organizing the Body” (Fall 2016; Chalice Press), “Free for All: Rediscovering the Bible in Community”, and “The Church in Transition: The Journey of Existing Churches into the Emerging Culture. Tim is also a Trustee Emeritus at the Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. emmausway.net and organizingchurch.com (to be launched in Spring)

Dan Rhodes

Dan Rhodes is Assistant Clinical Professor of Social Justice and Faculty Coordinator of Contextual Education at Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Pastoral Studies. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Other Journal. Prior to taking his position at Loyola, he spent 9 years as co-pastor of Emmaus Way in Durham, NC. During this time he also was an active member of Durham CAN’s strategy team, a local community organization affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation. His doctoral research focused the work of congregation-based organizing to counteract the effects of the market collapse in 2007-2008, offering a theological critique of capitalism. He currently lives in Evanston, IL with his spouse Elizabeth and two daughters, Rachel (4yrs) and Julia (2yrs).

Session ID [85]

Dancing in Church? How to Incorporate Movement into Worship

Friday, 10:00am | Workshop

Praise Dance, also known as Liturgical Dance, is a type of dance movement incorporated into worship services. Liturgical dance has as its purpose the deepening and focusing of the worship experience; it is not merely ornamental or decorative. In this workshop, we will learn how to praise God in dance—together. We will discuss the role of dance in the Christian tradition and the place and uses of liturgical dance in worship and ministry. This is intended to not only be educational and worshipful, but also fun. You will learn simple movements of dance, but more importantly you will experience ways to use the art of dance to worship God. It is appropriate for participants of all ages, whether your church has an established dance ministry or no experience at all.

Jennie Belle

Jennie Belle was born and raised in Savannah, GA. She moved to Texas for her undergraduate education at Rice University, during which time she studied in Mexico, Peru and Argentina and participated in service projects in Central America. After graduation she moved to Spain for a year to teach English. Jennie then came to North Carolina for a dual degree M.Div./M.S.W. graduate program at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill where her work focused on advocating for farmworkers and organizing churches for social justice. Jennie currently works at the North Carolina Council of Churches where she is the Program Director for Farmworker & Immigrant Rights.

www.welcometheimmigrant.org

Session ID [86]

From Father God to Mother Earth: The Quest for Interracial Justice
David Hansen

The Native American drive for self-governance is one of the most important civil rights struggles of our time. It is also a challenge to the church to reform itself. For 400 years, from the founding of Jamestown to the beginning of the twenty-first century, Protestants dedicated themselves to the mission to “”civilize and Christianize”” Indians. Since 2003 a growing number of Christian communions have apologized to Native Americans for their participation in the history of Indian genocide, and committed themselves to work for a more just and peaceful multicultural society. In this session participants will be invited to share their experiences working to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline or other issues. Working collaboratively we will create a pathway for the church as it lives more fully into its commitment to create a more just and peaceful society.
David Hansen

David Hansen

David Hansen has served in ministry in the United Church of Christ and more recently in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for more than 40 years. His studies at the Pacific School of Religion and the Graduate Theological Union focused on religion and society and economic policy. He has served as campus minister in Oregon and Saskatchewan, and in congregations from Wisconsin to Hawai’i. He served as the conference minister of both the Hawai’i Conference of the United Church of Christ and the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ. He and Sally, his wife, are parents and grandparents of an interracial, multicultural family that includes Christians, Muslims, and atheists, as well as French and Turkish citizens. His passion is to create a society in which interracial and multicultural justice and peace are normative.

davidphansen.wix/blog

Session ID [87]

Contemplative Franciscan Journey: What God is Communicating in the Christ Event and the Ongoing Work of the Spirit Today

Friday, 3:00pm | Library

Join us to encourage each other in the profound way that mystic and activist St. Francis of Assisi put the countercultural Gospel into practice so joyfully and fully.

Through reflection, guided meditation, group conversation, and prayer, we’ll journey with the spiritual wisdom of a living Franciscan tradition – exploring insights from founders Francis, Clare, Bonaventure, Duns Scotus, and Angela of Foligno alongside 21st Century Franciscans Richard Rohr, Ilia Delio, and Margaret Carney.

Often, we forget how revolutionary Franciscanism has been and continues to be! Its concerned witness and action in the world is reinforced by the deep sense that — at the most essential level — no single person, place, or thing exists in the universe except in relation to everything else.

So join us to deepen your experience of Franciscan consciousness as a spiritual path of transformation. And, how the witness of Francis and Clare invites us into a new humanity and new creation…

“For God so loved the cosmos…”

Mark Gregory D’Alessio

Br. Mark Gregory D’Alessio is a Franciscan friar in the ecumenical society of the Companions of Francis and Clare. He’s also a spiritual director, chaplain, retreat leader, author, and past President and Executive Director of the Psychotherapy & Spirituality Institute, drawing together the inspiration of the church with the wisdom of psychological care. Br. Mark now lives on Long Island and serves as a crisis counselor at an emergency shelter with outreach services for men and women who are homeless; and, as a chaplain at an school and orphanage for children with developmental and mental health disabilities. A long-time seeker and practitioner of spiritual wisdom, he’s initiated into multiple spiritual lineages, both East and West; looks to the evolving universe story, Thích Nhat Hanh, and Francis and Clare of Assisi as sources of inspiration and hope; and, does his best to affirm the Christian Wisdom tradition within a wider inter-spiritual framework. brmarkgregory.com

Session ID [88]

Jesus, Justice, and Spirituality Outside Organized Religion
Michael Camp

What if Christians really learned their own history? What if that history showed us love trumps doctrine, Jesus’ teaching transcends all faiths, and social justice and community work best outside “church”?

Ex-evangelical author Michael Camp says most Christians fail Christian History 101. Contemporary Christianity’s sacred cows—traditional views of the Bible, church, salvation, missions, end times, the afterlife, etc.—are not derived from the original Jesus saga. Only by getting re-oriented to the ancient faith can modern believers abandon harmful fundamentalism and forge social change. Any progressive spiritual movement must know its origins, operate outside organized religion, and work with people of other faiths and no faith; or risk irrelevance in our post-modern world.

Join Michael in this lively conversation that takes you on an historical, transformative journey, liberating you to voice doubts, ask tough questions, share your evolution, and follow your own spiritual path where the historical evidence leads.

Michael Camp

Michael Camp

Author of Craft Brewed Jesus (2016) and Confessions of a Bible Thumper (2012), Michael Camp’s insights as a former conservative evangelical and amateur historian will open your eyes to spiritual paradigms rarely imagined today. Michael spent twenty-five years in the evangelical movement, as a missionary to Muslims, a development worker in Africa, and a lay leader in independent, charismatic, and Baptist churches before experiencing a huge faith shift.

Today, he blogs, attends pub theology gatherings, participates in non-conventional spiritual community, speaks to secular and faith-based audiences, and facilitates empowerment projects for the poor in Africa and Asia through his Rotary Club near Seattle, Washington. Engaging his journey just might set you free from the chains of modern, organized religion and “churchianity.” On such e-media as Homebrewed Christianity, Darkwood Brew, The New Covenant Group, Provoketive Magazine, and Recovering Fundamentalists, he shares his story and experience engaging the world with God’s inclusive love outside a traditional religious box.

www.michaelcampbooks.com

Session ID [90]

Forgiveness Garden: Working with unresolved grief

Lyndon Harris & Sheridan Hill

Friday, 11:00am | River

Forgiveness activist Lyndon Harris and biographer Sheridan Hill will lead participants in creating an active Wild Goose Forgiveness Garden with seating areas for forgiveness conversations, and will introduce participants to simple forgiveness acts anyone can take for personal transformation and healing – including how to let go of grudges and grievances, and tips for working with unresolved grief. Participants will also hear how to create your own garden of forgiveness. Studies show that forgiveness is good for us on a par with quitting smoking! We will draw from the work of Fred Luskin, Martin Prechtel, Bishop Tutu, and Francis Weller.

Lyndon Harris

Lyndon Harris is the Co-director of Tigg’s Pond Retreat Center in Zirconia, NC, where he is developing a Journey to Forgiveness Institute. Harris is also a forgiveness coach, and an inspirational and motivational speaker, having spoken at numerous conferences across the United States and around the world. He served more than 20 years as a pastor and his work at Ground Zero as priest-in-charge of Saint Paul’s Chapel (located directly across from the World Trade Center in New York City) has been written about widely, including the NY Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor. His work in forgiveness is featured in the award winning documentary, “The Power of Forgiveness” (Journey Films 2006).  Harris is also the Executive Director of the Gardens of Forgiveness, an educational non-profit dedicated to teaching the way of forgiveness as tool for conflict transformation and peace making.

http://www.lyndonharris.com/

Sheridan Hill

My life, and my work as a personal biographer, has taught me this: Life is a series of stories that you tell yourself; the worst mistake we make is believing our stories of victimization and repeating them in our heads, re-traumatizing ourselves and ensuring that we will continue to react instead of respond to each moment. Reactions rush forth out of past pain and are full of self-justification (the moral high horse); responses arise from an inner capacity to be-with-what-is (breathing into the vulnerability that love calls us to). I call myself a master griever because of the grief work that life foisted on me–no, graced me with–and am proud to work with forgiveness activist Lyndon Harris. I believe in the healing power of rituals as simple as lighting a candle with an intention, both as private actions and as moments of community-building and group witnessing.

Session ID [91]

Art as Protest

Saturday, 1:00pm | Studio

Artists are Prophets who bleed in front of the masses to remind us of our common humanity. Art is protest (political, social, or religious) because it tells an alternative story. It gives meaning to suffering. Art is uniquely suited to protest because you can’t argue with a painting. You can’t erase a song from people’s minds.
Come for the performance of an original work of art by Katie Jo Suddaby. Come also for an inspiring discussion on personal creative power and sustainable art-making during trying times.

Katie Jo Suddaby

Rev. Katie Jo Suddaby is a freelance pastor, ordained with the American Baptist Churches USA. Short, spunky, and straight forward; she is a sought after speaker and artist. The art-form that captured her heart is Tibetan Sand Painting. Katie Jo is one of the few Westerners who practice this ancient, delicate art. Since 2012, she has designed and performed over 30 original mandalas for festivals and retreats across the country. Each mandala is unique and can take a few hours or a few months to complete. She has received training from Tibetan Buddhist monks in the US and Nepal. Katie Jo loves to fuse Buddhist art and Christian texts to teach self-care, art as a spiritual expression, and the value of religious diversity. When not roaming around providing pastoral services, she can be found watching Star Trek, walking her dog (Bernie Sanders), and singing show tunes.

www.sandbykatiejo.com

Session ID [95]

Leading From The Margins: Crazy, misfit, rebel, heretic, apostate, troublemaker

Saturday, 11:00am | Lecture Hall

Crazy, misfit, rebel, heretic, apostate, troublemaker: that is how many of us have been labeled. But every big movement of God comes from the marginalized. We are the ones who change the world. This intimate session powerfully liberates the marginalized to own their power, to make their voice heard, to love and be loved.
My journey—from a leader in the nonaffirming, conservative church to now being a fierce, fulltime advocate, a loving Mom of two LGBTQI children, and a prominent voice for faith parents—provides me with a unique, powerful perspective and platform.
I use real-life stories of courage and resistance to restore, encourage and reframe people in the margins, to empower them to action and to become future leaders—whether LGBTQI, POC, or other community, families, and friends.
This space brings genuine love and compassion. Join me.

Susan Cottrell

SUSAN COTTRELL is the prominent voice for faith parents of LGBTQI children. She is an international speaker, author and spiritual director. Through her nonprofit, Susan champions the LGBTQI community and families with characteristic tender-heartedness as she zealously challenges Christians who reject them with wise insistence that love of God and others is the foundation of faith. She spent 25 years in the nonaffirming Evangelical church, is President of FreedHearts, has a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, served as VP of PFLAG Austin, and was featured on ABC’s 20/20, Nightline and Good Morning America. Her books “Mom, I’m Gay”—Loving Your LGBTQ Child and Strengthening Your Faith (Westminster John Knox Press), and True Colors – Celebrating the Truth and Beauty of the Real You, are endorsed by HRC, PFLAG, Gay Christian Network and others. She has been married 30 years, has five children, two of whom are LGBTQI, and lives in Austin.

www.FreedHearts.org

Session ID [96]

Privilege, Power, Racism and Other Biases – Awareness & Action Steps
Scott Bass

Friday, 11:00am, | Bridge

This interactive workshop invites participants to increase their awareness and identify action steps relevant to privilege, power, racism and other biases. The presenter(s) draw on personal and professional experience in applying a “grief lens” to the process of waking up to privilege, power and bias. That process has much in common with what is popularly known as stages or tasks of grieving, mourning and healing. The presenter(s) use their own journeys of coming to terms with privilege, power and bias, with a focus on gender and racial bias, and invite participants to consider their own journeys and next steps.
Scott Bass

Scott Bass

Scott Bass grew up in rural, southeastern North Carolina when schools in the region were desegregating – and churches were not. Messages from home, school and church about how to interact across lines of race were confusing. Racial tensions and inequities were commonplace.

Scott is now a family therapist living and working in Raleigh, North Carolina. He also offers spiritual direction, coaching, workshops, retreats and consulting. Current projects include working with a non-profit to increase inclusivity and working with a faith community to nurture meaningful communication about racial and political differences. Scott also works as Director of Victim Services for the nonprofit North Carolina Victim Assistance Network. He is married to Marcelle Clowes. They have 15-year-old twin humans and two cats.

Session ID [98]

Asking Questions That Liberate Us
Rev. Kimberly Braun

Friday, 3:00pm | Bridge

How do we truly live out our calling to be contemplatives and mystics in a tumultuous world? It is all in the questions we ask and the prayers we pray. Jesus said so eloquently, ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.’ But what does this mean in relationship to our longing for a just world? Or even more importantly to be a ‘just’ person that is a catalyst for a recapitulation in Christ. This interactive experience will offer a few key pointers to get us asking questions that probe the invitation more deeply and inspire us with new solutions and new ways of being.
Kimberly Braun

Kimberly Braun


Rev. Kimberly Braun, Minister, M.A., CSP and Meditation Coach has been devoted to meditation from the age of 5, with over ten years as a Carmelite monastic nun. Her Masters in theology was completed in 2001 in Washington D.C., and is concentrated upon the adult spiritual journey. She has a unique way of connecting to the heart and mind that of those with her, inspiring an experience the Spirit in which we live, move and have our being. Her style is playful, deeply inquiring, and intelligent in the synthesis of not only how to access this part of ourselves, but how to live from that place more consistently. She is a retreat and workshop facilitator, TEDx speaker, meditation faculty at the renowned Omega Institute, and fellow seeker on the path to living freely. Check out her Book, Love Calls, CDs, or book her for your retreat, church, or private session.

www.kimberlybraun.com

Session ID [99]

Serving Life: ReVisioning Justice

Saturday, 9:00am | Living Room

SERVING LIFE is a community call and response between public audiences and some of the most hidden members of our society: men on death row. Death row mirrors our over-incarcerated nation. All residents are low-wealth. Most are minorities. Mental illness is rampant. Hundreds have been executed who were innocent. Yet, these troubling factors go unheeded. Even if these men are “not guilty,” they’re perceived as “not innocent enough.”
As we listen to these prisoners grapple with the realities of innocence, justice, and compassion, we begin to wonder who is disposable, who counts, and what justice means when the blindfold is our own.Join us as we explore together what it means to live fully in the face of scheduled death.
*Audience members will have an opportunity to respond to the men and their families.

Lynden Harris 

Hidden Voices is a radically inclusive, participatory, and co-creative organization committed to creating just, compassionate, and sustainable relationships. Our core values are simple: All lives have meaning. All stories matter. As practitioners of a radically inclusive process, we’re committed to breaking traditional artistic and social boundaries so as to tell the stories that matter most, shed light on complex situations and voices, and envision together the future we wish to create.

Founder of Hidden Voices, Lynden Harris collaborates with underrepresented communities to create award-winning works that combine narrative, performance, mapping, music, digital media, animation, and interactive exhibits. Lynden is a member of the MAP Fund Class of 2016 and in 2014 was named a Founding Cultural Agent for the US Dept. of Arts and Culture. She also teaches Stories for Social Change at Duke University and is a founding team member of Duke Transformative Prison Practices.

Through Hidden Voices, Associate Director Kathryn Hunter Williams has co-created performances with undocumented youth, families escaping violence, military spouses, survivors of sexual assault, communities facing gentrification, and the currently incarcerated. Kathryn is faculty at the Dept. of Dramatic Art at UNC, a long-standing member of PlayMakers Repertory Co., and has worked with Living Stage, The Negro Ensemble, New Dramatists, and the Chautauqua Theater Company.

Hiddenvoices.org

Session ID [102]

The Psychology of Separation

Saturday 1:00pm | Landing

“The Psychology of Separation” is an interactive presentation that invites participants into a shared experience of simultaneously questioning and dismantling some of the aspects of individual and collective socialization that serve to separate us. With insights from Carl Jung, Howard Thurman, and Christian scripture, this presentation points participants towards new ways of relating to self and other, from objectification of self and other to relational restoration. The Kingdom, and the Beloved Community, are presented as qualitative realities, dimensions of being, as aspects of Ultimate Reality, or relational wholeness. This presentation focuses particularly on issues of separation related to race, but the insights are also applicable to separation along the lines of gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Division is presented as an internal reality that creates our external shared reality. The splits between us are informed by the splits inside of us. Loving God, self, and the “”other”” are inextricable.

Tony Caldwell

Tony Caldwell, LCSW is a psychotherapist in private practice, a Social Work educator at the University of Mississippi, and Director of College Ministry at Oxford-University United Methodist Church in Oxford, Ms. He is a member of the Memphis-Atlanta Jungian Seminar and the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. As a public speaker, human rights activist, project facilitator, town hall moderator, and workshop leader, Tony has partnered with The William Winter Institute For Racial Reconciliation, The Human Rights Campaign, Mississippi Racial Equity Community of Practice, the W.W. Kellogg Foundation, The Sarah Isom Center For Women and Gender Studies, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Radical South Conference. Tony and his colleague, Dr. Jandel Crutchfield, have enjoyed success in their grassroots Together Projects promoting interracial and interfaith dialogue across the state of Mississippi. Tony loves writing about the intersection of theology, depth psychology, and social justice. You can find some of his writings at www.tonycaldwell.net

Session ID [103]

Restorative Practices: Loving the “Other”

Saturday, 1:00pm | River

The intended outcome of my workshop is to educate people about the field of restorative practices (RP), touching on shame, rejection, othering, empathy, and the power of supportive human connection. The first 15 minutes is a lecture format with Q & A. Then we will break into pairs or small groups and do a fun connection building exercise.
I want participants to leave with a sense of being both empowered and challenged to love those whom they have been “othering”. And I want them to leave with a hunger to have RP in their local schools and prisons.

Mike Phillips 

Mike Phillips recently left a 25-year career in aerospace Information Technology to pursue a career in Restorative Practices. The new social science of Restorative Practices focuses on the common humanity in us all and provides a means to break through the sense of “other”-ness. As a restorative facilitator, Mike uses restorative processes to create emotionally safe spaces and cultivate relationship development.
Mike attends the United Methodist Church of Fort Worth Texas. He has facilitated groups at the church and at rehab centers.
Mike is also working with Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University to bring the traveling Forgiveness Project exhibit to Dallas and Fort Worth.
My stand is that every human being on the face of the planet gets a chance to be heard, and experiences being known and loved.

Session ID [105]

Faithmarks StoryCraft – Interactive storytelling about your tattoo

Friday, 2:00pm | Studio

Engage with those who have faith or spiritual tattoos in a public and vocal way. Via a quick and super-creative writing workshop, Anna Golladay will walk participants through the art of crafting the story surrounding their tattoo. Using the themes of the festival – Lament, Welcome, Identity, Evolve, Revolution and Love – participants will mold a response related to the art that covers their skin. Be it poetry, spoken word or prose, the stories that evolve are important threads woven through the fabric that is Wild Goose. Some participants will perform or read the results to the group. Once the stories are written, participants are encouraged to share them with Wild Goose TV, on the Wild Goose website and on the Faithmarks website or even, perhaps, on the Wild Goose Main Stage.

Anna Golladay

Anna thrives on curating creative & entrepreneurial possibility via Work of Place and Faithmarks. She is a United Methodist pastor, a creative ninja, entrepreneurial to the core and sarcastic to a fault. Via Work of Place, she helps urban churches understand how their underutilized facilities can work alongside burgeoning entrepreneurs, often lacking in resource and financing, with the intent of sparking both neighborhood revitalization and an increase in ideators who change their communities. She is also the curator and founder of Faithmarks, a photographic art exhibit that showcases the spiritual stories behind tattoos. With storytelling at the heart of this traveling show, Anna invites our stories to provide the creative foundation for the new Kingdom that is needed, not to bind us to the mold of the one that birthed us. Instagram and Twitter: @unholyhairetic

www.ourfaithmarks.com

Session ID [107]

Praying with Mandalas: Contemplative Coloring in the Belly of the Whale

Friday, 1:00pm | River

The Praying with Mandalas session will be a creative combination of contemplation in action, prayerful coloring, and faith-inspired social justice. We will explore “the belly of the whale”—that safe space where we pray deeply, reconnect with God, and gain the spiritual strength to go forth boldly as the people God has called us to be.

Together we will
* share in a dramatic reenactment of the story of Jonah,
* explore the spiritual practice of contemplative coloring,
* savor a time of shared sacred silence, and
* co-create a prayer mandala mural designed to offer hope and healing for those in prison.

Sharon Seyfarth Garner

Rev. Sharon Seyfarth Garner, Director & Founder of Belly of the Whale Spiritual Direction & Retreat Ministries, is an avid mandala colorer, mother of two, returned peace corps volunteer, and life-long contempl-activist (one who seeks to be grounded in contemplative practices while actively working toward peace with justice). Sharon is the author of two books – Praying with Mandalas: A Colorful, Contemplative Practice and Mandalas, Candles and Prayer: A Simply Centered Advent. Formally, she holds degrees from Swarthmore College (B.A.) and Methodist Theological School of Ohio (M.Div); and has earned graduate certificates in Spiritual Direction (Ignatian Spirituality Institute of John Carroll University), Diversity Management (Cleveland State University), and Ecumenical Studies (World Council of Churches). Informally, she loves being at her little cabin in the woods, kayaking, making pottery, singing loudly and talking walks with her husband and beloved dog, Bear.

prayingwithmandalas.org, bellyofthewhaleministries.net

Session ID [109]

Discerning Bonhoeffer’s Call to Discipleship with Incarcerated Women

Saturday, 4:00pm | Workshop

Listening to the theological insights of incarcerated women, while participating in a Christian activist community, taught me how to see the social and political significance of each liturgical season and to use the liturgical narrative of the Gospels as a resource for political resistance. This workshop will introduce the liturgical seasons as a framework for engaging the social evils of mass incarceration and the death penalty. The workshop invites participants to learn from incarcerated women and to discern what Bonhoeffer’s call to discipleship means in one’s own context.

Jennifer McBride

Dr. Jennifer M. McBride is Associate Dean of Doctor of Ministry Programs and Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics at McCormick Theological Seminary. McBride is author of The Church for the World: A Theology of Public Witness (Oxford University Press, 2011), co-editor of Bonhoeffer and King: Their Legacies and Import for Christian Social Thought (Fortress Press, 2010), and president of the International Bonhoeffer Society – English Language Section. Her work has appeared in popular publications like The Christian Century and CNN.com and has been featured in the New York Times. McBride’s most recent book, Radical Discipleship: A Liturgical Politics of the Gospel, is based on her experience teaching theology in a women’s prison in Georgia and participating in the Open Door Community, a Christian activist and worshipping community in Atlanta that has been engaged in mercy and justice work on behalf of the homeless and prison populations for over thirty-five years.

http://mccormick.edu/content/faculty-jennifer-mcbride

Nannette Banks

Rev. Nannette Banks is a world traveler, people and poetry lover who believes in the power of worship and the sacraments to liberate and set free all who are marginalized and oppressed –for the table was set in the presence of (my)the enemy! She is also the voice of This is what happens Wild Goose Video.

Currently, she is an itinerant preacher and  serves as the Director of Alumni/ae and Church Relations at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Session ID [110]

This Is My Body, Written By You
Ben Brazil

Friday, 4:00pm | Bridge

If you squint, it’s almost like sacramental algebra. With apologies to the apostles John and Paul, it goes like this: Word (made flesh) = (Body of) Christ = Church. This workshop invites you to explore how the words of our individual stories connect to the Incarnate Word of Christ – and bring us together as Church. Together, we will give voice to the stories people tell about us and to the stories we tell about others; to the stories woven into the Goose and to the stories that are left out (or would simply prefer to be told elsewhere, thank you very much). Along the way, we’ll see how it feels when we are flattened into simple, “single” stories – as the writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has put it – as well as explore what happens to us = Church = Body of Christ when we tell our stories together.
Ben Brazil

Ben Brazil

Ben Brazil directs the Ministry of Writing program at the Earlham School of Religion, a Quaker seminary in Richmond, Indiana. He has worked as a scholar, a reporter, and a travel writer, publishing in venues ranging from The Washington Post to Killing the Buddha.

http://killingthebuddha.com/mag/dispatch/serendipity/

Session ID [112]

God’s Stories of Love and Justice

Claire Brown, Brittany Sky

Saturday, 4:00pm | Bridge

We transmit our faith to children through our stories. What if children had the opportunity to make these stories—and faith—their own through wonder, play, and relationship building? We believe that stories transform us, connect us, and empower us. Join us for a collaborative and experiential session that demonstrates how we can be in spiritual community with children and families through the power of narrative. We’ll play, share stories, and artistically engage prayer, putting this critical, creative discipleship into practice. This creative theological pedagogy is accessible to everyone—adults and children.

Claire Brown

Claire Brown is a writer, minister, and mama living and working in Tennessee. She is the author of  Deep Blue Life, a narrative-based, liberative spirituality children’s curriculum, and blogs about parenthood and theology at seminarymama.wordpress.com.

Claire serves as the Director of Youth and Children’s Ministries at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Nashville. An alum of Vanderbilt Divinity School, she is a candidate for ordination to the Episcopal priesthood and is currently studying at the School of Theology at Sewanee. Claire and her partner have one young son.

Brittany Sky

Brittany Sky is the Senior Editor of Children’s Resources at The United Methodist Publishing House. She served as a minister with children and families in local churches in Oklahoma before coming to Nashville to work as a development editor on children’s Sunday school curricula. Brittany is the author of the Deep Blue Bible Storybook and the editor of the Deep Blue Toddler Bible Storybook. She holds an MA in Christian Education from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

deepbluekids.com

Session ID [346]

Sustainability in Scripture

Friday, 11:00am | Landing

What can Scripture teach us about the issues of sustainability and Creation Care that we face in today’s world? In this session we will look at some of the answers to that question, focusing on texts less commonly cited in discussions of Christian responses to sustainability challenges.

Bill Guerrant

Bill Guerrant and his wife Cherie raise goats, chickens, pigs and chemical-free vegetables on their farm in southern Virginia. Bill is a retired attorney, a seminary graduate and the author of Organic Wesley: A Christian Perspective on Food, Farming and Faith (Seedbed, 2015).

whiteflintfarm.com

Session ID [114]

Playing the Gospel
Annette Joseph

In order to tap into the gospel in a new way we need to be able to play with the story. Reinterpreting the story into contemporary language helps us to reconnect with the message of love and justice the stories have to offer us. Come and play with the story with us. This is hands on, collaborative and fun. We will play with the story and have an opportunity to show off our interpretations to one another. Come and see.
Annette Joseph

Annette Joseph

Annette Joseph is an Episcopal Priest at Holy Cross in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. She works out in the community with many different denominations and faith communities. She developed the Worship Mob which happens between five local churches crossing not only denominational but racial lines. Just recently Holy Cross has been designated as a Jubilee Ministry for its work with poverty and advocacy. In 2013 she traveled to Luis South Sudan as part of a diocesan mission trip and taught a pastor’s class. She relies heavily on participation and interaction from the attendees and not lectures.

arjoseph.blogspot.com/

Session ID [115]

(Trans)gender, Spirituality and Music: A Conversation with Namoli Brennet

Saturday, 12:00pm | Cafe

Transcendent singer/songwriter performs achingly beautiful meditations on spirituality, suffering, social justice, the human condition, death, life, and hope.

A candid Q&A session with trans* musician Namoli Brennet.

Namoli Brennet

Namoli Brennet had already been pursuing a career as a touring songwriter and working as music director at a liberal-seeming church when she came out as transgender. People were both vocally opposed and supportive, and the church was ultimately forced to fire her despite the success of the music program. Since then she’s firmly established herself both nationally and internationally as a gifted, passionate songwriter and performer. She’s played on stages in the US, Canada, Europe and Mexico and was recently included in the Bilerico list, “50 successful transgender Americans you should know.” Namoli has been heard on NPR, German Public Radio and her music was featured in the Emmy-Award-Winning documentary, “Out in the Silence.”

LISTEN

www.namolibrennet.com

Session ID [116]

Sharing stories of disability, brokenness, and liberation
Cynthia Bauer, Kupenda for the Children

Friday 12:00pm | Bridge

People with disabilities are a part of every race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation yet have a unique culture. They face a common discrimination leading to abuse, neglect, and even murder. This happens in faith communities around the world regardless of the economic status of the country.

Cynthia Bauer will facilitate a conversation related to the challenges and joys related to disability that she began at the 2016 Wild Goose Festival. Born without her left hand, Cynthia will play her guitar and share about her own life and work with families impacted by disabilities in Africa creating a safe space for others to share their stories related to disability. Although 1 billion people around the world have disabilities, justice conversations rarely include this group. Therefore, we will also collaborate on ways people with disabilities can be more fully included in our communities and dialogues.
Cynthia Bauer

Cynthia Bauer

Through her example, speaking, writing, and networking, Cynthia advocates for children with disabilities in Kenya, Tanzania, and the U.S. with increasing global interest. Cynthia co-founding “Kupenda for the Children”, with a Kenyan teacher, is narrated in a recently published book “An Unlikely Gift.” Born without her left hand, Cynthia was moved to action when she learned of the stigmas connected to disability in Kenya. Cynthia encourages others with disabilities to meet their God-given potential by sharing the message of God’s inclusive love in multiple ways including playing her guitar to demonstrate what is possible when opportunities are available to everyone.

www.kupenda.org

Session ID [117]

Hundreds of Ways to Kneel & Kiss the Ground: Original Songs Interpreted from World Wisdom Traditions & Interactive Storytelling

Saturday, 9:00pm | Main Stage

Rev. Sherry Cothran, former lead singer of the popular rock band, The Evinrudes, turned ordained United Methodist minister, has worked with homeless, immigrants and refugees in her urban appointment for a decade while continuing to make music. Her new CD, “Kiss the Ground” is based on wisdom stories & experiences from the religious traditions of Islam, Christianity, Judaism. Her first single, “Tending Angels” has been made into a music video by award winning film maker, Tracy Facceli, and seeks to shatter the stereotypes of the typical homeless person. In this interactive presentation, Cothran presents her work through song, film and story and invites participants to imagine a world in which the walls that divide us are turned into bridges that unite us by focusing on what we all have in common.

Sherry Cothran

Brian McClaren calls Rev. Sherry Cothran a “rare combination…an artistic/spiritual trifecta, a first rate singer/songwriter, a dynamic performer and trained theologian.” Leaving a career as an award winning recording artist for Mercury Records, NY to pursue a spiritual journey, Sherry Cothran, M.Div., ordained elder, United Methodist church, combines songs and stories rooted in ancient traditions, theology, myth and her ongoing work as senior pastor/wounded healer to the marginalized populations in her urban community. She fuses her gifts of writing, teaching, preaching, singing, songwriting and workshop presentations as well as her empathic counseling to help others unpack and embrace their own transformative Soul restoring, “wounded healer” power. Sherry has been featured in USA Today, UMC.org, led at Festival of Homiletics, was the Artist in Residence, 2015, at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary. The lead song off of her new CD, “Tending Angels,” is featured in a new music video by award winning film maker, Tracy Facelli.

sherrycothran.com

Session ID [118]

Peace, Justice, and Pentecostalism
Daniel Rushing with Terry Threadwell, Carlos Rodriguez, Bec Cranford, and Kisha Parker

Early Pentecostalism was marked by racially inclusive worship, pacifism, and social engagement. Over the years, though, we have seen each of those original identifiers fade away. But the pacifist and social justice roots of Pentecostalism have not disappeared from the ethical life of all Pentecostals. Today, Pentecostalism a global movement with a majority of Christians who identify as Pentecostal living outside of North America, and this richly diverse movement is again turning its attention towards the issues of peace and justice. This panel is made up of several individuals who are using their Pentecostal faith as a foundation for social activism. We will explore the theological underpinnings of Pentecostalism and discuss the ways that Pentecostals can and are pursuing peace and justice again, in America and abroad.
Daniel Rushing, Terry Threadwell, Carlos Rodriguez, Kisha Parker

S. Daniel Rushing

S. Daniel Rushing is a son of the Pentecostal church. He found Jesus in the sweat and fervor of a rural Pentecostal church. He has pastored for over thirteen years in the Church of God. While earning his Master of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University, he worked with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina leading weekly conversations on campus about issues of racial justice. He resides in Mount Holly, NC with his wife Crystal and two daughters, Bianca and Olivia. He currently collaborates with churches interested in engaging issues of social justice, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Pax Pneuma.

www.sdanielrushing.com

Terry Threadwell
Terry is a pastor, professor, and prophet (modern day social activist). At 64, Terry is one of the oldest Millennials around. Passionate about social justice, peace and creation care, having written several short articles on the subject. An ardent socialist, he rejects the liberal tag often attached by some (Liberal, a want-to-be socialist, living a conservative lifestyle)
Terry holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Married to Ann for 42 years, he has three children, five grandchildren and yes, two great-grandchildren.

Carlos Simply Sonship

Carlos is passionate about reaching the world with God’s radical love. He is a provocative preacher who serves the local church and loves to pastor prisoners, young adults and anyone who dares to think differently. For 15 years he has been traveling the world reaching the most broken people with hugs, passion and the stories in Luke 15. In 2014 he began HappySonship.com, an online magazine that reaches thousands of people daily by sharing the message of grace via whatever the heck is trending on the web. He is the author of Simply Sonship and the upcoming Drop The Stones. He also works as the director of Catch The Fire Latin America and is a Pastor at Catch The Fire in Raleigh, NC. Carlos and (his British darling) Catherine have two gorgeous boys and are awaiting a baby girl through adoption.

Oh yeah, he also wants everyone to know that he’s a Puerto Rican and he can’t wait to tell you all about it.

happysonship.com

Kisha Parker
Kisha L. Parker is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana where she practices counseling and psychotherapy in a private practice setting that she owns entitled Healing Pathways Counseling & Consulting, LLC. There, Kisha assists children, adults, couples and families on their journeys towards mental and spiritual health and wholeness. Former board member of the Pride of Indy Bands and current member of Indy Pride, Kisha is also a licensed minister and ordained elder in a Pentecostal denomination. She is also a seminarian completing M.Div (Master of Divinity) studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. In her free time, Kisha enjoys babies, music, reading, Facebook, shopping, cooking, traveling, and SHOES!!!!!!!!

Session ID [120]

Redeemed: How My Momma, My Wife & A Little Muslim Boy Saved Me From Racism
Jeff Burns

Friday 9:00am | Bridge

Jeff will be presenting a series of peacemaking stories called “”Redeemed: How My Momma, My Wife & A Little Muslim Boy Saved Me From Racism.”” The focus of these stories will be how Jeff went from being a rabid Christian Zionist who hated Muslims to become a peacemaker and how he confronted racism in Southern fundamentalist Christian churches.

Jeff Burns

Dr. Jeff Burns, a recovering evangelical/charismatic Christian and former minister shares about his peacemaking journey with Muslims in the U.S. and abroad in a series of popular stories that he has shared around the world in churches, mosques, and synagogues. Jeff has been a peacemaker between the Muslim and Christian community since 2005. As a charismatic pastor, his world got rocked, and he became a peacemaker and friend to Muslims when he discovered the core message Jesus which is loving my neighbor and treating other people the way we desire to be treated. His stories have given a lot of hope to people.

He lives in Carolina Beach, North Carolina with his lovely wife of 31 years Oceana, and their ten-year-old beautiful, energetic daughter Olivia. When Jeff is not working and traveling, his greatest joys are walking with his wife on the beach, body boarding with his daughter at low tide and writing.  jeffburns.org

Session ID [121]

Telling a love story in a culture of fear

Friday, 9:00am | Workshop

“Telling a love story in a culture of fear”
This is a prayerful and tactical time that will offer both a framework to explore a spiritual life that empowers care for creation and people. This workshop will include some time of prayer that will inform our conversations about sharing stories of love and hope-filled action, particularly as we work for social and environmental transformation.
Some practical ideas may include:

– getting started on Twitter – trying your first rally or march – calling and meeting your government representatives
meeting with your government representatives – contacting the press with important stories and information
creating an effective testimony for public hearing – donating or volunteering for an organization for the first time but you’re not sure which one – trying Facebook live to share what’s happening around you – finding real facts and news about the things that matter to you – registering to vote – thinking through running for local government office
– sharing your story or helping someone share their story – connecting, getting support, supporting others

Scott Hardin-Nieri

Scott Hardin-Nieri is partner, dad, spiritual director, pastor, and sojourner. He is the Director of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina and Associate Minister of Green Chalice of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Prior to living in North Carolina, Scott and his family served in the vulnerable cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. There he learned to how to climb Fig Strangler trees, spot Two-toed Sloths, call like a Mot Mot, and listen to people and nature in a new way. Scott is an ordained pastor with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and enjoys accompanying people during transformative experiences, whether during hikes, spiritual direction, wilderness quests, shared stories, service learning trips, live music concerts, camps or retreats. He continues to be reminded of his true self most clearly in the forests, oceans and deserts and seeks to invite others, particularly faith communities into conversations regarding creation.

www.Creationcarealliance.org

Dayna Reggero

Dayna Reggero is the Director of the Climate Listening Project. She has been traveling across the United States and around the world to connect and share hopeful conversations on climate and community. Her Climate Listening Project films explore the connections that are important to each of us: family, faith, business, community; and weaves together the latest science with inspiring stories from around the globe. Dayna started out as a spokesperson at 19 years old, appearing on television with local and endangered species. Dayna has been interviewed by CNN, appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX networks around the nation, coordinated with Animal Planet, TLC, Discovery and the Food Network for features, and collaborated with the Sierra Club for Years of Living Dangerously. Dayna has Master of Applied Science and Bachelor of Arts and Communications degrees. Full bio: http://daynareggero.com/bio/

Deke Arndt

Deke Arndt is a climate scientist based in Asheville, North Carolina. For the past seven years, he has served as a lead editor of the State of the Climate report, published annually in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The report is the “annual physical” of the climate system, from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the atmosphere. More than 400 scientists from 50 countries contribute. He is currently the Chief of Climate Monitoring at Asheville’s National Centers for Environmental Information. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology and a member of St. Eugene’s Catholic Church in Asheville.

Session ID [122]

Faith Communities at the Heart of the Environmental Movement

Within an interactive setting we come together to talk about faith and the environment, hear stories of resiliency, transformation and hope in the midst of our environmental and social challenges. Along with our amazing conversation partners you will explore a bit about Climate Science, preaching, the connections between ecological injustice and our environmental movement and some Good news about how faith communities are engaging on the greatest challenges of our time.

Our Conversation Partners are

Rev. Nannette Banks, McCormick Theological Seminary
Rev. Leah Schade, Preaching Professor at Lexington Theological Seminary
Deke Arndt- Climate Scientist
Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri, Director of Creation Care Alliance
Susannah Tuttle, Director of North Carolina Interfaith Power and Light .

Scott Hardin-Nieri

Scott Hardin-Nieri is partner, dad, spiritual director, pastor, and sojourner. He is the Director of the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina and Associate Minister of Green Chalice of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Prior to living in North Carolina, Scott and his family served in the vulnerable cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. There he learned to how to climb Fig Strangler trees, spot Two-toed Sloths, call like a Mot Mot, and listen to people and nature in a new way. Scott is an ordained pastor with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and enjoys accompanying people during transformative experiences, whether during hikes, spiritual direction, wilderness quests, shared stories, service learning trips, live music concerts, camps or retreats. He continues to be reminded of his true self most clearly in the forests, oceans and deserts and seeks to invite others, particularly faith communities into conversations regarding creation.

www.Creationcarealliance.org

Nannette Banks

Rev. Nannette Banks is a world traveler, people and poetry lover who believes in the power of worship and the sacraments to liberate and set free all who are marginalized and oppressed –for the table was set in the presence of (my)the enemy! She is also the voice of This is what happens Wild Goose Video.

Currently, she is an itinerant preacher and  serves as the Director of Alumni/ae and Church Relations at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade

The Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade is the Assistant Professor of Preaching and Worship at Lexington Theological Seminary in Lexington, Kentucky. An ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for 16 years, Leah has served congregations in rural, urban, and suburban settings. She earned both her MDiv and PhD degrees from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and completed her dissertation focusing on homiletics (preaching) and ecological theology (caring for God’s creation). Her book Creation-Crisis Preaching: Ecological Theology and Homiletics (Chalice Press, 2015) is available at www.chalicepress.com. Leah has served as an anti-fracking and climate activist, community organizer, and advocate for environmental justice issues, and is a trained workshop leader for Lutherans Restoring Creation, a grassroots movement helping congregations learn how to “go green.” Samples of her ecologically-themed essays, articles, sermons, book and film reviews, and other writings can be found on her Patheos blog: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/ecopreacher/.

www.creationcrisispreaching.com

Deke Arndt

Deke Arndt is a climate scientist based in Asheville, North Carolina. For the past seven years, he has served as a lead editor of the State of the Climate report, published annually in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. The report is the “annual physical” of the climate system, from the bottom of the ocean to the top of the atmosphere. More than 400 scientists from 50 countries contribute. He is currently the Chief of Climate Monitoring at Asheville’s National Centers for Environmental Information. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology and a member of St. Eugene’s Catholic Church in Asheville.

Susannah Tuttle

Susannah Tuttle is director of NC Interfaith Power & Light (NCIPL), a program of the NC Council of Churches (NCCC). She is grateful to have found her life’s purpose in Creation Care with great hope to inspire others to find meaning and joy in this faithful practice.

Session ID [123]

Uprising Theatre Company Presents: Stories To Change The World: Theatre and Storytelling for Justice Work

Saturday, 3:00pm | Studio

A combination staged reading and interactive workshop, this session will inspire, provoke, and equip you. Believing that stories can change the world, actors from Uprising Theatre Company will present selections of original plays dealing with topics like mental illness and family, transgender issues and religion, and sexuality and body image. They’ll share about the unique way their theatre company works and the impact these shows had on their community. They will also offer space for your reflections on the pieces presented.

Then, together, we’ll learn some tactics for writing our own stories and some tips for presenting them effectively. How do you choose which story to tell? How do you decide what to include and what to leave out? And what do you do when you get on stage and are terrified to speak? Together we’ll explore practical strategies so you, too, can tell your story and change the world.

Shannon TL Kearns and Ashley Hovell, Uprising Theatre Company

Uprising Theatre Company believes that stories can change the world. Something powerful happens when we get away from facts and figures and spreadsheets and simply tell each other our stories. It makes the “big issues” more tangible and it allows us to wrap our minds around how we can be a part of bringing about change.

Uprising tells powerful stories about important topics in a way that’s not preachy or strident, but is instead rooted in people’s lived experiences. From mental illness and suicide to transgender issues, we tell stories that come from people who have lived those experiences.

But we don’t want it to stop with just telling stories. We hope people are so inspired by stories that they want to make a concrete difference. So we partner with local organizations who are working on the issues presented in the show to funnel the energy and excitement generated by storytelling into action that will make the world a better place.

Session ID [124]

JUSTICE: The Crossroad of Church and State

Joseph Carson

Friday, 3:00pm | Landing

The National Judicial Conduct and Disability Law Project, Inc. (NJCDLP) is a civic organization with a secular mission, but its founders endeavor to serve God through it. If America’s judges are not adequately accountable for both their willingness and ability to serve competently and ethically, then Christians, both clergy and laity, have a duty to God and neighbor NOT to bystand. Joseph P. Carson, P.E. introduces audiences to NJCDLP’s legal and judicial reform as well as human rights advocacy; relates it to biblical standards of justice; and addresses how to maintain proper balance between civic and spiritual obligations in our pluralistic, secular, society.

Joseph P. Carson

Joseph P. Carson, PE, is a nuclear safety engineer in the US Department of Energy and a “multiple-time prevailing whistleblower” – he is a deeply concerned Christian, engineer, federal agency employee, American, and human. In a real sense, Joe has been a human sacrifice to “the gods” of the “suicide machine” that our unprecedented global civilization increasing resembles – one’s professional standing and economic security – via his decades of much “suffering persecution for justice’s sake” in confronting, non-violently, civilization-threatening institution evil in his profession of engineering and the federal civil service.  www.broken-covenant.org    www.christianengineer.net

Session ID [125]

Spirit and Discernment: Quaker Spirituality

Friday, 9:00am | Library

Quakers are known for their commitment to peace and justice and for their contemplative spirituality. This presentation explores Quaker practices of egalitarian openness to divine guidance in group worship and their practices of spiritual discernment.
The facilitator will present some information and brief readings for discussion in small groups and in plenary. The second part of the workshop will be experiential, allowing participants to sample Quaker spiritual practices and to consider their potential usefulness in their own (presumably non-Quaker) lives.

Michael Birkel

Michael Birkel is Professor of Christian Spirituality at Earlham School of Religion and is a frequent speaker and workshop leader in Quaker, ecumenical, and interfaith gatherings. He has written several books, including an introduction to Quaker spirituality (Silence and Witness) and an exploration of the interpretation of the Qur’an among North American Muslims (Qur’an in Conversation).

Session ID [126]

Ancient and Emerging Practices of the Early Christian Tradition

Saturday, 5:00pm | Portal

A presentation based on a book I’m writing and a class I’ve taught, both titled “”Ancient and Emerging Practices,”” that looks at practices of the early Christian tradition (baptism, meals, funerals, pilgrimage, etc), and asks how those practices are being reclaimed or could be reclaimed by contemporary communities of faith, including emerging Christianity. This would include both talking time and a display of student project posters from the most recent time I taught this course at the Iliff School of Theology.

Eric Smith 

Eric C. Smith teaches New Testament and the History of Christianity at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO. He is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has 15 years of experience in congregational ministry. He researches and writes about the spaces, art, texts, and material lives of early Christian communities.

He is active in the Society of Biblical Literature, an organizer of a conference at the intersection of technology and religious and biblical studies, and in the past has been a weekly blogger for Patheos. His second book, *Jewish Glass and Christian Stone: A Materialist Mapping of the ‘Parting of the Ways,’* is due out late this year from Routledge.

Session ID [130]

The Daily Office: Ancient Spiritual Practice that Heals the World

Friday, 1:00pm | Episcopal

Does prayer ever seem an accumulation of catch phrases when you desire to offer something beautiful to God? Does it ever seem more effort than surrender, more performance than encounter? Could your prayer better support your engagement with the world? The Daily Office is an ancient spiritual practice that unites you with a worshipping community throughout time and space. Through meditating on Psalms and other scripture together you join the very prayer of Christ. This workshop shows how prayer can sanctify time and bring peace to the world. We will look at widely available print and electronic resources for use either in community or individually. We will show you how simple or elaborate this practice. We will learn a few ancient and modern chants, and will pray a simple form of Vespers, the service used at dusk at the lamp-lighting. All are welcome.

John Hamilton

John Hamilton is an Episcopal Priest serving at St. Elizabeth’s Church in Dahlonega, Georgia. Making ancient wise spiritual practices from his Anglican Tradition available to others is his current focus, outside his parish. Chief among these is the Daily Office. This year will be his fifth Goose. He studied theology at the University of Oxford and at the General Theological Seminary in New York City, lived in L’Arche, and was a missionary in Honduras where he learned serving the world well requires a foundation in prayer. In high school he found the daily office, also called the liturgy of the hours, and he has pursued this ancient spiritual practice both individually and communally for four decades, in four languages, on three continents. Basically he’s a daily office junkie and wants to get you hooked! But he advises caution: God just might answer prayer!

www.joyfulrumblings.net

Session ID [131]

Fooling With Scripture

Friday, 9:00am | Goosecast

“”Fooling with Scripture”” is a weekly podcast that takes a foolish, playful approach to the stories, songs, poems, and letters that make up this thing we call the Bible. Based on 1 Corinthians 1:25 — “”For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength”” — Fooling with Scripture seeks to uncover the voice of divine foolishness and divine weakness in our scriptural tradition. At Wild Goose, after introducing the basic framework, I will facilitate an opportunity for participants to fool with scripture themselves, by engaging with selected texts with an eye toward the foolish or weak voice in the stories.

David Finnegan-Hosey

David Finnegan-Hosey is a campus minister, currently serving as a Chaplain-in-Residence at Georgetown University. He is author of an upcoming book, Christ on the Psych Ward (coming in 2018 from Church Publishing Group), a series of reflections on his journey with bipolar disorder, psychiatric hospitalization, and Christian spirituality. David is passionate about the intersections between faith, story, mental health, and social justice. He also has a blog and a podcast, though who doesn’t these days (but don’t let that keep you from checking out foolishhosey.blogspot.com). A graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, David lives in Washington, DC with his wife Leigh and their adorable dog Penny Lane.

Session ID [133]

Sanctuary as Sacred Act

Saturday, 12:00pm | Library

The term sanctuary has been used in many ways, both within the church and in the current divisive political climate. While the word has many different definitions and implications, it generally means “a place of refuge or safety.” In this panel, we will work together to expand our conceptions of sanctuary to include simple idea that everyday people can come together to keep each other safe. We envision places of refuge at many different levels (individual, family, neighborhood, institution, and city and state) to ensure the safety of specific targeted communities. We will also hear from members of the Asheville sanctuary coalition who will share what motivates their work and how it has strengthened the local community. Sanctuary is not merely a response to raids and detentions; it is a vision for what our communities can be and a measure of our capacity to love.

Jennie Belle

Jennie Belle was born and raised in Savannah, GA. She moved to Texas for her undergraduate education at Rice University, during which time she studied in Mexico, Peru and Argentina and participated in service projects in Central America. After graduation she moved to Spain for a year to teach English. Jennie then came to North Carolina for a dual degree M.Div./M.S.W. graduate program at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill where her work focused on advocating for farmworkers and organizing churches for social justice. Jennie currently works at the North Carolina Council of Churches where she is the Program Director for Farmworker & Immigrant Rights.

www.welcometheimmigrant.org

Elizabeth Welliver

Elizabeth Welliver is a writer, facilitator, and interfaith educator based in Davidson, North Carolina. She began working for immigrant justice while serving as a ministry intern with Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona in 2015 , and has followed the ever-expanding Sanctuary Movement since. In August, she will begin serving as a Young Adult Volunteer with the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Austin.

Bill Ramsey
Bill serves on the planning committee which has convened two sanctuary workshops in Asheville in early 2017. He coordinates the Western NC. Congregational Sanctuary Working Group which developed out of the workshops. He also serves on the on the steering committee of Just Peace for Israel Palestine, and the board of the western NC chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He has served on the advocacy committee of Christians for a United Community. He is a member of Circle of Mercy Congregation.
He worked for the American Friends Service Committee from 1975-80 in High Point, NC and Atlanta, GA and from 1981-97 in St. Louis. His commentaries and analysis of U.S. foreign policy and human rights issues have been published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the St. Louis Journalism Review. From 1997 to 2012 is coordinated the Human Rights Action Service and Peace and Justice Shares in St. Louis. In the 1980’s as a member the St. Louis Inter-Faith Committee on Latin America, he worked with four faith communities that provided sanctuary for refugees from El Salvador and Guatemala.
He and his partner, Joyce Hollyday, are writers and live on a wooded ridge outside Mars Hill, NC. He is a graduate of Duke University Divinity School and High Point College.

Session ID [134]

Ecstatic Presence! Ruthanne Niehaus

Friday 1:00pm | Bridge

Let’s celebrate the wild experience of being alive and the reality of being within constant change and impermanence. We will breathe, chant, play and practice mindful presence. Our ecstatic joy is so very precious!

Ruthanne Niehaus

Ruthanne Niehaus is devoted to the experience of gracious mysticism that connects us all. She is an eclectic chaplain and meditation teacher. Her mantra is Wow, Whoosh and Wheeeeeee!

[email protected]

Session ID [136]

Holy Spirits: A Faith Shaken and Stirred

Friday, 1:00pm | Landing

A belief in the Holy Spirit should mean a willingness to find God anywhere— especially the unexpected places. In this session, which is one part storytelling and one part cocktail demonstration, Tom Chappell Lewis (also known as “The Bar Chaplain”) shares his own journey from the church to the hospital to the bar and the lessons learned along the way. What is church when there’s not a building? What does it mean to have a “ministry of presence” in a place many Christians won’t go? How can God use bartenders for the Kingdom? And what’s really the difference between whiskey, bourbon, rye, and scotch? Tom explores these questions and more while sharing his cocktail knowledge. So do spirits and the Holy Spirit really mix? Come to the Bar Chaplain’s session and find out!

Tom Chappell Lewis

In 2015, Tom Chappell Lewis accepted an unusual call: to leave a seven-year career in church-based youth ministry and step out as a chaplain to the bar scene. Embracing the concept of ministry of presence, Tom turned his mixology hobby into a serious study and acquired the nickname “the Bar Chaplain” from his time spent listening atop a barstool. As a PRN hospital chaplain, Tom’s ministry takes him everywhere from patient rooms to homeless shelters, but his passion is for taking this same skill set into Jacksonville’s breweries and cocktail bars. Tom consults with churches and bar owners and writes on theology, cocktails, and other topics at barchaplain.com.

Session ID [137]

U B Jesus – Living and loving as the Master lived and Loved

Saturday, 9:00am | River

Jesus was a radical, revolutionary teacher! He knew our human potential was to develop into loving, compassionate and spiritualized individuals capable of changing the world around us.
It appears our world is now quivering on the brink of one of its most amazing and enthralling epochs of social readjustment, moral quickening, and spiritual enlightenment. Humanity stands in need of new and compelling inspiration to guide us in this time of transition.

Angelic Beings, present when the Master walked the earth, requested permission of their superiors to compile and present to humanity a greatly expanded story of Jesus’ life and teachings. This 700 page narrative is found in Part IV of The Urantia Book.
Discover how an enhanced understanding of Jesus’ life and teachings is bringing peace and justice to our planet. The experience of dynamic religious living transforms a mediocre individual into a personality of idealistic power.

Thomas Orjala

Inspired by Jesus, Thomas Orjala’s lifework is to touch, move and inspire others to live happy, transformed lives. A long time spiritual seeker, he believes that service is the most sacred privilege, and happiness providing activity, in which a religionist might participate.

A graduate of many cutting edge courses given by Landmark Education, he is a visionary who creates and develops programs and events providing a lasting spiritual impact. Thomas has served on the boards of InnerLife International, his local Church, and serves on the General Council of the Urantia Book Fellowship and its Outreach Committee. He travels often presenting the Urantia Book’s teachings. Thomas co-created Cosmic Café, an open forum for inter-religious community dialogue.

He commits his ministry to bringing forth the highest concepts of spiritual living, transforming himself, his community and his world. Being a little far-sighted, a favorite motto is: “Transforming the Universe, One Planet at Time”

urantiabook.com

Session ID [138]

Andrew Nelson

Friday 1:00pm | Cafe

Join Andrew Nelson for a time of music and story as he shares about love, loss, healing, and hope. He will be performing music from his albums “Where Ghosts Come Alive” and “For The Dark Night.”

Andrew Nelson

Andrew Nelson is a singer/songwriter from Holland, MI. Playing music that meditates on themes of love, loss, hope, and redemption, Andrew has been writing and performing music for the past 10 years. His music is best described as Contemplative Folk. When he’s not working on his own music, Andrew is usually found in his studio working with his production company, Far Room Productions.

andrewnelsonmusic.bandcamp.com   LISTEN

Session ID [139]

Tret Fure

Friday, 9:00pm | Side Stage

Tret Fure will be performing songs from her latest and 15th CD, “”Rembrandt Afternoons”” as well as older favorites. Her stories will move you to laughter and tears and her songs will fill your heart with joy. Tret’s storytelling and songwriting are not to be missed!

Tret Fure

Tret Fure has released 15 acclaimed albums in her 47 year career. Her latest, “Rembrandt Afternoons” is receiving stellar reviews. In addition, Fure has engineered and produced a variety of artists, including herself.
Some of the awards Tret has won include The South Florida Folk Festival Singer/Songwriter Competition in 2 out of 3 categories, the Jeanne Schliessman award for Outstanding Contributions to Women’s Music. and “Pride In The Arts Favorite Female/Lesbian Musician”. She is number 3 on the top 20 CD charts for OitVoice.net and is number 1 on Reverbnation in the Hampton Roads area..
Tret markets her own line of clothing, teaches guitar and songwriting individually and in workshop settings and paints pet portraits on commission. Along with bridging the marketing, production, art and music worlds, Tret is President of Local 1000, The Traveling Musicians Union. She is truly a Renaissance woman!

LISTEN

www.tretfure.com

Session ID [140]

Gypsy Sallies

Saturday, 10:00am | Cafe

 

Gypsy Sallies

We are an Americana/Folk-style trio from the Upstate of SC. Gypsy Sallies came together after our own Christy LaFrance-Williamson suggested that the voices of three very different women might find their harmony together. We began as three strangers, each at a different stage in life, but all willing to trust and explore the possibility of creating something beautiful. What we quickly discovered was that we could not only sing, play and write together, but that we were capable of effecting change with our voice as women, as mothers, and as friends.

Session ID [142]

Jams and Juice

Saturday, 3:30pm | Kids

Jams and Juice is a time for families to sing and dance together and have fun. Just like Beer and Hymns. Well, without the beer and without the hymns. Join musician Tuf Francis (pronounced Toof) and his family as they lead sing-alongs of classic social justice, spiritual, and feel good music like This Land is Your Land, Free to be You and Me, and Here Comes the Sun. Session includes many opportunities for loud singing and audience participation on various percussion instruments. This is a family event, but kids are not required. We bring the jams, you bring the juice.

Tuf Francis

Tuf (pr. “toof”) Francis began playing music on a single Middle Eastern drum, called a derbeki, 24 years ago. He broadened his musical repertoire over the next few years with guitar, drum kit, and song writing and recording. He was a public high school teacher, youth group leader, and praise leader from 1997-2007. He then took a seven-year hiatus from music to finish a doctorate in teacher education at the University of Michigan (inevitably making him an insufferable Michigan football fan). Currently, he is a family man, tenure track professor, scholar, public speaker, and active musician. His research interests focus on initial teacher certification, education program development, and building partnerships with inservice teachers. His speaking and musical efforts focus on helping churches and other organizations raise money for philanthropic causes. Check out his music video, To the Party, on youtube.com. Learn more about Tuf and his music: @TufFrancis and www.tuffrancis.com.

LISTEN
Session ID [143]

The Collection

Friday, 9:30 | Main Stage

An eclectic concert of modern folk rock with an orchestral twist. The Collection is an Orchestral Folk Rock band that pulls from various styles of music around the world. We use music to create community and seek together through questions of faith and doubt.

The Collection

It didn’t take long for David Wimbish’s solo project to become a full band. The community that had inspired his music quickly began to embody the songs, wielding instruments last played in middle school marching band, and fulfilling the Collection’s name. Coming from Greensboro, North Carolina, their songs stem from an awareness of their state’s folk roots, and an appreciation of orchestral and world music. After the loss of dear friends and family, the band released their first full length, “Ars Moriendi”, featuring over 25 musicians, and wrestling with questions of mortality and spirituality. As the last year has brought more focus to the Collection, both in size and in vision, and through the release of their new album, “Listen To The River,” they still retain original inspiration and muse – the community of those intrigued by the mystery of life.

www.thecollectionband.com   LISTEN

Session ID [144]

Illiterate Light

Experimental Rock Duo visually, musically, and theatrically explores the concept of non-dual thought through juxtaposition of conceived opposites to engage the reality of “”Yes, and”” as well as “”Transcend and Include”” teachings: dark-light, angry-intimate, sad-silly, male-female, silence-noise, life-death. A time to dance and laugh at ourselves, a time to meditate on environmental destruction, a time to morn gun violence, a call to be grounded in community. A standing drummer, a guitarist who plays bass with his feet, lots of harmonies, lots of energy.

Illiterate Light

Illiterate Light is an alternative rock duet from Harrisonburg VA comprised of two best friends who strive to find the balance between late-night house shows and early morning farm chores. The Flaming Lips meets Contemplative Prayer meets Frank Zappa meets Apophatic Alternative Rock. Guitarist/singer Jeff Gorman is a student of Richard Rohr’s Living School for Action and Contemplation and plays guitar with his hands and bass with his feet as drummer Jake Cochran plays his customized drum set standing up while belting angelic harmony. Their prior Wild Goose appearance was in 2013 when they biked to Hot Springs from Harrisonburg as part of the “Petrol-free Jubilee Bicycle Tour.” They write about everything from non-duality to social justice to millennial dating norms.

LISTEN

illiteratelight.com

Session ID [145]”

Poor Clare Music

Saturday, 3:00pm | Cafe

Poor Clare performs original music inspired by the mysteries of God and life. Based out of Seattle, WA, Poor Clare’s music echoes the beauty of the Pacific Northwest: melodies that soar from the peaks of the mountains, lyrics exploring ocean depths, textures that rain from the clouds like a dream. Led by songwriter and performer, Lacey Brown, Poor Clare invites you along on a musical journey reflecting the beauty and pain of life.

Poor Clare / Lacey Brown

Based out of Seattle, WA, Poor Clare creates original music inspired by the mysteries of God and life. Poor Clare’s music echoes the beauty of the Pacific Northwest: melodies that soar from the peaks of the mountains, lyrics exploring ocean depths, textures that rain from the clouds like a dream. Led by songwriter and performer, Lacey Brown, Poor Clare invites you along on a musical journey reflecting the beauty and pain of life.

The name is inspired by Clare of Assisi who (with St. Francis) founded a second monastic order that was later named the Order of Saint Clare (or, the Poor Clares).

May these songs be a source of light and hope in a world that is often too dark.

poorclaremusic.com   LISTEN

Session ID [146]

Nathan Evans Fox

Friday, 4:00pm | Cafe

Somewhere between Suzuki lessons and seminary training, Nathan Evans Fox picked up songwriting as a way of exploring his personal, political, and spiritual world. Drawing on the Christian tradition as a poetic resource, Fox’s music weaves together religious expression, personal experience, and Americana musical sensibilities.

Nathan Evans Fox

Nathan Evans Fox is an Americana/folk musician from Glen Alpine, North Carolina, where he grew up surrounded by country, folk, gospel, and Americana. These roots form the rich undercurrent of his music, which combines bluegrass riffs, folk stories, and religious imagery with unorthodox layers of sound and a heavy dose of wit. Fox has been writing music for ten years, experimenting with a variety of genres and learning new instruments along the way. He has collaborated with other artists as a fiddle player, guitarist, and vocalist. His lyrics confront political, religious, and personal inconsistencies (even his own), but also offer a meditation on what it means to live with and love another. Fox wrote, performed, and produced his first full-length album “Home,” which was released in January 2017. He lives in Houston with his best friend/wife Elizabeth and their dog Maisie.

LISTEN
Session ID [147]

Silent Disco

Thursday, 11:00pm | Lecture Hall

End your Goose days with what makes the Springs so Hot as the DJ who’s never wrong (because he’s always Ben Wright) vibrates your eardrums with musical mixes designed to soften the hardest of hearts. Strap on a pair of headphones to enter this year’s Silent Disco full of eclectic auditory adventure; ushering in a unifying euphonic uplift sure to leave you with stories of gleeful amusement for days to come. Dance, sing, escape, belong at this year’s Silent Disco.

Ben Wright 

Never one to miss a Wild Goose, DJ Ben Wright lives in Southside Virginia
where he infotains primary school students as the Outreach STEM Educator
for the Danville Science Center. Baptist bred and Wake Div. ed., Ben also
teaches as adjunct faculty for Apex School of Theology. He has been
altering audio since 1997 and identifies Electronic, Old Skool, and Funk as
his preferred genres. Ben travels life with wife Rebecca, stepson Brandon,
and grumpy hedgehog Stare.

Session ID [149]

Held in a Song: Claire Hitchins Shares Songs From Her Recent Album “These Bodies”

Friday, 1:30pm | Main Stage

Singer-songwriter Claire Hitchins weaves a musical fabric that is at once spacious and intimate, enfolding and holding listeners in the warp and weft of her sincere, soulful folk melodies. Her homespun musical sensibility was fashioned among the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, formed as much by the deciduous forests and swimming holes of her home state as by the traditional songs of the American South. Claire’s nuanced voice glimmers among currents of guitar and banjo, illuminating the depth and clarity of her generous songwriting. Born of her own bewilderment and delight, longing and joy, her songs have the power to hold us right where we are and carry us into the realm of mystery.

Claire Hitchins

Claire Hitchins is a learner in life whose journey of radical discipleship has led her from food justice work in Richmond, Virginia to living among marginalized communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia, making an ancient pilgrimage across Spain to accompanying immigrant farm-workers in central Washington. In December 2015 her original music was featured on the blog of On Being with Krista Tippett, initiating a leap of faith into new musical pursuits. She recorded her debut album, These Bodies, which she self-released in October 2016. When she’s not on the road offering her music as medicine, she can be found at home at Charis Community in Charlottesville, Virginia, co-cultivating generative, resilient and healing lifeways in resistance to empire. Claire received her BA in Religious Studies from The University of Virginia in 2013 and served with Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest ’15-’16.

LISTEN

www.clairehitchins.com

Session ID [150]

Brother’s Bear

Friday, 6:00pm | Main Stage

Multi-instrumentalist indie-folk quartet Brother’s Bear returns to the Goose with a new full-length album’s worth of stories and sounds to share.

Brother’s Bear

Brother’s Bear returns to the Goose with a new full-length album’s worth of stories and sounds to share. Brother’s Bear is a Baton Rouge based multi-instrumentalist quartet spanning the sounds of Indie Folk, Americana, and Roots Rock, while representing a wide range of cultural and spiritual backgrounds. They are working on their second full-length album. The band aims to add to the beauty of the world by creating honest, open-handed art.  brothers-bear.bandcamp.com/releases

LISTEN
Session ID [151]

Lobo Marino

Saturday, 6:30pm | Side Stage

Named after the enormous Pacific Sea Lion, Lobo Marino’s brand of experimental folk draws from a rich palette of international and folk influences.
Built primarily on harmonium, percussion, banjo and various unique instruments and voices, Lobo Marino continues to evolve as the musical response to the continuous travels and ongoing spiritual journey of its members, Laney Sullivan and Jameson Price.
They are also the founders of the Earth Folk Collective and Fonticello Food Forest in Richmond,VA. Deeply dedicated to environmental and social causes, when traveling they carry in their music a message of humanity’s need for reconnection with the earth. While at home, they spend time community organizing and running their donation based educational homestead The Earth Folk Collective.

Lobo Marino

Named after the enormous Pacific Sea Lion, Lobo Marino’s brand of experimental folk draws from a rich palette of international and folk influences.
Built primarily on harmonium, percussion, banjo and various unique instruments and voices, Lobo Marino continues to evolve as the musical response to the continuous travels and ongoing spiritual journey of its members, Laney Sullivan and Jameson Price.
They are also the founders of the Earth Folk Collective and Fonticello Food Forest in Richmond,VA. Deeply dedicated to environmental and social causes, when traveling they carry in their music a message of humanity’s need for reconnection with the earth. While at home, they spend time community organizing and running their donation based educational homestead The Earth Folk Collective.

LISTEN

www.lobomarinomusic.com/

Session ID [152]

Eine Blume

Friday, 5:00pm | Cafe

Intimate, atmospheric folk music that inspires creativity and heart connection.

Eine Blume

Eine Blume is Missouri based wife and husband folk duet, Erin and Caleb Paxton. Their songs are intimate, atmospheric and soulful. Someone once said, “..like ascending into a warm velvety fairy tale”. They spin their words and melodies from faith, parenthood, poetry, living and dying.

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facebook.com/eineblumemusic/

Session ID [154]

Trybal Revival
Beth Patterson, Maureen Kilcoyne & Anna Miron- with musical guest Leslie Michele.

Friday, 12:00am | Side Stage

Members of Trybal Revival offer an interactive ‘circle singing’ workshop. ‘Circle singing’ is a style of improvisational singing that uses simple forms for groups to create songs in the moment. Trybal Revival members will tell the story of the group and share the benefits of the practice including its use as a community building tool. To experience ‘circle singing’, participants will initially be led through vocal warm-ups and meditative toning practices. Trybal Revival members will then divide the group into sections and create parts for each section with the various sections parts connecting to create songs.

Trybal Revival

Trybal Revival Circle Singers’ birthplace was the drum circle. In 2007, we started to meet outside of the drum circle in founding member Tomme Mailes’s home. The communal improvisational style of circle singing that we practice is circular and often rhythmic. Trybal Revival members are diverse, coming from a wide range of spiritual traditions, identities and ages. Over the years, we have done performances and workshops, but the core of what we share is community. We believe that music making can be accessible to everyone. The simple forms that we use do not require musical training or any expert musical ability. We have found circle singing to be a spiritual practice as we listen deeply, trusting the flow as songs emerge, change, and end when they end.

Session ID [157]

Christ on the Psych Ward
David Finnegan Hosey

Saturday 2:00pm | Bridge

“”Christ on the Psych Ward”” is a story-sharing based on my experiences of mental illness, recovery, and faith. In telling my story, I weave together threads of personal experience, spiritual reflection, and ministry praxis. I will also share music inspired by my experiences. By “”going first”” with my own story of mental illness and mental health, I will open up the opportunity for other participants to share their own stories of mental health struggles in their personal lives, family lives, and/or communities of faith.

David Finnegan-Hosey

David Finnegan-Hosey is a campus minister, currently serving as a Chaplain-in-Residence at Georgetown University. He is author of an upcoming book, Christ on the Psych Ward (coming in 2018 from Church Publishing Group), a series of reflections on his journey with bipolar disorder, psychiatric hospitalization, and Christian spirituality. David is passionate about the intersections between faith, story, mental health, and social justice. He also has a blog and a podcast, though who doesn’t these days (but don’t let that keep you from checking out foolishhosey.blogspot.com). A graduate of Wesley Theological Seminary, David lives in Washington, DC with his wife Leigh and their adorable dog Penny Lane.

Session ID [158]

Reflective Practice: Songs, Grief, & Belonging

Friday, 11:00am | Cafe

How do we deal with loss in the midst of our individual and communal lives? Come and hear songs and stories from the public school music room. We’ll have a time of reflection and community singing as I share some original tunes and some folk songs that have helped my students and my community walk through a year of pain and loss. Honesty, grief, and hope (with a side of laughter and joy).

Sarah Tullock

Sarah Tullock is a singer/songwriter living in Chattanooga, TN. She also teaches public school music using a joyful curriculum of folk tunes from around the world to inspire a love of music literacy in her students. Her pen name, “OneLittleLight,” comes from that beautiful passage in John 1, which references the true Light that cannot be overcome by any darkness. She loves to share songs about faith, humanity, and light with anybody anywhere, and most certainly with you!

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sarahtullock.com

Session ID [160]

Singing Psalms for Sustenance
Charle Pettee/FolkPsalm

Saturday, 11:00 | Cafe

Charles Pettee & FolkPsalm invite you to sing, dance and pray with us, as we offer 3,000 year old poems and songs of justice and mercy to all who work for justice and mercy today! The FolkPsalm Trio is Charles Pettee (guitar, vocals), Brittany Whitmire (vocals), & Terry Allebaugh (harmonicas), who – along with your participation and laughter — bring these prayers to life. “The Psalms have not sounded fresher or more urgent since the day each of them was first sung,” writes Dr. Ellen Davis of Duke Divinity School of Pettee’s original musical settings of these Scriptures. Come hear the Psalter sung bluegrass-style; dancing is encouraged!

Charles Pettee & FolkPsalm

Charles Pettee & FolkPsalm invite you to sing, dance and pray with us, as we offer 3,000 year old poems and songs of justice and mercy to all who work for justice and mercy today! The FolkPsalm Trio is Charles Pettee (guitar, vocals), Brittany Whitmire (vocals), & Terry Allebaugh (harmonicas), who – along with your participation and laughter — bring these prayers to life. “The Psalms have not sounded fresher or more urgent since the day each of them was first sung,” writes Dr. Ellen Davis of Duke Divinity School of Pettee’s original musical settings of these Scriptures. Come hear the Psalter sung bluegrass-style; dancing is encouraged!

“A Dove on Distant Oaks: Psalms for the Journey” is the fourth and latest album from the group, continuing their quest to share the good news of God’s never-ending love, offering sustenance for the never-ending quest for justice, through song, dance, and prayer, as modeled by these sacred poems and prayers.

LISTEN

www.charlespettee.com

Brittany Whitmire

FolkPsalm has surprised and delighted audiences with their excursions into the Book of Psalms with Bluegrass and Americana music since 2003, led by lifelong bluegrass musician Charles Pettee, (founding member Flying Fish recording artist The Shady Grove Band). Performing throughout the Southeast, including NC’s MerleFest, several Wild Goose Festivals, as well as countless communities of faith, FolkPsalm holds the distinction of being the only bluegrass-based ensemble ever to perform at Duke’s famous Duke Chapel. “A Dove on Distant Oaks: Psalms for the Journey” is the fourth and latest album from the group, continuing their quest to share the good news of God’s never-ending love, offering sustenance for the never-ending quest for justice, through song, dance, and prayer, as modeled by these sacred songs and prayers.

Terry Allebaugh

Folkpsalm

Terry Allebaugh learned to play folks songs and hymns on harmonica at a young age from his great-grandmother, Clara May Sandy, who lived in Broadway, Virginia, located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. He expanded his skills as a student at Berea College in Kentucky, learning old-timey and bluegrass, and when he later moved to Durham, North Carolina, he added blues and jazz styles to his musical base. His former band, Stuff in the Pot performed at the Bull Durham Blues Festival and he has played the national anthem on numerous occasions for Durham Bulls baseball games. Terry is often asked to play for weddings, funerals, and worship services.

Session ID [161]

Taizé Vesper Service

Saturday, 5:00pm | Library

Taize vesper service consists of simple, repetitive chant-like melodies with times of silence, meditation and prayer. We provide an order of worship, which includes words to the music, and everyone participates in both the music and the prayers, accompanied by guitar and flute. The Taize service provides a welcome time of quiet reflect that is appreciated by many amidst the busy-ness and often high-volume music of the festival.

Leslie Withers, Taize Worship Service

Leslie Withers is a member of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Decatur, GA, where she sings in the Sanctuary Choir. She also plays flute with the choir and also in Taize worship services. She is a lay worship leader and occasionally plans and leads both morning worship services and evening Taize services at the church. An Associate Member of the Iona community in Scotland, she has participated in residential programs at the Iona Abbey and played flute in worship services there.

When not playing flute, Leslie is active in numerous justice and peace organizations and activities. She serves on the steering committee for Create Community 4 Decatur: Black Lives Matter. The group started 2 ½ years ago in response to the killings of unarmed Black men by police and works locally in Decatur to promote racial justice in criminal justice, in the school system, and in neighborhoods.

Session ID [163]

I,Star, Silvermoon Chocolate

Friday, 7:00pm | Main Stage

Musical Performance

 I, Star, Silvermoon Chocolate

From the heart of Appalachia, I,Star rises… Encompassing a core fusion of husband-wife duo, MC/poet Truth-I Manifest’s potent lyrical flow, and singer/songwriter Aradhana Silvermoon’s angelic melodies- with a stellar band of multi-instrumentalists’ profoundly funky prowess- I,Star’s performances are a dynamic interplay of hard-hitting poetics weaving between evocative refrains, building to harmonies in the hooks. Their wholly original “folk-hop” carriage bears powerful and relevant commentary on personal and global spiritual transformation, stewardship of the Earth, social justice, and visionary love. With soundscapes ranging from simplicity in Aradhana’s acoustic guitar to the complex layers of the band, I,Star inspires listeners to groove deeply and journey into their rich imagery. Singer-songwriter Sus Long met bass and banjo player Michael Conner in seminary in 2013 and they kept talking because they liked the same books. The two started meeting up to play Ramones covers and bluegrass standards, eventually forming a songwriting partnership that draws on folk and jazz, country and blues, blending the best of two very different musical tastes.
istarvision.com; silvermoonchocolate.com

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Session ID [164]

Jesus Rave

Saturday, 11:00pm | Cafe

The Jesus Rave is an interactive, spontaneous, spirit-led worship experience that embodies the values of Wild Goose.

Morgan Guyton

Morgan Guyton and his wife Cheryl are co-directors of the NOLA Wesley United Methodist Campus Center at Tulane and Loyola in New Orleans, LA. He has just released his first book How Jesus Saves the World from Us: 12 Antidotes to Toxic Christianity with Westminster John Knox.

www.patheos.com/blogs/mercynotsacrifice

Bec Cranford

Bec Cranford is a self-identified Bapticostal misfit preacher* from Atlanta, Georgia. When she’s not hanging out with her dog Basil or painting, you can probably find her at the Gateway Center working to make homelessness brief and rare in the city. Or at Candler School of Theology, rocking her students’ socks off. Or, preaching, marrying folks, or sitting on her front porch with friends, having conversations about life, God, and everything in between. This year at the Goose, Bec’s happy to serve as Volunteer Coordinator and offer hospitality to everybody she meets.

Session ID [165]”

Poetry Open Mic

Friday, 3:00pm | River

Emily Joy will be hosting the Wild Goose poetry open mic for the second year in a row! In addition to hearing Emily’s spoken word poetry and musings on faith, sexuality, justice work and healing, attendees will be invited to share their own poetry in an open mic format. Come prepared to share your story through poetry—arrive to the session 10 minutes early to get your name on the list!

Emily Joy Allison-Hearn

Emily Joy is a writer and spoken word poet who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in theology and philosophy and writes at the intersections of gender, bisexuality, activism and faith metamorphosis. Emily has released two studio albums of spoken word poetry, competed in the 2014 Individual World Poetry Slam, and travels the country performing for churches, schools, conferences, festivals, and more. In addition to being a full-time artist, Emily is also the Communications Coordinator for Open Table Nashville, a non-profit interfaith homeless outreach organization, and a board member of East Nashville Hope Exchange, a non-profit that seeks to improve the literacy of at-risk grade school students in her neighborhood. When she is not traveling, Emily spends time practicing yoga and supporting the local Nashville activist and poetry communities. She lives with her spouse, two cats, and an adorable puppy.

emilyjoypoetry.com

Session ID [169]

Job the In-Patient: An Interfaithed Discussion on Depression, Faith, and the Meaning of Suffering

Friday, 4:00pm | Workshop

One of the thornier theological questions surrounding Job is, “why is Job made to suffer?” Has he done something to anger G-d? What exactly is the nature of his transgression? What is the meaning of his suffering?
– We can also look to Job for what it tells us about depression. Whether we view Job’s suffering as physical or as mental, the discussion is the same: is G-d the source of Job’s depression or is Job? Are we to believe that Job has depression because he has sinned or that his faith is weak? Job’s “friends” would seem to think so. Are they right? Or are they just making matters worse?
– Approaching Job from both a Christian and a Jewish perspective, perhaps we can better understand faith, depression, and the role of suffering.

Charles Bretan