Chicago in July

I spent a few days in Chicago this week. The first two days were full-time family time with Naomi and Lydia, my daughters (seen here mugging for the camera at the church Community Day). We went to museums, the aquarium, the Taste of Chicago festival, and the Sears Tower. On Saturday night, we attended the hip-hop worship at Lawndale Community Church, called "The House."

The rest of the time, I attended the Ekklesia Project annual Gathering at DePaul University North Campus. I was pleased to see friends I had not visited with for some time: James Lewis, Phil Kenneson, Andrew Adam, Trecy Lysaught, Mike Budde, Steve Long, Kyle Childress, and Rodney Sadler. And that is just naming the professional theologians and not all of the church leaders. I presented a paper entitled, "Racialized Ecclesiology, Catholicity, and Oneness," based on work I am doing currently on the relationship of race, in particular whiteness, to theology. Some parts of what I presented has appeared in this blog earlier.

One of the highlights of the meeting was sharing discussions with Craig Wong, Glen Kehrein, and a variety of other folks, concerning ways that the Ekklesia Project and the Christian Community Development Association might fine common cause.