The Wild Goose Festival is over, and we’ve had time to examine the aftermath. Here’s what we’ve found.
What we now know about last weekend’s festival is that…
“Topics were diverse, and ranged from immigration reform, Christian universalism, and embracing your political “other,” to the theology of beer and rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians debate.”
–Favorite Moments from the Goose: Snapshots from the Wild Goose Festival 2012
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2012/06/favorite-moments-from-the-goose-snapshots-from-the-wild-goose-festival-2012/
We also learned that in attendance were…
“those who identify as Eastern Orthodox, Messianic Jews, a Salvationist (member of the Salvation Army), Mennonites, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Episcopalians, Anglicans, Evangelicals, Independents, Baptists (of various stripes), United Church of Christ, Quakers, house churchers, as well as those who identify as “seekers,” pagans, and agnostics… (and) many people from across the sexual orientation spectrum.”
–Wild Goose 2012: Jesus, Bayard Rustin, & Walter Wink Live!
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2012/06/wild-goose-2012-jesus-bayard-rustin-walter-wink-live/
Also observed is that the Wild Goose Festival was a platform for new and controversial books, such as Torn: Rescuing the Gospel From the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate by Justin Lee, who was there to promote his book about how the issue of how Gay Christians is tearing the church apart. It’s published by Jericho Books (jerichobooks.com), a new publisher providing a “space for non-traditional voices to express fresh perspectives on today’s culture and to reflect on the growing changes in the Church.” (Their other authors include Brian McLaren, Shane Hipps, and Jay Bakker.)
Another Wild Goose Festival promotion was a book called The Gospel of Rutba (www.thegospelofrutba.com), the story of Christians and Muslims uniting on humanity’s common ground (Foreword by Desmond Tutu, Afterword by Shane Claiborne).
Regarding this ‘other gospel,’ contemplative Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, who compared his Wild Goose Festival experience to Finney’s open air revivals in the late 19th century, shared…
“an invitation to take the gospel of Rutba with us and live it wherever we are.”
–Sharing Stories at the Wild Goose Festival
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/jonathanwilsonhartgrove/2012/06/sharing-stories-at-the-wild-goose-festival/
This ‘gospel’ includes such suggestions as using your equity to help someone who’s considered “illegal” to buy a home; visiting a church, mosque, or synagogue outside of your own faith tradition; or reading a book by a Muslim author. Tell that to the folks in Dearborn, Michigan.
The person who introduced the Gospel of Rutba at the Wild Goose Festival was none other than Shane Claiborne (see this video).
Over at Jim Wallis’s blog we read this understatement…
“Shane Claiborne call us into the kind of sacred mischief that might undermine the principalities and powers.”
–Heat, Hope, & Hootenanny: The Holy Spirit Gets Cooking At Wild Goose
http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/06/26/heat-hope-hootenanny-holy-spirit-gets-cooking-wild-goose
In the article at the above link we read as well that…
“Sojourners’ chief-executive-trouble-maker Jim Wallis borrowed lessons from coaching little league baseball and welcomed us back to the enchantment of our youth when a lion named Aslan whispered in our ears…. as Wallis, one of the festival’s founding visionaries reminded us, The Lion is always there to guide us, to whisper in our ears—and call us back to future Wild Goose Festivals. ””
Someone might remind Mr. Wallis that our adversary the devil also walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Speaking of Obama’s spiritual adviser Wallis, is it any coincidence that some of Obama’s campaign people came to the Wild Goose Festival? Their visit was supposedly in order to …
“see for themselves that there are religious folks who care about progress and justice. Judging from the numerous Probama bumper stickers in the parking lot, the campaign reps found their peeps.”
–10 Things I Learned at the Wild Goose Festival
http://www.religionnews.com/blogs/jana-riess/10-things-i-learned-at-the-wild-goose-festival
It was only a few days ago that Wild Goose participant and Obama supporter Frank Schaeffer stated:
“I can’t fix the world, but I can go down fighting that Obama can get re-elected,” he exclaimed to eager applause. He proclaimed, “I think he’s one of the greatest presidents that America has ever had!”
– Frank Schaeffer: Obama “One of the Greatest Presidents America Has Ever Had”
http://juicyecumenism.com/2012/06/22/frank-schaeffer-obama-one-of-the-greatest-presidents-america-has-ever-had/
Schaeffer’s recent tweets confirm this:
Frank Schaeffer
@Frank_Schaeffer
Wild Goose Festival wonderful, spoke yesterday and again today, Obama team came from DC great to meet them
http://twitter.com/Frank_Schaeffer/status/216487695701127169
Frank Schaeffer
@Frank_Schaeffer
talked with Obama teem about what I/we can do to help reelection
http://twitter.com/Frank_Schaeffer/status/216487818732634113
While at the Wild Goose Festival, Schaeffer also watched the sneak preview of the soon to be released movie “Hellbound,” while celebrating his 42nd wedding anniversary with paper cups full of beer in the “beer and hymns” tent (see Wild Goose Heaven Our Answer to Hate, Huffington Post).
Beer & Hymn Sing
This was predictable, as Hellbound’s producer Kevin Miller recently said…
Four of the Hellbound? “cast” will be there: Frank Schaeffer, Michael Hardin, Brad Jersak and Brian McLaren. Not to mention Raborn Johnson of Beyond the Box podcast. And none of them will be roped off in a VIP section with all the bigwigs. They’ll be camping out just like everyone else. And I highly doubt any of them has ever said no to a free beer. (Well, perhaps Frank did in his former life…) So here’s your chance to get chummy.
–Four More Reasons to go to the Wild Goose Festival This June
http://www.hellboundthemovie.com/four-more-reasons-to-go-to-the-wild-goose-festival-this-june/
And as the weekend unfolded, we also read with dismay about…
“The indefatigable Jim Wallis of Sojourners Magazine smiling and leaning in close to tell me about this past week’s success in galvanizing Evangelical leaders (from Focus on the Family, most notably) and therefore Republican politicians in DC, around immigration reform … “it’s about meeting on higher ground, not moral ground…” ”
Favorite Moments from the Goose: Snapshots from the Wild Goose Festival 2012
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithforward/2012/06/favorite-moments-from-the-goose-snapshots-from-the-wild-goose-festival-2012/
One similarity about these Wild Goose Festival reports is that much is being said about the speakers, the beer, the new kind of Christianity, another gospel, and the new way to do church – but no one talks about Jesus Christ who is the Head of the Church. (One such example of this is the commentary over at the Darkwood Brew blog called When I was Dead: Reflection on the Wild Goose Festival.)
This is because the new kind of Christian wants another kind of Jesus, which is why it’s not surprising to see that even the Urantia Community (cult) likes the entire unbiblical premise of the Wild Goose Festival, since the Urantia Book presents a Jesus that is also not the same as the Bible…
I think these types of festivals are the future of how we as Urantia Book readers learn to come out of the closet as followers of Jesus in the greater community of the world. These open minded Christians will be happy to hear the good news. The more the merrier so lets get some tickets purchased and head out on the road of eternal adventure and endless discovery
–Wild Goose Festival 2012
http://urantianow.com/wild-goose-festival-2012/
On the last day of the 2012 Wild Goose Festival, the Sunday morning worship call was a circus like march to When the Saints Come Marching In.
The closing song to the weekend was a performance of what Ken Silva calls “that classic hymn “Purple Rain”” which can be seen here:
THE EMERGING CHURCH WILD GOOSE CHASE MOVES ON WESTWARD
http://apprising.org/2012/06/26/the-emerging-church-wild-goose-chase-moves-on-westward/
All of the above seems to clearly demonstrate the departure from the simplicity and purity of the gospel (2 Cor. 3,4) and the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3). After examining the Wild Goose droppings, it has become only more clear which direction the goslings are being led and what kind of tainted muddy waters they are feeding in.
…………………………………………………
* Other Eye Opening Reports on the Wild Goose Festival:
Wild Goslings Honk for Environmentalism
http://www.theird.org/issues/environment/wild-goslings-honk-for-environmentalism
“Wild Goose” Gets an Education
http://juicyecumenism.com/2012/06/23/wild-goose-gets-an-education/
Role Playing at Wild Goose
http://juicyecumenism.com/2012/06/22/role-playing-at-wild-goose/
Quack Christianity at the Wild Goose
http://juicyecumenism.com/2012/06/27/quack-christianity-at-the-wild-goose/
* Also Related:
Frank Schaeffer: Conspiracy Theorist?
http://juicyecumenism.com/2012/06/20/frank-schaeffer/
JIM WALLIS’ INTERFAITH MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE: “WE ARE HERE TO FIND COMMON GROUND.”
http://standupforthetruth.com/2012/05/jim-wallis-interfaith-message-to-young-people-we-are-here-to-find-common-ground/
Emergent Christians Warn against the Bible’s “Loaded Guns”
http://www.theird.org/page.aspx?pid=2431
OBAMA ‘FULFILLS’ ISAIAH 9:10 PROPHECY – AGAIN
http://www.wnd.com/2012/06/obama-fulfills-isaiah-910-prophecy-again/
Christians and Muslims in Dangerous Dialog...
Their God is NOT Our God!
http://www.ericbarger.com/muslim.rebuttal.htm
Wild Goose Droppings 1 (2011)
https://muddystreams.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/wild-goose-festivals-emerging-spirituality/
If you had come to the Preaching Peace booth you would have found plenty of intense enlivening discussion about Jesus! Maybe next year.
Sorry but not surprised to see that the Mennonites were represented there.