my third day of pilgrimage started off with hanging out with fellow pilgrims.
while the rest of the convention folks were sleeping or attending seminars. i had a fab breakfast with natalie. many blogger folks might remember her from a post she threw out there last year about why she gave up on youth group. we were part of some of the same networks and struck up a fun friendship before that blogger celebrity and after. we actually got to meet for the first time this summer and finding out that her university was just down the road from my hotel (atlanta driving speak for 15 minute drive) we had to catch up. met up at a cool little spot for breakfast. i had carmalized banana pancakes.. yummie! talked college, church, life, stories, mutual friends and theology. sorely missed was revmom, who on this saturday was busyrevmom. there will be a next time, i have gleaned some understandings of atlanta traffic and will be more apt to make a 2nd pilgrimage.
upon arriving to the convention center i pushed through a haze of shiny sequins, bright colors, belly buttons, and funny eyes to get to a quiet room. there i met up with mike king. we were supposed to catch up yesterday for an interview, but today worked out and i am glad it did. we both think we have met before, but no clear picture of that emerged. we spent time together talking youth ministry, wesleyan practice, youth front, our own spiritual practices, and some blog stuff. as we sat together i felt i was hanging with a friend. we have some similar paths in our past & some veeery different paths, but i see us finding our way on very much the same pilgrimage now. i love what mike represents for himself, humility, honesty, and deep thought. i love how he has challenged his ministry world and brought about change. that is gutsy. shows an incredible amount of confidence in God's movements in one's life and ministry. look for our conversation to end up in a future episode of the youthworker movement podcast.
i now proclaim myself a member of the mike king fan club. i look forward to catching up again and maybe taking a little pilgrimage to his little monastery called a youth front.
