sustain:if:able kiwi

U2 academic conference: New York and me

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!

My paper proposal – Sampling and reframing: the evolving live concert performances of “Bullet the blue sky” – for the U2 Academic conference has been accepted. My plan is to use work by Walter Brueggemann and the metaphor of DJing (as developed in my Out of Bounds Church? book). With near 100 applications, I wasn’t holding my breath, but New York, May 13-15, 2009, here I come.

It was a cold and wet December day
When we touched the ground at JFK
New York, like a Christmas tree
Tonight this city belongs to me Lyrics from Angel of Harlem, by U2

PS. Given the state of the New Zealand dollar, international airline tickets are a bit steep, so if there was anyone in New York or nearby, or on a stopover like Los Angeles, Chicago or San Francisco, wanting to pay for some (international!) input either side of May 13-15 on topics like: emerging church beyond US, missional church in established church settings, the Bible in contemporary cultures, creativity in mission and worship, theologies of popular culture. I could also do a paper preview! and explore the implications of U2 for mission and worship!

I can wear a variety of hats – academic PhD, or writer, or senior pastor, or emerging church planter – whatever – then drop me a line steve at emergentkiwi dot co dot nz.