Another few days have come and gone and with them many more new faces of those for whom the challenge of progressive thinking is not a challenge at all but a welcome freedom. Scott and I have been to Brisbane, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand and made presentations in both places. We are now on our way to Wellington.

In Brisbane, we were the guests of an organizing team formed of groups within the Progressive Spirituality Network and the Sea of Faith networks. Groups like these have grown up all over Australia and, through the efforts of the Common Dreams conference organizers and their vision, have been cooperating on events such as these. It brings together those who are “growing out of the Christian tradition,” and those who prefer to explore the realm of meaning, values, and relationship or the quest for truth, goodness, and beauty, without reference to anything “spiritual.” I believe that the future lies in the intertwining of these two distinct groups, work that is already underway at West Hill United Church, the community in east Toronto with which I celebrate life.

In Brisbane, we had the pleasure of visiting with Greg Jenks and his partner, Eve James. Greg is the Dean of St. Francis’ Theological College, an Anglican community training leaders for the church. He is often lauded by John Shelby Spong as one of the leaders within the church with a vision who can take it to a meaningful future. While on the grounds of the seminary, we were pleased to be reunited with Daniel Gulotta, a seminarian with whom we had enjoyed challenging conversations at the Common Dreams conference in Melbourne. Daniel has posted a review of my book With or Without God, on the website of The Center for Progressive Christianity.

It was busy schedule in Brisbane. The program at Wesley Mission House, a phenomenal building that blends corporate offices and church mission work, began with an address to a gathered group for about an hour on Saturday morning. After a brief break, I put participants to the work of creating songs, liturgies, and symbolic actions that could be used in a gathering. The themes I challenged them to work with were “sticks” and “stones” and I was truly moved by what it was they created in the 40 minutes the groups had to work on their elements. Songs written to well known hymn tunes introduced the images as ones that challenged us to see our diversity. An opening ritual in which each participant reflected on the nature of a different stone and placed it in a dish and a closing action that engaged that reflected on the different purposes to which we put sticks in our lives, embraced the community in a common action. it was a moving way to close our day’s event.

That evening, after speaking for a shorter time, we engaged in questions and answers, a dialogue that allowed participants to identify what their interests and concerns were. It is too easy for me to talk about what I want to talk about and leave without ever having touched the concerns of those who gather so the Q&A gets those issues out and into the space. We were joined by a young member of the West Hill congregation who had moved to Brisbane in pursuit of a beautiful girl. She accompanied him to my lecture that evening along with a third friend. It was great to see a familiar face.

Sunday morning, I was privileged to join and address the community known as St. Mary’s in Exile , currently meeting in the Trade and Labour Council building (now also known as the Totally Lapsed Catholics building). St. Mary’s in Exile is a community galvanized by the expulsion of their priests, Peter Kennedy and Terry Fitzpatrick, from the church in which they had been practicing – Peter for 28 years - because of their refusal to use the Vatican accepted Trinitarian formula for baptism. During the service, a child was welcomed into the community through baptism, using words reminiscent of the historical formula, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but dramatically more inclusive – Creator, Redeemer, Liberator. The child’s mom read a letter to her baby wishing her many good things and asking that she grow up being kind to her parents and staying away from bad boys. The gathered community, many sitting on the floor at the front of the unstacked chairs, laughed and enjoyed her good humor as they passed a candle, one to the other, a symbol of the way their faith is shared – person to person. It was a beautiful service and an honor to be present.

That evening, at the second standing room only mass of the day, Peter Kennedy invited me to share in the celebration of their Eucharist, a welcoming and inclusive ritual, and lead the community in the prayer West Hill’s children share with us each week. St. Mary’s has been examining their use of the Lord’s Prayer within the Mass. The introduction of the prayer which means so much to us tied together the two communities, each forging its own future, in a beautiful and symbolic way.

Following the service, several of us moved to West End Uniting Church where we gathered with others for “Coffee and Conversation”. This is a regular weekly event sponsored by the Progressive Spiritual Network of Brisbane. Many gathered who had been to one of the events at which I had spoken and conversation revolved around the questions they had formed over the course of the weekend. It was a terrific end to a wonderful time with the progressive thinkers in that beautiful city.

I’m now on a flight from Adelaide back to Melbourne where I’ll catch a connection to Canberra. Last evening’s event at Pilgrim Uniting Church drew a wonderful crowd, filling the sanctuary of this very old and very beautiful church. Organizers had booked Scott and I into a wonderfully redone old building, now the Medina Hotel. And a delightful woman, Sue, who is studying the process of immigration in Australia for her doctorate, had very thoughtfully filled a basket (and a shopping bag!) with tastefully and carefully chosen treats and locally made foods for us to enjoy while we were there.

As we gathered, people continued to stream in so that we held off beginning until about ten minutes after the time we had expected to run. I spoke for about forty-five minutes about the work in which I am engaged, how I developed my sense that it needed to be done, and why I think it is so important. We then opened the floor for questions.

What a rich diversity of interests and concerns were raised. For almost another 45 minutes, I had the privilege of responding to queries people opened to the crowd – what about prayer, why “Christian”, if not “God” then what, why does it seem to be predominantly older people on this journey? The questions were offered up with sincerity and respect and I felt that, even when the inquirer was somewhat troubled with my response, there was openness to exploration and conversation.

Some of those who joined us for “supper” in the church hall following shared their perspectives with me further. One gentleman, who I guess to have been in his late sixties or early seventies, told me I was the very first person to ever say publicly what it was he had believed since he was twelve years old and told what it was he was supposed to believe. Another young man, perhaps in his twenties or early thirties, thanked me saying that he had come with his mother and that although he had been attempting to explain some of these truths to her, their rigid Roman Catholic background had made it very difficult for her to accept what it was he had been saying. He believe that, having heard his beliefs affirmed by me that evening, she would now be able to accompany him on the journey. One woman, who works in the national office of the Uniting Church of Australia, engaged me in a conversation about the role churches have to play in challenging governmental policies and moving them toward more just and ecologically sustainable outcomes. She noted that non-governmental organizations, NGOs, working on the forefront of social and environmental justice were seeking the support of the church because of its perceived influence; influence the felt NGOs on their own could not wield. Her concern was that a removal of the divine imperative to act with Justice might erode that supposed influence.

It is clear that there is much work for the Progressive Christian Network of South Australia to do as they seek to stretch the established churches of that state beyond traditional expressions of Christianity. As with every other place I have ever spoken, the critical question will be whether it can be done in time or if, as I often fear, it is already too late for the church to make the shift necessary to evolve itself into a network of grassroots communities that challenge their members to live in right relationship with themselves, others, and the planet.