Monday, June 12, 2006

Nineteen New Reasons to Check E-mail


This weekend I took part in a gathering for InterVarsity Press with nineteen invited guests from across the country, all there to talk about Likewise (see my earlier post "Papa's Got a Brand New Pet Project"). I had a great time getting to know all these people, expanding my worldview and absorbing various perspectives on the needs of the emerging culture which Likewise may be able to address. I was called a twisted nerd and branded as one of the "Scum of the Earth." We listened to soul music, eighties rap and slam poetry. We loitered at restaurants and saw Chicago from a great height. We ate like idiots and made inappropriate jokes about donkeys. And now I have nineteen new friends. Nice work if you can get it.

The theme of the Likewise Gathering was "Come and Be." The tagline for the Likewise line of books is "Go and Do." Time will tell what gets done as a result of this gathering, but I certainly enjoyed being with everybody. I'm sure I'll continue to reflect on my experience of the weekend--there are professional but also personal lessons I can take away from the event--but for now I think I just need some sleep.

8 comments:

Heather Z said...

David- thanks again for inviting us. It was a blast! Looking forward to seeing what's in store for the Likewise line!

Margaret Feinberg said...

You da man!!! Thanks for being an incredible host and driving us around in the Zimmermanmobile.

David Zimmerman said...

Augh! It's not MICHIGAN! It's ILLINOISE! Stop doing that!

Unknown said...

Sounds rather intellectual.

Emily said...

amen to the sleep. now that i've finally woken up I wanted to echo the postmodern negro - i wanted to thank you for the great time in that beautiful state of michigan... wait that's like considered the midwest, right?

David Zimmerman said...

Hmm, having now reread my post and the comments, I'm not sure that "rather intellectual" quite nails the content.

How's your final, Emily?

Pete Juvinall said...

(Inserts tounge in cheek) You know it's really quite easy to mistake Michigan and Illinoise. Together with Wisconsin they form the triad of power of the IV Universe :).

--pete

David Zimmerman said...

One man's triad of power is another man's axis of evil . . .

Sorry, I've been soaking in postmodernism for weeks now, and sometimes it oozes out my pores. I don't consider Wisconsin, Illinois or InterVarsity evil. (Jury's still out on Michigan, but my perspective is compromised by my deep-seated professional jealousy.)

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