Austin Change

Today's Rally Has Moved

Mother Nature did not get the memo, so we are changing the location for our rally today !

First United Methodist has generously offered us their Family Life Center, located across the street diagonally from their sanctuary, on the northwest corner of Lavaca Street and 13th Street.

   

~~~ rise ~~~ join us on May 13 @ 5 pm

Please join Rev. Jim Wallis and people from all across Central Texas at the Texas State Capitol south steps on May 13 @ 5 p.m. as we rally for hope & grace. We'll have time to connect around the question:

How are we called  to end extreme poverty, to care for creation, to embody mercy?

This is not a political event - so many of us feel that politics is broken. No party, church or institution has all the answers.  This is a rally for hope, what some might consider a holy time to connect & hold a sense of what can be. 

Rev. Jim Wallis is a bestselling author, public theologian, speaker, preacher, and commentator on religion and public life, faith and politics. His latest book is The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post–Religious Right America.  Visit Jim  and Sojourners at their website  and read his daily blog.

Joining Jim to speak at 5 p.m. on May 13 at the State Capitol south steps will be Emilee Whitehurst (currently with the Rothko Chapel (Houston), formerly with Austin Area Interreligious Minitries )  and these local leaders:

• D.R. Dickey from Shoreline Christian Center
• Jennifer Cumberbatch from Agape Christian Ministries
• Gideon Tsang from Vox Veniae
• Neil Blumofe from Congregation Agudas Achim

We'll have great music from local artists to raise our hearts & souls:

Sara Hickman likes to sing & do good.  She will whip out her guitar at parties and around campfires to get everyone singing along. she likes lots of voices singing. as she says,"it only takes one voice to start a choir."   

Dave Madden is an intellectual with a passion for love, life, and truth. His sound has the sensitivity and raw energy of Jeff Buckley, tastefully blended with the power of a Switchfoot rock-anthem.

You'll want to be there, to rise up - bring your friends & family ! Join us on the South Steps of the Texas State Capital (near Congress & 11th)

THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY AUSTIN CHANGE & THE TEXAS FREEDOM NETWORK

What Are You Awake To ?

In the comments section below, let us know what you are awake to.

The Great Awakening - Jim Wallis in Austin May 13 & 14

image from McCann_M.P.

A group of us in Austin will be hosting activist and author Jim Wallis on May 13 & 14 here in Austin.   President and executive director of Sojourners, Jim is a public theologian, preacher, speaker, a blogger at God's Politics and an international commentator on ethics and public life.  Bono has said about Jim: 

I had always been a skeptic of the church of personal peace and prosperity ... of righteous people standing in a holy huddle while the world rages outside the stained glass. But I’ve learned that there are many people of the cloth who are also in the world, and from debt cancellation to the fight against AIDS and for human rights, they are on the march. Jim Wallis isn’t just part of this movement—he’s out front carrying a bullhorn.

Jim will join us to talk about the Great Awakening that is taking place all over our country and all around the globe.   Jim has written about this in his new book in which he discusses:

the new broader and deeper faith agenda and shows how a new spiritual "revival" could spark real social and political change. Already, in the early primaries the clear victor is "change," revealing the deep hunger in America for a new direction in politics, which many on both sides of the spectrum believe to be badly broken. All the candidates are now competing to convince voters that they are the best change agents.

If you are interested in helping plan and work on these events, please email us or join us on Facebook.

Jim gives a sense of what he writes about in his book and what we discuss in May:

Who Are We - US General Social Survey

TED2008: Karen Armstrong and religions for peace

At the TED2008 conference , Karen Armstrong was one of 3 people who received the TED prize, which provides one hundred thousand dollars and the support of the TED community in making the recipient's one wish to change the world.  The 2008 TED Prize wishes have the potential to make a powerful impact on the world, with global participation a key element to their success. TEDPrize will support each wish, and the wishes of future TED Prize winners, by soliciting public ideas and insights, and by providing visitors a window into wish progress and a platform from which to actively participate.

Armstrong, a former nun who now views herself as a "freelance monotheist", is an author who writes on Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Her wish is:

I wish that you would help with the creation, launch and propagation of a Charter for Compassion, crafted by a group of leading inspirational thinkers from the three Abrahamic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam and based on the fundamental principles of universal justice and respect." Armstrong hopes to have people all over the world nominate the spiritual thinkers and leaders that have most inspired them. From this nomination process, a group of twelve spiritual thinkers will be selected to craft the Charter for Compassion, to be signed by thousands of spiritual leaders, representing all three monotheisms.

Upon receiving this prize, Armstrong gave come context for her wish:

SXSW Showcase Benefiting People Not Profit and Sustainable Food Center

The set for this extraordinary day @ Progress is as follows:

10pm - Elizabeth & the Catapult (nyc)

9pm - zookeeper (atx)

8pm - alex dupree (atx)

7pm - bronze age (atx)

6pm - merryl (atx)

5pm - cocker spaniels (atx)

4pm - Balmorhea (atx)

3pm - mom (denton)

2pm - reference (atx)

1pm - bexar bexar (atx)

noon - david wingo of Ola Podrida (brooklyn)

11am - cheyenne (okc)

10am - KbN (taipei, taiwan)

proceeds to benefit the
Sustainable Food Center of Austin and People Not Profit

RSVP here

everything must change tour: why come?

The tour info is here.

Who is part of Austin Change ?

AustinChange is a unique collaboration of people and communities all across Austin:

Journey Imperfect Faith Community

Saint David's Episcopal Church, Austin 

mosaic | 5619

Austin City Church

Immanuel Austin

as well as three organizations whose reach is global:

Sojourners: Christians for Justice and Peace

Faithvine

Emergent Village

If you or your organization is interested in being part of this collaborative effort, please email us.

Join us on November 13 for EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE AUSTIN

A group of Austin communities are hosting a series of conversations across Austin on November 13. We have Brian McLaren - author, speaker, pastor, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists - joining us for 3 exciting opportunities to connect, teach & learn:

all events are free & open to anyone who is interested

• 6:30 a.m.   Breakfast at Rudy's (South)

2451 Capital of Texas Hwy, S.  Austin, TX 78746   Phone (512) 329-5554
Show Map

• 11:00 a.m.   Discussion & Book Signing at BookPeople

 

Located at the corner of 6th & Lamar - right across the street from Waterloo Records and right next door to REI & Anthropology.
603 N. Lamar    Austin, TX  78703        512-472-5050

• 2 p.m.   Community & Ministry Leaders at St. David's Church

304 E. 7th St. (7th & San Jacinto) Austin, Texas 78701

If you have questions or would like to help in any way, please email us.