The Unknown
My head has been wading through some deep foggy area lately. The more and more I read and ask God for guidance, it seems as though I'm finding myself with more questions than answers. Maybe this is my modern mindset being "deconstructed" by postmodern philosophy, only to "emerge" as a "reconstructed" belief system.
So let's begin shall we. I have a lot of down time at work, so I read lots of other blogs as well as sites such as theOooze.com, ginkworld, emergentvillage, etc. These sites and blogs have really been a blessing for me because they make me think. I am so excited to see people engage in conversation about our world, our faith, our theology. Maybe I should sit down and write out what I believe and why. I love to read as well. I'm on Doug Pagitt's (Solomon's Porch) book Reimagining Spiritual Formation. His theology is very stirring because it matches that of his church. He and the community there in Minnesota are being intention about being a community that strives to live out their theology. Here is a great quote from the book:
We are called to live in awareness of the legacy we leave for those who come after us.
Amen! The thing about Doug is, he will tell you "Don't copy us, because what we do is not a model of what you need to do." His point is that his book does not provide a quick solution to community in 10 easy to read chapters. No, God is doing something very different in the SP community, just like He is doing in Jacob's Well in Kansas. We should be very wary of not following the current trends or whats cool or hip. No! We should ask, "What context are we in and how is God using our context to call us into authenticity." Church along with Christianity is not some product to be marketed, sold and consumed. Questions like "So who are we targeting? What demographic market are you going after?" These questions should make us quiver with disgust. Unfortunately much more energy has gone into discovering the best use of marketing techniques for the church than reflecting on what happens to the gospel when it becomes a product of an ever-desiring culture looking for "value-added" faith as the final rung of the self-actualization ladder.
All that to say that I have no idea what I would do if I ever find a place that will accept my weakness and foolishness to work in ministry. First thought is to use all of these "cool" "hip" "artistic" avenues to draw people in to your community. And yes, I am all about seeing people come face-to-face with the Creator in worship, but just because I have stations, or follow the Christian calendar, or have couches with abstract painting on the wall, that doesn't mean that community is going to happen. Like Abraham in Genesis 12, God will show us the land. He didn't show Abraham before he left Ur. God just said, "Ggo, take the journey. You'll have questions and battles but if you didn't you wouldn't trust me. I WILL show you, just not yet." So as it is with us, moving into a journey that holds much at stake but the outcome is uncertain. We really don't know where we will be, what we will be transformed into, but only if we follow God's guidance in our own context. Let ministers, pastors, leaders, churches, men and women ask, "What does God want us to be? What is His calling for us to become? And let us be bold on our journey as we venture into unknown territory.
God, strengthen our hands and feet for the journey ahead. Holy Spirit, guide us with your presence and prayers. Jesus, may we be morphed into you essence. Amen.
So let's begin shall we. I have a lot of down time at work, so I read lots of other blogs as well as sites such as theOooze.com, ginkworld, emergentvillage, etc. These sites and blogs have really been a blessing for me because they make me think. I am so excited to see people engage in conversation about our world, our faith, our theology. Maybe I should sit down and write out what I believe and why. I love to read as well. I'm on Doug Pagitt's (Solomon's Porch) book Reimagining Spiritual Formation. His theology is very stirring because it matches that of his church. He and the community there in Minnesota are being intention about being a community that strives to live out their theology. Here is a great quote from the book:
We are called to live in awareness of the legacy we leave for those who come after us.
Amen! The thing about Doug is, he will tell you "Don't copy us, because what we do is not a model of what you need to do." His point is that his book does not provide a quick solution to community in 10 easy to read chapters. No, God is doing something very different in the SP community, just like He is doing in Jacob's Well in Kansas. We should be very wary of not following the current trends or whats cool or hip. No! We should ask, "What context are we in and how is God using our context to call us into authenticity." Church along with Christianity is not some product to be marketed, sold and consumed. Questions like "So who are we targeting? What demographic market are you going after?" These questions should make us quiver with disgust. Unfortunately much more energy has gone into discovering the best use of marketing techniques for the church than reflecting on what happens to the gospel when it becomes a product of an ever-desiring culture looking for "value-added" faith as the final rung of the self-actualization ladder.
All that to say that I have no idea what I would do if I ever find a place that will accept my weakness and foolishness to work in ministry. First thought is to use all of these "cool" "hip" "artistic" avenues to draw people in to your community. And yes, I am all about seeing people come face-to-face with the Creator in worship, but just because I have stations, or follow the Christian calendar, or have couches with abstract painting on the wall, that doesn't mean that community is going to happen. Like Abraham in Genesis 12, God will show us the land. He didn't show Abraham before he left Ur. God just said, "Ggo, take the journey. You'll have questions and battles but if you didn't you wouldn't trust me. I WILL show you, just not yet." So as it is with us, moving into a journey that holds much at stake but the outcome is uncertain. We really don't know where we will be, what we will be transformed into, but only if we follow God's guidance in our own context. Let ministers, pastors, leaders, churches, men and women ask, "What does God want us to be? What is His calling for us to become? And let us be bold on our journey as we venture into unknown territory.
God, strengthen our hands and feet for the journey ahead. Holy Spirit, guide us with your presence and prayers. Jesus, may we be morphed into you essence. Amen.
posted by c | 9:24 PM
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