Response to Churchless Faith Posts
Perspective is a wonderful thing. The same topic can be examined from different places, with each place providing a welcomed view. My perspective came from someone who is according to the standard definitions "unchurched". When I was working in a church I was the one very aware of how to keep nominals within our body, I even wrote a long paper on evangelizing nominal Christians for my church, and so I have generally been the one to argue the Church, and each church, needs to respond to the needs of the people. With this book, however, my perspective turned around and I began to look more closely at those who leave, not to blame or accuse but because this is my perspective now. A book I would have valued more in the past prompted a more negative critique, something which surprised me.
Those in my class group each come from an entirely different perspective and so look on this book with different concerns and different responses.
Cranston is the lead pastor at his church, a church which is realizing it has grown somewhat older, and stayed static far too long. He came in with the heart to bring revitalization and renewal for the church and the community. Cranston enjoyed the book, but has different issues. The leavers have long since left, and those who remain are not going to leave, but neither do they want to change. They like things the way they are, and thus the issues in the book don't quite fit Cranston's context. My suspicion is that Cranston's church needed this book about twenty years ago.
Drew talks about the church he attended in Portland, Oregon, which he attended for well over a year. The Well, as it is called, fits into the Emerging Church mold, and so Drew's perspective is one well involved within the movement this class is discussing. He notes that The Well seems to be made up of those who were leavers, and who found safety within this new community. Instead of staying away from church, they became the rechurched, within a new community which because it was made up of "disillusioned followers" or "reflective exiles" has been able to reach out to others in the same position. In this, The Well seems to reflect the sort of "liminal" community Jamieson discusses (161ff.). It is wonderful to hear such communities are around. Indeed it is an encouragement to me. Hopefully this community will keep this perspective and not fall into the malaise of some model, or having solved the questions of the leaders, simply dissolve as many Emerging Churches I know have done. Keeping the liminality is a trick, which requires both maturation and openness to coincide.
Katrina is looking at a community which she has been somewhat a part of, but because of transportation has not become fully integrated. Thus, she's looking at the community as an attender but still somewhat an outsider. Like Drew her church is already engaging as an Emerging Church and so it too has the "liminal community" aspect going on. This too is wonderful to see. One of the problems I've seen in my experience with healthy liminal communities is they seem to have a short life span. Two churches came out of my home church, both reflecting EC values, exhibiting the liminal qualities which welcome the leaver and the questioner. Yet neither survived. Indeed my home church began to take on very accepting positions as well, and became stuck. People need a place to ask questions. But they also need to find answers. When the leadership itself gets weary of the questioning phase they all too often find themselves another "vision" and move on, with the community falling apart. This isn't a prediction about Drew's or Katrina's churches, but it is something to watch for.
Samuel seems to be in the most difficult spot, and I totally identify with him as it describes my own position several years ago. There are leavers, and they are leaving, but the senior leadership won't listen or change to adapt to their concerns, which leaves Samuel as a staff pastor in a difficult position himself. The front door, with new members, is the strong emphasis, while the back door is left open, and my guess those who leave are blamed for their own lack of commitment or sin. The Pastor notices the lack of mature Christians, but doesn't understand the path of Christian maturity that often entails frustrations, and questions, and doubt. They are set up to enlist, but not to train, and feel the burden of this. For Samuel then there is a responsibility. Prayer is certainly a wise course, for to change the attitudes the Spirit is going to have to get involved. Also, maybe there could be a way for him to teach and inform others of the patterns of Christian growth, establishing an understanding in the staff and in the congregation of the expectations. This most certainly would have to be subtle, mixed in with other teaching responsibilities, but by educating those around him he can slowly turn this big ship. Before they respond they have to understand the context of the full Christian life from rebirth to maturity. May God give him strength and wisdom in his efforts.
Perspective is a wonderful thing. The same topic can be examined from different places, with each place providing a welcomed view. My perspective came from someone who is according to the standard definitions "unchurched". When I was working in a church I was the one very aware of how to keep nominals within our body, I even wrote a long paper on evangelizing nominal Christians for my church, and so I have generally been the one to argue the Church, and each church, needs to respond to the needs of the people. With this book, however, my perspective turned around and I began to look more closely at those who leave, not to blame or accuse but because this is my perspective now. A book I would have valued more in the past prompted a more negative critique, something which surprised me.
Those in my class group each come from an entirely different perspective and so look on this book with different concerns and different responses.
Cranston is the lead pastor at his church, a church which is realizing it has grown somewhat older, and stayed static far too long. He came in with the heart to bring revitalization and renewal for the church and the community. Cranston enjoyed the book, but has different issues. The leavers have long since left, and those who remain are not going to leave, but neither do they want to change. They like things the way they are, and thus the issues in the book don't quite fit Cranston's context. My suspicion is that Cranston's church needed this book about twenty years ago.
Drew talks about the church he attended in Portland, Oregon, which he attended for well over a year. The Well, as it is called, fits into the Emerging Church mold, and so Drew's perspective is one well involved within the movement this class is discussing. He notes that The Well seems to be made up of those who were leavers, and who found safety within this new community. Instead of staying away from church, they became the rechurched, within a new community which because it was made up of "disillusioned followers" or "reflective exiles" has been able to reach out to others in the same position. In this, The Well seems to reflect the sort of "liminal" community Jamieson discusses (161ff.). It is wonderful to hear such communities are around. Indeed it is an encouragement to me. Hopefully this community will keep this perspective and not fall into the malaise of some model, or having solved the questions of the leaders, simply dissolve as many Emerging Churches I know have done. Keeping the liminality is a trick, which requires both maturation and openness to coincide.
Katrina is looking at a community which she has been somewhat a part of, but because of transportation has not become fully integrated. Thus, she's looking at the community as an attender but still somewhat an outsider. Like Drew her church is already engaging as an Emerging Church and so it too has the "liminal community" aspect going on. This too is wonderful to see. One of the problems I've seen in my experience with healthy liminal communities is they seem to have a short life span. Two churches came out of my home church, both reflecting EC values, exhibiting the liminal qualities which welcome the leaver and the questioner. Yet neither survived. Indeed my home church began to take on very accepting positions as well, and became stuck. People need a place to ask questions. But they also need to find answers. When the leadership itself gets weary of the questioning phase they all too often find themselves another "vision" and move on, with the community falling apart. This isn't a prediction about Drew's or Katrina's churches, but it is something to watch for.
Samuel seems to be in the most difficult spot, and I totally identify with him as it describes my own position several years ago. There are leavers, and they are leaving, but the senior leadership won't listen or change to adapt to their concerns, which leaves Samuel as a staff pastor in a difficult position himself. The front door, with new members, is the strong emphasis, while the back door is left open, and my guess those who leave are blamed for their own lack of commitment or sin. The Pastor notices the lack of mature Christians, but doesn't understand the path of Christian maturity that often entails frustrations, and questions, and doubt. They are set up to enlist, but not to train, and feel the burden of this. For Samuel then there is a responsibility. Prayer is certainly a wise course, for to change the attitudes the Spirit is going to have to get involved. Also, maybe there could be a way for him to teach and inform others of the patterns of Christian growth, establishing an understanding in the staff and in the congregation of the expectations. This most certainly would have to be subtle, mixed in with other teaching responsibilities, but by educating those around him he can slowly turn this big ship. Before they respond they have to understand the context of the full Christian life from rebirth to maturity. May God give him strength and wisdom in his efforts.
posted by Paddy O @ 6:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home