over the last few weeks, richard and i have been talking a little, and i guess we've both been thinking alot about the direction of the experiement. i think i've mentioned this before but the biggest problems that we've had so far (from my point of view) are:
1 - problem: too event based - nothing happening outside of the events
ideas: a. still have events, but maybe have many more small ones, places and times to meet as a community. Some of these would be structured worship, other discussion, others (most) spending time together, getting to know each other over coffee, a meal, a picnic etc. really becoming part of each others lives. maybe we could set up 3 times a week where ppl involved can meet if they are available, a morning, an afternoon and a meal on sunday (at someone's house, at a cafe, at the beach... who knows...?
b. a forum set up online where we can share about our lives and maybe some journalling (good ol soap) and share and reflect together. this would include reflections on the bible, life, prayer, reading other books, etc. don't know if we would have the time to put into this or not, just an idea.
2 - problem: trying to make it work for everyone - square peg round hole stuff.
ideas: coming to a place where we can say, "well that's ok, maybe others need to put together some prasie and worship type stuff, or find something that is going where they are".
3 - problem: everything is being done by 2 people.
ideas: cut back on the things that need doing. Maybe have some of that stuff, but let it grow and develop much more.
The Big Idea?
remember the point of all this. making the gospel make sense to people who dont get church as we know it. removing the cultural baggage that the church has brought along over the years, and rethinking exactly what church needs to be. Jesus needs to be accessible for all, not just those who can put up with singing "Just as I am" 32 times in a row - or whatever variant of this fits ("...everything was done, so you would come...")
In all this focussing primarily on the love of God, how he showed us that love - Jesus, and how we are enabled by the spirit to live in ways that truly reflect the love and community that we find in the trinity.
i think also the opening prayer that we developed may well sum up alot of who we are and want to be.
please comment on this if you are involved in our group or not. love to hear thoughts on where we might be going.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
As I read the problems one of my thoughts is "you are so not alone" - the problems of most of us in some form or another! At the same time, it also made me ask "what is it that you need to do/have to facilitate what you are wanting to achieve?" Somehow set up a sense of this is who we are and let what you do come out of that. I wonder what impact pondering once again christology leading to missiology leading to ecclesiology might have on all of this? Does all that make sense?
to be honest it surprised me that i fully understand what you are saying. i guess the answer to both the questions there is that maybe we are trying to do too much, and that working together as a community is the reallyimportant thing there. I hadnt really approached it all from the christ>mission>church angle, but i think it makes sense in that light.
The early church was so less structured and so much more organic/grassroots in its approach. Maybe this is where a lot of comofort lies for us as we drift into whatever it is we are drifting toward.
Is the Church 'doomed' if the emerging church doesn't emerge?
How important is the movement to the effectiveness of evangelism generally in the Church?
I thought I'd posted some comments, but the DISSAPPEARED! Oh well.. pretty much what barb said, plus the idea of getting back to basics, and just doing something, and growing from there I guess. RE anonymous's comments - the church is doomed when God turns God's back on the church - Is 6 is an encouragement to me, that it is God's church, and even if the institution seems to be smashed to the ground, God is able to continue God's mission in the world!
first let me respond to anon... i personally think that the church needs to respond to the cultural setting we find ourselves in, otherwise we will become more and more like dinosaurs and less affective in reaching out. the church may well still exist, but this might be due more to procreation, than any other means.
secondly, i think the global church is going great guns, there will be times that asia, africa and south america will need to ask questions to rethink where they are heading, but they are a fair way off (particularly in africa).
thanx rich,
i totally agree that in most part getting back to basics is the best thing we can do. striping away the things that are bound in a culture that doesnt reflect where we are, and just working with a skeleton, the bare bones, what is really important.
i also agree that God will find a way
Not sure if you've come across these blogs yet, but it is a good reminder and encouragement that we are not the only Nazarenes looking at this stuff. Havent fully checked these out but they look good:
http://emergentnazarenes.blogspot.com/
http://theparish.typepad.com/parish/2006/08/emergent_nazare.html
http://www.nazarenecohorts.com/
Post a Comment