DanSheffield

spiritual maturity -- a possession or a process?

I'm reading a thoughtful little book by  Asbury Seminary prof, Robert Mulholland Jr, Invitation to a Journey: A Road Map for Spiritual Formation. Here's a sample:

I do not know what your perception of Christian discipleship might be, but much contemporary Christian spirituality tends to view the spiritual life as a static possession rather than a dynamic and ever-developing growth toward wholeness in the image of Christ. When spirituality is viewed as a static possession, the way to spiritual wholeness is seen as the acquisition of information and techniques that enable us to gain possession of the desired state of spirituality. Discipleship is perceived as "my" spiritual life and tend be defined by actions that ensure its possession. Thus the endless quest for techniques, methods, programs by which we hope to "achieve" spiritual fulfillment. The hidden premise behind all of this is the unquestioned assumption that we alone are in control of our spirituality. In brief, we assume we are in control of our relationship with God.

When spirituality is viewed as a journey, however, the way to spiritual wholeness is seen to lie in an increasingly faith response to the One whose purpose shapes our path, whose grace redeems our detours, who power liberates up from crippling bondages of the prior journey and who transforming prescence meets us at each turn in the road. In other words, wholistic spirituality is a pilgrimage of deepening responsiveness to  God's control of our life and being

ecclesiological shifts - Murray

Almost a decade ago, I read Stuart Murray's Church Planting: Laying Foundations. Finally, someone with a theological reflection on pragmatic, church growth-style methods and metrics -- who also had significant 'hands-on' planting experience -- a reflective practitioner. A few years later he wrote Church After Christendom, speaking out of his experience in Britain (not the USA). He offers several markers for viewing our present ministry context:

• the church has moved from the center to the margin
• Christians now represent a minority opinion
• Christians are no longer 'settlers' shaping the heart of society, but sojourners, aliens, pilgrims who are no longer 'at home'
• In the past Christians had special status (ie tax-free properties, etc), now we are just one community among many in a plural society
• Christians no longer have power or control, we can only exercise influence through witnessing to our story and its implications
• We are no longer maintaining a supposedly Christian status quo, we are on mission within a contested environment
• Institutional approaches to church life must be renewed again to function as movement

 

Clergy killers and toxic congregations?

A number of my colleagues have been commenting on an article in the Huffington Post about the very real concern of toxic congregations and how they deal with their pastors in times of stress and uncertainty, causing great hurt and leaving 'the ministry.' For the most part the conversation takes place within a Christendom worldview where clergy and laity are seen as players on two different teams -- labour/management; symphony/conductor, whatever. And a worldview that focuses on the place of clergy as caregivers for congregations who pay their salaries -- the professionalized setting we find ourselves in at the moment.

A number of years ago (30) Richard Lovelace wrote:

It is still true that the model of congregational life in the minds of most clergy and laity is one in which the minister is the dominant pastoral superstar who specializes in the spiritual concerns of the Christian community, while laity are spectators, critics, and recipients of pastoral care, free to go about their own business because the pastor is taking care of the business of the kingdom.

One wonders if toxicity develops in a stagnant environment, the insular world of congregations focused on their own needs as spiritual consumers and pastors seeking to provide that care? What if there was no division between clergy and laity -- if we were all "the people of God?" What if healthy Christian community didn't require paid professionals to meet job description expectations? What if we were all living as kingdom people serving one another and our neighbours? What if Spirit-gifted followers of Jesus led us, as together we sought the direction of the Spirit in living out God's purposes for our families and our neighbourhoods?

What if we really were in a massive upheaval of all we understand 'church' to be?

becoming Christians differently

Great article at CT by Canadian Gordon T Smith, The New Conversion, on the move away from revivalistic definitions of "conversion" that also fueled a 'church growth' emphasis on reportable numbers -- success markers. Here's a sample:

Significantly, conversion was viewed as something distinct from "disciple-making." The making of disciples was thought to be subsequent to conversions. Thus evangelicals would speak of "making converts into disciples"; evangelism and disciple-making were distinguished, and typically the approach to evangelism was distinct from the approach to spiritual formation.

On each of these points, evangelicals are moving toward a thorough reenvisioning of the nature of conversion and redemption. Increasingly, there is appreciation that conversion is a complex experience by which a person is initiated into a common life with the people of God who together seek the in-breaking of the kingdom, both in this life and in the world to come. This experience is mediated by the church and thus necessarily includes baptism as a rite of initiation. The power or energy of this experience is one of immediate encounter with the risen Christ—rather than principles or laws—and this experience is choreographed by the Spirit rather than evangelistic techniques. Evangelicals are reappropriating the heritage of the Reformation with its emphasis on the means of grace, and thereby affirming the priority of the Spirit's work in religious experience.

 this article is part of Smith's essay in The Oxford Handbook of Evangelical Theology on "Conversion and Redemption."

David Fitch on 'why & how' of founding new Christian communities

David Fitch interviewed briefly by Martin Robinson

 

spring at Crieff

2.5 days of reading, writing, walking, integrating...

Well, He is.

quote from Canadian novelist David Adams Richards...

I believe all of us, even those who are atheists, seek God -- or at the very least none of us would be unhappy if God appeared and told us that the universe was actually His creation. Oh, we might put Him on trial for making it so hard and get angry at Him, too, but we would be very happy that He is here. Well, He is.

 

authentic engagement

I tend to throw around, in conversation, the phrase "authentic engagement." I know what I am thinking as I use that language, but not everybody I talk with does.

I've been reading a book by Robert Quinn, entitled: Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: a guide for leading change. Quinn gives a definition of 'authentic engagement'

this person is principled and ethical while also involved and engaged. The person thus brings an integrated, whole, or authentic self to his or her activity. When this happens, he or she experiences increased awareness and accesses resources not available in a less integrated state. The person loves what he or she does, which becomes a calling or labour of love.

When I use the phrase it is often in the context of leadership in Christian community. That is, we need principled, disciplined, self-aware, vulnerable, teachable leaders who bring all of those qualities to the practice of their everyday involvement with people who are seeking spiritual direction and those who are actively following Jesus. The tendency is always to swing to one side or the other -- the principled, ethical person who is not actively engaged, which comes across as self-righteous -- or the commited, active, engaged person who is lacking principles or spiritual foundation, which comes across as pragmatic or compromised.

admitting failure -- international aid

Brilliant TED Talk from Calgary with David Damberger who worked with Canadian development agency Engineers without Borders...

Unfortunately the scenario he paints about non-faith-based development work is also true among the many 'novelty' Christian development projects that are popping up all over the world as North American Christians think they "solve the developing world's problems" with some donor aid and a couple short-term mission trips.

 

quoted in Faith Today

In newest issue of the Canadian magazine, Faith Today, I was quoted in an article by Debra Fieguth entitled, "Beyond Our Cultural Comfort Zones." The main quote from me is: "The future of the church in Canada is not more people like me...the future is going to look less and less like me. If we don't engage with this issue, then we are doing a disservice to ourselves." ('ourselves' - by which I meant 'the church') There are a couple other bites, as well.

There is a good feature on Cornerstone Christian Community Church pastored by Andrew Lau, as church that is working hard at being intentionally intercultural.