I feel like three things are more clear to me after being gone 37 days in South Africa and Namibia. I will unpack these over the next three posts. But here they are briefly.
1. Spirituality will be more relational, creational and communitarian into the 21st century
I have mentioned this before but haven’t much unpacked it. I need to. I am more convinced than ever and I see these yearnings and core longings from the Nassau to Namibia and Stellenbosch to St. Louis. If we can break the textual addiction we have the relegates formation to bible study we are going to be dead in the water in the postmodern world. (and obviously I love the bible my latest book released 8 days ago is about the good Book)
2. The best ways of doing ministry have yet to be found and we are in an “idea” crisis
This was one of the core values we as a staff owned at the DNA level of our being when I was a local church pastor. We need church leaders that continue to think into new frontiers and arenas.
3. People aren’t craving church, or sermons or bible study…the are dying to be in small community where real dialogue and doing life together happens.
Many of us as leaders in the church still don’t seem to get this. We have been so conditioned by the old modern world where obligation and belonging were premium values we don’t seem to heard the wake up call of the information age…. it is ubiquitous therefore our brokering of it is of little value to this world. We will have to broker much more.
More ruminations to follow.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree wholeheartedly. I too love reading the scriptures, but always as a means towards a deeper connection with God and a more informed and sincere connection with others. In fact I have come to discover, as an African, that some of my most significant experiences of God in the scriptures have come through interaction in small communities. The framing narrative of the community is what ‘breathes’ new life into my understanding of the text.
I used to explain to my students that understanding the Bible is like understanding a pair of scissors. One blade is the text (inspired by God, filled with wisdom, guidance and God’s challenge to a deeper more intentional life), the other blade is the context of the interpreter, or the interpreting community. It is only when the two work together that the instrument works as it should. Any attempt to suspend either renders the instrument ineffective.
I also agree with your second and third points. I am excited about what is being discovered about ministry and faithfully living with Christ in community from the most unexpected contexts (some of what we’re seeing in Africa, Asia etc. ‘The Next Christendom’ (Philip Jenkins), makes for fascinating reading in this regard.
As for the third point, it is true! My daughter was once asked what Church she attends (this was shortly after we moved into a new town). She thought for a moment and replied ‘I’m being home-churched’! A great insight! Sometimes the Church doesn’t have much to do with true community. I’m grateful for the community that we have found within our current congregation.
Regards from Cape Town!
Ron, I told you the other day, you have a clarity of thought that is mindblasting…again you speak the words for the whisperings and stirrings I struggle to define. Looking forward to the unpacking…
I’ll echo Jan, Looking forward to the unpacking!
Especially Point Number 3! This is something that is very close to my heart!
can’t wait.