Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thoughts on Christian Community: Part Two
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Part Two: How Emergent Has Changed the Way I Partake in Community
First, a foundational idea of emergent that I have taken to heart is the idea of "epistemic humility." In other words, I try to be humble about what I think I know and about how I think I know it. There are various philosophical and logical reasons for this, but I think if I were to try to boil it down, the simple reality is that I have been really wrong in the past when I thought I was really right. Now, given the benefit of time and a new perspective, I see things differently.
Some criticize emergents as "not believing anything," but that is not the case. I do have beliefs, but I hold them very differently now than I did before. I recognize my limitations in my knowledge, my perspective, and my ability to judge correctly. I try to be open to different opinions and points of view, and I am always willing to rethink and grow in my beliefs.
In regards to community, this means that while I might think I have an idea of what "the best" Christian community should look like, what we would do and believe and practice, I realize first and foremost that I may very well be wrong in my ideas of what is best. Furthermore, I don't think that what best serves the community is one person pushing their views onto everyone else. Many churches and organizations are formed because there is either one singular leader, or several leaders who all agree completely. Emergent has taught me that there is value and beauty in lowering my opinions below others, opening my heart and mind to listen and learn from those around me, and experiencing a collective vision of what could be, not what "must" or "should" be.
Following in line is the idea of "the other." I have been greatly challenged by the words of Samir Selmanovic. There's a lot to be said on this topic, and it's tough to summarize. In short, persons coming from drastically different viewpoints from my own have extreme value and potential to positively impact my life. For me to get a grander picture and experience of God, it means that I must be willing to allow "the other" into my life, to inform me, to challenge me, to change me. Even to change me in ways I don't want to be changed or previously thought that I shouldn't change.
Therefore, in Christian community, my goal is not to meet and gather with many people who think just like me. My intention is not to expound my own views and gain converts to my beliefs. Rather, my intent is to be evangelized myself, to be shown the good news, to be changed by those around me who are so very different from myself.
For me personally, this is a huge shift. Coming from positions of leadership in Christian circles, from an undergraduate degree in theology, and years of experience leading various ministries, I was always searching for "my vision" or "my truth" that I would impart to the world. I thought that the key to successful Christian community was vision from the leader. I only knew the "CEO" style of leadership and church.
But in the past three years I've experienced something totally different. Yes, our cohort is filled with mostly white, liberal, Christian people. But we are still really different. And we spend more time exploring our differences and learning from one another than we do highlighting our similarities. We hope that more people who are more different than ourselves will join us in conversation and in life. We intentionally structure our community to give an equal voice to every person involved, regardless of how long, how young or old, how smart or how "right" they are.
Because of emergent, I don't understand Christian community as a place where people who agree come together to "high five" and confirm the already deeply held beliefs. Rather I understand it as a community of very different, very challenging, but very open people who are willing to submit their own personalities and beliefs to each other, in the hopes that they will be changed and brought closer to God in the process.
Finally, my understanding of the purpose of community has changed. After I stopped "going to church" and I started thinking of the cohort as "my church," I realized that what really felt like the kingdom of God was not "church," but rather life itself. A key idea of emergent churches is the breakdown of any sacred/secular divide. Life is life. In or out of the church, life is life and I strive to be the same person all around.
For me, I have found that the beauty of the kingdom of God exists more outside the church. One reason is simple math. Unless I work at a church, I spend more time outside of church that in it. And therefore, I should hope to find more of God's kingdom and God's life outside of the church. As I continued to follow this principle, I wondered why I would spend so much time and energy investing in a building, a budget, a program - when the kingdom of God was all around me all the time! Simply by opening my eyes, investing my efforts into the people and the life around me, I have found more of the kingdom and more of God than I could have imagined.
This next statement is something I'm still processing and working out. But at this point, I'm not sure I believe that Christians are called to go to church. Because I believe it can be a distraction from living the life of God in the kingdom of God. The two diagrams below are a way that I'm thinking about the difference right now, but as I said, it's a work in progress.
The first diagram shows the typical understanding of church. It requires a lot of time, effort, energy and money. There are full-time paid leaders who spend the majority of their life inside the church, working for the church. In many ways, they are secluded and separated from the rest of life.
In the second diagram, the community of believers is a launching pad. It is a source of energy itself. It doesn't require a lot of effort or resources to maintain and grow, but rather it is life-giving and challenging. It "sends out" rather than "draws in." It is the community of believers which pushes the believers out into the world, where they experience the kingdom of God in a variety of ways. Again, I'm not totally sure how I feel about all this "ecclesiology" but at least at this point in my life, this is how I understand "church."
To put it bluntly, I don't want to have to give up my life for the sake of church. I want to be deeply involved in the lives of the people around me and sharing in the exciting life of God's kingdom in the world. I don't believe this takes any less effort or spiritual energy, but it is directed very differently from the first model. It also doesn't produce very many "results," and it requires being more attuned to God's work and presence. "Church" in this mindset might just be coffee with someone at your house. Or it might be small acts of kindness around the neighborhood. Or it might be a larger gathering.
The key difference is that the focus is not on the ministry itself, but rather on God's life in the kingdom around us. I don't want my focus to be about building a name and building a ministry, but rather building God's kingdom - whatever that might look like.
Part Two: How Emergent Has Changed the Way I Partake in Community
First, a foundational idea of emergent that I have taken to heart is the idea of "epistemic humility." In other words, I try to be humble about what I think I know and about how I think I know it. There are various philosophical and logical reasons for this, but I think if I were to try to boil it down, the simple reality is that I have been really wrong in the past when I thought I was really right. Now, given the benefit of time and a new perspective, I see things differently.
Some criticize emergents as "not believing anything," but that is not the case. I do have beliefs, but I hold them very differently now than I did before. I recognize my limitations in my knowledge, my perspective, and my ability to judge correctly. I try to be open to different opinions and points of view, and I am always willing to rethink and grow in my beliefs.
In regards to community, this means that while I might think I have an idea of what "the best" Christian community should look like, what we would do and believe and practice, I realize first and foremost that I may very well be wrong in my ideas of what is best. Furthermore, I don't think that what best serves the community is one person pushing their views onto everyone else. Many churches and organizations are formed because there is either one singular leader, or several leaders who all agree completely. Emergent has taught me that there is value and beauty in lowering my opinions below others, opening my heart and mind to listen and learn from those around me, and experiencing a collective vision of what could be, not what "must" or "should" be.
Following in line is the idea of "the other." I have been greatly challenged by the words of Samir Selmanovic. There's a lot to be said on this topic, and it's tough to summarize. In short, persons coming from drastically different viewpoints from my own have extreme value and potential to positively impact my life. For me to get a grander picture and experience of God, it means that I must be willing to allow "the other" into my life, to inform me, to challenge me, to change me. Even to change me in ways I don't want to be changed or previously thought that I shouldn't change.
Therefore, in Christian community, my goal is not to meet and gather with many people who think just like me. My intention is not to expound my own views and gain converts to my beliefs. Rather, my intent is to be evangelized myself, to be shown the good news, to be changed by those around me who are so very different from myself.
For me personally, this is a huge shift. Coming from positions of leadership in Christian circles, from an undergraduate degree in theology, and years of experience leading various ministries, I was always searching for "my vision" or "my truth" that I would impart to the world. I thought that the key to successful Christian community was vision from the leader. I only knew the "CEO" style of leadership and church.
But in the past three years I've experienced something totally different. Yes, our cohort is filled with mostly white, liberal, Christian people. But we are still really different. And we spend more time exploring our differences and learning from one another than we do highlighting our similarities. We hope that more people who are more different than ourselves will join us in conversation and in life. We intentionally structure our community to give an equal voice to every person involved, regardless of how long, how young or old, how smart or how "right" they are.
Because of emergent, I don't understand Christian community as a place where people who agree come together to "high five" and confirm the already deeply held beliefs. Rather I understand it as a community of very different, very challenging, but very open people who are willing to submit their own personalities and beliefs to each other, in the hopes that they will be changed and brought closer to God in the process.
Finally, my understanding of the purpose of community has changed. After I stopped "going to church" and I started thinking of the cohort as "my church," I realized that what really felt like the kingdom of God was not "church," but rather life itself. A key idea of emergent churches is the breakdown of any sacred/secular divide. Life is life. In or out of the church, life is life and I strive to be the same person all around.
For me, I have found that the beauty of the kingdom of God exists more outside the church. One reason is simple math. Unless I work at a church, I spend more time outside of church that in it. And therefore, I should hope to find more of God's kingdom and God's life outside of the church. As I continued to follow this principle, I wondered why I would spend so much time and energy investing in a building, a budget, a program - when the kingdom of God was all around me all the time! Simply by opening my eyes, investing my efforts into the people and the life around me, I have found more of the kingdom and more of God than I could have imagined.
This next statement is something I'm still processing and working out. But at this point, I'm not sure I believe that Christians are called to go to church. Because I believe it can be a distraction from living the life of God in the kingdom of God. The two diagrams below are a way that I'm thinking about the difference right now, but as I said, it's a work in progress.
The first diagram shows the typical understanding of church. It requires a lot of time, effort, energy and money. There are full-time paid leaders who spend the majority of their life inside the church, working for the church. In many ways, they are secluded and separated from the rest of life.
In the second diagram, the community of believers is a launching pad. It is a source of energy itself. It doesn't require a lot of effort or resources to maintain and grow, but rather it is life-giving and challenging. It "sends out" rather than "draws in." It is the community of believers which pushes the believers out into the world, where they experience the kingdom of God in a variety of ways. Again, I'm not totally sure how I feel about all this "ecclesiology" but at least at this point in my life, this is how I understand "church."
To put it bluntly, I don't want to have to give up my life for the sake of church. I want to be deeply involved in the lives of the people around me and sharing in the exciting life of God's kingdom in the world. I don't believe this takes any less effort or spiritual energy, but it is directed very differently from the first model. It also doesn't produce very many "results," and it requires being more attuned to God's work and presence. "Church" in this mindset might just be coffee with someone at your house. Or it might be small acts of kindness around the neighborhood. Or it might be a larger gathering.
The key difference is that the focus is not on the ministry itself, but rather on God's life in the kingdom around us. I don't want my focus to be about building a name and building a ministry, but rather building God's kingdom - whatever that might look like.
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4 comments:
I love what you're saying about community, Jesse. I'm so glad we get o be on this journey with you. "Epistemic humility"-- great descriptor. :)
I guess the one part I'll question is the last part. I don't like the first model either, but the second isn't the only alternative. I don't think I could make a cool graphic, but I picture something more swirly, where our love and concern is within the community and in the world... I don't really picture boundaries at all.
One reason I say this is that I think we need each other more than we know. We all need to be the recipients of radical grace and friendship. It's easy to hear that as just words, but I mean it very literally.
Among us, there are people who struggle with suicidal thoughts, self-hatred, addiction, secret rage, crippling fear. Some of us max out our creditcards, or overdraft our checking account so fees stack up and eat out rent money, and we panic. Some of us mess up all our relationships or are unfaithful.
This is why your second image doesn't quite do it for me, though I definitely agree that it should be about people, and not about infrastructure or institution. And that community should strengthen us. Not be something that empties us, but rather fills us up.
Thanks for the feedback Angela. I really appreciate it.
I hesitated about putting up the graphics, because they appear so "set in stone" or "definite." But I tend to think in images and models/graphs like that, so it helps me.
Your critique of the second model is right on. Actually, I meant to draw the lines of the circles as dotted lines, trying to represent that there was an interconnection and fluidity between "the community" and "the rest of life." Your description of "something more swirly where our love and concern is within the community and the world" is very helpful.
I agree that we need each other more than we realize, and more than what we are currently engaging in. The challenge is to live into more grace every day - whether that is within the "structures" of the community, or just in every day life. It takes risks and vulnerability. It's not something we ever fully achieve, but rather the more we experience it, the more we realize we need it more.
Thanks again for your feedback and comment (and rare thing on my blog! :)
By the way, I might have forgotten to tell you how much I love these posts of yours. Sometimes I forget to talk about that part, cuz I guess picking ismoreinteresting to me. I kinda fail at communicating love and support. Sorry about that.
What really happens is that Tracy and I read bits out loud and say "isn't that beautiful?" and "amazing!" And then I comment about a part I want to take issue with...
Thanks :)
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