Different Roads

I was chatting to a friend the other day about my original idea for my MA dissertation, which had the working title of ‘Sin, Sex and Satan’, but with hindsight and in the words of Willy Mason ‘Gotta Keep On Movin’. And moved I did. Obviously it is much easier to try and examine an effective dialogue-paradigm between traditional models of church and emergent ones. A further conversation reminded me about wireless communities and whether what I previously wrote really has substance to it, or whether as has been mentioned ‘It is in [the] desert, as we wander together as nomads, that God is to be found’ (from Peter Rollins’ ‘How (Not) to speak of God’ quoted in review by TallSkinnyKiwi).
One of the reasons I was originally attracted -or found a ‘home- in Anglicanism was because my previous expereince of christian communities seemed shallow, rootless and in need of a deeper journey within. Anglicanism offered me a place to explore, even at times a place to scream and yet God never stops moving or more accurately I never stop moving towards where God has been. And yet, now, I again am wanting to root or maybe merge the experience of that which speaks of a God who has been faithful with a God whose faithfulness is revealed in the life lived now, shaped through the days and nights yet to come.
When John V Taylor in ‘The Go-Between God’ wrote about the playful Spirit was he seeing a vision of mission which was holistic in orthopraxis and ecclesiological structures in a way that not only where the Spirit is-are we free, but where we can be so that the Spirit is free. ‘… as a result of institutionalizing the expereince of the Holy Spirit his special gifts were removed entirely from the normal life and witness of the church and limited either to the aristocracy [or] transformed individuals’ (p209, Taylor, 1972).
I am hoping that through the gift of an opportunity I have to study that the area I am researching would reveal certain creative and dynamic ways forward in order that Anglicanism does not become split between de-emergent and post-emergent in a way that creates yet another vaccuum.

GreenBelt 08

A Fantastic time out with friends at this years festival (see Jon Taylor’s reflections). Highlights were as often the case – catching up with friends – Dave Wiles, Howard J, and David R. I was really encouraged about different things to reflect on from the tallskinnykiwi (such as itips and soon to be released book by Phyllis Tickle ‘The Great Emergence’). His talks certainly helped stimulate conversations over a couple of organic beers at the ‘Jesus Arms’. Music was pretty good, a highlight for me was ‘Emmanuel Jal’! There were still many tensions and questions in listenening to dialogue between emerging communities, traditional models and the difficult balancing act of postmodern engagement at the expense of walking a dangerous road to exclusivity. Brian Mclaren (check out the linked interview)was emotionally engaging and visually beautiful. Anyway there was no greater highlight than seeing my daughter dancing to the beat-boxed-coldcut-classic – legendary!

What More Do We Need?

OK. Just watched ‘chumscrubber’ – a diffusion of teenage angst and dis-connectedness between inter-family relationships. Pill popping culture for avoidance answers, fictional computer characters replacing physical maternal and paternal links etc. Then i thought of camping, the joy of camping – no seriously i can be one in such an experience, my family by my side literally (well at night!), the seasonal clock dictating sleep patterns, the community of fellow campers and the surreal experience of such a community. We share nothing in common but our humanity and ‘hi, are you off today…ok…well take care’. Question to all is, c’mon really what more do you need right now in your life, c’mon what is it? eh eh eh?!?

OK

OK! What a good place to start, okay it sounds like the total antithesis to risk – a board game i was made to play by a mad wizard-like-thing! But OK gets us through most days – at the moment i am neither a cloud nor a stone but a mixture of both slightly near the entering phase of a dream and the coming out of a sleep! OK – a computer generated device for superficial and yet plausible responses to most questions or directives. Are we going the way of V and nanny-state (although i respect most nannies) – OK, should we stick our heads in the political oasis and sing songs about NOT looking back in anger – OK, does viruses spread and rot the land from labortaries -OK. Are you OK, yes i’m OK

Shape

The shape of society is rapidly changing with the emergence of network communities as mission-shaped church implies and so, therefore, must the shape of the clergy and churches who seek to share the faith to which we hold. We are living within a western culture, which in areas is even surpassing shape. For this, I see a wireless culture, working in much the same way as my computer wireless router. It has a base, a centre, which in some ways is an illusion in itself. It connects to where ever the receiver is positioned and can transcend and penetrate through walls, doors, glass etc. However, the receiver can only go so far before it loses contact with the centre and so must be drawn back nearer to the source. The wireless community desires consumer freedom, to get what it wants and where it wants it, with nothing standing in the way.Why do I say this within this remit? Because mission shaped clergy must relate to the indigenous culture and communities that surround the churches centre. A Christian wireless community reaches out from the centre, perhaps the parish church, to fresh church plants etc and is not afraid to take steps that perhaps take it slightly out of reach of reception. They can do this because they know that they are also a centre sending, receiving, and relating to the other Christian wireless communities, for example the parish church. I say that they are also a centre recognising the need to see fresh expressions with ‘church’ status in their own right. However, I agree with mission-shaped church that ‘fresh expressions may reach some for Christ, but there is still an important role for the parish where a culture is neighbourhood based, particularly among the less mobile or marginalized in our society, whether rural or urban’ (p 132).