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Posts Tagged ‘ecclesiology’

  1. Re-Jesus: The Book “Shaping” Could Have Been

    April 2, 2009 by Geoff

    ReJesus

    ReJesus

    One of my all time favourite books is “The Shaping Of Things To Come” by Alan Hirsch and Mike Frost. It was my introduction to the emerging-missional church conversation/movement (like a bunch of Aussies, and quite a few non-Aussies), and it is a really good read. It’s quite heavy, but at the same time quite inspiring. The revolution had begun, no longer was it OK for a church to be attractional, the Christendom model was to be rejected out of hand and we were all going to have churches that genuinely engaged with their communities.

    The beauty of “Shaping” was also it’s biggest problem. This was a revolutionary text, a veritable Communist Manifesto, and like most revolutionary texts, there appeared little concern for anyone left behind. Out with the old wineskins, in with the new, the old wine can go jump,  just worry about those new wineskins. That sort of deal. It was written with the best of intentions, and with a genuine love for old-church. But because it was so passionate, so revolutionary, so angry that love was overshadowed. So a number of people were hurt, and even more were able to write off “Shaping” as being a pipe dream, and an angry reaction to bad experiences of Christendom model church, rather than the freeing invitation to shape your ecclesiology by the missional context you find yourself within. It took no effort to ignore as being a case of hurt Christians lashing out at the church.

    Fast forward at least 5 years (I don’t have my copy of Shaping of Things To Come with me) and the terrible twosome have come out with another book together. And in my (very humble) opinion, this is the book that Shaping might have been. It’s not as heavy, and it’s not as angry, but in my opinion it’s equally as challenging and revolutionary. Whereas it could be argued that parts of Shaping came across as an attack ad on the Christendom model church, Re-Jesus comes across as instead being a positively re-inforced call back to centre our entire lives (including our church and church structure) around the person of Jesus. And that has as many harsh implications for how the emerging-missional crowd “be the church” as it does for the mainstream attractional crew.

    I really believe that this is a book with an incredible potential to be a powerful prophetic voice in calling the church back to a truly Jesus-centred Christianity. I could describe it more, but I’m instead just going to encourage you all to read it.

    Category God Stuff | Tags: ,,,,,, | 5 Comments

  2. Notes On A Scandal – A Study on Loneliness

    March 2, 2007 by Geoff

    Saw “Notes On A Scandal” last night – brilliant film that I don’t really want to see more than once – just a little too creepy. Brilliant performances from both Cate Blanchett and Judi Dench: both amazing actresses, and I can categorically say (having seen Helen Mirren in The Queen) that Dench deserved the best actress Oscar the other night. She was incredible, and the whole thing was directed and written remarkably well: I can’t think of a movie with a more effective use of narration.

    But as much as Judi Dench’s character is unequivocably the villain, there’s a definite sense that this life is so hard for the lonely and elderly. It just really struck something in me, that in many ways helps me to understand the place for many old, single people that the traditional church has for them. A place where they belong, where they know how things operate, and where they can feel a part of a community. And as much as the revolutionary wants to mess some of that up, for many people that becomes a deeply missional activity.

    Category Personal | Tags: ,,,, | 3 Comments

  3. The Clergy Question – Movements, Vocation and Institutionalism

    February 26, 2007 by Geoff

    Went along to hear Alan Hirsch at Blarney’s last night, and he delivered a pretty standard spiel on his central ideas, particularly around his central “formula” – that our Christology (what we believe about Christ) ought to define our missiology (transposing that into our cultural context) which should then decide the form of our ecclesiology (how we do church). Which I’m certainly comfortable with as a concept and think that while it’s requires severe transformational change in the church at the moment, it’s becoming relatively widely accepted.

    But this stuff has got me re-considering what I believe about the concept of paid (full-time or otherwise) clergy. And in many ways this has been mixing in with Tim’s thoughts on “Employment vs Vocation” as well as some thoughts in a two part series from “Out of Ur” – Sayonara Senior Pastor (Part 1 | Part 2). So here’s my take on the whole issue.

    On the one hand, there’s the theoretical argument. That if you can spend your time and resources on equipping and missionalising the people you’re leading without the strain of also needing to find an alternative source of income, that you must surely be more effective. That there comes a point where groups get to the size that it’s impossible to continue to lead a group without someone who is able to commit full-time to working for the group.

    Paul even talks about those in leadership being deserving of a “double-portion”, and I’m reliably informed by a theologian I respect greatly that the exegesis of that passage indicates that “double-portion” most likely includes financial renumeration. And this talk about having a “vocation”, even (dare I quote him) the way that John Eldridge talks about “doing what makes you come alive” for a job, has to play into the equation. Because the thing I most enjoy doing, and derive the most satisfaction from in my life at the moment is the time every second sunday when I preach and teach with the youth. That’s what I’d love to be able to do full-time.

    But on the flip-side there’s a compelling argument that has some good old fashioned anecdotal evidence behind it. The argument that says that employing clergy is the first step towards becoming an institution. That all movements lose their edge as soon as the practical realities of having to pay salaries (and mortgages, etc – but we’ll leave that one alone) that it becomes impossible not to concentrate a little bit more on maintaining what you have rather than reaching out to continue to grow.

    And there’s the examples of the early church, the Chinese church, <insert significant move of God in the past 2000 years here> which operate phenomenally without paid clergy/structure/denominations/ordination etc.

    One possible pathway to avoid institutionalism (which may or may not be a real word) suggested by the aforementioned theologian is to plant early and to plant often. But I’m really hoping that I can get you people as interested in discussing this as you were with discussing theology in songwriting. Please, let me know what you think. And if you’re a lurker – lurk no more: say something.

    Category God Stuff | Tags: ,,,,,,,, | 9 Comments