What does it mean to be the Church in North America in a postmodern, post-colonial and post-Christendom context? With decreased attendance, how do churches survive? Where do we find authentic community and spiritual formation? How does the Church respond to the growing list of local and global injustices and crisis? If you find yourself wondering about these things, the Ecclesia Collective invites you to join a small group of people in San Diego for a collaborative conversation (kind of like a “skill share”) on May 23 and 24 (little less than a month away) to discuss practices and principles that just might help us find a sustainable way of being the Church within the North American context.
I am in Calgary until Wednesday to attend Mobilize 2008. It seems a little outside my normal interests but when there is an emergency in Saskatoon, I am one of the guys that is called to respond. The ones we have been a part of in the past have been good learning experiences and if I can learn some more on how to make them better for the victims, it is worth my time. Of course this is a big paradigm shift as usually I am the one causing the disasters, not helping with them...
Outside the hotel is a big display of emergency response vehicles from all over western Canada which means that if there is an emergency anywhere except for Calgary, there is no one around to respond.
Lately I have been noticing the increase in negative mail to the worldwide headquarters of Super Dave Osbourne/jordoncooper.com (we sublet the place when Super Dave isn't working). Some of the recent mail is on the low quality links and bias that this blog has. Several are complaining about the sports links, my liberal world view, and how this blog has little to do with the emerging church anymore.
I have replied to many of them individually but I realized, all of them are related as well so here is my bigger explanation.
As many of you know, I work in a homeless shelter/half-way house that is also the emergency after hours for social services. That is all on the website and after that, most of what I do is protected by non-disclosure statements. Some people who work in similar places, blog anonymously or using SixApart's VOX blogging system but for me, I don't talk that much about it and prefer to leave it at work. Even stuff that I see outside of work on the street has been tough to process this week and for that reason, I have been going to a spiritual advisor to talk through some of the frustration of not being able to do more. (at work, part of my evaluation is asking me if I think another job would be a better fit for me -- after thinking though it, I am not sure if even being the Minister of Social Services could tackle the job properly -- so I said, I am fine where I am at)
The evening shift is often a zoo. A booming Saskatoon economy has made work a lot busier and housing harder to find. The other night I watched a guy wander down the street with a knife in his side and didn't even find it that weird (ambulance was following him as well), I am often drained emotionally and to unwind, I enjoy some tea and sit down and watch the news and Sportsnet Connected. I have the web and a paper at work and if I am lucky I can read through some of the New York Times and Google News but when I get home, I am tired and ready to give up the good fight. Watching some highlights takes a lot of the stress of the day away. The other reason I watch and blog about sports is that I love sports. While not a great athlete, I played hockey for years, baseball, rugby, soccer, basketball, high school football and skied a lot growing up. I know that sports have been derided by many in the church in favor of the arts but I appreciate both. My family was a sporting family. I have a catcher's mask that is four generations old. Like a lot of families, sports was a bonding thing growing up and it is the same for Mark. I think it was Pete Ward who wrote this in Liquid Church, sports may be one of the ways the Holy Spirit brings life back into tired people. Unless it is the Edmonton Oilers or the San Diego Chargers, then it is devil's way of destroying people.
For me the 'emerging conversation' has become too much like a whole bunch of people mouthing off... Pretending to listen, by occasionally quoting others, but, for the most part, just yabbering on about their little world regardless of what others are saying. In the book I mention some of the conditions under which a system might become 'emergent', or 'self-organizing', or 'a learning system', to use different syntax. One of the key conditions is an ability to sense and respond to its environment. And this requires careful listening. I think we've lost the art.
I agree with Kester although I am not sure why that is although I am sure I am part of that problem that he is speaking about. I used to find the conversation a lot more interesting although I find it really narrow and in some ways I find it has gotten narrower. Part of my problem is that I have been strongly influenced by Canadian political scientist, Thomas Homer-Dixon who wrote The Ingenuity Gap which makes the powerful case that we wrongly take a very narrow view of the problems of the world and the problems (and the solutions) are often shared and more widely connected. This idea has influenced me more than people realize and explains why blog moseys from idea to idea at times.
I have always hated the term Godblog, (excused me as I go and wash after typing it) and this site has always been a blog about the liberal arts in which as a part of that because of vocation or passion have blogged about the church but now after several years of it, there isn't a lot of new stuff being said, especially online. Even Mark Driscoll's hate filled rants against Emergent are getting repetitive.
Despite the boredom with posting about this stuff online, there is a bunch of different stuff happening offline that is exciting. Several conversations with friends have reminded me we often get judged by our writing on these things called blogs but they are only a small window of our lives. Church of the Exiles is working with others to create a local alternative seminary in Saskatoon. Resonate is setting up a micro publishing house to help the emerging church in Canada and has two books in development and all of this is happening outside of the 40 hours (although this week it was 60 hours) that is spent at work. On top of that is Soularize and Soularize Feedlive that I am helping with. Don't say I am not engaged with the church. I think I am more engaged now than I was when I was being paid (although I have a lot less meetings).
So keep up the feedback coming. I may or may not take it to heart. I have some hockey to watch.
Going to Soularize? Use Flickr? If the answer is yes, you will want to join the Official Soularize 2007 Flickr Photo Group. It's free to join, easy to add photos to, and a great way to share your favorite Soularize photo experiences with the entire community. The other way to share your photos is to tag your photos with "Soularize 2007"
To save some money going to Soularize, I am using AirMiles which isn't as easy as they make it sound. Sure collecting AirMiles is easy, fill up at Shell, shop at Safeway, buy furniture at The Brick... but then you want to redeem your miles. Good luck.
Here is one flight possibility to Miami.
Drive to Winnipeg (long eight hours but I could connect with some friends from Resonate)
Fly to Minneapolis.
Fly from Minneapolis to Chicago
Fly from Chicago to Charlotte
Fly from Charlotte to Dallas/Fort Worth
Fly from Dallas/Fort Worth to Miami.
Umm, no.
Instead I am taking a late flight into Toronto and an early morning flight to Miami. To short of layover to crash but I am in around midnight if someone wants to grab some food and coffee at or near the airport. If you do, e-mail me.
Spencer Burke sent this out as a part of TheOozeletter today.
This year Soularize is a counter intuitive relational learning party
There are three important reasons why we chose the Bahamas;
This is the first international venue for the missional / emerging conversation. I am surprised how many people in the USA are unaware of how difficult and expensive it is for our international friends to come to US. It is only 60 miles off of our coast but it makes a world of difference for many desiring to engage on neutral ground.
We are always connected to a local ministry and spend a year or more working with them on the event to ensure this is not a "road show". All of the creativity and experiences are in collaboration with Clint, Tim, Kelly, Gillian, Christian (New Providence Community Church) and local artists, musicians and families. You should check out all of the spaces we are using to create the conversation and learning experiences Soularize, (no hotels or conference centers).
It is hard to fight the perception of the Bahamas - cost was one of the factors (although it is cheaper to fly from NYC, Minneapolis, Seattle and Canada, stay in our host hotel and pay the registration fee for Soularize than it is to fly to a San Diego conference). Soularize has been the one safe place for those who have left the comfort of the established church and their conference budgets. Many have to take time off of work as well. But this has become more than a conference, for some, it is a family gathering. It is always great to see the friendships pick up from last year and new ones begin. The key to Soularize is relationships. Online 24/7, in person Oct. 25-27, 2007.
Below is some Soularize Resources, please pass the word on and I hope to see you on the sand with the rest of my friends Frank Viola, Becky Garrison, Karen Ward, Mark Scandrette, Kristyn Komarnicki, Michael Dowd, Barry Taylor, Dwight Friesen, Jim Palmer, Gareth Higgins, Ron Martoia and more being added weekly.
Myth Busters Myth #1 - The Bahamas is too Expensive Fact - October is the Off Season with great deals on airfare and hotels
Myth #2 - The Emerging conversation is limited to the USA Fact - We chose the Bahamas because it is an International venue, it may be a short flight from Miami, but it is a huge leap towards our friends
Myth #3 - Conventions are talking heads in stuffy rooms Fact - Soularize includes a Private Island, Art Studios, Swimming w/Sharks, Social Networking website, Beach Reclamation Project
Myth #4 - Big name speakers equal big impersonal crowds Fact - We limited the event to 500 attendees, with a key note line up of the decade (N.T. Wright, Brennan Manning, Rita Nakashima Brock, and Fr. Richard Rohr)
There will also be some Canadians there. We will be the ones playing road hockey on the private island while swimming with the man eating sharks.
Two Years in the Planning - Less Than 90 Days to Register Host Spencer Burke has popped the creative cork off Soularize the original /catalytic emerging church gathering
Key Note Line Up of the Decade N.T. Wright, Brennan Manning, Rita Nakashima Brock, and Fr. Richard Rohr
International Conversation and Venue - Nassau Bahamas Take advantage of off season rates and ease of travel for our international friends
Five Learning Modes of Engagement Keynote, Small Groups, Extended Experience, Reflective Time, 24/7 Web Collaboration
Varied Relational Environments Private Island, Art Studios, Swim w/Sharks, Social Network, Lecture Hall, Limited to 500 attendees
Totally Wired Conference Free T-1 wireless access, Live Web Interface with polling, chat, webcams, whiteboard
Most Progressive and Diverse Workshop Facilitators Frank Viola, Becky Garrison, Karen Ward, Mark Scandrette, Kristyn Komarnicki, Michael Dowd, Barry Taylor, Dwight Friesen, Jim Palmer, Gareth Higgins, Ron Martoia...
Knowing that all have limited budgets to invest in annual learning opportunities, we hope you take opportunity to compare the Soularize learning experience with a few of the other national learning opportunities happening this coming year. Perhaps you'll be as surprised as we were that an event in the Bahamas is actually cheaper than attending an event in San Diego (see comparison chart) . So if you're looking for a more progressive, independent, and cost-effective learning experience in a tropical setting, perhaps you should consider joining us for the Soularize learning experience.
What makes Soularize unique is the learning environment. We create a casual, safe and interactive place where you can wrestle with issues your church and faith are facing today. You'll engage in a wide variety of learning experiences like facilitated groups of less than 50 people, hands-on learning experiences, main sessions with keynote speakers, and workshops. Open times in the schedule offer chances for you to reflect and refresh in a hammock overlooking the Caribbean.
Come and lend your voice, your experience, and your dreams as we explore the Evolving Church - rethinking and reinventing what the Church could be in years ahead. Learn more - http://www.soularize.net/
Resonate Audio is featuring a podcast by N.T. Wright this week from empireremixed in Toronto this May. Speaking of Bishop Wright, he is going to be in the Bahamas this October with Spencer Burke and Soularize. The audio is about an hour long and is quite good.
I have been swamped with life lately but have finally found the time to upload my photos from California to Flickr, then I realized I had over processed them in Picassa and they looked horrible that I uploaded the raw images again. Click on the photos to take you to the different photo sets on Flickr.
The point of the trip was to go down and help put together Soularize with some other friends of Spencer Burke's. It was quite a bit cheaper if I flew down a day earlier which allowed me to spend some time in the greater Los Angeles area and take a meandering trip down through Southern California.
The flight from Saskatoon (YXE) to Los Angeles (LAX) was surprisingly uneventful. I got through United States Customs in under 15 seconds (I timed him) in Calgary which beats a new record for me. When I got into L.A., Rudy had sent me some pretty good instructions on how to get to Pasadena by the Flyaway bus and the Metro Gold Line. While it was uneventful, I was not prepared to see Los Angeles' Union Station. Built in 1939, it was the last of the United States great train stations. It now serves both Amtrak , Metro and Metrolink trains and is a sight to see. I know it isn't as impressive as some of the eastern stations but I was impressed.
Once I got to Rudy's, I got a tour of Harambee and met the rest of his family. I mentioned the high school football game and I had a chance to learn more about Harambee and also talk to Rudy about important things like how big does a dog need to be in a tough neighborhood. Rudy has given me a hard time in the past about the petty crime that we have around my house but I have never considered whether my dog was tough enough for my neighborhood. Although it can't be that tough of a hood if Hutch is still alive. In case you don't know, Rudy was one of the first Christian bloggers out there.
Saturday morning the plan was going to take the train back down to L.A. and explore downtown a little more. It only costs $1.25 but the regional kiosk offers no change. My inner cheapskate lead me to explore a bit of Old Pasadena until I found a place to break the bill with a Diet Coke. Luckily King Taco came to my rescue and I was off to downtown
After taking the train downtown , I spent some more time exploring Los Angeles' Union Station which was fun. It opened in May 1939, is known as the "Last of the Great Railway Stations" built in the United States, but even with its massive and ornate waiting room and adjacent ticket concourse, it is considered small in comparison to other union stations. I put together a photoset here. Living in western Canada, we don't have a lot of cool train infrastructure between Winnipeg and Vancouver. Saskatoon doesn't even have a train station (we have a platform) so seeing the famous train station was great.
I couldn't help but compare the grandness of Union Station with the mess that passes for the international terminal of LAX. Makes me want to take a train to California next time.
Before I left, Rudy told me to explore the historic Olvera Street which is the oldest street and area in Los Angeles and is otherwise known as the birthplace of the City of Angels or El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historic Monument and is a department within the city. Many Latinos refer to it as 'La Placita Olvera'. Circa 1911 it was described as Sonora Town. It felt like Mexico and I spent some time snapping some photos and also shopping for Wendy and Mark. I got close to my dream on of one day having my own mariachi guitar band follow me around and be a soundtrack for my life. As for the shopping for Wendy and Mark, I struck out. I wasn't sure if Mark really needed a Lucha Libre mask.
While I was there, I wandered into the famous Mission Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles which was founded in 1781 by a group of Mexican pobladeros, consisting of 11 families — 44 men, women and children, led by Don Fernando Rivera y Moncada, Lt. Governor of the Californias — who had set out from the nearby Mission San Gabriel Arcángel to establish an asistencia ("sub-mission") along the banks of the Porciúncula River. It's hard to believe that the humble Roman Catholic mission is still there and a vibrant part of the community. When I was there on the Saturday morning, it was packed full of families and children in white dresses and tuxedos which I imagine were being baptized. Anyways there were cameras, churos, tacos, bottles, and all sorts.
From there I wandered the half dozen or so blocks up Bunker Hill to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels. To help pay for it, it was reported that the Diocese of Los Angeles cut back spending that was to help the poor. In other words the Diocese acted like most churches do when they are in the middle of a building program.
I never got inside of the cathedral this time as there was a wedding going on and the doors were closed. As I was walking around taking photos, wedding attendees and even parts of the wedding party kept asking me for directions and the scary thing is that I was able to help them.
It has been a couple of years since I have seen the Cathedral and I was shocked to see some wear and tear on the building since it is only four years old and was designed to last for five hundred years. I wonder how long of a warranty you get on a building designed to last for 500-1000 years.
I have no idea why I keep being attracted to it. Maybe because it represents the anti-Jordon and personifies a lot of what I no longer believe in and maybe never believed in. Despite my difference in values, I did find some time to get some food at the Cathedral grill.
After hanging out at the Cathedral. I made my way to the Frank Gehry designed, Walt Disney Concert Hall which was still under construction the last time I was in Los Angeles. I have heard a lot of people crack that all of Gehry's buildings lately look alike but despite looking like a "Gehry", the feel is significantly different than his other great buildings. Originally the plan was to use a stone exterior but soaring costs caused them to use a stainless steel exterior. Of course that had it's own problems. There was a flaw resulting from the design's use of polished concave stainless steel surfaces. Residents of the neighboring condominiums suffered significant glare caused by sunlight that was reflected and concentrated in a manner similar to a parabolic mirror. The concentrated light made some rooms of nearby condominiums unbearably hot, caused the air-conditioning costs of these residents to skyrocket, and created hot spots on adjacent sidewalks of as much as 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Employees of the ticket office reported observing melted plastic traffic cones and spontaneous combustion in trash bins. After complaints from neighboring buildings and residents, the county government stepped in and asked Disney to come up with a solution. Their response was a computer analysis of the building's structure; after the offending surfaces were identified, they were sanded to reduce glare in 2005.
After heading back through Olvera Street and some other parts of the Civic District of Los Angeles (here are my photos ) I still hadn't gotten a hold of Spencer Burke and Mike DeVries . I decided to get my ticket at Union Station and head south on the Metrolink into Orange County. As the train was leaving, Spencer called me and I made plans with Mike to pick me up at Santa Ana Station.
Apparently the train was faster than Mike expected and I had to wait for a while to get picked up. Not a problem as it was a gorgeous day. I went inside, got a Diet Coke and made myself comfortable in a t-shirt and shorts. Apparently something was wrong with me as EVERYONE else was wearing long pants and jackets. Even downtown, I was the only one wearing shorts and seemed out of place wearing only a t-shirt. Any hotter and I would have bought a thong (there is a mental image that drove a couple of you into therapy).
Mike picked me up and we made our way to Newport Beach. Spencer was still not back from the Emergent Gathering so Mike and I headed to the beach and killed some time shopping for Mark and shared baseball opinions. While we were out walking, we walked by a place on the beach that was $7500.00 a month during the winter and $6500.00 a week during the summer. I pay less than $6500.00 a year for our mortgage.
We finally connected up with Spencer Burke and had a good discussion about A Heretic's Guide to Eternity. I didn't have the same problems that some others have had with the book. Some of the reviews seem to come from a misreading of what Spencer and Barry Taylor have had. I hope to have a review to contribute to the discussion in a week or so.
Later that night as Mark Scandrette, Adam Klein, Dwight Friesen, Tim Parsley, and Todd Littleton all rolled in, we went out for dinner and to start planning Soularize. A little about Soularize '07. For those of you who don't know, it is going to be in the Bahamas, we are diving with man eating sharks (I offered to stay on shore to call next of kin) while relaxing on a private island, and we are all going to be there along with Father Richard Rohr, Harvard's Rita Nakashima Brock, and some other names that we aren't quite ready to announce yet. All I can say is more details coming soon.
Of course Saturday night was a big night for me as peer pressure made me into having my first glass of wine ever. I grew up in holiness traditions. My grandmother was the head of the Saskatchewan Women's Christian Temperance Union. We actually had the discussion growing up about what would happen if you went into a bar to lead someone to Christ and a Christian saw you and decided to leave the faith because of it.
Mark was quite passionate about picking a great bottle of wine during the weekend with a lot of input from others. Finally I decided to leave the guilt and legalism behind and I tried a fine glass of red wine. There, I said it. Hopefully this doesn't activate a family curse or something. Then again my mother would have a glass of wine on holidays. Of course she died quite young...
It was weird, outside of talking online a bunch with Todd and knowing Adam from previous Soularizes, I didn't know any of them outside of reputation. It was unreal how much I learned from all of them during our time together. Soularize 07 is going to feature a lot of online learning from them and you get to choose your facilitator and perspective that we tackle the topics from.
Sleeping arrangements at the (soon to be torn down) Beach shack were a lot of fun. Adam and Markslept outside on the deck, Dwight and Tim on a bunk bed, Todd on the floor, and me on the sofa. I don't know if it was the fresh sea air or all the walking but I slept well even knowing that if I fell off the sofa, Todd's and mine relationship would be way more awkward.
Sunday morning was spent on the sand of Newport Beach. Shayna Metzner joined us Of course I got sunburned. Sunday featured more good food, some different wine and some great discussions about what is going to happen with Soularize. I realized that Resonate has influenced my thinking a little too much. My mantra was "give it all away" to which I was reminded, Soularize does cost a lot of money.
The Soularize website is going to be a really busy place with a lot of new announcements and content over the next couple of days/weeks/months. Hopefully you can join us for the year long sojourn that will lead to the Bahamas.
Wendy and I were doing some winter cleaning and we found an old audio tape of Heather Reynolds talking at Soularize in 2002 on the impact on HIV/AIDS on society and her remarkable story. You can find the podcast and audio file here.
For those of you who are heading to Soularize and even for those of you who are gathering online, make sure you upload your pictures and screenshots to Flickr and tag them with Soularize so the rest of the world will be able to see what is happening. If you do tag your images with Soularize, anyone can see them on Flickr by going to http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/soularize.
You don't have to do anything else and it gives everyone a glimpse into Soularize even if they were not able to attend (how cool is that?). If you don't have a Flickr account, you can get a basic on by heading to www.flickr.com and signing up. It's free for a basic account and only $30 annually for the pro version.
One month till Soularize 05, in sunny Southern California, March 9-11, three full days for $99.
If in the past you have found TheOoze to be a valuable resource you will want to know you can join us face to face in one of the most alternative communities in the nation - Venice Beach, CA - for our 6th annual "Learning Party".
Always on the cutting/bleeding edge of the postmodern/ALT/emerging church, Soularize 05 is filled with innovation (free high speed wifi access, webcasting, simulations regional gatherings), grass roots leaders (voices you may already know and so many surprising friends you won't hear anywhere else), proactive daily themes (fleshing out the issues the church will be addressing in the next 5 years - Kingdom, Community, Rhythm, AIDS...), and multiple learning styles (Large gatherings, interactive labs, hands-on/in-the-field small groups, collaborative web postings and parties - 2nd annual Ooze booze cruise - celebrating what we have discovered).
Join Heather Reynolds (the woman, who introduced Oprah Winfrey to the AIDS pandemic through her South African orphanage "Gods Golden Acre"), fellow learners - Todd Hunter and Patrick Burke (living out the Gospel in Harlem), Voices of conscience - Christine Sine (Spirituality and Rhythm) and Shirin Taber (the Muslim Next Door), Now famous targets Brian McLaren and John Franke (via live Web uplinks), Bloggers (Sarah Dylan Breuer, Rudy Carrasco, Andrew Jones, Jordon Cooper, Malcolm Hawker, Chris Marrow, Jason Evans, Dwight J. Friesen, Todd Hunter and John O'Keefe) and the unconventional minds of Barry Taylor and Jerry Peloquin (a founding member of Jefferson Airplane).
Anyone who has attended a Soularize will tell you it is a one-of-a-kind event, never to be repeated, full of unexpected moments that have become legendary in the emerging church story... where you become the event and you leave with life long friendships.
Hope you can join me and let your community know about it too,
Spencer
Had a very cool conversation about next years's Soularize (probably going to be in Los Angeles) and some of the techology that will be possible. Wifi enabled setting, loads of notebooks, pda's, digital cameras, blogs, and camera phones. Looks like the Soularize fotoblog will be back in a bigger way. I can't wait.
Making Sense of Church is both Spencer Burke's journey and a look at the emerging church as articulated in seven different metaphors that Spencer identified as being part of his journey. As soon as you open the book you realize it isn't just his journey as he quotes and dialogues with many of the tens of thousands of people who visit and comments on TheOoze.com's discussion forums. Spencer's inclusion of those voices added a unique feel and new voices to the book that may never have been heard by many of us. It was also a reminder that much of the conversation about postmodernity is not just happening in books and in seminaries but on sites like TheOoze.com and others like it.
The book is one of the best I have read in 2003 and one that I will want to get into the hands and minds of people who I serve with and also just friends who are also trying to "make sense of church" along side of me. The book isn't a theory but some stories that we can identify with but also help us to find and articulate our own stories as well.
Selected Insights from the books and it's metaphors:
Introduction
Confusing times...transitional times. Both call for a wise response. To date, however, wisdom has not always prevailed. In their enthusiasm for all things postmodern, some Christians throw caution to the wind and uncritically hail the postmodern turn as the panacea for everything for ails the church. More widespread, however, is a quite different response. For other Christians pronounce and undiscerning anathema on anything postmodern, even railing against the postmodern condition as the chief enemy of the faith today. Some go so far as to advocate holy war against whatever they deem to be even remotely "postmodern," often doing in the name of preserving the values of modernity or with the hope of returning to the long-lost, idyllic premodern situation.
Like every social ethos, the postmodern condition is a mixed bag. Although it does harbour problematic dimensions that pose potential hazards, the postmodern is no more of a problem to the church than the modern condition was--or the premodern, for that matter. For this reason, admitting that the postmodern turn is not a cure-all does not give us license to treat it as a problem needing to be solved. Instead Christians would do well to view the emerging context simply as an opportunity to be carefully and judiciously appropriated. :: Page 16 (Stanley J. Grenz in the Forward) ________________________________________________
Metaphors for Transition
I think it's important to understand; too, that postmodernism isn't about critiquing modernism. Whether or not we realize it, some of what we've called "doctrines" or "truths" over the years are, in fact, cultural interpretations. In many ways, many of the church's messages today are similar but far from identical to those preached by Martin Luther. By the same token, the messages preached by Luther were similar but certainly not identical to those upheld by Constantine.
Our understanding of Christianity has morphed and changed down through the centuries, in large part dependent on the church's cultural contexts. Political and economic factors have shaped our understanding. As a result, I believe we need to risk exposing some of our most cherished beliefs to the light, trusting that no matter whose face is revealed on the coin, we'll be able to continue the journey.
While examining our beliefs and practices in a good start, any serious evaluation of our faith must challenge our subconscious beliefs. Business author Peter Senge writes of mental models--the "deeply ingrained assumption, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence the world and how we take action." In his book The Fifth Discipline, Senge points out how powerful these images can be.
Many new insights fail to get put into practice in business--or the church--because they conflict with these deeply held internal images of how the world works, images that limit us to familiar ways of thinking and acting. :: Page 28 ________________________________________________
Metaphor #1 :: From Tour Guide to Traveller
For centuries, the tour guide metaphor has dominated our religious experience. We've defined evangelism and spiritual leadership in terms of a hierarchical relationship: one person finds the way and tells someone else how to get there. By controls, the church of the future-the emerging church-would seem to embrace a more collaborative leadership model. The metaphor is that of a traveler-someone who is "one the way," journeying with us. They still may have more experience and expertise than we do, but they don't need the security of their position/title. They can lead a group without having to know absolutely everything about the final destination.
How many leaders in the Bible would actually live up to our contemporary expectations for leaders?
I've come to see that fear motivates tour guides. Spiritual tour guides zealously try to control life to ensure they will be valued. They constantly fear that their last achievement will not be enough to cover them today. From far away, they may look confident and competent, but inside they tremble with anxiety. Their sense of worth inevitably comes from their position of authority and performing their duties well. :: Page 37 ________________________________________________
Metaphor #2 :: Teacher to Facilitator
As I think about the emerging church; I see a similar shift occurring. In most traditional churches, the pastor's role is to teach. As the fount of all knowledge, the pastor's job is to overflow with spiritual truth each week while the congregation sits and absorbs this wisdom. Sure, there are other elements in a service--like music and prayer but for the most part, the sermon is the focal point.
With so much riding on the weekly message, churches are susceptible to "charismatic" leaders--for better or for worse. Each Sunday, the pastor must deliver something new and inspirational to the congregation, lest he or she become the topic of conversation at lunch. As the name on the marquee outside, the pastor is inextricably linked to the success and failure of the church.
In many ways, the modern worship service is a thinly disguised university lecture. Congregants file in, face the front and frantically take notes while and established scholar--a spiritual giant in their midst--passes on formula for a more fulfilling life. :: Page 52 ________________________________________________
Somehow, over the centuries, knowledge has become king. We've effectively said that knowing about God will ultimately help us know God. As a result, we often focused more on the Word, then on the Word become flesh. And yet as A.W. Tozer pointed out, God cannot be contained in any object or that object will become out god. Cold it be that we've created an idol and have actually begun to worship Christian education or the Bible?
Churches today have been expressly designed for passing on knowledge. Objects that appeal to the senses have been removed, Ironically, this switch to a "user-friendly" environment is problematic for many postmodern people--the very people churches say they want to reach. While there is something to be said for comfortable chairs and trouble free parking, slick worship services seem exactly that--slick. It's Amway with a thin spiritual veneer.
Thom S. Rainer, dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, told The Washington Times that the main reason people leave church is it's too similar to their everyday lives. Could it be the seeker-sensitive movement has actually backfired? :: Page 53-54 ________________________________________________
In most traditional churches, the pastor's role is to teach. As the found of all knowledge, the pastor's job is to overflow with spiritual truth each week while the congregation sits and absorbs this wisdom. Sure, there are other elements in a service-like service and prayer-but for the most part, the sermon is the focal point.
With so much riding on the weekly message, churches are susceptible to the "charismatic" leaders-for better or for worse" Each Sunday, the pastor must deliver something new and inspirational to the congregation, lest he or she become the topic of conversation at lunch. As the name on the marquee outside, the pastor is inextricably linked to the success or failure of the church.
In many ways, the modern worship service is a thinly disguised university lecture. Congregants file in, face the front and frantically take notes while an established scholar-a spiritual giant in their midst-passes on formulas for a more fulfilling life.
At some churches, of course, the environment feels less academic and more like a TV show, complete with frequent applause from the audience. Part business presentation, part talk show, the modern "seeker-sensitive" service aims to entertain as well as educate. Engagement with all five senses is optional. :: Page 52-53 ________________________________________________
Metaphor #3 :: Hero to Human
… modern leadership models stress cultivating a strong exterior, one that inspires confidence and devotion. Modernists, by definition, have a strong faith in the future. They're passionate about human potential and believe in the inevitability of progress. Consequently, admitting you're weak, or have troubles as a leader, is frowned upon. It's the "Come on, be a man!" approach to life. :: Page 72 ________________________________________________
Metaphor #4 :: Consumer to Steward
How many of our ministries are about serving people outside the congregation? What percentage of the overall budget is directed toward the community-other groups or other nations? My guess is not too much.
As I travel and talk with people, there seems to be a growing sense of frustration with our churches. Christians are beginning to question our lack of stewardship and involvement in compassionate ministry.
Indeed, these days the word "ministry" has become synonymous with "program."
Truth be known, we seldom think of doing "ministry" apart from church. I mean with Sunday school classes, morning and evening services, prayer meetings, Bible studies, small group meetings, and committees, who has time for anything else?
Yet the metaphor of the steward would suggest that it's my responsibility to give back at least as much as I take. Sure, God gave us the earth to subdue and rule over, but ruling doesn't mean hoarding and exploiting. Not only does the church need to be a good steward of its resources, I need to be a good steward, as well-spending my money wisely and making the most of my time and God-given gifts.
It's fascinating to me to see how relative the sin of gluttony has become. Who are the gluttons? Well, the people who have more than me, of course. It rarely occurs to me that I might be in that category-that perhaps I might be taking from this world than I legitimately need. Of course, challenge me on my greed and I'm apt to tell you how much I tithe-how faithfully I give to church's "ministries." Whose job is it to care for the poor? The church's of course. Feeding the poor isn't something we do as part of our daily lives. It's a weekend event-a special project we might take on once a month in the same way we plan bowling and movie night. :: Page 87-88 ________________________________________________
Metaphor #5 :: Retailer to Wholesaler
Target markets, strategic plans, statistical research-they're all part of what it means to do church in the modern world. How can we reach certain segments of the population? How can we be "relevant" to our culture? How can we get brand recognition in a crowded spiritual marketplace? The answer is almost always a cool new program or some kind of image overhaul. In many ways, we function like retailers-branding our goods, fending off the competition, and always trying to increase sales. We're photographers desperately trying to take the pictures we know people will buy.
In the past few years however, a new approach to missions has started to appear-one more suited, perhaps, to the postmodern culture. In this model, Christians see themselves not as retailers of the gospel, but as wholesalers of truth. Their main feature? Help Jesus see the gospel in its raw beauty. No shrink-wrap, no free steak knives-just Jesus. :: Page 109 ________________________________________________
… we start thinking that Jesus needs to be dressed up a little-maybe surfer shorts and a pair of Oakley sunglasses. The truth is that we need to strip that stuff off him and get back to the basics of our faith.
When we have a wholesaler mindset, we're more inclined to trust that the story of Jesus Christ is powerful enough on its own. We tend to focus, not on how we can make ourselves look relevant, but how we can be relevant-through authentic life change. We live out the gospel in front of people and then let go, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them into truth. As wholesalers, we share, "the raw materials," and then give people the freedom to embrace them in their own way.:: Page 119 ________________________________________________
…the shift from retailer to wholesaler in missions is about letting go-stepping back and letting God build the kingdom. :: Page 117
Metaphor #6 :: Adversary to Ally
The Christian subculture thrives, in part, because of fear. Believing that the world is an evil place to raise our children, we take a variety of steps to insulate ourselves from that reality. We watch Christian videos, read Christian books, and listen to Christian music. Why? Because we deem these items to be "safe". When Harry Potter mania swept the world, many felt compelled to stand against it. Not only were Harry Potter titles not published by a Christian publishing house, the contained magic and sorcery. A story of good versus evil perhaps, but what if children misunderstood? At least C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien has Christ-figures. And so Harry Potter was added to the black list. Parents picketed and pastors preached. Meanwhile, the world around us took it all in. :: Page 129 ________________________________________________
Metaphor #7 :: Warrior to Gardener
After viewing The Big Kahuna, I was struck by how often I too have been a salesman for Jesus. In my evangelistic zeal, I never thought what it must feel like to be on the receiving end of that conversation, and how my desire to seal the deal may have actually been taking away dignity and honour from the person. I frankly didn't realize how important it was communicate in word and in deed-and for both to be authentic expression of a changed heart. :: Page 153 ________________________________________________
No book is perfect (okay, maybe Douglas Copeland's Microserfs is) and this one isn't either. Like a lot of new books talking about postmodernity, the publisher tried to change the look of the paper it is printed on and I think it took away from the book rather than added to it. I would have preferred to see some endnotes or footnotes and a subject index as well. Issues aside. The book was a very important book for me to read at this point of my journey as well. It moved me from just deconstructing to the hard task of articulating and bringing clarity to what we are trying to reconstruct. If you are on jordoncooper.com and trying to figure things out, you will want to read this book.
I was suprised to see that the Soularize fotoblog that we set up is now one of the most popular sites on fotopages. Thanks to everyone who took a look and added a link to their blog. I am now half way done uploading pictures to the site. There are over 300 pics on the blog with a lot more to be posted tonight and tomorrow.
I am uploading the pictures that Jeb and I took while in Boston at Soularize. I have some Tuesday and Wednesday pictures posted online and will posting more during the day. Not only that but some other people have been uploading some pictures as well.
I was re-reading my thoughts from Soularize and thought I would post something a little more clear.
The City
Boston was not what I expected. It was the most expensive city I have ever been too which is a large change when you consider that Saskatoon is the cheapest city to live if you are in Canada. I spent way more and bought a lot less but I liked it. I told Wendy that I don't know if I would like to vacation there again (actually after thinking about it more I would) but I would love to live there (if I was paid well enough).
I was blown away about how passionately the town follows the Red Sox and how much the city hates the New York Yankees. Rick Bennett told me that the city has a massive inferiority complex about New York. Even during the fire, firemen could be heard going, "I hate Jeter" and "Yankees Suck" and an even cruder version for Derek Jeter. When the game was one, the streets were almost empty. It was really kind of odd.
We went to the Bruins game. We paid $5 for some $145 tickets to see the third period. It is a long story but I ended up getting almost booted out of the game and then saved by some people I didn't know who let me watch the game from a luxury box. I love Boston hockey fans. The dessert tray was amazing.
We were in south downtown Boston and it was cool. Block after block of row houses. I am not sure if I could handle having no yard at all. I like space. The entrances to the basement suites reminded me of dungeons.
Rick Bennet and Jeremiah Smith did a great job of finding eateries and places for us to go. I was made a fool of by a gourmet hot dog seller and met the Boston version of the soup Nazi, the pizza Nazi which was kind of cool. I paid over $3 CDN for a Slurpee. Did I mention it was expensive there.
Boston firemen are the last people group who look good wearing handlebar mustaches.
I have never been on a subways like Boston's. The subway in Chicago is more like Calgary's Light Rail Transit than Boston's subway. I got intimately close more than a few strangers and Jeb and Todd as we were tossed back and forth. I have never seen a railcar rock as far back and forth as this one did either.
Quincy Market - great idea but it never came together for me. Too touristy which is bad considering I was a tourist. I liked it but didn't at the same time. To get to Quincy Market, one has to walk by the horrible looking City Hall. That building is so ugly that it defies description.
The Learning Party
Spencer Burke and Joe Myers more or less planned it out the night before it started in an Irish pub over dinner. The agenda was on the back of a restaurant place mat but I think it changed daily which was cool. With the people I talked to, there was a lot of good conversation about what was shared. I think that mean that they did an excellent job of facilitating some deeper discussion. What Joe shared will have me thinking for weeks to come and actually kept me up the night he shared some of it. Not with fear but with possibilities. That was cool although when I finally fell asleep and was really tired the next morning it didn't feel so great.
Communion has always been special for me at Soularize. It was again this year with Father Matt leading communion. It was a very personal time of communion with God. I was moved by it tremendously. I asked Len Sweet this summer about the problems in the Anglican Church right now and he said something like, "never underestimate the power of the Anglican communion". I really understood that while at Soularize.
Not everyone liked Soularize this year. I think some people wanted prepackaged programs and solutions for how to fix their church. While I think most loved it, Todd said it right today at lunch, "Some people just wanted to fix their church and figure out how to get their numbers up". He was probably right.
TheOoze Booze Cruse/Ship of Fools was a lot of fun. The ship held approximately 100 people and we set sail out of port into historic Boston Harbour. We saw the U.S.S. Constitution and a WWII era destroyer called the USS Cassin Young (DD-793), some enourmous U.S. Coast Guard Ships and all of the sights and sounds of Boston Harbour. No tea was tossed overboard that I know of. Had some great conversations on the tour which made it even more fun. I also saw my first tug boat and my first time to see the Atlantic Ocean.
The Fire
Yeah our hotel caught on fire. One room looked like is was destroyed, a couple others burnt. There were nine firetrucks but I think six of them were only there to look cool and watch. We got a couple free nights at the Hilton out of it which was more than cool. No one was hurt except for the hotel. It did give a great story to tell.
Harvard
Harvard was amazing. Memorial Hall almost overwhelmed me with its sense of history. Same with the Memorial Church. As old and nice as Harvard University campus was, it was also a reminder how nice the University of Saskatchewan campus is. It doesn't have the history but it does have the beauty.
The Night at Logan
Oh yeah, we did spend a night sleeping at Logan International Airport. Saturday night we found out that the Midtown Inn kind of, umm, oh never mind. We all know what they did to us. It was Columbus Day, those blasted Yankees were in town, there was some big festival and there were no hotel rooms for rent. So we went to Anchovies again and watched the game from there. Then we headed to Logan to await our fate. Todd slept on the floor while Jeb and I tried to sleep sitting up. Todd said he slept, I don't know about Jeb but I didn't. The lousy benches at Logan have arm rests and don't let you lay down on them. That stunk. Todd and Jeb were able to fly standby to Minneapolis and the Calgary early. Todd hopped on a WestJet flight and was home before I was. I was on a AirMiles ticket which won't allow you to fly standy (doh!). I got home around 11:00 p.m. local time and was greated by Mark and Wendy. It was nice to be home and have a shower finally.
The Churches of Boston
Everywhere we went there were these stunningly large and old churches. Many over 300 years old. During Soularize, Spencer started to talk about exit strategies for church buildings. Many of these buildings are already seeing the death of the congregations. The Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center is an old Lutheran Church that was donated to the community after the congregation fled to the burbs. I wonder what will happen to many mega churches in 100 years. Bus tours of where Bill Hybels spoke? It has happened in Europe, who is to say it won't happen here. Living organisms aren't built to last, they are built to die. Who would have thought those churches would have died 200 years ago or a century ago? No one. Yet we continue to think that it won't happen in our church. Our church is timeless we think.
I am standing on the corner of Newbury and Exeter right now blogging. People are looking at me really strange but who cares? I should have ended up at Soularize but I got turned around in the Prudential Center and I ended up here. All of a sudden it hit me. I have wifi. Wahoo! Downloading about a thousand e-mail (ugh). I have a really sore throat/ear ache but the medication is holding. I can't talk at all. Quite sick on top of that.
The cruise through Boston Harbour was a blast. Will upload some pics later today.
I made it to Boston and now am waiting for Todd and Jeb. Moments ago I was eating a sandwich and I glanced over the sandwich counter to see the guy blowing his nose with his fingers and going back to work. If I wasn't sick already, I am now. It is times like this that I believe even an ardent pacifist would justify a swift cuff to the side of the head. Is this the kind of thing that people should go to security about. They have been announcing what to do in case of any suspicious behaviour but nothing about disgusting behaviour. This has to qualify. I am wondering if I report suspicious behavior to security if I get a t-shirt or something. I would turn a lot more of the suspicious people I know if I knew a nice "Department of Homeland Security" t-shirt was waiting for me. A sharp "GOP/Total Information Awareness" hoodie would look snazzy everywhere.
We had fun at the airport this morning. On the way there Mark realized that this is where Jerry Reimer works and "he can talk to planes" (Jerry is an air traffic controller). That excited Mark quite a bit. While we were there, a Northwest Airlines ticket attendent gave Mark one of those stick on "wings" that they give kids. Mark was thrilled beyond belief.
I don't know when this will get posted but as soon as Todd and Jeb arrive (two hours from now) we are heading to the place we are staying and then meeting up with Spencer and Joe Myers. Don't expect the time to always jive with the permalink.
Despite the fact that the alarm went off at 4:00 a.m. I don't feel that bad. Maybe it was 8 cups of coffee I had from Saskatoon to Minneapolis. Both flights were empty so I was able to enjoy a row to myself and read the American edition of Dave Tomlinson's The Post-Evangelical. EmergentYS published it and did a great job of it. They had Joe Myers write a chapter about the American context and then had a series of people comment on the book in sidebars. A very cool way to do a book. I like what they did with Adventures in Missing the Point and Dan Kimball's Emerging Church. Tomlinson is prone to overstatement but I think the sidebar commentators were reading too much into his overstatement. I'll post a review on TheOoze and here next week.
If you see this blog entry, chances are I am uploading some pictures to Soularize's fotoblog at http://soularize.fotopages.com and over at my fotopages at http://coop.fotopages.com. I am hoping to take some notes while I am at Soularize and post them here and on TheOoze blog but we'll see what happens. No promises implied or made.
My sore throat is getting worse. It always does before it gets better. I am gargling lots and taking some super-strength throat drops.
I am sure this is not a reflection of how people dress in Boston but I have seen three guys in cream colored suits. They looked bad in the 1980's, they look worse now.
More about Northwest Airlines. I find it amazing how much more friendly and pleasant their flight attendents and staff are then Air Canada's. I find them much more pleasant and the entire during flight they were up and down the aisle offering coffee and refills. That never happens on Air Canada anymore. They offer me budget airline service at non discount prices.
What does it mean to be the Church in North America in a postmodern, post-colonial and post-Christendom context? With decreased attendance, how do churches survive? Where do we find authentic community and spiritual formation? How does the Church respond to the growing list of local and global injustices and crisis? If you find yourself wondering about these things, the Ecclesia Collective invites you to join a small group of people in San Diego for a collaborative conversation (kind of like a “skill share”) on May 23 and 24 (little less than a month away) to discuss practices and principles that just might help us find a sustainable way of being the Church within the North American context.
I am in Calgary until Wednesday to attend Mobilize 2008. It seems a little outside my normal interests but when there is an emergency in Saskatoon, I am one of the guys that is called to respond. The ones we have been a part of in the past have been good learning experiences and if I can learn some more on how to make them better for the victims, it is worth my time. Of course this is a big paradigm shift as usually I am the one causing the disasters, not helping with them...
