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I just read a fascinating article in a new magazine from wiredchurches.com. The author suggests that church leaders have a disease called "The Curse of Knowledge".
"The problem is we have no memory of what it is not to know. And so our churches, led by people plagued with the curse of knowledge, provide experiences and design services that feel right to people who know stuff, but totally miss the boat when it comes to people who don't." "The Curse of Knowledge disables most of us (who have been in church for years) from being able to see our services in the same way as someone who has no room for church in their lives."
Oh yeah, I'm feeling the curse. With a call to emerging ministry hanging over my head, what am I doing? Still planning contemporary & traditional worship. Why? Cause that's what I know now. What I sense and what I can't quite put my finger on is how to get beyond the knowledge to the calling. I'm feeling the tension of trying to follow a distant call versus being the best I can be here and now with the knowledge I think I have mastered.
"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:27-30
I think it's time to get a little foolish. |
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Ken |
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February 02, 2008 at 6:26pm |
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Brother Dennis fears big scary monster coffehouse church... because why? Nobody really even can agree on what "emergent" means yet, the most well-known authors on the subject, and the most successful practitioners, refuse to be pinned down. One suspects what is feared is the critique of the church offered by folks like Brian McClaren. Oh well.. the truth hurts, don't it?
As I know Kim reasonably well, I have a pretty good idea of what she has in mind, and I think it's a potentially great way of reaching people with the Good News who are never coming in the doors of a church. What we can observe in the "established" denominational church (and most of the independent large churches): utter unwillingness to be intellectually honest about its own history and the origins of its own texts and doctrines; a patronizing "tolerance" for outsiders and cultural dissidents, so far from the radical outreach practiced by Jesus and the disciples; tired, formulaic worship services designed not to upset anyone, but rather to provide comforting "uplift" whether of the traditional organ and choir or the modern praise band varieties.
I'm so tired of reading letters in the Lutheran and Episcopalian magazines about protecting the sanctity of traditions and not offering "cheap grace." You'd think these people had never read the parables. Cheap grace is the fundamental doctrine on which Protestant theology is founded. So cheap that there is NOTHING we can offer in return, no purity, no building, no tithe, no piety. it's beyond cheap... it's free. We respond to it with works of love, we don't earn it with spiritual calisthenics or righteous perfection.
It's so cheap that it is perhaps more available to the heroin addicts, the prostitutes, the petty thieves, the tattooed punk rockers, the purveyors of elaborate sin, than to a million nicely dressed churchgoers. It's hard to take, this attitude on Jesus' part. It's so unfair. But it is the essence of the Good News. One of us is over here, with our horrific sins, another of us is over there, with our careful avoidance of overt sin... and God is up above us... within us and without us... beyond us and before us. The difference between us is miniscule, infinitesimal, compared to the difference between the pair of us and God.
The church as it largely is simply doesn't reflect this perspective in its practices or its statements or its policies or its cultural output. This is all well before we even consider the questions of what consitutes salvation or mission that McClaren raises. I don't know about in the inner city or in the far flung countrysides of the world. But here in the suburbs... the church ain't cuttin' it. Not even close. So while I rely on the church for my livelihood as a musician, and I love the particular people I have gotten to know within it, I know that SOMETHING has got to give to bring the Gospel within the reach of the people, both in and out of the "holy huddle." Maybe coffeehouses and art spaces aren't the answer, I don't know. Maybe they are. But new age hooey doesn't scare me (there's plenty of hooey to be found on the shelves of Family Christian Bookstore). A life of never ever sharing the life of Christ with one unexpected person sure does. God can take care of the truth, don't worry so much. And we don't know much of it, really. We just know Jesus has called us to love God, love one another, to grow in him, and go with him. That's all. We'll figure out the details if we have the courage to walk with Christ in our hearts every day.
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Laura |
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February 03, 2008 at 8:08am |
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| I feel your frustration Kim .. I feel like a rubber band being stretched... and the only thing I've been able to figure out it to pray through the tension. Because this too shall pass. I'm not feeling called to leave Peace, but the Spirit is calling me to new things (and I don't really know what they are)... I feel frustrated with having to stop and wait for the rest of the church who don't seem to be willing to move... in fact seem to be actively going the other way... how foolish does the rabbbit hole go? I heard we might be expanding our space in the s. campus... can we make that the headquarters of foolish? :) |
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Laura |
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February 03, 2008 at 8:18am |
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"big scary monster coffehouse church" Ken!.. that sounds like a great children's book or at least a great song title... But Dennis's statement of fear brings so much compassion up for me. How fearful we are that our faith, our religion won't stand if we start taking parts away.. or sense that things are being taken away... most Christians don't truly know the depth and scope of God's love... and even the sliver I know.. seems so far from the whole of it. Like you said.." God can take care of the truth, don't worry so much. And we don't know much of it, really." Well said. |
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That's part of that ole tree of "the knowledge of good and evil". We need the tree of life -- to be Spirit led and Spirit based rather than head knowledge led and based. |
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Rose |
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February 06, 2008 at 1:35pm |
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| I haven't read the article yet, but I think we often use terminology that is meaningless to the unchurch. What does it mean to be "covered by the blood of Jesus" or to "claim His promises." As a Christian it's taken me years to understand what some of our terminology means spiritually and practically. Our services are more about meeting our needs than an opportunity to reach someone who might have ventured to step into a church for the first time and learn of salvation, have an encounter with Christ that leaves them seeking, or come away with something practical in their search for God. Naturally the longer we are Christians the further we are from remembering what it's like to experience church for the first time. The only remedy I can think of is to work to reach the lost, as we interact with those for whom spiritual things are totaly new, we retain a understanding of the experience and the mind set of the unchurched. |
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kimxtom |
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February 07, 2008 at 6:15am |
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"Hell no", Eric? How about, never say never? I think worship is one of many venues. It is our public display to the world out there of what we believe and value.
"A revolutionary act includes people; it does not exclude them. The act of communion is often not communion at all but exclusion. But the banquet table in the Kingdom of God is open to all. It is peopled with those we don't know, understand or like. Christ sacrified himself once and for all, and when we remember that definitive act of love through the ritual of the Lord's Supper, there can be no qualifications in our invitation to the table. We should seek instead to find new words, new languages - a thousand new ways of inviting people to the table so that a thousand new people will feel welcome." - Russel Rathbun, Post-Rapture Radio, pg. 151
We know worship comes in many different denominations, styles, approaches. There is no one size fits all. Having a Lutheran identity and carrying on Lutheran traditions is not important to me. Being part of community that is trying to love God, love one another, grow in Christ and go in Christ is! And I think that part of that mission is seeking new ways to connect with each other and God. |
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Yep, Kim, I do mean "no" with the added emphasis.
You just cannot engage an entire Christian congregation of any stripe in weekly worship that contains no Word, no Sacrament, etc., etc. Unless I am missing the boat, that is what is being proposed -- worship without any faith elements -- and, all I am saying, is that is not worship, nor an adequate replacement for worship within the church body.
I am not advocating that we exclude people, even from worship. Invite all people to join us, if they find comfort or not, that they discover what we are about -- our beliefs, our customs, our language. Offer as freindly and contemporary versions of worship as we are able. I believe that we have an extraordinary rich fount of new and old hymnody, ritual, liturgy to draw on the Spirit from.
If the goal is to be completely inclusive, and draw in those who do not know church or care for church or want church or feel threatened by church, why give them church? Conversely, if we don't give them church, why deny its rightful place and purpose in the life of the Christian community known as Peace? That is, why have a gathering that has no worship elements substitute for worship for the believer?
My visit a year or so ago to Willow Creek was quite remarkable in understanding "how" this might work. In their paradigm, they gather in assembly for music and drama that touches only lightly on the Word, and there is no Sacrament, no Confession, no Creed, etc. Were that all they offered, I'd question the use of the C word -- for either Christian, or Church. But Willow Creek does more than just this weekly assembly that is designed to attract seekers. They provide teaching, from the basics on up. They also provide Worship opportunities, in cells and home groups. At some point, the members have regular worship.
As we sort things out at Peace, then, from my point of view -- which, I realize is limited, and open to question -- I think we would make more progress in taking the next step toward inclusiveness and oureach and "emergence" if we sought out logical means of bringing the community together in less worship-centric ways, rather than de-worship our services.
We agree on the mission, I think. The devil is in the details.
I see no reason that we cannot organize a regular non-liturgical, non-denominational, 'spirit-freindly assembly around music, poetry, drama, quiet time -- likewise that we invite unchurched or church-phobic nonmebers to join us in social justice and community service. That model -- which emphasizes "and", not "or", makes sense to me.
At the pancake supper, it was totally cool to have community fellowship without the 'baggage" of formal church. I really enjoyed meeting so many new couples/families. My guess is, having met them, we are not 'converting" these folks to Christianity, as we are providing them a place to feel God's love and grow in faith. I'd suggest that by having this event at a church, preselects the crowd. What if we had had a similar event at Forest Lakes? What if "PLC" wasn't stamped all over it, but some other "brand" -- if our hearts, and hands were accessible, and our core faith was witnessed without preaching?
WWJD?
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Kathy |
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February 07, 2008 at 4:12pm |
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| Kim, may we read and hear! Great post! |
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Ooh, Kim, this post is one that demands the reader think. Good for us!! ~mike
ps... I don't run from big scary monster coffeehouse church...hehe, but I also don't run from tradition! God is in both, if you're actually seeking him! |
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| ps to the ps... You poor dear, your good friends don't know how to star your blog.... it's worth it! lol |
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Laura |
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February 09, 2008 at 6:58am |
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you know Eric, I think you raise some interesting points. Certainly logical. If the goal is to open up ourselves and the church to those that are seeking, those who may feel uncomfortable with creeds and professions of faith.. because they are indeed seeking and unsure and/or uncomfotable with professing faith in Christ, God.. then calling it a worship service is illogical. As it wouldn't be worship cause no one is clear or comfortable with worshipping God. It would make more sense to call it a seeker service and not try to join it with a worshiping of God service. I feel worship should be more inclusive... broader, not be so limited in scope and expression. But those that come to church.. should expect God, should expect to meet people professing..their faith. I really think that a different service would be best.. an open sermon format where nothing is assumed. Meaning we don't assume people know God, know the bible, know how to pray with and for each other... it's a bible study with music, it's a question and answer sermon...or we could say a discussion... and fellowship. I think there are lots of ways to meet people where they are at... and yes, I'd be willing to help with such a new service. :) My questions are.. do we have people in our community.. in Hollymead, in the general area that would come, that want such a thing.. or do we have such a service in the City somewhere... at a coffee house, or office space? |
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