In the final portion of The Shaping of Things to Come, the authors advocate a new type of leadership/ministry matrix, based on the passage found in Ephesians 4:1-16. APEPT is the acronym given to the framework which values the following functions: apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching. In Christendom and North American evangelicalism a strong emphasis has been placed on the pastoral and teaching functions, thus making ministry a clergy vs. laity endeavor. Through APEPT functions, ministry becomes an endeavor for the whole church, the whole body of Christ, and is not simply delegated to the leadership community within the church. This shift in church leadership has great implications for increasing agency (Vincent Miller). Increasing agency and ownership, through the use of an APEPT framework, ensures that the church community is working towards embracing all these functions/gifts. Church members and the congregation-at-large can begin to take part in ministering to the people around them and fulfilling the mission of Jesus. A greater sense of wholeness and missional responsibility are fostered when the church community works together.
To conclude my learning synopsis of this book, I point to an idea introduced by the authors, yet attributed to Seth Godin: the ideavirus. An idea becomes contagious and spreads in the same way a virus would, through multiplication or metabolic growth. It is no surprise that the authors applaud this notion and I venture to say that they have written this book with the idea that this missional, incarnational, messianic, and apostolic ecclesiology would spread in the same way.
What better way to spread the Gospel and fulfill our mission than to share an idea, a message, a hope that is contagiously and continuously transmitted through our relationships and our lifestyles.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
The Shaping Of Things To Come: Part 2
This week I continued to read The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church, written by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. There were a few key notions which really stirred things up for me and I am grateful for the authors’ consideration of these matters.
First, the authors present the idea of “whispering to the soul” (p.95). This process can be thought of as a holistic experience which taps into the mind, soul and body of the not-yet Christian; rather than providing them a specific formula for experiencing and journeying with God. There is a great deal of connection which can be spurred when we simply share our hearts with unbelievers and befriend them in a way that conveys genuine love and care for their lives. The authors note that most attractional churches are only concerned with getting bodies into the building, telling people the error of their ways and the providing a step-by-step program to Jesus. This method does not appeal to the spiritual wholeness which many seekers (religious and non-religious) are after. Andrew Walker highlights an element of deep church (Recovering Deep Church) which underscores spiritual formation as an existential process. Walker notes that the formation of our beings, to reflect Christ, comes through “worship and in our relationship to God and one another” (p.8). Frost and Hirsch quote John Drane: “It is only when we reveal ourselves to others as weak and vulnerable that others will readily identify with us and be able to hear the invitation to join us in following Jesus.”
Secondly, the authors have addressed the issue of Messianic spirituality and their premise is that “It has been assumed that God can only be related to by either negating the world or bypassing it” (p.112). Messianic spirituality, however, is defined by our relationship with Jesus and the entirety of our lives should be “inseparably connected to the person of the Messiah” (p.114). The authors advocate a strong acknowledgment of the Hebraic spirit and the Jewish-ness of Jesus. The author and pastor, Rob Bell, also addresses this Hebraic nature in his book Velvet Elvis. These texts similarly address the issue of human action and its connection to the character of God. In Jewish tradition, the individual as a whole is to re-route his entire being and the actions of his everyday life toward God. This renewal of our spirituality can more adequately address the type of spiritual wholeness that emerging culture is seeking.
Stay tuned for the third and final portion of this book.
First, the authors present the idea of “whispering to the soul” (p.95). This process can be thought of as a holistic experience which taps into the mind, soul and body of the not-yet Christian; rather than providing them a specific formula for experiencing and journeying with God. There is a great deal of connection which can be spurred when we simply share our hearts with unbelievers and befriend them in a way that conveys genuine love and care for their lives. The authors note that most attractional churches are only concerned with getting bodies into the building, telling people the error of their ways and the providing a step-by-step program to Jesus. This method does not appeal to the spiritual wholeness which many seekers (religious and non-religious) are after. Andrew Walker highlights an element of deep church (Recovering Deep Church) which underscores spiritual formation as an existential process. Walker notes that the formation of our beings, to reflect Christ, comes through “worship and in our relationship to God and one another” (p.8). Frost and Hirsch quote John Drane: “It is only when we reveal ourselves to others as weak and vulnerable that others will readily identify with us and be able to hear the invitation to join us in following Jesus.”
Secondly, the authors have addressed the issue of Messianic spirituality and their premise is that “It has been assumed that God can only be related to by either negating the world or bypassing it” (p.112). Messianic spirituality, however, is defined by our relationship with Jesus and the entirety of our lives should be “inseparably connected to the person of the Messiah” (p.114). The authors advocate a strong acknowledgment of the Hebraic spirit and the Jewish-ness of Jesus. The author and pastor, Rob Bell, also addresses this Hebraic nature in his book Velvet Elvis. These texts similarly address the issue of human action and its connection to the character of God. In Jewish tradition, the individual as a whole is to re-route his entire being and the actions of his everyday life toward God. This renewal of our spirituality can more adequately address the type of spiritual wholeness that emerging culture is seeking.
Stay tuned for the third and final portion of this book.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Shaping Of Things To Come: Part One
This week I begin reading The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and Mission for the 21st-Century Church, written by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. The authors, in the beginning pages, call for a revolutionary approach to the way that church is being done in the Western world. The authors present a mode for church that “exists not because of human goals or desires, but as a result of God’s creating and saving work in the world” (p.7). The mode presented is a missional church mode that embraces culture and context, while presenting the unchanging power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Two key elements that I have identified and resonate within me are the notion of an Incarnational approach and the contextual church.
First, the Incarnational approach suggested by the authors is characterized by entering into the different cultures and subcultures and being Christ in that context. Readers are encouraged to respond as God did through his Son:
a) by entering into the given context—God entering the world through Jesus
b) identifying with the people—Jesus identifying and becoming part of humanity.
Luke Bretherton, in Beyond Emerging Church, addresses the issue of church spaces and places. He argues that: “Many of these non-church places are antithetical to the faithful practice of Christianity: for example, to be in a café is not to be a neutral space but to be in a site of consumer capitalism. Hence to claim one is forming church in such a place is deeply problematic” (p.38). To this, Frost and Hirsch would claim that it is necessary to become a part of the culture group that meets at the café. Although Frost and Hirsch do not stand in contrast to the institutional church at large (neither does Bretherton), they advocate an approach which highlights sending people (Christians) into a place/space, and helping those inside that culture group (not yet Christians) experience Christ from within their known context.
Secondly, the authors speak of a contextual element and its relationship to the message of the Gospel. The issue of contextualization expands upon the idea of Incarnation, and is most effective when the church has researched the host community and understands the patterns and practices that are present. I am reminded of John Honan’s comment (at the Face-to-Face meeting) in which he described his church’s celebration of the various cultures in the community. Honan commented that there was an aspect of this feast which embraced, welcomed and appreciated the various ethnic groups and there was such an atmosphere of love present. I believe this engagement demonstrated the love of Christ and echoes the authors’ statement that: “The creation of humankind in God’s image means that there is no culture that lacks virtuous elements in terms of which the gospel can be expressed” (p.87).
As I continue to read, it is my desire to continue to embrace these elements within my ministry context and really start to identity ways in which we can become more missional and incarnational. Stay tuned for more….
First, the Incarnational approach suggested by the authors is characterized by entering into the different cultures and subcultures and being Christ in that context. Readers are encouraged to respond as God did through his Son:
a) by entering into the given context—God entering the world through Jesus
b) identifying with the people—Jesus identifying and becoming part of humanity.
Luke Bretherton, in Beyond Emerging Church, addresses the issue of church spaces and places. He argues that: “Many of these non-church places are antithetical to the faithful practice of Christianity: for example, to be in a café is not to be a neutral space but to be in a site of consumer capitalism. Hence to claim one is forming church in such a place is deeply problematic” (p.38). To this, Frost and Hirsch would claim that it is necessary to become a part of the culture group that meets at the café. Although Frost and Hirsch do not stand in contrast to the institutional church at large (neither does Bretherton), they advocate an approach which highlights sending people (Christians) into a place/space, and helping those inside that culture group (not yet Christians) experience Christ from within their known context.
Secondly, the authors speak of a contextual element and its relationship to the message of the Gospel. The issue of contextualization expands upon the idea of Incarnation, and is most effective when the church has researched the host community and understands the patterns and practices that are present. I am reminded of John Honan’s comment (at the Face-to-Face meeting) in which he described his church’s celebration of the various cultures in the community. Honan commented that there was an aspect of this feast which embraced, welcomed and appreciated the various ethnic groups and there was such an atmosphere of love present. I believe this engagement demonstrated the love of Christ and echoes the authors’ statement that: “The creation of humankind in God’s image means that there is no culture that lacks virtuous elements in terms of which the gospel can be expressed” (p.87).
As I continue to read, it is my desire to continue to embrace these elements within my ministry context and really start to identity ways in which we can become more missional and incarnational. Stay tuned for more….
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Postmodernism: Part Two
In the concluding chapters of A Primer on Postmodernism, Stanley Grenz discusses the philosophies and philosophers that set up the stage for the postmodern mindset. A few key points that I observed are as follows:
a) our individual interpretations of the world and of truth are like language, socially constructed by our experiences, relations, and interactions with our environments
b) there is a response that can be made to postmodernism through the power of the Gospel
First, in regard to individual interpretations of the world, postmodernism asserts that because of “our differing places in the world, we naturally develop different perspectives on the world and different interpretations of the world” (p.110). A language is created in these environments, and this language can only carry meaning for the specific context. As far as church is concerned, in an article entitled, “God’s Transforming Presence: Spirit Empowered Worship and its Mediation", author Ian Stackhouse writes about the danger in becoming to far removed from the Scriptures and sacraments passed down through tradition. In the charismatic/evangelical circles, the tendency toward the immediacy of the Spirit and “Spirit-led” worship becomes an individual experience of the move and power of God. Thus, the move of the Spirit and the interpretation of God’s power becomes, in that context, a language that only the individual can relate to. What happens to this person when he/she encounters more communal, liturgical, or traditional practices? It would appear that all of a sudden this person is not able to understand the language being spoken (per se) in another context. Has their personal experience and differing perspective become a barrier? Are they able to understand the same God in a different context/language? (Any thoughts Dr. Clark?)
Secondly, the final chapter of Grenz’s book is an explanation of how the Gospel can respond to the postmodern view. In reading, I found the notion of “a post-dualistic Gospel” quite interesting. Grenz’s notes that the “Gospel we proclaim must speak to human beings in their entirety” (p.171). I am reminded of Luke Bretherton’s writing entitled Mundane Holiness: The Theology and Spirituality of Everyday Life. In this chapter, Bretherton notes that their is an element of our mundane and ordinary lives that is directly connected to our Creator. Speaking to the entire human being gives way to addressing the routine aspects of our lives and allows us to relate to the fully divine, fully human person of Jesus Christ. I believe that finding God in the ordinary corners of our lives helps us to become more holistic beings. Rather than try to identity parts or areas of our lives that “need more of God”, letting our entirety, our soul and body, become transformed by Christ, is more reflective of the Gospel that we have come to know. An appreciation for this viewpoint can illustrate to the postmodern that our concern is in the transforming of lives and beings into Christ, and not just in the saving of souls to get to heaven.
I appreciate Grenz’s thoroughly written passages concerning the history and development of postmodernism. I am, however, left wondering how we can best go about relating these topics to a generation of modern churches…
Is it by handing them this book, teaching on this book, or simply addressing postmodernism as it evolves into our society?
a) our individual interpretations of the world and of truth are like language, socially constructed by our experiences, relations, and interactions with our environments
b) there is a response that can be made to postmodernism through the power of the Gospel
First, in regard to individual interpretations of the world, postmodernism asserts that because of “our differing places in the world, we naturally develop different perspectives on the world and different interpretations of the world” (p.110). A language is created in these environments, and this language can only carry meaning for the specific context. As far as church is concerned, in an article entitled, “God’s Transforming Presence: Spirit Empowered Worship and its Mediation", author Ian Stackhouse writes about the danger in becoming to far removed from the Scriptures and sacraments passed down through tradition. In the charismatic/evangelical circles, the tendency toward the immediacy of the Spirit and “Spirit-led” worship becomes an individual experience of the move and power of God. Thus, the move of the Spirit and the interpretation of God’s power becomes, in that context, a language that only the individual can relate to. What happens to this person when he/she encounters more communal, liturgical, or traditional practices? It would appear that all of a sudden this person is not able to understand the language being spoken (per se) in another context. Has their personal experience and differing perspective become a barrier? Are they able to understand the same God in a different context/language? (Any thoughts Dr. Clark?)
Secondly, the final chapter of Grenz’s book is an explanation of how the Gospel can respond to the postmodern view. In reading, I found the notion of “a post-dualistic Gospel” quite interesting. Grenz’s notes that the “Gospel we proclaim must speak to human beings in their entirety” (p.171). I am reminded of Luke Bretherton’s writing entitled Mundane Holiness: The Theology and Spirituality of Everyday Life. In this chapter, Bretherton notes that their is an element of our mundane and ordinary lives that is directly connected to our Creator. Speaking to the entire human being gives way to addressing the routine aspects of our lives and allows us to relate to the fully divine, fully human person of Jesus Christ. I believe that finding God in the ordinary corners of our lives helps us to become more holistic beings. Rather than try to identity parts or areas of our lives that “need more of God”, letting our entirety, our soul and body, become transformed by Christ, is more reflective of the Gospel that we have come to know. An appreciation for this viewpoint can illustrate to the postmodern that our concern is in the transforming of lives and beings into Christ, and not just in the saving of souls to get to heaven.
I appreciate Grenz’s thoroughly written passages concerning the history and development of postmodernism. I am, however, left wondering how we can best go about relating these topics to a generation of modern churches…
Is it by handing them this book, teaching on this book, or simply addressing postmodernism as it evolves into our society?
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