God Holds Authority? What a Concept!
Who hold the authority in the local church? The pastor? The people?
Alban Institute recently published an article about this very question with regard to whether either polarity “clergy authority” or “lay authority” produces thriving congregation.
alone. They complement each other. Congregations often find themselves in power struggles over the two poles of a polarity. Both sides believe strongly that they are right.”
The research shows it is neither the clergy nor the laity, but both. Thriving congregations manage the polarity. Read the entire article "Failure to Thrive" .
In his book “They Kingdom Connected”, Dwight Friesen uses a “networked kingdom paradigm” and describes the pastor as a “new work ecologist”. In Friesen’s view traditional hierarchies are flattened and authority is “revealed” and therefore resides the missional identity of the network. He writes:
“Any claim to Christian authority is understood by looking at the mission of God as seen in Jesus Christ…authoritative claim or action is authenticated by its resonance with God and God’s mission.”
Both Friesen and the Alban report are saying the same thing in different ways. The answer is Both/And with an important distinction: Each faith community or cluster within that community must look to God for direction and mission. What a concept!
Let’s not waste time quibbling over who is in charge. Let’s determine how best to use whatever resources we have –time, talent, money – to become the beloved community our souls ache for.
If our mission is to help people find their gifts and graces for participating in God’s reconciling mission – doing justice, loving mercy and walking humbly with God – there would be no need to argue about who has authority.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
TAG: Sho Nuff Tweeking Interest!
I sent out a reminder about the "Theology After Google Conference" and got some great responses. This one from a "friend of CST" caught my eye, so I got permission to share it:
Thanks for the reminder. I'll try to make it. With the design & content of this event Phil Clayton is sho nuff tweaking my biases. Over the past 4 months I've sat next to hundreds of young people, who I'm convinced couldn't pass freshman dumbbell English, furiously pressing their plump little thumbs into tiny keys (as I am now, incidentally), texting their "others" (significant or otherwise) with grammatically challenged, coded messages, most adapted from the latest hip-hop jargon; from Kum-ba-ya to Kum-ba-YO! It's theology via "Li'l Wayne", with his eternally electronically altered whine. (Who's the singer who sings "Just Drop It in the Bag"?)
I've attended funerals at Michael Beckwith's church in LA (a version of Religious Science), where the lights go dim and eery, SciFi sounds are emitted from the loudspeakers, while plasma screens treat the worshipers to the sound of crashing surf and there's a whole lot of "wafting" going on to connect with The Infinite!
Nonetheless, I deem this conference to have valuable potential for theology and liturgy, so perhaps I'll just "Drop It in the Bag" & "cum 2 kampus" for the challenge!
He seems to be challenging us to bring the theology! Think you'll be able to identify the person? This is gonna be fun! What do you think?
Thanks for the reminder. I'll try to make it. With the design & content of this event Phil Clayton is sho nuff tweaking my biases. Over the past 4 months I've sat next to hundreds of young people, who I'm convinced couldn't pass freshman dumbbell English, furiously pressing their plump little thumbs into tiny keys (as I am now, incidentally), texting their "others" (significant or otherwise) with grammatically challenged, coded messages, most adapted from the latest hip-hop jargon; from Kum-ba-ya to Kum-ba-YO! It's theology via "Li'l Wayne", with his eternally electronically altered whine. (Who's the singer who sings "Just Drop It in the Bag"?)
I've attended funerals at Michael Beckwith's church in LA (a version of Religious Science), where the lights go dim and eery, SciFi sounds are emitted from the loudspeakers, while plasma screens treat the worshipers to the sound of crashing surf and there's a whole lot of "wafting" going on to connect with The Infinite!
Nonetheless, I deem this conference to have valuable potential for theology and liturgy, so perhaps I'll just "Drop It in the Bag" & "cum 2 kampus" for the challenge!
He seems to be challenging us to bring the theology! Think you'll be able to identify the person? This is gonna be fun! What do you think?
Monday, March 8, 2010
Inter-spirituality: Can you identify?
jinjan01 has left the following comment on the post "On Their Own Terms" - President's Pen blog spothttp://presidents-pen.blogspot.com/
Thanks for this blog and bringing this new term “inter-spirituality” to my attention.
We know that one of the characteristics about the Millennial Generation is that they are not “joiners”. I wonder if this new term explains, in part, that tendency? The article you site seems to indicate that those who self-identify with being “inter-spiritual” are open to conversation among people who are part of traditional religions. I think they would feel right at home in Claremont. Here we have the opportunity to interact with people of other faiths as well as those who self-identify as non-Christian.
In that same blog, Jim Burklo writes:
What do they bring to our dinner table…? They bring their own stories of engagement with the ultimate questions: Why am I here? Who am I, really? How shall I live, and for what/whom? They bring their own language and imagery of expression of their souls' journeys. They bring a willingness to try out disciplines of spirituality they've never experienced before. Maybe they are not ready to commit fully to one traditional path. But they aren't afraid to risk that outcome by exploring existing faith traditions.
I was struck by this because aren’t these questions we all ask? Aren’t these questions in which “the church” is called to help identify and provide holy accompaniment? Where are we missing the mark?
As those who are preparing to minister in an increasingly pluralistic society, this is another aspect of culture we will need to engage. Can we create a safe space within the Church for dialogue? More to the point, will we?
Thanks for this blog and bringing this new term “inter-spirituality” to my attention.
We know that one of the characteristics about the Millennial Generation is that they are not “joiners”. I wonder if this new term explains, in part, that tendency? The article you site seems to indicate that those who self-identify with being “inter-spiritual” are open to conversation among people who are part of traditional religions. I think they would feel right at home in Claremont. Here we have the opportunity to interact with people of other faiths as well as those who self-identify as non-Christian.
In that same blog, Jim Burklo writes:
What do they bring to our dinner table…? They bring their own stories of engagement with the ultimate questions: Why am I here? Who am I, really? How shall I live, and for what/whom? They bring their own language and imagery of expression of their souls' journeys. They bring a willingness to try out disciplines of spirituality they've never experienced before. Maybe they are not ready to commit fully to one traditional path. But they aren't afraid to risk that outcome by exploring existing faith traditions.
I was struck by this because aren’t these questions we all ask? Aren’t these questions in which “the church” is called to help identify and provide holy accompaniment? Where are we missing the mark?
As those who are preparing to minister in an increasingly pluralistic society, this is another aspect of culture we will need to engage. Can we create a safe space within the Church for dialogue? More to the point, will we?
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