While you're waiting for your book to come, I want to highlight a few phrases from the Introduction that I think might help frame our discussion:
In describing the congregations that Diana Butler Bass profiles, actually the first 50 before choosing a final 10 to profile, she described them as "solid, healthy churches that exhibited Christian authenticity, expressed a coherent faith, and offered members ways of living with passion and purpose." Of those "solid, healthy churches," she noted that many of them had emerged from dire circumstances of decline or crisis. I don't think Park Hill thinks of itself of having had any dire circumstances. Though, consider that 40-50 years ago we had around 600 members and today we have less than 200. And the interim period wasn't necessarily a crisis, but it's been described by many as a very difficult and painful time, one in which some people left the church. Yet, I think of Park Hill as a very healthy church.
So, do we exhibit Christian authenticity? We'll have to read more to see what she means by that.
Do we express a coherent faith? Again, what does that mean? Do you think our faith is "coherent?" Without knowing more of what she means, I'd say that Park Hill's faith coheres pretty well around the identity of social justice. But is there more?
And do we offer members ways of living with passion and purpose? That's a good challenge for us to identify as we move forward together. Do you think of your involvement with the church as passionate and purposeful? Not everything can be - after all we have certain functions to fulfill just to be a community that pays its bills. But beyond that? Again, this might be something important for us to consider as we move forward in this conversation.
Thanks for joining it!
David
6 comments:
Looking forward to joining the discussion
Great!
Sorry that I lost several paragraphs. This is to seek confirmation that I know what I'm doing. Too many birthdays!
You wonder if we have a coherent faith around anything beyond social justice? I don't know. The invisible part is the part about the personal relationship with GOD. That is the part of which social justice, a passion for social justice, should be one of the fruits. We don't talk about a personal, transformational relationship with GOD through Jesus, the Christ, here at this church. If I have listened correctly, I think some people are afraid of that part, or even offended by that part of the Christian teaching.
I think of my involvement with the church as being passionate and purposeful. Even the paying the bills part, because it is out of a burning passion, a burning love for GOD through Jesus, the Christ, that I want to contribute to paying the bills. But in ways that I have experienced in other churches, I don't feel that fire being fanned here. I feel that it is taking a risk to "come out" with it even on a CHURCH blog.
Marie,
I'm glad to know you have that burning passion. A lack of passion in any relationship dulls one's desire to even be in relationship. You identify fear, I believe, as one obstacle - perhaps some fear of being labeled the "other kind of Christian." How do you think we could fan the fire of passion here? I'm still trying to find the place where that can happen.
I think people have to experience what it is like to be passionate about GOD, to see it, hear it, expect it. Participating in charismatic church services, being around people, like charismatics or Pentecostals, opens your spiritual eyes and your heart and soul, to the possibility of a love affair with GOD. The ecstacy of a baptism of the Holy Spirit ignites a burning passion for GOD. Imagine a church filled with people in a personal, consuming relationship with GOD, who know that GOD is still speaking and know that as Jim Wallace says, God is personal, never private. That the transformtive personal relationship means love of neighbor, including non-human neighbor, as ourselves.
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