| Deep Church | |
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From Jason Clark, co-ordinator of www.emergent-uk.org, planting/senior pastor of www.vineyardchurch.org , and Ph.D Student at Kings College London.
In the world of psychiatry, students study not just the manifestations and causes of mental dysfunction, but the idea of 'wellness,' of what helps the well part of a patient become 'more well.' In the worlds of education, and business, rather than focus on people's weaknesses, there is the move to explore and develop people's strengths. In looking at developing countries,debt relief agencies, look for positive attributes for assessment, instead of previous models that just measured the bad ones.
This doesn't mean you ignore glaring weaknesses and problems inherent to the system you are involved with. What it does mean is your focus stops being 'what is wrong?', and becomes 'what is right?' Back to a medical example, doctors have had to learn that referring to a pathologist, doesn't lead to good health.
And with that in mind, I often wonder if we have made the mistake in our assessments of church, in becoming almost pathological. We look at current forms of church, and church in the past, with an eye to the 'ill health,' the deformations, the things we dislike etc. Then we construct idealisations of church in reaction to this 'sickness' diagnosis. Church be-comes about 'not being,' and we measure who we are by what we don't do, and what we are not. Are we left with any understanding of 'wellness' of the church at all?
In Europe where the church has been almost deracinated (for instance where I live around 1-2% of the population are connected to a local church community), does this focus on what is wrong, or just exacerbate the problem. Does it give us more reasons to avoid the notion of the people of God in any missional sense, with our pessimism about church seemingly insurmountable, and our confidence shattered beyond restoration. Indeed church within the pathological vision might become so bad, that we might see ourselves as post-church to escape the sickness that is church.
How do we avoid the slide into a pathological ecclesiology, whilst attending to the very real problems of church. How do we speak prophetically, idealistically and passionately to the need for church reformation, whilst being practical and pragmatic, without losing the confi-dence towards action? How do we find the best of church through history, to take us for-ward into the future, without a blind naive sentimentalism to the past, whilst on the other hand avoiding the fostering of a negative and bilious cynicism that invalidates everything that has gone before us?
How do we navigate these dilemmas and arrive at a positive and enabling vision of church, that leads us to 'wellness?'
For some of us in the UK, the notion of 'Deep Church,' a phrase coined by C.S.Lewis is providing a mood to direct our reflections and actions to that end. It maybe finds it conjunctive resonance, outside the UK in the 'Deep Ecclessiology' articulated and lived by Brian Mclaren, and the Emergent movement/network/tribe/mode/phenomenon.
Deep Church hopefully values and affirms the many streams of what the Spirit is doing with the church in our times. Maybe this includes amongst many others, the fluid, and emerging forms of church, outside the existing church structures. Then perhaps the 'fresh expressions' of the inherited church as it seeks to experiment with new forms of church outside of itself, but in relationship with it. Then there is the inherited church and existing church that is seeking to renew itself, whilst we then find the streams of church that are trying to preserve traditions and practices in the face of cultural change.
And in all these forms/streams, the Deep Church focus becomes, not about what is wrong and invalid or that which is authorised by existing or new groups, but about the challenge of the shared context we find ourselves in. There is within Deep Church, a desire to re-cover a confidence in the gospel and scripture, along with the accessing of the spiritual re-sources of the historical church in non superficial ways, so that we might align ourselves with the work of the Holy Spirit in forming communities, that are living faithfully in disciple-ship to Jesus, in our contemporary context.
We are not wanting to re-package the past, or be fashion victims of the emerging culture, but rather aspire to an understanding of church embedded in the past, whilst fully engaged in the present. So that within that we might discover and build on what is 'well' with the Church Catholic.
If you want to comment and interact on thisn article, and explore the Deep Church vision, with others from around the world, you can do so at www.deepchurch.org.uk.
Jason Clark
www.jasonclark.ws
Jerry Falwell, Moral Majority founder, Liberty University founder, and pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, went on to his eternal reward yesterday. While I often cringed at the comments he made, he was my brother in Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that he sincerely loved his Lord and was doing his best to serve his Savior.
I have to confess that when DC Talk released their Jesus Freak CD in the 1990s I wasn't a big fan of theirs for several reasons we don't need to get into here. But as I grow older( and hopefully more mature), I truly appreciate what they were doing with that CD. The title track is still played at every Toby Mac concert I have attended, but the song Colored People really grabs me. Part of the attraction is that I like Kevin Max's voice on that song. But take a look at the lyrics:
Do you ever feel sorry for Judas? Sometimes I wonder if he knew what he was doing when he betrayed Christ. He had been with Christ for three years or so, heard him teach, saw the miracles and had the chance to walk with him and learn from the Master.
No, I didn't have a foot-washing service. But I did have a positive lesson in humility over the weekend. For those who do not know I recently received my district minister's license from the Eastern Michigan District of the Church of the Nazarene. It is a significant step in my call to ordained ministry, and I am humbled by the honor and the office.
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
prayers to those who were injured and their families and the families of the deceased. Virginia Tech will never be the same and all who have been touched by this will carry memories of this horrible day with them for the rest of their lives. But God can heal their wounds because he knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it is like to see a child die unjustly. And Jesus knows what the pain of torture and execution feels like. It may seem trite to say that, but God does understand. And I am sure that he is saddened on this day as well.
NiFong is a despicable human being for what he did to the young men on the Duke Lacrosse Team. He knew early on that the rape allegations against them were without merit, and he allowed them to be branded as racists and rapists for an entire year so that he could curry favor with African-American voters and win reelection. The abuse of power here is breath-taking.
The idiot lawmakers who proposed buying IPods for
Using their logic, we should buy every kid going through driver's training a car. That would stimulate the local economy and give them real world skills. This reinforces the need for a part-time legislature. We pay full price for this?
Lawmakers pushing iPods flew on Apple's dime
Democrats: Trip had other business
The 2 1/2 -day trip earlier this year covered a range of issues and interaction on topics related to
House Speaker Andy Dillon,
The $36-million iPod proposal was unveiled last week at a news conference called by Dillon to discuss the state's budget crisis and House Democrats' plans to address it.
Dillon's office did not provide details on the trip or say whether Apple paid for all or part of it. Gillard said he thought Apple covered a portion of the costs.
Dillon defended the trip in a statement issued by his office Tuesday night. He said he was "one of several lawmakers to take this trip, and I am more convinced than ever that the future for our children lies in education. As we move to the technology age and the knowledge-based economy, it would be irresponsible to separate technology from our K-12 system.
"I have four children, and I see how powerful technology is in their learning experience. While I believe that moving our classrooms into the 21st Century is critical to the future of our children and this state, I fully understand that unless and until we solve the state's fiscal crisis we cannot pursue this initiative. As I have said all along, we are focused on the state's fiscal crisis first."
Dillon and Gillard have been vocal supporters of the iPod idea. They did not identify the other lawmakers who went on the trip.
Critics of the proposal have said it indicates that
Susan Lundgren, an Apple spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the company's
Gillard also defended the iPod proposal and the trip. He said the lawmakers spent more time on non-Apple business during the trip, discussing such issues as wine distribution and
"This is about technology in the classroom," he said. "I don't know that it has to be iPod-specific technology."
Gillard said news media reports about the proposal have focused too narrowly on the iPod, which critics view as less of an educational tool than a form of entertainment. The iPods could be used to download lectures and materials.
The trip taken by Dillon and Gillard is similar to those taken in past years by other lawmakers, including many Republicans, Dillon spokesman Dan Farough said.
Matt Resch, spokesman for the Republican leader in the House, Rep. Craig DeRoche of
Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a political watchdog group, said he hadn't heard about the trip and had no idea whether it was connected to the iPod proposal. But
"There are legitimate reasons for doing such a trip," Robinson said, "but I want to know about it when it happens."
Contact DAWSON BELL at 313-222-6604 or dbell@freepress.com.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
Editorial
An iPod for every kid? Are they !#$!ing idiots?
The Detroit News
We have come to the conclusion that the crisis Michigan faces is not a shortage of revenue, but an excess of idiocy. Facing a budget deficit that has passed the $1 billion mark, House Democrats Thursday offered a spending plan that would buy a MP3 player or iPod for every school child in Michigan.
No cost estimate was attached to their hare-brained idea to "invest" in education. Details, we are promised, will follow.
The Democrats, led by their increasingly erratic speaker Andy Dillon of Redford Township, also pledge $100 million to make better downtowns.
Their plan goes beyond cluelessness. Democrats are either entirely indifferent to the idea that extreme hard times demand extreme belt tightening, or they are bone stupid. We lean toward the latter.
We say that because the House plan also keeps alive, again without specifics, the promise of tax hikes.
The range of options, according to Rep. Steve Tobocman, D-Detroit, includes raising the income tax, levying a 6 percent tax on some services, and taxing junk food and soda.
We wonder how financially strained Michigan residents will feel about paying higher taxes to buy someone else's kid an iPod.
That they would include such frivolity in a crisis budget plan indicates how tough it will be to bring real spending reform to Michigan.
Senate Republicans issued a plan a week ago that eliminates the deficit with hard spending cuts. Now their leader, Mike Bishop of Rochester Hills, is sounding wobbly, suggesting he might compromise on a tax hike.
We hope Bishop is reading the polls that say three-quarters of Michigan residents oppose higher taxes.
There are few things in the House budget outline from which to forge a compromise.
For example, Dillon says he would shift the burden of business taxes to companies that operate in Michigan, but don't have a facility here. The certain outcome of that plan is to drive even more businesses out of Michigan.
About all we see of merit is a call for government consolidation and a demand that state employees contribute more to their retirement benefits -- which is no more than House Democrats suggested for future state lawmakers a few weeks ago.
We find it ironic that the Democrats are proposing floating $5 billion in revenue bonds to pay for retiree health care, when Gov. Jennifer Granholm vetoed a nearly identical plan by Oakland County because it would cost the state money.
Instead of advocating cost-saving changes in public school teacher pension and health plans, Dillon suggests more study. There have been plenty of studies of the issue, with the conclusion being that hundreds of millions of dollars could be saved through reforms. Michigan needs action, not more study committees.
Dillon also proposes that the state cover 50 percent of the cost of catastrophic health insurance for everyone in the place, but once again doesn't specify a funding source.
Stop the stupidity. Michigan can't tax or spend its way out of this economic catastrophe.
The only responsible option is to bring spending in line with current revenues. The mission must be to expand the tax base, rather than to expand taxes, by crafting a budget that encourages growth.
We won't get there by wasting money on early Christmas presents for Michigan kids.
Verse:
John 3:16; Jn 3:16; John 3
Keyword:
Salvation, Jesus, Gospel
With Operators:
AND, OR, NOT, “ â€
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