Well, I've been thinking on post-modernism and how that relates to redemptive community, so I thought that would be the next post from me, and it may come tonight or in the next couple of days, but on the way to that one ...
Secular is not a word that occurs in biblical Hebrew or Greek, it is a more modern "thought" invention. Spirituality permeates all, as should our faith. (This is something post-modern thinkers seem to get).
A common mistake that we see more traditional churches is creating very distinct "space" (here, I use the term more broadly than just physical, though that is involved here). We see buildings unlike any other in their architecture, we see clothes and songs commonly unlike any others (less so with the "seeker sensitive" services), atmosphere unlike the "real" world, etc. Even the teaching is unlike other forums (usually you interact more in 'secular' settings). "Worship services", as practiced, are so disconnected. So even when the sermon is "relevant", we struggle to connect Sunday morning (the typical time for services) with Monday morning and the rest of the week.
Right now, my wife and I are looking at taking our tax refunds and use them to put hardwood down in the living and dining rooms (connected continuous space there). The issue is that the kitchen and foyer are already hardwood, and connect directly to the living room (foyer) and dining room (kitchen). The favored option would be to "feather" in the new boards into the old hardwood, and refinish the whole thing to make it look as it was all done at the same time.
How could we redo the spiritual space and "feather" it into the so called secular space? How do we take our "Sunday morning" time and make it more relevant to Monday? I think a key is to make our "spaces" less distinct. Then we can more readily apply the spiritual to the secular.
In forming redemptive communities, it is something to be mindful of.
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More Than Meets The Eye
6 years ago
2 comments:
I think the "as you go" applies here. The institutional church has trained us to depend on it as a filling station to get us by from week to week. Instead we need to train people to learn to walk with God and integrate Him into everything they do. Once people grasp this concept they will grow and naturally reproduce real disciples. If every believer mentored one true disciple we could transform the society.
The compelling argument for our faith is who we are Monday - Friday. This generation wants to change the world. We need to offer them something more than fire insurance. If our faith/spirituality is dependent on an institution it is fake and hollow.
I found you via via (and facebook) and have been looking with intrigue at some of your thoughts.
On this one - some of the taste I get from looking at the first Christians is that they DID experience a sort of 'oasis', a moment of being separate when they got together. They DID do things different (their songs were 'psalms, hymns and spiritual songs'). Not that they weren't to put this into their daily lives. But I wonder where the balance lies between the two. In your example of the floors, some might choose to specifically make the two areas separate, thus indicating a use of space. This CAN be restrictive, but needn't be. It can also work as a moment of freedom (as do the boundaries of our houses with the community around us).
I appreciate the thoughts and will continue reading. I would encourage you not to get caught in absolutes.
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