Some thoughts on post-modernism

By definition, almost, if I consider myself a post-modern, I'm not. So I won't claim to be, or not to be, one. I do find myself increasingly rejecting much of modernism, while holding on to other items of it. In many ways, I belong to a "bridge" generation -- I'm very late in the baby boomers generation, what some have labeled a 'tweener (those late in the baby boomer cycle or early in "generation X" or whatever the next generation is called).

(click here to see more about my exposure to postmodernism and some previous thoughts on the topic)

I do find much to be appreciated in both modernism and postmodernism.

The clip above (http://www.youtube.com/v/9RA-JzVxGTg for those who get this imported into Facebook or the like) illustrates one of the supposed differences between modernism and postmodernism -- belief in objective truth vs belief in relativistic truth. What a load of crap this is, at least as a "defining" difference. It is characteristic, but not a part of the definition. In fact, there really is no good definition of postmodernism.

Do some postmoderns belief in relativism? Yes, they do. But this is at best characteristic of postmodernism, not defining. In fact, a flaw of moderns is their need for clear definition. And in defining postmodernism, they find a cause to reject everything about it. Modernistic thinking, which dominates Churchianity too often, is setting up a kind of cultural war. Rather than comparing and contrasting the two schools of thought (though it is actually only one, as only one builds walls), they defend and more often attack.

And if they aren't attacking, moderns are busy defining postmodernism in modernistic terms. As the "expert" moderns teach other moderns about postmodernism, they perpetuate the division, the misconceptions. So the moderns end up trying to convert postmoderns to modernism, rather than trying to bridge the gap.

To me, postmodernism represents a great opportunity for the church. At the beginning of the modern era, modern thought corrupted the movement of Christ and so much of discipleship became about knowledge and discerning truth. Postmodernism is characterized (not defined :-)) by an emphasis on experience, on doing. Modernism seems to be characterized by a thought that you are how you think. Postmodernism, to quote a character from Batman Begins, "it's not who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you". There is opportunity to swing the pendulum back, but if modern thinkers persist in thinking in terms of walls, they miss a chance to influence and the pendulum will swing (in some ways, is swinging) to far the other way.

Exclusion v Inclusion

I know there are some that reject anything from the "emergent" thought, but there is much valuable there to appreciate. (Just test the fruit before accepting it).

One thing that I've heard from it which is beautiful is the view of membership that accepts and loves all, and deals with sin after. It is a realization that Jesus adds to his church, so membership is to our individual "communities", not a church. The church belongs to Jesus, not us. We welcome them into our community, then as we help them journey with Jesus, confronting sin comes later.

And as Greg Boyd writes in The Myth of a Christian Nation, we are never once called to be the moral guardians of anyone outside our fellowship, but rather we are instead called to love people the way that Jesus did, by meeting their needs and loving them even if they kill us in return. If sinners and tax collectors and prostitutes aren't coming around our community they way they came around Jesus, then why not? Do we love them like He did?

Now, my qualm with this viewpoint is in wanting "guidance" on when challenging sin is to be done. When along the way? But I'm starting to see that as my hangup, not a reason not to live and love and accept.

Atheism as a moral choice

Did the title get your attention?

Some may know that for a few years, I was at Brian McLaren's church. He is a great guy, who asks great questions, though he and I may disagree on many of the answers that arise. Though I left the church to move, like many around the time that did leave because of a "revisioning" of the church under his successor, I would have left as well anyway.

Still, I came across this video and found it very intriguing. I knew early Christians were often labeled atheists due to not following the state gods, but casting modern atheism as a moral choice, to think of it as not believing in "this god" or "that god". To me, it sparks some questions on how to view evangelism, and creates some sympathies for atheism. How do we introduce people to a god they don't know, the one revealed in Jesus Christ? How do we separate the view of the true God from the one that bears a resemblance to him, but is one of war?

I know a great many Christians who have much of the doctrine, theology and dogma right, but their god is not one of love. It is one of moralistic judging. of rules. of separation rather than community.

Such a view does not necessarily mean a kind of universalism about things. We can love, and welcome others to our communities, and in those communities introduce them to the God of love. When we intrigue them with this God who is love, then we can talk to them about what separates them from relationship with him. But first, we need to reject the false gods who faith in justifies war and hate. That's not to say that war is not sometimes necessary to rescue many from a few oppressors. But the war and violence spewing from judgment and condemnation ... this is not from a God of love.

God is a god of love ... and redemption.

More admin stuff

Rethinking the name of the blog. markwinstead.blogspot.com just isn't cutting it.

Suggestions welcome. Right now I'm favoring repackaging a name I already claim, restoringheart.blogspot.com.

Edited: I've decided to repackage restoring heart.

Reboot

In order to simplify, I'm merging my blogs into one spot.

Old blog posts and new ones within the themes of Restoringheart.blogspot.com have a label "Restoring Heart". Those from redemptivecommunities.blogspot.com, old and new ones in that theme have "Redemptive Communities".

This new merged blog will also contain thoughts from various other topics as I journey.

Your Church is too small

Many years ago, there was a book titled Your God Is Too Small. I've been thinking about how churches are too small. The megachurches are especially too small.

You see, we tend to think of "our" church as simply the group we may gather with on Sundays. George Barna 'documents' millions who've 'left' the church. And we live and breath as if the churches we attend are "ours", though we mouth that they belong to Jesus.

But it's interesting that while there are 33 references to churches in the New Testament, there are 112 to "church". Most of those 33 references refer to churches across multiple cities. There is no clear example of referring to churches within a single city. This despite historical evidence that in many areas, churches met in homes. It seems to imply that groups meeting in different homes in the same city were considered a part of the same church.

We tend to think of a church, or at least practice church, as being a club we join. We talk of "placing membership" (a club mentality). Our churches add amenities, they offer programs, they approach ministry as being some centralized bureaucracy. To do anything for the club, you pretty much have to be a faithful attender, go through some screening of the church, et al. I'm increasingly seeing this as all such small thinking.

Acts tells us that the Lord added the first disciples to the church. The church is the body of Christ, not the bodies of Christ.

The book So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore presents an image of church that is so much larger. It shows it as a community of believers that live beyond the clubs we've formed. It is a beautiful picture in my mind.

We need to adopt a mentality that every disciple is a member of our church, and treat him as such. We need to get beyond our club mentality. It'll mean practicing more hospitality, being less programmatic and open about our ministries. It will mean that some of us don't attend the same "church" two Sundays in a row, or even the same one more than once per month. It may lead to the collapse of some churches. More meeting in homes.

You see, your church is every disciple around you. Every disciple you meet while working in a strange city away from home.

Such an approach to thinking is new to me. Something mouthed about church that I'm really beginning to digest. It undermines, I'm discovering, much of what I've previously written in this part of the blogosphere. Much to revisit about the thinking on "redemptive community". There's still a place, I believe, for walking with a "core", to having a community within this larger church.

I'd love responses. I'd love input. Write, comment, whichever.

Detoxing

Sorry that no one has posted here in awhile. At the beginning of May, I went to a "Advanced Boot Camp" held by Ransomed Heart Ministries. A lot to unpack for myself, some related to the themes of this blog site. After that, I've come across some books that I want to blog on as well as I've unpacked them.

I have much to say on this blog on some things that come to mind, as I finally organize it in my head and have time, but you may have noticed the only change to this site since the last blog (April 21), a link to an article on detoxing. I wanted to say a few words about it and thoughts it sparks. I have much more to say on this, and some of it will come out in future blogs --

As for myself, having read that article, I realize now that I continue to detox from the consumerism idol that has penetrated the church, though it is much more than consumerism. Ultimately it is about connecting to Jesus directly rather than through a proxy we call "church".

When I started what I recognize as the detox process, it was about leaving the IC for "something better". God frustrated that "something better". There are some guys who I talk with via e-mail and by phone on occasion who are going through the same process, or almost the same. We feel called to something more, and for some of us that means detoxing as a step, though maybe some of us may not realize that. Some have been on a journey much longer than me, some were or are considering something like "detoxing". Some are looking to "detox" from within "the walls of a church".

I actually met about half the group face to face (not all at once -- we couldn't corral them together) at Advanced about a month ago. About a half dozen of us were talking with Craig. Craig made some excellent points about what church is. Our mindset is so often about church being something we go to, something that has authority in our lives, it is hard to break from that kind of thinking. But church is what Jesus adds us to. It's the body. "church" can happen anywhere, anytime we are with other disciples. Really got me thinking about what church is in a new light.

God has led me through a journey since that time that has solidified much of it. I read So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore and The Shack. Conversations with people. My own conclusion is that the church is out there, but your church is too small if you think it is a gathering of people in a home, coffee shop or a building that holds thousands.

It is in humility now that I submit the question to God: how do you wish me to engage with the church?

I know that however I do it, it's about relationships. Maybe God will bring it to my neighborhood. Maybe I need to engage with some of these so called "churches" out there that have at least some disciples and not just attenders or followers of a senior pastor personality. Who knows? God. And I'm listening.