So what…(questions)

Our covenant defines our community and our story. It shows we are not susceptible to the shaking.

This must affect the way we build churches. We need to be light weight and low maintenance. (Flexible & Adaptable)

Don’t build supertankers but rafts that are attached together.

We import language & symbols to deal with what God has done. One of our faults is that we use language & symbol to explain what we think God will/should do.

Covenant/kingdom

Abraham/Sarah > how you become one with God again after the fall

Joseph > shows what it’s like to rule…how you get there

So much of our theological education takes us away from story telling

to change a society you must tell an alternative story – ellich

what we wear is one of the fundamental ways we communicate

Vineyard’s story > worhsip = intimacy

often in our academic discussion of worship we go story to symbol…

we should be going to story to sp. power to symbol

matt redman & chris tomlin & tim hughes seem to get this.

john 4 > worship > (spirit) the identity of the worhsip & (truth) authenticity

if people are only used to story & symbol without power…they think that story w/power is wrong or out of bounds

Christ’s words in red make them more important than his actions…maybe not a good thing.

to change a culture you have to change the language

unbelievable amount of information attached to symbols (disney, cross, swoosh)

feudalism/property owning/building owning models are not american. struggling long term.

did you give your heart to jesus…yeah, i think i did that on my license

changing the culture is imperative or the gospel has failed there (this is a huge sacred trust) it is not just me getting out & in but God’s agenda to redeem a whole culture
this is tough on american individualism where it is just about me & me being what I can be

I’m at Fuller this week for a class, a consult and some meetings. Here are notes from today’s seminar with Dr. Eddie Gibbs & Mike Breen.

1 – From Modernity to Postmodernity

> Cross-Generational ministry today is now cross-cultural ministry

> Benefits in science and technology but this has often led to inflated confidence which has turned to arrogance.

> Fragmentation & lack of belonging leads to patterns that aren’t sustainable long term: solutions…people are going to have to learn to live & work close (new urbanism)

> Have we created a monster?

> We are in a culture where the unexpected happens. What do we do with it? (9/11, Global Markets Meltdown, etc.)

Postmodernity Ethical Concern=

“There is no lighthouse keeper. There is no lighthouse.

There is no dry land. There is only people living on rafts made from

their own imaginations. And there is the sea.

John Dominic Crossan, The Dark Interval

2 – From the Industrial Era to the Information Age

Areas who are stuck in old technologies and industries….how do they survive?

Denominations grew up in the industrial era. They are hierarchal and lose entrepreneurs/apostles because knowledge is no longer privileged.

Crisis in the secular world to determine the next generation of leaders…(90% of businesses are in this rut). The younger generation doesn’t want the job. They’ve seen what the jobs do to people.

Episcopal church…ordination of men under 35 has dropped 80%

Controlling hierarchy driven churches are struggling with younger generations who have information (often overloaded)

Structures have to flatten for quick response

How do we work at the margins where we no longer have a privileged position.

Primary task of leaders is to interpret reality

3 – From the Christendom Era to Post-Christendom Contexts

Parochial structures struggle…come to us but change

In the new world…80% of ministry must take place off of the church grounds!

4 – From Consumer Demand to Creative Participation

Our churches are filled with conformers and consumers…emerging churches are helping us see how creative participation engages our world.

The story of Abraham – when God rewards…it is to be shared!

Churches develop marketing techniques instead of missional strategies

Churches grow based upon who has the best “widget”; transferring memebers

Marketing doesn’t work long term because the gospel is about God’s agenda not ours.

The Missional Challenge

We must ask who is this Jesus?

The gospels don’t begin @ the cross. They show you a life that ends up there.

5 – From Religious Identity to Spiritual Exploration

Traditional religious structures are changing

Spirituality is alive and widespread…why are people leaving churches?

We must embrace the mystery, embrace people where they are are and make ourselves available.

Mike Breen…  

EARTHQUAKE

Wars will be fought in the next 20 years over water instead of gold. The reality of global shaking is nerve shaking at this point.

(Hebrews)

In an earthquake we Christians get no options. We are on rescue teams.

Everything is being shaken what is really solid is revealed.

Rescue Team > Compassion is key for first responders on the Rescue Team. Compassion can come from numerous places.

Compassion must be organized and facilitated.

The world struggles with us because of our massive lack of compassion.

When you watch religious television & turn the sound down most of our non-verbal communication is angry and unconcerned

If you leave people alone long enough, they come up with the extended family. It was the oikos that changed the world in 250 years.

Community is massively important to dealing with the earthquake. Where & how you build is massively important. Because the earthquake shakes everything.

In an earthquake…buildings left standing that once stood for security now look dangerous. In our world why don’t couples get married? Why don’t people have children? (danger/risk)

Connecting Story … Catastrophes cut in and create a moment. Kairos. We are attached to a meta-narrative where our story changes. What we know, our story changes. The rescue team helps people put together their story before, now, future.

Jesus is the same yesterday, today & forever. He is the Compass. Always pointing north.

Victor Hugo: the waves seek to lead the ship away with waves & billows but the compass of the ship, it’s soul, leads it ever north.

Story: The discipler. It has a teller & a hearer. They together participate in the story.

Symbol: Stories are broken down into symbols…meaning. You can’t have a culture without symbol & language. Paul takes his story and codifies it into the language of his people – the body of Christ. “Saul, Saul why do you persecute ME?” Paul spends years thinking about it before communicating it. “I am the chief of sinners”. Peter (petra) turns into us being living stones…the temple…we are all rocks.

Spiritual Power: God can only fill the gap between his story & your story (Story to symbol…20th century theology; Story to spiritual power…new testament power/theology)