organic church
Entry one, containing no major revelations is this:
Over the next few weeks, in this space we're going to be laying out some thoughts on doing church organically.
No, we're not talking about a church with only natural ingredients, though that's a really good metaphor now that I think about it...
When we say "organic church" what we mean is this: we want our community to be an expression of who we are as a people, not a program we "borrow" from another church in another context. Though we share much in common with followers of Christ all around the world, our search for relationship with God is just that, our search. And it behooves us to express that in what we do as a church community.
So, while we want to respect those who have come before us ("history" is one of our core values, after all...), sometimes you really do have to reinvent the wheel.
When we were still in the dream phase of this thing people would ask "What will it look like?" I grew to love answering "I have no earthly idea." All I could say was that if a bunch of cloggers and bluegrass musicians showed up, well... we'd be the clogging church. If a bunch of skate punks showed up, we'd be the skate church. I wasn't out to niche target-market our community, and so felt great freedom to just sit back and watch what happened. I still feel that freedom...
This means- as a community, we have both the privilege and the responsibility to shape this community. More and more, we are singing our own songs. More and more, the art on our walls comes from our own artists. If we have a children's ministry, we won't be buying it pre-packaged from a large church somewhere, not that there's anything wrong with that... but the fact is, when we create it, we'll own it emotionally.
What we make, we nurture. What we buy, we merely consume.
While we may take inspiration and ideas from others, we have the freedom to make this church thing a unique expression of our search for God and our relationship with one another.
You just need to ask yourself- What's my contribution to what evergreen is becoming?
5 Comments:
So, is this what happens when you listen to wordstock? :) I was wondering when you were going to get around to writing a book.
My contribution to evergreen, I think, is to help it be intimate and practical in tis spiritual formation. We spend a good deal of time on theories and service but very little time praying, fasting, silence, etc. together.
-starla
I love that contribution! May your tribe increase...
:)
And just for the record, I had the idea before Wordstock! :)
but it didn't hurt...
Doesn't writing a book about "organic" kind of go against "organic". Unless of course it is for your community only. Then it probably wouldn't be a book but more of a newsletter or pamphlet or something.
I can just picture the pseudo-emergent shopper..."Oh, look, a book about being Organic Church. Coooool. This is what we should do. And we should do it just like this book tells us to."
Sorry. I don't mean to sound hostile, really. I get carried away with sarcasm sometimes. I guess it just seems like a book about it seems counter productive. A life and a community that lives it out IS the book.
really good question!
A couple of thoughts- my goal, eventually, is to provide resources copyright free (are at least creative commons copyrighted) and available to all.
This may or may not end up being in that category. One thought I've had is that having an initial published book may give me a platform to launch all kinds of free stuff out there more effectively...
So just in case anyone is wondering, it's not all about the dough. :)
But on the issue of organic, the first line of the book may end up being "This book is about permission, not prescription."
The way I see it, there are HUNDREDS, perhaps THOUSANDS of books screaming at leaders to DO IT THIS WAY!!! Follow my Steps to Success™ and you'll be a mega-church in no time.
All I hope to do, is draw a vision for people of finding their own way as a community.
By laying it out in writing form, it gets the ideas of organic church out there and "gives permission" to those who feel as though the only voices they hear are telling them to do it big, do it programmed, and do it professional...
It's a good question, though, and I'll keep chewing on it. Please keep checking back and asking similar (or the same) questions!
Bob,
I am a part of an organic church plant in Baltimore, whereby I am paid to be a Christian. I found you on www.planetemergent.org.
I have a friend in Ethiopia with which I have discussed the dangers of gospel inculturation. The gospel became so "organic" there in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church that over the centuries it has become syncretistic.
How do you propose maintaining a prophetic voice to our culture while also remaining organic.
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