Friday, November 6, 2009

The American Context of American Christianity - Complete

I made some significant revisions to the document since the draft listed in the last post. You can review the document that became 4000 words long at my website: www.worshiplife.net . Just click on the word NEW on the homepage and it will take you to The Context of American Christianity.

Alternatively, you can just choose this link to get you directly to the .pdf - http://bit.ly/420v9x .

As always, I welcome your comments.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Trends in North American churches

Today I am polishing a draft for my working group in Faith and Order. We are wanting a common language for a conciliar response the WCC's Nature and Mission of the Church.

Here are the areas in which I am writing about North American churches through the following lenses of legacy and trends -

Our structured legacy: Ancient born churches; Reformation born churches; Anabaptist born churches; Native born churches.

Our spiritual movements legacy: Puritan; Anabaptist; Revivalist; Fundamentalist; Social Gospel; Cultural and Immigrant; Charismatic; Evangelical; Church Growth; Emergent.

Our cultural legacy: Agricultural; Industrial; Urban; Suburban; Corporate; Literate; Visual; Technological; Socially Networked.

Our current trends: Consumerized; Entrepreneurial; Event Driven; Service Oriented; Collaborative; Decentralized; Viral; Violent; and Secularizing.

I'd rather distill than enlarge at this point. But, what do you think? Post or send me a Tweet @PaulsonBrian.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Power comes from Hope

Listening to Jurgen Moltmann today has stirred reflection within me about the power of the gospel to announce and demonstrate the reign of God through our lives. Moltmann reminds us that the gospel hope engages matters of life and death. There is no greater power than this: the gift of life that conquers death.

Unfortunately the church reflects the world in countless ways with regard to power. The notion of power in the world is so often associated with authority to control. Yet the power of hope lies in its ability to grow and transform - like yeast in Jesus' parables.

The power of hope lies in its abundance to the creative possibility of God. Each victory of life over death brings newfound possibility. This is hope - a power that no prison of body or spirit can control.

It is remarkable to consider the fascination with death that grips the human imagination. In medieval times, this fascination was on display through countless superstitions. Today, the fascination is clearly seen in countless horror and suspense films and books we engage with our "free time" and money.

Terrorists thought they would gain control over our imagination with the shock, terror, and death of September 11th. As I recall those days. The greater power was found in the faith, hope, and love of all who survived. Jesus Christ brought hope to the fore - victory over death.

Such power need not control. It is the freedom of life to live alert to the goodness of God, abounding in gratitude. It is hope - power in powerlessness that conquers the world.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Moltmann Event 1 - Emergent Theological Conversation

It is the end of a long day welcoming pilgrims from around the nation and a few from around the globe at our church. Danielle Shroyer was a delight for Moltmann 101 providing a heartfelt overview of his life and work. My body was sore from long weeks of service and prayer of late. Yet, my spirit grew as I overheard her conversation of faith while setting up rooms and fans for the guests as they arrived.

There were a few moves that caught my attention. In the first instance, I was taken by her description of his engagement of suffering. As such, he apparently suggests that rather than ask, "why is God doing this?" we ought always to ask, "where is God in this?" His life experience suggested this was a much more useful and profound answer as he lived through challenge. (More on suffering in a moment.)

This thought connected to the notion of discovering church. Danielle claimed his interest is less in boundary making for church. Rather more he is interested in the way that we discover church as it is lived in grace and faithfulness. She suggested he might offer, "I see church" here or there.

This discussion of church - ecclesiology - as discovered in the movement of the Holy Spirit in a people, matched a conversation I've been having with colleagues in the Faith and Order Commission. We have been interested by the inheritors of the "Stone Campbell movement" who apparently will often offer the expression "I saw church" when discussing God's work amongst the people.

As I listened to this I heard a bridge between Moltmann's treatment of suffering, "Where is God in this?" and his notion of discovering church, "I see church!" I have observed that the conversation based upon description and discovery of God's work amongst the people serves as a more useful bridge for ecumenical dialogue - pulling the church together.

A final word about suffering. It seems that every sector of society is suffering these days. I notice people growing testy at work, at home, and at church. In the midst of suffering, I see people withdraw and break apart. Yet this is not a gospel move.

Apparently Moltmann is embraced by many because his great work on HOPE does not diminish suffering. Yet suffering is placed in a much larger context of God's sovereignty and abundant gifts. Here is the spiritual move for us all, I believe - to cast our eyes toward the light about us. The gospel does not avoid the suffering, but it lives into something much more rich and grand in the goodness of life. ... I hope I can do that each day.

More tomorrow - I hope!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

How far away from Jesus?

After visiting the Crystal Cathedral in California, he said, "it's a long way from a Jew in Palestine." Will Willimon was reflecting with me over a cup of coffee during a visit to Duke University some years ago. I told Will that the cathedral where he worked was also a long way from Palestine.

Now, years later, I find myself on a national commission reflecting on the Nature and Mission of the Church. I've also been asked to write a document for a group of Presbyterian leaders on the way I think about the church in light of Christian faith and tradition.

My association with the Waldensian Christians of Italy over the years has shaped some of my thinking about the church. In particular I find myself struggling to frame the call of God with the accretion of structures we've inherited over the centuries. I've recently been reading a book called "The Ruin of the Roman Empire". Here are some excerpts:

".. before Constantine .. Christianities were everywhere, but a force to be reckoned with nowhere. I use the surprising plural "Christianities" to speak of this religious movement .. Yet, by 395 .. Theodosius 1 left behind .. an empire-wide leadership of Christian bishops and their wealthy supporters and associates. Christianity flourished, was privileged, and did its business. In cities all over the empire, bishops and wealthy Christians took decisive control."

I can remember hearing a Waldensian friend named Franco Giampiccoli quoting French philosopher Paul Ricoeur as he spoke to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Turin about the dangers Christians in the use of power in the world. (Italian Bishops had just instructed the faithful not to vote in a recent election.)

It seems to me that the church has been afflicted time and again by the temptations to power. As a Presbyterian in the United States I must confess this as vigorously as any other Christian in power. I've been fascinated to read about how long and deep this assertion of unwieldly power has hindered our witness and distanced ourselve from the wandering Galilean.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Peter, Primacy, Commitment and Communion

Shortly I will be at the funeral mass of a friend whose Father has died and gone ahead to the church triumphant. Over time, he and have talked about the way that believers put "fences" around the Lord's table. So at this pastoral moment, all of those conversations will converge in a very personal way.

At the same time, I am reading the remarks (as it turns out, some of the last public remarks he offered) of Avery Cardinal Dulle, S.J. that were offered in June, 2007 at the 50th anniversary conference of the Faith and Order Commission at Oberlin, Ohio. It was both a retrospective and prospective conversation about Christian unity. I don't have time here to cover all that interests me about the paper, but there is conversation about the role of primacy (important especially for Roman Catholics and other communions that cherish the role of bishops). I am praying my way through (as a Presbyterian) the way that primacy is a gift to the church.

At the same time, I concluded a mens' small group bible study this morning examining texts surrounding Peter. We began with the text in which Peter names Jesus as Messiah, proclaiming a commitment that had not previously been voiced. It is at this point that Jesus says, "Peter you are rock" and on rock I shall build the church. It is my reading that the rock in question is not the particular person, Peter, but rather the commitment (the leap) that Peter made. Upon commitment such as that, the church is built and depends.

We say that the Lord's Supper is a foretaste of the great banquet to come. Who presides at the table? (I recently returned from Rome where I viewed the supposed tomb of Peter under the altar at the center of St. Peter's in the Vatican.) What is the rock upon which the table is placed? Is it not a shame that we all must wait for the church triumphant until we finally feast together in unity?

I long for that day.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Expanding the conversations

Today I had an interesting meeting with planners for The Emergent Theological Conversation who are considering holding a fall gathering at our church. I'm starting to understand the way in which there can be a convergence between the faith conversations I hold at home, church, in Presbytery, on WorshipLife.net, in the Faith and Order Commission, and in my relationships with Waldensians around the world. Life usually moves a little too fast for these conversations to be recorded via keyboard. However, I'm going to make an effort and discover how the conversations will grow. Peace to all, friends!