Happy New Year

Happy New Year To All:

I am really kind of wondering where people are at with committment to posting to the blog. I know everyone has been crazy busy but I would like to see more diveristy in hte posting. I don't want to be the only one.

Please think about it as we begin the new year.

Ruth

Holiday musings

I have  no idea whether it is my turn to post a gain but since there aren't others clammoring to do so , I will .( what a run-on sentence).

First of all I want to  wish everyone a blessed holiday season. There are many occasions to gather with  friends, congregations, members of other faith traditions and our families( biological or  created).  As we venture what some  Christians celebrate as Advent we are reminded that it is a season of expectation- of waiting and watching. A season of  believing in those things whose form we may not be able to see.

Remember that throughout our faith traditions we are constantly told that things may not be as they seem through our earthly eyes. We are called to mystery, confusion and joy in equal parts throughout our lives.

My hope for the new year is that we can become more accountable to taking time out of our otherwise busy lives to post here as we are able.  I  would  like to see an honest open discussion of what we are called to  do with the  knowledge that the  message of our faiths is  alive in each one of us. We have the responsibility to make the changes we hope to see.

If we shake our heads and  fingers at the  institution that is only half of the battle- God provides us with  glimpses of Wisdom so we can do something about them- not only discuss them and preach to the  choir but to enter into a personal dialogue with what such information is  calling forth from the depths of our hearts and souls.

We are called to community- not  a self-protecting individual exegesis of what Wisdom might mean. There is  evil in the world( perhaps not where may think it is) but it not just individuals making bad choices. It is the collective actions that we as faith communities take or don't take. There are  collective sins  and the only way to respond to them is to collectively choose to  do things another way.

Enough Preaching

Peace and Grace

Ruth

Transformation

While I am new to this blog, I am not that new to all things emergent. My journey in becoming part of the emergent conversation began roughly three years ago, during my transition from seminary into serving as a solo pastor of a small PC(USA) congregation in Cedar Rapids.

As a pastor, I was privileged earlier this week to get away for a 48 hour spiritual retreat put on by the Transforming Center. The retreat centered on the sacred rhythms of solitude and silence, just two of a number of rhythms essential for Christian leaders to develop in order to maintain any level of 'success' in ministry.

One theme that kept cropping up during the two days was the hostility of the church, as an organization, to the spiritual life and the general well being of its leaders. Part of the blame can be laid on leaders for not taking care of themselves, but part of the blame can just as equally be laid on the church for demanding so much of its leaders.

During our discussion, we looked at a number of issues in the modern church that contribute to this reality. When all was said and done, I came away thinking that the emergent conversation has a leg up on tackling some of these issues:

• Seeing ourselves and others as human "doers" instead of as human "beings."
  
• Spinning a situation to 'protect' someone's interest vs. telling the truth about how things really are.
  
• Doing what is practical and expedient vs. doing what promotes right relationships and love.
  
• Favoring measurable goals (baptisms, attendance, cash) vs. engaging in spiritual transformation.
• Maintaining the organization vs. creating a true community.
• Promoting an easy discipleship process vs. involving ourselves in the mystery and messiness of spiritual transformation.

A lot of these issues are systemic to our churches. They will require that at some point we as leaders directly challenge them. But, in what may seem like a catch-22, we won't be able to take on those issues if we don't commit ourselves to do whatever it takes to care for our own souls.

Are we going to keep posting in rotation

Are we going to start the rotation again or can I continue to drone on?

Blown away by Frank Viola

I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about the concepts discussed in Pagan christianity to check out his web page and to listen to the talks he gave to the 2007 and 2008 Dallas conferences.

He seems to have a good head on his shoulders and the narrative he gives to the story of the Samaritan woman at the Well brought me to tears.

Peace and grace
Ruth