Peripatetics: The Art of Walking
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
Again, since I didn't get to hear Katherine in Sunday School, I'll just be using quotes from stuff I'm reading. Again, this is from Brian McLaren, but this time it's from his book "The Church On The Other Side":
"In the modern world we could wield a proposition like a sword and a concept like a hammer. In the postmodern world we have to hold a mystery like a lover, and a story like a child.
We need to tell our own stories: unedited, unsanitized, rough and lumpy, not squeezed into a formula. Should we be cross with postmoderns for feeling that stories are the best conveyers of truth? Looking at the Bible, it appears that God migh be post-modern in that respect, too!
In part, this means being more honest--with ourselves and with postmoderns. Our doubts, failures, fears, problems, embarrassments, and confessions have tremendous apologetic and pastoral value in a postmodern world. They illustrate 'truth' in its postmodern form of honesty, authenticity, transparency."
Don't worry about the words "modern" and "postmodern" the author uses. Simply put, he's using "modern" to mean the generation that makes decisions in the church (the older folks) and "postmodern" to mean the generation coming up in the church (say, 25 and under).
The question for today is do you really want adults to be honest, authentic and transparent with YOU? Would you like to hear their honest stories about their spiritual life? If so, what are some ways we could arrange that? If not, what would make you uncomfortable about it?
Brent 6:19 AM
Comments:
I think the awkwardness of a situation where adults share "unedited" stories of their spiritual growth is something we could totally overcome. If the old saying is true that we learn from past mistakes, then why not embrace it? And what better a situation than one where adult's past struggles can help teach us "postmoderns" through experience? And as far as arrangement goes, we just need to find adults who would be honest and transparent about their mistakes; I think the rest would fall into place, as far as an audience and topic of discussion goes.
i agree... i wish that it was normal already to hear the non-sugar coated stories of spirtiual growth from our parents and other brothers and sisters in Christ. it seems that a lot of people want to hear it... and i think a lot of adults would be thrilled to share... but who's gonna go first?
Bailey, Keila, Melissa -
I would love to get together and talk with you. Let's figure out a time and place. Bailey, you know me. You've babysat my sons. (Just so you know I'm not some total stranger) We can IM or meet for coffee.
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I would love to get together and talk with you. Let's figure out a time and place. Bailey, you know me. You've babysat my sons. (Just so you know I'm not some total stranger) We can IM or meet for coffee.