I've enjoyed this class so very much. It has pushed me and stretched my thinking in so many ways (which will be detailed in my final paper).
When I signed up for this class, I had certain expectations about what I'd end up writing about for my final paper. Writing that final paper is the reason I took this class actually. I wanted to be challenged to think through what kind of church I'd want to start. I have been so challenged this quarter, but I've also received so much more. I've been called to a more daring way to church plant. I've been called to dying and discernment. I've been called to a deeper understanding of what church is and how I can be a part of it.
This has been a wonderful class, and I am very sorry to see it end.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Class Reflection - 12/01/09
I get to miss two reflections, and I haven't missed any, so though I was in class on Tuesday and enjoyed it immensely, I will not be writing a reflection for December 1.
The New Conspirators by Tom Sine
Chapter 1 - Emerging, Missional, Mosaic, and Monastic
Sine identifies four areas of new, imaginative church growth in the Western world: emerging, missional, mosaic, and monastic communities.
Emerging communities, according to Sine, are groups offering a post-modern critique of both culture and church.
Missional communities are groups of people concerned with rethinking the way we do mission and with doing mission in the Western world. (This is the one I kind of like the most.)
Mosaic communities are groups with a distinct multiethnic makeup.
Monastic communities are groups participating in revised ancient monastic practices in current contexts.
Sine contends that we would do well to look at and celebrate what these "on the edge" communities are doing.
Chapter 2 - Coming Home to a Post-9/11 Global Neighborhood
9/11 changed our world, but the world was already moving that direction anyway. We live in a globally interactive and influenced society.
Chapter 3 - Coming Home to the Good Life of the Global Mall
The consumer culture is the dominant myth that shapes our world. As the world becomes more globally connected, the Western norms of individualism and consumption are being exported around the world. Christians need to realize that this is the empire we should be subverting.
Chapter 4 - Coming Home to the Good Life of God
The Good News is that the goodness of God is alive and growing now. Ours is not simply an ethereal, heavenly future away from here. Our prayer and our working is toward a kingdom coming on earth.
Chapter 5 - Another World that is Already Here
This view of the kingdom of God is Biblically based.
Chapter 6 - Coming Home to a Transformed Human Future
We need to take seriously the world we live in - the evil, the judgement, that God is active in this world, and the better way God has for us to live.
Chapter 7 - Taking the Future Seriously
We need to think with intention about the direction our communities and the world are heading.
Chapter 8 - Traveling Together on a Ship of Fools
There are three main economic strata of the people of the world - the rich, the vulnerable middle, and the poor - and each group faces particular challenges in this global society.
Chapter 9 - Challenges Facing the Global Rich
The wealthy are getting wealthier and need to be challenged to better care for the poor.
Chapter 10 - Challenges Facing the Vulnerable Middle
The middle class is facing increasing pressures to both become more wealthy and to not slip suddenly into poverty. Debt is rising, housing costs are rising, education costs are rising, health care costs are rising, and the general cost of living is rising.
This is particularly difficult for those just starting out. The cost of education and housing have risen forty times in the past forty years, while common salaries have only increased seven or eight times.
The middle class, and especially those just starting out, need to imagine new ways of living that don't necessarily coincide with the dominant cultural expectations of a single family house on its own piece of land. We need to live a bit more communally in a way that both better works in this world and that better reflects the values of the new reality of Christ.
Chapter 11 - Challenges Facing the Western Poor
As the wealthy are largely getting wealthier, the poor are falling further and further behind. We need to imagine ways to support and release the imaginations of the poor.
Chapter 12 - Challenges Facing the Global Poor
The global economy doesn't work well for those with no resources. We need to seek more just ways of dealing economically. We need to work to end poverty.
Chapter 13 - Challenges Facing an Endangered Church
People are more and more picking and choosing the elements of their faith, like making a playlist on iTunes, and the normal churches as a whole are losing people. (This is particularly likely to result in a great decrease in mission funding by the Western church.) The church is growing in the non-Western world, and we need to partner with it.
Chapter 14 - Reimagining the World that is Already Here
We need to constantly remember where our hope lies, what our story is, and we need to live into that story well. We need to think up new ways of announcing that new reality. We need to celebrate that new reality well as well, and we need to do all of this one person and one day at a time.
Chapter 15 - Reimagining Whole Life Stewardship
We need to look at our time and money and every decision as things to give to Christ. We need to be good stewards of our lives.
Chapter 16 - Reimagining Whole-Life Community
We need to think up better ways to let the church - God's people - define out lives.
Chapter 17 - Reimagining Whole-Life Mission
We need to orient our lives around proclaiming the new reality of Christ. We need to first ask how we get to be a part of what God is doing, and then we need to redefine our entire lives around that mission.
Chapter 18 - Joining the Entrepreneurial Edge
There are all sorts of people already living in this new reality. We need to listen to their stories and be inspired to join in.
Sine identifies four areas of new, imaginative church growth in the Western world: emerging, missional, mosaic, and monastic communities.
Emerging communities, according to Sine, are groups offering a post-modern critique of both culture and church.
Missional communities are groups of people concerned with rethinking the way we do mission and with doing mission in the Western world. (This is the one I kind of like the most.)
Mosaic communities are groups with a distinct multiethnic makeup.
Monastic communities are groups participating in revised ancient monastic practices in current contexts.
Sine contends that we would do well to look at and celebrate what these "on the edge" communities are doing.
Chapter 2 - Coming Home to a Post-9/11 Global Neighborhood
9/11 changed our world, but the world was already moving that direction anyway. We live in a globally interactive and influenced society.
Chapter 3 - Coming Home to the Good Life of the Global Mall
The consumer culture is the dominant myth that shapes our world. As the world becomes more globally connected, the Western norms of individualism and consumption are being exported around the world. Christians need to realize that this is the empire we should be subverting.
Chapter 4 - Coming Home to the Good Life of God
The Good News is that the goodness of God is alive and growing now. Ours is not simply an ethereal, heavenly future away from here. Our prayer and our working is toward a kingdom coming on earth.
Chapter 5 - Another World that is Already Here
This view of the kingdom of God is Biblically based.
Chapter 6 - Coming Home to a Transformed Human Future
We need to take seriously the world we live in - the evil, the judgement, that God is active in this world, and the better way God has for us to live.
Chapter 7 - Taking the Future Seriously
We need to think with intention about the direction our communities and the world are heading.
Chapter 8 - Traveling Together on a Ship of Fools
There are three main economic strata of the people of the world - the rich, the vulnerable middle, and the poor - and each group faces particular challenges in this global society.
Chapter 9 - Challenges Facing the Global Rich
The wealthy are getting wealthier and need to be challenged to better care for the poor.
Chapter 10 - Challenges Facing the Vulnerable Middle
The middle class is facing increasing pressures to both become more wealthy and to not slip suddenly into poverty. Debt is rising, housing costs are rising, education costs are rising, health care costs are rising, and the general cost of living is rising.
This is particularly difficult for those just starting out. The cost of education and housing have risen forty times in the past forty years, while common salaries have only increased seven or eight times.
The middle class, and especially those just starting out, need to imagine new ways of living that don't necessarily coincide with the dominant cultural expectations of a single family house on its own piece of land. We need to live a bit more communally in a way that both better works in this world and that better reflects the values of the new reality of Christ.
Chapter 11 - Challenges Facing the Western Poor
As the wealthy are largely getting wealthier, the poor are falling further and further behind. We need to imagine ways to support and release the imaginations of the poor.
Chapter 12 - Challenges Facing the Global Poor
The global economy doesn't work well for those with no resources. We need to seek more just ways of dealing economically. We need to work to end poverty.
Chapter 13 - Challenges Facing an Endangered Church
People are more and more picking and choosing the elements of their faith, like making a playlist on iTunes, and the normal churches as a whole are losing people. (This is particularly likely to result in a great decrease in mission funding by the Western church.) The church is growing in the non-Western world, and we need to partner with it.
Chapter 14 - Reimagining the World that is Already Here
We need to constantly remember where our hope lies, what our story is, and we need to live into that story well. We need to think up new ways of announcing that new reality. We need to celebrate that new reality well as well, and we need to do all of this one person and one day at a time.
Chapter 15 - Reimagining Whole Life Stewardship
We need to look at our time and money and every decision as things to give to Christ. We need to be good stewards of our lives.
Chapter 16 - Reimagining Whole-Life Community
We need to think up better ways to let the church - God's people - define out lives.
Chapter 17 - Reimagining Whole-Life Mission
We need to orient our lives around proclaiming the new reality of Christ. We need to first ask how we get to be a part of what God is doing, and then we need to redefine our entire lives around that mission.
Chapter 18 - Joining the Entrepreneurial Edge
There are all sorts of people already living in this new reality. We need to listen to their stories and be inspired to join in.
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