Here is a large excerpt from a letter I wrote to our community yesterday. I thought it might be interesting to some in the wider blogosphere. Have fun!
Yesterday a college student came to interview me for a paper she's writing in a class. She wanted to talk about Vine & Branches, as an "emerging church" and what we do and why. Liz and I sat down with her over coffee at the house for about an hour. Good conversation. Nothing spectacular, just good.
Whenever you are asked particular questions about what you're doing and the whys behind it, etc., it makes you think. That little interview made me think and have to succinctly answer questions about who we are and why we do what we do. It's very helpful to have to do that from time to time. It was a positive thing.
We talked about what our purpose is as a church - basically, why do we exist. I had to stop and think when she asked me. I said: "To be that which facilitates the formation of people into the Image of Christ." That's it. And I said, "whatever we do or don't do takes that purpose into consideration - whether something helps or hurts our formation into His Image." So, we don't have a liturgical structure because it's cool, we do it because it's formational. We don't pray the Office or encourage one another to pray the Office because it's this new hot thing that emerging churches are doing. We do it because it's a tried and tested spiritual discipline that helps build us into new Creatures over the long-haul.
That long-haul for us, too, is huge. It's one of our central principles of spiritual formation. We talk about it constantly. I try to remind us all that this is how it works as much as possible. Basically, change takes a long time. The things that have to happen inside us in order for us to truly be transformed into a new kind of person are involved, to say the least, and we are constantly trying to be honest about that. In my role, as "father" of the community, it would be irresponsible for me to tell you anything different, or to present to you some kind of quick-fix spirituality option. None of us should offer it to each other. It might feel loving but ultimately, it's not.
We also talked a bit about the pastoral role and how it functions. I mentioned how I am part of the community and not just "over" it. Even though, sure, we have leadership and I lead, spiritual parenthood, etc., we don't use that as a reason to separate the leader from the community or from real relationships inside the community. Also, I mentioned my philosophy of ministry which involves being a bit more passive than the traditional notion of a pastor - not trying to solve everyone's problems. And I won't. I can't. Sometimes, I'd like to say a lot of things, but I know, taking all things into consideration, it would not be for the real benefit of the person to say them at that time. So I keep my mouth shut. Certainly there are times to say things, and I pray I will do that when needed, that we all will, but simply because you know something or it comes to mind, does not mean it should be said.
Those are some things that are probably fairly common among many of you who may read this. I thought it might be helpful, even if just to say who we are for those who are interested. You may have some common ground. Pax vobiscum.
"Then, if we cannot as yet think alike in all things, at least we may love alike. Herein we cannot possibly do amiss." John Wesley
"Keep your eyes on the crucifix, for Jesus without the cross
is a man without a mission, and the cross without Jesus
is a burden without a reliever." Fulton J. Sheen
"...I am deeply convinced that the Christian leader of the future is called to be
completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self." Henri Nouwen
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