Part 2 Hope and change

Ξ April 10th, 2008 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Cultural Architect Stuff |

Part 2
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The basics:

•    Everyone desires relationship and community (Family)
•    Everyone has the potential to live a transformed life.
•    Everyone can be sensitive to God’s leading and desire for his creation (including other humans)
•    People have started appreciating discussion, over lecture. (most don’t wrestle with lecture anymore, we must allow opportunities to wrestle with the bible and God.

* Everyone desires Hope for THIS life, as well as, in the future (Read N.T. Wright’s Book , Surprised by Hope)

Must stop being Pastor centric, and community centric. (priesthood of all believers, and maybe a few that might not beleive

How to add to or transform the UMC?
*Food
*food
*Food
&
* Love
*Love
*Love

Food=discussion

discussion = relationship

relationship = community

community = kingdom living

now in the polity, we need to make room for Clergy to:

*not be itinerate (sp?) (Not to buck the system or hate the current polity, but to actually fall in love and be effective at ministering to those in their community.)

*not be forced into health plans (We care about the large church and the older pastor, of course, but to just keep the young clergy a part of the UMC health care plan to keep the costs down is ridiculous! We can go find out own jobs and this would be much better stewards for the kingdom when it comes to $)

*allowed to get another job in the communities that they live (Not because we think we would be more effective in ministry as a lay person, but because God is calling us to be a part of the community for the sole purpose of developing relationships that will not allow you to be family unless your in it for the long haul… To truly be a part of the community, allow us to move into the “wrong side of the tracks” for the purpose of bringing the Kingdom into being” and they will see through anything else)

*Maybe a few options for younger clergy in the current UMC polity: lay minister (no one knows what this is, so lets just define it to fit the Emerging passions of clergy) Deacons, are perfect for this opportunity!!!! But we need to allow for these things to occur for Elders as well, because God calls us to the sacraments and for D. mins., so the Polity must make room (not to be thrown away or ignored, but to make room for this expression of Emerging Living, or young clergy will continue to leave the ministry, denomination, etc..)

* count differently

1. Not conversions BUT yes to  conversations (a focus not on professions of faith (ultimately no know knows when someone has a relationship with Christ, they can have the right words, and actions, but it is relationship (I know several people who are married they say they are married, they live like they are, they even have rings to show that they are, but they are ultimately not ins relationship)…. Relationships… must be the key, and

2. we need to start counting how they are passionately living to transform their communities to bring hope, and life to those that are poor and poor in Spirit! Count those that Praxis new Kingdom living in the very communities that they are living in, and have a passionate love for!

3. Kingdom and people centered not pastor centered!!!

*Encourage young clergy and emerging clergy to be sacrificial and actually live like they serve a crucified God, put up with those that force them to look and act like the older expressions of the UMC.

*We need to stop looking at demographics and start looking for people…. Stop putting God in a box, and start looking for God in others… and that goes beyond district and conference lines BTW. If our focus is not on numbers that represent people, but relationships that represent people!!!!

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OK, that ends my rant and thoughts.. they are not complete and they are not thought out… so this desperately needs discussion!  Please know that this is not necessarily a reaction to the frustrations I and others have felt currently, but said and offered for the purpose of bring transformation, reformation, and hope into the future and present of the Kingdom of Christ.