In a sort of continuation of thought from my previous posts " Emergence Under Pressure...in your church ", and " Cha-Cha Changes ...defining moment ", I look at faith communities as a living organism in complex body.
To look at transformational change in a new emerging culture we need to look at faith communities as a complex living organism...rather than an institution constructed of rigid inflexible structures. But, that is not to say a life giving and life breathing organism such as a faith community does not have some kind of pattern, process and structure. ( 1 Corinthians 12 )
It's in this transformational process we develop realtionship, and identity...in this web of communal life we discover all is interwoven and interdependant. The structures become more fluid, more focused on the present moment and future. So here is some thoughts on what that might look like...
A Constant of evolving and renewing...
If we look at God's creation we observe that the natural world is continually evolving and renewing. This is a basic principle, a law built into creation...that nature constantly reflects this truth...that without this principle there is no life. What are the implications for faith communities?
Transformation and cyclical processes...
In the web of life living organisms continously exchange matter and energy and what is waste for an organism is food for another. The " CHURCH " this massive living body is made up of an incredible complex and diverse network of organisms...that is constantly going through seasons and change. That nothing should be wasted...that we share a common Life...that energy and matter are exchanged ( tradition, stories and journey ). We learn from each others successes and failures.
Interdependence...
All living systems are interconnected and the success or the health of any given organism is dependant on the health of the larger related whole. The " Church " must nourish all of its realtionships among all of its members. Jesus prayer, the prayer that still waits to be answered " That they would be one, as We are one."
Partnership...
The " Church " and faith communities need to be aware of there interdependance, we need to cooperate with each other in order to coexist. We need to be bold enough to form partnerships with emerging/missional ventures on the fringe...even those outside our denominational lines. Remember it is about the larger related whole, rather than the individual organism. It is about the Kingdom, and sharing the wealth of the Kingdom. It isn't about Darwinian Theory and survival of the fittest...that counters the reality of the Kingdom.
Diversity and Discrimination...
One of my fears of the Missional/Emerging church is the preception life is composed of separate parts and can be exploited apart from the larger related whole. In the web of natural life, every living organism ( faith community ) is important to the welfare of the whole, and they don't look down on each other. We must recognize that the most important elements of creativity and life are our differences and diversity. Life does not happen from cloning what works...it usually leads to something quite cancerous.
Leadership, flat structures...
Create leadership structures that are not authoritarian...rather than heavy handed control, a communal leadership that is in service and serves one another. Physicist, Fritjof Capra asks, "How do we facilitate emergence?" He responds...
"You will facilitate emergence by creating a learning culture, by encouraging continual questioning and rewarding innovation. In other words, leadership means creating conditions, rather than giving directions.
"Above all, facilitating emergence means building up and nurturing a network of conversations with feedback loops. The first step toward this goal might be loosening the designed structures and thereby creating more flexibility.
"Another important aspect is creating an emotional climate that is conducive to emergence. This means a climate of warmth, mutual support, and trust; but also a climate of passion with plenty of opportunities for celebration.
"Finally, we need to realize that not all emergent solutions are viable. Therefore, a culture fostering emergence must include the freedom to make mistakes. In such a culture, experimentation is encouraged, and learning is valued as much as success."
Ron,
This post is rich with good thoughts. Each of your points could be delved into much deeper. I am enjoying your posts on transition and change and look forward to following your thoughts on this.
Posted by: grace | May 19, 2007 at 06:48 AM