Sabbatical over...mystified emerging/missional musing

Faith can't be taught; faith can only be caught. The environment where people are living a faith life, openly trusting in God and one another, is where real faith is tossed back and forth. Children who grow up in that kind of environment where faith is being tossed around, where a faith vision is being celebrated and the invisible is taken seriously, naturally receive the gift of faith.

Real faith is too real to ignore. If a person is teaching religion without offering some faith to catch, then teaching religion is largely a waste of time. It becomes an immunization against the real thing.

(Richard Rohr, Radical Grace: Daily Meditations)

Well the sabbatical is pretty much over. It has been a time to process, reflect, read and pray...to look back and look ahead. This space really grew out of finding myself in a similar transitional place 5-6 years ago. I found myself thinking differently, and in conversations outside of what I was hearing in many faith communities. Talking to Jordon Cooper, and Brian McLaren at the Shifting Realities Conference brought me closer to the " emerging conversation." For six years I have followed it, and engaged it. The conversation has always been open. It has made us look at worship, it has stretched the limits of theological thinking all in the context of the post modern or post-post modern culture we find ourselves. The conversation seems to have stalled.

I'm reminded of Kester Brewin's words in the perface of the " Complex Christ ", " It is my prayer that as we come to what might be a difficult age in this ' emerging conversation ', we may not give up trying, but make those decisions we know are difficult; it is my deepest fear that we may look back in the future with sadness and realize we didn't grasp this opportunity."

A quote from Chesterton, exhorts us to pursue something greater, " It is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, rather it has been found too difficult and left untried."

The emerging/missional conversation is not the " be all and end all ", but it engages us in the more difficult and untried. This goes well beyond the trendy lingo of " post modern culture " to a world that teeters on the brink of destruction. If the Christian faith can offer nothing more than the " heaven or hell " option...it will continue to ignored. 

A " christianity " that looks on and sees itself outside of everything else and interested only in " man " will continue to be a disconnect in peoples lives.

During my sabbatical I spent time in the works of Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas of Aquinas. In theology classes we spent little time exploring the early christian mystics. It seemed there wisdom was to be shoved into the far recesses away from modern and post modern christianity. Why???, and could there wisdom spark the imagination today, and engage us in the reality of a cosmic salvation and redemption. One that was about all creation not just the " souls " of man. 

More than ever I am convinced redemption is about " All " creation, a new creation, a new earth, the reign of the Kingdom of God. It is not this mere miniscule christianity that offers heaven or hell.

From reading the early christian mystics one thing started to become glaringly clear. It was that of  " theosis ", the divinization of all creatures, the transfiguration of the world, the idea of a cosmic salvation and not the idea of a personal salvation...of it " all " being just about " me ." The Kingdom of God, is the reign of Christ over everything, the transfiguration of the world, a universal resurrection, a new heaven and a new earth.

This is the real context of our faith ( read Colossians 1:15-21 ). How do we see christianity in that? How do we live our faith out, lived out in those words...and in the world around us?

Sooooo...I'm back. Refreshed and hopefully with words to stimulate conversation and faith. I continue to follow and engage myself in the emerging/ missional conversation. Above all, I pray that when all is said and done, that we will have done more than we have said...that it just hasn't been talk. But, that we have encouraged each other to practice a faith that truly engages every aspect of creation...that we build the Kingdom of God, preparing the way for the reign of Christ.

Comments

[brad grinnen]

glad you're back ron.

[jim]

Don't know as I wouldn't like to have a cup of coffee over a long discussion about much of what you say here, Ron; but, as already noted, it's just good to have you back. I find in you a heart hungry for Him in all that He is; and that speaks to my heart. Peace, buddy...

[wilsonian]

Yay, yay, yay :) Glad to find you here.

I've been picking up 'The Cloud' and St. Teresa lately. I've also been wondering why there are so few female writers on Christian spirituality??

Paige Hughes

[ron cole]

Great question Paige considering the incredible depth of spiritual writing in the 11th to 14th century...if you have the opportunity to read some of the writing of Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Jeanne Guyon. Through their words, they paint an image of Christ that is breathtaking...such truth wrapped in mystery. I'm hoping to share a bit of their writing in the coming weeks..

[ron cole]

As always Jim, thanks for the incouragement...coffee and conversation with you would be sweet. Who knows, I may be down in Houston for about a month next year, so on a weekend just maybe...coffee. Anyways, Love ya brother.

[ron cole]

Brad, Erin...thanks for your visits and encouragement. Peace, Ron+

[steward84]

Hi, wanted to add a belated welcome back and add an "amen" to your comments about the cosmological significance of Christ's redemptive work. The gospel is surely more than anthropocentric "sin management" - just how big can the miracle get? Just how big is the universe? Have you read Matthew Fox's "In Search of the Cosmic Christ", in which he references the early Christian mystics? The book is slow going in places but worth a look as he argues for the cosmological significance and symbolism of what Christ has done. I truly feel that such a limitless view of Christ's redemption is sorely needed, that the old "heaven or hell" dichotomy is too limited and used up and appeals to fewer and fewer people. Again, great to see you posting again, Ron!