Sometimes I think of our church family as journeying together in a hot air balloon. That would be fine, but we’re making our journey in the midst of a storm! There are all kinds of crosswinds that seek to push us off our path, there are obstacles below that would snag us and drag us down, perhaps there are other balloons that are hostile, or that try to convince us that things are sunnier and safer on a different flight path. There are a few problems with this metaphor, but more about that some other time...
Perhaps you find yourself often wondering Who are we? Where are we? Where are we going, and How do we get there? I ask these questions often. I find that I don’t experience hope, purpose, or a sense of significance if I don’t have some sense of how to answer these fundamental questions. We need to think about them, talk about them, explore them.
I hope that the articles in the Abbeydale Insight will help us do this during the next year. I (and possibly a few others) will be writing an article each month around these themes. The following is a preliminary outline of the articles to come in the next year or so:
Who Are We?
1. The Church as the Community of the Resurrection
2. The Church as a Peculiar People
3. The Church as First Family
Where Are We?
1. The Religion of the Consumer
2. The Challenge of Pluralism
3. A Culture of Spiritual Hunger
Where are We Going, and How do We Get There?
1. Shalom and the New Creation
2. Forming a Christian Imagination
3. In the Meantime: God’s Power in Our Weakness
4. In the Meantime: Faithfulness and the Way of the Cross
5. Fool’s Hope: The Resurrection of the Dead
I hope that the articles in this series will be starting points of conversation, not end points. In other words, I hope they get you thinking and talking instead of just offering easy answers that have a short shelf life! Besides, I’m lousy at answers. If what you read gets you thinking, feel free to join the conversation here by leaving comments, questions, critiques, etc.
Here's one question I'd love your perspective on: In what ways is the image of church as a hot-air balloon journeying through a storm NOT accurate?
Looking Forward,
Pastor David
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2 comments:
Well, as for accuracy, as I see it.. as any hot-air balloon pilot would tell you.. as soon as a storm brews, you get that balloon grounded immediatly. You never try to fly through it. So in a way, a church should work it's way through the tough times. Not avoid it or get under it ASAP.
Just my thought. ^_^
I read your recent "Insight" article (Oct 8th) and hoped to see it here. I couldn't find it, but this article makes some similar points. Viewing consumerism as religion is something I have thought of. What is puzzling to me is where to draw the line. Cel phones give a good illustration. Michelle has had a cel since before we met. I never got one as I saw it as an unnecessary expense. I now have one (but still don't know how unnecessary it is). Michelle got propositioned to add a partner phone at a reduced rate and reduced calling charges between phones. It seemed like a good idea at the time to her. The thing is that they get you locked into a contract which means guaranteed income for the cel provider. On the flip side there is the potential of having the phone close by in the event of an emergency. I can say a cel has limited my own suffering in an emergency. The cel providers always seem to find a way to stick it to you with all kinds of hidden charges. Just try to call from outside Alberta on your cel. If I was a single person, I would consider not having a land line so I could simply have the convenience of a cel phone.
Having a cel in our society has become sort of "normal". Is it required? No! It certainly is an expense, much like a car is. We by into technology because we believe it will somehow make life easier. I can save time through some of the technology I use, but it comes at a cost financially so that means working more to pay for such things. I think of the frog being boiled to death in hot water because it can't tell that the water is getting hotter. We are often blinded by the normalcy of technology in our culture.
I realize this does not answer the conundrum we find ourselves in. I don't see how scripture speaks to this issue except to say it is a false idol. Maybe I am missing the point. I need to know what a practical response is to materialism. It becomes the soup we swim in. I often ponder how we may be finding ourselves at the mercy of some greedy individuals in a room somewhere scheming how they will squeeze another dollar out of the average working stiff.
My convoluted thoughts
Perry
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