Theology that shapes us
So I finally ran across something that is making me stop and think in Jones' new book, "The New Christians". It is nothing horribly new or out of the ordinary, it was just one of those things that made me think AHA! this would be an interesting conversation moving forward.
He was talking about the flawed theologies of the left and the right, I haven't read Wallis' book on that, but I bet he has some good things to say as well, anyway, it got me to thinking about our gatherings and how we could look at the way we see our own Theology and how it has driven us to the point we are at today.
I have to imagine our particular context, just as it would be anywhere else, is unique, there are unique things about who we are and how we believe, just as there are many things that are not all that unique. So I would ask the question, I guess, what theologies have been shaping and forming our arrival to this point, and could we begin to see them in a way that would allow us to reframe them and respond with abundance, energy and love?
The stuff that really got me was the contingent God, that God's actions are not contingent upon human activity. I love that, and like I said, nothing crazy new, but how many of us preach that when we are tired and not able to reframe the questions and idea that come to us, is that a default perspective when we teach, how many of us, clergy AND LAITY, have identified this same sort of theology in how we interpret our Baptismal Covenant, for instance. God is at work in the world, right, do we believe that, and then, do we believe that God can act without our permission?
In our next meeting, after Michele and Wendy return, we should, there I go with should's, let me ask then, instead: May we gather and explore our ideas and experiences of the different theologies that have moved us into the place we are at now and identify those that we want to take with us and those we want to reform and those we want to leave behind? Might be for a fun conversation, and I think it would help Michele and I as we imagine how we move forward with our church plant ideas...
Thanks All!
Aron
He was talking about the flawed theologies of the left and the right, I haven't read Wallis' book on that, but I bet he has some good things to say as well, anyway, it got me to thinking about our gatherings and how we could look at the way we see our own Theology and how it has driven us to the point we are at today.
I have to imagine our particular context, just as it would be anywhere else, is unique, there are unique things about who we are and how we believe, just as there are many things that are not all that unique. So I would ask the question, I guess, what theologies have been shaping and forming our arrival to this point, and could we begin to see them in a way that would allow us to reframe them and respond with abundance, energy and love?
The stuff that really got me was the contingent God, that God's actions are not contingent upon human activity. I love that, and like I said, nothing crazy new, but how many of us preach that when we are tired and not able to reframe the questions and idea that come to us, is that a default perspective when we teach, how many of us, clergy AND LAITY, have identified this same sort of theology in how we interpret our Baptismal Covenant, for instance. God is at work in the world, right, do we believe that, and then, do we believe that God can act without our permission?
In our next meeting, after Michele and Wendy return, we should, there I go with should's, let me ask then, instead: May we gather and explore our ideas and experiences of the different theologies that have moved us into the place we are at now and identify those that we want to take with us and those we want to reform and those we want to leave behind? Might be for a fun conversation, and I think it would help Michele and I as we imagine how we move forward with our church plant ideas...
Thanks All!
Aron
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Permalink Reply by susan moss on -
Aron: I like your idea for our next meeting. It fits with the process of adaptive change. What to maintain, what to discard, what to change...in Anglican terms...what are the essentials and the non essentials;what are the fundamentals, what are the accessories?
I have been reading 'Quest for the Living God: Mapping Frontiers in the Theology of God" by Elizabeth Johnson. She describes 9 different theological lenses including hispanic---the accompanying God of Fiesta. Here's an example of what's shaping my relationship with Spanish speaking Christians:
"The God who Accompanies: Unlike the inadequate idea of God in modern theism that prevails in major portions of U.S. society, the glimpses of God caught in Hispanic communities are rich in immanence and relationship. This is a God who is "with" people, sustaining and strengthening them wherever they go, especially in the midst of "la lucha" [the struggle].the people relate not to a metaphysical reality or to a distant diety but toa personal and communal God of great compassion. Experiencing the Creator of heaven and earth as a loving and affectionate friend...this protective, supportive Holy One walks everyday with the community..." p. 142-143
Susan
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