What we're about is moving beyond education as
the primary form of spiritual formation.
Not surprisingly,some people have pointed questions:
They wonder whether what we're doing is a trendy
reaction against the church that will experience
its own backlash in time, or they want to know
whether what we are doing is viable financially
or in areas of church growth.
My answer? "I don't know, and it really doesn't matter
that much to me."
I am increasingly convinced that what matters in our
efforts is our willingness to experiment and try--
to develop expressions of faith that are fully
our day and time, recognizing that
our efforts will be adapted and changed in years to come.
Our role is to do our part in our day and time. It's
not important to me whether someone s still singing our
songs or using our couches 15 years from now (my hope
is that they will sing their own songs and figure out
their own seating.) It's the spirit of exploring, of
seeking, risking that I hope will inspire future
generations. Our duty to those who follow is to
leave a legacy of faith and not particular
programs. While being led by the broader
community of faith, including those who have come
before us, we need to be people of the future--
people whose ways of spiritual formation and life
with God can flex and grow to meet the needs of our
changing world. This adaptability is taken for
granted in our means of communication, modes of
transportation, medical practices, and even our
wardrobe. How much more important it is in
developing our faith!
An excerpt from Doug Pagitt's Reimaging Spiritual Formation.
Watch out for the potholes.
