Crystal Clear

I was recently introduced to some terms about types of churches and a potential shift that is occurring: from attractional => missional => incarnational.

The church I attend has been very explicit about being missional. I live in an intentional community that is trying to be incarnational. But I don’t really know what this all means, nor what it will mean for the structure of church in the future.

So, I’m glad others are writing and thinking deeply about this. Read on:

http://www.simplechurchjournal.com/2005/08/incarnational_v.html

http://adamfeldman.typepad.com/adamfeldman/2005/05/tsottc_2.html

http://www.theforgottenways.org/blog/2007/03/29/the-attractional-v-missional-debate/

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I long for a simple life.

My context right now is working for a fairly big organization that does development work in 25+ countries, has supporters in 1000+/- churches, and that I try to facilitate meaningful cross-cultural long term relationships. My context is also a multi-site church in transition trying to determine appropriate structures and policies. My context is an emerging intentional community throwing around words like incarnational. My context is complex family relationships. My context is a constantly upwardly spiraling technological world.

What does longing for a simple life really, actually mean? That desire is not even a simple one!

I can start with simple speech.

I can add in simple consumption.

But for my work, church, community, family and world, is it possible to have simple structures? I don’t know if small can be effective. Can you accomplish big strategic things while remaining simple? I don’t know if big can also be simple.

I feel like I’m in a wrestling ring, blindfolded. Not sure what I’m gripping or pushing at, not sure with whom I’m struggling.

Becoming a hermit withdraws from the complexities to create simplicity. The problem is Jesus calls us to still be in the world. He also promises that his yoke is easy (simple?) and his burden is light.

Perhaps I’m carrying the wrong burdens. But I also don’t think the answer will end up being that simple.

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While in Africa, I heard a lot about food security. A family has food security if they are able to grow enough food to feed themselves the entire year, even through the lean dry season.

I read about the UK and their desire to be able to grow enough food within the country to feed everyone, especially as transport costs and carbon emissions are now a big issue.

I think that Canada as an entire country could grow enough food to feed everyone in it. But the country is so big, with grains being grown in the west, and fruits and vegetables in BC and Ontario mostly, which would mean there are still significant transport issues.

Most people are currently food secure to purchase their food, but each of us is nowhere close to having the ability to grow enough for our own families. Maybe Canada isn’t so ‘developed’ after all.

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I’ve become a fan of pithy, memorable sayings.

My husband always likes them, and is quite decent at creating them. So when he wanted to do the same to capture what our community is about, I didn’t have a problem with it.

While we’ve been in Amsterdam, we’ve been staying with our friend in her community, and I was explaining to someone here how our community got started. At the end, he asked the why question: “So why are you doing all of this?”

So I used our pithy saying: Know, Show, Grow. And it was great, really great. It was easy for me to remember, and I could elaborate on each word, which meant I ended up with a decent description of our purpose and vision.

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