Prodigal Kiwi(s) Blog

What’s happening in the church in New Zealand?

Alan Jamieson writes – Three events last week have left me wondering about the degree of diversity and change in the church today. On Tuesday (21^st June) Prof. Peter Lineham of Massey University hosted a conference on Church attendance in New Zealand. Drawing on census data, telephone polls and an extensive analysis of the 2001 National Church Life Survey key trends were highlighted.

Here are a few:

• Bringing together four recent telephone polls it would seem around 13% of New Zealanders attend church each week and up to a total of 24% monthly. The Catholic Church represents approximately a third of these attendances.

• There is currently little research on church life in New Zealand and less denominational money is being invested in research.

• The average age of New Zealanders is 38 years. The average age of Pakeha protestant church attenders is between 52 and 62 years      

• Around a third of Auckland’s population were born outside of New Zealand. This makes the Auckland situation unique and this immigrant growth represents a sizeable proportion of the buoyancy in Auckland churches – especially Pacifica and Asian churches.

Centuries of Adventure have brought us to this point...

Paul writes - Hmmmm. An interesting way of thinking about the Christian tradition? Tradition as the outcome of adventure. I like that; it's very honoring of where we've come from.

"Between the traditional and the new, or between order and adventure, there is no real opposition; and what we call tradition today is a knit work of centuries of adventure."

- Jorge Luis Borges

What adventures lie before us? Will these enrich Christian traditions or diminish them? What stories of our adventures will future generations of Jesus-followers tell?

The Way of the Dreamcatcher: Spirit Lessons with Robert Lax: Poet, Peacemaker, Sage.

The Way of the Dreamcatcher: Spirit Lessons with Robert Lax: Poet, Peacemaker, Sage.

By S. T. Georgiou. Foreword by Brother Patrick Hart, OCSO. Novalis, Saint Paul University: 23 Main Street, Ottawa, Canada, 2002. Paperback - 288 pages with 32 pages of colour photos and artwork.

Reviewed by Paul Fromont.

If you find a man who is constant, awake to the inner [movements of God], learned, long suffering, endowed with devotion, a [holy] man – follow this good and great man even as the moon follows the path of the stars.

Adapted from The Dhammapada translated by Juan Mascaro. Quoted in the introductory pages to The Way of the Dreamcatcher.

This book is a veritable storehouse of treasure. Within days of it arriving in the post it had been read and in parts reread. I first came across it just after its publication in 2002, by way of online excerpts from interviews between the author, Steve Georgiou, and American poet/mystic/”boatman” Robert Lax (b.1915). Sadly I only purchased a copy in 2005.

Lax, the lifelong best friend of Trappist monk Thomas Merton, moved, in 1963, to the Greek Islands of Kalymnos and Patmos (the latter from whence St. John wrote his Apocalypse). Lax spent the last 35 years of his life at Skala on Patmos, before rapidly failing health lead to his return to Olean, New York (his place of birth). Shortly after that return, Robert Lax died peacefully in his sleep on the 26^th September 2000, funnily enough, the feast day of St John the Divine, already referred to above. He was buried in the Friar’s cemetery, near St. Bonaventure University, New York.

Read the full review by opening the attachment

Download blog_post_the_way_of_the_dreamcatcher.rtf

Post-Christendom

Paul Fromont writes - Great to have another Alan, Alan Hirsch, add his voice to the conversation around the future of the Church in the West doesn’t lie in the Emerging Church Movement. I’ve highlighted Alan’s “comment” because I don’t want it to get lost, particularly his point, “I just don't think the Christendom paradigm can pull it off...and the vast majority of contemporary churches operate squarely in this out-moded paradigm. The missional one is the future of the church.” In many ways, the original post and Alan’s comments capture the tensions around creating a new missional paradigm within existing congregations (and that may include: multi or parallel congregations both as missional congregations in their own right and agents of change), and the need for new expressions of church (a great example being the work that FORGE is involved in – I have previously commented here).

Hi all

Thought I'd throw my comment in the mix. If the movement Mark is referring to is the one that is most interested in issues of spirituality and theology in the postmodern situation, I agree. Like the postmodern phenomenon of which it is a part, it is a passing cultural phase. BUT, if Mark is refering to what we (Forge) call the Emerging Missional Movement (emphasis on missional), or what David Barret calls the Neo-Apostolic Movement/s, I couldn't agree less. If we place the EMC within the broader worldwide movement/s happening (including China) then I believe we are seeing the future of the Church in the West. I just don't think the Christendom paradigm can pull it off...and the vast majority of contemporary churches operate squarely in this out-moded paradigm. The missional one is the future of the church. And it is happening!

(Alan Hirsch)

Thanks Alan for gifting your voice and perspective.

I want to say, that in 'provoking' (too strong a word) there is no attempt (on my part) to polarize people and perspectives (many of these “people” are great friends of mine). Rather, in my blogging, there is an attempt to encourage cross-pollination; a greater focus on the Kingdom of God; a discerning of God @ work; creativity; change; and to highlight tensions (they seem to me to sharpen a focus on the important issues). I'm also about resourcing and encouraging those for whom particular posts, ideas etc connect.

Birdsong and Hopefulness

Alan Jamieson writes - I’ve never blogged before so am approaching this experience with a wonderful mix of nervous excitement.

So, for my first post, I want to share some thoughts on ‘hope’. Why? It means much to me at the moment. It is my primary focus in personal reading and reflection. And I sense some need for a grounded hope in the people I meet and in the meaningless pace of present life. Hope has currency and value, attractiveness and depth both for people connected to Christ and those estranged from faith. Hope is, I believe, a meeting point for people of many faiths and no faith.

Last winter I read Sebastian Faulks novel ‘Birdsong’, which is told thru the eyes of soldiers fighting in the trenches of WWI. Through the years of war the faith of chaplains, Catholics, Protestants and atheists has been eroded. In the midst of all this despair, hatred, death and hopelessness the key character, a British soldier named Stephen, goes on leave to the UK and finds himself leaning on a farm gate. .

“Stephen felt himself overtaken by a climatic surge of feeling. It frightened him because he thought it would have some physical issue in spasm or bleeding or death. Then he saw what he felt was not an assault but a passionate affinity. It was for the rough field running down to the trees and for the path going back into the village where he could see the tower of the church. These and the forgiving distance of the sky were not separate, but part of one creation, and he too, still by any sane judgement a young man, by the repeated tiny pulsing of his blood, was one with them.

Prodigal Kiwi Changes – A New Collaboration with Fellow-Kiwi Alan Jamieson

Paul writes - Prodigal Kiwi has changed. After 3-years Prodigal Kiwi has become Prodigal Kiwi(s) – plural! Myself and Alan Jamieson, author of A Churchless Faith and Journeying in Faith are going to collaboratively journey together – two prodigals journeying with God and toward God. Alan’s writing and research has been very formative for me over the years. Close readers of this blog will have noticed references to Alan’s work on a fairly regular basis.

There are some interesting synergies, differences (not the least being that Alan is a lot taller than me), and overlaps so it’ll be fantastic to share the journey and to do something collaboratively with Alan. I’m hopeful that it will be a fruitful change for this blog and that those of you who visit will richly benefit from the breadth of learning and experience that Alan will bring. You can read more about Alan by checking out “about us,” up there on the right.

The address remains the same, but you may wish to change references to the site where you have links on your blog.  A BIG thanks to my good friend Rachel Cunliffefor the changes she’s kindly made to the site thus far.

Alan Jamieson writes - “Thanks Paul for the opportunity to collaborate in this blog. I’ve read much of what Paul has posted here previously and found it inspiring and informative. The marriage of Inspiration and relevant information are hugely important to me in all discussions on faith and the future shapes of church communities. I’ve asked to join Paul in this daily blog because I want to part of the worldwide conversation on faith and post-modern (whatever that means) forms of church. Collaborating with Paul allows me to join the discussions he has initiated and interact with others without setting up one more site. It hopefully allows for more interaction and discussion through the blog (if only between Paul and myself); plus I’m technically disabled and need people to work with or I tend to loose enthusiasm.  I hope to join what Paul is already doing through posting a mix of information and inspiration in the areas of Christian faith in a ‘post-modern’ age, Christian faith transitions and journeys, ‘emerging church’, and the topic of ‘hope’.  Looking forward to interacting with you.”

The future of the Church in the West Doesn’t Lie in the Emerging Church Movement

Sound bite from Mark Pierson, formally Pastor, Cityside Baptist, Auckland. The context was a report on his April visit to the USA for Worship Arts and Liturgy Conference Kentucky

“…I remain convinced that the future of the Church in the West doesn’t lie in the Emerging Church movement. The value of this movement is to influence and provoke the inherited church forms into change rather than to replace them. Still a vital role…”

Good point. I think Mark is right; however I think the other vital role of the so-called “emerging church movement” is in its permission-giving; permission to dream, to imagine, to innovate, to explore the missional/cultural matrix’ permission to challenge notions of what church is and what church is for…the merging church movement agitates, challenges, experiments, and innovates – that’s the emerging church at it’s best; at it’s worst it’ll be a superficially trend that never addresses the ecclesiological and missional heart of church reform.

Mark Pierson - Urban Seed:church. An intuitive introvert’s guide to starting a church.

Sounds like a title I’d use, being the “intuitive introvert “ that I am, however, thankfully it’s the title on an initial post by my friend Mark Pierson over in Melbourne with Urban Seed. You’ll find an excerpt from the first post and a link to it below. He’s up to part 6, so follow along…you might end up starting a church… Cheers Mark.

May 03, 2005

I feel like I did when I was a teenager going on a date. 35 years later I’m no longer pacing the room but I am feeling very nervous and finding sleep difficult. This time it’s not a girl but a church that’s keeping my mind so active. The soon-to-begin Urban Seed:church, set in downtown Melbourne, Australia…

Urban Seed is a wonderful organization, with outstanding staff, who have been working with marginalised people for more than a decade. It has a strong community ethos and a clear mission focus. What it lacks is a focus on spiritual formation and discipleship. It has no easily accessible worship event or gathered community of faith for either its staff, for others who identify with Urban Seed, or for people Urban Seed forms relationships with who are looking to make changes in their life.

Starting one seemed like a good idea – until now! How do you ‘start a church’? I have no idea. Cityside had an existing building, congregation (albeit very small and struggling), and access to funds to employ me full time, at least initially. Urban Seed church has no building to meet in, no funds, and no ready made congregation. So how to begin?...

Read the whole post here

NEW SCIENCE, NEW URBANISM, NEW ARCHITECTURE, SPIRITUALITY?

An area of interest for me (as a non-architect) is the place of physical space, scale, boundaries, symmetries, contrast, ambiguity, shape, gradients, texture, simplicity, connectedness…etc and our encountering of God. What kinds of architecture create “thin spaces” – holy places, spaces that serve as doorways into the transcendent, spaces that draw us into the Trinitarian union, spaces that silence and still us in the presence of God?

I often wonder what we are saying about God, ourselves, and Christianity more generally as I reflect on the architecture of church buildings, particularly the more recent trend toward using warehouses, bland, boring, textureless, functional structures. I wonder about the relationship between architecture, colour, artistry etc. and faith development; between architecture and narrow, black and white views of Christianity, and those which are wider, deeper, and oftentimes richer…It strikes me as interesting to think about it.

Architect Christopher Alexander believes that structure (i.e. architecture and construction) can work against human wholeness and spirituality. Angus Stocking writing about this notion (in relation to Alexander) says “…After all, how many people leave nature to get ‘back to the city’ when seeking peace and enlightenment? There are, of course, exceptions. Beautiful gardens or soaring cathedrals can become engines of transcendence. But these are exceptions that prove the rule; generally speaking

Rounded Churches

Read this a couple of weeks ago, reminded me of parts of an essay (i.e. the creating of different kinds of spaces) I wrote for NEXT WAVE late in 2003 (I think) – The "Kama Sutra" of an Emerging Church: Positioning Ourselves to Engage the Senses

Churches, like individuals, are only healthy when they are rounded. Dead churches are not healthy, but neither are churches that only value activity. We all experience darkness and periods of bewilderment. If we keep God out of these experiences we lose our intimacy with him, because we are not allowing him to be with us in the present moment. We need our churches to be able to deal with all areas of experience, not to sort out the difficulties or minimise them, but to be alongside us as we discern what God is doing in our lives at this time…[thinking here of writing I’ve done around the need for congregations to become spiritual directors, accompaniers, and discerners alongside each other

A healthy faith community nourishes and sustains its members. They find life there and spiritual depth…[Alan Jamieson, recently in Hamilton, referred to this “depth” in terms of “broad or wide congregations”]

Quoted from an essay by Joanne Adams (who is a Roman Catholic laywoman engaged in spiritual direction and retreat work) published in The Way Supplement 2000/98, p. 131.