A Growing Environment.

Paul writes – Long-time blog friend Kevin Rains was recently reading “Joan Chittister's commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict” when he “came across a word that leapt out at [him]. The word that caught his attention was the word “environment.” Chittister, he says, writes "The Prioress and abbot provide an environment that confronts the monastic with the presence of God; that shows them the Way. After that it is up to the monastic to let the practices of the community and the rhythm of the prayer life work their way until the piercing good of God rises in them like yeast in bread."

He ends his post, “So, all this to say (partially in response to Aaron Klinefelter…) that perhaps Aaron is right about spiritual formation... perhaps we don't have that much control over it... BUT what we CAN do is provide a context conducive to where it can take place. We can't make plants grow but we can expose them to light and make sure they have water. In other words we can provide a context and environment where growth will more likely occur. And that my friends is the job of…leaders…: to create an environment [soil, atmospherics, nutrients, protection, nurturing, stimulating etc.] a context where the very life of God can grow in those we lead, those we love.”

Read the whole post here.

I think often about this notion of environment in terms of work, family, and church. They’re reflections that normally raise a lot of practical questions around how we (particularly “leaders,” parents) influence environment, how we influence the kinds of conditions within which and out of which a Jesus-apprenticed life stretches and grows.

With regards to churches, these is a critical questions; the kind of questions that that flow from questions like, “how effectively are we enabling Jesus-followers to connect, shape and grow their faith to the ordinary and the everyday of their lives?” What is it about the gathered environment (approx 104 hours/year) that nourishes and sustains the dispersed life (approx. 5840 “awake” hours/year)? 

Like Kevin, I don’t believe that we can make people grow, but:

·            We can influence, protect, nurture, support, resource and help nourish growing edges when we see and discern them.

·            We can help provide a context and environment where formation and growth is more likely.

·            We can encourage and help people develop their abilities to discern and cooperate with the inner and outer movements of God in their lives.   

So, what are the needful influencers of church “environment”? What is needful if we are going to help nourish, protect, support, and resource the growing edges of individuals and community?  The same questions are equally valid in the workplace.