http://www.cocomment.com/comments/Andrew_From_Fudge Copyright 2007 coComment.com 2009-11-22T05:52:31.688+01:00 http://www.cocomment.com/images/logo4rss.gif http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=Andrew_From_Fudge&conv=727026&comment_id=14250824 Andrew One of the most enjoyable courses (for me) was Steve Taylor's Emergent Church course (@ Bible College of New Zealand, Christchurch campus - you can see Steve's blog at http://www.emergentkiwi.org.nz/. From doing this course what was apparent to me was that it was simply looking to apply the lessons learnt in overseas mission to the local context. That is we are comfortable with going to the mission field and putting in huge amounts of time and energy to learn the culture, the language, the world-view etc to be able to engage with people in a way they can understand - YET - when it comes to the local mission field we are unwilling to do the same. There seems to be here a dualism - overseas what is different is called culture / local context it is often seen as some form of evil / compromise / syncretism. I came out of the course with four questions (borrowed from the missional thought in an overseas context) that I wanted to raise within my own context: 1) How can we 'incarnate' in this culture and what do we need to do to ensure this is an indigenous community? 2) What are the barriers to entry for outsiders - how can we eliminate these? 3) How can we make radical disciples and ensure that this is participatory? 4) Is our concept able to be self-sustaining within this cultural setting or easy to reduplicate? Whilst I don't agree with everything I hear in Emergent Church thought the intensely missiological questions that it raises - and confronts the 'less Emergent' Church with - are worth listening to. 2007-05-20T00:08:23.885+02:00 2007-05-20T00:08:23.885+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=Andrew_From_Fudge&conv=667912&comment_id=13752701 Andrew With the phenomenon of blogging - this thinking out loud way of learning from one another - it is important for there to be a level of grace and room for people to 'change their mind' or for their thinking to develop - as they learn from other people's stories. What I like about blogging is that I get to learn from other people's stories - their perspectives - which if I am listening should give me a fuller understanding than my limited experience enables. There is a lot of value in being able to say I'm sorry I didn't understand things from your perspective. Whilst I agree we need to watch what we say and do - equally there is possibly greater potential for growth when a mistake is made - and corrected with grace. I am not sure that the idea of infallibility is biblical - and sometimes we end up trying to stay on the pedestal that others put us on (I recognise we need to be mindful that if we have the potential to cause greater damage we need to take greater care). Many of Jesus' teaching moments were from the 'opportunity' presented by 'mistakes' - no doubt Peter would have been a great blogger! But he would have annoyed / offended a few people. We might have blacklisted him! It is easy to end up ina little circle of friends all thinking the same way because we can quickly write someone off who is only starting on the journey and may be at the stage of thinking in terms of 'colour-blind' issues etc. I am enjoying reading CONVERSATIONS: Asian American Evangelical Theologies in Formation (see http://www.lulu.com/content/493155) to try and widen my understanding. A particular area of interest for me is the whole interracial or mixed race children - sometimes wonder whether such people end up being treated like the Samaritans - impure etc when we see culture as being such a critical part of our self-identity. My own kids have a Chinese mum and a Caucasian dad - at the local Chinese Church they are a bit of a novelty / welcomed loved etc but not Chinese if they speak some Cantonese everyone is like WOW because it is not expected - at the predominantly Caucasian church they were held up as examples of the churches diversity - which was not true either. My thinking is definitely a work in progress and I hope it continues to be. Love the thoughts that you all put forward and the robust yet welcoming debate. 2007-05-11T06:35:24.282+02:00 2007-05-11T06:35:24.282+02:00 http://www.cocomment.com/sidebar?object=people&context=explore&mode=detail&id=Andrew_From_Fudge&conv=631755&comment_id=12268194 Andrew What a senseless tragedy ... my prayers are with you from the other side of the world in New Zealand. 2007-04-17T05:09:21.363+02:00 2007-04-17T05:09:21.363+02:00