Archbishop at FX changing the landscape day.

I'm at the FX day conference that looks at the future of FX.  The Archbishop has just spoken, and hre are my rambled notes if you're interested.

Overarching theme – Moving into the space that is opened up by Jesus.

 AS FX gets more widely known it is important to remember that it is not about capturing a new market for a product; not about membership but about transformation:

 Humans into Christ likeness

 Church into a fuller expression

 Pushing back against trivialization

 For all we know we are still the early church.

 Static and infantilising styles of discipleship are not just the preserve of the established church.

Church is fundamentally what happens when JC is around. Church is a verb before a noun – ecclesial: a calling together.

Church is what emerges under the presence of Jesus’ presence.  The church is an eco-chamber for the divine word.  Resounds in us from our inner being – Christ needs to be audible and visible.

Point is not to treasure a memory or rever a personality it is to be changed by the spirit.  Church has often succumbed to the temptation to a memory of the late great Jesus of Nazareth. It takes time to be a Christian.  There are things that are instant but things that rather painfully push their way into you heart.  Both for individuals and groups. 

FX is not a quick fix.  It takes time.  Some initiatives are short term – that’s okay, perhaps they’ve done what God wants them to do.

 Groups that evolve as they change. Groups that find their way into the local church, having done the job that God asked them to do.

Messages to churches and their leadership – This will take the time it takes don’t rush it.  Don’t force it – it takes time.

Terrible curse of an imposed rhythm of time.  Not a good model.  Has to be a patience and respect that allows God’s work to unfold in a way that’s right.

Beware of messianic fantasies – we’ve got it and they haven’t.

Beware of forces that require us to rush.  Find ways together (inherited and emeregent) to grow together.  This respect involves leadership not washing their hands or over managerment.

Sheer variety of timescales and outcomes.  We hope that we learn the patience needed. Flexibility and the light touch vital – or a willingness to be gladly surprised by what God get’s up to in church.

One of the failing has been an unwillingness to think about the time that it takes to be  Christian.  What di we need to do to keep on challenging us to be more rooted.  What do we need to put out roots down more firmly.  Learning to be a disciple is about learning to be a learner.  Learn for the one who is our teacher.

The process of growing requires us knowing the stories that we want to share.  In the last 10 or 15 years are finding that stories from the old mainstream are coming alive in new ways.  John Morgan Cron – Following Francis.  Gradual discovery of St Francis.

Transcendence - Real encounter with the holy

Community - real mutuality of being responsible for each other

Beauty - Clearly apart of manifesting something of God’s creation.

Dignity – Passionate commitment to revere the human face and spirit

Meaning – individual life is held in meaning.

 Enemies of renewal:

1: Entertainment - what people want is to entertained.  Give them a God that distracts them, rather than be left naked before God.

 2: Problem Solving -  The gospel message takes a life time to solve problems, we do not do that.  Paul when converted, his problems were just beginning.

3: Fit God around the edges rather than letting God shape you from the inside out.  God renews us from the heart not the edges.

If we want the church to grow we need to be testing for these things.  Keep ourselves honest to the measure that we began with – the measure of the fullness of Christ.    

Comments

[steve]

"The church is an eco-chamber for the divine word" - nice play with words, eco? or echo?

I agree with his enemies, but disagree with his final sentence - seems to me in Scripture that time and again, God does renew from the edges. the challenge is for existing to open its heart to be changed from edges. this is where i love the al roxburgh change model. the church selects a team of fringe dwellers to run an experiment, on the understanding that whatever is learnt has to apply to the whole!

steve taylor

[benedson]

yeah that'll be echo then!

Obviously, quickly typed notes so the nuances of what the ABS was saying re edges centre are not in here. A ful transcript and maybe audio file will be on the FX site early next week.