With Valentine’s day fast approach (and a topic Beth and I try to avoid), did you know that 50% of all chocolate is produced using the labor of child slaves? Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing international crimes. What to know more? Check out www.stopthetraffik.com.
Also, here is a story from CNN from today: Jail me, I ate slave-made Ivory Coast chocolate
This is more of a personal post than anything I have written yet, but I value this community as a forum and wanted to post my thoughts.
So I met with a mentor of mine the other day to discuss a variety of issues. As we were discussing my understanding of faith and the struggles I have worked through, I made the comment that during the one of the lowest times of my spiritual life, I came to a point where I either had to walk away from the faith, or come up with a new understanding of it. It was painful experience and for me, the theology of the emerging church and post-modernity offered the new lens that I needed. Rather than “finding faith” I found my beliefs shifted so that I could “keep my faith.”
Her response was, “Sometimes it is better to walk away.”
I understand her perspective – those leading the church should be firmly rooted and it is better to have a false teacher leave the church than to have one lead people away.
The problem comes when that person is you.
That is why I value these friendships so much. Emergent-BG has offered me a place to work through my own doubts and issues (and believe me there are many) without condemnation. At the same time, I hope it has served as an environment where others can explore faith paths even if they don’t prescribe to one.
All that is to say, thank you all for being a community where we each can work journey spiritually together.
The seminar this weekend with Brian McLaren and Steve Chalke was excellent. Steve was just as impressive as Brian, and the whole conversation was useful and challenging. Here are some of the soundbites that stuck with me:
“In a post-modern theological setting, our dialog partners are no longer Christians.” -Brian McLaren
“As in art, poetry, music, etc., the best theology is worked out in pain” – Steve Chalke
“Sin is best understood as an infection rather than an infraction” -BM
“In an intelligent church, our Christology shapes our missiology, which shapes our ecclesiology” -SC
“A church is best defined as a dynamic set of ongoing social and spiritual relationships centered on Christ… everything else is cultural baggage.” -SC
“Our task is to create, model and encourage new ways of doing and being church at the heart of every community.” -SC
(in speaking of the Kingdom of God and the deliverance it brings) “We are saved FROM sin, not just from punishment” -BM
“We exist to bring God’s Kingdom, his Shalom, to these people.” -SC
“The greatest danger, and compromise in the church is to hide away and entertain ourselves to death” -SC
“We need to develop a culture among us where we can experiment and fail.” -SC
“There are two synergistic ways to bring about productive change in our churches: planting new churches that innovate to meet the immediate need, and renewing (or reconceiving) existing church that imitate.” -BM
“Let’s hope that churches on all levels and from all backgrounds are successful.” -BM
“I think mega-churches have a bright future, but it is a difficult future.” -BM
“God may not be a universalist, but we should all wish he was.” -SC
“I am not asking the question of who is in and who is out, I am asking the question of how can the Kingdom of God come to earth.” -BM
**quotes may not be verbatum**