Distractions

Spiritual Entrepreneurship and new churches

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Back in 2009 I wrote a bit about Spiritual Entrepreneurship as a concept that I encountered at a conference I was at.

I am not sure what it means to be a spiritual entrepreneur but at the heart of the matter is one who is willing to risk.

Around this time of year, ministers in the UMC are on a bit of an edge as there is a chance that different ministers might be moved to different churches. This creates a number of distractions, which I have come to welcome as best as I can.

For a number of reasons that I do not understand where they all come from, I am commonly asked if I want to start my own church. Words like, entrepreneurial, young, spirited, motivated and creative are used to butter up the person and get them thinking about starting a new church. This is something I have never been interested in at all. The church has a lot of communities to tend to much less ditch the old in order to start a new one just because that is where the new tract homes are being built.

I know that to start a church takes a lot of drive and motivation and grit, but to be honest I do not have those attributes when it comes to starting a new church. I many ways I feel starting new church would be easier than to revitalize an existing church and that is often overlooked.

The UMC is able to move those who are are spiritual entrepreneurials to where ever needed - but it seems those people are asked to start new churches rather than work to revitalize the established communities. What would it look like to move leaders who are willing to risk to established churches? What would it look like to infuse a stale church community with the spiritual entrepreneurship of a leader?

Ultimately what I pray for is that in our efforts to be creative in ministry and start new churches or new models of ministry, I hope that we are not boxed into thinking that spiritual entrepreneurs are best used in non-traditional ways.

Because sometimes (perhaps many times) they are not.

Jesus and Zen

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There is a story in the Gospel of John in which Jesus tells the disciples that he is going to prepare a place for them. Jesus goes on to say, "And you know the way to the place where I am going." 
To which Thomas says, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
Jesus says, the a very misused line these days, "I am the way."
Many people understand this text to be one that tells us the way to heaven is only through Jesus. That is to say if you want to see heaven, follow Jesus.
When we think like this, we split our attention. We have one eye on heaven and the other eye on Jesus.  Which sounds like a good thing, but this is really not the point of what Jesus is talking about.  Jesus wants his disciples to not focus on the destination, because they know where Jesus is going, rather Jesus wants the disciples to focus on the way. 
Which reminds me of a Zen teaching, which I think speaks just as much Truth as Jesus is talking about in John.

A young, but earnest Zen student approached his teacher, and asked the Master, “If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years . .”
The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?”
Replied the Master, “Well, twenty years.”
“But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?” asked the student.
“Thirty years,” replied the Master.
“But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?”
Replied the Master, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”

Christians can learn a great deal from this. What would it look like if we took Jesus' words seriously. We know where he is going, so stop worrying or thinking or trying to see it. 
Rather focus on the path, the Way, Jesus and trust that it takes you where Jesus is.