Freakanomoics and Church (pt 2)

Last post I tried to articulate the need to shift away from neoclassical theory of growth to new growth theory.  It was rather complicated and perhaps not that great of a read.  The bottom line was this: if the church wants to grow, the impetus for growth is innovation, thus the church needs to innovate ministry.

Shocking. I know.

Another little theory jumped out at me the other day while reading 30 Second Economics, it is called "Financial Instability Hypothesis".  This states that stability makes people reckless with decisions.  This hypothesis argues that when thing are stable in an economy then borrow in excess, lenders lend in excess and the resulting defaults on those loans lead to a financial crisis (not unlike the one we began to see in 2008).

The same can be said for church communities.

When things are good, innovation stops and people are content with the status quo.  No new groups are created.  Sermons become repetitive on a common theme.  Leadership is locked in just keeping up with the schedule that it it difficult to see what needs to be done "down the line".

As Hyman Minsky said, "stability is unstable."

Could this be in part why Jesus was constantly on the move?  Could this be why there is a strong emphasis in the life of Jesus for the teacher to stay in touch with the Spirit through prayer?  Could this be why Jesus argued that we put our heads forward and do not look back when we are plowing the field?  Is this why Jesus is not interested in who sits at his right or left, because that results in status quo thinking.  Could this be why the Holy Spirit pushes the disciples out of the upper room and into the streets?  Could this be why Paul set up Christian communities everywhere he could.

Christians ought to be weary of stability in our churches because we can easily slip into loving the status quo.

No one could restrain him any more...

Mark 5:1-20 is the beginning of one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible.  Over the weekend I was able to spend a little Lectio on this wonderful story and came out with an interpretation that deeply spoke to me and where I feel my situation is.  I share it here in case there are others who are like me.

The man lives in a culture that builds up walls and fortifies their position (Gerasene means a place surrounded by a wall).  Perhaps he has been seeking for a way to live his life and many people have come to him and given him advice on how to live.  Of course the advice given is advice to become another wall builder.  So he tries, but it does not work.  As he moves closer to the age where he can have influence, people try to restrain him with chains they have made.  These chains are broken by this man's intensity to find his way to live.  He is told by a "legion" of people to become like them -a wall builder - and he becomes frustrated and angry on these ineffective models.  The man is restless trying to find a model that he can pattern his life after that is not destructive or violent or wall building or fortifying.  His intensity to find a model as well as the pressure of the community to become like them, drives him mad and into habits of self destruction and pain.  

Then Jesus appears.  

The man has become jaded at finding a model when he falls at the feet of Jesus.  He has fallen at the feet of so many people looking for the way to live only to find the advice given is rooted in wall building and violence.  The man cries out,  "What have you to do with me Jesus.  Please do not torment me, don't give me more of the same advice!"  Jesus commands the other models (the legion of demons) to come out in order to make room for a new model that has not ever been seen before in that area of wall builders.  The demons run into swine and do what they do best - destroy themselves.  

The man finds a new model in Jesus and is freed.  But now the community is fearful of not only Jesus but this man who chooses to live not as a wall builder - not like they want him to live.  The community asks Jesus to leave so that no others may disrupt the wall building system.  Jesus leaves and the man pleads to go with him for he wants so badly to be with people who are like him - un-walled people.  Jesus wants this man to go to the other cities, the Decapolis (ten cities) and help break down walls, liberate others and share the new model.

The community of wall builders are amazed - perhaps realizing their way of living (building walls) is not longer functional or healthy.

As I move closer to ordination, I am involved in more and more conversations in which other ministers offer up a model for ministry for me to follow.  I feel that I am being fought over by different camps who want me to be "like them".  I long for liberation from these models that are hurtful for me.  I long for Jesus to enter into my life and show me a way to "do ministry" that is sustainable and fruitful.

This is my prayer as I move toward June.

Ordination Questions

What changes has the practice of ministry had on your understanding of:

1) The “Lordship of Jesus Christ”

            Throughout my undergraduate and Seminary careers I was exposed to the idea that the early notion of Jesus Christ as Lord was a very political statement.  In the first century, to say that Jesus Christ was Lord is not only a personal conviction but was also to say that Caesar is not Lord.  To deny the Lordship of Caesar was to be against the State of Rome and to be against the State of Rome meant certain death.  Thus to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord was to literally put your life in danger.  While American Christians today no longer have the fear of death looming over our heads when we proclaim Jesus Christ Lord, there is still a very strong theological statement being made; a statement that has become clearer and stronger to me since my practice of ministry in the local church.[1]

            Personally the Lordship of Jesus Christ has taken on a new level of intensity over the past several years.  Jesus Christ as Lord means I am aware that I am not the Lord of my life and that I am dependant upon the Grace that comes from God through Christ by way of the Spirit.  Not only am I dependant upon the Grace from the Lord Jesus Christ, but I am also very much aware of how Christ’s teachings and influence in my life change my thoughts and in many ways, dictate my actions.  For instance, since Jesus Christ is Lord then I cannot affirm the ‘lordship’ of violence or scapegoating.  I cannot affirm the ‘lordship’ of blaming victims for their situation.  I cannot affirm the use of guns and hate to resolve any problem.  Jesus Christ as Lord means that I am to use the Way of Christ to confront evil in the world.  The Lordship of Christ means I place a higher premium on the power of Love and Forgiveness.  To be honest this is a difficult position to be in while I am located in the conservative state of Texas, a state that competes each year to be the top region of the world for State executions.  The Lordship of Christ means that I have given my allegiance to mercy, even if that mercy is not popular in my context. 

            Communally, the Lordship of Jesus Christ has also taken a new level of intensity over the past several years.  For instance, I have found that to proclaim Christ as Lord is to also call into question some of the social norms and mores of our community.  Thus worship on Sunday may not be dedicated to “feeling good” or primarily focused on creating ‘nice citizens’ who do not disrupt the peace.  Rather the proclamation of Jesus as Lord means that worship is first and foremost about God and God’s action in the world in Jesus Christ by way of the Spirit.  This sometimes leads to a prophetic call to action or a contemplative posture of silence, neither of which necessarily fosters ‘nice citizens’.  When Jesus Christ is Lord on a community level, then we are to take seriously that sometimes we will be counter-cultural or at the very least ‘”look different” from others.

2) The work of the Holy Spirit

            The work of the Holy Spirit was something I did not take too seriously during Seminary.  It seemed too “weird” or just not “rational” and thus could not be trusted as a reliable source of change.  Additionally the Holy Spirit was something that was reserved for the “Holy Roller” Christians and was something which was used to justify irrational behavior or downright bigotry.  However, since working in the local setting my understanding and reliance upon the work of the Holy Spirit has dramatically changed.  As odd as it seems to me to write this, I used to firmly believe that I could do everything.  Literally, I felt like with enough elbow grease, knowledge and charm I could do anything in a Church.  This was my world until the day in which it was obvious to me that I could not do much of anything on my own.  When I find a ministry or idea being stalled or obstructed, nice times out of ten it is the result of my inability to trust and rely upon the work of the Holy Sprit.  I have become patient these past several years in the local church.  I have seen people change their positions and postures by the work of the Holy Spirit.  I have even taken my trust in the Holy Spirit into worship by instituting dialogue sermons in which I allow time for personal testimony or witnessing by lay members.  Within the political structure of the Church I have found the work of the Holy Sprit to be something which continues to be a source of surprise and wonder.

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[1] It is my hope that my statements will not in any way be understood as a diminishment of the sacrifice of the martyrs and Saints of the past.  However it is my hope that I might be able to understand this statement in a post-colonial and post-modern context.