Tim Keel, the pastor at Jacob's Well in KC, was the next presenter and led a talk of this title. I had not previously heard anything by Tim other than his church's name, but that will change. (I recently purchased his book!) Keel makes the statement that the most significant crisis the church faces is the crisis of imagination. He defines imagination as the faculty or action of forming new ideas, images or concepts that are not yet there. Keel reminds us that Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God is near, but asks if we have the imagination to see it?
Imagination is going to be necessary if we (the people of God) are going to a place where we have never been before. Keel claims that our leadership imagination has been domesticated in three ways.
First, our commitment to modern epistemology. We want to strip things down to observable and applicable truths. Leadership becomes the art of executing the techniques and we depend more on experts than the people that we are journeying with. This can cause us to not see where God's Spirit is active around us.
Second, is through our American pragmatism and what he called the ministry of titillation. Ministry and leadership become a bag of tricks. The call is for us to seek God and listen to our narratives to discover what God is doing, instead of replicating what others may be doing.
Third, is through isolation which he claimed was Protestantisms dirty little secret. We in the West tend to distance ourself from those who think and act differently than us. Keel challenged that thinking and wants us to ask the question of what we could learn from other traditions.
In closing he brought our attention to John 15 and the organic process that is pictured there. This is the passage that talks about abiding in the vine. He said that trees do not strain to produce fruit. Instead it happens as a part of who/what they are. This same truth is true for us, if we abide in God, our fruit cannot help but to be produced.
So do you think about imagination and his thoughts on producing fruit?
I sense that churches are struggling with the notion of trying to "keep up with the Jones'" instead of seeking an authentic voice and mission for their locale. I'm afraid that most pastors are living by the law of the land instead of the leadership of the Spirit. What would it look like if we didn't have such a competitive model of ministry running our own denomination? What if our churches were released to "grow" the way each congregation felt led to do so? Unforntunately, we have set ourselves up as a denomination to serve our polity and not the Spirit of God? Is that too harsh?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's too harsh, but how do we break from that cycle? It seems easier said than done for most people. Present company included.
ReplyDeleteMaybe we seek out intentional ways of seeking that out locally and promote it outwardly into our denomination in a positive way, i.e. doing things together for others, etc. Just an idea.
ReplyDeleteHow then do we motivate people to think outside of themselves in a crisis like we are in today? When most people are focused on how much money they are losing or the uncertainties of the future? How can we move people past that to where they can embrace the vision for the kingdom of God? How can we get them to engage their imaginations?
ReplyDeleteI believe that it all starts with, "Where is our treasure?" If we don't address this reality in a very powerful way, then we invite people into a hedonism that was evident in the story of Babel, the Golden Calf, etc. We must paint a picture for them of what a "good Samaritan" is all about by modeling it for them and giving them ample opportunities to try it out. I think alot of this comes down to who you choose to serve: your boss? your denomination? or a Jewish carpenter?
ReplyDeleteSo you are saying that a powerful way is by getting our hands dirty?
ReplyDeleteI find this interesting. I heard Tim Keel speak once and found him to be so beautifully articulate.
ReplyDeleteAnyway - it is my sense that sanctified imagination can only flourish without the fear of experimentation. I recently attended a highly liturgical service and found my heart and mind going to awesome places as I recited the words offered to me. When it came time to experience the Eucharist, I ingested Grace as never before and all within the context of community. I suspect the same is true of "getting dirty." Sculptors are never really sure what will result from the wet clay between their fingers - but being free enough to explore what is hidden in the mess ultimately creates something beautiful that inspires others. If I never bend down into the mess, eye to eye, with people and real life, how will I uncover the surprises of grace hidden there? Those surprises spark imagination, yes? Artists are often characterized by lives of experimentation (some of it unhealthy) but I think we must be drawn back to your earlier reflections on what a "generous orthodoxy" means. Generosity of heart lends itself to generosity of mind.
Wendy, I agree with you greatly. Another way to think about it is this. For so long we have told people what to think when they are at church, but it seems like people in my generation bracket are looking to discover truth and then formulate what they think when they are at church. The problem is that we do not have a system set up to facilitate that kind of conversation. So my generation is trying to find it wherever they can and sometimes they land in a church but most of the time they do not. So for leaders it boils down to whether you are willing to allow the conversation/experimentation to go a direction that you either didn't foresee or are uncomfortable with.
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