Emergent Brethren

In Brian McLaren’s book, Everything Must Change, he writes about “framing stories” and the effects they have on groups and societies (Chapter 9, pp. 65-73). A framing story is that which we tell ourselves and follow in life. He writes on page 67, “If our framing story is wise, strong, realistic, and constructive, it can send us on a hopeful trajectory. But if our framing story is dysfunctional, weak, false, unrealistic, or destructive, it can send us on a downward arc, a dangerous, high-speed joyride through un-peace, un-health, un-prosperity, and even un-life.“.

I think another way to think about the definition of a framing story is, what is the vision that created the group and guides it today.

The idea of a “framing story” is challenging to consider. Our founding fathers, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, certainly began framing our story as a nation. This framed story guides our justice system, I think, more than the other two branches of our government today.

As I read more about the concept of a “framing story”, it made me wonder about congregations, and their framing story. How does their story get started? How does the original framed story impact their lives today? How many are aware of their congregation’s framing story? How can understanding their story impact their future in positive ways? How do they work at re-framing their story, so that it remains relevant to their participants and inviting to new people?

I think so often we follow the script of our framing story almost unconsciously. Thus, it guides us without our consciously reflecting upon, “Is this where we want/need to go?”.

One of the things that excites me about the Emergent Church is their passion for following Christ pushes them to reframe their congregation’s story. Or, in the case of church planting, frame a new story for people to be guided by.

If you’re in an established church, do you know your congregation’s “framing story” is? What are some of the ways that you think your congregation’s “framing story” guides it today? Are you satisfied with it, or desire a new story to follow?

What story does your congregation live by?

Jeff

Hi everyone!

In November, I sent out a post asking if you would be interested in blogging on Brian McLaren’s new book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis, and a Revolution of Hope. Many of you have responded in a positive way. So, a new page is being added to this site just for blogging on this book. First, you’ll see the heading for this new page at the top menu bar. Secondly, I attempted to create a new page that the link above goes to. The new page doesn’t allow us to blog, like the home page does. It only allows us to “Reply” to the original post. So, I’ve contact my web designer to create a new page that will allow us to blog in a better fashion (with headlines, etc.) This will be up and running in about a week.

I’ve organized a system for reading to help keep us on the “same page” so-to-speak (or at least the same section of the book). I’m looking forward to being in Brian’s Deep Shift conference in San Diego (March). Reading this book with you will be a helpful way of preparing. It will also be a very helpful way of processing the information with each other.

Meanwhile, if you are reading the book and have some comments to make, please reply to this current page. The comments will be transferred over to the new page when its completed.

Also, if this reading schedule doesn’t match-up with your schedule, don’t worry about it! Please contribute to the conversation. The more who respond, the more challenging, inspirational and fun this venture will be!!!

If this book blogging goes well, we’ll have to try another one afterwards!

Blessings to you,
Jeff

I am almost done reading Ron Martoia’s book Static: tune out the ‘Christian noise’ and experience the real message of Jesus.  I would highly recommend this book to you and encourage you to read it with an open mind.  It will be challenging to say the least because Ron challenges some of the long held assumptions we make about salvation.

 Some highlights… Ron suggests that when we read the Bible, we often read it through the lense of the people Jesus ministered to… those who received healing, the poor, the lame, the marginalized…. since many of us are not poor, or marginalized, then maybe the better lense to look through is that of the religious leaders.  That really changes how I hear Jesus’ teachings!

He suggests that we often twist, add to, change the biblical texts to fit our preconceived theologies instead of letting the biblical texts form our theologies.  He deals most with the salvation as a way to heaven issue and pushes a deeper understanding of salvation as a restoration of shalom which impacts our life now and in the future.  This is a view I have held for a long time and have wrestled with as well…. If so many of us are “saved” then why aren’t things here on earth different.  Or to put it another way, if so many of us have said yes to Jesus, then why are we still cheating on taxes, ignoring the poor, fighting with our neighbors, and divorcing our spouses?

 The book is done in a mostly narrative style (similar to McLaren’s New Kind of Christian trilogy) but not as masterfully.  It is a fast read until you get to the last few chapters where he really moves beyond the story line with the major part of his thesis. 

 Again, I would highly recommend it and would love to be part of a group that has a converstation around it.  Jeff, wanna set that up too!?

Brian McLaren is on a nation-wide tour this year and next promoting and talking about his new book, Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis, and a Revolution of Hope. Here in the Pacific Southwest District, we are organizing a group to hear him when he speaks in San Diego next March.

One thought has been on my mind the past few days. . . there are lots of people who drop-in on this site and some who write on the site. Would you be interested if I set-up one page on this site that would focus on blogging on a particular book?

Martin mentioned that he’s reading the above mentioned book. I need to read the book. Others in the PSWD will be reading the book for Brian’s appearance in San Diego. It might be interesting if we read the book together and posted comments on a new page for this site. If it would be helpful, I could set-up a reading schedule, so that we would be more likely to post comments on the same book section. Or, we could just post comments without any organization.

What do you think? If a few of you post comments to this post and like the idea, I’ll be happy to set it up!

Blessings,
Jeff Glass

I read the “Getting to Know You” post. I thought that this tag was in reference to how we are getting to know one another in Christ. I was mistaken, but am still going to put my comments here. I just finished McLaren’s book “More Ready Than You Realize” and found it to be inspiring– forming spiritual friendships with the sole purpose of helping the other discover his/her own path. It details his emailing with April (aka Alice) and kind of the flow of that relationship.

One of the most poignant reminders was this on pg 94, “I think a lot of us would be better Christians if we spent less time at church.” That to meet spiritual friends will mean developing friendships outside of the church– attending sporting events, recitals, neighborhood gatherings– without the expectation of getting our spiritual friends _into_ church. Walk the walk _next_ to them.

I love that. Getting to know you is about really getting to know _you_ not about WIFM (what’s in it for me). Duh. =)

He closes that same chapter with this benediction and I leave it here now:
May the Spirit of Christ empower you to love and serve your neighbors, welcoming them into your lives and home and schedules and hearts, so that through belonging they may discover the joys of believing and becoming. You are more ready for this than you realize. Go in God’s grace and peace.

See you “out there”
Angie=), Peoria, AZ