Too Many Thoughts in My Head :: Stability (2/4)

I must let them out.

Churches and Community.

The (new) Counter-Cultural Movement: Stability.

On Buying a Home.

Podcasting and why it should be as free as humanly possible.

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The (new) Counter-Cultural Movement: Stability

I wanted to get this written earlier, but let’s see if I can get these thoughts out of my head and on to the blog. Lots happening in our life right now (see last two posts about our new house).

Our buying of a house is related to stability, and I’ll explore that in part 3/4, but I want to lay some ground work first.

Stability.

If you Google “define:stability” you get various definitions of “stability”. One of my favs is “the ability of an object to stay in one place.” I also like – “that condition of a body which causes it to be restored to its original equilibrium after a disturbance.”

One of my observations of many conversations around “emerging” things (culture, church, etc…) is the pervasive feeling of liminality. The “in-between-ness” … always in transition… never settled…. “open-ended-ness”….

I definitely can relate. Our last 3 years (and this past one in particular) has been lived in liminality.

My hunch is that in the past (say 1950s? or certainly when our ancestors lived an agrarian lifestyle) people lived more stable lives. Children were born, grew up in the household of their birth, married young, began a household not too far away, wash, rinse, repeat. I’m not attempting to glorify the “good ole’ days” or call for a regressive stance. Rather, in the world in which we live, where many feel always “in process” and never settled, perhaps the greatest counter-cultural movement we can make is toward stability.

Maybe what a watching world that yearns for home and feels the constant pressure of “the next big thing”, really needs is to see a People who make their home in a foreign land. A People who choose for stability in the face of tension and tenuousness.

For some reason, I expect this position to not be a popular one. Some how I expect to hear the criticism that we are to be “aliens in a foreign land” or that “this is not our home” and that we should be careful not to settle for the “things of this world”. Well, that’s not really what I’m saying. I’m saying let the Kingdom come on earth (in your neighborhood, in your city, town, ‘burb, in your household) as it is in heaven. Just let it. Don’t force it (you can’t). Don’t inhibit it (you can). Just let it.

We need to say – by our actions of buying homes, putting down roots, not lusting over the “next new thing”, confessing that the grass is not greener – that God cares and his People care about this place. If we hope that our neighbors will see the child born in a manager and bow on bended knee then we need to practice our own bowing in their presence – over and over and over and over again.

In a world where status quo = mind-numbing sameness then a counter-cultural movement of change (going to the furthest reaches and deep dark jungles) may be a really good way that God stirs the point and causes others to see that his People live by the movement of his Spirit and where ever that takes them. But in a world where status quo = transition and liminality, then a counter-cultural movement of stability speaks volumes about a God who has not abandoned us. Though we may yet feel as exiles we make our home here (seems to me God said something about this in the prophets). This leads us back into the conversation about community.

As Mike points out our need for community is much more (deeper) than just a cultural situation. I totally agree. He says, “It’s not just the desparately needed response to our current “American funk.” It is the cry deep within all creation, that only God can satisfy, and embodies His mysterious plan (Col. 1., Eph. 1-3, etc.). The Psalmist, ever the truth teller, proclaims, “How good it is, how pleasant, where the people dwell as one!” (Psalm 133:1 NAB). The western evangelical call for personal salvation mitigates, in some troubling ways, against the formation of Trinitarian relationships.”

Not sure how coherent all that was… I had many distractions. But it is a challenge and call from God that Sarah and I (and I think VC as a whole) is hearing. Stay PUT. Choose Stability. Put down roots. Grow deep. Think Lonnnngggggggg. This is the main reason we went ahead and purchased a home. We are choosing for stability. More on that later.

Our New House

Outside 1
Originally uploaded by aaronklinefelter.

So, lots of new stuff in Klinefelterland. I’m trying out a new photo sharing service (www.flickr.com) and using it to show off pics of our new house.

Click on the pic to see more (inside and out). We close on the house Dec. 17th and move in Dec. 30th (New Year’s weekend) – wanna help? We’ll need it.

Both Sarah and I feel such a sense of peace and “pre-home-feeling” when we are there. It is good. God is Good.

Sarah will do childcare to help make ends meet, so if you are in Cincinnati and need childcare during the week let us know!

a precursor: On Buying a House

stress.

surprise.

risk.

trust.

hope.

future.

more to come, but for now… Our offer has been accepted, we close Dec. 17th, we move in New Year’s weekend. Our cats will be coming home. Sarah will start babysitting to make ends meet (if you know of someone needing childcare let us know!). we’re nervous, but excited. i sense God doing something here. i think i can hear him calling (its hard, there’s lots of other noise).

things that have been said where we think we are hearing God:

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”

~Martin Luther King

“Your Father Trusts you”

~Ken Oster

“God might call you to a place, before he calls you to a job”

~Thurman Allen

I believe that this is a step toward stability and longevity… yes we’ll have to stretch for a bit to make it, but I still think this is the right move.

I am reminded of Thomas Merton’s Prayer of Trust:

“My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going.

I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself.

And the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.

And I hope I have the desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road through I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. Will not fear for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my trouble alone.”

Too Many Thoughts in My Head :: Podcasting for free (4/4)

I must let them out.

Churches and Community.

The (new) Counter-Cultural Movement: Stability.

On Buying a Home.

Podcasting and why it should be as free as humanly possible.

————————

Podcasting and why it should be as free as humanly possible.

Too Many Thoughts in My Head :: On Buying a Home (3/4)

I must let them out.

Churches and Community.

The (new) Counter-Cultural Movement: Stability.

On Buying a Home.

Podcasting and why it should be as free as humanly possible.

————————

On Buying a Home.

Too Many Thoughts in My Head :: Churches and Community (1/4)

I must let them out.

Churches and Community.

The (new) Counter-Cultural Movement: Stability.

On Buying a Home.

Podcasting and why it should be as free as humanly possible.

————————

Churches and Community.

Every church that I can think of carries the “community” banner. Not just in name (Vineyard Central Community Church), but language and story. They say “we want to build community”, “we want to reach out to our community”, “we’re a community-friendly/oriented church”. It has become almost cliche. Which is sad really, because “community” is (as I perceive it) one of the most desperately needed things in our current American funk. We know we need people. We need relationships – sometimes unhealthly, but we sometimes know that too.

Unfortunately, we are essentially clueless as to how to actually have relationships with other people. Don’t believe me? A certain former mayor of Cincinnati has a television show highlighting this fact. And Jerry is not alone. He’s just pointing out the obvious. We suck at relationships. We don’t know how to be with people, how to navigate through conflict, how to express gratitude, how to receive gratitude, or how to listen (without being defensive or just waiting for our turn to talk).

So churches see this and say, rightly, we want to become a place where neighbors are really loved. We talk about “one anothering”, “gettin’ all up in each others bizness”, “doing life together”, and the like. But (and here’s my critique… you could tell I was headed here, couldn’t you) just saying it doesn’t make it so. Nor does just meeting in a small group once a week. Nor does just attending (or leading for that matter) a house church.

If our churches (house or otherwise) are to truly be Communities of Faith, then we need to see each other more than for a couple hourse once a week.

We need to meet weekly (I really believe that – its not sacred, but it seems to make sense to me) with a small group of people (who we can actually know) AND we need to be connected to a larger body of people (who can multiply our effectiveness in the world and keep us in check) AND we need to be regular and serendipitious connection with individuals from our “small group of poeple who meet weekly” mulitple times throughout the week.

Ok, there I said it. We need see the same people over and over again – alot – in all sorts of different settings. I’m NOT just talking about pastors… I’m talking about everybody. I don’t know why this seems strange to some, but if we are to really know each other we need consistent reminders of each other. I know this isn’t easy. It is markedly different than how we live. We don’t do it. Yes, this may require a life-change. No, that is not fun. And, No, this will not make you happy. (I speak generally and probably arrogantly, but if I’m right please forgive me, if I’m wrong just ignore me)

In the churches that I’ve been in where I’ve experienced the greatest level of connection and spiritual transformation, I was people mulitple times a week in mulitple settings. This doesn’t mean more meetings – far from it. It does mean being intentional. It means choosing to live in such a way that the people I church with are people I can see.

Oh, and this is important, it doesn’t mean seeing everybody in your church all the time. Here’s a hypothetical example that Sarah and I used last night during a conversation about this: Sarah shares a prayer concern at HC on Monday night, Sarah sees Elizabeth at work on Tuesday afternoon, Elizabeth inquires about the latest details, Elizabeth lives near Natalie who she sees while taking the trash out Weds. morning and fills her in on the latest from Sarah, Natalie tells her husband and they continue praying… meanwhile Sarah’s husband (that’s me) meets with Jeff and Jason weekly on Thurs. to pray and hold each other accountable. Jeff asks Aaron about Sarah’s prayer concern. Jeff IMs with Greg and lets him know about the latest with Sarah.

You get the idea. It is simple stuff, but it does involve connecting outside of “our regularly scheduled program”. This is a space where I think technology can be used well. I would never substitute IM, blog, or email only relationships for flesh and blood ones… but they can be used to keep folks connected. Does it mean you have to all live in the same neighborhood – no, but it may mean that you have to work a bit harder at figuring out how to do it. In some neighborhoods even the neighbors don’t see each other that often.

I have heard from lots of HC leaders lately that this is something they struggle with… I do not presume that what I suggest is a “silver bullet”, but I think it could help. I know many long to deeply belong – to know and be known profoundly. I think this can happen, but it involves (re)structuring our lives to be available for it to happen.

Photo Montage from AllSaints Worship

video small (3.6 mb

video big (9.6 mb)
by Peter White

Podcasting for the Church

A couple random thoughts re: our ongoing conversation about podcasting….

First – I thought this was a good definition that could be given to folks unfamiliar with podcasting. Here (from wikipedia)

Second – I think the church needs something like IT Conversations

“IT Conversations is a network of high-end tech talk-radio interviews, discussions and presentations from major conferences delivered live and on-demand via the Internet.”

Conference like Emergent and Inclusive Church, as well as Seminaries and Churches, need to be giving away this content. Lots of good stuff is being spoken out there, but there is no vehicle for the wider church to receive it (unless they pay $1,000s to go to all these conferences, workshops, and lectures). I’ve been talking with the esteemed Ryan Hale and Alan Creech about this. It would be nice to have some kind of sponsor (with actual $$) to help foot the cost of server space and such… Anybody interested?

My Grandpa

Last week my Grandpa, Gerry Klinefelter, had a stroke. We went to Lexington to visit him at the UK hospital on Friday and on Sunday. It was appropriate that we were celebrating AllSaints this weekend, as he is one of the Saints worthy of celebration.

He was a missionary, pastor, teacher, friend, co-laborer, and leader in Eastern KY from the 1950s on. He also wrote an extensive history of our family. Here’s some of it about my Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather and the early Evangelical Church:

I quote from the John Dreisbach journals

“August 25,1813 Today, I came to Brother Jacob Klinefelter and stayed overnight.

From Bishop Newcomer’s Journal of April 3,1815 this notation; “This morning my poor soul is drawn out in prayer to God for sanctifying power. I rode to Jacob Kleinfelter’s. The Albright Brethren have their conference here, about 14 or 15 preachers are assembled. I made another attempt to effect a union between the two societies but in vain.” Albright Brethren is another name for the Evangelicals. I feel honored that this effort was held in a Klinefelter home. One hundred-thirty-one years later in 1946 the church union between the United Brethren and the Evangelicals did come to pass. Back then the stumbling point was a matter of who should have the privilege of voting in conference. The United Brethren felt that all ordained ministers should have the privilege of voting in conference. The Evangelicals felt…nothing doing; only those who freeze, sweat, and get soaked in circuit riding should vote. Though they did not unite; they parted friends.

Blogging and Body of Christ go way back…. its good to be a part of such a rich heritage.

Say a prayer for my Grandpa, he is improving, still gaining his speech and movement back, but is still in much need for improvement. May God bless his servant and bring him home only when his season has reached its full end.

Regional IM Chat

So this weekend we had our Regional AllSaints Gathering down in Lex.  Alan and Liz Creech and the fine folks of VBCC hosted a wonderful time of fun, conversation, worship, and a good bit of frivality (is that a word?).

See Alan’s blog (here, here, and here) for a recap of the weekend and the asundry activities.  But here is a text file of an IM Chat, combined with meeting notes, from Sat. morning leaders gathering.  Kevin Rains, Bill Bean, and Glenn Johnson (and a guest appearance by Beth Keck)could not be physically present in Lex, so we included them via IM.  Alan, Chris, and myself gave something resembling notes/play-by-play/color commentary during the meeting.  I editted out some of the sarcasm (not because it was bad… well … but I didn’t think it would come through very well out of context… i.e. peopel wouldn’t get it or would be offended!), but tried to keep the rest of it as raw as possible

Click here to read.