sustain:if:able kiwi

believing without belonging: the author retracts

Everyday Religion: Observing Modern Religious Lives is an important book. It’s a collection of chapters that focus on the way ordinary people, in their everyday lives, practice religion.

It includes a most intriguing chapter by UK sociologist, Grace Davie. Grace coined the phrase “believing without belonging” to describe the idea that people can maintain faith and values, but not attend church. It’s a phrase used often in emerging church/Fresh expressions circles. But in her chapter “Vicarious Religion: A Methodological Challenge, Grace decides she wants to retract “believing without belonging” and replace it with “vicarious religion.”

the notion of religion performed by an active minority but on behalf of a much larger number, who not only understand, but quite clearly approve of what the minority are doing (22)

She suggests that vicarious religion can operate in a number of ways. For example, church leaders can perform ritual, enact belief, embody moral codes and offer space for debate, all on behalf of wider society. More specifically, society expects churches to help them mourn in times of tragedy. Or church leaders to act in ways that the public never do. Or church buildings to stay open in a community, as “special places”, even as declining attendance makes them unviable.

Her examples are all drawn from modern Europe. She stresses how different and unique a case is the practice of religion and spirituality in the United States. She wonders if her notion of “vicarious religion” might work in the Southern Hemisphere?

It made sense for me of a number of moments in recent New Zealand history – the (Anglican) church involvement in the Pike River Tragedy or the funeral for Edmund Hillary. Or the outcry from a local (Mt Eden) community when a Methodist church decided to close it’s doors.

Theologically, what also intrigued me was when Grace suggested that the phrase “vicarious” was linked to “vicar” who does something on behalf of someone else. A way of being church based on a person doing religious activity for someone else! Is that really why people train to be vicars? How helpful is it as a notion of church-paid-staff today?

I remember a few years into paid ministry filling out a government census form. It included asking what I did for a job. After much pondering I wrote that I helped create community and resourced people’s spirituality. I didn’t consider this doing something on behalf of someone else, but rather of inviting people to participate for themselves in the Kingdom purposes of God.

Yet looking back now, I know there have been times when I have done something on behalf of someone else. For example, at a funeral, when the family are too shocked to bury their loved one.

A thought provoking read. Now I’m off to check how many emerging church/Fresh expressions books actually have used “believing without belonging” ! Not mine, (The Out of Bounds Church?: Learning to Create a Community of Faith in a Culture of Change) I employed the notion of spiritual tourism!

the 2010 year that was: visually

Here’s the 2010 year as a visual. Since I tend to words rather than visuals, I will simply leave the visual image for a day or two, and see if any interpretations emerge!

(The spark came from here. The comment was made that a useful tool for change leaders, going into a new group, is to use a mindmap to set the agenda, rather than a bullet point list. Frameworks for discussion are still provided by the mindmap, an overview is offered, but the new group tend to be more empowered to shape the discussion, as they can choose what to talk about and in what order. I thought it a great idea and used it toward the end of last year, to positive effect).

summer holiday walking

Pacific Outlook, 541 metres above Kaikoura Coast. The 1 hour 20 minutes was one-way not two-way! Kids very unimpressed.

Waikuku Beach, with energetic cousins and a rugby ball.

Lake Ellesmere/Lower Selwyn Hutts on a calm, peaceful evening.

Wellington waterfront, on coffee hunt since Caffe L’affare closed for renovations.

Waiohine River just out of Greytown, while waiting for baked potatoes to cook.

Martinborough vineyards on hunt for high quality pinot noir, only to discover a delightful Ata Rangi rose.

summer holiday reading

The Associate: A Novel by John Grisham. A new lawyer caught in a web of lies, deceit and blackmail. An absorbing read, but a lame ending. Grisham paints characters and complexities with artful ease, but seems to have an increasing tendency to moralise, in this case against the practices of contemporary commercial law firms.

Replenishing the Earth by James Belich. Why does so much of the world speak English? Belich explores the rise of the Anglo-world, and the patterns and processes by which Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the United States were settled. He mixes economic and social history with careful qualitative research, to argue for the priority of “settlerism”, the myths of progress and betterment that generated so much Anglo-expansion. At 560 pages, this was a lengthy read, but immensely stimulating. Belich has lovely turn of phrase and it was a delight to see a New Zealander taking his place as a leading voice in the study of history. It raises for me even more questions about the possibilities of a genuine missiology for and in Australia. How on earth to foster a genuine pioneering conversation when Australia is essentially a setter nation, driven by the pursuit of the “lucky nation”?

Psalm 119 by Heather McRobie explores three young adults seeking a more just 21st century world. One is Jewish, another Moslem, a third French and their search takes them into the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The narrative became less and less absorbing as the artless selfishness of the main characters became clearer. The book mixed in the love poetry of Rumi with various Biblical texts. This includes Samson and Delilah and raised some fresh possibilities regarding the Biblical text. Samson as a suicide bomber?

Playing God by Glenn Colquhoun. Glenn is a New Zealand doctor and writes high quality poems about the practise of medicine. Full of warmth and empathy, they show the human side of doctoring amid car accidents, meningitis and death. God is a recurring dialog partner, including a set of poems with titles like Creation, Communion and Performing Miracles.


Words carefully chosen, edited by Siobhan Harvey. 15 leading New Zealand interviewers interview 15 of New Zealands outstanding writers and poets. Each interview becomes a delightful probing of the patterns by which people create, with some revealing insights into the diversity of the writing craft. Some writers I want to read more of, some I want to read less of. Charlotte Grimshaw in particular comes across as immensely opinionated and strong-willed, quite different to the delightful short stories that she has created in the likes of Opportunity.

new years spiritual practices

The day dawned fine, after a ripper storm, a genuine weather bomb that flooded many and changed river systems.

The beach was virgin, rain swept, untouched by human foot. But crowded with driftwood, the storm’s legacy.

Each bit of wood is uniquely shaped. It seemed to speak of the year that was. A careful search ensured, for the split fingers of dislocation, for the heavy stump of overwork, a wild pine for the wrench of relationships.

Each bit was handled. And then tossed vigorously into the sea. Putting the year behind me, throw by throw, toss by toss. Moving on …

My first Christmas pastor-free

means
enjoying breakfast
slow,
with family

being upright post-prandial
stuffed, but not
from Christmas service

but whether pastor
or -free

the Christmas task
of unraveling hope in tinsel-town
of finding heavenly peace amid family wrappings
of defining love and joy
as glue stronger than glitter

Life’s view thru babies eyes
Christ, that’s hard

history and praxis of the emerging church in New Zealand

I’ve just sent off another book chapter, 3,600 words, on the history and praxis of the emerging church in New Zealand. I define the emerging church fairly broadly, as

experimental innovation that seeks to take forward the mission of God. It assumes a missional pneumatology, in which experimental innovation occurs in response to the Wind of the Spirit, who blows inside and outside the fences of church and culture

Kiwi listeners will hear echoes in the last sentence of Baxter’s Song to the Spirit, and I quote selections from the poem throughout the chapter in an attempt to provide a contextually Kiwi feel.

This is part of my conclusion:

In this chapter five expressions of the emerging church in New Zealand have been explored. In making waves, through Spirited Exchanges, in offering faith on-line, through house churches and in installation art, there has been a history of innovation, along with a challenge to existing church structures regarding their ability to engage in effective partnership with experimental mission.  A number of stories, clustered around themes of worship, community, mission and leadership, have also been told. Together these stories suggest that the emerging church in New Zealand has neither accepted the cultural quo nor chosen to become an alternative sub-culture. Rather, it has sought culture-making transformation, whether of the internet, or of city squares, or of networks, or among the urban poor.

This, as with all missionary encounters, raises the vital question as to “faithful transmission” as the Word seeks to become flesh in ever-changing cultures. In New Zealand, such a mission question becomes specific around the challenge of dwelling Incarnationally among “postmodern cultures” of choice.

It is for a book in honour of Eddie Gibbs, of Fuller fame, which surveys the emerging church around the globe. Given that US-centric nature of so much “emergent” stuff, the concept of the book is a wonderful breath of fresh air.

It brings to seven the pieces I’ve submitted for publication in this calendar year. An encouraging note on which to finish, despite all the changes and dislocation of the year past. As with all things being published, the act of submitting, simply means I’ve done what I can and it’s now in the hands of editors and publishers. Which is never guaranteed, especially in the current fiscal climate! Still, it’s good to be able to do what I can. For those interested, the seven pieces are (more…)

commercialism at Christmas? postures worth pondering (part 2)

Further to my commercialism at Christmas? An ancient story worth pondering, I came across this quote:

“Christmas celebrations …[are the] embodiement of consumer culture,” according to Russell Belk, 78.

So Christians need to be thinking carefully about how to respond to Christmas. As we plan, is our Jesus been co-opted, consumed even, by the marketplace? In the midst of canned carols, what’s our posture?

Anti: We choose to stand with the Gringe and moan. We wring out hands at the consumerism, the secularisation, the hype, the excess.  Despite such rhetoric, we will all continue to shop over the next days. Such is the enmeshment of the consumptive system we part of.

Alternative: “The very fact that consumerism continues to draw upon and inhabit religious ideas and events for its own ends also means that religion continues to quietly peddle its countercultural message … the sentimentalizing of the nativity story at the height of consumerist indulgence creates alternative spaces for different meanings.” (Martyn Percy, Engaging with Contemporary Culture, Ashgate, UK, 58)

In other words, we see a sort of symbiotic relationship, in which the very consumerism of the culture in fact opens up a space which makes elements of the Christian story more appealing, more present. In practical terms

• the earlier the carols, the greater the importance of Advent themes, candles, resources
• the more the stress, the more the chance for churches to provide quiet, reflective spaces
• the more the pressure to spend, the more the chance to offer simplicity in card-making workshops or home-made gifts
• the more the hype, the more the chance to offer community meals on Christmas Day
• the more the family emphasis, the greater the chance to offer Blue Christmas services or carol sing to the elderly and lonely.

Such a posture still leaves us open to the charge that we are tilting at the surface, and not dealing with the systemic injustices of global consumerism.

Affirmation: Much exists in Christmas that Christianity might want to affirm. Charitable contributions peak at Christmas, while far flung families connect and reconnect (Russell W. Belk, “The Human Consequences of Consumer culture,” in Elusive Consumption, 67-86). All of these are reflections of God’s goodness in and through humanity and surely reasons for Christians to affirm parts of Christmas.

In a Western world, awash with consumption, what other “Christian Christmas” postures are you seeing?

Big news!

Government approval just in for our new Bachelor of Ministry. A lot of behind the scenes work in 2010 went into this! It includes two streams, one a more usual classroom stream, the other a practice stream, which allows people to “have a go” and learn as they go.

The practice stream is specifically designed for pioneers/social entreprenuers ie folk who want to start fresh expressions, enflesh justice projects, empower art collectives. (Here’s the brochure www). It’s not “priest plus” ie do existing Christian training and add a bit of learning in Mission-shaped church, but has a whole underlying pedagogy about how people learn and the place of practical theology in ministry formation. I think we’re unique in Australia on this one and we’re all pretty excited.

I’ll try to blog more over the coming days, but in the meantime do please pass the info onto those who may be interested.

Bachelor of Ministry – Promotional Video from Craig Mitchell on Vimeo.

commercialism at Christmas? An ancient story worth pondering

A world-denying Jew heard the call to asceticism. He thought it a part of the commandments that he must do without good food, good wine, and the company of good women and friends in general. He took no place at their festive tables; he heard no good music and did without great art. All of this he did with an eye on the promise of paradise for the renouncer.

He died. He did indeed find himself in paradise.

But three days later, they threw him out because he understood nothing of what was going on.

a year apart = relational summer times

We’re having a great time catching up with friends and family. A year apart means pain and laughter, changes and sameness.

It’s so good to be home, among Kiwi accents, with people who know us, know our back story, share our sense of humour, have travelled some miles.

emerging churches 10 years on: major research project

Sitting in the international departure lounge at Adelaide Airport, enroute to Christchurch via Auckland, I got the news I’d been hanging out for, the granting by the university of ethics approval for me to conduct a research project, a study of the emerging church over time.

In 2000-1, as part of my PhD research, I conducted major qualitative research on new forms of church/alternative worship in UK and New Zealand. This involved interviewing leaders, conducting participant surveys and running focus groups. It became a 140,000 word PhD thesis.

Now, 10 years later, I was seeking approval to repeat the research – to ask the same questions, to conduct the same surveys, to repeat the focus groups. And in so doing, to begin to gain some concrete data on what has happened inside fresh expressions/new forms of church/alt.worship communities over time, in discipleship, in leadership, in sustainability, in life stage.

And so while the Taylor girls flew onto Christchurch, I stayed on in Auckland for another 24 hours. And turned on the tape recorder and conducted my first interview.

What I heard was far more interesting and useful than I expected (and I tend to have fairly high expectations!) Some fabulous data on what should be a really stimulating piece of research.

A poem. For a friend turning 30

(This is another entry in dictionary of everyday spirituality, under the heading M is for milestones.

How should I serve God?

Follow your thumbprint. You are the only person to have it. Look at it every morning. Thank God for what you’ve been gifted with.

How should I have a deep marriage?

Trace your wife’s fingerprint. Look at her print every morning. Thank God for what you’ve been gifted with.

How should I raise my kids?

Trace your kid’s fingerprint. They are different from you. They will not be you. Nourish their uniqueness. Help them appreciate their print every morning. Thank God for what you’ve been gifted with.

How should I become more like Jesus?

Follow his fingerprint. It’s all over you and all over the world. Look at it every morning. Thank God for what you’ve been gifted with.

For the index in the Dictionary of Everyday spirituality, go here.

heading home

Much excitement in the Taylor household, as we head back to New Zealand today. Back to family, friends and all that is familiar. Back to our “spot” (beach house/bach/holiday house). Back to see our new born niece. We are in New Zealand for about a month, which is mainly holiday, but I also have a week of study leave in which I need to complete 2 pieces of writing.

One is a chapter for a book in honour of Eddie Gibbs of Fuller Theological Seminary. It is a global missions perspective on the emerging church/fresh expressions and I’m writing a chapter on the emerging church in New Zealand.

The other writing task is to write up for a book the paper I gave in Sydney in July: When non-priests pray: A conversation between Sarah Coakley and Bono Vox regarding incorporative pneumatology and priestly prayer.

Which means I’ve had to pack thinking about what books I might need for 2 quite diverse writing projects, all the while juggling clothes (will we need more for a Kiwi summer than an Australian summer?) and bottles of Aussie red for friends and family!

Which also means that blog posting could be less regular in the next weeks, both because of less internet access and because of that glorious gift – summer holidays!

It’s been a long, lonely, tough year. Bring on those holidays.