Central Oregon Emergent Cohort

Ben’s not a fan, but he has some interesting points… and some that I definitely disagree with. His blog entry can be found HERE.

My own statement of emergent is here.

Can we have these conversations in person please?

After a little break last week, we will resume meeting at Bend Brewing Company this Monday (June 30) for conversations about life, god, questions, and all the other human being things that we just don’t get space to dialog about. Some good beers too!

Anyone is welcome, whether they know what they believe or not, and everyone is welcome whether they enjoy a fine pint or not. It is the questions we want, the longing for something more, and the hope that one day we might live into the answers together.

Monday, June 30, 7pm - Bend Brewing Company

You can find the article here.

Ok, this can’t be good. Hopefully they’ll make it to Bend on Tuesday, June 24 by 7:00 pm! Check this video!

Shepherd and the Knucklehead is back. may you find the knucklehead and the shepherd in you longing to gather once again to wonder, to question, and to celebrate life in all its crazy mystery.

I have decided in my reminders to you all, that there will now be a clue, a hint, as to our question for the evening. I know it is not customary to give out the question ahead of time, as its too easy for us all to prepare our answers and opinions. This is too narrow for any shepherd or knucklehead. But there will always be a glimpse into the mystery… just as in all of life we look for it.

So Tonight - Monday, June 9th will be our next gathering. 7:00 at Bend Brewing Co.

Come and join us if you find yourself free of time and open for conversation. One thing I can guarantee is that it won’t be time wasted and that indeed there will be plenty of conversation.
You all make it what it is. The Shepherd and the Knucklehead.

And these words from TS Elliot

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.

See you all Tonight. Nate

Can be found here

Darren King: At first glance, Finding Our Way Again might seem like its going in a very different direction from your last book, Everything Must Change. At the same time, I can see how the message of one book very much feeds into the other. Coming off of Everything Must Change, what made you want to write a book like this?
 
Brian McLaren: I don’t see it as another direction. I see it more as the other side of the coin. When we talk about changing the world, it always has to begin with ourselves. And, so, for example, if we say we’ve got a problem with the environment, and the world’s external ecology, in order to really deal with that we’re going to have to address our internal ecology and the state of our soul. So that’s what I’m trying to do with this book. In many ways, hit the personal side of transformation that corresponds to the global side.

Darren King: What audience would you say you’re aiming to reach with this particular book?

Brian McLaren: Well, probably this audience is a little narrower than Everything Must Change. I’m focusing more on folks who are seeking spiritual formation, and care about the state of the church and are trying to bring renewal to the church and to their own spiritual lives.

Darren King: From the back-cover of your book: “Most of us suffer from spiritual disorientation. Our souls are intended. And in this fragmented world, a soul left untended quickly loses direction. It forgets itself and becomes an insubstantial thing, disoriented and unavailable to the truth. And neither scientific secularism nor religious fundamentalism nor vague spiritualities have been able to offer any real answers”. I think people have a grid for your first two examples there- scientific secularism and religious fundamentalism, but maybe not for the weaknesses inherent in third example- vague spiritualities. Can you describe what you’re referring to there?

Brian McLaren: Yes. Well, I think one of the most common statements that I hear when I talk to people outside the church, about their spiritual life, is the statement: “I’m spiritual but not religious” or, “I’m not religious but I’m spiritual”. And when you ask them what they mean by “spiritual”, usually people have a real feeling associated with the word. But they’ve never really tried to put it into words. So, for a lot of people, it ends up meaning a kind of denial. It’s a denial that either science or organized religion has all the answers.

But what you put in place of that is the piece that stays kind of vague. In the book I call it “mushy”. And mushy spirituality doesn’t have a clear sense of calling, or purpose, or direction. And in many ways there’s no challenge, no protest. And then, on the other end of the spectrum, we have the pushy spirituality of fundamentalism. And I think we need a better alternative.

Darren King: Would you say that with vague spirituality you’re also referring to a lack of accountability, community… and that kind of thing?

Brian McLaren: Yeah. I mean, a lot of this kind of vague, mushy spirituality pretty much ends up being a solo affair, an individualistic, do-it-myself kind of spirituality.

Darren King: And maybe, because it’s often about this kind of faddish, what’s-the-latest-hip-thing, it lacks real depth in terms of a disciplined life that can, over the long term, produce real character strength.

Brian McLaren: Exactly right. And so much of what I’m talking about in the book comes from a tradition where there are generations and generations of cumulative wisdom and experience to draw from. You know, I’m 52 years old and I feel like I have so much to learn. And I imagine that when I’m 75 I’ll feel the same way. And so there’s something wonderful that comes from being connected to a tradition that is a repository of many, many generations.

Darren King: I noticed that you draw attention to the Abrahamic roots of all three of the world’s major religions- Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Was that a calculated move, in that, if we can draw each of these traditions into a pursuit of spiritual depth, this will go a long way towards making us a less suicidal species – like you talked about in Everything Must Change?

Brian McLaren: Yes, very much so. I should say, first of all, that this book introduces a series that’s edited by Phyllis Tickle. And Phyllis really established this idea of focusing on the seven Abrahamic practices. The series is all written by Christians from a Christian perspective. But I do think there is something that is neighborly and helpful and charitable when we can find points of common practice across the board, especially amongst these three Abrahamic faiths. 

Darren King: In your own experience, when were you first introduced to the concept of spiritual disciplines? Was it something lacking in your early Christian experience and influence?

Brian McLaren: Well, you know, fortunately, I think that all churches – even ones that never talk about spiritual disciplines – actually have them. They’re just not identified, and sometimes unconscious. So, in one way I’ve always been exposed to spiritual disciplines. Even attending a church is a spiritual discipline. Or giving thanks before meals. Or praying before bedtime. Even something like every year going to a Christian summer camp is something that, for me, as a child, was a kind of a pilgrimage. And I see summer camps and retreats as kind of short term monastic practices.  So, even though I grew up in a strain of fundamentalism that never used a term like spiritual disciplines, it certainly was there.

 Now, I think I was first exposed to the more historic and catholic understanding of spiritual disciplines probably from Henry Nouwen, Thomas Merton, and Richard Foster, through their books.

Darren King: Right. That’s true for a lot of us I think.

Brian, do you remember when you first began to experience the fruit of practiced discipline in your life – in terms of the more ancient practices? What did that look like?

Brian McLaren: Well, I couldn’t promise that this was the first, but I’ll tell you a very early one. I became a committed Christian in my teenage years and nobody ever told me about this, but, I remember, when I was in high school, I would come to a Sunday and realize I hadn’t really prayed since last Sunday. And so then I remember thinking, boy, I’d like to try to pray at least once a day. And then eventually I remember thinking I’d like to try and pray at least once in every period in my high school days – and we had six periods. And without anybody telling me, that was spiritual discipline. I was trying to train myself to increase my attentiveness towards God.

Then, when I was a freshman in college, a friend of mine told me about practicing the presence of God. And, in a way, I’d already been taking steps towards this practice. But I remember, even after a few days, of being aware of this possibility of trying to spend the day in constant contact with God, and stay open to the presence of God. I remember thinking it was like opening the windows of a house where the air had been somewhat stale.

Darren King: An old pastor of mine used to say, “We can only grow the tree as high and wide as its roots are deep”. I’m curious, coming off of your Everything Must Change tour, do you sense that people recognize the need to go deeper in order to reach out further and farther in solving the world’s greatest crises?

Brian McLaren: I do. What I’ve sensed in this tour, very consistently, is a deep desire for balance. We have people who are activists, who really want more spiritual depth. And then we have a lot of other people who have a lot of piety, and they’re really looking to make a difference in the world. And I think that, even though we have people coming from different directions, they’re all seeking the same integration.

Darren King: Something that has always drawn me to Eastern Orthodoxy is the focus on practices. For Eastern Orthodox, the idea of Christianity being a system of belief, or a collection of propositions, is foreign. In Eastern Orthodoxy, one is not only formed by what one does, but by what one repeatedly does. That being said, within the Emergent conversation, do you have concerns that this new fascination with spiritual discipline and practices will ultimately prove faddish? In our soundbite-sized culture, how can we convince people that a life of long-suffering discipline is not only worth it, but also essential to the Christian walk?

Brian McLaren: Yes. Well, I mean, the sad truth is that it is so hard to escape the faddism and commodification of just about everything- including spirituality. The good news though, is that fads aren’t deeply satisfying. And so, when people approach something from a faddish dimension, it guarantees it will have a short shelf life. But I think part of the attraction to the subject of spiritual formation right now, is that people have been disappointed and dissatisfied by so many fads that have come and gone.

Darren King: Kind of like the diet craze. I mean, how many diets are you going to go one before realizing maybe that’s not the answer.

Brian McLaren: Exactly right. And this, to me, is one of the reasons why the deep spiritual traditions of Orthodoxy, and Catholicism as well, for Protestants, are holding a great deal of appeal. And my guess is there could be a faddish dimension to that. But, the truth is, I see this as what people come to once they’ve been disillusioned by one too many fads. And I don’t see people walking away saying, “Yeah, spiritual formation, I tried that and moved on.” You know? I think that once people get to that place they realize that now they’ve gotten to the deep well that won’t run dry.

Darren King: Right.

I remember asking you, in a previous interview, about the importance of the emerging conversation producing actual, on-the-ground communities of faith, churches that exist in more than just the blogosphere. And this is true for the disciplines- yes? Community support, accountability, mentorship, that kind of thing, is so important. Because, left to our own devices, two weeks in we can get frustrated and think, “Oh I’m no good at this”. It seems that community support, mentorship, etc, is so important for the disciplines actually taking root in our lives.

Brian McLaren: Well, this is really essential because there is something about the embodiment of the spiritual life. You know, obviously I’m an author and I love to read, and I love to write, and I have a high opinion of the value of good books. But there’s no substitute for being in the presence of people who actually are embodying the spirit of Christ. No book can replace that. No website can replace it. And, although I believe community can take many forms, there is no substitute for community in some form.

**PART 2 of this interview with Brian McLaren will be published soon…