Michael, you are asking the very questions which must be asked if the Church is to survive its institutional captivity. Thank you. As Brian McLaren put it in his book of the same title, "Everything must change." If institutionalists can receive your questions (and related insights) as sociological necessities coming from someone who loves the Church, there is hope. If not, then as Jesus put it, "the rocks will cry out," (some already are), and there will be a new Church anyway. I hope our little book will be a means to the ends you are describing.
Steve, working with you on this has literally been a dream come true. I do wonder if Methodism was a “rocks crying out” movement in its day, and Fresh Expressions, and movements like it, have picked up the torch today. I think the deeper question is will the institutional church reject the movement like it did Methodism? Or embrace and learn from it?
Michael, you are asking the very questions which must be asked if the Church is to survive its institutional captivity. Thank you. As Brian McLaren put it in his book of the same title, "Everything must change." If institutionalists can receive your questions (and related insights) as sociological necessities coming from someone who loves the Church, there is hope. If not, then as Jesus put it, "the rocks will cry out," (some already are), and there will be a new Church anyway. I hope our little book will be a means to the ends you are describing.
Steve, working with you on this has literally been a dream come true. I do wonder if Methodism was a “rocks crying out” movement in its day, and Fresh Expressions, and movements like it, have picked up the torch today. I think the deeper question is will the institutional church reject the movement like it did Methodism? Or embrace and learn from it?
We are doing a small group study on the Treasures Old and New book! It's simple, good, and helpful.
This is like a bath bomb of truth making the stagnant waters of denominationalism inhabitable again.