Thursday, July 14, 2005

Maybe I'm just codependent . . .

Throughout the process of deciding to work in an official capacity with my denomination again I've been working through some ambivalence. There are some strong points to what this collection of churches does . . . and there are some very serious weak points. I've lost count of the number of church planters and leaders I've met that used to be in my denomination but bailed out because of those weak points. It seems more often than not that it's just not worth it.

I admit that a good lot of the time I feel the same way. But I keep coming back. It's usually because I'll run into someone who represents a glimmer of hope for change. My experience is that there are some who are gifted and persistent and open enough to change that they'll lead a charge in a good direction. Unfortunately, they tend to get bogged down in the system sooner or later and the end result is something less than hoped for.

In my current situation, I've run into a group that is actively looking for change, but they're not really trying to change the whole system. They just want to do what they do sort of below the radar. They keep a high enough profile to continue to engage the system at necessarily levels, but little more. There may come a time when they are forced to work through the system, but they're hoping to hold that off as long as possible.

Me? I want to do some things that would be radical enough to get fired in about 98% of the rest of the denomination. Funny thing is, I'm not even all that radical. And if I end up doing something that's radical enough to get me fired even here, then at least I'll know where I stand. I'm very content to be a fringe guy. It's just been a process of realizing that whether fringe or not, I'll be working for the system again. Not all bad, not all good.

posted by Steve at 12:00 PM
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spirit farmer data

I'm Steve Lewis. This used to be my blogging home. My online home is now at SpiritFarmer.com. When this blog was my active online home, I lived in Seattle. Now I live in London, UK. I follow Jesus (poorly most of the time), worship simply, read a lot, watch culture, go to school, listen to music, write, enjoy art, and drink a lot of coffee.
e-mail me: spiritfarmer@gmail.com
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seattle spots

victrola coffee
zoka coffee
university of washington
church of the apostles
quest church
sanctuary church
shoreline vineyard


sites i visit

off the map
theooze
next-wave
metacritic
nt wright



a few of the blogs in the feedreader

tallskinnykiwi
jason evans
joe boyd
kevin rains
alan creech
chris marshall
bill bean
eugene cho
jordon cooper
dwight friesen
john chandler
amy palmer
ryan bolger
rudy carrasco
ryan sharp
sings in the sunshine
rick bennett
scot mcknight
karen ward
alan hirsch
dan kimball
petey crowder



i'm reading it

colossians remixed
africa unchained



i finished reading it - 2007

generation me
jesus and the restoration of israel
god's continent
glocalization
globalizing theology
gustavo gutierrez: essential writings
jesus and the eyewitnesses
garlands of grace
twenty poems to nourish your soul
the black swan
dancing in the streets
made to stick
signs in contemporary culture
hit the bullseye
revolution
the politics of jesus
readings in christian ethics
toward old testament ethics
the kite runner
principles of conduct
velvet elvis
the irresistable revolution
they like jesus, but not the church
the great omission
ishmael
charisma: the gift of grace, and how it has been taken from us
the starfish and the spider
a perfect mess
the world cafe
the new faces of christianity
leaving church
journeying in faith
the creed
creators
transforming mission
metaphors we live by
foolishness to the greeks
personal knowledge



states i've spent time: 2007

washington
texas
british columbia
oregon
california
georgia
oh yeah, denmark, too



i wrote it

managing conflict in the 'new world'
music review: over the rhine
film review: bonhoeffer
music review: fighting jacks
film review: the passion of the christ
how reality tv changes lives
the best tv article you've ever read
corks & caps: a wine lover's story of change
america's idols
random, disorganized thoughts about life after the katrina disaster
missional . . . plain and simple
on becoming post-gnostic



i blogged it

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