The Evolving Church and coming Paradigm Shift

When I was in the Navy I served as a Chaplain's Lay Leader on two ships, in the Vietnam delta, where I had a small private space for prayer and counseling and led religious worship services for all faiths, Jews, Catholics and Protestant.   Every day often at 2 or 3 am I would set up trappings of a chapel, and gather hundreds of warriors of all ilks and back rounds for volunteer worship with virtually everyone attending, wherein I would read scriptures, lead hymns, and pray with and for each prior to entering battle, some never returned , others were severely injured, and many used the crisis to begin their spiritual journey. Frequently I would meet with those whom wanted someone to listen, encourage and build on what faith God had given them a deposit of. This included warlocks, atheists, Christian, Jewish and of no leaning. (I also had a day job where I was responsible for all shipboard electronics maintenance, cryptographic, radar etc.) It was herein that I began to grow in respect and honor for each person's struggle to gain spiritual footing so as to pursue their path. Over my 69 years I was first introduced to Jesus by a Methodist Sunday Schoolteacher, Mrs. Duplessis at age 5 when she told me with love in her eyes and warmth in her voice  "Jesus loves you Harold" and have since worshiped, hung with and learned from Methodists, Baptists, Mennonites, Amish, Pentecostals, independent groups, Mormons,  Adventists, and more recently Quakers, of whom I have the utmost love and respect for and of all the traditions is the one I identify with today. But some will say that know me haven't you been help lead a movement away from traditional churches and in effect been against Church as it is generally practiced today?" It's easy to see why one might think that, but first let me put some things in context. I see the Church as one connected entity with many tribes forming all of the human race. I choose the Christian "tribe" because it's how I began to know God through the portal of Jesus Christ whom I consider my lord and savior, but that commits me to a radical headlong plunge into the depths of whom Jesus is and how he modeled and taught us to live. And for me from my vantage point the Church he built and is building today is much more inclusive, dynamic and alive then what our traditions allow for. In fact we "Make Void the Word of God" with our traditions. Now these traditions served a transitory generation well and I honor that, share that respect and am glad for their existence. But the Church has always been more of a transitional organism rather then an institution that needs endowments to survive. Life begets life, and as the church is being transformed through the renewal of it's collective mind new thinking, new forms and new paths will have to happen. I am about that company of disciples of truth that is clearing and building new paths for the next generation. And these paths are cleared from the brush and distractions associated with politics, gender discrimination, social issues related to sexual identity, and capitalistic greed and power. The paths we are forging today are pointing towards a culture that Jesus envisioned that consists of no judgement, pure service to helping "the least among us".  Participating in an evolving spirituality that could fulfill Jesus prayer--from John-

21that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

I love the Church, all shapes all sizes. the historic church, the modern church with various sizes shapes and modalities, but because I am part of this living loving organism I know as we progress through transformation we must see tnew things , forms, ideas develop in order to become more effective then we currently are in bein an incarnational reflection of the Christ Spirit here on earth.   To do less is to just "rest in peace".

Developing or Planting Organic or Simple Churches

First off, much of what is defined as "Organic or Simple Church" cannot be engineered or mapped out without the same consequences of GMO seeds, by definition it is a growing organism much like what constitutes all of creation in that it starts with one cell, or in this case one person.  When talking of a spiritual organism of which should be first priority the intents and purposes of the the first person should be to build friends, bonds, connections (not religious) with other individuals with a spiritual openness.  This can but generally won't happen within existing western model churches or other places of worship where doctrines, traditions and budgets dictate a different agenda then the slow non spectacular money free mindset of the individual forming additional cells so as to see the organism grow "organically".  The organic metaphor of how God grows the church or "Oikos" is appropriate in many ways, especially in the realm of cultivation, weed prevention and fertilization for growth.  I view most of today's church growth strategies as warmed up versions of what business consultants have been doing for the fortune 500 for years (with diminishing returns).  In fact these artificial fertilizers and pesticides have often been applied to churches by former business consultants with similar results.  In general seed will reproduce after it's own "kind", and so for a healthy Organic fellowship to develop we personally need to start with good seed.  That is deep communion with God, a thirst and hunger for righteous behavior, ego free, selfless, to the extent that each and every person we meet is seen by us through God's eyes of love and compassion, each word adds to the dignity and sense of well being of those we converse with, and and immediate net of inclusion is cast upon all we encounter.  What folks will find is they want to be around this kind of person even though the can't describe why. Once this baseline is established we can intentionally make contact at this level with all God sends into our path, and my experience is that will be quite a few.  The Organic fellowship develops upon the principle "Life begets Life", so we need to connected and willing to make friends with all kinds of people and views trusting that God directs people into our paths.  Some of these folks will be more difficult to embrace but beyond the door of these folks lies the Grace we need to sustain the task at hand.  So the normal thing we do to "hang with people" is what is needed to develop trust and confidence in each other. Finding opportunities to serve people we meet in any and all levels will start the bonding process.  Food, rides, comfort encouragement, friendship, listening are a few of so many creative ways for you to express the fruit of the Spirit that each of manifest.   Once that is underway conversations will naturally incorporate themes of true spirituality and not distractions of any side issues such as religion ad politics.  In your case I would look for where these are developing already, 1 or 2 is a good start, never mentioning meetings or church .  You may find that this difficult while being part of a Church that meets on Sunday and every other day all week because of the limitations this places upon making new acquaintances.  When I used to travel and cast vision for traditional churches (every Sunday for several years)  I would make a point of walking the neighborhoods around the church to always find hundreds of people on their patios, walking their dogs, watering, washing cars clustered in conversations, more conversations then were allowed to happen inside the church walls.  This is how we begin to "connect" with this world full of people just not yet connected to God.  We build multiple spheres or circles of friendships tha of which there will be first one, then two, then three that find their lives orbiting around and within each other trusting one another and sharing transparently their hopes and fears, joys and sadness, etc.  This begins the genesis of a truly Organic fellowship or expression of part of the Church.   It takes intention, time, and a willingness to take a "Sabbath" for a year or two from the crazy upside down world of religion.  It took Wendy & I three years before we could see more clearly God's intent and purposes, and now we share that with a growing circle whom are sharing with their circle and behold we see genuine multiplication take place.  In our lives and ministry this is in it's third generation now in about a dozen states.  It seems slow, but it's the real thing.

     So here is a a lot for you to ingest, process and start some dialogue over.  Thanks for your sincere and earnest pursuit of discovery of the "Kingdom of God" within us and your desire to share!  In a nutshell I'm suggesting you are the epicenter of what will be the Organic Church you are looking for!

Grace & Peace,

Harold

    Well the sky is returning to it's blue as the smoke over this part of Oregon thins out, fire season kinda messes with the entire state's normally pristine skies and fresh air.  Today I wanted to share the evolution of my thinking and subsequent actions/intentions related to sparking new church development.  This comes as I continue to grow in Faith as a result of "knowing" G more intimately and surveying so many of the new churches we have served  and nourished over the years.   As you know we have been advocates of a more "simple church", one that paralleled  early 1st century followers of the simple teachings of Jesus, approachable to all, easily understood, free of the structures, hierarchy and trappings of this westernized,version that evolved focused upon buildings, programs, fundraising and charismatic leadership.  I have had no interest in generating new works that must be sustained artificially so as in the early churches working leadership of the servant model is more what we have encouraged.  But the primary differences or change or clearer vision we have been seeing as we journey further in these matter is first, these official "meeting" oriented churches must be seen as "transitional" as should be all of the church. We are sojourners, pilgrims of a sort, constantly being renewed in our minds and thinking fresh, anew, concepts that are more inclusive, and a church "meeting" is anything but that.  Coded language, music & practices exclude virtually all of the onlooking community.  This is what George Barna and others have found statistically that our "new church plants" mostly consist of recycled former church goers, and day by day the average age of the meeting oriented church increases and the attendance continues to drop, as do the finances to support the programs, buildings and salaries.   And the participation of the emerging generations has dropped off dramatically, especially among church raised kids.  So the bottom line is Church Planting as an industry and growth practice is realizing diminishing returns.   What we see instead is "Gathering & Dispersing" of the under 40 crowd as jobs, careers take them elsewhere to reform in informal fellowships without agendas visible leaders in some cases, meeting  adhoc for meals, sharing lives encouragement and fellowships to "be" the church in their communities.  Usually meeting in homes in groups of 4-12 for various activities, often with added friends and family invited, not teaching other then transparency over a meal and a glass of wine after a simple period of thanksgiving (a few words), sometimes some will share something they bring kinda after the Corinthian KJ expression "each one hatha song, etc. etc.)  
     These are a counter expression of the Western Church patterned much along the model of Capitalism & Business.   And they foster tight non judgmental highly inclusive Grace filled gatherings wherein upon leaving a"good time was had by all", meaning we listened, we cried, we laughed together at and with ourselves, with life lessons learned from one another all dispensed by the Spirit within us.
     These are reminiscent of the earliest Quaker fellowship circles in the original George Fox days, and is at the heart of why we became recorded Quaker ministers when we did.  To this day we cherish those days and are thankful for so many of the wonderful Quaker leaders that helped develop our understanding.  We still consider ourselves Quakers in most senses, especially of the silent more contemplative variety.
    So where does that place us on the new works continuum? Probably off the line to many but to others they see and hear what we are hearing, church as we do it is not very effective in reaching the "least of these", those who cannot surmount the walls we have erected of doctrine, culture and politics, and it's time to recognize that the ground is level at the cross, there are no insiders or outsiders in God's economy.  So we are gathering spontaneously and sporadically but consistently to share meals, camping, fishing whatever excuse we can find to be the church together in anon liturgical manner, honestly embracing all that Jesus says to us, and are finding those who are doing likewise exclaiming how much freer and more meaningful their walk with God, there sense of knowing and being known  by God really is.  We are growing in personal and group prayer and meditation some of it local, some via social media and however we can find it.  It's freeing, and I believe is clearly the future.  What do you think?

What a beautiful Morning!

     As I watch the sun come up today here in Central Oregon I felt it was time to share my sense of my inner musings and soulful quests with whomever is interested.  I hope my closest family & friends will check in once in a while, and those whom we have encouraged along their spiritual path as well.  What motivates me to communicate more is this inner explosion of love & joy that is no longer containable, accompanied by an inner "Awakening" that has completely changed my world view and buoyed my sense of hope for humanity!   We are participating in a global shift in experiencing God that is spreading around the world at exponential spped bringing freedom from the death march of organized institutionalized religion and launching individuals of all races, gender, ages, nationality forward into a deep communion of Spirit that is manifested in love joy and peace.   Years ago I felt the baggage associated with being labeled a "Chrisitan" misrepresented where Gosd has led me and no longer was acceptable to me so I publicly declared I chose to be a disciple or learner of Jesus Christ alone, allowing myself to be taught by the Spirit he said would "guide us into all Truth", and subsequently have had just about every doctrine and religious concepts turned upside down or I should say "right side up".
I see scriptures in an unfiltered light now with new fresh meanings, I find my times of meditation and prayer exciting and overflowing with tangible hope.  Ihave found a "Cessation of Againstness" of all kinds against all things.  I find judgement to be disgusting, and in turn I find a love beyond description for all things, people and life that is infinite in depth & breadth.  For the first time in my life I can say I ham "free", and thus why I want to share what this mighty "Wind of the Spirit" has shown us, for Wendy & I are both experiencing this together with grateful hearts.  
The morning of my life has been a whole lot about "doing", and the afternoon now is totally about "being".  Instead of as a friend has said, about living a s a "human doing" I am experiencing for the first time what it means to be a human being".    So if you are up to it and don't mind being challenged in any conventional traditional understanding of God, saddle up and let's go for a ride together for a spell!