still ruminating...

As some of you know, and many of you will come to realize, I spend a lot of time thinking and thinking about things that either haven't resolved themselves in me or others, at least from how I'd choose to communicate it and be assured that I've been heard. Here are a couple summary thoughts before moving on tomorrow night to wonder what God's word has in store for us about more 'sustainability' conversation.

1. I'm not convinced or certain if a new emerging community can really ever sustain itself in the ways the modern church describes, i.e. salaries, property, etc. I really don't know, but at the same time I am willing to see if that may be the case or if alternatives may be able to be reached and thought through.

2. The reason for the last post has me wondering if something isn't lost by the mother-ship, big church, not providing support for such experimental communities like this where it isn't merely about what we're doing locally and independently, but even more so about what we're doing collectively. The interdependence that arises suggests that both parties within the relationship have something to contribute to the relationship beyond start-up and maintenance costs. My hope is that the big church can realize this and learn not to put smaller, experimental efforts under the same measurements of success controls but perhaps can look at them in a completely different category as fulfilling a completely different, yet important, role within a broader understanding of partnership from within the church.

3. ok, that's it, that's all.

4. let's move on...

Lord God, help us to know when to listen and how to hear, help us know when to speak and how to share, may your voice be from within just as much from without and may we learn the balance between them. amen.