Oh wow! What a great conversation I have just come from.
Here at BUC we are offering a six-session conversation on Friday mornings, we started last week. We use as the basis of our conversation a DVD series by Phyllis Tickle on her study of how Christianity is changing and why. She calls it ‘The Great Emergence’ referring to the new Christianity that is emerging. It is fascinating as she gives explanation to what is going on in the church in North America. Her thesis is that every 500 years it is as if the church has a “giant rummage sale”. She points to the Reformation, 500 years ago, which was preceeded 500 years before by the great schism, which was preceeded 500 years before that by the great transformation and so on. Every 500 years there is a huge shake-up as the church re-invents itself.
We are in about the second decade of a 100 year period when everything is up for grabs as we search to understand what will hold authroity for us. As Phyllis Tickle says, “At a rummage sale you get rid of a lot of stuff but you also uncover the treasures you want to keep.”
The conversation this morning was stimulating as people shared what has meaning for them in the church’s teaching. We are also discovering that what is of most value to one might be of little value to another.
Today the conversation focused in particular on the role and authority of scripture. How important is what the Bible says to what one believes? How do we live out our faith when the Bible is filled with contradictions? What do we do with the instructions that are no longer relevent in our society? At the same time, how do we hold as treasure the truth of the scripture that instructs and empowers?
Can you tell I am excited about the conversation? And there are still four weeks to go!
