A Living Alternative

In my last post, I shared about some of the books I have reading. A few moments ago I finished “New Monasticism: What It Has To Say To Today’s Church” by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. When it arrived I was surprised at how thin it was, at only 147 pages. However, this book did not disappoint. It is one of the more inspiring and helpful books I have read in some time. Let me give you an overview.

The book begins with an honest (though hopeful) assessment of the world we find ourselves in. Though it is primarily focused on the American context, it is still largely applicable to other contexts. In the face of a Christianity that seems to have lost it’s identity, we are introduced to a growing movement of the new monasticism. In a very brief but surprisingly helpful journey through the history of monasticism (including Biblical influences), we see it’s critical role in the history and vitality of the Body of Christ.

From there, we are introducted to the practices of the new monasticism (as opposed to the typical “values” presentation). Through sharing examples and stories from many communities, we are challenged to very tangible ways that we can, as communities, more fully embrace the Gospel we claim and proclaim. The author offers no illusions, refusing to claim the new monasticism as THE answer we’ve all been waiting for, presenting their weaknesses as much as their strengths. It is truly inspiring.

The eighth chapter, “A Culture of Grace and Truth” lived up to it’s name. It was a hopeful call to lives of grace, love and truth. I was moved to tears while reading it. It is summed up best in a shift from seeing community/church as a repair shop to a garden. To tend a garden is a long, dirty process that does not immediately show results. In the same way, we are called to tend “the soil” of our communities (and our world) and trust the Spirit to bring life within it.

My only critique (and it is minor and personal) comes in the last section of the last chapter. The section is called “Parachurch vs. Prochurch”. While I agree with the basic concern that some (so called) “parachurches” can seek follow their vocation as Christian communities apart of the church, it was done in a rushed and underdeveloped manner. Throughout the book the author is very gracious, even to those he critiques. This is lacking in the rushed assessment of the “parachurch”.

This book is one of those rare finds that is incredibly easy and enjoyable to read (even in one easy sitting), while packing a powerful punch in content. It is gracious, hopeful and inspirational. I would highly recommend this to book to anyone- those in urban, suburban or rural settings; pastors, missionaries, lay leaders- everyone.

Missional Books New+Monasticism Jonathan+Wilson-Hartgrove Book+Review

So far we have looked at the first eight marks of the New Monasticism (Parts 1, 2 & 3). Here we finish with the last four:

9) Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life:

This mark is part of our missionary values here in Winnipeg. While most of our staff living in the same house in intentional community, our value is only that we all need to live in geographical proximity. We are working towards supporting our local economy, which has been very rewarding relationally. I personally swore off shopping at certain store (i.e. Wal-Mart) and have not been back in some time. It’s one small, but important step for me.

I think this value is far more achievable for the local church. Be it the commuter culture or the consumeristic approach to chosing a church, we need to recognize the importance of building lives that are rooted together in a shared community. When our church lives exsist in a separate place to the rest of our lives, we simply reinforce the false division of the sacred and secular, further distancing ourselves from the world we are called to serve and reach. The significance of supporting a local economy in the community your church calls home cannot be understated.

10) Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies:

It has been far too easy for us to ignore our responsibility to Creation in the busyness and demands of urban missions. Most of our efforts have been motivated more out of economic necessity than a sense of eco-commitment. However, we are beginning to learn how deeply connected our relationship to Creation is to our relationship to the Creator. In the urban context, it is even more critical.

I should note, as I have many times before, that I do not think that the environmentalist movement is the primary answer for the Church’s relationship to Creation. Do not misunderstand, we should be involved in the movement, but environmentalism cannot provide an adequate framework needed. A theology of Creation- what I like to call a sacramental ecology- is deeply necessary. It is deeply connected to missionality on many levels, but it is also part of the original mandates God gave to humanity.

11) Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18:

As you know, we live in an inner city neighbourhood in Winnipeg. Violence is all too present, be it domestic abuse or gang conflicts. Recently, violence has been on the rise, with Winnipeg (namely our neighbourhood) being cited as the community with the highest number of murders committed by youth. Part of what we do to be a peacemaking presence is our refusal to leave or to hide in our homes. However, we are struggling on what more we can do. It can be very overwhelming, as violence breed more violence, while fear drives away both people and hope.

Sadly, due to many factors (such as a flawed eschatology and a weak ecclesiology) the church has too often neglected to recognized its obligation in respect to issue of peace and justice. Our commitment to peacemaking must extend to every aspect of lives, big and small. And this extends to more than just the local church, as groups like YWAM are just as guilty. We need to be active agent for peace in the world, which is going to make for some real chaos, but necessary chaos.

12) Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life:

Like many in the local church, the busy-ness of ministry and life means that a disciplined contemplative life tends to be the first on the block for cuts. This is too bad, as it brings life. While I am the most guilty person in this respect, I also have seen an unfortunate pattern with pastors and missionaries where pressures for them to “earn” their cheques pushes them into excesses by congregations and supporters. This is a sad commentary on our values. Beyond that, any commentary from me would probably be hypocrisy.

So here ends the series on the New Monstacism. What is yoru perspective on these last four points?

New Monasticism Missional

In the previous posts in this series on the New Monasticism, I introduced the 12 marks of the movement, exploring the first four points. Here we continue with the next four:

5) Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church:

This is perhaps the most complex of the marks. For our ministry, which is an intentional missional community itself, our relationship to the local church is intentional. In addition to each of our staff actively participating in a local congregation, our ministries are intentionally designed to participate with the local church community. However, we also firmly reject the notion of being “para-church”- that is, outside of the Church. We acknowledge the essentiality of the local church, but also affirm our own mutual importance as a different expression of the Body.

While we are encouraged within the mission to be personally submitted to the spiritual leadership of our local pastor/church, we are called to acknowledge our YWAM community (which includes our region and the international organization) as our primary spiritual authority where our ministry is concerned. This, of course makes perfect sense. However, in reality, our personal and communal and ministry contexts are by no means separate spheres, so the obvious questions and challenges arise.

For the larger Church, this question is equally complicated. As Evangelicalism is coming to see the need for a more grounded ecclesiology, in addition to the shift from hierarchal leadership to communities of service and mutuality, what it means to submit to the Body will need to be seriously considered. I will look for at this point on Friday for my “Fridays With Francis” reflection.

6) Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate:

This point is one that I can see the value in, but approach it differently in our context. While not inspired by the novitiate, we do have something of a shared pattern of prayer, spiritual formation and ministry. We hope to be more intentional about this, no doubt drawing from some of the practices of the old orders.

Personally, while I affirm the need to approach life with a sacramental view, I do not think this has to take on forms that so closely resemble liturgical models. Not that there is anything wrong with those, but I have been far more drawn to some of the sacramental approaches of indigenous cultures. Again, there has to be significant sensitivity in this, as we don’t want to co-opt another culture for our own consumeristic purposes. However, I think we need to broaden our imagination in respect to what it means to embrace a “rule” or pattern of community.

The most critical shift needed in the local church to make happen will be the humble acknowledgment that intentional formation in the way of Christ cannot primarily come as a result of training, education or programs. Rather, it will require the transformation of our lives at their most (seemingly) mundane levels- where we live, how and with who, how we spend our time and money, the nature of leadership, communal child-rearing, etc. Only when the church moves towards real change on every level will we see this formation take place.

7) Nurturing common life among members of intentional community:

For almost 15 years I have lived in varying degrees of intentional community, with my current situation (living in a duplex with our enitre YWAM community in the heart of our inner city neighbourhood) being the most effective. Perhaps because our current staff have all expressed a significant time and life commitment to our shared vocation of late, but I feel as though we are become true community more and more every day. We are making steps to be more intentional about this as well. It is hard, but wonderful.

I know that every Christian cannot live in intentional community like we do, but I do believe that the level in which individualism, privacy and self-sufficiency has infiltrated the Western church is one of the most critical ecclesiological issues in the world today. It grows from the same insidious roots that allow us to live in a culture where tens of thousands are dying of excessive consumption while millions of others die daily from easily defeated problems such as malnurishment, disease, impure water, etc. How horrific a disease that lulls the powerful into a self-destruction all at the cost of the millions of souls we claim to be so concerned about saving. Living in intentional community is one of the most powerful antidotes to this kind of selfishness- a local solution with potentially global impact.

Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children:

YWAM has always affirmed the need to support families within the mission. I have seen how hard it is to raise the support and function in the demanding life of missions while trying to sustain a family. Sadly, many fail in the attempt, which we strive to overcome as much as we can. At the same time, there can be the unintentional abuse of the flexibility and (often) youth of singles, in which their lack of family commitment often lands them bear more than their share of the burden. This is a dynamic tension in YWAM.

Local churches can often (unintentionally) be a place where married people with children receive the greatest attention. Based on the models that have shaped church growth, this isn’t suprising. However, this will need to shift in order for the church to truly engage in its missional vocation. While there is some value in having specific ministries or groups for singles, youth, etc. I believe that there is a greater need for integrated, relationally driven gatherings, where people are mutually investing that which is unique from their experience and context.

What do each of these marks mean to you? How have they impacted you life and/or where do you wish they were more important?

I will finish up with the final four marks later this week.

Missional New Monasticism

In the previous introductory post in this series on the New Monasticism, I introduced the 12 marks of the movement, looking at number 1 (Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire). In this post I want to look at the next three marks:

2) Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us:

When I lived and served with YWAM on the more traditional ministry centers, sharing of resources was much easier, as we lived in facilities where we shared housing and meals in a style somewhere between dorms and monasteries and large families. It was a powerfully formative experience, something I have rarely seen replicated (as well) in other contexts.

However, with very few exceptions, out of necessity these facilities were located in rural, even secluded settings. Even when they were within larger communities, it was easy to create something of a bubble in which our lives took place separate from the neighbourhood. So when we founded our ministry in Winnipeg, we intentionally looked for a house in the community where we would naturally be neighbours. This came with its own set of challenges, such as the need to be more intentional about sharing our lives, space and property. We are working to improve this, but we have a long way to go. Sharing with the needy in our community is something we are also working to become more intentional about. The bookstore (The Dusty Cover) is one place where we hope to express this more explicitly.

For the larger church this will perhaps be the most challenging to embrace. While the church has been very good at giving to the poor through programs, sharing our wealth (and for those of us living in the West, it is wealth) within the context of our own churches and communities flies in the face of everything we have accepted to normal- our rights, our privacy, even our convictions. And the need for sharing with the needy among us must flow from personal relationships and the acknowledgment of our mutual need for each other. Ultimately, though, it has more to do with embracing a new theology and worldview of wealth and ownership that, if taken seriously, WILL transform the church (and will probably be chaotic).

3) Hospitality to the stranger:

One of our foundational values in YWAM is hospitality. We try to take it very seriously, not only in welcoming the stranger, but also in our treatment of one another as we share our lives and space. Here in Winnipeg, we attempt to make room for the stranger. However, we also know that this has not extended far enough, especially in respect to the poor. There are legitimate (and selfish) concerns about property, safety, etc. On a personal note, as an introvert, I already struggle to find adequate rest without losing what little self-time I have. I acknowledge the selfishness, but it is a concern.

For the church, the need to open our homes to each other on regular, genuine ways is critical. So much of Scripture is about hospitality largely due to how much the live of God’s people interacted. In this age of individualism and privacy, those verses often get dismissed as mildly interesting, if at all relevant. Rest assured, true hospitality (like true community) exacts a heavy price. However, beyond the fact that we are commanded to embrace it as Christians, we would also need to realize how much there is to discover of God and each other if we obey.

4) Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation:

This is particularly a passion of mine. Rather, it is a by-product of my passion for celebrating and learning from diversity of all kinds, be it racial, gender, age, socio-economic, etc. All of us in our local ministry are the racial minority as white people in our neighourhood. One of the challenges we face in this is that, as representative of the race that has enjoyed the benefits of exploitation, racism and colonialism, we have to approach racial justice issues carefully. Our desire to work for restorative justice can end up becoming another exercise in using power above the marginalized. Despite our best intentions, we have to go out of our way to humble ourselves in this process.

It is my conviction that sin is defined largely what it fails to be. For example, greed is sin not so much because of its inherent “badness”, but because it fails to be generous and selfless. In respect to racism, therefore, it is not enough for us to be opposed to prejiduce and inequality- no, in order to not be guilty of the sin, we MUST live lives that intentionally celebrate diversity, even pursue it. Therefore, seeking just reconcilication is not merely a admirable work for some who are called, but a necessary discipline of every believer and every church.

The issues of racial reconciliation are inseparably connected to so many other issues of injustice. In that respect, the importance of this point cannot be understated. I can think of few issues in the church today that needs more immediate and consistant response.

How do you or your faith community measure up with each of these points? Any point you think particularly important?

Missional New Monasticism

Of late, a few of us in our ministry have been increasingly drawn to the writings and example of those involved in the “New Monasticism” movement. For those unfamiliar with the movement, it was inspired by a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

“…the restoration of the church will surely come only from a new type of monasticism which has nothing in common with the old but a complete lack of compromise in a life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount in the discipleship of Christ. I think it is time to gather people together to do this…”

While the new monasticism has much in common with the monastic and mendicant orders (both past and present), they are a new phenomenon. There are many expressions of this neo-monasticism, so I should clarify what I mean when I refer to it. Generally speaking, I am largely (though not exclusively) referring to those marks articulated by The Rutba House. The 12 marks are as follows:

1) Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire.

2) Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us.

3) Hospitality to the stranger

4) Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities
combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation.

5) Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church.

6) Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the
community along the lines of the old novitiate.

7) Nurturing common life among members of intentional community.

Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children.

9) Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life.

10) Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies.

11) Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18.

12) Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life.

Over the next week or so, I will be exploring each mark, looking specifically at how these points impact our ministry, and more broadly in respect to the Church and the missional movement. Today I will start with the first mark.

1) Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire:

More than any other point, this one is the most obvious connect with our ministry here in Winnipeg. From the very start, we knew that if we were going to be a missional presence in our community, we had to be part of it. That meant establishing our homes and lives in the heart of a very troubled, yet wonderful inner city neighbourhood. Something of a stretch within our mission, we have even made it a requirement for all of our staff to live within the community. This has been a critical aspect to who we are as a community.

Before I go on, I should be clear that I am a strong advocate for Christian individuals, families and even churches to relocate their lives and ministries to the abandon places in their cities and communities. There is a series gulf between the needs of different neighbourhoods and the distribution of Christian representation (which cannot be measured by programs and money, but rather must reflect root lives). I will always be an advocate for such.

That being said (and I hesitate to say it, in fear that some will simply use this as an excuse for not asking certain questions), inner city communities are not the only places that have been abandoned by the Church. For example, in many suburban communities, where the representation of Christians and churches is quite high, it could be argued that the failure to engage the culture missionally (often counter-culturally, against the materialism, individualism, etc. that is often rampant) makes these places truly abandoned. I have always said that, for all the struggle of doing missions in a struggling inner city community, I believe it would be much hard to be missional in the suburban context.

While relocation is not necessary for anyone person or church to be missional, I hold deeply to the conviction that there are whole segments of the Body of Christ who are confusing, missing or blatantly ignoring a missional mandate to relocate their lives, their homes, their priorities, etc. to the abandon places of the world.

What does this point mean to you? Have you ever been called to relocation for missional purposes? Might you be resisting such a call?