Hi everybody, it's 11PM here in Ottawa and I just got in my hotel room. Had lots of fun at a number of pre-conference events, the awesomest of which is getting to spend some time with Alan Hirsch! I'll try to post some video I took but my batteries ran out. I first heard of Hirsch from one of our interns Dan Carlson and he truly has some awesome ideas. Unfortunately for some, it seems to me that these ideas involve completely deconstructing church as we know it.
And not just in ways like having services on Saturdays or something like that. His 'Finding Nemo' analogy about aquariums vs. the ocean was key. He went so far as to say that the aquariums we set up (safe, clean church environments where only 'good people' swim) are not only artificial, they are actually detrimental to the fish, as they are unable to survive in the ocean. If I'm understanding this right, he's saying that church is actually detrimental to people's ability to do amazing things for God. That's something I've been saying for a long time, but usually have been told I'm crazy. To show up at a conference and hear the main speaker saying what I'm thinking in my deepest thoughts is something I'm really excited about.
But what do you think, is church in the west actually detrimental to people's ability to do great things for God?
1 comment:
Hi Shawn. thanks for commenting and the link. Bro, I wouldn't want to sy that 'everything' about the church must change. I'll leave that to Brian :-). The fish tank analogy is useful in that it tends to describe how most churches see themselves...as artificial, self-enclosed, environments. It described us, but not completely. An analogy is that, analogy.
Stay true
A
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