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The 4th Place, Part 2A

December 8th, 2005 · 3 Comments · 7 views

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I’d like to backtrack and change my mind about something I wrote yesterday.

I said this:

I’d argue it’s still about intimacy with Christ and others that is the bullseye, but the starting point is different.

I’d like to challenge that. Having an “intimate” relationship with Jesus that never penetrates a larger circle - public and social - is monasticism.

There’s nothing wrong with monasticism. I just don’t think it’s complete. It’s not incorrect, it’s incomplete. Not whole.

So I think I’d like to reframe what I said to this:

I’d argue that the bullseye is to have a WHOLE, complete relationship with Jesus that covers all the places.

There…I think that’s better.

Tags: church & emergent musings · spiritual formation

3 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Mile20 // Dec 8, 2005 at 11:40 am

    I agree, but would add:

    I think many people have misread the monastics (at least some of them). My reading of the monastics (at least those that are held up as the models) is that they retreated from society only for a time in order to pursue a union with God. Once they developed a level of intimacy with Him, they were called to engage with society and went on to do great things. Think about Paul, he retreated to the desert for 3 years to be “taught by God” before he began his public ministry. Jesus apparently did the same; the disciples are also examples.

    Perhaps we can only engage with the world like Jesus, Paul, the disciples and the great monastics did after we have spent some time diligently pursuing God through proper discipleship (not as commonly put forth).

    I think we have too many examples of people too quickly engaging with society in the name of God. They hurt the cause and often the wake that follows them is disasterous (although it gives us something to blog about!).

    The disciples were not ready to be sent out until three years of intense training by the master. Do we have anything comparable to offer church members today?

  • 2 Mile20 // Dec 8, 2005 at 11:50 am

    Have you seen the link on Marko’s blog about the youth calendar (I can’t do a link on a comment)? I laughed out loud hard on that one! An example of prematurely engaging with society?!?!

  • 3 Grant // Dec 8, 2005 at 3:23 pm

    great thoughts, bro.

    I would point out that the 3 year prep time was not complete withdrawal though. There were missions trips - Jesus sending them out 2 by 2 - and ministry opportunities alongside the lifewalking discipleship.

    The discipling relationship gave frame and perspective to their experiences in the other places.

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