 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
The design of modern automobiles is very complex. It is a mixture of ingenuity, creativity and experience. These flexible factors are interacting with some fixed and given factors such as the shape of the human body, the turning radii, and the effective size of the internal combustion engine.
Similarly in the design of the Christian community there are some flexible factors and some fixed factors. Whether we are designing liturgy, planning small groups or building community, it is important to know how the flexible and the fixed interact.
First of all, there are theological givens. These are the theological events and experiences that established and grounded the community. Changes that ignore or minimize this "astounding beginning" are unlikely to succeed over time.
Another set of theological givens is the spiritual and moral shape of the universe. Whatever we do has to have theological consistency with the truth. Where that consistency is lacking, the community will lose that authenticity and that ring of the truth.
There are also a number of anthropological factors that have shaped the Christian community over time. All communities have limited energy, a limited attention span and a limited focus. There are limits to a community’s vocabulary, to the range of priorities that they can uphold and to the actions that they can regularly complete with success.
And there are sociological factors. How unified and cohesive is the community? Does it have the confidence and maturity to look beyond itself? How does it resolve conflict and deal with adversity?
Some Christian leaders naively think that life is like a sandbox where they can pretty well shape whatever they like. Others feel that the givens are so inflexible, they are convinced they are on a sheet of asphalt where all of their ingenuity and creativity will not make any difference whatsoever. But the truth is somewhere in between.
Effective Christian leadership helps to blend the flexible factors of ingenuity and creativity with the fixed realities of theology, anthropology and sociology. It is in this interchange that the most exciting action of ministry happens.
Just as God is Creator, so He calls us to be co-creators with Him. Even though there are such factors that govern the outcome of the design, our creativity and ingenuity really matter!
Item XLIX
©2002 Ronald C. Ferris
... back to "Resources for effective parish leadership" main page
|
|
|
 |
