Enough of what’s wrong in the Church. How about what we have going for us, and then figuring out how to “tell THAT story”. I blogged over the weekend about the Church of the Saviour, which has always (since I began reading about them and going to visit them when I could in 1976 to the present)represented for me WHAT’s RIGHT about the Church. Their model (which is not as cut and dry as the term “model” would sugest) is one that works. They’ve been in existence since 1948, and have birthed a staggering number of social ministries that are unmatched by larger organizations. They exhibit an integrity of membership unheard of in today’s Church. Their “membership” roles are small (and are now distributed among several sister communities, all with particular missions and mission groups within them.

They value very highly; even as “holy” the “story”. They speak of GIFT and CALLING and spend their days seekig to identify their gifts and sense what God is calling them to do in mission, and their structure depends on what God is calling a particular group of people to do at a particular time.

This focus on the calling and on doing the work required to set up the structures which support the carrying out of this call, and the personal/psychological/spirtual support required to maintain the energy and the sense of call behind it ; they call the work that goes on to “work the mission” as the Outward Journey; the engagement with the world, and bringing Christ to bear on it. The Inward Journey is the latter; the support to the people of the misison in sharing their personal journeys, seeking new outlets for newly discobvered gifts, and continuing to remain open to the receiving and recognition of gifts , and the discoveries of those gifts.

All of this is leading up to my proclmation that this story needs telling. And the recipients of this story NEED to hear it, and be invited to join the conversation. And my “Cluetrain-theology” requires that it be so. Perhaps it is actually the theology of Church that has been formed through my association and exposure to The Church of the Saviour made it inevitable that I would find myself resonating with the Cluetrain Manifesto.