Brian McLaren on Clarity and Intrigue

“…clarity is good, but sometimes intrigue may be even more precious; clarity tends to put an end to further thinking, whereas intrigue makes one think more intensely, broadly, and deeply. Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of God is a case in point; his parables don’t score too well on clarity, but they excel in intrigue.”

Brian McLaren – from the introduction to his book The Last Word and The Word After That

Note: PLEASE don’t read this as an absolute statement… notice that he says “…sometimes intrigue…” implying that clarity and intrigue need to co-exist. My feeling, however, is that Christians have pushed for clarity ONLY for a while now, and I think it’s high time we reclaim the mystery and intrigue that is (hopefully?) obvious in the way that Jesus sometimes chose to communicate…

an oldie but a goody

Here’s an older article from Brian McLaren, apparently it was written back in 1999 sometime, which means this was a few years before he’d written A New Kind of Christian.  I remember reading this awhile back, and I just stumbled onto it again today.  I wish I could say that I had read it in 99, cause that would have helped me make sense of a lot of things, but it was probably more like a few years ago.

Anyways, it’s called “They Say It’s Just A Phase” and it’s a great analysis of what being a follower of Jesus could look like in the emerging (and in some senses, emerged) Postmodern world.  Here’s a few choice quotes:

True, we have lost our modern sense of control, power, and certainty in this transition. But since the fruits of control, power, and certainty (from paving over wetlands — because we were sure that parking lots were better than swamps, to ethnic cleansings — since we were sure that our people were better than theirs) haven’t been entirely salutary, maybe there’s something better than control, power, and certainty out there. Maybe that something is love, stewardship, faith. And maybe we’ll find some ways to create a kinder and gentler world (truly, not just as a slogan) on the other side of this transition, in an atmosphere of love, stewardship, and faith. [emphasis mine]

…

So, ignore this transition if you want to, and treat it like a phase if you want to. I think you’ll miss one of the most exciting times in anyone’s memory.

Here’s how I think about it: Imagine yourself a Roman Catholic monk in say 1510, in Germany or Austria or England or Switzerland. The world is about to change. The institutions and theologies that have sustained and nourished your faith are about to be challenged. Jon Huss has already been burned at the stake, and a fellow named Martin Luther is beginning to think some dangerous thoughts. Your institutions are bastardizing themselves (if not through indulgences, then through TV/radio evangelists, the religious right, and other fear-based fundraising machines). How do you want to posture yourself for the spiritual re-formation that is about to occur? Do you want to study the fine art of inquisition in order to repress the emerging culture?
Or maybe simply observe it, uninvolved? Critique it, feeling smug, as if only “they” are in danger, and not also “us”? Tame it, trying to neuter it and co- opt it into a gentle, incremental evolution (and so preserve our modern structures, etc.) instead of a radical, energetic innovation? Or help lead it, passionate, involved?  [emphasis mine]

Emerging Values…

Holy cow, this article by Brian McLaren is amazing…(I swear, he is NOT the only person I read, even though it might seem like it). The whole thing is worth a read, or two, or TEN, but there are a few nuggets that I want to throw out there to chew on.  A QUICK REMINDER WHEN READING ANYTHING OF MCLAREN’S: it’s supposed to make you think, not be a quick and easy answer or statement that stands on it’s own. So, try not to jump to any conclusions about him based on this. Just read it, and see where it takes you…

Speaking about his first exposure to “postmodern” type thinking: “A chill ran up my neck, and two thoughts seized me:
1. If this way of thinking catches on, the whole world will change.
2. If this way of thinking catches on, the Christian faith as we know it is in a heap of trouble.”

“Compare modern Christianity’s quest for the perfect belief system to medieval church architecture. Christians in the emerging culture may look back on our doctrinal structures (statements of faith, systematic theologies) as we look back on medieval cathedrals: possessing a real beauty that should be preserved, but now largely vacant, not inhabited or used much anymore, more tourist attraction than holy place.”

“In this setting, preaching both loses and gains status. Instead of an exercise in transferring information so that people have a coherent, well-formed “worldview” (often an upbeat name for “systematic theology”), preaching in the emerging culture aims at inspiring transformation . It is in a sense demoted from the center of public worship, bookended by bumper music. It steps down from its pedestal to join singing, the Lord’s Supper, prayer, silence, and recitation as one formative ritual or practice among many.”

“Throwing a small-groups program at this hunger for community is like feeding an elephant Cheerios, one by one. What’s needed is a profound reorganization of our way of life, not a squeeze-another-hour-for-“community” into the week.”

” Whatever new and varied forms our search for community takes will require new and varied forms of leadership. I expect that leader-as-CEO, leader-as-scholar, leader-as-therapist, and leader-as-hero/martyr will give way to less dominant styles of leadership, less dominant but no less important. Less like the man behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz , and more like young Dorothy, community leaders in the emerging culture will increasingly resemble the lead seeker in a journey, not possessing all the answers, but possessing a contagious passion to find a way home—and to bring others along in our common search for love, courage, wisdom, and home. ”

On the word missional: “Old categories merge in what I believe is a radical shift in our theology, from a system in which “missions” is one department of theology, to a new place where theology is one department of mission.”

“I was once talking with Dallas Willard about Islam. He dropped this little thought virus: “Remember, Brian, in a pluralistic world, a religion is valued by the benefits it brings to its non-adherents.” The virus has taken hold in my thinking, bringing to mind sayings of our Lord, like “the birds of the air” nesting in the branches of the kingdom of God, people seeing the light of our good deeds and “glorifying your Father in heaven,” “by their fruits you will know them.””

All Quotes Copyright 2003, Brian McLaren. Reprinted from Leadership.

My brain hurts…  Thanks, Brian!