Session 20, Creative Transformation

WE ARE CONTINUING the series through "Call to Covenant."  The next sessions help us consider some more "big picture" pieces of faith journeys and include sessions on:  A Kingdom without Walls; Social Justice: Realizing God's Vision; Incarnation: Divinely Human; Prayer: Intimacy with God; Compassion: The Heart of Jesus' Ministry; Creative Transformation; and Embracing Mystery. Join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00am or on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm!

FOCUS: The essence of human nature is to take part in the dynamic and imaginative process of creation; transforming us, our relationships, our institutions, and our world.

R.I.P. Jesus

“No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that caused it.” – Albert Einstein

Creativity and innovation are valued and sought after qualities in virtually every human endeavor – except religion. In many faith traditions, it is tradition itself that is worshipped, held up as the whole purpose of the religious enterprise. Be it infatuation with “smells and bells” or resistance to the use of inclusive language,
many faithful people have confused defense of their understanding of right practice and right thinking with what they call “faith.” They insulate themselves from the unpredictable, demanding, transforming nature of the Spirit with a fierce, pious, unbending commitment to the Church. They practice what Fr. Richard Rohr has called a “cosmetic piety” intended to look good on the surface, but lacking any real depth or complexity. Defense of the changeless nature of their revealed “truth” becomes a virtue to be aspired to, regardless of how lifeless and rote the practice itself becomes.

“We’d rather have a controlled dead God than a lively chaotic God – we
have a funeral for Jesus every Sunday.”  – Yvette Flunder, "OutFront Arizona: Blessing All Our Families" Conference, Phoenix, 2007

To say that the purpose of many churches is the maintenance of the institution is perhaps too noble a sentiment. Many churches have more in common with hospice units, clergy more in common with chaplains, than outposts and practitioners of the Kingdom of God. It’s not just comforting the human patients as they all slowly die off. It is clinging to the threadbare and dying theologies of the past that is at issue. The message itself is on life-support. Some are convinced that if we only preached the “true Gospel” with more vigor, there would be a great revival. Others have warped the message into an individualistic prosperity-oriented, victory-focused, self-help Kool-Aid. Many have found success by dressing up the message with catchy music, engaging videos, and light-hearted messages. But what needs creativity – what needs to be transformed – is not just the medium, but also the core message.

A rapidly growing segment of the population is not involved in organized religion of any sort – and they are not just waiting to be invited to attend. According to Christian pollster George Barna, they are “passionately disinterested” in the church. Add to that the growing media presence of vocal and articulate atheists, and the prospects for Christianity as we know it are looking grim. People are simply no longer moved by the notion that they are horrible sinners from birth, redeemed only by the sacrifice of an impossibly perfect man at the hands of a bloodthirsty, tribal God. People no longer see the church as the sole keeper of what has been called “salvation.” Seekers of spiritual integrity and members of what Jack Spong calls the “Church Alumni/ae Association” are finding their own creative ways to fulfill the deepest longings of their souls – free from the perceived (and often very real) hypocrisy of the Church.

To receive a complete copy of the text used for the session, please contact Pastor Marj at daytonfirstcong@gmail.com.  It will be sent as an email attachment for your perusal as opposed to printing multiple pages, a stewardship practice. Because of copyright law, we are not able to make the materials available here. Another option would be to purchase a copy of Felten and Procter-Murphy's newly-released book, Living the Questions: The Wisdom of Progressive Christianity from your local bookseller.

Questions to be considered in light of the video and readings:

Name some of the ways creative works and creativity itself are tied to Wisdom.

How does our identity as “creative bipeds” lead to our propensity for evil?

McKenna describes how storytelling is not for the conveying of information, for confirmation of what you know, or comfort in what you believe, but for “unlearning” and transformation. Explain.

According to Brueggemann, why is “You don’t get it, do you?” one of the saddest lines of scripture?

Why is determining what is “so important that we are willing to give up everything” so critical for understanding the message of Jesus?

For John Bell, there are “no reserved areas” in his following Jesus. Explain.

Why are the true marks of discipleship best understood as being whole, real, loving, and inclusive?

According to Carcaño, what are some of the goals to be achieved in transforming the world?