Revisiting "Threshold of the Future" Mike Riddell

   "The essence of the church has always been mission. It is created by mission, renewed by mission, and participates in mission. That mission belongs to God, and the church has stakes in it only insofar as it shares the life of God through Christ. To take part in God's mission to the world is to become a conductor of the divine energy which has been unleashed through the tearing open of the Trinity. Apart from involvement in mission, the church becomes a tawdry relic; a dusty museum of reliogion, suitable for tourists and historians, but little else.
   The creeping temptation of the church is to believe that it is an end in itself. Power, wealth, security and the desire for continuity dog the life of the established church as they do any otgher institution. The characteristics of the God made known in Jesus - love, vulnerability, redmptive suffering, service - are not nearly so attractive. So it is that theology and praxis must continualy struggle against the tendency to coopt God to the agenda of the church, rather than shape the church according to the will of God. Such is the history of the people of God, who attempt top follow the moving pillar of fire.
God will not be contained. The attempt to construct boxes for the divine presence is doomed to tragedy. Those who invest their lives in such misguided pursuits will be left with splinters and ther distant laugh of the Spirit. God is God or even better, God is who God will be. It is no denial of the centrality of Christ to say that we are still finding out who God will be. Christian faith is not a deposit of information, but a relationship with the partner who is constantly luring and dancing in the direction of the horizon. Many groups have assumed that they know the mind and intent of God, and been made to look silly as they clutch their supposed certainties while God moves on."
"Threshold of the Future: Reforming the Church in the Post Christian West" Mike Riddell p174 1998

   Mike also writes about some indicators of hope out of some examples or stories he shares. Many years ago I shared this list at a 'Synod' or State meeting when we were asked to bring some reflections on the 'emerging church' with some concrete examples we shared.
   It's a simple list amd got the most response after from people wanting a copy, the name of the book again etc.
   I later heard that one former Church Leader passed comment about the list as though there was nothing new about it... if he had spoken to me I would have agreed and talked about the 'standpoint' from which the list comes and asked how if it's an old list, that we have precious few hopeful examples to point to AND noted the energy generated by a hungry crowd seeking 'something' to give them hope or a simple plan to focus on... anxiety is what the list spoke to...
   Mike's writing inspires me that I'm not completely mad and worries me that it was written in 1998 and could have been written this week!!

And that list in dot point form:

• a focus on relationships that counter societies individualism
• honesty and reality in refusing to gloss over the ambiguities of life
• experimental ventures with minimal structures
• attempts made to connect the worship and faith life of the community with everyday culture
• open communities in every sense of the word... to new people, to God, to changing tack
• dynamically ecumenical in the sense of low focus on 'brand' or traditional membership
• attempt is made to express mission in some form or other
• participants laugh and cry often in the community setting reflecting vulnerability and grace
• Scripture is respected and allowed to speak, but not in a remote or disengaged fashion
• surrounding culture is taken seriously
• little emphasis on buildings
• many are relatively small in historical terms
• an appreciation of and encouragement towards genuine spirituality
• such communities provide space and refuge for those who may be nattered by life
• counter cultural in certain respects reflecting God's values

It's not an exhaustive list but was drawn from 'emerging church' examples Mike writes about in the book. My other word to our former Leader who listened in was that it seems like what we should all be doing or sounds like we are...  it is and we're not!!