A Rough Sketch
I'm not going to lie. This is personal for me. As simply and as honestly as I can say this . . . I’m really tired of doing Christianity the way it’s been done. And that may be the understatement of the year. I'm not mad. I'm not angry. I was those things at one time. I'm just tired.
I’m tired of a Christianity that focuses more on my life after death than on life as I live. I’m tired of a Christianity that is so detached from the praxis of everyday living that “right thinking” has become more important than “right living”.
I’m tired of a Christianity that has been built on the back of “us” versus “them”, “in” and “out” labels. I’m tired of a Christianity that is exclusive of those that are different and inclusive of those that are apathetic and boring.
I’m tired of a Christianity that has become so embedded with white, suburban, upper middle class, Republican agendas that there is no more room for the “other”. I’m tired of a Christianity that spends more time focused on getting the Ten Commandments on courtroom walls than dealing with the “planks in my own eyes”.
I’m tired of a Christianity that cares more about God blessing their local church and their own individual lives than God blessing those who live in third world nations who have nothing.
I’m tired of a Christianity that is no longer good news for the world, but good news for those who agree with me. I’m tired of a Christianity that is mechanistic and lifeless instead of relational and an adventure.
I’m tired of a Christianity that views the Bible as an “Idiot Guide’s to Life” complete with self-help and alliterated points void of anything that is helpful for life change. Instead of a narrative that is an invitation to enter into the story myself, become a part of the story myself.
I’m tired of a Christianity that I don’t think Jesus would be very happy with. I’m tired of being unfaithful to what I feel to be true.
And three months ago, I got tired of being tired. I got tired of being something that I wasn’t. Tired of saying stuff I didn’t mean. Tired of flying under the radar so as not to rock the boat. Tired of never getting challenged, never getting sharpened, never getting encouraged.
And here’s where this lands. Through my conversations with many of you, I have the suspicion that many of you are in the same place that I am. Hungry, eager, passionate about doing something worth remembering. Living for something worth living for.
For me . . . this frustration . . . this uneasiness inside of me was so strong that I had to act on it. I realized if I didn’t do something with it, I would be violating something, or someone.
So I’m doing something. I want to be around friends who allow me to think, who challenge me, and who encourage me. So I’m inviting anyone and everyone who wants to discover God, to live life richly and fully, to wrestle with our faith in an authentic way, to belong to a community that is marked by grace, acceptance, exploration, relevance (I could go on and on) . . . to be a part of our conversation about God, life, faith, meaning, culture. To “do” life with some people who are in the same place as you.
Ultimately, that’s all the Phoenix Project* is . . . simply a group of friends who want to be faithful to God, in the way of Jesus. A group of friends who want to explore what a "new kind of christian" can look like. What could and should be. Sort of an interactive collective.
Again, its personal. Hopefully, it can serve as some type of small group for me, some type of intentional community. I spend all my time pouring and giving to other people, that I'm in desparate need of people who can come alongside me. Necessary, in more ways than one, is a word that comes to mind.
We’re going to tentatively meet once or twice a month for dinner, conversation, and encouragement. Our first gathering is January 6th at 6:30 pm. And you’re invited.
* I’m calling it a project because I want to see if this type of community will actually inspire us in ways that we haven’t been inspired in lately. If it will actually challenge us in ways we haven’t been challenged in a while. If it will actually help us to become more faithful to our individual callings as people. I have a hunch that it will.
I’m tired of a Christianity that focuses more on my life after death than on life as I live. I’m tired of a Christianity that is so detached from the praxis of everyday living that “right thinking” has become more important than “right living”.
I’m tired of a Christianity that has been built on the back of “us” versus “them”, “in” and “out” labels. I’m tired of a Christianity that is exclusive of those that are different and inclusive of those that are apathetic and boring.
I’m tired of a Christianity that has become so embedded with white, suburban, upper middle class, Republican agendas that there is no more room for the “other”. I’m tired of a Christianity that spends more time focused on getting the Ten Commandments on courtroom walls than dealing with the “planks in my own eyes”.
I’m tired of a Christianity that cares more about God blessing their local church and their own individual lives than God blessing those who live in third world nations who have nothing.
I’m tired of a Christianity that is no longer good news for the world, but good news for those who agree with me. I’m tired of a Christianity that is mechanistic and lifeless instead of relational and an adventure.
I’m tired of a Christianity that views the Bible as an “Idiot Guide’s to Life” complete with self-help and alliterated points void of anything that is helpful for life change. Instead of a narrative that is an invitation to enter into the story myself, become a part of the story myself.
I’m tired of a Christianity that I don’t think Jesus would be very happy with. I’m tired of being unfaithful to what I feel to be true.
And three months ago, I got tired of being tired. I got tired of being something that I wasn’t. Tired of saying stuff I didn’t mean. Tired of flying under the radar so as not to rock the boat. Tired of never getting challenged, never getting sharpened, never getting encouraged.
And here’s where this lands. Through my conversations with many of you, I have the suspicion that many of you are in the same place that I am. Hungry, eager, passionate about doing something worth remembering. Living for something worth living for.
For me . . . this frustration . . . this uneasiness inside of me was so strong that I had to act on it. I realized if I didn’t do something with it, I would be violating something, or someone.
So I’m doing something. I want to be around friends who allow me to think, who challenge me, and who encourage me. So I’m inviting anyone and everyone who wants to discover God, to live life richly and fully, to wrestle with our faith in an authentic way, to belong to a community that is marked by grace, acceptance, exploration, relevance (I could go on and on) . . . to be a part of our conversation about God, life, faith, meaning, culture. To “do” life with some people who are in the same place as you.
Ultimately, that’s all the Phoenix Project* is . . . simply a group of friends who want to be faithful to God, in the way of Jesus. A group of friends who want to explore what a "new kind of christian" can look like. What could and should be. Sort of an interactive collective.
Again, its personal. Hopefully, it can serve as some type of small group for me, some type of intentional community. I spend all my time pouring and giving to other people, that I'm in desparate need of people who can come alongside me. Necessary, in more ways than one, is a word that comes to mind.
We’re going to tentatively meet once or twice a month for dinner, conversation, and encouragement. Our first gathering is January 6th at 6:30 pm. And you’re invited.
* I’m calling it a project because I want to see if this type of community will actually inspire us in ways that we haven’t been inspired in lately. If it will actually challenge us in ways we haven’t been challenged in a while. If it will actually help us to become more faithful to our individual callings as people. I have a hunch that it will.
posted by Josh at 10:17 AM
3 comments
