Uncomfortably Numb

This post is part of this month’s synchroblog, Calling Us Out of Numbness and it lays out a new vision for CC.

This month’s topic played unbelievably into my hand because it something that stirs me and that stirring has reached the intolerable point so that it is boiling over into action.

In Between-ness

Phyllis Tickle and many other notable individuals believe that the church and all of culture is in one of its bi-millennial transitions. Because these transitions are so epic, culture does not readily shift into them. They are too major for us to simply turn a corner. They require a long curve and that curve may take a hundred years or more to be completed. We are in one of those cultural curves, but have not come around to the new stretch of straight-a-way yet.

We know what we don’t like about church, government, the educational system, and other institutional structures, but we don’t know what the future will look like. So, we live in an age of complaining, experimenting, and tension. This in between-ness leaves some of us homeless, having not yet found a place to hang our hat.

Outsiders

So, in-between-ness leads to many of us becoming refugees or outsiders. There are some inherent things that go along with being an outsider. I already mentioned homelessness. Of course, homeless refugees can get together and form a camp and some of today’s movements are essentially refugee camps. If you are an outsider, you find out when you open your mouth, a lot of people will look at you like you are some sort of freak in a circus sideshow and they will mark you as a troublemaker because you somehow threaten something they cling to and hold dear. Regarding you as a freak is easier than delving onto a soul searching re-examination of their perspective.

There are some really good things too about being an outsider. You can’t be objective when you are a part of something, but you can be when you distance yourself from it and look at it in its greater context. So, being an outsider affords you a great vantage point. When you are immersed in something, you have to live up to its sub-cultural expectations. When you are removed from it, you are free. Prophets have always been outsiders. So, celebrate your status as an outsider.

Incubator

What is it that outsiders need in this time of in-between-ness? They need a place of safety and encouragement where they can interact with other outsiders. They need some insight from some new visionaries and they need somebody to walk with them. A lot of outsiders are or will become visionaries who will then become entrepreneurs.

And now for the shameless plug.

A project that I have worked on for about three years is called Communitas Collective. Along with a wonderful team of writers, we began to help people through the tricky transition from conventional church to whatever was next for them. Over time, we began to focus more on the “what’s next” part and moved from blog to podcast. CC has sat dormant since this summer, but new things are brewing!

There are two shifts ahead for CC. One is to broaden the “what’s next” considerations beyond what is typically thought of as issues of the church and spirituality. We will still focus on those areas, but we will also delve into the world of social service, customer service, education, matters of discourse and civility, and several other interesting issues. These are all areas in need of change and will be going through great transitions. All of life is spiritual and part of living life in the way of Jesus.

We hope to land great guests who are writers and practitioners in these areas, involve other people in the discussion, and at various points, summarize and synthesize information so that it is helpful in assisting people to move  forward. I will also offer personal coaching for people who striking out to do something new and want someone to walk with them for a while. This will be a place for enlightening, engaging conversation, a place of encouragement and empowerment.

I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.