Trinity and place?

Steve Taylor has asked on his Blog recently a very deep and stretching theological and missiological question. (Have a read yourself there).
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However, this presents the possibility of the Trinity as an abstract meta-narrative, a model for human relationships. And I wonder how such a potentially abstract model is shaped by place. How do the contours of land, of land displacement, shape a Trinitarian theology.
The typical answer is that in Jesus the Trinity becomes "placed"? As Jesus walks, so the Triune God walks. This makes all place important, as a localised, Jewish place, is universalized. However, there is a nagging sense that once again the Trinity has become an abstract meta-narrative, a model for human relationships; as God in one place becomes God in all places.
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I think it is important to consider the difference between ‘place’ and ‘space’. Brueggemann states it well:
Place is space which has historical meanings, in which important words have been spoken which have established identity, defined vocation, envisioned destiny… Place is indeed a protest against the unpromising pursuit of space. It is a declaration that our humanness cannot be found in escape, detachment, absence of commitment and undefined freedom. (The Land:185)
A sense of place gives a sense belonging, space doesn’t. I think it means that we may sit in a space at a café table. This space has potential to have a special, distinct character. More plainly, this café table will form part of the story and take meaning as a place for you. In turn this ‘place’ will have some sense of sacred to us as a result, in memory, as something significant happened at that table.
As someone 'displaced' beyond the land contours I once knew and all the sense of belonging that was there these are very relevant and real issues that are more than theological/philosophical abstarctions

As to Trinity and place therefore, I think the patristic Fathers had different concepts of space and time in more relational terms. Celtic Christianity had a real sense of whole. Further, I came upon Jan von Ruysbroeck, Flemish 14th Century contemplative. For him, the Trinity is never at rest, there is a perichoretic relationship that unfolds, that is there is a dancine-like movement and flow in relatuionships) and ‘we’ in relationship enter into that ‘dance relationship’. Trinity is a dynamic interpersonal relationship. In this way I think Trinity is to be seen more than some abstract meta-narrative, which I think is how we have somehow perceived the static the Trinity, sacred, secular in some dualistic, binary fashion. Sheldrake (Spaces for the Sacred. p129) writes ‘Yet God is to be thought of as both in no place alone and yet in every place at once.’ Does a relational movement begin to enable us to hold this sense of God and relationship/communion?

What do others reckon with Steve's questions? It's a subject that is raised when you move beyond Flatland. Is the Trinity Placeless and what of our understandings? What does this do for a spirituality of Place?

I came upon this article in which Brian McLaren in Christianity Today(November 2004) says:

Church is not a place one attends but a community to which one belongs, he said. The community shares in mission and spiritual practice. It is rooted in a common story whose emphasis is on the continuing work here and now, always drawing from our past.
"Rather than measuring the church by its attendance, we will measure it by its deployment," McLaren said. "One of the greatest enemies of evangelism is the church as fortress or social club; it sucks Christians out of their neighborhoods, clubs, workplaces, schools, and other social networks and isolates them in a religious ghetto. There it must entertain them (through various means, many of them masquerading as education) and hold them (through various means, many of them epitomized by the words guilt and fear). Thus Christians are warehoused as merchandise for heaven, kept safe in a protected space to prevent spillage, leakage, damage, or loss until their delivery."
Rather, he said, the church should be an open community, welcoming strangers as Jesus welcomed sinners.
Relatively few churches will change from the fortress model to something else, he said, but even as new church forms sprout and grow, their leaders must honor other forms. "These new hives of Christian vitality could be abuzz in all sectors, forms, styles, or 'models' of the church," he said. "They would in this sense be catholic—honoring and receiving rather than protesting and rejecting one another, with no sense at all that there's one model or one 'right way' of living as the church."

Proximity spaces

We're busy working through some future shape issues for Highgate. What is so encouraging is the mess really! By that I mean we have a missionary calling that has been heard and liberated us in some respects. I never cease to be amazed at the ways in which poeple are so up for whatever it is lies ahead. Some hard and difficult questions lie ahead of us, but there is a real desire to be a whole with a smorgasbord of things happening and th4e opening up of some proximity spaces ie 'places or events where Christians and not-yet-Christians can interact meaningfully with each other.' (The Shaping of things to come, p24). Again for me there is something in this spatial aspect to do with the church embedded or immersed in the local context for mission by its presence.
Simon Fogg writes on his blog provising notes from the conference-

1. Think in terms of proximity. Worship is not a proximity space between Christians and non-Christians. Need to go to them rather than them coming to us. It is not about creating a sacred space. Do not just do the same as you do in church somewhere else.Be incarnational (cf Jesus)For periods of time abandon the sacred space to get that proximity for engagement[Story about the waterski-ing on a Sunday ending with “I think I may have accidentally planted a church”]Not setting up a programmeIf your sacred space is the sum of it all, it is not enough[Story about the model car club]
2. Practise the presence of Christ in proximity with non-believers. Christians work with people but have shallow relationships. Beware social relationships in church and nowhere elseSend people back into those contexts. Teach them how to do that: equip people to be little Jesuses where they live, work and play. Dualism is a key issue. Christians have difficulty comprehending Jesus outside the church[Shoe shop story]What percentage of time do you spend with non-Christians

I am challenged here by what they say, as I see on one hand what they are getting at with proximity and worship separation. In the book the challenge from them I think is to think beyond traditional worship changes and modes. This I agree with, yet I note too how much emerging church involves 'worship' formats of sorts. Maybe I'm missing some things here. Seems, at least from their book on this topic, that it has more to do with creating and establishing 'other' spaces, such as running cafe's etc and creating ambience and places to talk off the back of relationships and people growing familiar and comfortable with the place they are in and people they are among. This is proximity space!

Pete Philips also gives a very useful critique though of the conference stuff and I reckon that this will be fruitful. On comment I find especially interesting

But then there was the sneezing thing. I am afraid that I cannot cope with the idea of the Gospel spreading like a virus that has been sneezed out of God. Get a life. Jesus has a much better image which Richard Bauckham explores much better in his little book on mission – the parable of the sower. There we have the sheer wastefulness of grace; there we have the randomness; there we have the dependency on the soils; there we have the idea of the seed and the fruit. And all this without any need to reference virus replication science, complexity theory or any attempt to make the Gospel into a bogey...anyway aren’t most viruses self-limiting organisms? Great – we grow the church to a certain size and it dies!

What do you think?

I have slowly been picking my way through Frost and Hirsch's book The Shaping of Things to Come. On which note I have followed, with interest, some of the responses to their time over in the UK. You can also check out Jonny Baker on my links.(which appear to be way down just now for some reason sorry for that) I will maybe read on now and offer some thoughts as I go, especially as it relates to us on Highgate at the crucial juncture we are at and the future ahead of us.

Places and beyond

This week I have been in several new places and met various new people as well as get to know some people better. Last Sunday I went along to the opening service at St John's Anglican on Highgate for their new complex (very nice too!). Tuesday among many other things I got my haircut by Catherine at Roslyn Village. I conversation she shared how her partner ran a studio where he framed pictures. Ah! Says I I was looking for someone to do that here and had been wondering. I have a painting for an exhibition next month. Wednesday I met at St Lees someone who is looking to do some Children's event next April. We had a creative chat over a nice coffee. Thursday for an hour I was invited to bowls at Roslyn Club. A good bit of fun and chance to meet some folks and get to know others better. It was also another beautiful day which added to the pleasure. I also visited Knox Church as I'm preaching(!?!) at College Sunday when Columba girls and McGlashan boys and parents descend there. I previewed the dramatic dance about prejudice etc. So I'm going to follow up with something on labels and Shrek and the Gospel. Anyway, walking this labyrinth throughout the area has been interesting. It took me to reflect on places I would likely only walk past and never think of entering. But I continue to reflect on Colossians 3 "Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from his perspective." (Peterson trans.) So much can be around us or church and our little world, but I have been challenged to discover what is going on around Christ - the action is there and more I can begin to see from HIS perspective. For me this is highlighted in two ways.1) I had a long distance chat with a close friend in a situation. In looking at what was going on around Christ, it began to offer a new perspective and in a way was like seeing the 'quiet centre' in the midst of the storm. 2) with students today the theme coming through was the tension of being in pastoral situations where we become more conscious of ourselves and struggle inside for answers that we default to being rationalistic in approach and forget the person. In other words there are points at which, with best intentions, we bring the action around us. Hence, we fail to see things from Christ's perspective.

In many ways I may have drifted through the week, but I sought to reflect as I went,amidst all the other stuff I won't bore you with, on the immersive places where people work, play, study, reflect, interact, learn. Even at the hairdressers a call came to cancel a hairdo. Turns out there was a pastoral conversation, the woman at thr other end had had a funeral of a grandparent. I also did go today and see about my painting being framed and had a good chat with Chris. All this is not so much about what was going on around me as I think I was caught up in and around where Christ was active. So who knows where these things will go in time.

Finally, Martin has been raving about Tim Lowly this week and so I too share him here. Go on the link and see more. It is iconic and invites you to reflect deeply. For me this image below spoke a great deal about some of these musings above. In particular the sense of humanity here that we can/cannot ignore to go through to the door and the light. Can we ignore even the most frail of persons and those least like us ? What does it mean to share Christ ? To speak of God in a pastoral context?

http://www.timlowly.com

"Lowly's "TDL" series comprises five material interpretations of a little girl lying prone on the gallery floor. Turned on her side, her head tilting back her lips parted, her arms folded awkwardly across her body, the image of the young girl reflects the physical incapacitation of Lowly's own child, yet becomes a symbol for all individual's physically challenge and seemingly separated from their environment" from review by John Brunetti

Tim Lowly Installation Wheaton

Immersive environments?

In pondering this week about the luminarium I came upon this piece in Emerging Church. (go to http://www.emergingchurch.info/stories/vaux/index.htm )

This seems to share something of my wrestlings for now.
"Vaux is an experiment in 'Total Worship'. I winced when we used the term 'Worship Architects', yet, I've not found a better description. What happens if you get a group of artists and organise their talent towards creating sacred spaces. Spaces that are conducive to experiencing 'Numinous'- What the architect Tado Ando describes as places 'to reclaim yourself'. Or, what composer John Tavener might describe as, a place to experience the 'Divine voice'. When viewed like this, Gesamtkunstwerk becomes less totalitarian and more akin to Shaker or Zen models of production. With the former, everything has spiritual content, a kind of 'explosive design' that permeates your whole lifestyle."

On Highgate it isn't just about spaces of/for worship, but also gathering/engagement throughout our community.
In ther same paragraph on Vaux we read,
"The latter with the Tea Room, an 'implosive design' where every object within the space undergoes a rigorous selection process and through the ceremony boundaries between art and life are abolished. Vaux was intended to work within similar traditions, creating immersive environments, where every detail would be considered. Spaces built from surface, idea, sound, word, image and woven together to create a seamless whole- A place where a flyer is no different from a Liturgy, or 35mm Slide from a prayer. All are important, all constitute the whole act of worship. "

I like the expression of 'creating immersive environments' as I think we cannot section off life from faith as much as tradition has tended to do. Maybe I need to scope the places that already exist that way around us here as much as looking to open up such space creatively in the resources we already have.
Pondering on...

by the way it was a beautiful day here today and the sun shone and there was that big blue sky.... mmmmmmm! those open spaces!

space of Transfiguration

As part of the Festival of the Arts in Dunedin, First Presbyterian Church(above) had in its grounds an installation by ‘Architects of the Air’ (Called a Luminarium, it cost many $’s to get it out here from England.) It is an interactive, walk through piece of art. Basically you walk through the various coloured rooms/domes and tunnels each with different colours –red, green, blue.. but the effect is in the PVC and natural light from outside. An amazing effect and experience, with ambient music in the background.
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The line took an hour to get us in… but that was part of it all for me… watching people line up, kids running about, climb trees and even try the walls of First Church. Overhearing comments about ‘patience’ and people express their frustration, humf and groan. Waiting… grabbing a coffee…waiting… you could sense the tension and frustration. People passing having been in almost came out with a serene look; ‘It was so peaceful’, ‘a wonderful experience’, one little boy came out and shouted over enthusiastically ‘It was great!’.
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So we entered the ante-chamber and walked in. It was a whole new world and we sat, we waited and enjoyed this odd space full of light. Under a dome of blue some girls had worked out that if you spun looking up at it then it made things feel even stranger. I confess I gave it a go and it was fun. There were little alcoves everywhere and people could be found sitting in them or lying down simply taking time to soak things in. Suddenly the world outside seemed to be forgotten, we had all been transported into a whole other world of light. No longer did you hear the moans, grumbles and bickering of waiting. Everyone smiled and had eyes wide open in amazement at this 'new world'.
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There was an odd contrast of this long line of people up into the church grounds and the spatial light experience they had placed right next to a place where I wonder what our experience of God is like. I mean that as the church at large, not simply First Church. How do we make space for people to experience the living God in Christ, in ways that allow their life experience to be transformed and on leaving have something longer lasting than what the luminarium clearly was for some? Again in mission we always seem to be in the ‘active’ mode, yet spatially I wonder how we create the sort of space and worship sufficiently.

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In 'Beholding the Glory: Incarnation through the Arts' (Ed.) Jeremy Begbie (Baker Books 2000) Chapter 1 by Trevor Hart exlores something of art's transcendence. He cites RG Collingwood who regards art as a work that exists firs in the artist's imagination and then the imaginations of those who appreciate his work. It never exists physically, but is an interplay between imagination and emotion. He then turns to Kant who sees it as a 'freeplay' between imagination and understanding. Whatever philosophical debates we may have, I find his 'escaping into another world (p12) helpful as he explores Kandinsky's view of art; for whom artistic creativity is a discernment of the true meaning of a world existing beyond the artist's subjectivity.

I like what Hart says here, 'in the epiphanies which art grants us through it's transfigurations of the commonplace, we know more than is presented to us at the level of the physical or historical.'

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I read today Colossians 3 "So if you're serious about living this new resurection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from his perspective." (Peterson trans.) The Luminarium experience seemed to create a space of 'transfiguration' with that sense of seeing in a new way. I realise that we couldn't stay there, but it did highlight the need to pay attention to being alert to what is going on around Christ - I find that phrase interesting for therein is our mission. Not what is going pon around US, as we so often think and see, or around the church, but Christ! As we are early stages in mission on Highgate we need to be alert, look up see from Christ's perspective too. For me this means not rushing about being busy crowd pleasing, which I am all too easily tempted to do. I also think that it means exploring ways in which spaces of transfiguration, eschatological spaces can be placed throughout the community that 'transfigure the commonplace for people and offer an experience of God that causes people to look up and be transformed little by little as we go. Mmm! Lots to ponder.

transfiguration space

living the paradox

It was draining… it was energizing… it was challenging …it flowed from intense business to prayerfulness, from powerful blessings in worship, in meeting many new people and hearing their stories. I had asked myself how I would manage in the demanding chaos of Assembly, how I might find the quiet space/place.
I did. Dean Drayton (Uniting Church of Australia) was the speaker. His opening address “Which God?’ began with reference to Elijah who was addressed in a new way by God: in the silence. In exploring the reality of god in our midst he exposed Numbers 20 v1-15 [Exodus 17]. The story of Moses and Aaron in leadership, the opposition of the people and quarrelling. The story too of God’s holiness. God calls them to listen as leaders and follow instructions – take staff, gather the people; ‘speak to the rock before their eyes and it will pour out it’s water.’ What happens is they go out and make judgment on the people- rebels. Moses and Aaron move centre stage and the drama unfolds with great dramatic effect they strike the rock, not once, but twice and sure enough water does come. The people and animals are watered. So what was the problem? It all came good. BUT, God then says ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honour me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’ (v12).
How quick in leadership do we make judgments on the people around us?
How much in anything we do to we move to the centre of attention? Furthermore, how do we over dramatise in ways that try to sensationalise?
What was called for was TRUST: you see they trusted enough that god would give water from the rock but they had to add a bit for effect. Old habits die hard. HONOUR: giving God his right place and HOLY: the way the living reality of God provides for our need.
Living the paradox is the hard road to take. Nothing is neat, tidy. Moses was called to live in that space, but grasped it as his own. I was left with probing questions from this quiet space in the midst of much else. There were the various conversations with new people, the listening to debate. I was humbled in wrestling with many matters, but I heard and saw God’s voice in new ways in various ways that provided the ‘quiet space’ in amongst the busy-ness – live the paradox!

Paradox?

Having been exploring some quiet space, the next week may be rather interesting. There is constant paradox between quiet and daily interactions etc. But now it's General Assembly in Christchurch. Sitting on my cushion... listening!.... meeting new people (a good thing)... but not so sure about the physical challenge and brain deadness such times can create. Perhaps it's the clergy version of 'Survivor' ... in fact... would it make a contribution the the mass of reality TV shows ?- Big Brother... Average Joe Hawaii... or whatever!

Anyway, perhaps such thoughts might privately entertain at some stage. I have a seminar to give as well and am looking forward to interaction between Scottish church plant story/ lessons and how folks engage with it. I hope to get some insights. Martin and I are also meeting up with Steve Taylor ( a good blog to follow - http://emergentkiwi.org.nz) while up there and looking forward to sharing together.

Off then to the twilight zone, entering the paradox... so long as it isn't 'lineland' and hopefully it will be a chance to go beyond Flatland dimensions. It does have a mission theme - we live in h0pe.

Quiet Place...

The Quiet Place

Tonight I went to see an opening exhibition at the Rosslyn Gallery (Dunedin) with art by Leanne Trbuhovic. Throughout the varied works was a sense of quiet reflectiveness and serenity. In fact there was almost an angelic iconography in the faces of these ‘angels’. Other works showed a bud about to burst in hope of spring perhaps, while some reflected the subtlety of a Christian message with a simple Cross and text from John 15 just perceptible. One offered an artistic impression of Trinity which indeed did draw you in.
‘The Quiet Place’ though was the overall title of the exhibition. Not surprisingly through her art Leanne is perhaps wrestling to that end and provided opportunity for those who cared in passing to discover for themselves.

The past week I have had occasion to be challenged to begin thinking about a ‘quiet place’ a place to stand, so to speak, with Christ. (The Maori word is Turangawaewae)
As I walk about and discover more about where we have arrived our sense of place is getting stronger… we no longer drive past the same house having taken a round trip by mistake. More seriously though the need to find the quiet place is important and I’m getting there with that. Don’t misunderstand I don’t mean it purely in the sense that it’s that get away from it all ‘escapism’. (My friend Craig Williams has written some reflections from his Sabbatical recently that may add to this for you, if you care to - Lewis and Spiritual Awareness http://tabletalk.typepad.com)
Some people are down shifting from the ‘rat race’ to the ‘mouse race’. As Christians we need to find again, recover the quiet means God has given us in Sabbath as a means to sustain ourselves in the world and enjoy it! Furthermore, to discover in the midst the quiet place where it may mean some solitude, but also the sort of quiet place that actually drives us out into the world as witness, martyrs, missionaries who will put our life in the line as much as our words. Some of the places that strike me as ‘quiet places’ just for me to go and at times for others to share in are the beaches around here, the botanic gardens. But I also had coffee in yet another new coffee place with someone. It too a place that would allow for some conversation with others, as it’s ambience connected for me as a quiet place.

We’ve been in huge transition lately. But my life in recent years has been overhauled anyway and I’ve been discovering and trying to learn more about what it means to take seriously Matthew 10 ‘You are the equipment’ (Peterson trans.) in/for ministry. In the past few months we’ve worked really intensely on the Highgate Mission. This past week both congregations were unanimous in pursuing our mission task. So we will become one parish by the New Year and we give thanks for this mandate and vision to begin taking some risks with God.

No doubt there is expectation to perform, to act and get going. It’s a real temptation and yet as we wrestle that one, I know I struggle personally to find the quiet place that allows me (and others) to discover God’s purposes and directions and ‘stay tuned’ to the Spirit. However, this doesn’t just mean sitting back and doing nothing, I actually think that a vital part of mission is the need to BE the quiet place for people today, rather than understand mission as a frantic busy DOING/ACTING all the time. So thank you Leanne for art that help gather some reflections from the past wee while.
How can the church be the quiet place in mission?

Beyond Flatland

Wanaka



Love this photo that I think just captures New Zealand.... our new home. We've been in New Zealand now for 5 months. It's been truly amazing! So many new experiences. There hasn't been too much culture shock coming down here from Aberdeen, Scotland. UK. After all, as I am daily reminded, this is the "Edinburgh of the South". But there is a great deal to find your way with and come to terms with. Even in such a short period though, we have experienced wonderful hospitality and friendship. We've ejoyed soaking up the scenery of course too. While it has snowed, days are generally brighter. Big blue skies, whispy clouds and some warmth.... spring is on its way again too!

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We had spent the past 6 and half years church planting in Cove (Aberdeen, Scotland). And what great years they were. That was perhaps the beginning of what has been a journeying to new dimensions of personal faith, church, mission and more. And it continues. Having undertaken an immense move, as a family to the other side of the world to pursue some mission in the PCANZ, in particular the Highgate Mission with my friend Martin, it has been and continues to be 'a stirring adventure' in faith.

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In Cove I had started to consider the importance of the spatial dynamic to mission and the significance of place. Such thinking started from a small book written in 1880's by Edwin Abbott Abbott: Flatland: A romance in many dimensions. Its about maths, its a social critique of his day and describes the rules of society in it's 2 dimensions. However the square is taken to Spaceland where he sees the amazing 3 dimensional aspects of a new world. He then begins to image other dimensions and speaks of that 'more spacious space' beyond. On return to Flatland all that happens is, his radical thinking and speaking place him in prison and cherishing - thoughtland. Anyway, it stimulated me to begin think of the 'emergent' scene as a setting out beyond flatland to the spacious places. I want to learn more of what this means not just in thoughtland, but in practical terms to live in the beyond , in the in-between places.

Now here in Dunedin, on the Highgate we are seeking to create new spaces/places for critical exchange with the community.

And so I want to start this blog to explore and reflect on the journey beyond flatland and as Abbott hoped for (somewhat paraphrased and adapted) ::

so that we may aspire yet higher and higher,

thereby contributing to the enlargement

of the imagination and the possible

development of missionary churches::