The most hopeful podcasts I have heard all year on the fresh expressions and emerging church.
"New Monasticism as Fresh Expressions of the Church" as part of the book launch.
Best part is Bishop Graham Cray's suggestion in the Intro (Number 1) that fresh expressions are not enough on it own and it needs new monastistic expressions which offer 3 things – discipleship, mission, and spirituality. I wholeheartedly agree with Bishop Cray and would humbly add a fourth contribuition of the monastic models – an integration with micro-business enterprise that will help the new expressions become sustainable in the long term.
Hopefully Number 3 of 3 will be released soon and I will put a link to it here.
How very true, I think we forget that the old style monastic models grew their own crops to sustain them and if a new style monastic model is going to succeed they still have to find means of providing their daily sustenance. I know man does not live by bread alone but it does help.
Andrew,
Listening to the podcasts. Would be interested if you would flesh out the micro-business enterprise comment. Some one at New Wine last year talked about Fountains Abbey (in Yorkshire UK) and described it as the silicon valley of its day. He went onto talk out industry that the abbey built up.
David
Not sure about Fountains Abbey but traditionally, monasteries did well with their business enterprises [Trappists still make the best beer, fruit cakes, etc] and were not only self-supporting but they could also fund other ministry projects. unfortunately, some became so wealthy that their spirituality waned, and their monasteries were taken over by other parties who wanted their lands and buildings.
but i dont see that happening for some time. i do, however, see our new intentional communities and new monasteries bringing business and sprituality together that will make them less vulnerable to economic conditions and lapses in ecclesiastical funding.
this is already happening in many countries i have been in and its a good thing.
Thanks Andrew and thanks for removing my double post. Try not this time. You comments on doing well at business and then becoming very wealthly and the spirituaity waning probably reflect what happen to Fountains Abbey. Although the final act for them was to stand upto Henry VIII and he took them over following splitting from the Catholic church. Would be interested in some examples when you have a moment.
I prefere to talk with a man that just new God ,or just saw him or felt him or new about somehow than to me sinner in the eyes of a religious someone.let me be I love U darling