preach it...

I've almost read through all of the book Preaching Re-Imagined by Doug Pagitt. He talks in-depth about something I've wrestled with in church experience as both a minister on staff and as a member "at large." The heart of what he shares and my own struggle is that, in most church families, there's just not enough input from the community has a whole as we gather to let the Word shape us.

Pagitt is a proponent for what he calls progressional dialogue in lieu of speaching (preaching as a speech-giving), and I have to say it seems a lot like what I would prefer. There's really not any one "right" way to engage, but it basically involves allowing input (on the front end) and feedback (during and/or on the back-end) in relation to preparing messages for a community of believers. This is all in attempt to not let one voice, one perspective, one experience dictate how the Word affects the community. The intended result is to collectively deepen their faith and speak to each other about how the community lives out the kingdom where they find themselves.

I've oversimplified here, for sake of space, but I feel that this is a step toward a healthier way for communities of faith to interact with the Word of God and one another. I'm ready for experiences that allow the Word to shape us through that kind of interaction as the Spirit works. I'm thankful that the church family I've been with for a few months has interactions like this in our "class" time and am hopeful that more of our encounters with the Word in community will be as meaningful. May we allow the Spirit to move among us and shape us as we tend to each other openly and honestly in response to the Word.