The Liminal Problem
January 20, 2008 by jonathanbrink
If you read this blog you’ll know that I am a proponent of exploring the dialog of the emerging church and what it means to create a holistic approach to spiritual formation. I’ve highlighted many of my concerns about the traditional models of church but at the same time, I have tremendous hope for what will emerge over the next twenty to fifty years. I believe the conversation, although painful at times, will have a tremendous regenerative affect on the church. I, like many, believe we are in a reformation period.
But the in between time is called a liminal period. It’s the not was but not yet, which creates a tremendous disequilibrium in some people. We’re leaving what was for something we have yet to experience and that is not always easy. And right now kind of feels like summer vacation to be honest. And this is simply a metaphor but I don’t want to be in junior high anymore. I want to explore what is in front of me, not just behind me. And I’m really looking forward to what I have yet to experience.
In the process many writers have explored what’s behind us. Frank Viola and George Barna have caused quite a stir with the re-release of Pagan Christianity. For those who are reading it, Grace has a lengthy breakdown that is an excellent summary of the points in the book. She too highlights some of the comments and criticisms that the books brings to the church as well as invites on itself.
But her posts got me thinking about the general mood that the book highlights, namely the liminal problem. We are beginning to deconstruct the old forms, of which PC is a necessary step in doing. But many aren’t yet seeing the next reconstructive models. We are beginning to recognize the lack of discipleship but have yet to test new models. This tension old brings fuel to the fire and allows the detractors to dismiss what is emerging as heretical or simply stupid. We’re leaving the traditional church for what, they ask, and we don’t have a clear answer we can point to. We know what we don’t want and yet we don’t yet know what we do want. This lack of an answer allows many to simply dismiss the conversation. And they can if they want to. They don’t have to go down this road.
But for those who are staying in the exploration of what’s ahead, it sometimes feels lonely. It would simply be sooooo much easier to just turn around and do junior high again. The structures are set. The models have been tested and work, to an extent. What they produce is now in question but its just so much easier to stick with them and hope for the best. The tension of staying in the good is easier than letting it go for what is the possibility of great. Jim Collins explored this in Good To Great.
And I ask myself, “Why do you keep going forward? What is it that allows you to stay in the tension?” And my answer is that I want to know my Father. I want to know Him. And when stuff like Reveal comes out, and Pagan Christianity, and many more, it simply adds fuel to the fire. It also serves as a reminder that there is so much more to be had. And to be honest my heart has been calling me forwards for a long time. I’ve seen too many good things happen to settle for good now. I for one believe that discipleship is possible and necessary to what it means to follow Jesus in today’s world.
What about you? What do you feel about the liminal problem?
You have put into words what some friends and myself were talking about this morning. We have been in this liminal place for about 10 years now. It’s a strange place. We also have believed we are in a time of reformation.
The difficult part is having absolutley no direction or no foresight on what is to come. And we always saw ourselves as prophetic!! (LOL) My favorite thing to say these days is “That which my heart is longing for I am convinced does not even exist yet”. Thanks for sharing this, I love hearing from others that are in a similar place.
Cheri
Jonathan,
By the time I finished the book, I was somewhat weary of deconstruction. While I believe it is a necessary process, that isn’t really where my heart is now.
I am glad that the book stuck mostly to deconstruction. I am concerned about those who presume to have reconstruction all figured out and a little concerned about how prescriptive their next book might be.
As we move forward, I believe we will see many more hybrid models that don’t fall neatly into the categories of either institutional or house church. Right now, I think that missional orders are tapping into some of the components necessary to move forward into a greater degree of discipleship, although I can’t say that I can fully understand or envision this yet. Also I believe we will have to have a degree of fluidity and adaptability in order to change structures as needed.
Your last paragraph spoke what is in my heart, the need to believe that there is something more and to continue to move forward in that hope. Sometimes I wonder if it is simply idealism, but then I read something like your post that confirms what I sense, which is still beyond what I can see or understand.
For me it can be a bit disconcerting. my wife and I were talking the other day and all I could really say is that I feld “un-anchored” and I have only been in the process rethinking what it means to “be a Christian” for about six months now.
I’ve recently started that God would put other people in my life who are asking the same questions I am, who will help me”put some shoes” on everything. It goes back to your post about orthodoxy awhile back. Its great that I am starting to think right about how to follow Christ, but that does me no good unless I can find people who can help me put it into practice.
Grace, I have a gut feeling we are on the cusp of moving past deconstruction and into what that next thing is.
Aaron, you said, “Its great that I am starting to think right about how to follow Christ, but that does me no good unless I can find people who can help me put it into practice.”
That is a brilliant observation.
Your question has shadowed me all day. The phrase that has been echoing in my mind has been this book title, “Between the Dreaming and Coming True”. That is where I feel I am and we are. Almost like a trapeze artist letting go of one bar but not quite grasping the other. Ron Lagerstrom, my spiritual director, says to enjoy this space, this time; too not rush it but view it as a gift. It is in this space of air that the magic appears. It is in the flying––between the bars––that the dance of grace begins. But I for one, sense the need to begin dream-experimenting. Where the dreaming walks with the coming true and the coming true glides with the dreaming. That as we experiment with the dream, a place where people help each other “put into practice” right thinking about following Jesus (thanks Aaron) comes true. And ultimately, when it comes down to it, we HAVE to follow the dream that Jesus, our Lord, has placed in the core of our hearts. To do otherwise, would be the sin.
And as you said, Jonathan, “This lack of an answer allows many to simply dismiss the conversation. And they can if they want to. They don’t have to go down this road.” They need to follow their dream, and us, ours. May it come true……here as it is in heaven.
Between the Dreaming and Coming True. We are in the “and”.
Jonathan,
You sure strike a chord deep within me on this one! I sometimes think we need to live in the land of liminality for a long time in order to truly separate us from the “old” ways of not only doing things, but even the way we tend to automatically think and view things. It’s been over a decade since I’ve been here in Liminal Land. In looking back, I can see it took all this time to get me to the place where I can truly begin to receive, I mean truly receive, from above. My hands were either clutching the old (even while claiming to reject it!) OR they were grasping toward the “dream of what could be.” Either way, not good!
It’s only been this last year that I’m coming to see that I need to be able to truly receive from above before anything else can truly happen that might express the Kingdom of God. This liminal time can be wondrous…our many wounds can be healed, our cold love can be heated up, our many “visions” can be stricken down, and our silly notions can finally fly out the window!
So I sit, longing and yearning, for more of the “real,” and watching my Father slowly start to build trust in me that He is able, and He is going to fulfill all his purposes, and He’s delighted I want to come along for the ride and share in it! I’m like a 2-year-old child, but it’s a good place to be! From someone that used to “be in the ministry” and could really “make it happen (gag!),” there’s no better place to be.
So, fellow liminal-ers, let’s enjoy the time in this strange land. Let’s embrace it! Let’s receive healing for our wounds! Let’s watch our grasp on the past and our vision for the future fly away! Maybe it’s only then that we can watch HIM build HIS KINGDOM! And lucky us will be invited to join Him in His work!
Elle
Jeromy, I think the and is a good place if we allow it. It’s a place of trust. That’s why I’m just enjoying it and considering it much like summer vacation.
I love the title of your yet to be written book. Your a documenter of the journey. ;-).
We need to still sit down and dream.
Elle, I appreciate your enthusiasm. It is refreshing.
Normally I think the “and” takes a generation at least and maybe more. But our generation and those behind us have been born and bred on change as a constant. I am now beginning to believe that our reconstruction into the next will come much sooner than we think.
My only concern is that we don’t miss it when it comes.
I appreciate Jeromy’s words about dream-experimenting. That is the kind of flexibility I was trying to explain, to be willing to step out into our dreams, not considering adaptation and changes along the way to be failure, but simply steps in the journey.
Jonathan,
I could not agree more with this statement of yours:
“Normally I think the “and” takes a generation at least and maybe more. But our generation and those behind us have been born and bred on change as a constant. I am now beginning to believe that our reconstruction into the next will come much sooner than we think.”
I really do believe we’re entering a “compression” of time where things will be happening much faster than we could have imagined. We can only hope!
Elle
Give me a jingle and let’s dream. Unfortunately, that title is already taken, “Between the Dreaming and the Coming True” by Benson.
Grace - I like how you put it as simply steps in the journey. So true. I figure we can only dream so much in the mind and classroom. Eventually we need to bring our God-dreams into the lab and the field. As we do, our dreams will alter, change, and evolve, hopefully giving birth to life-giving dreams that live, move and breathe.
[...] asked a question in his post, The Liminal Problem. He says, “I’ve highlighted many of my concerns about the traditional models of church [...]
Jonathan,
What a great discussion!
The “liminal” issue is not new, in my opinion. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
The “longing” that we feel is quite normal. On this side of eternity we will only have a poor reflection of God…what he has revealed to us and also in us through the Holy Spirit. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Cor 13:12)
In man’s quest to know God fully until we see Him we will have this tension. The question of the emerging church must be answered in the context of the absolute truth of His revelation. Orthodoxy is key since it produces orthopraxy. Making church “relevant” in today’s world is fine, but not at the expense of truth. This post-modern and post-western society in which we live has redefined truth and made everything relative while producing the idea that words don’t even have meaning anymore.
The church must be willing to stand for truth, but in the name of tolerance and PC, we have made sacrifices to the god of this world.
I heard one woman pastor in the emerging church movement publicly state that it doesn’t really matter if you believe that Jesus rose from the dead physically. This is essentially Docetism, which the early church condemned as heresy in 451AD.
TRUTH IS NOT RELATIVE!
In Christ,
Karl Usher
Williston, Vermont
Thanks for the great verses Karl.
This really brings into focus the already/not yet themes from Scripture and the words that help ground the vision I am processing as a kind of reconstruction. I am processing the words: Don’t wait. Be patient. It is a place of faith where we follow the Spirit’s leading, but we are patient with the path and the length of time it takes to get where we’re going.
So many good discussions, so little time! I may have to add you to my Google Reader.
Be blessed.
I agree with many your idea that it does no good to break things down unless you see a solution.
An excellent alternative to Viola’s book is “The Ancient Church As Family” by Dr. Joe Hellerman. His work is well researched and addresses many of the “pagan” influences on our faith. Dr. Hellerman’s contribution is a blend of good history AND respectful discourse.