One author recently said, “the road to the future runs through the past.” Reading those words startled me and caused me to stop and think about what that means for me as a pastor and for the church that I serve.
One of my favorite theologians Karl Barth, often said to his classes, “no one dare do contemporary theology until they have mastered classical Christian thought.”
In an age when everything seems to “up for grabs,” there are some anchors that will keep the church steady. Youth For Christ’s slogan seems to capture the spirit well, “Anchored to the Rock, Geared to the Times.”
Today’s church seems to stand in an “in-between” time, a time between what “was” and what “will be.” These are challenging times in which we are called to minister. There are forces that want to take the church back to the “good-ole days,” and there are forces that suggest that our recent heritage should be jettisoned away.
There is an increasing sense that another way needs to be examined. It is the way of exploring the “Ancient-Future” dimensions of the faith.
By way of definition, “Ancient-Future” is an orientation that seeks to allow the rich history of Christian tradition to inform the future shape and character of the church. It asks questions of the “faith of the fathers” and seeks to build a credible faith expression in a world that is largely devoid of absolutes and anchors.
Here is a “crash course” in church history that will help explain the “Ancient-Future” concept.
The 1st century church celebrated Mystery, Community and the Power of Symbol. During the Medieval period the church became institutionalized and structured. At the time of the Reformation, Martin Luther attempted to re-assert the authority of the Word God in a time when the culture slept. Recent history in the Modern period highlighted the importance of Reason, Organizational Structures, and Individualism. We have moved into the Post-Modern Period in which Mystery, Community and the Power of Symbol has resurfaced.
Researchers tell us that the day in which we live is “more like the 1st century than any other period in our culture’s history.” They further suggest that if the church is to make a lasting and favorable impact upon the culture, we must possess an “Ancient-Future” orientation.
One of my favorite theologians Karl Barth, often said to his classes, “no one dare do contemporary theology until they have mastered classical Christian thought.”
In an age when everything seems to “up for grabs,” there are some anchors that will keep the church steady. Youth For Christ’s slogan seems to capture the spirit well, “Anchored to the Rock, Geared to the Times.”
Today’s church seems to stand in an “in-between” time, a time between what “was” and what “will be.” These are challenging times in which we are called to minister. There are forces that want to take the church back to the “good-ole days,” and there are forces that suggest that our recent heritage should be jettisoned away.
There is an increasing sense that another way needs to be examined. It is the way of exploring the “Ancient-Future” dimensions of the faith.
By way of definition, “Ancient-Future” is an orientation that seeks to allow the rich history of Christian tradition to inform the future shape and character of the church. It asks questions of the “faith of the fathers” and seeks to build a credible faith expression in a world that is largely devoid of absolutes and anchors.
Here is a “crash course” in church history that will help explain the “Ancient-Future” concept.
The 1st century church celebrated Mystery, Community and the Power of Symbol. During the Medieval period the church became institutionalized and structured. At the time of the Reformation, Martin Luther attempted to re-assert the authority of the Word God in a time when the culture slept. Recent history in the Modern period highlighted the importance of Reason, Organizational Structures, and Individualism. We have moved into the Post-Modern Period in which Mystery, Community and the Power of Symbol has resurfaced.
Researchers tell us that the day in which we live is “more like the 1st century than any other period in our culture’s history.” They further suggest that if the church is to make a lasting and favorable impact upon the culture, we must possess an “Ancient-Future” orientation.
I wonder if we are "heading back to the future?"
What do you think?
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