Aj Schwanz

Oh, goodness, how I’m letting dust settle on my blog. My writing efforts have had to be laid aside for a bit due to relocation events: yes, my little family purchased a house and moved two miles outside of the ‘berg to “snooty wine country” (a.k.a. Dundee). Boxes abound, an eleven-month old finds a wealth of things he shouldn’t get into, and somehow my time is occupied with things other than blogging.

A friend sent me an email:

Greetings. Just a quick question, or in honesty your response to a premise. I suspect that most of the reasons the “missing generation” is indeed missing from organized religion are the same reasons the masses aren’t interested in church. Any thoughts?

I have some thoughts, but they’re packed away with my missing salad bowl. I thought that calling on the collective wisdom of my readers would provide a much more deep, varied, and probably coherant response.

So, what’s your take? Is it a generational thing? An “everybody got their somethin’” thang? Bueller? Bueller?

Man, it’s hard to walk the fine line of “appropriate” community interaction and bonding. Much of our society is independent - nuclear - solitary: not wanting to commit to the time, effort, and self-sacrifice it takes to be part of a community.

And then there’s this: Gahbunga, a new site that allows you to take a picture of a person with your cell phone and send it to your online community to rate whether someone is “hot or not”. Because Lord knows that a) physical attributes are a *definite* determination of whether someone is “worthwhile” or not, and 2) you should never act without the superficial input of your community.

I’ve played stupid games like that before: the “your team” game (if you see an “interesting” looking person, you lean over to your friend and tell them that the unfortunate soul is on your friend’s “team”. The goal is to fill your friend’s team with all sort of unlucky folks). Except we didn’t invest hours and dollars into it - just some laughs.

Bleck. When has “community building” gone too far?

Every once in a while, after hearing countless hurricane disaster stories and Pat Robertson denuciations and pro-peace versus pro-war protests, it’s nice to read a story like this from the front page of the Oregonian. The pastor who officiated the wedding is none other than the clerk of the board that I’m on: his picture was in the paper and everything! I wonder if he read the Bible verses from his palm like he does in our meetings . . . . somehow I doubt.

The fatal sin is building our churches and youth ministries around the appetites, desires and wishes of our congregations.

At my “Why Young Adults Don’t Attend Church” workshop, a person threw out a concept I’d pondered but hadn’t put such eloquent words to. As of late Iíve been recognizing that my high school church experience was segregated: my friends and I were quarantined to our safe youth-group experience where we were entertained, occasionally we gave back ìif we had to,î and we created a community of folks who were pretty Wonder bread (bland, palatable, nutritious . . .to a degree). I had some awesome experiences, events and folks who helped shape me into the person that I am today, but it was a pretty self-centered, demanding, consuming experience. The image I got was that of a rabid dog: theyíre foaming at the mouth to consume, consume, consume: just to bite down on something - but nothing ever satisfies that mad craving.

The person at my workshop talked about how youth ministry as we know it is dying. Youth leaders are recognizing that theyíre creating ìfalseî communities - communities that last only as long as the kids are in school, and then they dissipate, causing the individuals to flounder as they are community-less. They look to the larger church, but are so used to their self-centered experience that they donít know how to participate. And they mourn for the loss of their community, not knowing how to experience that again.

My mother-in-law sent me this article, talking about all this stuff - again, much more eloquently than I ever could.

For years now we have watched as study after study and survey after survey tell us what we already know- those students who graduate out of our professionally led youth ministries struggle to maintain their church ìconnectednessî during their college years. For me it tends to be one of two things: either my graduates end up being ìcling-onsî- graduates who find ways to still hang around the youth ministry - or they simply disappear a few months into their college careers, and I end up hearing about them after theyíve moved to another church or out of the church altogether.

What happens is that we feed the beast when we leave our teens with the impression that, like everywhere else in the world, they are ìconsumersî who by their consumeristic nature drive the shaping and programming of the church. When we are consumers, then we have the impression that we are or should be in control. We, the consumers; we tell the church how we need it to be. Is it any wonder then, that our little consumers shun the authority of the Church? How much authority can the Church have if the Church does whatever I tell it to do?

Oooh, good stuff. So, what are your thoughts? Do you see this type of rabid-attitude in your youth? Have you succumbed to it as well? How did you become free - to turn and focus on Christ rather than your self?

Today the Little Man and I went to visit the Hubby at work, which happens to be my former place of employment, which happens to be my motherís former place of employment . . . but I digress. We happened to visit a friend who works in the Mar/Comm department. She mentioned that her boss is going to be teaching a Marketing class that she will be TAing. My interest was peaked: not only do I really like her and respect her bossí knowledge and experience, but Iíve been gaining an interest in marketing, particularly in how it relates to ìchurch lifeî.

Coming from a Quaker background, Iím not interested in the high-tech, super-glossy type of marketing, but more the idea of how to get to know your ìpeopleî, to go out to the people rather than making them come in search of the ìbusiness/churchî. The terms ìmarketingî and ìadvertisingî are often received with cynicism: many times products have been buoyed up to be ìnew and improvedî or ìthe answer to all your problems!î, when really all they did was change the font on the label. But what would authentic marketing and advertising look like? Is there such a thing?

At Fox, marketing and communication fall under the umbrella of one department. I doubt that many churches think of marketing and communication being interrelated within their structure. What would it look like if they did?

I came home and saw this story on Yahoo.

“The church in more ways than not is mirroring Wall Street and the world and Madison Avenue,” says H. B. London, vice president of pastoral ministries at Focus on the Family, a national resource network for evangelical Christians. “We’re [lagging] behind them to a certain degree, but we’re using all their techniques.”

Why am I reminded of Christ being tempted by Satan to sell out to the world? Does God really want a church modeled after the way that Wall Street is set up? I donít think I want to worship at such a business . . . I mean, church.

Hearing about experiences such as these makes me wonder if thereís a way to be authentic in marketing, or is marketing so jaded that thereís no hope for redemption? Is there a need for it in the church, or is marketing just something thatís ìof this worldî?

Yesterday a friend happened to glance at my laptop which was projecting a Firefox window with my Bloglines account. We had a lengthy discussion, and he kindly held off until the ìimportant businessî was discussed. And then he questioned, ìAj, did I see right that you have *254* feeds on your bloglines?î Sheepishly, I had to say yes - and then babble off a flood of excuses, ìWell, some are craigslist searches, and some are mamablogs, and then I have emerging church blogs, and all my friends blogs, plus I like to keep on top of library information and emerging church and Quake world happenings, plus advertisingís been a new interest, and I have to know about tech stuff so I can understand what acronyms my husbandís talking about . . . ì But yes, I have too many feeds I keep track of.

Itís just so fascinating, though. I donít have to go out to all those website - the information comes to me. And I donít even know how I added most of the feeds: one blog mentions another blog which mentions another blog - a sort of ìseven degrees of bloggingî type game. Iíve made friends and acquaintances through blogs - some Iíve met, and some I havenít. Some I read for informationís sake; some I read because I just plain like the folks. I get to know their writing style, their typical content - their good days and their bad - some of who they are, and who they want the internet to believe they are.

Would this be considered community? Can community occur or be authentic without meeting personally?

Those investing heavily in the internet would like us to believe so. Today I came across two new sites:

Dodgeball is marketed as mobile social software. The idea is that you create an account and put in a list of friends and/or ìcrushesî and their mobile phones. When youíre going out, you can send out a text message to your friends to come join you. Or you can be notified if friends of your friends are nearby. Or you can find out if a ìcrushî is going to be where youíre going - or if someone who has a crush on you is coming. All this through text messaging.

Habbo Hotel is ìa virtual hang-out pixelized as a 5-star luxury hotel! Here you can meet up with your friends, make new ones design a room, host a party and enjoy all that Habbo has to offer.î Itís gauged for 13-18 year olds, complete with chat rooms, im clients, and other community/communication features. Gorillaz, a virtual hip-hop band, will be ìtouringî by way of Habbo Hotel.

Itís apparent that online communities are becoming more and more a part of our present society, particularly for the younger generations. What does this mean for intergenerational relationships/friendships? Iím finding such value in my community of mixed generations: itís providing such depth, such variety. But many of the ìolderî generation donít feel comfortable using chat clients or bulletin boards or chat rooms.

Churches do little to engage folks online. My church now offers podcasts and mp3s of the Sunday gathering: I greatly appreciate it in that Iím not missing parts of the ìSunday series.î But this is simply informational: it doesnít allow others to contribute, to offer, to engage. It continues the American predisposition to consume, to take in the message, the potential programs, the details about worship/church/staff/etc. Does our website allow folks, either from the congregation or not, to give, to engage, to create or participate in community? Is it missional - equipping folks of our church body and outside to go out?

The younger generations have spoken: they ache for community, and their creating it on their own terms. How am I and my church gathering called to answer the cry of their heart? Or will they continue to create their communities without us?

When my pappy worked at the YM office, he made the acquaintance of a lovely and engaging person: Harold Behr. For a while he headed up our yearly meetingís New Words/church planting efforts. Harold has the amazing ability to both energize you while completely wearing you out - all by simply walking into a room. Dad never quite knew what direction Harold was heading off in ñ and then again, Harold might not have known himself: but Dad saw the fruits of his labor and blessed him to continue to ìdo his thingî as long as the Spirit would allow.

Haroldís back in the Northwest after spending some time in the southwest. Heís working with Medford Friends doing locally what he did at the yearly meeting level - very cool. Heís a strong proponent of simple chuch/house churches/non-traditional or non-institutional church. Heís got a great site - tons of resources and thoughts and just some great stuff.

As I explore the emerging church movement and how it meshes or meets with my current body of believers, itís easy to try and put patches on the way Iíve worshiped: to try and crank ìjust a few more miles!î out of it. Haroldís latest post challenges my natural tendency to cling to the defunct works that are in existence, calling people to ìrelease the simple churchî just as Christ released his disciples into the world:

Way too much of what is branded as simple church or the emergent church has become the clustering of church people who have dropped out or are misfits for one reason or another, gathered to nurse (”heal” is the normal term used) each others wounds, seemingly or at least presumed to be caused by some monster traditional church. I don’t know how you define these clusters but they certainly aren’t much like the simple church plantings Paul and the other disciples were engaged in.

Most SCs I am aware of, with a few exceptions, stay together beyond what is healthy for them. And there will never be a worldwide multiplication of simple churches again unless we teach and release setting the proper expectations as such from the beginning. Are you part of such a group? Remember Paul spent as little as 2-4 weeks with pagan peoples in preaching the gospel and gathering new believers together before he left. What are we doing that makes US think we need to continue and continue on to feed and nurse one anther’s psyches forever and ever. I am suggesting as an effective undershepherd we need to “kick them out” into the work of the ministry

Thanks for sharing these words, Harold: theyíre not always easy to hear, but they are much needed.

My son is sad. This week Iím teaching VBS, and heís experiencing three hours of the nursery - much more contact and stimulation than he gets from his introvert mama. He comes home, tired and wired all at the same time - confused at the paradox running amuck in his infant body. It seems natural that he would fall peacefully asleep at night, exhausted from the dayís events. However, those nursery hijinks disrupt his the rhythm of his inner groove, and sleep becomes an illusive, slippery, combatant state rather than a luxurious, cozy, snuggly friend.

I find myself in a similar unrest. A number of reasons easily float through my mind: juggling VBS and grocery shopping and required napping schedules and connecting with folks and getting books back to the library and cleaning the apartment because people are coming over and making sure the husbandís taken care of . . . and this and that and a little bit more of stuff.

But itís more than just the details of daily life: theyíre white noise to drown out the true ache of my being. Things arenít right with the world: thatís obvious watching the nightly news as well as the dysfunctional families in my apartment complex. Iíve been exploring the realm of church: being as opposed to doing, emerging and conversing and converting as opposed to remaining stagnant and inflexible and institutional. Iím torn two ways: wanting to be considered ìinî with the emerging church crowd, and remaining true to my Quaker heritage. I know they can blend and balance - to bring out the best of both. But I hear conflicting voices, and I donít know who to listen to.

I also realize that things arenít right with me: if I were part of a Shakespeare play, a dense fog with bouts of hail would have been the forecast for the past while. How dare I talk about what looks right for things outside of me when things arenít right inside of me? How hypocritical can I be? Itís hard to decipher the condemning/accusing voice of Satan versus the convincing voice of the Spirit. One thing I know for sure: if anything good comes out of me, itís certainly not of my own will or strength: itís a testament to my Abba Father who uses my weaknesses.

I wonder if my sense of unrest is a sense of things to come. I sense a shift, a moving of the Spirit. I see evidence of it as more and more people keep questioning the ways things have been, voicing their dissatisfaction with the way things currently are. Itís as though a plot line is climaxing, and I canít turn off my light because I have to know whatís going to happen next.

But Iím also tired and ache for peace: for rest: for wholeness: for the world to be as it should. Which wonít be happening in my lifetime. Where do you find or experience Godís peace in this relentlessly turbulent world? Has your Spirit found a refuge?

This week Iím helping out with VBS at church, and man: am I out of shape - not physically, but coming-up-with-kid-activities shape. Who forgets how to play Headís Up, 7-Up? Iím trying to be intentional about keeping an eye on pulse of our youth - but apparently Iíve gotta keep digging deeper.
In my bloglines account through the Dtour aggregator the title of this post caught my eye - partially because Iíd love to know some cool emerging/missional blogging chicks, and partially because selfishly I want to be one (ah, Paul, this dying to Self thing is not an easy matter). Much to my shock, folks had actually mentioned my blog! And, folks commented that it wasnít overly obvious that I was a female blogger (the initials thing is rather ambiguous) - I hadnít ever thought about that: seems like it could put a different slant reading a blog and not knowing the authorís gender.

I posted a comment on his site (itís lengthy - sorry: my verbal interaction today with folks has mostly been ìget in line and march quietly!î and ìwho knows the ëpeanut, peanut butter . . . and jellyí song?î). Iíve never really thought about the lack of female ìtheologian-typeî bloggers. Most female author blogs that I read revolve around motherhood, knitting, cooking, and some really great female marketing blogs - they’re not necessarily of the hip/tech/pointedly spiritual nature.

I started wondering if men have more compartmentalized lives than women. When I was younger, I could always pester my mom at work - folks knew she was first and foremost a mom. But I didnít always have that freedom with my dad: folks expected him to act a certain way, to do business at work and home-stuff at home.

I also wondered if women are blogging ec-style: they just donít directly mention it: they do rather than speak. Iíve been intentional about using this blog as a forum to discuss things of a more spiritual nature; I have another blog that talks about the ins and outs of life as a new Mom. Itís more tapping into viewership: if youíre looking for thoughts on why young adults donít attend church, you probably donít want to wade through a story of an eleven-month oldís irregular bowel movements.

But thatís the thing about womensí lives: they donít compartmentalize - it all relates.

• When I go out to coffee with my pastor to talk about new ways our church body could engage our community, I take my son and chase after him, making sure he doesnít eat all the coffee shopís sugar packets.
• When I explore ways to have a more intergenerational worship gatherings, itís because I want to worship with my son - not have him segregated in his own classroom all the time.
• When I converse with others at the grocery store as they stop to talk to Judah, itís because I believe God has given me an opportunity to engage folks through this experience of motherhood.

Itís all connected: itís not necessarily black and white or laid out in nice bullets like Iíve just done. But looking closely at the telling of the daily details paints a (w)holistic picture of living an integrated life of seaching/questions/engaging/converting/becoming.

I think cool ec chick bloggers are out there: what are we doing to seek them out?

I say that in jest . . . kinda.

I received two great emails today.

This is from a friendís dad who is the clerk of the YM elders. Heís been a fantastic advocate for those looking to live authentically, whether it be inside the box or outside.

Greetings. I’m reading a book I think you wrote using the pseudonym Reggie McNeal! It’s called The Present Future

Isnít he great? He sent me some quotes, and I couldnít agree more: it was like reading my thoughts, only put together in understandable, knowledgeable, and eloquent terms (Iím more of a Virginia Wolfe - random streams of consciousness writer: word limits really cramp my style). Dave mentioned that this might be helpful in bridging an understanding between traditional and non-traditional folks. Go there - read - give feedback pleaseandthankyou.

And then I got an email from my friend and pastor.

So now Iíve got Andrew Jones in my bloglines… Did you read his link to this article about Alan Hirschís new book on the church in China? Then, did you read the comments? Holy cow! Maybe our call to this stuff AND to stay inside the church is part of the move toward integration!?! (But I do tend to have a much too high opinion of myself, so maybe itís just wishful thinking.)

Now, Gregg is one of the last people who has too high an opinion of himself - he is a wonderful model of servant leadership (well, at least in my experience: I donít know how hip he is to doing dishes at home ).

What made me laugh about both of these emails is the content. Present Future talks about how our church structure is flawed - Dave is the clerk of our YM elders (facilitating those who oversee our denominational structure). Dangerous Stories points out that the church in China is flourishing despite (because?) of a lack of leadership; their pastors and leaders are outlawed, the church is disbanded, and yet itís flourishing despite all odds - Gregg is the pastor to one of our most established churches.

What I *love* about these two individuals is that they are drawn to this sort of stuff, they resonate with it. They see the problems within our structure, and rather than having the selfish desire of self-preservation, of ensuring their personal security and status, they ultimately desire to seek out Godís will - to put Godís Kingdom work above their own. God doesnít seem to intend that a work always exist: sometimes they need to be laid aside. We can either move in harmony with His spirit, or we can fight it and become the anemic church that currently exists.

What is God asking you to look at differently, to lay aside? At what cost? Will you respond?