Ancient Anglican

By prioritizing Connections we are fighting back against the storm of individualism and polarization that is overtaking our society. Every good thing that we seek to do in the world, should start with these Connections

If the church is to win over hearts and minds, to bring about change at the neighborhood level, and to heal our divisions, we must be present in our neighborhoods and to think long-term.

Instead of focusing on needs and problems, what if we focused on the gifts and strengths of those in our community? What if we decide to look for assets and not needs? As Soren puts it, let’s focus “on what’s strong instead of what’s wrong.”

As we open our eyes and engage in sacred curiosity, we should not limit ourselves to those who look like us, vote like us, or even believe like us.

Being part of the same team means moving from isolation to awareness, polarization to curiosity, and fragmentation to integration.

Church divisions, particularly those that mirror the divisions in society, make the gospel a lie. If we vilify our fellow Christians and create a community based on a mutual dislike of the other, then what do we have to offer the world as an alternative way of being.

We are called to become intentionally rooted in our community and to be woven into the life of this community. This means physically going out in the parish, not simply to be of service but to be with others.

At this level, we have the power to change the systems based on our local situations, local needs, and local resources. Limiting ourselves at the parish is a strength because limitations take us out of the theoretical and into the practical.

The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world.

As a particular congregation, with a particular story, in a particular place, we necessarily have our limitations. However, those limitations help establish our particular charisms. Most importantly, these limitations give us the ability to see what portion of the Invisible Church we are to go out into.

The question is whether the church is about a performance or about a community.

We must listen before we become active. He names this active listening before being programmatically active as “sacred curiosity.” Too often, he writes, we are helpful without being curious. We seek to provide answers without first actually figuring out the questions.