[Dialogue] 2/18/2021, Progressing Spirit: Rev. Aurelia Davila Pratt: We are the Spacemakers; Spong revisited

[James Wiegel]

Wow. Space makers.  Room for spirit movement

Jim Wiegel
“A revolution is on the horizon:  a wholesale transformation of the world economy and the way people live.”  Fred Krupp


> On Feb 18, 2021, at 8:31 AM, Ellie Stock via Dialogue <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
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> We Are The Spacemakers
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> Essay by Rev. Aurelia Dávila Pratt
> February 18, 2021
> I am the pastor of a tiny, broke and thriving dream-church. Yes, I said all those words in the same sentence! We are not perfect by any means. Like any other sacred community, we are living and moving from within the constraints of our circumstances, our limited resources, and even our mistakes. We are doing our best to unlearn, undo, and create anew.
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> As I contribute to this work, I am noticing that most of the people I listen to and learn from aren’t necessarily leading from within church settings or even involved in a church at all. Many deconstructing Christians have also left church behind, opting instead for the guidance and direction of these same thought leaders I follow.
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> Because I choose to remain within the church, I have to ask myself regularly “why do I stick around?” Why do I choose to stay put when the church has caused so much harm? There is no denying that Christianity has been used as a system of oppression. It continues to use the Bible as its weapon of mass destruction via colonization, patriarchy, and white supremacy.
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> Admittedly, a large part of why I stay is because I don’t want the dominant narrative to win out. But this decision cannot be based solely on reacting to power systems. Reacting to someone or something is neither a healthy nor a sustainable reason to stay in any relationship, the church included. Instead, the predominant reason I choose to stay is because I am part of a church context that lives into the radical ways of spacemaking. This is the answer to my why. 
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> For you, dear reader, the best answer may have been to go. There are many modes of spiritual community that can serve you well outside of the church. If this is you, I have utmost respect for your path, and I bless it. Heal, my friend. However, if you are still here - on the inside - and more than occasionally asking yourself “why?” allow me to frame your presence in a sacred community as that of a spacemaker.
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> Please note, I am sharing insights based on my context: I am a church planter of ten years, operating from within the progressive Baptist tradition. Your context is likely very different from mine. Regardless, there is always room... to make room.
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> Provide space for Spirit movement
>  Here’s a good question no matter your context: are you providing space for Spirit movement in your congregation? 
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> Spirit movement does not involve inheriting traditions without asking any questions. A healthy, reimagined church follows the flow of Spirit into radical, untapped places. Instead of forcing programming or ministries that no longer feel right, we can work toward developing a collective intuition.
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> This means we don’t do things just because they’ve always been done a certain way or because that’s how other churches do them. Instead, we regularly give ear to the voices of our people. We listen to their lives, and we observe their needs. After all, these are the folx who breathe life into our community.
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> We create based on who we are and where we want to go. We do not create out of mindless tradition. Instead, we observe the Spirit movement in our congregation and follow where it leads us. What we will discover will often surprise us because it’ll be a beautiful mix of the following:
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> We will discover real value in certain ancient traditions, and we will find permission to toss other things to the curb. This process will create space for new ideas, unexpected opportunities, and renewed spiritual health in our congregation. We are spacemakers providing space for the fullness of Spirit movement.
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> Provide space for real critique 
>  The more we surrender to Spirit flow, the easier it becomes to look in the mirror and tell the truth about what we see. Spacemakers are spiritually resilient, meaning we have the capacity to honestly question ourselves. We are able to be consistent with this practice because we aren’t afraid of ending up wrong. We aren’t afraid of getting it wrong because we know we will be wrong often. Instead, we become comfortable with pivoting and we do so as needed. We are constantly evolving. 
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> From this place, we are able to honestly critique the Church. More importantly, we are able to give ear to critiques from others. As we posture ourselves to listen, we center marginalized voices, understanding that scripture is chock-full of God giving preferential treatment to the most vulnerable. In the same way, we take our cues from the margins, and we center the lived experiences of the oppressed. We practice an embodied recognition of their imago Dei that extends from our belief to our practice.
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> Unfortunately, money and church politics are barriers to this process and will continue to keep churches stunted if we let them. This could be the biggest uphill battle we face. Nevertheless, we need to direct all of our courageous energy to the work of real critique, followed by real change.
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> Provide space for sacred art 
>  As you continue in this difficult work, remember that you are an artist, creating sacred art. To picture the world without art is to picture it without beauty. Can you imagine this world without poetry or song? Can you imagine it without brightly colored tapestries or photographs that speak directly to your soul? Art is divine imagination embodied. We need it because we weren’t meant to merely survive. We were meant to thrive.
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> Now imagine the work of the church as a painting. Every bit of energy that you contribute, whether to a gathering, the liturgy, a conversation or idea, a song or a small group - all of these contributions are like a stroke from your brush. You have the ability to create something novel because there is only one you. 
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> As a result, no matter your role in your community, you are a part of the art. Your painting is a part of the collective gallery, which is to say the culture of the church. Your painting has value. The beauty your community is creating is incomplete without your contribution.
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> This realization changes how we navigate our own personal faith. It changes how we lead. It changes how we exist from within our communities. We are sacred artists, creating art through our liturgy, rituals, and practices. We are creating meaning. We are creating safe, healing, empowering spaces. If this isn’t a work of art, I don’t know what is.
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> Yes, my friends, even in these wild and crazy, often virtual times - we are spacemakers, providing sacred art as a balm to all our souls.
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> Provide space for intuition 
>  It is an idealistic image to consider ourselves artists. But we must always hold this metaphor in tension with the difficult realities that come with spacemaking. For example, even as we work together to create our sacred art, we must provide ample room for individuals to develop their own intuition. This process will inevitably include forms of deconstruction.
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> Spacemakers understand that our end goal is not to keep people in the fold. Rather, our hope is for all of us to fully experience the peace of God directly and consistently. Our work is to participate in the redemptive and collective work of Liberation no matter where or how that happens.
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> So, we provide space. We provide room: for people to hurt. For people to heal. And also, for people to expand. Understand that when we do this, some people will expand beyond us. Our communities may eventually no longer be a fit for them. Wrong or right, they should feel free to ultimately decide for themselves.
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> The fact is, people are rapidly deconstructing right on out of the church doors. When this happens, let us not frantically worry about the domino effect of who else might leave or what money we’ll lose. Let us not blame the necessary process of deconstruction. Instead, may we send them on their way with blessings and love. May we pray we can continue to create just the right space for the bodies and souls who need it.
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> After all, we are spacemakers. We hold space for each person’s divine intuition. We have the capacity to deconstruct AND reimagine. We are postured for abundance.
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> Provide space for other voices
>  This entire section is speaking specifically to clergy and church leaders.
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> Creating space is wonderful practice for our egos. The predominant way we can move from ego-centered to Spirit-centered people is by elevating a variety of voices every chance we get. We cannot do this without moving over more often.
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> This means senior pastors need to be preaching less. Others need to teach and lead. Are we not trying our damnedest to understand God as best we can? Then we center other voices. Especially Black, Indigenous, and other voices of color. Especially LGBTQIA voices. Especially voices on the margins.
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> Every chance we get, we make it happen. And because we are creative people, we are able to find a way to make it happen. We seek out voices from the margins who are able and willing, and as spacemakers, we ensure that it is both safe and radically welcoming when they enter our community. Then we do the most holy work of all, and we listen.
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> Again, this takes courage because our egos will take a blow. We will second guess our giftings and our talent because we’ll bring in voices who are absolutely brilliant. We will second guess our calling because other parts of our job might not be as fulfilling. We will take on some grunt work and teach by example how to become nonhierarchical. Paid staff might be tempted to wonder if our congregation knows we are working. Perhaps they need the reminder as well: our job isn’t to talk. It’s to create space. We are spacemakers, providing sacred space for other prophetic voices.
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> Provide space for healing
>  Being a spacemaker means that the health of our church body is of utmost priority. But the bodies will rarely come in healthy and strong. Often, in our progressive contexts, we inherit the most spiritually wounded. This is why it is important that we create space for healing.
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> We can belong to a church that is actively seeking and living into good health. We can spot signs of good health by the leadership, by the language used, and by the programming. Are leaders practicing good health in their own lives? Does the church protect them from burn out? Is there a collective culture, or does the load seem to fall on the same few people? Is the language in sermons inclusive of mental health? Is the programming trauma informed?
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> Spacemakers: Be this church. Belong to this church.
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> Provide space to totally reimagine 
>  Embracing our spacemaking is the most radical thing we can do as people who are still a part of a faith community. In fact, we must make space so that there is room within our collective heartbeat to reimagine church.
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> We can become churches who truly extend embodied welcome, belonging, and inclusion. We can be churches that regularly ask itself, “Where does sacred community fit into this new reality? We can be people who, as Walt Whitman said, “re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency.” 
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> We re-examine because we are spacemakers. From our spacemaking we are breathing new life into our sacred communities. Whether you are clergy or lay, leading or attending, spacemaking is the invitation we have accepted by sticking around.
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> So my fellow spacemakers, may we throw out our prescriptions. May we supply people with the tools needed to engage their own faith work. May we empower bodies and souls to embrace their own God-given authority. May we embrace ours. And may we always remember: there is enough room for all of us.
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> ~ Rev. Aurelia Dávila Pratt
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> Read online here
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> About the Author
> Aurelia Dávila Pratt is the Lead Pastor at Peace of Christ Church and co-host of the Nuance Tea Podcast. She is co-chair of the Religious Liberty Council of the Baptist Joint Committee and President of the board for Nevertheless She Preached - a national, ecumenical preaching event designed to elevate the voices of womxn on the margins. Aurelia is also a licensed social worker who serves on the Board of Advocates for the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University. Find her on Instagram or Twitter @revaureliajoy where she shares pastoral care nuggets for deconstructing Christians and people of faith.
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> Question & Answer
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> Q: By A Reader
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> How important and relevant is the Gospel of Thomas in our continuing search for the real Jesus? How does it help us to interpret his message and mission?
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> A: By Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox
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> Dear Reader,
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> My experience is that there are two ways to approach the Gospel of Thomas.  One is simply to pick up a current translation and read it with the heart as one would a mystical text or a lectio divina reading.  The second is to read what scholars say first (such as Funk and the Jesus Seminar people in their translation and running commentary in The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say?).  The first reading will be more magical.
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> But the second reading will probably be more grounded while subtracting somewhat from the magic of the first reading.  When the scholars finish with the text, there really is not a lot left other than some sayings that are very close to sayings we already know from the four gospels.  For example, of the 114 sayings, Funk and Company recognize only 36 as being certainly from Jesus and many of them only partially so.  Many sayings are already familiar from the Beatitudes or from familiar parables and kingdom of God sayings with slight variations from the four gospel versions. (Though # 113 is especially rich.)
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> Those sayings not attributed to Jesus can nevertheless contain rich wisdom such as these wonderful “I am” teachings:
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> #77.  “Jesus said, “I am the light that is over all things.  I am all: from me all came forth, and to me all attained.  Split a piece of wood: I am there.  Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”  The “I am” sayings add to those in John’s gospel which also are not those of the historical Jesus.  They are wisdom sayings, however, just as many sections of the four gospels are not from Jesus’s lips but do house wisdom.
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> There are provocative gender sayings which are not primary texts either such as # 114.  In short, the book introduces us (once again) to the complexity of the sparse early sources of Christianity.  Combinations and layers of texts from diverse sources mixing.   
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> Scholars stress how the gnostic tradition infiltrates the text in many instances and alert us to be careful of its dualism and overidentification of evil with matter and the body for instance.  A good warning to heed indeed!  Such passages take us far indeed from Jesus’s much more earthy and integrated worldview of spirit and matter.
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> Just because few sayings can actually be ascribed to Jesus does not mean there is not wisdom there.  After all, much of the Gospels’ words attributed to Jesus were not his words but this need not distract from the wisdom that is there.  I have always marveled at how confident early Christians were in their own spiritual experiences that they did not  hesitate to put words into Jesus’s mouth! 
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> So there is much in the Gospel of Thomas that can inspire and uplift and challenge us, whether it is traceable directly to the “real Jesus” or not.  The spirit Jesus let loose by his teachings and presence continues to inspire many (including great mystics like Hildegard, Eckhart, Julian, etc) and we derive much benefit from reading them with heart as well as head.  Why not the Gospel of Thomas also?
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> ~ Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox
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> Read and share online here
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> About the Author
> Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox holds a doctorate in spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris and has authored 35 books on spirituality and contemporary culture that have been translated into 74 languages. Fox has devoted 45 years to developing and teaching the tradition of Creation Spirituality and in doing so has reinvented forms of education and worship (called The Cosmic Mass). His work is inclusive of today’s science and world spiritual traditions and has awakened millions to the much neglected earth-based mystical tradition of the West. He has helped to rediscover Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Aquinas. Among his books are A Way To God: Thomas Merton's Creation Spirituality Journey; Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Times; Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint for Our Times; Stations of the Cosmic Christ; Order of the Sacred Earth; The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times; and Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic – And Beyond. To encourage a passionate response to the news of climate change advancing so rapidly, Fox started Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox - See Welcome from Matthew Fox.
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> Bishop John Shelby Spong Revisited
> 
> The Origins of the New Testament, Part XXIX:
> I and II Timothy and Titus — The Pastoral Epistles. We Have the Truth!
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> Essay by Bishop John Shelby Spong
> July 15, 2010
> Thus far, as we have explored the origins of the various books of the New Testament, we have not yet come across that familiar form of human religion that asserts: “We have the Truth!” “If you disagree with me, the truth is not in you.” It is our “God-given duty to define truth, defend truth and impose truth.” Up until this point in the biblical story, the Christian movement has basked in the wonder of the Christ experience, sought words that can convey the power of that experience to another and has dealt with conflict only in the attempt by believers to clarify what this Christ experience really meant. Since, however, religious systems almost always, devolve into a security-giving system in which “my understanding” of God is assumed to be the same as God, we should not be surprised to discover this negativity making its appearance inside the Christian movement. When we turn to the Pastoral Epistles, the ones we have named I and II Timothy and Titus, our wait comes to an end. This mentality that suggests than any person can possess “ultimate Truth” in his or her propositional statements permeates almost every verse of these particular writings. This attitude is so apparent that it actually helps us to date these works. That, in turn, forms the data that makes us absolutely certain that Paul is not the author of any of these epistles.
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> The Pastoral Epistles are so clearly the product of a later period of church history, when missionaries, prophets and teachers have been replaced by hierarchical and authoritative figures called bishops, priests or presbyters and deacons — all institutional functionaries. Even more, the office of a senior bishop, elder, or archbishop has had time to develop and the primary task of this official, it seems, is to impose order on the life of the various congregations in a given geographical region and to guarantee conformity in both their worship and their teaching. From other sources, we can identify this ecclesiastical structure as reflecting the period in church history no earlier than 90 CE and possibly as late as 120 CE. While these dates alone rule out Pauline authorship, they also make us aware that enough time has passed so that Paul is regarded as a respected not a controversial figure as the Paul of history certainly was. In these works, Paul has become the symbol of a revered elder apostle possessing such authority that these words are buttressed by being written in his name. Timothy and Titus, the younger companions of the historical Paul, named in his own authentic letters (Timothy in Romans, I and II Corinthians, Philippians and I Thessalonians) and (Titus in II Corinthians and Galatians), have been transformed into symbols of the next generation of Christian leaders who listen eagerly to the elder Paul’s advice. While the Paul of history could write his ode to love in I Corinthians 13 and speak about his own conversion in Romans 8:38, 39, the Paul of the Pastoral Epistles is only interested in order, “sound” teaching, proper obedience and the need to drive away erroneous and false teaching. In the Pastoral Epistles “orthodoxy” has been defined in non-flexible ways.
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> In content, the Pastorals are quite similar to the five letters of Ignatius of Antioch, written between 110 and 113 CE while he was on his way to his own martyrdom. They reflect similar church structures, similar lines of authority and issue similar warnings against false teachers, once again demonstrating that they are the products of about the same time. The chief function of a bishop in both of these sources is “to defend the faith,” and to “establish orthodoxy,” which simply means “right thinking.” Words like “doctrine” and “teaching” are a major concern of these books that clearly favor “catholic-orthodox” formulas.
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> It is apparent that something is threatening this sound doctrine. Historians have identified the enemy as a group of Christians who called themselves “Gnostics.” The Pastoral Epistles exhort younger leaders to protect the “true faith” by confronting evil, rebuking or silencing these false teachers who are disparaged as “imposters, unbelievers and deceivers.” The battle grew quite hostile with words like “stupid, unprofitable and futile” being used. God-given authority was claimed for established church leaders. They alone were authorized to determine what constitutes “true doctrine” and they alone had the power to ordain new leaders, who in order to qualify themselves for ordination, had to take vows to be faithful to the established tradition. Those who, in a previous generation, had themselves been “revisionists” in the synagogue were now determined to allow no revisionists in the church. The language of the Pastorals is replete with familiar religious hostility. Titus 1:13 refers to Cretans as “liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons.” I Timothy calls those opposed to sound doctrine “immoral persons, sodomites, kidnapers, liars and perjurers.” II Timothy says its enemies engage in “godless chatter” and likens their talk to “gangrene.” Church fights can frequently be anything but Christian! By this time in church history the disciples of Jesus seem to have moved rather far from Jesus’ admonition to “love your enemies!” Yet in the midst of this rather rampant hostility we are startled to find familiar and treasured words that we might have heard, but of their origin we had no clue. I refer to such phrases from the Pastorals as: “A little wine is good for your stomach.” “The love of money is the root of all evil.” “We brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out.” Christianity so often blends good and evil.
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> Someone once said that Christianity probably would not have survived had it not become institutionalized and that it might not survive because it did become institutionalized. Institutions, certainly including the Christian Church, always subvert truth to institutional needs. That is why the Church developed irrational power claims like, “My pope is infallible,” or “My Bible is inerrant,” or “There is only one true Church” and it is mine or “No one comes to the father except through my church or my faith tradition.”
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> These assertions always arise in religious movements when the decision is made that the wonder, truth and mystery of God can in fact be captured inside human words developed inside human minds. God and my understanding of God become the same. The power needs of the religious institutions become identified with the truth of God and the well-being of church leaders. This mentality almost inevitably produces religious wars, religious persecution, the Inquisition and the incredible cruelty that we Christian people have poured out on our victims over the centuries. It also finds expression in the rudeness frequently seen in religious debate.
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> Two stories will serve to make this point clear and to reveal why I have no great appreciation for the Pastoral Epistles, which not only introduced, but also justified these attitudes and helped to make them part of the life of institutional Christianity. The first story is personal; the second comes to me from another source.
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> I have been on a number of book tours to Australia. In the Anglican Archdiocese of Sydney, Christianity has been captured by a Northern Irish Protestant fundamentalism of an 18th century variety and frozen in time in the South Pacific. The Bible to them has to be read literally, women can not be ordained or have authority over men and homosexuality is an abomination! So my presence there appeared to frighten Sydney’s Anglican leaders and call them to arms against the anti-Christ. When I came on a lecture tour for my book, “Resurrection: Myth or Reality?” these leaders quickly got out a fundamentalist paperback rebuttal that hit the bookstands the day my plane landed. In addition to that, they devoted a number of pages in their Archdiocesan newspaper, “The Southern Cross,” to arming their people with the “facts” necessary to resist the onslaught of this non-fundamentalist, and therefore non true-believing, Christian. Finally, they appointed a “truth squad” headed by one of their bishops, named Paul Barnett, to follow me around Australia to “correct my errors publicly” lest the people be corrupted. They contacted any radio or television station on which I was scheduled to appear to demand “equal time” for “the truth.” One noonday TV program decided to book us together rather than accede to “equal time.” The conversation went well at least from my point of view until Paul Barnett exploded with the words, “Jack, you’re nothing but a Gnostic.” I responded, “Paul, the wonderful thing about that charge is that 99% of our Australian viewers do not know whether you have just insulted me or complimented me.” I apparently bothered Paul Barnett as much as the Gnostics had bothered the authors of the Pastoral Epistles.
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> The second story came to me from a member of a book study group in a large conservative Episcopal Church in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky. This group had been meeting for some time in this church to read and discuss some popular modern religious writers like Marcus Borg, John Crossan and even Rowan Williams. The local parish clergy got wind of the fact that this group was actually discussing theological ideas that did not fit their definition of orthodoxy, so they decided that one of them should sit in on the discussion to protect the participants from “heresy.” In the future, the group was informed, the clergy would pick the books the group would read, suggesting champions of yesterday’s orthodoxy like N. T. (Tom) Wright and Luke Timothy Johnson. If this group would not agree to these conditions they were told that space in this church would no longer be available for their gatherings. The group immediately found another church that would welcome them and so they moved on.
> 
> Religious leaders need to learn that ultimate truth can never be fully captured in propositional statements at any point in human history: not in scripture, not in creeds and not in doctrines. That strange and destructive idea was first introduced to the Christian movement by the Pastoral Epistles. Christianity has been compromised from that day to this.
> 
> ~  John Shelby Spong
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