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brad
cecil
founding
pastor at axxes in tx
1.
What do you feel is the most important part of the
postmodern movement? The
most significant aspect of the postmodern response to
modernity is the challenge to our basic assumptions.
Most of us have been taught to believe with an
underlying set of assumptions – Postmodern thinkers
are challenging our most basic assumptions: 1) That
we can find an irreducible foundation to build our
knowledge upon 2) That there is such a thing as
objective truth; 3) That we can obtain absolute
understanding; 4) That language can adequately convey
reality; 5) That we are autonomous individuals; 6) That
any rational individual properly informed can obtain
truth.
So
much of our Theology and Praxis (practice) is built with
these assumptions as being correct. The most important
discussion to me is: What will we do if people no longer
believe those assumptions to be correct anymore? How
will we do Theology and Praxis in a world with a new set
of assumptions? I feel the most important task for us
today is to emerge new theological thought.
2. Some define the
postmodern movement as an "age thing."
While other see it as beyond a generation. How do
you define the postmodern movement?
I
feel postmodernity represent a new epistemology (a new
way of understanding the world), I don’t feel it is a
generational thing at all. I believe we are in the midst
of what appears to be the most significant shift in the
way we understand the world in the last 500 years.
People
often confuse postmodernity with a generational concept
because it has been so widely embraced by young adults
and youth but it is far more significant than
generational characteristics. It has become the dominant
epistemology of young adults and youth and is rapidly
growing among older adults as well. There are many very
modern young adults and youth in the world but they
are being eclipsed by the thinking of the emerging
postmodern young adults and youth.
3. What do you see as the
most important issue facing this generation?
Tom
Brokaw called the Builder Generation “The Greatest
Generation.” Brokaw felt like the unity, commitment to
country, duty and sacrifice was unparallel and will not
be matched by any other successive generation. I don’t
agree.
The
Builder generation had a common cause that they embraced
- the defeat of communism in the world. They where
willing to sacrifice possessions, personal interests,
and even their lives. They ordered their lives to this
end and made great sacrifices to accomplish this
purpose. I envy them in a way because they had a noble
cause.
The
Boomers cause, not as noble, but one they seemed to
embrace was to advance the quality of life. The boomers
made great accomplishments in this area and though the
heroes are not war–like heroes they have become heroes
none the less: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Eisner,
Steven Spielberg, etc. Their accomplishments have been
recognized and rewarded.
The big difference between the two causes one
involved self-sacrifice the other involved
self-promotion and consumption.
I
think the great cause for this generation will be the
defeat of the consumer understanding of life – let me
explain.
Many
in this generation have been trained as hyper-consumers
they have the understanding that all of life is
process of exchanges and that everything is a
consumer/provider exchange. Even spiritually, more and
more the understanding has developed that churches are
providers and that “members/attendees” are consumers
of religious goods and services. That being a shopper of
the right church will be as market driven as shopping at
the Gap. I think the great cause for this generation
will be to redefine us as connected people not
consumers. This again will take self-sacrifice and
frankly I am not sure many will embrace it because it is
more “appealing” to be involved in self-promotion
and consumption.
I
have a lot to say on this subject but space won’t
allow here. I sincerely hope this generation becomes
“the Greatest Generation.” The Builders have the
title right now because of their effort to stop
communism, this Generation can take the mantle with the
defeat of consumerism.
4.
Who do you look to for support when you are faced with a
like crisis?
My
wife, family, and faith community.
I believe we are not individuals (like we have
been trained to believe) but our identity is made up of
an elaborate web of relationships. So I don’t face a
crisis on my own, the consequences are not mine alone,
so my response is not my own either.
5. For most of us, if not all, friendships are
extremely important. What do you do at Axxess to
help develop new and lasting friendships?
We
develop communities that are places for people to share
life. We really believe that transformation takes place
in sharing life together so we place a high value on
getting people into “community”. Our communities are
organized around natural relationships (as opposed to
geography, age, life-stage, etc.). Our leaders act as
pastors to their communities and they determine the
model for spiritual formation for their community. So
some of our “mystics” have determined that
meditation is the primary way of spiritual formation and
they spend time “not doing anything” but meditation,
while our more cognitive leaders will engage in Bible
study, and our more ascetic leaders will develop
communities that serve others. The people in these
communities have natural relationships and are
constantly inviting people to join them in sharing life.
It is amazing to see the communities organize naturally
around each other – I think this is the key they are
very natural and very easy to join.
One
interesting thing has happened – while most churches
have adopted a “worship as front door” philosophy and try to get disconnected people to move into smaller
connected communities. We have the other challenge - we
have to get connected people to engage other
disconnected people in collective worship. We have more
people in our communities than we have in our worship
service.
6. What do you believe is
the best way - not the only way - of sharing your faith
with a "not-yet-believer?"
I
feel it is almost impossible to argue someone into a
position of faith so I have a “come along”
philosophy. I find myself at a loss for the right words
to describe what I believe about Christ and I am less
confident that I am always “correct” in what I
believe - so I invite people to “come along” and to
see for themselves what Christ means to me, my family
and our faith community. I don’t spend a lot of time
anymore arguing a set of propositions - I try to spend a
lot of time sharing life with people because I believe
Christ will show up more in my life and in our community
than in my arguments. So the best way to “share my faith” is to share my life,
my home, my family, my food, my time, etc.
7. A great many of us see
pop culture as an important way of communicating, what
do you believe is the roll, if any, of pop culture in
the church?
I
think it was a tragic concession to science to agree to
the concept of sacred/secular culture, I don’t believe
there is a divide. I am sad to see Christianity become
content with the idea that we should create our own
sub-culture (music, literature, TV, radio, art, etc). I
am thrilled to see the return of faith to popular
culture, however I feel that one of the roles of the
Church is to shape all of the culture around us not just
our sub-culture. I see popular culture as an indicator
of the effectiveness of the Church. I am so tired of
seeing people measure the effectiveness of their Church
by how many people are attending their services, the
real measure should be - how present is God in their
culture. I think we should engage popular culture more
for than just for illustration purposes I think we
should shape it for the sake of God and measure how we
are doing by how “God like” it is becoming.
So,
it is a long way to the answer, but since we don’t see
a distinction between the sacred and secular we use all
of it in our worship of Christ!
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