Organic - H
organic: developing in a manner analogous to the natural growth and evolution characteristic of living organisms; arising as a natural outgrowth. (dictionary.com)
I had no idea that the word "organic" has so many definitions. I'm most familiar with the one that pertains to produce and the one that can describe something like an art piece, as in the definition above. Anyway, so I was thinking about this whole "organic church movement," and it actually made more sense to me this weekend when it was called repeatedly "the organic movement of God," which brings me to the definition above. I think this is what they mean when they use the term "organic." It's about a natural evolution of a relationship with God that happens. It is a natural interaction with a living God which births a different kind of walk with God, not one characterized by a forced, regimented lifestyle of seeking God. It's actually hard to describe, perhaps b/c my mastery of the English language is wanting, and b/c these are my initial thoughts, but also b/c once we try to explain it, it starts to become a method of relating to God, something we created, a method or a philosophy of ministry or another element of spiritual discipline I need to humanly master. From what I understand of it, it's, at its core, far from that. It's describing the reality of how God works. We don't have to work as hard as we do to try to get God's attention so that he'll speak to me. He's speaking to me already and has been. We just need to listen for "his voice," and when we can hear and see Him moving in our lives and in the world and when we respond, something else is birthed, something very different than what is birthed from a spirituality born of human effort.
I can't really begin to explain what I feel like I now understand probably b/c I don't quite have a full grasp of it myself. My point was simply that I don't think the "organic church movement" is as much about what the church should be doing and should look like as much as it is about how God does work and how He has been working in our lives and in the world and how it doesn't fit the box that we've put him in all these years. I believe the radically different church structure of the "organic church" is born out this understanding, the desire to tune into God's leading and what He is doing rather than human strategy and man-made organizational structures that serve to try to fit God into what we want Him to do and how we want Him to work. So, for those of us just trying to understand what "organic church" means, I think the first step is to try to understand God better.
Man, I feel like, in an effort to mature, many of us have lost sight of or maybe never learned that God is first trying to reconcile our broken relationship, to restore the relationship that once was in the Garden of Eden. That's certainly true of me, and what that means for me is that I don't quite know God very well. I know about him and I've made rules about how to follow Him and even concocted an image of what a deep and mature relationship with God should look like, but I don't really know my Heavenly Father that well. Who is he really? Well, I'm beginning to understand how he loves me, and really understanding it, knowing it, and feeling it in the way that I might feel love from E or from J. That's really cool! Thanks, Lord.
I had no idea that the word "organic" has so many definitions. I'm most familiar with the one that pertains to produce and the one that can describe something like an art piece, as in the definition above. Anyway, so I was thinking about this whole "organic church movement," and it actually made more sense to me this weekend when it was called repeatedly "the organic movement of God," which brings me to the definition above. I think this is what they mean when they use the term "organic." It's about a natural evolution of a relationship with God that happens. It is a natural interaction with a living God which births a different kind of walk with God, not one characterized by a forced, regimented lifestyle of seeking God. It's actually hard to describe, perhaps b/c my mastery of the English language is wanting, and b/c these are my initial thoughts, but also b/c once we try to explain it, it starts to become a method of relating to God, something we created, a method or a philosophy of ministry or another element of spiritual discipline I need to humanly master. From what I understand of it, it's, at its core, far from that. It's describing the reality of how God works. We don't have to work as hard as we do to try to get God's attention so that he'll speak to me. He's speaking to me already and has been. We just need to listen for "his voice," and when we can hear and see Him moving in our lives and in the world and when we respond, something else is birthed, something very different than what is birthed from a spirituality born of human effort.
I can't really begin to explain what I feel like I now understand probably b/c I don't quite have a full grasp of it myself. My point was simply that I don't think the "organic church movement" is as much about what the church should be doing and should look like as much as it is about how God does work and how He has been working in our lives and in the world and how it doesn't fit the box that we've put him in all these years. I believe the radically different church structure of the "organic church" is born out this understanding, the desire to tune into God's leading and what He is doing rather than human strategy and man-made organizational structures that serve to try to fit God into what we want Him to do and how we want Him to work. So, for those of us just trying to understand what "organic church" means, I think the first step is to try to understand God better.
Man, I feel like, in an effort to mature, many of us have lost sight of or maybe never learned that God is first trying to reconcile our broken relationship, to restore the relationship that once was in the Garden of Eden. That's certainly true of me, and what that means for me is that I don't quite know God very well. I know about him and I've made rules about how to follow Him and even concocted an image of what a deep and mature relationship with God should look like, but I don't really know my Heavenly Father that well. Who is he really? Well, I'm beginning to understand how he loves me, and really understanding it, knowing it, and feeling it in the way that I might feel love from E or from J. That's really cool! Thanks, Lord.
posted by haed at 12:52 PM
2 Comments:
This is very insightful, Hanah. You have more quickly grasped what it has taken some of us several years to understand. It really does start with God's organic nature, which has implications on our individual relationship to him as well as our corporate relationship to him (church). This journey backwards to natural design makes the whole movement, not about forms and models, but about a mode of being and relating and recapturing what was always meant to be. It is not trendy and faddish as much as it is grass-roots.
Interestingly enough, where these modes of being and relating are thriving are in more relational cultures with less cultural baggage in what being "christian" is. (i.e., we've got more junk in the trunk to sort out!) This sociological phenomena would seem to support your findings in what an organic movement of God is.
Thanks for your great and encouraging thoughts on the matter.
Thanks, Mike. I'm encouraged that you're encouraged, and that the entry made sense.
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