John Wesley once preached, "Christianity is essentially a social religion; and that to turn it into a solitary religion, is indeed to destroy it." We can't go it alone. We need community. Got it. The trouble is, people have stripped Wesley's perspective of its nuance. In the following paragraphs he explicitly acknowledges that no time alone is bad for the soul and says faithful … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Leaves Room for Introversion and Solitude
Being
Beatnik Christianity Prefers Unforced Rhythms of Grace to Spiritual Disciplines
One reason many sincere Jesus followers spiritually peter out is that their lives resemble Sisyphus fighting gravity to roll the boulder up the hill. The Christian life, as it's been taught to them, is an unsustainable exercise of exhausting willpower. Is that The Way of Jesus, though? What if Jesus followers were instead mostly taught to put up their sails and channel the … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Prefers Unforced Rhythms of Grace to Spiritual Disciplines
Beatnik Christianity Leans Into the Contemplative Tradition for Prayer
Many people in the deconstruction crowd have religious trauma around prayer. The sources are many. It seemed pointless when God already knew everything. Militaristic "prayer warrior" language didn't sit well with latent nonviolent tendencies. A prayer service where people screamed, "Boughta-Honda-shoulda-boughta-Hyundai!" gibberish at the top of their lungs was freaky. Dead … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Leans Into the Contemplative Tradition for Prayer
Beatnik Christianity Trusts Spiritual Directors More Than Pastors
I revere excellent pastors. Unfortunately, they're few and far between. Not only that, they're getting harder to find as American Christian culture's implicit expectations are shifting to more of a "Church CEO" model. These days pastors are chiefly responsible for overseeing programs, increasing attendance, maximizing participation, managing the board, and serving as the … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Trusts Spiritual Directors More Than Pastors
Beatnik Christianity Holds Together Contemplative Practices and Social Justice
To use a biblical metaphor, the Church needs Mary and Martha. Whereas so much of our frenetic American society is focused on "Doing," the Church should deliberately create spaces where "Being" and "Doing" are held in sacred tension. Jesus followers need opportunities to pause, center ourselves psychologically and spiritually, focus on being mindfully present in the moment, and … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Holds Together Contemplative Practices and Social Justice
