I have just started reading Alan Roxburgh's Missional Map-Making (Jossey-Bass, 2010) in which he refers to the internal maps that direct us. This works on both the personal level and that of community. There are stories that we know that shape who we are and how we behave.
Much of western culture was for many years substantially shaped by the Christian story, but that has now changed - and many do not even know that story. This raises questions as to how we can effectively be church in this changed environment.
It is worth reflecting on the internal maps that guide us, and perhaps comparing these to the internal maps that are more prominent in today's society. But we do need to move our map-making on. As Roxburgh points out (p. 16) - "we must relinquish the desire to copy our inherited maps and learn to listen to the stories of pioneers so that we can make new maps. In this way, we can reshape the imagination of God's people." As he adds, it is worth remembering that "for some, this is an exhilerating adventure, for others, it is a disconcerting process."
1 comment:
Reminds me of one of the primary tasks of the Supervised Practice of Ministry class I took in theology school, namely to identify through theological reflection over the course of a semester our operative theology. Not necessarily what we may think or say that we believe, but rather what our attitudes and behaviors demonstrate that we believe.
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