Today, we covered a LOT of interesting things, including what is happening with the Fresh Movement Ideas. This gave me a lot of things to think about, especially in relation to my final paper. I am constantly convicted by the consumer society. What does it look like to involve ourselves in a healthy way in this consumerism? How do we live in the consumer world, but not be of the consumer world. It’s SO difficult! We can easily support organizations, like To Write Love on Her Arms, or Invisible Children, but what is the way that most people do that? Through the purchase of T-Shirts!! Even TWLOHA would say that the majority of their support comes from T-Shirt sales! So, are they driving the idea of consumerism forward or are they using it to their advantage? I’m stuck.
I also was really intrigued by the idea of a Multiple Mid-week Congregation idea. This basic concept is that we dissolve the idea of one large meeting on a Sunday morning and have multiple meetings throughout the week, with a different emphasis at each, i.e. the Eucharist on a Wednesday evening. This idea also grows into the thought process that we do not need to host all these event in the building, but they can be held in other settings, like a cafe, or a parishoners home, etc.
So…lots of food for thought!