Reforming North American Christianity, part 1

Today, I am beginning a series of blog posts dedicated to exploring the notion of reforming or re-imaging Christianity in North America. Of course, the need for reform and the pursuit of reform are not new ideas to me or anyone who has been paying attention to the North American Church in the last two decades. Whether coined missional, emergent, or Fresh Expressions – the need for a new approach, in a post-modern age, to following Jesus, both individually, and collectively, as churches and denominations is an idea shared by many who love Christ (if you aren't convinced of the need for this read this article from Christianity today about 20/30 somethings increasingly leaving the church).

While this re-imaging process is also happening and also very much needed in the rest of the West. My own context and my own responsibility in God’s kingdom is largely centered in North America, hence why my comments will mostly be directed at Christians and institutions in the U.S. and Canada.

I join my voice to this symphony of suggestions (ok, often it doesn’t sound like a symphony but a blended version of Frank Sinatra, MC Hammer, Lady Gaga, and the Dixie Chicks, oh yeah and this guy I know named Randall), because as an Anglican Dominican I have promised to give my life to the work of proclaiming the Gospel. 

I’ll admit, I’ve been hesitant to speak up in such venues, but recently have been led to believe that this reluctance to speak up is a failure on my part to witness to Christ in general and more specifically, to fail in my vows as a priest and a Dominican. In some ways my failure has been the failure of a large majority of North America Christians and churches. We’ve noticed the shifts in our communities and our parishes, we’ve read up on it, but haven’t done a whole lot to reform ourselves or our respective corners of the Lord’s Vineyard.

So it begins…(look for my next post on contemplation soon)