The Oregonian has an article entitled “The Perishing Parish“ which talks about the decline in church attendance in certain churches in Portland. Many church building are being put up for sale and the opportunities the churches offered for the community are also disappearing. There is much the article doesn’t talk about. Like why these churches are declining and others are growing. Which I think is basically the difference from a modern to a post-modern approach to ministry. If you read it let me know what you think.

Via kottke:

Kevin Kelly on a fascinating concept called scenius. As defined by Brian Eno:

Scenius stands for the intelligence and the intuition of a whole cultural scene. It is the communal form of the concept of the genius.

Kelly lists four factors that are important in nuturing scenius:

1. Mutual appreciation — Risky moves are applauded by the group, subtlety is appreciated, and friendly competition goads the shy. Scenius can be thought of as the best of peer pressure.

2. Rapid exchange of tools and techniques — As soon as something is invented, it is flaunted and then shared. Ideas flow quickly because they are flowing inside a common language and sensibility.

3. Network effects of success — When a record is broken, a hit happens, or breakthrough erupts, the success is claimed by the entire scene. This empowers the scene to further success.

4. Local tolerance for the novelties — The local “outside” does not push back too hard against the transgressions of the scene. The renegades and mavericks are protected by this buffer zone.

To me, this sounds a lot like what a church is supposed to be like when it’s moved by the holy spirit.

Scot McKnight’s series on asking pastors what they would do differently if they started from the beginning of their ministry again was amazing. Unfortunately this is the last one (here). The bold font is my emphasis.

If I started again, I would prepare the same way; seminary training focusing on the classics of Greek, Hebrew, Church History, Theology and Ethics. I would spend less time on counseling and psychology and more on worship and liturgics.

But if I began again in a church, I would systematically visit every home and family in the church during the first year. I would visit both the oldest and youngest members of the church and just ask to hear their stories. I would get to know other pastors as friends and not competitors. I would try to spend more time listening and less time impressing. I would promise the church only three nights out each week and hold the line, giving my family the evenings I allowed the church to rob. I would laugh more and play jokes on my congregation. I would take myself less seriously and take children much more seriously. I would make sure I knew the names and stories of the old people. I would lead more trips for members, not only for missions, but for learning and for fun. I would learn to ball-room dance with my wife so I could have more fun at weddings and parties

I would continue doing some things I do: reading Christian classics, reading straight through the Bible, avoid breakfast meetings at all costs, instead get to a quiet place early and alone. I would continue to read the New York Times and good secular thinkers.

I began my discussion on Theopoetics prematurely so I’ll continue that either next week. Memorial weekend is supposed to rain in Portland, which is fine because gas is so much I can’t afford to walk to the park. But I’ll be taking a trip up to Seattle to catch the Red Sox while they’re in town.

Speaking of baseball, the NL Central is heating up early. My Cubbies are in first and the Astros are close behind. Let’s all pray that the Cardinals will begin to fall out of the picture. Because nobody likes the Cardinals anyways.

On a different subject, Scot McKnight’s series on Pastor’s Wisdom, which asks pastors what they would do differently in their ministries if they could go back and do it all over again is providing bundles of wisdom. Today’s I liked especially and I’ll quote a bit (from here):

I have ministered in a large church, an intentional community in the city and a missional church plant in the suburbs. In each case, there has always been the temptation to lead as a CEO, as a top-down leader. There has been the instinct to be present and control every facet of the church’s life. This has led repeatedly to excessive busyness and the feeling that I never have relational time with people. Over the years, I have been convinced this is a disaster. I have seen this as counter-Biblical (1 Cor 12, Rom6, Eph 4) and as counter productive if one desires to lead an organic missional community that multiplies itself in the neighborhoods (as opposed to a corporate organization). And so I have been learning, even these past three months, that I must ever fight this temptation and make time to spend with the development of leaders relationally, speaking into the their lives, bringing them along with me on hospital visits, in board meetings (yes we still must have a board meeting or two), letting them in on the struggles of everyday pastoral life and seeing how I personally struggle with all the various character strains that are inevitable in ministerial vocation life.