Emerging Africa

It is my aim (in my next few blogs) to try and loosely outline where I have reached in my spiritual journey within an emergent community. Their is no real reason why you should listen to me or even read me and I am in no way trying to claim that what I am saying or writing is in any way truth or beyond that truth of God... some of you will have written me off simply by reading my name and others my be put off because I am not a NAME. But I’ve got my coffee (all can’t be that bad)...so this is simply my struggle within an emergent community and some conclusions that I have reached in my personal narrative...

Community formation is not a struggle of finding vision, direction or even purpose (as if god would ever be so singular). Community formation is mostly a struggle of identity. It is a question of who are you, who am I and who are we. Community is not about a name or logo but about understanding what we have to offer each other and hopefully a grasping of who we are in that offering. Common belief or direction is not a point of unification but rather the sharing of stories is what unites us and so an open community emerges of people who truly value each others stories and so truly value each other (irrespective of religious belief, moral lifestyle or race)...Community that deals with identity rather than 'purpose, vision or goals' becomes a community that is both open and generous (thanks you Mr McLaren for the help with the language) My community has; for me; become the place where we help each other discover how we each (as individuals) see and interact with our own perception of god as he/she/they appear in our culture/worldview/life. Instead of saying what god is 'telling someone' it is an attempt to help individuals understand how they see/interact/decipher god so that they, in their perception of god, can hear him/her/them for themselves. The community has becomes apart of the journey and is of no more importance than the movie I saw last night or the friends I am hanging out with which are also apart of the journey. The community changes as every new story is told and every question asked. I am in a community that has no answers... but is trying to simply understand who it is... a community that feels alot like my struggle...(end of part one)

richard is a cynical lover of coffee, jesus and the emergent conversation. Along with some friends he is trying to flesh out the conversation, find a new theology and provide an authentic spiritual space in melville called The Monastic Lounge. please feel free to contact him on rjgarton@yahoo.co.uk.