McLaren - Finding our way again: the return of the ancient practices

2008 by Brian D. McLaren

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McLaren, Brian D., 1956
Finding our way again : the return of the ancient practices/
Brian D. McLaren.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8499-0114-0 (hardcover)
1. SpiritualityHistory. 2. Spiritual directionHistory. I. Title.
BV4490.M37 2008
248.4'6--dc22

2007049258

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 QW 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated to local church pastors and their spouses who are leading their congregations to rediscover the Christian faith as a transforming way of life. Your work is hard, I know. But it is worthwhile, and much depends on your courage, resilience, and creativity. This book is also dedicated to all who are involved in the New Monasticism (www.newmonasticism.org), and to all who will be inspired by their example, even if from a distance. You are leading the way.

The Ancient Practices Series

PHYLLIS TICKLE, GENERAL EDITOR

Finding Our Way Again
BY BRIAN MCLAREN

In Constant Prayer
BY ROBERT BENSON

Sabbath
BY DAN B. ALLENDER
2009

Fasting
BY SCOT MCKNIGHT
2009

The Sacred Meal
BY NORA GALLAGHER
2009

The Pilgrimage
BY DIANA BUTLER BASS
2009

The Liturgical Year
BY JOAN CHITTISTER
2010

Tithing
BY DOUGLAS LEBLANC
2010

Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16

CONTENTS

I am indebted in a special way to Dallas Willard, Richard Foster, Eugene Peterson, and Joan Chittister; their writings introduced me to the contemplative life and the idea of spiritual disciplines or practices.

And I am no less indebted to friends with whom I have experienced the communal life, which integrates the contemplative and active ways. From them I have learned more than I can put into wordsespecially through Cedar Ridge Community Church (crcc.org) and the emergent community (emergentvillage.com). At Cedar Ridge, one of my great joys has been watching Patsy Fratanduono and Melanie Griffin begin as fledgling disciples and grow to lead others in the way of Christ, embodying the practices this book tries to describe. They call me a mentor, but I now feel I learn more from them. I remember the first time I experienced lectiodivina, guided by Tony Jones, and body prayer, guided by Doug Pagitt. Its been a joy to watch Diana Butler Bass open up the world of spiritual practices for new communities of readers. They and so many others have created and enhanced for me the kind of safe space in which the best learning best takes place.

It was one of those moments of panic that gets translated into anxiety dreamsthe kind where youre trying to run, but your legs feel like a mixture of lead and rubber, or where youre transported back in time to a hallway in your high school, and you look down to realize you forgot to put on your pants, or where youre trying to catch a train, but your suitcase falls open, and your clothes pour out on the platform.

I was at a conference for pastors, where I had been asked to introduce a famous speaker, Dr. Peter Senge. I had come well prepared, because at the time I was in my thirties and quite fearful of doing anything less than excellently. So it puzzled me that in the days leading up to Dr. Senges presentation, the event organizer, Brad, kept quizzing me: Hey, Brianready for your big day on Thursday? Why is he so anxious about my introduction? I thought. Either Im a liability, or hes a control freak. The night before the big day, Brad nudged me one more time. So, Brian, youre sure youre ready to interview Dr. Senge tomorrow, right?

Thats the moment when the real-life anxiety dream began. Interview Dr. Senge? I thought to myself in panic. But I thought I wasonly supposed to introduce him. It didnt matter how the misunderstanding had occurred. Ready or not, I was on for the big event.

Sure thing, Brad, I responded casually. Trying to appear calm, I beat a hasty retreat to my room, frantically pulled out a yellow pad, and began scribbling possible questions. Dr. Senge was scheduled to appear from a remote location via satellite teleconference, which only made the task more daunting.

The next day I arrived at the lecture hall a half hour early and went over timing with Brad and his team. Then, predictably, there was a bug in the satellite hookup, so I soon found myself standing in front of the crowd next to a large screen filled with static, filling in time. I could see someone in the production booth making exaggerated gestures at me, pulling apart the fingertips of his two hands in a kind of taffy-stretching motion. I ran through my planned introduction about Dr. Senge being one of the fathers of systems thinking. Then I began to improvise, describing how his book The Fifth Discipline had influenced my thinking as a pastor, and so on, and so on.

Just as I was about to break into a couple of dance steps to entertain the crowd, the satellite hookup was completed. I looked down at my yellow legal pad and stumbled into one of the lamest opening questions ever asked: Hello, Dr. Senge. Its a great honor for us to have you with us. Your image is being projected to about five hundred pastors. I imagine this is a different kind of crowd than you normally address. What would you like to say to a group of five hundred Christian ministers?

Dr. Senges gracious response compensated for my nervousness: Well, Brian, youre right. I dont normally speak to pastors. Actually, I was thinking about that very question yesterday when I was in a large bookstore. I asked the bookstore manager what the most popular books are these days. Most popular, he said, were books about how to get rich in the new information economy, which didnt surprise me.