Ancient Future Faith
When the past makes a lot of sense
and the future doesn't seem as scary
This is what the LORD says:
“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.
But you said,
‘We will not walk in it.’
Jeremiah 6:16
The other week I read an author (I’ll keep him anonymous) who basically said much of (and maybe “most of”) what Christianity has believed and how Christianity has been practiced in the past is now irrelevant and even a hindrance to faithful missional service in the world. RADICAL new ways of understanding and living the faith are needed.
And of course, this writer believes he is wise enough to stand as the judge, jury and executioner on 2000 years of Christian faith, and discerning enough to be the useful guide for the church’s future
When I read this author, I am struck by how lifeless his writings are, even though he tries to be passionate and to stir up the reader with his theology/spirituality. Intellectually edgy – yes! But spiritually impoverished.
I am throwing my lot and making my way with another group of Christ followers who believe in an Ancient-Future faith.
I love this language.
It is evocatively rich for me. And it is wisely faithful in its strategy.
I was first introduced to this “idea” in the writings of Robert Webber’s book, Ancient Future Worship.
We are always “rooted” in a specific historical-cultural context. We live in the NOW.
We experience the PRESENT. We are called to be faithful to Christ TODAY.
But the TODAY in which we live is anchored to and shaped by the ANCIENT
But while we live in TODAY, we are anchored and shaped by the ANCIENT and we have an eye toward the FUTURE. My today only makes sense in light of the Ancient-Future.
Karl Rahner, the Jesuit theologian may have been a source for Robert Webber. Rahner, in 1967 said, “The contemporary Christian is . . . the person who preserves what is ancient and anticipates the true future.”
This is the way set forth in Jeremiah 6:16. These were the words of the Lord to His people when they were in a time of looming crisis. They must be rooted in the ancient ways, as they are in the crisis of the present. And now they must figure out creative new ways of living out those ancient ways so they may move in to the future as a faithful people of God.
I found this crossroads image on this delightful blogsite.
What is truly sad is God’s people said, no to this. “We will not walk in it.” We are not interested in the ancient ways. We will make our own autonomous, self-generated path in to the future. They did and they walked into disaster and destruction!
Jeremiah was called the “weeping prophet” for a reason!
I love the spiritual richness, the theological substance and the practical outworkings of the classics of the ancient faith. They are called classics for a reason. They have stood the test of time.
What that means is they have provided meaning and purpose, they have given birth to faith, hope and love, they have comforted, rebuked, taught and trained generation after generation of those who love God.
My task, as Karl Rahner stated, is to imbibe their wisdom and to innovatively contextualize and “flesh it out” in my TODAY. How I do that will have both continuity and discontinuity with the PAST. How I do it will look different from how you do it.
In part, simply because the PAST is so vast and sweeping that we are all selective in what we appropriate, adapt and truly live in to and out of.
I have the time and interest to read widely and then at times to go deeply in parts of that tradition. As you know, I an especially keen on the worthiness of the Ignatian Way. I am greatly indebted to that ancient way as I seek to be an Evangelical innovator on the Ignatian Way.
Standing with you at the crossroads of our exciting times.
Brian K. Rice
Evangelicals on the Ignatian Way
Leadership ConneXtions International
www.lci.typepad.com
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