Wendie Wilkie said, "I am interested in people�s ideas on theologies of abundance and theologies of scarcity and how it affects our attitudes and actions. ... Does our church have a theology of scarcity and does it then hoard and hang on to � at all levels !! Do we operate under a scarcity mentality � and therefore think too much about what we can afford to give away � time, money, ideas, information, love? Worry about what we might need to keep for later? What about all the money congregations and synods and others have in funds for �what if� / for a rainy day? "
I would relate this to the 'edifice complex' of many of our churches. Instead of re-using, recycling and re-purposing our places, we can tend to subscribe to the need for keeping the old going, just because it has always happened that way. Don't get me wrong. Edifices and monuments have their place. However, single-purpose facilities are creating and perpetuating scarcity (i.e. small usage) rather than managing the abundance of the church site's potential. I feel that it is related to the dictum that goes, "If you always do what you have always done, then you will always get what you always got." The church began early to 'do' edifices, so we got and still have edifices. Cathedrals are an example: They are now a curiosity that even domestic Grey-Power Tourism is not able to capitalise on, now. Local churches tend to look tired and stand out these days: They are the 70s/50s/30s building in a streetscape that has moved on. It also reflects in the atmosphere, and speaks to the intentions of the people inside. Tatty buildings bespeak tatty and penny-pinching intentions. Yet, a church that re-cycles itself speaks of renewal and vitality. From my admittedly limited experience, a spirit of generosity typically develops. It's a 'can-do' attitude that takes the next step, and the next, and the next. The mind-set is about abundance, built on optimism and that is most certainly of God. Peter -- Peter R. Ellis ------------------------------------------------------ - You are subscribed to the mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] and put in the message body 'unsubscribe insights-l' (ell, not one (1)) See: http://nsw.uca.org.au/insights-l-information.htm ------------------------------------------------------
