The Wilderness Way #60

Where do we go from here? With the writing of The Wilderness Way #60 I close out three years as resident bishop of the Central Texas Conference and am leaving on a combination of Renewal Leave and vacation. I will not be returning until the first of September, which happens to be the anniversary of my coming to the Central Texas Conference. The Discipline provides for renewal leaves for bishops (and pastors!) as a way to step back, reflect, learn and pray. It is a time to pause and catch my breath; to look back and, simultaneously, gaze forward.

In my first Wilderness Way, I wrote “The church has entered into a wilderness. It is not a wilderness of our making, nor did we enter this wilderness of our own volition. Nonetheless, we are now embarked on a wilderness journey. This wilderness is the post Christian world we live in. It is a wilderness of disestablishment; a wilderness of indifference; a wilderness of rapidly dwindling membership; a wilderness of ignorance of the basics of Christianity; a wilderness of lack of theological coherence.”

As I take my leave, I am mindful that we are on the front edge of our exodus journey (both as the Central Texas Conference and as pilgrim people of God). The beginning implementation of the Exodus Project stands as evidence of our journey. A wonderful verse from Exodus 13 resounds in mind. “The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people” (Exodus 13:21-22). We can journey on with courage and confidence because the Lord is not with us; the Lord is leading us! We may not know exactly how we will get there, (in Robert Quinn’s famous phrase, “we are building the bridge while we walk on it”) but we do know the direction we are going. We are bound for the Promised Land!

I continue to be deeply convicted that our past has something vital to tell us about the way we go forward. In particular I continue to be convinced that rediscovering the book of Acts as a guide and vibrant Christian movements such as the original Wesleyan or Methodist movement are vital. To that end, a major focus on my renewal leave will be on what is variously called the Methodist movement or the Wesleyan revival.

I am beginning my renewal leave reading Wesley and the People Called Methodists written by Richard Heitzenrater. Also this summer, with a group of wonderful pilgrims, we will be in England for a 10-day education opportunities tour on our Wesleyan Heritage. (Jolynn and I will be leading a trip to the Holy Land in late January or early February of 2013.) It has long been my dream to explore the origins and lessons for today that come from the Methodist movement. Heitzenrater notes in his introduction, “A careful review of the Wesleyan revival reveals that while there may have been no preconceived shape for Methodism, the movement does seem to have gone in a specific and determined direction. And it seems that Wesley is much more interested in maintaining the momentum in the proper direction than in creating or preserving any preconceived format” (Emphasis in the original, P. x). I believe this is an apt description of where we are. We know the direction, we are not sure of the shape or path. To borrow a phrase, we need to go back to the future and forward in faith simultaneously.

In my study I will be engaging in a regular spiritual formation/prayer discipline. Tentatively, I am going try using Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro, with quiet time for scripture and meditation. After the Wesley tour, we will spend time in retreat at the Iona Abbey (the historical heart of St. Columba bringing the gospel to Great Britain). We will close our trip by adding on some family vacation time.

I intended to alternate further reading between deeper history/theology/bible study and leadership development. Additional items on my tentative reading list are Results that Last by Quint Studer, The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay, Blaise Pascal’s Pensees, and some fun sci-fi stuff. I’ve probably bitten off more than I can chew (or digest!), but I am

looking forward to the mix of study and play, reflection and recreation.

Coming up this fall, I am deeply excited about Dr. Reggie McNeal speaking at our Fall Summit on Sept. 10. He is one of the leading Christian thinkers of this day combining great practical insight with deep thought. He is also a great public speaker with a sense of humor that charms while it teaches. I hope to see you at that event!

By: Bishop Mike Lowry On 7/14/2011