Posts tagged Integral Church
Mystical Sacraments of the New Church

Communal Participation in Resurrection
Practicing Community – Part Sixteen

On this Easter weekend, churches across the world are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. A common refrain will be heard and echoed across many services and gatherings:

“Christ is risen!” 

And the response, “He is risen indeed!”

If I might be so bold, I’d like to propose an amendment to this declaration: 

“We are risen indeed!”

For we are the living resurrection of Christ today. Here and now.

If the body of Christ is the people of God, the church, the gathering together of those who are summoned in spirit—and Christ is risen—then we are risen indeed!

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Community, MysticismLuke HealyMystical Community, Integral Church, SacramentsComment
Deconstructing the Church, Building and All

Part Eight: Moving from Toxic Beliefs to Transforming Ones

As I have pointed out in this series, the church as we know it is changing. It is being deconstructed, often by people who never use that word, but they know there is something wrong with the church as we know it. Of course, there is also something right with the church, too. The challenge is to leave the wrong and keep the right!

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EvolutionPaul SmithIntegral Church, Deconstruction, ReconstructionComment
My Evolution into Integral Christianity

The Evolution of the Integral Church
Part Three

I was a Southern Baptist before I was born. My mother enrolled me in the nursery of her Southern Baptist Church while she was pregnant, and I worked in Southern Baptist churches for the next 60 years until the Southern Baptists kicked me out.

My journey away from traditional Christianity started early when, as a young teenager, I kept asking my Sunday School teachers why we only studied about the mystical experiences of Jesus, Paul, and the early church—instead of having those same experiences ourselves. I was told those things didn’t happen anymore now that we had the right doctrines and rules.

I went to seminary looking for that kind of Christianity but did not find it there. More things to believe and behaviors to do or not do — but little depth of a more profound experience of God. After seminary, at the Southern Baptist Church in Kansas City that called me to pastor for the next 49 years, I slowly evolved in what I would later call stages or worldviews in my understanding of the Christian path. I didn’t seem to grow much into the mystical experience of God, or what I would later call states of consciousness.

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Paul SmithIntegral Church Comments
An Integral Christian Mystical Lineage

The Evolution of the Integral Church
Part Two
The Influence of Three Contemporary Mystics

We find that conscious integral evolution in the mystical Christian path occurs when we take the best of the past and transcend the worst. If we then add what our contemporaries in the developmental path are finding, we greatly widen our horizons.

While there are many men and women offering wonderful contributions and insights to the evolving church, we are highlighting four mystics who we have found particularly influential and visionary. We began with Ken Wilber last week, and this week add Jorge Ferrer, Ramon Panikkar, and Teilhard de Chardin.

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EvolutionPaul Smith & Luke HealyIntegral Church Comment
The Evolution of the Integral Church

Part One

Moving Beyond Traditional Christianity and into the Integral Framework

The image above is a pictorial for the evolution of the church today. Starting on the left, traditional church is self-explanatory. Traditional religion, for many, has been replaced by the modern search for meaning in secular pursuits such as entertainment, sports, science, consumerism, social interests, and gatherings. Postmodern churches are making a valiant try at progressive theology and inclusivity but, in general, along with traditional churches, are often struggling and disappearing at increasing rate. Integral church is represented as a circled community without walls, centered on the tree of life.

In Integral Christian Network, we find some who are very active in their local church, some who just attend a church, while others have given up on church. An increasing number tell us that we are their church. We encourage everyone to do what fits for them.

During a WeSpace meeting, one of our friends asked, "Where did all of this come from?" Good question! So Luke and I decided to describe how we arrived at "all of this" in this series. As with all integral movements, we try to do three things: First, we bring the best of our past while transcending its worst. Then, we research what's going on in the present, what's missing, and how we might integrate the most resonant. And finally, as we evolve, we learn from what is newly emerging for us in our own mystical experience and with others on the emerging frontier. This means we also learn from the beautiful people in our WeSpace groups, where it all unfurls and blossoms.

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EvolutionPaul SmithIntegral Church Comments