Rethinking the Ekklesia - 8
Rethinking the Ekklesia
A series of conversations exploring church and gathering
In the eighth part of Rethinking the Ekklesia, I am joined by Todd Wiebe and Alison Williams in conversation with Professor Jason Byassee.
Jason was raised in a Methodist congregation. It was his encounter with Baptists that sparked his hearts delight in the Gospel. He is unique in seeking to speak well of the church, seeing her with flaws and gifts, the “bride of Christ”, a “whore” as Luther said, “the great cloud of witnesses” and, nevertheless, “our mother” with gifts beyond measure. Our conversation considers models of “church planting,” the church as a spiritual fraternity, “the country club at prayer,” to the gift given to a congregation when it reaches out to those not part of its gathering, the fringes and marginalized living just outside the door.
Over the last few years and exacerbated by the pandemic many clergy have found themselves questioning the shape and purpose of the church. Who is she? Is she, our denomination? Does she only exist when we gather? Does she exist on-line? Why gather? Along with these and other questions it is also noteworthy that many clergy are facing a crisis of vocation, and many parishioners have had their sense of ekklesia stirred or troubled.
In this series of conversation, Rethinking the Ekklesia, I talk with clergy and committed laypersons about how they understand the ekklesia and its work for the life of the world. In some conversations I am joined by Todd Wiebe, a pastor in Vancouver who anchors a set of lovely podcasts titled The Rector’s Cupboard https://www.rectorscupboard.ca.
Welcome to our conversations as we think about the shape and place of the ekklesia in the life of the world.
David Goa focuses on deepening the capacity of the faithful to think through the gifts of their traditions: the spiritual life, the theological traditions and our responsibility to the public world. Supporters help him continue to do this important work.
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