(from this gem of a blog)
Yes, we need innovation. We need surprising solutions from unlikely sources, we need creativity and a culture of play in order to venture out into new areas.
But we also need inspection. We need to hone processes so they are actually "producing fruit" (to use a biblical metaphor). We need to do good work, not just innovative work.
And we’ll probably need some innovation to come up with solutions to the problems that inspection discovers. Just because inspection doesn’t have any solutions doesn’t mean the problems aren’t real.
Inspection without innovation leads to soul-crushing bureaucracy and death-by-inertia. But innovation without inspection leads to burn-out, waste, and ineffectiveness. We need both.
Ben, good post. Another, less grafic, way to inspect and innovate is to ponder: Do we have a process/praxis?, Is it any good (fruitful, aligned with values)? If yes,is it being followed? If no, is issue execution or values or _______?
This blog looks great–I am just reading through Chan’s Liturgical Theology and thinking through its implications for our church’s teenagers (I am a Youth Minister) as we do a thing called “Liturgy Lab.” (Though, of course, ecclesiology is much bigger than just our youth group.)
I look forward to seeing your series of posts taking a team through that book, as well as other things you have on here! I’ve just ordered the Galli book, and am just finishing Peterson’s _Eat This Book_. I felt in some ways looking through this blog I was reading my own! (Although I’ve kept mine simpler and haven’t delved as deeply yet into ecclesiology and so on.)
Thanks for what looks to be a great blog, and I look forward to reading more!
Hi Abram, thanks for your kind comments, and I’m glad you like the blog.
Right now I am leading a congregation that has been worshiping liturgically since January, so I guess you could call that our version of the “Liturgy Lab” (I love that name, by the way). I also love that you’re introducing young people to liturgy. Galli’s book is a great introduction to the value and power of liturgy (some of your youth may even get into that one), but Chan’s book is what really turned me on to regular liturgical worship. It’s a fantastic resource.
Glad to have you around, Abram! Hopefully we can have some fruitful discussions. God’s peace.