{"id":27181,"date":"2026-06-18T10:01:30","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=27181"},"modified":"2026-06-18T10:01:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T14:01:30","slug":"the-way-of-the-early-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/?p=27181","title":{"rendered":"The Way of the Early Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Come As You Are - Crowder - Lyric Video\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Md9VSwTxmn8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Movement that Continues<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Thursday, June 18, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What kind of spiritual movement could challenge willing sectors of Christian faith to migrate from their systems of belief to a shared way of life centered on love?<\/strong><br>\u2014Brian McLaren,&nbsp;<em>The Great Spiritual Migration<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>CAC faculty member Brian McLaren shows how Jesus and his followers embodied a communal, public way of life representing a social movement:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On page after page [of the Gospels], Jesus and his disciples practiced <strong>movement dynamics<\/strong> in Galilee, Judea, and Samaria. Jesus seized the&nbsp;<em>opportunity<\/em>&nbsp;for <strong>change<\/strong> created by <strong>unrest<\/strong> in Galilee \u2026 by the <strong>injustices <\/strong>of the Roman <strong>occupation<\/strong>, and by <strong>corruption <\/strong>among the religious elite. <strong>He&nbsp;<em>framed his message<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;through a powerful <strong>central image<\/strong> (<strong>kingdom of God<\/strong>), a unique <strong>art form<\/strong> (<strong>parables<\/strong>), and through powerful <strong>slogans<\/strong> <strong>(\u201cRepent for the kingdom of God is at hand,\u201d\u2026 \u201cLove your enemies,\u201d \u201cDeny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me,<\/strong>\u201d for example). He developed a&nbsp;<em><strong>protest<\/strong> and <strong>messaging<\/strong> strategy<\/em>&nbsp;that included <strong>public teach-ins<\/strong> (the Sermon on the Mount), <strong>demonstrations<\/strong> (healings, exorcisms, feeding of the five thousand), <strong>guerrilla theater<\/strong> (his triumphal entry into Jerusalem), and <strong>advanced action-reflection leadership training<\/strong> (deployments and retreats with disciples).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His&nbsp;<em><strong>mobilizing structures<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/em>included the three, the twelve, the seventy, and special two-by-two i<strong>nitiatives<\/strong>. In addition, he taught his disciples to <strong>build allies<\/strong> among \u201cpeople of peace,\u201d and to <strong>be willing to let people walk away if they were not ready for the demands of movement involvement<\/strong>. He developed <strong>rituals<\/strong> of initiation (baptism) and renewal (Eucharist), calling people to initial commitment and strengthening them for the long haul. His&nbsp;<strong><em>movement culture<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong>was unique and distinctive, characterized by f<strong>easts, parties, joyful processions, and outdoor festivals<\/strong> at which <strong>usually stigmatized and outcast people were warmly welcomed.<\/strong> He gave women an unprecedented level of responsibility in his movement, and among his inner circle he included people of diverse gifts and temperaments, from a poet like John to an activist like Simon the Zealot to a steady pillar like Peter (at his best). <strong>His movement culture also emphasized the value of contemplative solitude and withdrawal to nourish the inner life and sustain the struggle over the long haul\u2026.<\/strong> Their lives in the movement were characterized by great joy, great sorrow, and great love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I could see these same dynamics at work in Paul and his colleagues around the Mediterranean, as the \u201ckingdom of God\u201d movement expanded to the far corners of the earth. And I could see similar patterns reemerging throughout Christian history\u2014in the desert fathers and mothers, in Saint Patrick and the Celts, in Saint Francis and Saint Clare, in the Wesleys and the early Pentecostals, in Dr. King and Desmond Tutu, in Dorothy Day and Oscar Romero. Since its earliest and most dynamic centuries, <strong>Christianity has been most vital when it has been energized by movements of<\/strong> self-organizing\u2014or perhaps we should say <strong>\u201cSpirit-organizing\u201d\u2014cells.<\/strong> These cells have taken root and grown like seeds in communities and institutions. There <strong>they have grown, multiplied, and borne fruit\u2014fruit in just and vibrant institutions, fruit in thriving, peaceful, joyful communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reference:<\/strong><br>Brian D. McLaren,\u00a0<em>The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World\u2019s Largest Religion Is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian<\/em>\u00a0(Convergent Books, 2016), 141\u2013143.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> <strong>Living Fearless by Jamie Winship<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> <strong>Abiding<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I rookie police officer back in 1983, I spent fifty weeks of four-day, ten-hour shifts with the first real disciple of my life. The Troll, as he was unaffectionately known by all police rookies, was one of the most feared training officers in the police department. Although the Troll was not a Christ-follower, he understood the art of discipleship better than anyone I had met previously. <strong>The first question the Troll would ask me at the beginning of a shift was, \u201cAre you sure you want to stay with me?\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I always felt as if this was the question Jesus Himself would have asked me if He were my field training officer. \u201cAre you going to stay, remain, dwell, continue, abide in and with me today?\u201d<\/strong> J<strong>esus didn\u2019t preach formulaic, chapter-and-verse sermons to His followers. He didn\u2019t lead others through a linear outline of propositional truth points. He spent time with His disciples, asking a lot of questions and telling a lot of stories\u2014stories that we are still trying to understand today.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After every single shift, when I had left the presence of the Troll, my wife asked, \u201cHow was your shift?\u201d My answer was often, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019m going to make it. The Troll is making my life miserable. Why keep trying?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why didn\u2019t the Twelve leave Jesus? It wasn\u2019t as if Jesus was guaranteeing them a happy, quiet, prosperity-filled life of leisure and comfort. He was leading them straight into their deepest, darkest fears. So, what made them stay?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Peter\u2019s response to Jesus\u2019s challenge is stunning: \u201cLord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life. We have believed and confidently trusted, and we have come to know You are the Holy One of God, the Christ, the Son of the living God\u201d (John 6:68\u201369).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Peter explains his relationship with Jesus as divinely initiated, a covenantal relationship, the benefits of which are quite one-sided. Jesus alone has the words of eternal life, and Jesus is the only hope because Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter\u2019s part was to receive.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This abiding, life union with Jesus is available to us today and includes all the fullness of the Godhead; spiritual fruitfulness; the fullness of the words, love, and joy of the Father; answered prayer; and the glory and honor of God. I ask again, who would want to leave that relationship?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Where do your fears invite you to turn? Do you fear turning to God?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Scripture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/PSA.73.28.NIV\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/PSA.73.28.NIV\">Psalms 73:28<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/PSA.73.28.NIV\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/JHN.6.67-69.NIV\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/JHN.6.67-69.NIV\">John 6:67-69<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/JHN.6.67-69.NIV\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/JHN.15.4-5.NIV\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bible.com\/bible\/111\/JHN.15.4-5.NIV\">John 15:4-5<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Movement that Continues Thursday, June 18, 2026 What kind of spiritual movement could challenge willing sectors of Christian faith to migrate from their systems of belief to a shared way of life centered on love?\u2014Brian McLaren,&nbsp;The Great Spiritual Migration CAC faculty member Brian McLaren shows how Jesus and his followers embodied a communal, public [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27181"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27181"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27181\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27183,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27181\/revisions\/27183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/co2mannatoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}