Comments on: How Churches Became Full of Gatsbys

By: ollwenjones

ollwenjones — Thu, 23 May 2013 02:38:40 +0000

@ChrisMorton82 I think it is worthwhile to question the validity of the institution, or at least the scope of the institution. It’s really easy for institutions that start off to serve a body to gradually outgrow the body until the body is there to serve the institution. They’re also too easy a target sometimes.

By: ChrisMorton82

ChrisMorton82 — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:59:49 +0000

@ollwenjones It’s true. In reality, institutions are the problem and the solution. But we do need help identifying the water we swim in. We don’t always understand how toxic that water is. I do believe it is possible, but much more tricky, to create an atmosphere of grace. It’s also okay to say “not everyone will fit in.” I want to be a part o “institutions” focused on balancing the two.

By: ollwenjones

ollwenjones — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:09:39 +0000

I think it’s a little sneaker and more difficult to nail down than that (pin the tail on the institution. Again.) People are compelled by pride/shame to wear personas in all kinds of social situations. I think any church culture that does not emphasize and re-emphasize creating and maintaining a safe place to share and wrestle together with their junk, and reiterate the deadliness of pretending will become another place that Gatsbys Gatsby. (Like how i verbed that? haha). One could argue they’re likely to do it more in an institutional setting, because that setting comes with a lot more expectations (usually), but does it take a ‘cultural institution’ to establish a healthy culture of de-Gatsbifying? Probably not. They certainly could be used that way though, and as you point out, often are not.