brad cecil

by: John O'Keefe

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1.  What do you feel is the most important part of the postmodern movement?   The most significant aspect of the postmodern response to modernity is the challenge to our basic assumptions. Most of us have been taught to believe with an underlying set of assumptions – Postmodern thinkers are challenging our most basic assumptions: 1) That we can find an irreducible foundation to build our knowledge upon 2) That there is such a thing as objective truth; 3) That we can obtain absolute understanding; 4) That language can adequately convey reality; 5) That we are autonomous individuals; 6) That any rational individual properly informed can obtain truth.  

 

So much of our Theology and Praxis (practice) is built with these assumptions as being correct. The most important discussion to me is: What will we do if people no longer believe those assumptions to be correct anymore? How will we do Theology and Praxis in a world with a new set of assumptions? I feel the most important task for us today is to emerge new theological thought.

2.  Some define the postmodern movement as an "age thing."  While other see it as beyond a generation.  How do you define the postmodern movement? I feel postmodernity represent a new epistemology (a new way of understanding the world), I don’t feel it is a generational thing at all. I believe we are in the midst of what appears to be the most significant shift in the way we understand the world in the last 500 years.

People often confuse postmodernity with a generational concept because it has been so widely embraced by young adults and youth but it is far more significant than generational characteristics. It has become the dominant epistemology of young adults and youth and is rapidly growing among older adults as well. There are many very modern young adults and youth in the world but they are being eclipsed by the thinking of the emerging postmodern young adults and youth.

3.  What do you see as the most important issue facing this generation? Tom Brokaw called the Builder Generation “The Greatest Generation.” Brokaw felt like the unity, commitment to country, duty and sacrifice was unparallel and will not be matched by any other successive generation. I don’t agree.  

 

The Builder generation had a common cause that they embraced - the defeat of communism in the world. They where willing to sacrifice possessions, personal interests, and even their lives. They ordered their lives to this end and made great sacrifices to accomplish this purpose. I envy them in a way because they had a noble cause.

The Boomers cause, not as noble, but one they seemed to embrace was to advance the quality of life. The boomers made great accomplishments in this area and though the heroes are not war–like heroes they have become heroes none the less: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Eisner, Steven Spielberg, etc. Their accomplishments have been recognized and rewarded.  The big difference between the two causes one involved self-sacrifice the other involved self-promotion and consumption.  

 

I think the great cause for this generation will be the defeat of the consumer understanding of life – let me explain.  

 

Many in this generation have been trained as hyper-consumers they have the understanding that all of life is process of exchanges and that everything is a consumer/provider exchange. Even spiritually, more and more the understanding has developed that churches are providers and that “members/attendees” are consumers of religious goods and services. That being a shopper of the right church will be as market driven as shopping at the Gap. I think the great cause for this generation will be to redefine us as connected people not consumers. This again will take self-sacrifice and frankly I am not sure many will embrace it because it is more “appealing” to be involved in self-promotion and consumption.

I have a lot to say on this subject but space won’t allow here. I sincerely hope this generation becomes “the Greatest Generation.” The Builders have the title right now because of their effort to stop communism, this Generation can take the mantle with the defeat of consumerism.  

 

4.  Who do you look to for support when you are faced with a like crisis? My wife, family, and faith community.  I believe we are not individuals (like we have been trained to believe) but our identity is made up of an elaborate web of relationships. So I don’t face a crisis on my own, the consequences are not mine alone, so my response is not my own either.

5.  For most of us, if not all, friendships are extremely important.  What do you do at Axxess to help develop new and lasting friendships? We develop communities that are places for people to share life. We really believe that transformation takes place in sharing life together so we place a high value on getting people into “community”. Our communities are organized around natural relationships (as opposed to geography, age, life-stage, etc.). Our leaders act as pastors to their communities and they determine the model for spiritual formation for their community. So some of our “mystics” have determined that meditation is the primary way of spiritual formation and they spend time “not doing anything” but meditation, while our more cognitive leaders will engage in Bible study, and our more ascetic leaders will develop communities that serve others. The people in these communities have natural relationships and are constantly inviting people to join them in sharing life. It is amazing to see the communities organize naturally around each other – I think this is the key they are very natural and very easy to join.  

 

One interesting thing has happened – while most churches have adopted a “worship as front door” philosophy and try to get disconnected people to move into smaller connected communities. We have the other challenge - we have to get connected people to engage other disconnected people in collective worship. We have more people in our communities than we have in our worship service.

6.  What do you believe is the best way - not the only way - of sharing your faith with a "not-yet-believer?" I feel it is almost impossible to argue someone into a position of faith so I have a “come along” philosophy. I find myself at a loss for the right words to describe what I believe about Christ and I am less confident that I am always “correct” in what I believe - so I invite people to “come along” and to see for themselves what Christ means to me, my family and our faith community. I don’t spend a lot of time anymore arguing a set of propositions - I try to spend a lot of time sharing life with people because I believe Christ will show up more in my life and in our community than in my arguments.  So the best way to “share my faith” is to share my life, my home, my family, my food, my time, etc.

7.  A great many of us see pop culture as an important way of communicating, what do you believe is the roll, if any, of pop culture in the church? I think it was a tragic concession to science to agree to the concept of sacred/secular culture, I don’t believe there is a divide. I am sad to see Christianity become content with the idea that we should create our own sub-culture (music, literature, TV, radio, art, etc). I am thrilled to see the return of faith to popular culture, however I feel that one of the roles of the Church is to shape all of the culture around us not just our sub-culture. I see popular culture as an indicator of the effectiveness of the Church. I am so tired of seeing people measure the effectiveness of their Church by how many people are attending their services, the real measure should be - how present is God in their culture. I think we should engage popular culture more for than just for illustration purposes I think we should shape it for the sake of God and measure how we are doing by how “God like” it is becoming.  

 

So, it is a long way to the answer, but since we don’t see a distinction between the sacred and secular we use all of it in our worship of Christ!  

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