Quantum Servanthood: knowing how to lead in chaos

“It’s the end of the world as we know it,
and I feel fine.”
REM

Introduction:
Whether we like it or not we have moved from “Ozzie to Ozzy;” we have moved from the Nelsons to the Osbournes; from Harriet to Sharon, from Ricky to Kelly. We have moved from the modern to the postmodern/emerging; from the linier/absolute to the non-linier/subjective; from science/evidence to spirit/feelings; from intellect/truth to experience/real; from order/dictated to chaos/reality. You need to keep in mind that it is not that we are in the process of a shift; we have shifted; the changes are not coming, they are here, now, today. Because of this shift, it stands to reason that what worked in the 20C just won’t work in the 21C. Why you ask? The answer is simple, we think differently, we act differently, and we view the world differently, mainly because we are different. In a postmodern/emerging conversation we process information much differently, and because of that we respond to situations differently. This is because in much of our lives we have a different starting point; this not right or wrong, good or bad, it simply is. Please keep in mind that we are not “anti-modern” as some claim; it is that we are just not modern. So, it is not that we are “against,” we are just “not.” It truly does not matter what you call this shift in thinking, postmodern, emerging, hyper-modern, or anything else – the reality is a shift happened, and now as a church we need to learn to minister, outreach and “lead” in it.

Some could spend years telling us that this view is wrong, but it will fall upon deaf ears; we desire conversation, not dictation; do not give us directions, give us a map and let us plan the route we need to take. The heart, mind and soul of a postmodern/emerging person are just different, very different from that of a modern person. To reach us for Christ, you need to know the operating system postmodern/emerging people operate under. Keep in mind, we are emerging from the cocoon of the modern world to explore this new postmodern world with wings; we have become “the butterfly effect.”

more...