Baptizing the Imagination

A recent article from the leadership blog hit on an important aspect of Christianity for leadership, discipleship, and for basically all aspects of life.

Discipleship usually focuses on two main realms: knowledge and skill. The problem with these two areas is that they can only go so far. Usually, both knowledge and skill come in the form of a boxed set, a model. We force people to move from model to book, or soup kitchen to homeless shelter. This isn't conducive to life though. Discipleship then becomes smothered by activity and life that is not centered on programs.

However, knowledge and skill based models, while necessary components of spiritual formation, both miss the imaginative aspect of the human spirit. And by ignoring the intuitive capacity of the mind the church has essentially surrendered people’s imaginations to the pop secular culture without a fight.

People are filled than with knowledge of God and how to "go" serve him where programs have been created.

Those filling the pews every Sunday may be full of information about God, and they may be expertly trained to obey God, but without an imagination enraptured by God they will be powerless to live the life he’s called them to. They simply cannot imagine living any differently than the culture around them

This may be my most recent kick here lately, but I do beleive that the church is in desperate need of imagination, not more discipleship or service projects. Imagination in itself is an act of worship and discipleship, and it is the only way life in the Kingdom can be sustained.