Something coming...

Hi, gang, Dave Mullen here:

I'm still basking in the warmth of our time together--and that's something given the sorry state of the economy and the shrinking pension funds.

However, to the point. I mentioned to some of you something I've been involved with for about two years now. It's called, rather weirdly, "Quadratos." It is a made up word signifying a four-fold way.

Check it out at quadratos.com.

In essence, Quadratos, the vision of which came to Alexander Shaia (sorry, he's not a Lutheran, but is Roman Catholic in background, and is an expert in liturgy and RCIA, and possesses an astonishing knowledge of the gospels and their historical background).

What Alexander sees in the gospels is the Spirit inspired gift to the church of precisely the four gospels we have. Each speaks to the koinonia at different places/experiences along the way of faithful discipleship.

Matthew speaks to the church undergoing dramatic change.
Mark (this year's gospel!) speaks to the church undergoing suffering. Seems incredibly appropriate this year.
John speaks of how to maturely manage joy and union with Christ, and was used extensively in the early church for the annual retreat that became over time, Lent.
Luke speaks to the church actively and intentionally engaging in mission and service to the world.

The gospels, then, in Shaia's view are not really about the biography of Jesus, but are rather the gospels in four expressions for the differing experiences the church will inevitably face. As a Lutheran I find this a powerful way to unhook people from their literalisms, and I am quite comfortable with it as a way of encountering the Living Word in our midst.

None of this seems to me to all that radical, but if taken seriously as a whole, it leads, I believe to renewal, even reformation of the church. And it presents a non-hysterical, very mature approach to the church living in Christ in the world.

Finally, it all goes as planned, there will be a major ramp-up of a reformated book by Alexander about a year from now. This, then, is a heads up.