Just Imagine

The other day I wrote  a blog on some ideas that Ted Loder talks about in his book ‘Guerrillas of Grace.’

This morning I want to share some of Loder’s thoughts on  “Imagination.”

Pastor Loder suggests that imagination liberates, pre-figures, allows options, extends, adjusts, reformulates and offers possibility.

“Imagination is crucial to paying attention, for attention is far more than observation.  Imagination involves penetrating something, or being open to being penetrated by something, in order to sense its meaning, its possibility, its depths, its ‘story.’….  Prayer, through the process of imagination, becomes apart of the answer to the remainder of the question, ‘Without us, God will not do what?”      (Refering to St.Augustine’s quote:  “Without God, we cannot;  without us, God will not,”(p. 15)

In my mind:  Imagination is the unlimited dimensions of possibility.

Some years ago there was a phrase the church began to use — “Just Imagine.” 

It was used to prick people’s people’s stale ways of thinking and doing ‘church.’

In other word it was meant to move us off center and get us to think about new possibilities.  

It was an important phrase, as it turns out. Because some twelve years later (today) the church has been smacked in the face with the challenge of finding new ways to be relevant — meaningful — to a generation that has gotten left out in all the traditions of the past.

It occurs to me that since early March our American culture has been actively challenges to have an imagination.

People are doing life differently.

Churches are doing ministry differently.

Businesses are doing business different. 

Institutions of learning are doing things differently.

The medical professions are certainly challenged to revert to creative way to serve the massive influx of patients.

Our imaginations have actually created some very positive changes.

This time has certainly offered an opportunity to pay attention to many parts of our life style.  

And thats not a bad thing, I’m thinking.

 Point of interest;

In our theology class, my second year of seminary, the professor challenged our intellectual mind-set by asking:  What does the Trinity look like?

He was asking us to use our imaginations to explain an extremely difficult theological concept.

Just for giggles, on an other wise ordinary day, tell me what your imagination say about what the Trinity looks like.