Jose Humphreys

Open source is a software phenomenon that allows one developer to allow others to modify/improve upon the original design.  Mozilla Fire Fox is an example of an open source search engine that has gone through many modifications by different developers.

This term has become more widely adopted in theological circles as well, looking at theology as something that is continually informed. I guess in other words, we continually “theologize”.

What if this is concept of open sourcing could further influence the way we approach communication in our church?

One of the biggest stresses I have in sermon prep is to try do too much with one sermon or even one sermon series for that matter. We often want to have the bow neatly tied with a great conclusion, while folks walk away at least remembering 20% of what was said.

A significant part of the DNA of our church has been dialog. As a matter of fact our church began as a series of conversations. Questions like, “What could a church be like in NYC  if it committed itself to being part of the fabric of the life of the city? Or, “What would happen if Christians and non-Christians could inhabit the same space?” Along with other titillating questions, we invited a diverse group of people to inform the discussion, knowing that serious robust conversation about faith, diversity, justice, etc. can be messy and at times leave itself unresolved. It takes a lot of faith to trust in God’s Spirit beyond our overconfidence in what words can do. Trusting that he’s working in people’s hearts. Trusting that our contribution isn’t the only valuable one, but others can inform trajectory and scope.

So what if a preaching could be an ongoing dialog that didn’t lead with propositional statements, but with inquiry?

This is nothing new by the way. It has been happening in some circles for years. I just think not enough credence has been given to allowing the community to add to discussions on Sundays, and continue the thread of dialog not merely with answers but with thoughtful questions too.