Being Church in a Consumer Culture?正教会在一个消费文化呢？
Written by Mark Van Steenwyk : December 17, 2004写的马克范steenwyk ： 2004年12月17日
I’ve been toying with the idea of working with a few Minneapolis churches to put on a conference…(I know it is a bit of a longshot, but hey, it is fun to dream). I’ve been pondering potential themese for a conference. To me, a good conference ought to:我一直在玩弄的思想工作与数明尼阿波利斯教会把对会议… … （我知道这是一个位一个longshot ，但嘿，这是很有趣的梦想） 。我一直在思考的潜在themese为一次会议。对我来说，一个好的会议，应到：
- Benefit churches (ie, be useful to them).受惠教会（即，是有用的） 。
- Stimulate new thinking and new practices.刺激新思维和新做法。
- Be something that responds to a neglected area.被一些回应以忽视的领域。
So, I am pondering putting together a conference on being the Church in a Consumer Culture. This issue is very near and dear to my heart; too few churches are being prophetic in this area. I am fairly confident that I could get a local church to host the conference. If I could secure some basic funds from grants or donors, get at least one well-known speaker (like Marva Dawn, Rodney Clapp, etc.), then I would have a solid foundation for a good conference.因此，我在思考把一个会议上被教会在一个消费文化。这个问题是非常接近和亲爱的，以我的心;太少教会现正先知在这方面，我相当有信心，我可以得到当地教堂会议的东道国。如果我能安全一些基本的资金资助或捐助者，获得至少有一个著名的讲者（如marva黎明，罗德尼clapp等） ，那么我有一个坚实的基础，一个好的会议。
I was thinking it would be a Thursday - Friday conference…with three plenary sessions, featuring one well-established speaker and two relatively well known authorities on consumerism and religion (like a Vincent Miller). The rest of the sessions could be led by church practioners who have been attempting to navigate the church in a consumer culture.我想，这将是一个星期四-周五会议…与三次全体会议，包括一建立了良好的扬声器和两个相对人所共知当局对消费主义和宗教（如郑海泉米勒） 。其余的会议可为首的教会执业谁一直在试图浏览教会在一个消费文化。
Here is my question: Is this worth doing? Would you be interested in something like this?这里是我的问题：这是值得做的呢？你有兴趣在这样的呢？
for further reading .为进一步读。 . 。 . 。
- None Found无发现
What is your approach?你有什么办法呢？ Is this about how to subvert consumerism in the church?这是有关如何颠覆消费在教会里？
Maybe subverting endless conferences in church would be cool too!也许颠覆无休止的会议在教会将太酷了！
The approach would be to have people discuss how to be and do church in a faithful way in light of the problems of consumerism…so the focus could include both subverting consumerism in the church, as well as subverting consumerism outside of the church.该办法将有人民，讨论如何将做教会在一个忠实的方式因应的问题，消费…所以重点可包括双方颠覆消费在教会里，以及颠覆消费以外的教会。
I used to think lots of conferences were a waste of time–but they can be very helpful.从前我觉得很多的会议是浪费时间-但它们可以有很大的帮助。 Conferences provide an opportunity for people to learn from one another–a sort of continuing education for those who otherwise might not have opportunities to learn.会议提供一个机会，为人民相互学习-一种持续教育对于谁，否则可能不会有机会学习。 Some conferences are a waste of time, for sure.有些会议是浪费时间，肯定的。 Some conferences are overly focused on propogating a model (a la Willow Creek), others tend to neglect practical implications.有些会议是过分集中于propogating模型（ 1香格里拉柳树河） ，其他人往往忽略了实际影响。 My hope would be that a conference like the one I propose would allow for both thinking and praxis.我希望将一个会议一样，一，我建议将允许双方的思想和实践。
It’s not so much that I think they are a waste of time,(although that may come into it) but rather that if one wants to teach people from a mission angle on whatever issue it may be, then the best way is to actually bring people into the mission field.它不是那么多，我认为他们是浪费时间的， （虽然这可能会接触到它） ，而是如果要教人从使命的角度对什么问题，可能的话，最好的方式是其实带来的人加入到团场。 Take people out onto the streets, into the culture, let them see the problems, and rely on God to teach them how to deal with it.采取人，走上街头，融入文化，让他们看到的问题，并依靠上帝的教导他们如何处理这个问题。
One big problem with another conference is that it keeps mission inside the building, which completely goes against the point of it.一个大问题，与另一次会议，是它不断的使命大厦内，这是完全违背的出发点。
Just my opinion:)只是我的意见： ）
I guess I am working under the assumption that those who attend conferences like the one I am suggesting are already practioners.我猜我工作的假设下，那些谁参加会议一样，一个我的建议已经执业。 I agree that the best way to learn is to get out there and start doing.我同意认为，最好的学习方式是摆脱有，并开始这样做。 But it is also good to exchange notes along the way.但是，这也是很好的交流注意到，在前进的道路上。
This is a great idea.这是一个伟大的想法。 I would come, and I would try to bring other people as well.我来了，我会尝试把其他人，以及。 (Especially if Clapp were there.) （尤其是如果clapp有） 。
Perhaps we could have a conference that included some corporate “practice” as well.或许我们可以有一个招待会上说，包括一些企业的“实践”以及。
How did conferences get to be the problem that needs to be subverted?如何做会议取得必须的问题，需要加以破坏？ The same could be said–and I hear it often–about Bible studies.同时，可说是和我听到它常常-约圣经的研究。 We should stop reading about Christ and go be Christ to a dying world.我们应该停止读约基督和去被基督一个垂死的世界。 Too much talk.太多的交谈。 Too much theory.太多的理论。 “We need to subvert oesoteric Bible studies.” “我们需要颠覆oesoteric圣经研究” 。
Is this really a fair dilemma?这是一个公平的困境呢？ Theory-focused or Praxis-focused?理论为重点的或实践为重点的呢？ Aren’t both involved no matter where our energy is expended?是不是都涉及无论身在何处，我们的能源是花费？ Show me a theoretician that devoid of application and I’ll show you a practitioner who’s devoid of theory.显示我一个理论家认为，缺乏应用，我会向您显示执业谁的空洞的理论。 Can’t do it.不能这样做。
As far as considering a conference, it seems to me that judgments about what is better or best should be suspended until we understand what prompts people/groups to have ‘em.据考虑一次会议，在我看来，判断什么是更好或最好的，应该暂停，直到我们明白什么提示人/团体有'教统。 What will help an alcoholic more–telling them it’s wrong/hurtful to drink or asking what happens in their life when they drink/how does it impact them?什么将有助于酒精更告诉他们它的错误/伤害酒后或要求发生什么事，在他们的生活，当他们酒后/它如何影响他们？ I wonder if, rather than saying we should do this or it’s better to do that, it might be more helpful to consider why we do the things we do?我不知道，与其说我们应该这样做，或者它更好地做到这一点，可能会更有帮助考虑，所以我们做的事情，我们怎么办？ People conduct lots of conferences on a variety of subjects…what’s this about for THEM?人们进行了很多会议，对各种科目…这是什么约，为他们呢？ What does this do for them?这是什么为他们做的呢？ Intellectually, emotionally, relationally, etc. Once we have a better grasp of what dynamics occur to perpetuate these things (conferences, Bible studies, drinking) we’ll be at a more informed place to understand something.智力，情绪， relationally等，一旦我们有一个更好地把握什么样的动力学发生延续这些东西（会议，圣经研究，饮酒） ，我们将在一个更明智的地方，要了解的东西。 Maybe people deal with the insecurity of getting their feet wet by throwing a conference.也许人们处理不安全获得他们的脚湿投掷一次会议。 OR, maybe some folks have gotten their feet wet and now want to shift focus to sharing what they’re learned (eg giving away a fish vs. teaching another how to fish…practice vs. theory).或者，或许有些乡亲得到他们的脚湿，现在要转移焦点，以分享他们是怎么教训（如送一条鱼与教学的另一如何鱼…实践与理论） 。 I don’t know, maybe conferences are simply a futile selfish act, but I think I could make that judgment better if I started asking “what” and “how” questions about the process.我不知道，也许会议只是徒劳的自私行为，但我认为我可以作出这样的判断更好的，如果我开始问： “什么”和“如何”问题的过程中。
I wonder what writing this response does for me?我不知道什么写这本回应是否适合我？ Ultimately, I’m learning something about myself and I’m developing new opinions through this exercise of blogging.最终，我学习了一些关于我和我开发新的意见，通过这次演习的博客。
Um, yeah…I’m not sure how this became a discussion about the theological issues surrounding conferences, but I am sure of this: I was really happy to here someonw suggest that thoughtful Christians get together to think through a faithful response to consumerism in the US.嗯，嗯…我不知道如何成为一个讨论有关神学问题的周边会议，但我深信这：我真的很高兴在这里someonw表明，经过深思熟虑的基督徒一起想通过一个忠实的反应在消费美国。 So if anyone is interested in that, I’m down.因此，如果任何人有兴趣在这方面，我下来。 Whether we call it a conference or not.无论我们称之为一份会议或不是。
(Btw, I think that our tradition has a lot of resources for addressing this question: tithing, fasting, radical generosity, communal living, etc. It’s simply a matter of contextualizing these resources as a response to our current situation and re-interpreting them accordingly.) （的BTW ，我认为我们的传统，有很多的资源，为解决这个问题：什一奉献，空腹，激进的慷慨，共同生活，等它的根本问题contextualizing这些资源作为回应，我们当前的形势和转口他们据此解释） 。