OrganicJesus.org

There has been some curiousity as to the meaning of this site's subtitle, "Imagining the Kingdom of God in an age of Less". The peculiar phrase is in reference to the kind of future that many prominent politicians, former presidents, world-class financial gurus, physicists, geologists, the Department of Energy, military analysts, intelligence officials, and prominent thinkers have been telling us to expect: one charactarized by less of everything -- beginning with less oil.

It spirals out from there to meaning less food, less money, less driving, less cool stuff, less geopolitical strength, less security, less water, less growth, and (most germane for this blog) less of the kind of Christianity that contemporary Americans have been raised in. Indeed, the way we do church and kingdom business these days has been dramatically defined by the age of cheap and abundant fossil fuels.

Confused? Think this is all just wishy-washy Chicken-Little fearmongering? Dare to take the red pill with us as we crawl deeper down the rabbit hole of Peak Oil and its consequents. Let's take a closer look at "the age of Less."

(now may be a good time to grab a little extra, ehm, "communion wine": you'll need it!)

For my final summer living in Eugene, Oregon, I started bicycling to church. It is a great blue-collar faith community, but was seven miles away. I went to the 9am service, so it was never too hot by the time I got there. Still, my decision to do this got some attention from fellow churchgoers. Their responses were never mean or discouraging, but they were certainly varied. “Hard ride, huh?” “It isn’t that hot out there already is it? Oh, you biked, I see.” “Why in the world…” “Good for you!” “Sure you don’t want a ride next week? I have room in my truck.” “Sweating already? Worship hasn’t even started yet!” I didn’t mind it, and thankfully it wasn’t a continued point of discussion or anything. I don’t particularly hate living without a car, and this was no different.

Still, it wasn’t too long before I decided I’d much prefer to attend a church closer to home. As much as I loved that church, if I had to bike that far year-round, I’d get pretty tired of it and want to attend somewhere closer. Especially as the Pacific Northwest’s de facto weather, rain, comes back into season this fall and winter. Unfortunately there aren’t many churches that are any closer that I like. They’re too big, or I don’t agree with their theology, or they’re not missional enough, or too Pentecostal, or not Pentecostal enough, or they’re too old, or they get really weird about certain parts of the Bible. Since I knew I’d be moving soon, I easily resolved to continue biking to that church.

But all this got me thinking: the 20th-century American church has been radically changed by the tremendous convenience of the automobile.

As we've been talking about, the era of affordable automobile use and all its amenities is about to end – including the Commuter Church and Ringtone Christianity. The era of cheap oil, it seems, is rapidly coming to a close, and we're now entering an age of Less.

Everything will relocalize as our easy-motoring way of life persistently constricts after Peak Oil, including how we do church. Just as motorization fundamentally altered how we get to work, get our food, and get our entertainment, it has also changed church. As outlined in my last post, I believe this has done more bad than good. Whether my criticisms are correct is of little importance, though. The bigger question for the faithful is, how will a church thus conformed respond to Peak Oil? What will the Post-Carbon Church look like?

Evangelicals Look Ahead

Christianity Today is running a great series of articles called "What's Next," outlining key issues that the church must face over the next fifty years.

Thus far, the magazine has explored a variety of topics - remaining "relevant," producing and engaging art and culture, defending the authority of scripture in a post-everything society, responding to feminism while also increasing male participation...and many more. Read them here: [1] [2] [3].

At the root of this project, however, lies an earnest desire seek answers to deep questions. Rather than focusing our energy on what it means to be a Christian at this particular moment, many evangelicals are looking forward to the Kingdom of God and asking, "Where is the narrow road, and what must we do along the way?"

This is the second part of an earlier article responding to Christianity Today's "What's Next" series. Read it here.

Toward a Christian response to Peak Oil

Church history is a messy business, and generalizing statements inevitably oversimplify. There are many, many black spots which we must not deny. But at many points in history, God has moved individuals in His Church to cry out, "speaking truth to power."

God, of course, has seen Peak Oil and all its consequents coming for a very long time. He has a plan for His children through all this, and has had plenty of time to begin preparing His church for it. There appears to have been a stirring of the Holy Spirit among those who listen, and it has sparked a couple trends in Christianity which seem to anticipate petrocollapse. God’s purposes are, as St. Paul wrote, being fulfilled “in the fullness of time.”

Hey everyone. We're back and blogging here at OJ. Sorry for our hiatus.

I've been thinking a lot lately about the options before me as the consequences of peak oil approach my own life and community. As is evident in my previous posts, I have felt strongly about staying in the city as long as possible during petrocollapse. But since November I've been seeing a woman who has a considerably more nomadic heart than I do, and it's caused me to rethink what strategy I'd like to take for being part of God's counter-cultural insurgency amid so trying of times as peak oil seems to present. Should things go well between this gal and I, I'm wondering what path we should take.

To be sure, there are a few options on the table. I'd categorize them as "the Shire," "Solidarity in the City", "National Flight", and "Nomadic Wandering". Could some of these be more biblical than others. Are some outright wrong? Are some more viable than others.More on these options under the fold.