The Ongoing Evolution of Holy Covenant

Part One: Creative Emergence

By the time you read this article, I will have just completed my third year of service at Holy Covenant.  By and large, it has been a great three years. Of course, there have been challenges; then again, that’s how life works, right? To expect our lives to be perfectly smooth all the time is not realistic; it is not how life works—literally. 

By that last comment, I am referring to a concept called “creative emergence,” from Bruce Sanguin’s book, “The Emerging Church.” So, just what is this creative emergence? From the book: 

"As a scientific principle, creative emergence is defined by three dynamics. They are novelty, self-organization and transcendence/inclusion. Applied to the church these dynamics would mean that people who come together as church are unpredictable, open to new ways of organizing, and trust that they are evolving in a "way that transcends yet includes previous forms."  

“OK; all fine and good,’ you might think, ‘but how does this concept of creative emergence relate to Holy Covenant?”  Well, we’re growing and evolving—and that is a good thing. Holy Covenant is not the same place it was when it was founded in 1974, when it was officially recognized by MCC in 1981, or even three years ago when Richard and I first arrived.  Holy Covenant has a rich history full of both positive and yes, challenging, stories. It is simply how life works. When experiencing “growing pains” or other life challenges, both individuals and communities have the opportunity to adapt and move—to evolve--from their current positions to the next levels of their existence. Or, as Sanguin puts it, “Life knows how to do life.” 

“Soooo, this means---what?” you might ask. 

I believe our community is in a transitional phase of its life. That is, I believe we are at a point where it is time for us to begin preparing to move to the next level of our life together. Please note I said, “Prepare.” For just like evolution, healthy, lasting individual and community changes happen over time—not overnight. 

With these thoughts in mind, and over the next few months, I plan to use this space to elaborate a bit more on the dynamics of creative emergence, and how we can apply these dynamics to our lives both as individuals and as a community of faith. So I encourage you to stay tuned. May our journey together continue to evolve in healthy, challenging, and “whole-ly” ways.

 Grace and Peace,

Pastor Dan