Checking the "Ground Signs"

Recently, we’ve explored the "Phoenix Affirmations" which provided us a "bird’s eye" view of ways our spirituality and our theology and our ministries work together. This year, Diana Butler Bass, in Christianity for the Rest of Us has shown us examples of healthy mainline Protestant churches and provides some "signposts on the ground" or "ground signs" which may prove useful to us in taking our pulse and gauging our health.

So far, we’ve convened two study groups for the "Passionate Christianity" course which uses Bass’ book as a text. In that study, we’ve seen how other churches express their life and witness in terms of the ground signs. The signs are:

Hospitality	Diversity
Discernment	Justice
Healing	Worship
Contemplation	Reflection
Testimony	Beauty

The Phoenix Affirmations link our theology and spirituality together. Bass’ Ground Signs identify the ways we actually express theology and spirituality in our daily living.

As we move into autumn, once the second class has completed the study, we’ll have a better picture of where and how we may need to "tweak" a thing or two—or, perhaps, find that things are going well enough to not need tweaking.

Take a moment and consider these ten ground signs. Ask yourself, "When I hear or see these words, do they make me think of Pilgrims’ and our life together?" Let me know what you discover.

(This is a reprint of Ron's article in the Sept. 2008 issue of Pilgrims' Progress, the PUCC newsletter.)