Fossilization

I have a thing about words recently especially adverbs. Yesterday I worked the word 'smoltification' into a sermon. Today it is the turn of the word - fossilization - It is a word that when used in an educational context describes a process whereby the mental processes that influence our way of learning have become so 'encrusted' and 'hardened' as to make further learning almost impossible. Apparently if we allow - fossilisation - to happen to us, our habitual learning methods will become 'self limiting' paradigms. One of the results of - fossilization - is a limited or insular way of viewing not only our own culture/environment but any new cultures/environments we come in contact with.

Apparently the only way to avoid this happening to us is to continually subject our presuppositions to regular 'reality checks'. For those committed to following the model and sharing the message of Jesus the best kind of reality check for their faith presuppositions is the practice of perpetual engagement with their surrounding culture i.e. mission. My own personal experience is that often when we take our understanding of Jesus' message to the 'frontiers' we discover that 'our message' very often contains elements that do not function so well. If such reality checks do their job correctly we will engage in some serious reflection and hopefully avoid the 'encrusting fossilization process' and instead discover an increasingly fresher 'living theology' that helps our neighbours to reconnect - (the root meaning of the word religion) - with the real God as opposed to 'our fossilized version of God.'

"Mission is the mother of theology" Martin Kahler