Welcome back.
Sitting in the back of the Starbucks in Barcelona, I began to piece together what I knew so far. “Here’s what I’ve discovered about The Mystic so far…”
WIRELESS. They would be radically decentralized, I am told. Anywhere there is a laptop open that might be a manifestation of The Mystic. The laptop and the home party –not the church building and church program– would be there venue. As a movement, The Mystic would gather not every week like regular churches but once per year at a gathering that resembled more a festival than a church service. The Mystic would also stay connected daily through a network of blogs. In fact, the blogosphere would become a “city of voices,” a voxtropolis, where one mystic after another would tell the tale of how the story of Christ intersected the story of each and every one of them.
NETWORKED. They would be radically unified in support of the movement. No one would enter The Mystic without a guide, they say, but once a part of the The Mystic they would
- Experience a radical connectivity
- adopt peculiar graphics/ icons–some wear it as a tatoo, but all have it on their blogs and websites — like the fish sign of ancient days
- contribute 1 % to The Mystic . This 1 % would become a symbol that the whole of their lives and resources are for kingdom advancement and, I am told, as a way of upholding the hope of guiding 1% of western culture into the mystic.
FESTIVE AND SOCIAL. The Mystic would go on to consider every member more than a minister and even more than a missionary. Each mystic would be considered a powerful asset with the competencies to speak peace to the city and reclaim broken lives. They would also be known for their disposition to throw great parties.
COMMUNITY BUILDERS. The Way of The Mystic would be strangely different from and yet parallel to the ways of the traditional, contemporary and emerging churches. Instead of tithing to buildings and programs for themselves, they would use their resources to engage and/or help others. Yet because of their life and mission, many new churches of the other kind would emerge through “Mystic Migrations” and these new churches too would become part of The Mystic. The Mystic would then go on to become a church planting movement comprising “tent makers,” house church leaders, church planters and pastors.
BLOGGERS. They would tend to be bloggers.
FRIENDS AND ADVOCATES. They had lots of friends and supporters even among those who were not part of The Mystic because they would not be against the other forms of the church like the emerging church cynics. Rather they would be encouragers of all Christ following people and advocates for the Kingdom.
They are said to own and operate out of a franchise of “wireless INTERNET CAFE’S.” [Personal side note: Man, I hope they eventually open one in Barcelona]. I’m tracking down a lead on this now.
What do you think?
Please scroll down and comment. Scroll down past the narrative below that explains a little of how I gained this knowledge of the mystic things to come. Anyway, it only makes sense if you read “In search for The Mystic 1.3.
into the mystic…
Alex McManus
==============================================
Search for The Mystic (1.4)
There was no way I could risk having my gear stolen. I had to let the young woman with the perfect hands get away. I sat down and reread the page torn from a journal that she had dropped on my Mac:
“Warriors needed in a quest to save the universe one planet at a time starting with Earth. Safe return doubtful.â€
“Safe return doubtful,” I read outloud. “What does that mean anyway?” I opened up my browser and launched Mac Mail and began to scroll through my mail.
Buy Viagra–discreet delivery.
Delete.
Erase your Credit Problems Now!
Delete.
Safe Return Doubtful.
Delete.
Wait. Retrieve.
Safe Return Doubtful.
I opened the email.
from: The Mystic date: July 25, 2015
“There will be a woman, the email began, with two sons. One of them will be great and the other must find his way into the mystic or a season of great darkness wll fall upon the earth. He must come into contact with a guide before the clock of his life strikes 21. Follow the threads and those who post them. They will lead you to him. Safe return is doubtful, but the journey is worth all.”
The Mystic
An Instant message opened on my screen. “Remember, the universe depends on it.”
Before I could reply. The sender logged off.
—————-
I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking that I’m telling a story that will end up with hundreds and thousands of new posts and threads [i.e. new communities of faith and church plants] linking all of Europe, the UK and the USA in an amazing new form of the Christ following movement.
You also think that I’m using this narrative to describe for you the very first “native application” to the 21st century of the Christ following movement.
You think there is no woman with perfect hands, no fat men with hairy backs in black speedos ogling naked women on the beaches of Barcelona.
You think I wasn’t even in Europe touring with a world music band called doSul when all these amazing things began to happen.
I don’t blame you. I questioned all of this myself. All I can do is continue telling the story. You decide what you can believe and what you should do.
Welcome Back 