By Bonnie Andrews
Articles in recent issues of the Renewing the Soul newsletter have focused on the habits of hope outlined by Kate Davies in her book Intrinsic Hope. The habits, or practices, are being present, expressing gratitude, loving the world, accepting what is, taking action and persevering for the long haul. Before leaving the topic, we want to add one more habit relevant to hope: imagination.
Davies says that intrinsic hope means we have one foot planted firmly in the present and the other reaching out into the uncertain and unknowable landscape of the future. We use imagination to build a bridge between them. By acting on the ideas produced in our imagination we can help create it.
Logic will take you from A to B, imagination will take you everywhere – Albert Einstein
Imagination is the source of all human achievement – Sir Ken Robinson
Imagination is different from imaginary. Imagination is the image-making power of the mind, creating something not previously perceived. Imaginary is fanciful, something that exists only in the imagination. This image-making power can be useful in our congregations and in our spiritual lives. In the past three years, congregational leaders have been imaginative in their use of technology and in many other ways to continue being church together in a new reality. This imagination has sustained and even invigorated worshiping communities.
In the planning process, imagination can be part of a hopeful future. David Cooperrider, in writing about appreciative inquiry, says that the most important resource for generating constructive organizational change is cooperation between the imagination and the reasoning function of the mind. Reclaiming imagination requires letting go of background assumptions so we can live into a new future.
When has imagination moved your congregation toward something new and faithful?
What assumptions might you need to let go of?
Imagination is an important part of our religious history that informs us today. Walter Brueggemann writes that Israel’s poets and prophets offered:
- Hope as an act of imagination given in dream, oracle, narrative and song, rooted in absolute authority concerning divine purpose.
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Hope as an act of playful imagination with ill-defined and open images that suggest without clarity.
- Prophecy given in an imaginative way because it is out beyond what we know, often defying reality and settled authority.
Brueggemann concludes that the prophetic task today is to perform hope that is characteristically a tenacious act of imagination, grounded in a dream, song, narrative or oracle, rooted in the elusive but faithful authority of God. The prophetic task is not a blueprint or program -- it is the elusiveness of possibility out beyond evidence, an act of imagination that authorizes the listening assembly to imagine even out beyond the understanding of the speaker.
How does your imagination inspire others to dream even beyond what you envision?
Imagination, creativity and innovation are linked, but they are not the same thing. Imagination is the beginning of creation, but being creative involves doing something -- actively producing something in a deliberate way. Innovation is applied creativity -- it is about introducing something new or improved. These elements work together to move us toward God’s vision for the church.
Spirituality is enhanced by imagination as well. Ignatian spirituality posits that God can speak to us as surely th0rough our imagination as through our thoughts and memories. Ignatian prayer includes accompanying Jesus through his life by imagining scenes from the gospels. Through imagination, God may communicate in a more personal way.
Hope does not lie in our ability to transform our church organizationally or through our charisma or brilliance. It comes from experiences of the power of the Holy Spirit at the grass roots among the ordinary people of God. It looks like people finding their way into Scripture imaginatively and creatively, where the biblical story reshapes how people experience daily life.
When has your worshiping community been led by the Holy Spirit?
Imagination can be nurtured and developed. Dan Klein of Stanford University writes that knowing how to imagine is something every person should learn to do, and he provides the following ideas to get started:
- Daydream.
- Improve your visual working memory – hold an image in your mind’s eye for five seconds or more.
- Seek new experiences and stimulate curiosity.
- Observe people and be curious about them.
- Create art of any kind.
- Avoid being overloaded by media and practice letting your imagination loose.
The great choreographer Twyla Tharp writes that creativity is not a gift from the gods, it is the product of preparation and effort. In her book, The Creative Habit, she has several recommendations for becoming more creative and imaginative. Included is the suggestion that we spend time alone with our thoughts for 10 minutes a day. Similarly, Buddhist Joanna Macy in Active Hope recommends creating space for inspiration by allowing time for quiet moments to daydream.
Might our own imaginations be sparked by Christian meditation and prayer? We don’t have to do this alone. God is present in our hearts, minds and spirits as we build a bridge from the present moment to the uncertain and unknowable landscape of our church’s future.
How do you nurture imagination?
