life in the hoods

We live in a world of hoods: Childhood. Parenthood. Motherhood. Fatherhood. Brotherhood. Sisterhood. Neighborhood. Manhood. Womanhood. Falsehood. Priesthood. Sainthood. Statehood. Nationhood. Unlikelihood. Victimhood.

It is important to know that…

1. most people live, mostly unquestioning, within some of these hoods;
2. these hoods mean different things at different times in different places to different people;
3. these hoods all possess unspoken assumptions we call common sense;
4. those who challenge these unspoken assumptions are considered crazy or dangerous.

The story of Jesus in the gospels is a pretty consistent exposé of a man willing to live within the hoods of his day but not participate unquestioningly in their assumptions. In but not of. He did not leave the hoods until forcefully removed.

There is a nakedpastorhood. It would be wise for me to be aware of this and not allow my or my readers’ assumptions to form a solid body of common sense that resists questioning.

There are also such things as pastorhood and memberhood. Can you describe the pastorhood and memberhood you are experiencing or have experienced? Can you see different models of these hoods elsewhere? Do they have their own set of assumptions? What are some of the unspoken assumptions of the pastorhood and memberhood you know about? What happens if you or someone else challenges the common sense of these hoods?

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