YWJ: In the past you have been Mr. Emergent-guy. What’s your main passion/calling/role right now, and what’s your ongoing involvement with the emergent movement (either narrowly or broadly understood)?

Brian McLaren: For me, emergent means three things. First, it’s an expanding network of friendships, and those friendships are as meaningful to me as ever. Nearly all of us who were together when the emergent conversation began back in the 90s are still close friends; and although we don’t all get to see each other as often as we’d like, when we do, we pick up right where we left off. It’s great to see little cohorts of friends forming all over the world, experiencing the same kind of mutual support and encouragement.

Second, emergent to me has been a conversation, and that conversation continues to expand and develop. So I see everything I do and write about as a contribution to that conversation.

Third, emergent always has been about the church in all its forms; and many people haven’t understood this. They have thought of the emerging church or whatever as a slice of the pie, a kind of brand or model or style or fad. What’s much more exciting to me is to see Mennonites, Episcopalians, Catholics and Pentecostals engaging in the conversation, even if they never have heard the term emergent. It’s the substance, not the labels, that matters.

I suppose my role is three-fold. Obviously through my speaking and writing and blogging I try to contribute to the conversation. Then through my travel, I try to help the conversation expand geographically and denominationally. I’ve been in…40 countries during the past 15 years or so, and I get to speak to an amazing array of denominational leaders, so that’s a great privilege and really interesting, too. I suppose because of my age, I have a kind of stabilizing role, trying to model some character and hopefully spiritual maturity, although God knows I have enough flaws to make that a challenge.

YWJ: Your new book is titled Naked Spirituality. Youth workers talking to kids might get an interesting response if they promote “naked spirituality,” especially at church camp! Naked is a complex, controversial word. Why did you choose it, and what are you hoping readers will do differently?

Brian: You’re right about the word being complex and controversial, but I think that also makes it evocative and intriguing. One of the things it does is suggest the spiritual life isn’t about putting on or dressing up. It’s not about masks, cosmetics, appearances or images. That’s the impression so many people — young and old — have.

Instead, I hope the book conveys that the spiritual journey goes in the opposite direction…getting vulnerable, stripping away layers, uncovering, being who we really are. I think kids get that.

In fact, my first experiences of real vulnerability and honesty came among friends in my teens. I saw something happen among us that I hadn’t seen among adults before; and sadly, haven’t seen happen often enough since. I think that’s one of the things we all love about youth ministry. Kids want a place to get real.

YWJ: How would you define the audience(s) you are most trying to reach with this book?

Brian: I used to buy into the distinction between seekers and believers; these days, I think that beneath seeker needs and believer needs, there are human needs that we all share on a deeper, more naked level. So I suppose my audience is primarily the people who want to relate on that deeper level. Some of them will be Christians, some not. Some will be leaders, some not. Some will be high school seniors, some senior citizens. If this book could be used widely among young people, that would be most fulfilling to me. This is the kind of book I wish someone had given me when I was 17 or 27.

YWJ: Some youth workers successfully teach spiritual disciplines with their kids. Others either aren’t into the disciplines or don’t consider them inherently youth-y. Where do you see things? Can kids become interested enough in activities such as meditation and fasting to put down their smart phones and Cheetos? How can a youth worker best take his or her kids in a direction of deeper spiritual practice?

Brian: In the book, I talk about four stages of the spiritual life, and most high school kids are in stages one or two, which I call simplicity and complexity. Those are fantastic stages to teach spiritual disciplines. The issue is why and how we teach them appropriately to each stage.

For stage-one folks, I think it will be best to explain that these are deeply rooted in history and Scripture, that they’re good and right to do and that there are tangible benefits that come from them. Then stage-one folks will appreciate an approach that says, “Here, I’ll show you. Let’s try this right now.” It’s also important in stage one for the youth workers to share from their own experience. It could be… “Hey, I just read this book, and it’s really been helping me. Can I show you this cool exercise I’ve been working with lately? It’s based on the word here,” or whatever.

In stage two, I think kids naturally are motivated to learn how-to’s. The idea is, “Let me show this way of opening up your soul to God tonight in our group, then I want you to try it this week. Then let’s talk about how it works for you next week.” There’s a natural desire to “do it myself” in stage two and a desire to pass on to others what you’re learning.

So this would be a great stage to work with in a small group. Let’s say you wanted to work with one of the 12 simple words a week for 12 weeks. The idea would be that at about week seven, each participant would then choose somebody with whom to share what they’re learning.

YWJ: Anything else you want to say to youth workers?

Brian: I’m happy to say that I’ve already heard from some youth workers who see a lot of potential for these practices with their kids, and there are already some plans afoot to develop some youth curricula based on the book. Also, there’s a website where people are sharing resources and ideas: NakedSpirituality.Wordpress.com.