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Emerging Is A Noun?
When I read Brian McLaren's book, "A New Kind of Christian", my response was,
Ho Hum...(sigh)...
From my perspective, there was nothing particularly shocking in the book. Oh...I'm certain that I disagreed with this or that, but overall I had been thinking along these lines for some time. I had been at the world's largest Baptist university and watched as these good-hearted Christians attempted to evangelize the Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists (and even Catholics) and I had seen how ineffective - and sadly offensive - their efforts were.
Let me say again - these were good, kind, well-intentioned Christians - they wanted to do good, but their actions had (I believe) extremely negative effects.
Which isn't to say that they were completely ineffective - just mostly ineffective.
So, all that to say McLaren didn't shake my world. So I effectively forgot him and his book and went on living, until...
The Emergent Church
I began to hear about this movement called Emergent. I should correct - I originally heard people speaking of the Church as emerging - a verb. In otherwords, the Church was recognizing that it was not speaking to (what may generically be referred to as) the "post-modern culture."
So, yeah, the Church who is called to be salt and light should have something to say to the culture, and what the Church says should be relevant. In otherwords, the culture is asking certain questions - we should be able to answer their questions. And it has seemed to me (and McLaren and others) that the Church was tending to sadly miss the real heart of the questions asked.
For example, the post-modern culture says "How can people (who are so full of mistakes) know truth?"
The Church's response (in general) has been something like, "You can know the truth by reading the Bible" or listening to the pastor or whatever.
This is absolutely NOT the answer to the question the post-modern culture is asking.
They are observing the general state of "screwed-up-ness" found in humanity and saying how is it possible for these messed up folks to understand what is true? There question is about human ability. To read the Bible still involves human ability - so that answer is, at best, only partial.
So this is how I originally heard the word "emerging." However, in the last six months or so, I've discovered that "emerging" has emerged from verb to noun - and Proper Noun at that: Emergent Church.
So We Began a Book Club...
We began a bookclub at the coffeshop I frequent. The members of the bookclub (it's not closed, so come if you want!) includes a retired missionary, a retired professor at Reformed Bible College, a pastor of a church plant meeting in a movie theatre, a minister of education in a local United Church of Christ...and your humble servant. The book that got picked (against my protests) was "Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church" by D.A. Carson.
Today was our first meeting.
Here are two things I wished I had said (because I don't believe they were understood clearly.)
1) "Post-modern" and "Emergent" are not interchangeable words. This is not to say they haven't been used this way, this is to say they should not be used this way, because there is a difference.
Post-modern is the descriptive of a segment of the culture. It is descriptive a movement within our culture. It has been assumed that this movement will eventually replace the current culture. What exactly the movement consist of - and how one would describe it - is currently unavailable in any authoritative statement (ha!) because it is still in the process of becoming. Currently, it seems to only be reacting against "modernity." An example would be that post-modern people are reacting against science as authoritative - thus many post-moderns are very open to spirituality because they are not concerned with the problem of the scientific provability (or not) of God.
Emergent is the name of the Church within the post-modern culture. Emergent attempts to be relevant to the post-modern culture. So, in our example above, Emergent would tend to agree with the post-modern culture and say that science cannot prove God - and in fact, we cannot prove God at all. However, they would say, the inability to prove God does not negate God. And then they would go on to talk about experiencing God, joining the story, taking a journey, etc.
The point being, Emergent is the name of the Church (a segment of it anyway) in the post-modern culture, but it is not the same as the post-modern culture.
2) There are - I believe - two main thrusts of the Emergent Church. The first being essentially what I stated above. Emergent is determined to learn how to speak to the post-modern culture.
The second thrust, though, is reformation. Emergent is saying to the "modern" church, "You have blind spots. You have missed the point." This, I believe, is where there are going to be some sore spots.
In fact, there may already be sore spots.
More discussions to follow on Emergent and on Mr. Carson's book.
posted by Headless-in-GR @ 7/26/2005 11:30:00 AM | (0) comments
Sunshine On My Shoulders
This morning I sit on the bench with you.
What is unity? It is not uniformity...
And the sunshine in my eyes makes me cry, just like John Denver said it would.
The wind drives the waves. The air is wet. The rocks are slippery. The grass smells dark.
What good news! What glorious news! My God and my Maker, you have done all things well!
I know no better life and no greater hope.
You - Three in One - the uniqueness of the 'persons' and the wholeness of the community and I know that I know "Hear O Israel, the LORD your God, the LORD is one..."
What glorious news! The Ultimate and the Absolute, you are Harmony and Freedom...
And then, Laughter and Light, you opened wide your arms and this blue-green planet found existence in embrace - spinning, dancing, brimming with life and beauty, color and music, wetness and dryness, coolness and warmth, days of blue and nights of sparkling elegance.
And it was very good. And I remember. And it haunts me.
Make us again in your image, our God, not in uniformity but in unity.
posted by Headless-in-GR @ 7/23/2005 02:16:00 PM | (1) comments
And A Side Of Glory, Please
"God create us for his glory."
I've often heard the good people of the church say this and I think it's a bit misleading - actually quite misleading. I think it distorts our image of the character of God.
Breaking News!
God, CEO of the universe, created a new product today. The decision was made after taking stock of himself and discovering a somewhat lackluster appearance in recent reportings. Congruently, the repetitive nature of the so called "7-11" songs done by the angels, particularly in light of the considerable length of eternity, prompted the CEO to search for new ways to feel better about himself.
For that reason, the product, referred to as "Humanity" was created. The purpose of Humanity will be to continually make God feel better about himself. However, there are already rumors about suggesting that Humanity may not live up to the expectations surrounding it.
Should this be the case, stockholders will want to know just how far God will go to work out the bugs. More specifically, will stockholders be left holding the bill, or does God intend to pay for the potential upgrades from his own substantial wealth?
The release of Humanity is set for next week Monday.
The glory of God is not the purpose of humanity.
It's not.
God isn't some selfish, whiny baby in the sky saying "Entertain me! Make me feel better about myself! Tell me how great I am."
God doesn't have self esteem problems.
When we live in communion with God, we are transformed towards a more whole, substantive, complete being. The nature of our more complete being reveals the glory of (a) creation, that glorious work of God's hands and (b) God, particularly his grace, in that God is the author of our healing (salvation).
However, this does not by any stretch of the imagination suggest that our purpose is to glorify God. Our purpose is to commune with God, from which overflows various "side effects" such as the afore mentioned glorification, starkly seen in this present brokenness.
Now, you may think I'm counting angels as they dance, but if we are to speak of God (which I attempt with my mustard seed of humility) we must speak as truthfully as we can - for ourselves, yes. But also for the well being of those to whom we speak. Our accidental laziness of thought and of language may distort another's view of God.
(I'm not suggesting that God cannot correct the distortion, but we all know too well the years it can take learning to rethink a misguided notion.)
And now I will leave you with this quote:
"Creation is the laughter of the Trinity."
posted by Headless-in-GR @ 7/17/2005 10:30:00 PM | (0) comments
Genesis 18: 25-32
25 Then the Church approached God and said: "Will you really torment people in hell forever and ever? 24 What if a person longed for your redemption (though she did not know you or that you offered it) fifty times in her life? Will you really sweep her away and not spare her? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing to kill the seed of longing, though it is small, along with the wickedness? Treating her righteous longing and her wickedness alike? Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty instances of longing for redemption, I will spare the whole person for the sake of the seed."
27 Then the Servants of Christ spoke up again: "Now that we have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though we are nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of times they have sought you is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole person because they're short five times?"
"If I find forty-five there," God said, "I will not destroy them."
29 Once again the Body of the God-Man spoke to God, "What if only forty are found there?"
God said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."
30 Then The Children of Abraham Who Came From the East and the West said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let us speak. What if only thirty can be found?"
God answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty."
31 Those Whom God Knew Before the Foundations of the World said, "Now that we have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found?"
He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy them."
32 Then The Bride of Christ said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let us speak just once more. What if only ten can be found?"
He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy them."
This, of course, is not the actual texts found in Genesis 18. The actual scriptures tell the story of Abraham "bargaining" with God over the fate of the city of Sodom. God had revealed that Sodom would be destroyed "with fire and brimstone" because of the "great wickedness" found there. Abraham's argument was that God should spare the city for the sake of the few righteous people found in Sodom, so Abraham asked, "What if there are fifty? Forty-five? Forty?" and so on. Abraham ended with the number ten, and unfortunately for Sodom, there were not even ten people in the city who were righteous. The city was indeed destroyed - though angels were sent to "evacuate" the righteous.
My "unauthorized version" of these texts are based on recent conversations with different folks concerning the topic of hell. I can't help but find it deeply distressing when people seem to want there to be a hell. I do not know the motivations, so I do not intend to belabor the "wherefore and why." It simply is distressing.
As for myself, I hope that all will be saved.
This is not to say the evil that (we) they have done or become should be saved - may evil be damned to hell forever and ever! But the life that comes from God - that creation so tenderly and thoughtfully formed by God - may that never be lost!
I guess I just wonder if Abraham could bargin with God over a couple of cities, why the Church couldn't plead for mercy for those it claims will be lost to hell?
I'm not arguing there is no hell. I know people living in it right now. Furthermore, I'm not arguing that evil should not be purged. I'm simply saying that I serve a God who once said, "As surely as I live, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked!" For that reason, I find it difficult to becoming passionate about the existence of a eternal, tormenting hell for people.
I long for the redemption of all of creation and hope Scripture is right when it says,
"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
posted by Headless-in-GR @ 7/16/2005 07:31:00 AM | (3) comments
Screamin' Roots
(That's "roots" as in "boots", Yankee. Unless you've ever told a cowboy you like his "butts" - don't say "ruts.")
There is a new girl at work. She's about 13, I think. No really, just kidding, she's 18. She's engaged.
You know, I thought we stopped doing that here in the U.S. - at least not in the 21st century, right?
I mean, sex at 18?
Happens all the time.
But marriage?
Come on.
What makes it even crazier (and what prompted this post) was I overheard her speaking with another lady about marriage counseling. Actually, let me rephrase for I do not wish to be misleading. What I mean to say is this. I overheard tiny little blips, like the following: (Please hear this in a squeaky, high pitched "blink, blink" tone of voice.)
"marriage counselor and he..."
"on the way back..."
" he said..."
"I mean, that's crazy!"
(I point this out as a simple matter of not-so-academic integrity. What I am about to tell you could very well have been misheard or misunderstood.)
While these tiny pieces of conversation stirred my eardrum largely unrecognized, I found myself shocked into awareness when she said, "so we picked capital punishment to talk about on the way home...(blink, blink)"
Is it really possible that you could be engaged to someone and not know their view on capital punishment? This absolutely floored me! What have they talked about? Do they talk? I mean, let's say they've been dating for 6 months (which seems rather short, but at the very least...). What could you talk about for 6 months that would consume your entire conversational life and lead you to marry the person yet never know their view on capital punishment?
I understand what I'm saying is clearly my point of view.
I understand not everyone is like me (it is a rather lofty goal after all).
I'm not trying to say capital punishment is highly relevant for all marriages, or that everyone ought to care about the intentional termination of the life of a fellow human being (cough, cough).
Bottom line? I'm just flabbergasted that you could know you want to live your whole life with someone and not have any clue as to that person's convictions concerning life, death, murder, life in prison, capital punishment, etc, etc...
Of course, I've saved the real kicker for last. I also overheard her say,
"My daddy won't even slow dance with my mother."
Wrong! Wrong! Sick and wrong! Somebody stop this poor girl! Really! I'm not being sarcastic!
My southern roots are screaming, "Jay-zus, Lawd help her!"
posted by Headless-in-GR @ 7/14/2005 07:49:00 PM | (1) comments
Cold Yellow Questions
It took me awhile to understand how to play...but I did do it too!!
Total volume of songs on iPod: What's an iPod?
The last CD I bought was: Brave Combo, "Polkas for a Gloomy World"
Song playing right now: Blues Traveler, "Run-Around"
Five songs I listen to a lot, or mean a lot to me: These are the five songs that mean a lot to me at this moment. I refuse to be defined by this list!
1) Latter Days, by Over the Rhine
This song is painfully soulful and quite frankly, for the longest time, I didn't know the lyrics - it was just her voice conveying so much meaning.
2) I Still Haven't Found What I'm Lookin' For, by U2
Still one of the greatest songs ever by one of the greatest bands ever.
3) Texas in my Rearview Mirror, by Mac Davis
Don't get any crazy ideas about me secretly wanting to move back to Texas. I loved this song even when I lived there. I love the music and I love the lyrics. Mac Davis was a songwriting god.
4) Run Around, Blues Traveler
Could you pack a song any more densly than this one? This song, particularly the following segment, is exactly how I go about life most everyday and like most everything, it's both good and bad...
I know no matter what the waitress brings,
I shall drink in and always be full.
My cup shall always be full.
Oh I like coffee, And I like tea,
I'd like to be able to enter a final plea
I still got this dream that you just can't shake
I love you to the point you can no longer take.
5) One Hand In My Pocket, by Alanis Morissette
I like this song, because I travelled through her other songs first. Feel the anger. Say it outloud. And then let it all go with "one hand in your pocket, and the other one givin' the peace sign."
posted by Headless-in-GR @ 7/03/2005 10:23:00 PM | (0) comments
I Remember Football Games...
Nobody had got the memo to us yet...about praying at the football games and such. I guess we were a little behind the times down there in Mt. Pleasant, Texas.
So we just went on and prayed - over the loudspeakers, flooding over the stands, echoing down the streets, bouncing of the convenient store next door.
It was southern. It had a drawl. It smelled like frito pie.
Everyone bowed their heads and stood in silence, and all the men took off their hats.
Back then I was a "serious" Christian, so it was unusual that I opened my eyes that night. But I did.
The stadium lights washed everything in such an odd color.
I just wanted to say I remembered.
posted by Headless-in-GR @ 7/03/2005 09:38:00 PM | (1) comments
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