Have you found yourself in this conversation:
What do you mean by the emerging church?
Well, the emerging church includes all types of Christians who want to see something different emerge from the status quo of today’s Christianity.
Huh?
I guess we’re just not caught up in all the rules and regulations. And institutional religion stifles human creativity and God’s unique design for each person. The established church is too focused on their propositions and think that if you just give mental assent to the way they describe good doctrine, they believe you’re okay.
What do you mean by “caught up by all the rules and regulations”? Shouldn’t we be different from the world? Don’t you have to have rules?
I just don’t think if someone has a glass of wine with dinner, drops an f-bomb when they stub their toe, or doesn’t go to a church building every Sunday to worship that you can automatically tell where they are at spiritually. It doesn’t mean they aren’t a Christian. In fact, those things don’t even mean they’re a bad Christian.
Uh-huh.
The thought has occurred to me, that although I pretty much agree with the answers to the above question, I’m circumventing the main reasons for being a part of the emerging church.
I believe devotion to Jesus has been co-opted in favor of devotion to a political party in some cases, devotion to interpretations of doctrine in other cases, and devotion to a set of social standards in yet others. If we’re merely the group of churches where people who drink are not criticized, we fall far short of functioning as the body of Christ.
Also, when our main rhetoric is all about how we’re laid back and not uptight, people will be attracted to our churches because we’re laid back and not uptight. Sounds great, right? Until you find out that’s one of the only reasons they’re attracted to our emerging churches.
Included in our conversations about the emerging church must be a confession of devotion to Jesus. While we must be careful not to question the devotion of individual Christians in established churches, we can fairly and honestly say that the status quo does not regularly cultivate devoted followers of Jesus.
I think if others look at us and say they’re devoted to Jesus and not uptight, we’re doing well.
Alan, I’m right there with you on this one. I remember when I first began attending Calvary Chapel in the early 80’s. People asked me why and the reasons I gave was that I could wear shorts to church and they had a rock band for worship. (Boy was I young and immature back then.) Looking back, I understand how consumerist my decision was. I picked a form of Christianity based on what I wanted and not on devotion/apprenticeship to Christ.
I hope I’m at a place of greater maturity now. I’m realizing more and more that Church isn’t about me. We’re Christ’s body. Therefore, we should be about Christ and his revolutionary plan to transform this world by the people we are becoming in him.
Jason Z.
September 6th, 2006
amen and amen…
bob
October 4th, 2006