I've been really pondering this whole post-modern/emergent church thing and still don't know exactly what to think about this whole conversation. I guess a lot of it really bothers me because it sticks to this whole "progressive" thing which has become synonymous with "liberal" and that offends me. The greatest thing that arises is this idea of postconservative/postliberal mindset which is nice in thought, but no one can seem to define it and those that tend to call themselves this (those that I have met) seem to be very closed minded to those that don't agree with much of what they believe.
My post on Politics and Religion I mentioned my struggle and my feeling of loss because of the lack of the ability to have a conversation with an understanding that there does not need to be agreement. Isn't the conversation the most important thing? Now I'm taking the step forward to enter into the emergent conversation and I must say it's scary. I will have to be honest that I was hesitant, but have come to the understanding that if I want to be in the conversation or not I am a part of this postmodern "thing". The problem that I have had with it is that some of the ones that have identified themselves as "postmodern" and really have jumped on this "emergent church" idea are people that I don't identify well with.
For me, it has been a process of trying to understand and if I don't act a certain way, or have the "right" haircut, or just find issues that come up that I don't agree with that I am all of a sudden not "good enough" to associate with. At Luther Seminary there was a great group of people that I studied with in the Youth and Family program, but there are a few that I found to be unpleasant. I know that I shouldn't allow a few to shape my whole perception and generalize on the group, but for me it caused me to pull away and not want to be a part of the conversation. I will say that there were others that I knew we held different views, but I really respect and am thankful for. So, here I am. Saying, "OK God, you have something brewing here and you are not letting me ignore it, so here I go diving in." Scary.
I know this is totally random, but I saw the greatest bumper sticker this morning, it said, "More Dialogue, Less Stickers". Isn't that just great? I love it. Living in Minnesota, one must understand how refreshing that is, I mean, in 1984 this is the only state Mondale carried against Reagan and be a Reagan Conservative I am VERY aware of that. This last presidential election, though, is the first presidential election that I have voted in, which would make it my fourth, that I put a partisan sticker on my car. It was just the Bush-Cheney 2004 sticker, but for me before even when I was living in Fort Lauderdale in the 2000 election throughout that I did not put a partisan sticker on my car, so it was a big step. I have never been shy when asked or confronted, but for me growing up who you vote for is your business and you share when and to whomever you wish to share it to, but this last election I did it out of protest. I tire of the partisan rhetoric that is so easily thrown around. The assumption that people in Minnesota tend to make is if you live here you are Democrat and hate Bush and people freely Bush-bash and talk politics unless you raise a desenting voice and then they treat you like an idiot that has no understanding of what is going on in the world.
I know I'm off subject of where I started, but I needed to vent a little. My hope is that this emergent "conversation" truly is one that is open to various views and ideas and not just another code word. I don't really think it is, but it still is scary because to truly open up and have healthy conversation there needs to be trust and understanding. That means that there needs to be an understanding that we must agree on points to disagree and look for deeper meaning. That deeper meaning is Christ.
Give me Jesus Christ and nothing but Jesus Christ...please...
We live in a world that is suffering and people that are in dire need of hope and we have that one gift, that one promise, and we forget to give it. We become bogged down in our own agenda's political or theological and forget Jesus. I love the Beatitudes, most especially how Eugene Peterson translates them in The Message from Matthew 5:3-12:
3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are--no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.
7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being "carefull,' you find yourselves cared for.
8"You're blessed when you get your inside world--your mind and heart--put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.
10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.
11"Not only that--count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. 12You can be glad when that happens--give a cheer, even!-for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
These words speak to heart of Jesus Christ and the heart of God, but they are not meant to be weapons or tools. The discussion on sexuality and the like that is currently permeating the church forget the freedom that is given to us in Christ Jesus. Christ came to fulfill the law and fulfill it he did, but he didn't abolish it and the greater question shouldn't be how to we make people more comfortable in sin, but how do we confront the sin in ALL of our lives and strive for the happiness that can only be found in the promise given to us through Jesus Christ? I think that is the greatest emerging question in the church.
From all that I have read thus far on the Emerging Church is that each church is unique in both size and needs, but what is most important is the developing of that relationship with Christ and letting the Holy Spirit do the rest. As Christians we don't have to agree with each other's choices, lifestyles, character, or looks, but we are called to love one another.
1 comment:
Hey Chris,
You've been doing a lot of posting on your blog! That's great, but I haven't been able to keep up! So this post about the emergent church caught my eye. Thanks for the invite the other day, I'm out of bed now, I got a job. See my post. :)
One of the main differences in the emergent church is the emphasis dialogue, so the fact that you have just entered into it, is the MOST important part as far as I can tell.
And your post on religion and politics was interesting because, I never really stopped to think about the fact that when I tell people what I study and what I want to teach, are exactly the two things that no one wants to talk about! Maybe that is why no one ever has a response to my job plans. . .
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