Okay, so I really do not want to fight the man... just the idea of the "Emergent Church." This has become the target of everything I have problems with in the Church. Although I agree with the missional ideas of this movement it is just that, a movement. The modern Church (specifically in the U.S.) has become obsessed with the idea of movements to solve problems. And while they may create new outlets and ease some tensions for a short time, they never quite solve anything! In fact, a lot of the time they make things worse.
Think back through history about different movements that have sprung up to fight a cause. A lot of people jumped on the bandwagon in the 1950's & 1960's to move out to the suburbs. Now look at our cities... In reaction to that, another movement of recent years is the "Urban Renewal" program. Although this may sound like a good idea, it is in reality the displacement of the poor so that rich, white families feel safe and can also feel good about "cleaning up a neighborhood." In the music scene you have the mess of "Straight-edge" kids who take things too far now. A movement that started in reaction to drug/alcohol abuse, stds, etc. has now become somewhat of a gang in many cities that hinges on violence. Or, how about "Hippies"... yeah, don't even get me started on how ridiculous they are!
What I am saying is why does the Church think it is really any different? I have watched so many "postmodern" or "emergent" ministries and churches start for good reasons... but then crumble when they realize they have ignored the basics of ministry. (i.e. caring for the poor, the elderly, widows & orphans, teaching, etc.) Furthermore, as this movement seems to be winding down in several places new ideas that are purely a reaction have started to organize into a... you guessed it, MOVEMENT! When will it end? When I started looking up other articles and blogs about this I kept finding people who had great new ideas on how to steer the Church away from it's current path. Some even had steps & examples of how to do it, hmmmm sounds like a new movement to me! Does no one else see this?
What I am trying to say is this: If (and I do mean if) the Church is to survive in the next 25 years, it will not be a movement that pulls it out of the water! I believe the Church will always be here in some form, but if you haven't noticed... it seems to be fading quickly. I am not going to give my ideas on how to redeem what we still can because obviously if it caught on it would be a... well you know!
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4 comments:
I share your concern with the emerging church movement and the Church's fascination with "movements" in general. While I do believe the emerging movement is accomplishing some good things, I think the idea of the emerging church has distracted from the overall goal. Not to mention that much of what they have to say isn't new, but rather what the Church should have been doing all along--just trendier.
It's interesting to notice through church history how movements have fed off of one another, or arouse in reaction to another movement. In a sub-culture where it's always about the next big fad or trend, I fear this cycle won't end any time soon. That's why I am figuring out ways of abandoning it in lieu of a different form of ministry.
Old friend,
Please share those ideas with me and then we can horde our collective ideas, but not let them catch on! Oh, that would be just as wrong... hmmm, I'm not sure what to do!
I think the only thing that really bothered me when I heard McLaren speak was the way in which he used his sources.
I always got the feeling that there was a lack of humility in the usage. I can't put my finger on it, but I got the sense that when he used somebody like Augustine, he did so in a way that proved Brian McLaren right, as opposed to coming to a conclusion similar to Augustine's and realizing that he was proving Augustine right. The whole thing smacked of grave robbery.
And speaking of Augustine, he's a pretty freaking good model of how to avoid a theology shaped merely by movements. He did work in the 4th century that is still extremely relevant today. At the time he was writing it, though, everybody kept getting on his case to do something about the fall of Rome. Anyone who's read the Confessions is probably grateful he didn't pay attention to those people.
It seems we are fighting a losing battle. It's kind of like the whole rock n' roll or punk rock thing. Here is something that is totally rebellious and angry at the generation that came before... something that is looking to change the system and fight the man. The weird thing is that pretty soon they have a chance to change the system, but it turns out nothing changes and now they are the man.
it is impossible to not be involved in some sort of movement. it just is. Even if you peel away all the layers upon layers of Christianity that came before and sit down with Peter or Apollos or Paul... Each of them is leading a movement a little bit different than the other. Sit down with Jesus- he is leading a movement.
I think the key is not to get caught up in the movement... people are always looking for something different, as culture shifts and as people start to look different, our churches should look different than the ones that came before. If we say we subscribe to emergent ideals or Catholic ideals, it does not matter, as long as we are constantly trying to serve God in all aspects of our lives. As long as we are loving God and loving people who cares what your church sign says above that witty pun (if your church does not have a witty pun on its sign, you are NOT a Christian and a demon named Belfarius will personally escort you to the 6th circle of hell) or if your church even has a sign at all.
You see, what I am trying to say is this... when we start to argue about starting new movements we start to make our own movement away from movements (like a Hot Topic kid who is trying to be different by wearing the same ripped up leather pants as his friend Billy). And if that is the case, so what? Just roll with it. Always keep Jesus and the Scriptures central, but start your own movement if you want. In the grand scheme of things, it will all come back again. But that is the way things are. As Elton John (or should I say Tim Rice) so originally stated,
"It's the Circle of Life, and it moves us all."
poignant, isn't it?
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