We are living in one of those remarkable periods in Christian history. These periods roll around every few hundred years or so, it seems. These are times laden with days in which the ‘ole approach to life and living nostalgically referred to as “the way things have always been done” gets all messed up, and permanently too! The familiar is exposed as something ephemeral and it is discarded for new, unexpected, unimagined, and unavoidable potential and possibility. We know we must continue to do, but we know we must do differently. Today, the way we “do” Christianity is changing. The way we “do” church is changing too. Our faith practice and ecclesiology are gradually being altered. It is all changing, even as I write this essay. Read More
Working Out Your Salvation with 10,000 Friends
Circumvent Relational Morph into Cheap Syncretism
When do honest attempts at incarnational relationships morph into cheap religious pluralism and/or spiritual syncretism (both are very different from deep inter-faith conversation, which is something I support with all of my being)? Read More
Emergent’s Spirit Depot: Full of Crazy White People?
The Holy Observer publishes a piece of classic satirical genius re: the Emerging Church: Frightened Black Family Flees Emergent Church. So, I must ask, is the Emerging Church mostly full of crazy white people?
A Request in the Form of a Note to Friends
If I am ever somehow seduced by what I will gently call “a thin, plastic, flashy, over-produced, over-marketed, theology lite, sales-pitchy form of Christianity,” someone please hit me straight upside my head with a righteous spade shovel. I’m serious. I thank God for serious Anabaptism and the Emerging/Missional Church. The combination of the two results in a Christian expression far removed from the aforementioned characterizations, but deeply planted in cultural relevancy. Amen. \0/
In Utero: The Dawning Vision of Inner Metro Green
I believe church can be done differently in Lancaster City and the vicinity. I believe we can train strong leaders to plant & lead strong house churches and strong community groups wherein seriously edifying transformation and discipleship can take place. If this is all done faithfully we can then trim down the usually bloated production budget of church as we all know it. Think about it! I’m sure 95% of what happens in church could be - and should be - happening in the community instead. Yet, we drop huge, huge amounts of money and we vainly try to squeeze it all into a segregated, four-walled box and try to convince outsiders that it is community and not consumerism. It doesn’t work! Honestly, it just doesn’t work anymore. Is the final product really worth all of that money? Really? Is it really community? Or is it really just a second community existing far apart from the first community? I think it is the former, honestly. Read More
Ready, Aim, Fire!
It appears as if my family and I are going to be spending more time in Lancaster City after my graduation from seminary! I graduate from seminary on May 12th, but all grades for graduating students must be turned in by the last week of April. The last week in April is in three weeks! So, I’ll be done in a few short weeks, Lord willing. Graduation is the first piece of my calendar puzzle. Read More
Nine Traits of Emerging-Missional Worship
This is a thought carried over from a previous post for further contemplation and expansion: Worship, throughout most of modernity, and ages prior, has been more reflective of a conscious and deliberate construction of relationship around doctrinal (correct or otherwise) priority. Modernity’s relational construct, as a result, focused almost entirely upon correct belief; this focus was subsequently applied to the relationships shared between individuals within the community, and the relationships shared between individuals and God (individually and cumulatively as sacred community). This left virtually no room for honest exploration or discovery. Read More
A Holy Blur of Sacred and Secular
There is no divide between sacred and secular in Emerging-Missional worship. All of life is considered to be sacred. Emerging-Missional worship is dedicated to sacralization. “Sacralization, the process of making all of life sacred, represents the interaction of kingdom and culture. Emerging churches tear down the church practices that foster a secular mind-set, namely, that there are secular spaces, times or activities. To emerging churches, all of life must be made sacred” (Gibbs 66). Read More
An Emerging Celebration of Conversation
Emerging-Missional worship is reflective of the movement’s dedication to relationship built upon open and honest conversation. This is a different sort of expression, to say the least. Worship, throughout most of modernity, and ages prior, has been more reflective of a conscious and deliberate construction of relationship around celebrated doctrine, correct or otherwise. Modernity’s relational construct focused almost entirely upon correct belief; this focus was subsequently applied to relationships shared between individuals within the community, and relationships shared between those individuals and God (individually and cumulatively ala sacred community). This left virtually no room for honest exploration or discovery. Read More
Adventures in Alternative Worship
This morning, I took in Jonny Baker’s Adventures in Alternative Worship at Hempfield United Methodist. I regret my week’s time requirements, as they forced me to limit my participation to the 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM block of the presentation. The presentation in its entirety is scheduled to run ’till 3:00 PM, with a one hour break for lunch. So, unfortunately, I’m forced to miss the afternoon session. Read More