in my recent efforts to become a distinguished and educated "blogger," i came across this entry on the emergent movement: http://teselles.com/blog/?p=54
in recent discussions among our staff, the emergent movement has been one of question and intrigue. this site is interesting, to say the least. as a borderline "gen-Xer" i would say his thoughts are both refreshing & dangerous. i'd love to hear your thoughts on what "Greg" has to say about fellowship, teaching, evangelism, and the christian "ghetto."
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Concerning the area of modern-day Christian worship, Greg writes, "why is it always music? why the same songs? why only pretty people on stage? why all the lights? why do people have to audition to worhsip God? why is there no creativity in your times of worship? do not tell me what to do (raise hands, turn to the person on my left, etc.) why is everyone wearing the same color clothes?"
at first i would ask him "what's wrong with you, man? do you know what would happen if we were as unorganized and shabby as you're suggesting?!"
i suppose, calvary is by nature a church concerned with excellence. so where in this pursuit of "all-things-new" and the emergent movement, would we find room to breathe from the normal, comfortable forms of sunday-morning tradition without looking like complete fools?
to make a broad statement, i would say that the emergent movement is all or nothing. yes, we can learn flexibility, but to truly be "emergent" it would mean a complete change in all areas...especially philosophically. i'm not sure i'm ready for that!
Let's take it back to scripture rather than human, failable oppinion...
In Acts, the people and the message were relavant.. the same can hold true today.. BUT, they also knew where they came from and why...
In Colossians we see a letter being written to a church.. this message is very relavant today...
If someone is going to give an opinion of aska question that worship is always music.. then they are not doing much research about what God asks of us..
If the main thought is to "break away" and become more "in tune" then we must first know and understand what was happening when Jesus went out and was alone and silent.. he was worshiping and praying...
funny... worship while being silent... that would mean that it is not about us...
Everywhere we look in scripture, we see and know that God made his word to hold true in any generation and for the ages... since this is so obviously true, I would urge all believers to get back to what HE wants... he did not hide it from us, as a matter a fact, he makes it real simple... all we have to do is put ourselves aside and follow long and hard after him... by the way,,, that is in Psalm 138...
Let's take it back to scripture rather than human, failable oppinion...
In Acts, the people and the message were relavant.. the same can hold true today.. BUT, they also knew where they came from and why...
In Colossians we see a letter being written to a church.. this message is very relavant today...
If someone is going to give an opinion of aska question that worship is always music.. then they are not doing much research about what God asks of us..
If the main thought is to "break away" and become more "in tune" then we must first know and understand what was happening when Jesus went out and was alone and silent.. he was worshiping and praying...
funny... worship while being silent... that would mean that it is not about us...
Everywhere we look in scripture, we see and know that God made his word to hold true in any generation and for the ages... since this is so obviously true, I would urge all believers to get back to what HE wants... he did not hide it from us, as a matter a fact, he makes it real simple... all we have to do is put ourselves aside and follow long and hard after him... by the way,,, that is in Psalm 138...
great scriptural response, len. i guess i would ask you, then, what you think of the emergent movement as a whole. they would argue (from their side) that their movement is grounded in the scriptures (some may say even more than us!) and we might say they boarder on emotional response and experience. what do you think?
Let's just say that there are many groups that say what they do is based on scripture...
BUT.. if we really focus on truth, we can see that emotion is not the thing that we should let lead us.. we should be lead by the Spirit... and with wisdom that we are promised if we lack it and ask....
Don't get me wrong.... there are many things that all churches need to change and grow in.. but if we are going to focus on "Church" then we need to look at ACTS... and we need to look at iron sharpening iron... and rebuking, exhorting and encouraging...
loving unconditionally, bearing one another's burdens and the list goes on...
Church is not nor was it ever about "US" it is one way God designed for us to worship in a corporate setting, serve one another, disciple, and the list goes on...
WE all get introuble when we start to think or interpret based on our own wants and desires...
I am not condoning leagalism, but if we are going to say we are Crhistians, then let's start with James 1:22
be doers of the word, not just hearers...
I am rammbling... may God help us to focus on
Col. 1:9-12...
let me know your thoughts on these verses...
Not sure if anybody's still reading these comments but I have to applaud the conversation. The best thing about controversial questions is the ensuing conversation, and I think that's far more important that determining whether it's right or wrong to even be asking the question in the first place. If this thing we call Christianity is really the relationship that we say it is, but don't always live like, then hasn't it always been about the conversation? God in His love language to us and us muddling around just trying to figure out how not to trip over our own feet? Have we become more concerned with being right than being loved? But then again, isn't that just another question? I better be careful or I might start sounding too emergent for this blog site...
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