Emergent to Me

I noticed today that I have a little info about me section on this right section in which I claim to be emergent. I think a lot of people are unsure about what being emergent means. I am going to tell you what it means to me. Because after all that’s all an emergent can do. Please do not take me to be the ambassador of the emergent church or the spokesperson for any of the emergent circles I have crossed.

Let’s start with a little history. Three years ago I got connected with a relatively different campus ministry. This led me to attend a one day conference led by a woman named Phyllis Tickle. She worked for many years as the head religion editor for Publishers Daily and could easily be retired. Phyllis has got to be in her upper 70’s and is just a pure spitfire, doesn’t act a day above 20. She spoke about this Abrahamic pattern detailing a huge rummage sale the church undergoes every 500 years. Guess what? We’re at about 500 since Martin Luther reshaped the church forever with his 99 treaties. Phyllis believes that the emergent church will be what fills this 500 pattern of dramatic change in the church. I hoping for this change right there with her.

Now let’s talk a little bit about emergent organization and doctrine. To put it simply, there isn’t much if any. I would say emergents focus on two things, community and conversation. I really believe in these two parts. For the first time, I have found people who believe their knowledge and reasoning is a gift from God and really want to use it to glorify him. There are heavy hitters like Brian Mclaren, Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt who have helped nurture many emergents but overall I think people want to grow organically with the people being shaped by God shaping the emergent movement. We now can wonder in the term postmodernism because this phrase is often associated with emergent but I wouldn’t say that emergents are postmodern. I personally don’t feel comfortable putting a monopoly on God saying that I know God’s will and this is right or wrong or this person is in or out. I don’t think we are big enough as humans to be able to make that decision. On the other hand I don’t believe that as long as it’s culturally relative it’s ok. There are some acts that are just anti Gods creation. I really think that as Christians that if we are going to have orthodoxy then we should have generous one full of grace and peace (after all Paul began every letter he wrote with the words “grace and peace to you”).

The emergent church has been under some heavy criticism, I mainly think because of biblical authority so let’s chat about that for a minute. On a more personal note, I struggle with the bible every day. I don’t have definitive answers here, only current beliefs. I believe the bible is God inspired but not inerrant. Maybe when the bible was first compiled I could believe that it was inerrant but we have to stop treating it as absolute authority. Let’s be real here, the bible has been through many translations and many year. We have to stop picking it up and reading it literally to this. We must take into account the context in which was written, the vast amount of metaphor used and the rich ancient language that can bring new meaning to stripped English words. God is ultimate authority and I think we have to stop treating the bible bigger than it is. A conversation is a cornerstone of the emergent church. This is putting trust in God work in his beings to tune into his story.

The last thing I want to talk about is where we are turning our eyes. I do not think God has an evacuation plan for all those who believe in his son to abandon earth leaving everyone else behind. “on earth as it is in heaven” I believe Jesus has called us to bring heaven on earth restoring Eden. I have experienced thin places when I feel so close to heaven that I can taste it. On the other hand, there are many dark corners of this earth. I don’t think heaven is ever to far away. I have been in dialogue with a close friend about the astonishing contrast between places of absolute beauty and total devastation. At first I was mad about this contrast but the more I thought about it, the more comforted I felt knowing that in the darkest parts of the world, God is there to remind you that there is something greater. I believe we should constantly ask God to align our hearts with his plan to bring heaven here on earth. After explaining this to some people they tell me that earth has already fallen and cannot meet Gods plan of perfection. I usually respond by asking them “how big do you think God is?”

I think more and more people have come to this conclusion and have starting asking God how they can be a part of his plan to bring heaven on earth. I was lucky enough to spend some time with an emergent group called Neighbors Abbey with a great facilitator named Troy Bronsink. This group is passionately working to fight sex slavery in their neighborhood in southeast Atlanta. These are beautifully intelligent people bringing light into the darkest underground corners of Atlanta.

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling pretty excited right now. I’m pumped to wake up every morning and see what a beautiful God has in store for me to help him bring his kingdom an inch closer to earth.