Tuesday, July 26, 2005

What is Emergent?

What is emergent?

Iggy:

I've done some looking into the Emergent Church movement and do appreciate the desire of this movement to put a charge into the institutionalizing of Christianity. It does seem that doctrinal issues are not as crucial in the New Reformation (as you say) as it was in the "First" Reformation of the 1500s. The conversation seems to be based on unity based upon fellowship rather than doctrinal stances. Am I correct in this? Just trying to understand.

In Christ,

Matt

My response:

close...
It is hard to understand because it looks like a movement, yet, it is not. Though there is now
talk about it actually becoming one.
It crosses all denominations. It makes it inclusive as opposed to exclusive.
It is allowing as you said the openness of conversation, as opposed to setting
lines in the sand.
It is about following Christ, and not man's teaching or an institution.
It is the seeking of the REAL.... It is the de-institutionalizing of the Church.
It is greater than the original Reformation as it is about deconstructing and
re-examining all things. To even be open to that ability.

I would say it is more:
organic than mechanical
conversation vs. direction
less vs. more
people vs. profit


It is being relevant in an age that views Christianity as irrelevant.

It is to me seeing the Church not as an institution but literally the Body of Christ.
If one looks at the word church in the Bible, it is broken down into two parts;

"the called out ones/those that gather".

So to me it is the called out ones who gather at Billings.

This gives the "church" a pulse, life and it becomes more organic and no longer an institution,
(When has a building ever hugged anyone). Even to say the church is the people still loses out that that it is more than the people but the Body of the Risen Savior. It means that we become One with Christ not just a denomination of "people" who rally under a man's teaching. But those that literally become One with The One, as Jesus prayed in John 17.

I have become more aware of how much we add to the Gospel, by our culture, our own bias,
and backgrounds. We can personalize our faith but to add these things actually diminishes the works of Christ, like adding works to Grace.

Blessings,
iggy

3 comments:

Rick said...

well put, sir. thanks for your phrasing on this one.

Unknown said...

Rick,
I wish I could say this was all just from my own mind.
I owe a great amount of gratitude to people like John O’Keefe and even you.

There are so many great thinkers out there. I know I am most probably plagiarizing something somewhere.

Then again, I seem to have something I am thinking about and go and look and read McLaren or Sweet or something on ginkworld... and it was what I was thinking about.... only usually phrased much clearer. Ha-ha

Thanks for the encouragement.

Blessings,
iggy

Elson - son of El (El means God in hebrew) said...

iggy, i enjoyed reading this. :)
my dear precious brother in Christ! haha, i wonder and wonder at the fellowship we shall have in heaven. sure it shall be great!

truely, with patience we await for our Lord to come. let's encourage each other my brother, with love!