Whos DNA

Who’s DNA?

If one does a little search of many of the Emergent Churches it won’t be long before you come across the little catch phrase “Our DNA”. This seems to be a way of explaining where they came from. They will sometimes go into a quasidenominational explanation or just say what is the bottom line of what this local church is about.

Some “good” examples would be Connection Church
Another example of this would be St Combs Community Church


Now the real question as I develop a new fellowship is Who’s DNA am I spreading?

I was told at one point by a pastor at a very large church here in Billings “IF we plant a church, it will have OUR DNA in it.” At first I thought, of course, that is how it should be. Now I think much differently.

Let me say this, there is only One who’s DNA we should be concerned with and that is the Holy Spirit. If we are concerned that our church model, or our understanding of what a church is, is what is most important then we are missing out on what the Holy Spirit is trying to accomplish. As an emergent thinker, I desire to keep pure the essence of God who I often refer to as The Real. I think we miss the boat to say that our model or our thinking is only what we will be part of and support. Granted I am not talking about heresy or abusive authoritarian thinking, but rather God planting a vision in a man to start a fellowship by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what Paul did in Acts. His vision was God’s vision and Paul let Jesus do His works through him to accomplish God’s will and purpose.

It seems, to say we will only spread our DNA is to fall into the trapping of modernism. To only think God can and should be expressed in the way WE see fit.

I was looking for people to support me in this new fellowship in Billings and was recommended to The Acts29 Network I checked them out and they seemed to be a fine organization… and I am sure they are. The issue came up, as I am not a Calvinist. I have some Calvinist leanings but as a system of theology I see it is too limiting of God. In fact I see it as too over simplified. I was told I needed to study it more as was told I could not hold both that man has free will and be elect. I thought that was a bit narrow thinking. I was then told, “ I don’t think you and your vision would be a right fit as we desire to spread our DNA.” That was one of the first times I heard that phrase. Again, who’s vision and works and ministry are we spreading… who's DNA is most important? Paul could have only reached out to the rich and powerful and to a degree in his travels and adventure to Rome he was attempting that very thing. Yet, at the same time many of the churches Paul started had the poorest people in them, and they are the ones who supported Paul and the other churches the most. So if we see only one “target group” that WE want to spread our DNA to, we miss out on the blessings of those who are different and can also bless us in ways we might not have realized.

The bottom line is this; we must be more concerned with God’s purpose, and will and vision then our own. We can be hurting the cause and find ourselves doing what we see the modern church is doing as we create environments of isolationism and exclusivism.
We must not set ourselves apart for our purpose, but for God’s purpose. We must not exclude those who think differently as they are as worthy of heaven as anyone of us is.

Doctrines and theology are great, yet let us not let those stand between someone and Jesus. I am not saying through them out, just be more flexible and try to see what God is doing. If you read scripture Jesus blew the religious leaders away often by breaking the pharisaical law. This is what enraged them in their self-righteousness. Beware that we do not fall into that.

Blessings,
iggy