I was reflecting a bit on "Mike Corley's 5 Questions"

I was reflecting (contemplating) a bit on Mike Corley’s 5 questions and yet I seem to feel that there is a basic point being missed… maybe on both sides…

I think the point missed that that those questions are what we in the "emerging" are discussing and working through... some of us have already come to conclusions on most of this... yet there are those who have not... and they are prayerfully working through these in an open honest way to find faith in the postmodern world.

There are some questions that are a "given" though I know some are into the more "liberal" side...

One must remember that in some ways the emerging "movement" mirrors the whole or at least incorporates the whole of Christianity that is out there... there are liberals... and conservatives and people who love Bush and those who hate him... those that get it and those that don't... it would be like stepping back and looking at all who profess Christianity as a whole and saying what a mixed up group of people... some think abortion is ok and others shoot doctors that do them and think that is ok... to take on all as a whole we lose that some are not even Christian... or that some are not mature... and so on....

That is the fallacy that one gets into if they lump all "emergents" into a pile... it is like saying there is no difference between a Baptist and a Roman Catholic... it is ignorant... but from an outsider, both are "religions" that believe in Jesus.

It seems that even Ken misses that "emergent village" and the emerging conversation (or as it is commonly known as emerging church), are not the same… one is in and part of the other… but emergent village is not the same thing as emergent church.

One way to think of this is that emergent church is more generic as it has branches that reach out about everywhere… and is influenced by many different sources… both good and bad… and that is why I am open to saying we do have are issues…

As far as breaking the whole down… I am not sure we are there yet… I do not see that we have gotten to a point where we can graph out who is what within… nor do I think that a good idea… yet, I will say that there are liberals talking to conservatives on solutions instead of hammering each other on our differences… and that is the huge difference between what Ken Silva and crew do and what is going on inside the emerging conversation.

What looks at times like liberalism… is… and yet at times is not… it is taking a closer look at history and the Scripture and seeing what we ought to do…

Can a Christian be a true believer and support a war? Or if that is worked through… if one must serve in war… if we see it as not a just war… do we then still serve or do we stand against it?

These are not easy questions… and often anyone will be conflicted. The idea though is to get people talking… even if they disagree if in dialog they are at least working toward a resolution instead of fighting or talking past each other. Right now at Christian research Network… they are talking past people and not really doing anything as most do not even know who they are… and those who do see them as flies around Beelzebub. There really is not much substance there… and when there is, it is camouflaged by the dung tossed over it. What I mean is there is not that sweet aroma of Christ floating from them.

So, we can answer the questions, which I am not against… yet I am not seeing that there are that many questions that have not already been answered, and still not accepted as “good” as the questioner thinks it should be… or that the questions are simply phishing for ammunition to harm more people…

So, as far as myself, I have answered these questions on my blogs and I will not answer them just for Mike Corley… Again, that is for me… yet if others see it may be beneficial, have at it!

Blessngs,