Those flingin flangin emerging churches
Greg the explorer sent me a link to this article which seems concerned to put several nails in the coffin of the emerging church:
In the UK, a nudist beach mission has just finished in Wales. Graceway, a church in Auckland, New Zealand, encouraged its members to ‘pray with your hand around a cup of coffee’ as a way of experiencing the Spirit ‘as warmth in your spirituality’. In Canada, a church called Worship Free House doesn’t offer sermons – but does install art.
According to prominent evangelical church leaders, all are symptomatic of a dangerous protest against biblical orthodoxy. While The Da Vinci Code puts the gospel on trial, the emerging church questions established biblical teaching throughout church history by offering what they says is a more authentic expression of Christianity.
“Some believe [emerging churches] to be the greatest challenge to mainstream churches since the birth of the Charismatic movement,” says Andy Peck, assistant editor of the UK’s Christianity+Renewal magazine in a recent article. “As some churches struggle to grow they will welcome emerging church thinking with open arms. ”Labels are useless to describe this alternative Christian movement, which has exploded out of the UK and the US and is now expanding into Australia.
Proponents like to talk in terms of ‘connecting’, ‘sharing’, ‘re-imagining’. They say the movement is not one as such but rather a ‘conversation’ within Protestant Christianity. They say labels are unhelpful to their cause. It is perhaps easier to define what the emergent movement is not. “This is not biblical theology,” says Canon Jim Ramsay, Director of Sydney Diocese’s Evangelism Ministries. “It’s a shaking of Christian orthodoxy.”
Punch ‘em in the goolies!! Singled out for criticism (implied or otherwise) are people like Cheryl, Steve (or Graceway, anyway), Darren and of course big bad bustling Brian McLaren. Interestingly, the only person on that list who has never commented here is Brian McLaren. He should get his act together. Or alternatively, he should stay away so that he doesn’t contaminate us with his non-orthodox Christianity.
Of course they are particularly worried about a Wales naturist beach mission, described here in an article published on April Fools’ Day, complete with founders Adam and Eve and a Sir Pent who invites Eve to pass some fruit to Adam. Clearly the site which published the article, emergingchurch.info is evil, as it has the temerity to list signposts as a link!
August 15th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
Reve - I haven’t read it, have no idea as to its contents, but that publicaton is 10 years ago. People’s views can change a LOT in that period of time. ie. whatever happened to Exodus?
August 15th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
You’re right.
The only way to know where people are up to in their walk is to ask them.
Good perspectivizer, Bec.
August 16th, 2006 at 10:20 am
I was more concerned with your walk than theirs, Reve.
I just know people have said some things that I or others have found offensive and hurtful in the past, and years later have had a completely different view! (And equally, I am thankful that my friends can forgive the obnoxious things I’ve said in the past because I hadn’t really thought through the issues…)
August 16th, 2006 at 10:54 am
what about the obnoxious things that you will say in the future, do we have to forgive them too?
rev
August 16th, 2006 at 12:09 pm
Rev, I have attained perfection.
August 16th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
someone get three spikes and a tree!!!
August 16th, 2006 at 5:11 pm
I’ve never said anything to offend anyone - so shut up rev…you suck
August 16th, 2006 at 5:17 pm
You NSW people are all the same
wanna be americans
rev
August 17th, 2006 at 10:14 am
wanna be americans - sure I’d love to be a Canadian or even a mexican…or even a chiliean…what’s your point?
August 17th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
ahahahahaha
August 17th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
you united states people who live in victoria are all the same - think an entire continent is all about you! =:)
August 17th, 2006 at 3:58 pm
does it really qualify as a continent when there are less people on the whole thing as their were in my neighborhood back home?
rev
August 17th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Yep! We must be a continent because we’re not INcontinent! This is the driest “continent” on earth!
from one confused Sydneysider who has never wanted to be American, and now discovers that someone is in denial about our whole continent ….
August 17th, 2006 at 10:14 pm
I would call it a big island
rev
August 18th, 2006 at 12:14 am
You know, Paul Keating once said, if you’re not living in Sydney, you’re camping.
Personally i have always thought Sydney equivalates to Noo Yawk, Melbourne to Chicago (y’know, hotbed of org crime n’ all that), Canberra to Washington & the Gold Coast (wants to be) Los Angeles.
That work for others?
August 18th, 2006 at 12:18 am
Darwin would be Dallas or Houston & ermmm……Adelaide & Perth would be, ummm…ermmm……..
well, ummmm….
Why do ppl choose to live in Adelaide or Perth again?
or Hobart for that matter…..
August 18th, 2006 at 12:20 am
Do we have any stats on where most of our Blog Contributors come from?
I’ll start, ….
Sydney - Lower North Shore (Sydney Harbour)
Next….
August 18th, 2006 at 1:06 am
In my experience, New York is not like any other place on earth.
Perth reminds me of San Diego
Melbourne reminds me of San Fransico crossed with Seattle
Sydney reminds me of Southern California, but prettier.
I truly think Melbourne is the best place to live that I have ever been, despite the weather, I truly love it hear. It is a great city. And I knew a few people from Chicago, they are nothing like Melbourne people, nothing.
rev
August 18th, 2006 at 12:14 pm
if phil and dan would load a clustr map onto the side bar - we’d all be able to see where people are logging in from. They are so cool - backyard missionary has one, I have one (not as impressive as backyards I might say), way out west has one - all the cool blogs have them -anyone who doesn;t is just text messaging - not blogging
August 18th, 2006 at 12:28 pm
I live in Perth. Why do I choose to live here? Up till now, not much choice in the matter. I was born here, my family live here, and my university was here. But now I live here because it is a hub to se-asia, and that is my second home.
August 18th, 2006 at 12:41 pm
sorry Greg - we were going to do that..
What is the link again?
August 25th, 2006 at 8:32 pm
I did not know where to put this. Here seemed as good as anywhere.
I got a laugh. For all the EC people remember its good to laugh at oneself.
http://www.challies.com/archives/002042.php
September 4th, 2006 at 10:03 am
I wanted to let you guys know something…
I have gone back to that Emergent Church i was sampling & have decided to make it my church home, at least for the time-being…
I have learnt through God’s Grace that i cannot expect perfection from other people when they can’t expect it from me, & that at some point you have to stop & say “this is good enough, this is as good as it gets while still being human”.
I have also learnt that it’s too easy to make whole assumptions about a portion of experience, when…if you’re honest that need to make assumptions is based in you’re own insecurity, anyway.
I do like this Christian community, it’s the closest thing that suits me that i’ve come acros so far. They’re not perfect, a mish-mash of flawed, insecure, inexperienced individuals just like me who are muddling their way through.
And as i see it now, they’re hearts are in the right place, they’re not out to try & take advantage of anyone (like large Pento’s) & if they don’t have experience in welcoming Gay Christians into the midst it’s just bacause they haven’t really had to yet. Maybe that’s why i’m there?
That’s up to God.
But for now, i’m going to show up every week that i can, talk to some real people & get the juice of their lives, (give he juice of mine) get some teaching, some prayer, some wine, some food & just “be”.
I want to thank the Rev in particular for his kindness, encouragement & explanation on a few things. Rev, underneath the toughness i suspect you are a treasure-trove of Gold. Amazing how God uses people that are “real”.
God Bless you all, speak soon.
September 4th, 2006 at 11:35 am
I ain’t so tough, I cry like a little girl when I have a kidney stone.
My pleasure bro, only wish it was my church you were coming to (we need more income! )
rev
September 4th, 2006 at 4:31 pm
Reve…that’s very, very cool. You have made my day.
September 4th, 2006 at 7:49 pm
Mine too! I hope it turns out to be a real grace place for you. my experience (such as it is) is that some of the hurt from bad relationships is best healed in the context of good relationships. I suspect that’s equally true of churches. It’s a hard thing to walk through sometimes, but real things always are.
Be blest!
September 5th, 2006 at 9:43 am
good stuff reve I pray that this experiecne will be a positive one and a time of growth for you and your new found community.
November 24th, 2006 at 5:42 pm
I get reamed here from time to time….from the “you’re always so negative…why don’t you spell out your vision for church” brigade …and every time I post an example of a positive church effort…it’s always ignored by the same brigade…….
But for the sake of futility…..what the heck……I’ll post another example of a positive development in church thinking which the ‘contemporary’ church sycophants can ignore….so they can ream me again next time that I never post anything positive about the church.
“What do you reckon to this…mmmmm…I love the inventive creative spirit to think this up, it just defies all our presuppositions, yet I think touches the heart of jesus
Some folks in our town of Bournemouth, some post congers and some not but all working for the city and some working in night clubs…………. opened up the biggest Anglican church in town from 10pm till 3 am on Friday night. All were totally taken by surprise as a steady stream of over 100 people came and walked around, sat for a long time and posted prayers on the walls which would cut you to the core. Were all still in shock - opening up a big building associated with inherited religion in the middle of clubland, wasnt meant to gather a crowd, it was just a ‘fools hope’.
From drunks to punks, from foreign students to clubber. There was this really uncool chicken wire sculpture which was lit internally and had mary joseph and jesus and coldplays ‘i will try to fix you’………… people kept having their picture taken with them - very odd.
Almost every single person that came in INITITIATED conversation about Jesus or Church. One guy - one BIG guy slapped me on the chest and said ‘ [Fucking] Awesome Mate - We Need Night Church All Night Every Night - And I Mean That’ ”
From http://gardenofrenown.blogspot.com/2006/02/mission-to-clubland.html
November 24th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
akevin take note!!!!!
November 24th, 2006 at 6:19 pm
I wasn’t going to mention akevin by name…but yes…I was half writing with that wanker pastor in mind.