emerging...another Xian subculture?
Holly Nelson writes at the Ooze
When I originally encountered the Emerging church movement a while back, my first reactions toward it were positive since other christians shared similar frustrations that I was experiencing in my spiritual journey. I am grateful for having the opportunity to learn from it. At the same time, it has become just another christian subculture. It rejects the old status quo, only to establish a new one: new rules, new preferences, and new jargon.What is the problem? Subcultures exclude. The people within them create expectations based on personal preferences of how people within the group should act and appear. Yet, not everyone will have what it takes to belong. It is sort of like a club. The subculture (human religious system) is then mistaken for the Body of Christ (God's system). Obviously, they are not the same. Does the world really need another christian subculture? That question deserves an entire article of its own. For now, I would rather address how this new subculture lacks unity and love for the Body of Christ.
Over the last five years, God has been convicting me more and more about the need for unity within the Body of Christ. In order for unity to be authentic, we have to get into alignment with God and His will -- both individually and corporately. When we are aligned, we will function together as we were meant. If we want to see Christ's miraculous regeneration in a dying world, then the Body of Christ must be unified. This is the real reformation (as opposed to different fragments acting independently). This is God's system and how He meant for us to operate....
When I originally encountered the Emerging church movement a while back, my first reactions toward it were positive since other christians shared similar frustrations that I was experiencing in my spiritual journey. I am grateful for having the opportunity to learn from it. At the same time, it has become just another christian subculture. It rejects the old status quo, only to establish a new one: new rules, new preferences, and new jargon.What is the problem? Subcultures exclude. The people within them create expectations based on personal preferences of how people within the group should act and appear. Yet, not everyone will have what it takes to belong. It is sort of like a club. The subculture (human religious system) is then mistaken for the Body of Christ (God's system). Obviously, they are not the same. Does the world really need another christian subculture? That question deserves an entire article of its own. For now, I would rather address how this new subculture lacks unity and love for the Body of Christ.
Over the last five years, God has been convicting me more and more about the need for unity within the Body of Christ. In order for unity to be authentic, we have to get into alignment with God and His will -- both individually and corporately. When we are aligned, we will function together as we were meant. If we want to see Christ's miraculous regeneration in a dying world, then the Body of Christ must be unified. This is the real reformation (as opposed to different fragments acting independently). This is God's system and how He meant for us to operate....
Comments
www.everyhomeachurch.blog.co.uk
i run with a metaphor far too often of churches like restaurants. some are small greasy diners, some are franchises, some are high end, some serve more junk than substance, some serve only junk, some intentionally serve poison. but there is no hindrance between me and a brother who likes a cuisine i can't stand and we can fellowship sweetly whenever we see each other, we just don't enjoy each other's preferred food preparation. the article i quoted from refers to the superiority complex that some emergers are developing. just like some [fill in the blank] including home churchers. we are creative and come with wonderful ways to serve food and to serve the Word to others. i'm for appreciating the variety but also questioning some of the spices added that i recall bringing down other establishments but not questioning everyone's salvation.
God is good
jpu