Mud in the eye

You can come in
You can come a long way..
But you won't be inside.

- R. S. Thomas

All of the bru-ha-ha about the emerging church (EC), serves to show that a nerve has been hit; that something important is happening. Hab 1:5; "I will do something you could not imagine," springs to mind.

Who could have envisioned some of the things that EC churches are doing even a few years ago, and what they are daring to challenge, but actually things that have been due to face the music for way too long?

Of recent note, is D. A. Carson's very poor critque of the EC in his book, "Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church", may, in fact, be proving their point. Carson considers the EC to be a threat to the Gospel, see here: http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=20420
when in fact, the Gospel is more under threat from things he and others do not see - which is more serious. They (and I) are so blind to the cultural accomadations and wider influence of modernism, which we live and breathe - actually, more so than those outside of the Church. Though, at least, I, and maybe you too(?), are aware that there is a problem.

The mainline church has many things to be both ashamed and glad about. However, in general, the famous fable, the emporers new clothes, illustrates things well. For all of the well intentioned efforts and devotion, the sub-culture of much of the (American) Church - I must resort to using broad strokes, in kind with the way the opponents of the diverse, EC do - though a large segment of society, has largely failed to turn the world upside down, as we might expect. According to Barna, there is little difference in the lives of the churches when compared to the un-churched. Now this does not invalidate the truth of the message, but it does impugn the messengers and practitioners of that message. I believe that the Gospel is true, but I am not sure that our evangelical perception of it is all true. How else can we explain the impotency of our churces, which fight more often about external matters and other such things that add nothing to the spread of the Gospel? "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4.

New Wineskins

One thing that stands out from my experiences of revival and renewal in the church - the older, or stick-in-muds parties, usually do not accept or embrace the "New Thing" that they may have actually prayed for when it does come! Jesus said that new wine needs to be put in new wine skins. His context may have been Judaism of the first century, and the people to whom He came, but out from which arose the Church, where the wine of the Gospel was poured into, so to speak. We are perhaps, facing a form of crisis between the evangelical "judaizers", who have it "all sown up, thank you very much!" and the upstart, post-moderns, almost-called, apostates. I feel that this face-off is a diversion - a false dichotomy between "truth claims" and "truth lived", if you will, which I'm sure the enemy of souls and of love will foster as much as possible.

Leaving aside the knee-jerk reactions, there are certainly things I do not like or am critical of in the EC, but there is an abundance of life beginning to flow; new, prayerful and sincere groups, grappling with Christ and His message. These groups are seeking to emulate the sermon on the mount, but are not afraid to dispatch many sacred cows onto the grill, which are long overdue for roasting, in my opinion. I'm avoiding specifics here because, so often, we fight about petty things, such a preferences and styles, rather than exercising ourselves on a critical, personal level, against biblical imperatives about the kind of people we are, and the attitudes we are to have, more than we care to admit. We're not so good at the weightier issues, such as keeping a rein on our tonques, offering charity to all, and giving a good hearing to our fellow-believers, never mind our enemies!

Keeping the Baby, Not the Bath Water.

So what might be at stake? What criticisms are valid? I have observed several things that trouble me (I could be wrong) about the EC, but it is early days yet.Time may prove my concerns unfounded, (and those of others). Perhaps, many of the dangers will be ameliorated quite naturally, as the pendulum swings back to the center (whatever that might be, it will be some sort of balance, tempered by wisdom). Notwithstanding the fact that, quite ironically, a balanced view of the Gospel appreciates that it is essentially radical and scandulous to our sensibilites at it's core. Converting Jesus' parables into our own context can be quite a shock, if you have not tried it! If you are comfortable with everything, then take heed, and ponder the significance of that fact.

The enemy, if we can even use that term, is not so much from post-modern accomodations, or it's perceived threat (which may actually be a very good thing), but it is from failing not to take the Gospel to heart, where and when we are now. Of allowing the shape or power of the modern AND post-modern (and what comes next) mindset to squeeze out the Gospel, and/or distort it's present day application, and eternel essence. Like missionares, but in our own culture, there is a vital task of enculturating the Gospel into our sitting rooms, so that it is neither denuded of it's message, nor it is unintellible to those around us. It is replacing some things and embracing others, with the Gospel as the yardstick; which actually makes this effort tougher to do, because the Gospel frequently up-ends our thinking and values. The Gospel is messy when it intersects with human lives; it's truth is wonderful and terrible, and certainly not a, "one-dose-for-all-time" formula. Some things need to be thrown out. Some practices and attitudes need to be left behind. And yes, some fears say more about us, and less about others or what we are afraid of.

May Father help all of us to wash the mud from our eyes so we can see clearly. We may have been healed in Christ by receiving salvation, yet many of us might only be seeing "men as tree's walking", i.e., partially, (Mark 8:24;) without a second (and third) touch from the Master, so that we might really see, might humbly believe, and might love more than our own.