Emerging/Emergent Trait 3: Living as Community – Sept 16
Description: The emphases here include a missional focus. "The church is primarily a people, not a place to meet." "The church lives as a committed community in this world, which desperately needs redemption." "Nationalism, individualism, consumerism are a few of the ideologies that must be reappropriated or completely abandoned in light of the coming reign of God." The requirement of the kingdom is a profound change of allegiance.
Description: The emphases here include a missional focus. "The church is primarily a people, not a place to meet." "The church lives as a committed community in this world, which desperately needs redemption." "Nationalism, individualism, consumerism are a few of the ideologies that must be reappropriated or completely abandoned in light of the coming reign of God." The requirement of the kingdom is a profound change of allegiance. "The shopping mall mentality of the seeker church caters to the spiritual search of the American consumer." Worship is more than worshipping beside another. Community participation in worship is emphasized. Community requires a radical restructuring. "Emerging churches utilize the kingdom as a tool to deconstruct all aspects of life, including virtually all church practices." Church is a network of relationships, not where weekly worship services are conducted. So it is a family, not an institution; a people rather tan a place; a community rather than a meeting. "Meetings have a place but they are not church." One sees the church in the things that are done beyond the worship service. Some have even done away with a central gathering. Some are house groups and are decentralized. It works with mutual accountability (Small group prayer, soul friend, or a spiritual director). "Time alone will tell whether such high aspirations can be maintained over the course of years." Meetings should serve the development of communities of service and witness. The activity is open to Christians and non-Christians, avoiding creating "us" and "them" distinctions. Small is better than big to create the community. The claim is to move from a solid church to a liquid church. Evaluation: The goals here work in a solid direction. Community is a key value for the church and there are elements of consumerism in the church that risk not building people up to make distinctions from cultural values that get in the way of growth. What is not so clear is how this works in practice. In what sense is there coherent community across a particular body beyond the small group? Other churches struggle with this as well and attack it going in the other direction through small group emphases that do add layers of participation. What the E/E value appears to do is to strip away the "large" layer and make church the intimate group. The question becomes, will E/E struggle with a wider identity and connection to the church at large outside of their intimate group? Will it nurture any sense of a larger whole. Some of this is being done through networked communication. Churches of other structures also structure with this problem as well, so E/E is not alone here. The one remark I connect to is the idea that the jury is out on whether or not these aspirations can be truly met long term through the emphasis on a liquid church. Maybe to have a full meal we need solid and liquid elements? In addition, sometimes there is an "us" and "them.’ Even Jesus spoke of the world in contrast to his disciples. Most of the New Testament does as well. The church is a "called out" community in that it came from somewhere else to become what it is. So being sensitive to not overdoing "us" and "them" does not mean one should eliminate the distinction all together.
5 Comments
Alexandra P
Thanks
Just wanted to thank you for this series of posts, on the E/E church. Although I’ve not met people who identify as this (it seems to be an American thing – I’m an Aussie), I have met people who espouse one or more of these ideas, so it’s good to read someone who deals with both the positives and negatives of the different aspects, and what it can offer the wider Christian body. Thanks again!
As an English teacher, though… could you put in more paragraph breaks?? It makes it easier to read!
probt777
E/E Trait Descriptions Helful
i find your exposition of the primary E/E traits very helpful, as i had some questions regarding their doctrinal identity and practices. i do have a question. To what extent are E/E devotees influenced by feminism and liberal protestant theology? i noticed for example, one of the writers you quoted spoke of the “coming reign of God” (carefully avoiding the term “kingdom”). i know that feminists and liberal protestants tend to choose “reign” over “kingdom” in order to avoid what they would deem androcentric and therefore, misogynic language. Also there seems to be a reticence to adhere to doctrinal non-negotiables, as liberals also eschew the idea of (at least conservative) non-negotiables. Do i have E/E practitioners all wrong, are my impressions at least partly right? Sorry for the lengthy comment, and i look forward to your response.
bock
dlb E/E Trait Useful
I do not think the focus on the kingdom reflects liberal tendencies. This emphasis does fit the emphasis of Jesus’ teaching (See my Jesus according to Scripture and the concluding chapter). The E/E movement is generally egalitarian on women’s issues. I do not think that necessarily makes it feminist. As to how E/E handles issues of doctrine, see my remarks on traits 1 and 2 and keep an eye out for the summary when I am all done. I will address that question then.
probt777
clarification on E/E questions
i’m sorry i was not clear in my previous comment. i did not intend to say that a kingdom focus was a tendency of liberal theology. What i wanted to know was if E/E’s choice of the phrase “reign of God” (as in some of your quotes) is deliberately used in place of “kingdom of God,” and if this is a reflection of feminist influence. For example, i’m holding in front of me The New Testament & Psalms: An Inclusive Version (Oxford Press)which substitutes “dominion” for “kingdom.” One of the reasons they do so is that the latter is “blatantly androcentric and patriarchal. . .” (xiv). i’ve noticed that many contemporary writings have been using “reign of God” lately. i just want to know if this is due to feminist pressure. Thanks for directing me to your book Jesus According to Scripture for further information on the Kingdom of God.
regards
bock
dlb- clarification on E/E Questions
Probt777:
I do not think there is any feminist influence here. The book I have worked with the closest is using the expressions interchangably. Here is a setence that shows what is going on — “The kingdom, or the reign of God, is about our life here and now, and it is concerned not just with individual needs and aspirations but also with the well-being and mission of the community of Christ’s representatives.” The paragraph in which this sentence appears uses nothing but kingdom of God from here on in the paragraph.
dlb