Archive for the ‘Emerging church’ Category.
July 20, 2010, 7:00 am
The juxtaposition of these two would-be opposites, popularized by Robert Webber in his numerous writings on the effects of the early church on contemporary worship, describes one important aspect of the emerging church movement. Ancient Faith, Future Mission: Fresh Expressions in the Sacramental Tradition (c2010, Seabury Books), edited by Stephen Croft, Ian Mobsby and Stephanie Spellers, draws another term ‘fresh expressions’ into the mix. While ‘Emerging Church’ has its roots in the evangelical movement, ‘Fresh Expressions’ has erupted out of the Anglo-Catholic tradition originally in England and a bit later in the Episcopal Church in the United States. With a host of distinguished contributors including Rowan Williams, Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle, and a foreword by Katherine Jefferts Schori, the book served for me as a primer of what emerging church looks like in the Anglican tradition. It offers a history of the U2charist movement, from one of its earliest designers; descriptions of many permutations of ‘Fresh Expressions’ communities in England and the US; and even an article on how buildings inform worship and specifically how two churches transitioned their congregation by imaginatively redesigning their century-old sanctuaries. Every contributor had a story to tell and the total encourages hope for a tradition that has long struggled with the public perception as the ‘frozen-chosen.’ The inclusion of numerous websites for further study enriches the book even further. Ancient Faith, Future Mission will be on my short list of suggested reading.
May 25, 2010, 8:34 am
Last Friday before dinner, I relaxed in the lounge of a convention center with a glass of wine & my current read: Quitting Church: Why the Faithful Are Fleeing and What to Do about It by Julia Duin. It was quiet in the lounge & my server stopped to talk, indicating his curiosity about the title of my book. I explained to him that there was a growing number of authors who are reporting & commenting on the hemorrhaging of members from faith communities. I told the young man, who had attended a private C
hristian school, that church leadership is starting to take notice… not all, mind you, but many prestigious leaders are.
The incident served to heighten & reinforce everything that I had heard that past 24 hours in sessions with author & distinguished pastor Adam Hamilton. His message was clear… people are hungry for authentic Christianity that does what Jesus called us to do; that is, put people first… all people, not just our members. Pastor Adam mentioned his new small group study that will be released in August titled When Christians Get It Wrong. I will be eager to read it & put it on our shelves because it is sure to provide clarity on this sensitive subject.
Unfortunately our conversation in the lounge was too brief… certainly for me, if not for my young server. If we had had more time, I would have thanked him for the openness he exhibited in approaching me. It is just such encounters that remind me that the Holy Spirit’s presence can be made known anywhere. May God bless this young man on his journey.
May 18, 2010, 7:36 am
By his own admission, Brian McLaren has sought to compile a comprehensive statement of the theology of emergent church in his latest book A New Kind of Christianity. It is thorough and, to a great extent, approachable to the average lay person who has not had the 
benefit (some might say disadvantage) of a seminary-trained grasp of theology. Anyone who has caught glimpses of emerging church conversation and asked for a definition will likely get more than they were bargaining for. But if you find your heart stirring with the excitement of seeing the Christian faith in a new light, you may well find this is the book that answers that stirring heart.
This was by no means my first foray into this transitional understanding of the Christian faith, nor is it my initiation into McLaren’s cutting edge works. Although the author has visited the Delmarva Peninsula twice in as many years, I unfortunately have not had the opportunity to hear him speak. Others have told me his presentations are every bit as powerful as his books are challenging. He has, after all, taken the brunt of traditional criticism directed toward the movement’s ideas. Honed in that crucible, his thought have developed a clarity of purpose perhaps lacking in others. Probably most valuable to me was his list of cautions on how to proceed with the change of heart this movement engenders. Cautiously, he tells us, for the strident enthusiasm with which one might approach others in your own community of faith may lead to anger, misunderstanding, and alienation. Instead, join a cohort. I’ll let you know how it goes. http://harpercollins.com/books/9780061853982/A_New_Kind_of_Christianity/index.aspx
The juxtaposition of these two would-be opposites, popularized by Robert Webber in his numerous writings on the effects of the early church on contemporary worship, describes one important aspect of the emerging church movement. Ancient Faith, Future Mission: Fresh Expressions in the Sacramental Tradition (c2010, Seabury Books), edited by Stephen Croft, Ian Mobsby and Stephanie Spellers, draws another term ‘fresh expressions’ into the mix. While ‘Emerging Church’ has its roots in the evangelical movement, ‘Fresh Expressions’ has erupted out of the Anglo-Catholic tradition originally in England and a bit later in the Episcopal Church in the United States. With a host of distinguished contributors including Rowan Williams, Brian McLaren, Phyllis Tickle, and a foreword by Katherine Jefferts Schori, the book served for me as a primer of what emerging church looks like in the Anglican tradition. It offers a history of the U2charist movement, from one of its earliest designers; descriptions of many permutations of ‘Fresh Expressions’ communities in England and the US; and even an article on how buildings inform worship and specifically how two churches transitioned their congregation by imaginatively redesigning their century-old sanctuaries. Every contributor had a story to tell and the total encourages hope for a tradition that has long struggled with the public perception as the ‘frozen-chosen.’ The inclusion of numerous websites for further study enriches the book even further. Ancient Faith, Future Mission will be on my short list of suggested reading.
