The “emerging church”
Thanks to Steve Harvey for pointing me in the general direction in which I found this excerpt from a book titled “Faith Undone”. It is a look at the current tendency to “candy coat” christianity. There are a lot of folks out there trying to come up with a “new and improved” version of the Gospel which was preached by Jesus the Christ and His Apostles. The original article Steve pointed me towards was written by Roger Oakland. It starts off with a quote by Doug Pagitt.
Perhaps we as Christians today are not only to consider what it means to be a 21st century church, but also and perhaps more importantly–what it means to have a 21st century faith. –Doug Pagitt
Now, there’s some good stuff there. Like I tell folks, “eat the corn, toss the cob”. We DO need to ask ourselves what the church should look like in the 21st and what it means to be a Christian in the 21st century. However, that should not mean re-inventing the church but rather clearing off all the clutter that has tied the church down for centuries and returning to the original teachings of Jesus and His Apostles. The truths taught in the Scriptures are timeless. They apply to all times and all cultures. “Love your enemies” is just as meaningful today as it was 2,000 years ago. “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” will STILL server you well today.
The problems ome because folks aren’t satisfied with counting the cost and taking up their cross daily to follow in the Savior’s footsteps. Jesus taught that the way to the Father’s kingdom was through the difficult and narrow path. Today folks want to widen the highway and “improve things”. But that wide, fourlane highway is the path to perdition – according to the teachings of Jesus the Christ. He warned us that it would not be easy to follow His paths. But He also promised us that He will help us along the way. There will be no problem, temptation nor trial that is not common to mankind. And with His help we can overcome them all.
Do we need to “rethink” or “re-invent” the church? NO. Not really. We may need to re-think how we’ve been “doing church” – but in the light of how Jesus the Christ established His Church and with a view to scraping away the trappings of man and re-instating His original plan.
One advantage to being an MK is that it has been my pleasure to experience God’s working in various different cultures. It has been my pleasure to worship and study with Brazilian city dwellers – and sertanejos and caboclos as well. I have gathered together with saints in Colombian cities and in tiny rural churches as well. And in the US I have been able to meet together with large “mega churches” as well as tiny rural congregations. And although there are great differences in the way certain things are done – they all (for the most part) taught the Gospel of Jesus the Christ. It has been my fortune to come from a heritage of people who take God’s word seriously. And so although in practice there are differences – three songs (first, third and fourth verses only) or one “praise song” sung many times, or an hour or two of singing “favorites” – there has also been a sameness in the actual content of the basic teaching.
I’m not big on the Reformation as some friends of mine are. I thank God for the men who laid their lives on the line, but also see how they fell short of the mark. They kept a lot of the “human trappings” that had come down to them even though they DID shead a lot of the false teachings and human trappings. But there is much more that needs to be done to return to the Old Paths that were trod by our Savior. And although I’m a “child of the Restoration Movement” I also see how they kept much of the Reformation’s human trappings as well. One branch in particular has been so tied up in trying to find a viable pattern for their notion of “worhip” that they have tended to ignore completely what the New Testament actually teaches on the subject.
So where does that leave us today? I believe that we need to see what former generations have done – and continue to delve deeply into the Scriptures to see how much better we can implement the Lord’s teachings no matter where He may lead us. One of the keys to successful missionary effort is in distilling the Scriptures and their teachings down to that which is universal in application. For too long churches have reproduced themselves right down to the pews and bulletins as they take the gospel around the world. After all, to them that is “church”. But what about the teachings that lead us to live a life different from those around us? What about “renewing our minds” so that we can know what the will of God is? I, for one, am sick of seeing churches that mirror the world. If we have the same level of teenage pregnancy and the same level of divorce and immorality as the world around us – we have lost our savor and are not fit for anything but to be trampled under the feet of mankind. He called us to be salt and light – not to be just like everyone else.
Now don’t misread what I’m saying here. The church is the place for sinners to come. But in the words of Jesus the Christ – “go and sin no more”. One does not go to a hospital because one wishes to remain sick. Nor should one come to the Church in order to remain in the world. After all, the Scriptures refers to ALL Christ’s disciples as “saints”. That means “holy” or “separated” people. We are to separate ourselves from the world, not adapt ourselves to it.
Unfortunately, the “emerging church” is based around “seeker sensitiveness” and the Gospel’s fangs are removed – leaving it toothless in the face of sin and depravation. Is this what Jesus taught? I think not. He laid His cards on the table and was accused of “hard sayings” because He equated improper thoughtlife to adultery and told folks that He was the Only Way to the Father and that they’d have to “eat His flesh and drink His blood” if they wanted to come into the Kingdom. Those were not exactly “seeker sensitive” words and attitudes. He told people flat out, “You’re seeking me because I filled your tummies with food.” And today that is what many churches are striving to do – make folks feel good and leave it at that. But living in sin is not supposed to “feel good”. It is supposed to wear at us and worry us and nag at us until we repent and turn back to God’s paths.
What would the “emerging church” look like if we actually lived like Jesus taught? What if we actually repented from our sins and came to Him humbly, seeking His direction for our lives? I believe that then we would once more “turn the world upside down”. But that’s not going to happen as long as we sugar coat the Gospel.
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