The Baby, and the Bath Water

The Baby and the Bath Water

About four and a half years ago I read an article in a worship leader magazine that absolutely thrilled me. The article spoke of the need to communicate effectively the message of who Christ is and some of the pitfalls that we can fall into by not understanding the changes in our emerging culture and the people we communicate with. Since then, the words ‘emerging’ and ‘emerging church’ have become quite the topic, and for good reasons.

Since that writing, I have read at least a half dozen books and who knows how many articles about the “Emerging Church.” Some of them have been interesting, some insightful, and some just plain anarchy against scripture, which is why I found it both amusing and confusing when I heard that some are saying that I’m a part of the emerging church. I wonder which one they mean.
It’s interesting (to me at least) that the people and ministries that I believe have been successful at reaching today’s culture and who I might consider “emergent” in that regard don’t claim that for themselves, but are labeled that by others, which I suppose gives me hope at least, but those who have labeled themselves as “emerging churches” I would have to describe as trying too hard just to be different.

With the array of thoughts on what the emerging church is (or isn’t), I want to address a few things that I have gained, as well as a few I reject. Hopefully this will at least clarify some of what has come to me about myself by way of others. First of all, I do not consider myself a part of the emerging church since there is no way to define what that really means. To quote my brother, “It’s like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall”... you just can’t make it stick to anything consistent. And truth be told, there is really only one church, and no person or denomination has claim to her. As I have been telling the Friday study group, we are not starting a church, we are the church! I did get that by the way from one of those books I read, but then its truth was taken from that other book, the bible.

Paul urged those in Thessalonica to examine (test) everything; hold on to what is good. I think it would be wise to have this attitude toward all the things we read (or hear). Whether they are considered secular, emergent or Christian. But it seems instead of testing all things we are quick to judge all things and lose that which may be good. I know from experience that it’s much easier to criticize than it is to examine and I have been guilty plenty of times of being quick to speak and slow to hear, contrary to James’s admonition to do the opposite. But we all need to realize that a hasty declaration may be followed by a regrettable conclusion and if we’re not careful, we will have thrown the baby out with the bath water.
I said I want to address a few things that I am for and against with what has been called the emerging church and I will in my next blog, as well as some new things happening in our Friday’s gathering. Until then “…this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” (Phil.1:9 – 10)
Amen