Emergent... from under the duvet.
I've decided I should get round to doing a semi serious post, rather than rambling inanely. However, I am having a 'snuggled under the duvet,' moment due to not being well, so I don't really know how well my brain is working. (If anyone is curious - it's viral labyrinthitis - that'll teach me for looking at those alternative worship web sites).
Anyhow... on to emergent/emerging Church. This is something I've only recently become aware of, and something I find fascinating, exciting and challenging. I totally get where it is coming from. I'm working for the Church, because that is where God has called me to be, but if that had not happened, I can easily see how I would feel disenfranchised, and struggle to relate to the practices and politics of the established Church. So it makes a whole lot of sense to be asking questions about how to be a Christian in community with other Christians, worshiping, sharing faith and serving the needs of others - but not being tied down by a building or a 'but this is how we've always done things,' attitude.
I still have some pretty big questions about it though, and I'm sure these will come up in subsequent posts. One that has come home this week is a chap who has turned up at the Church desperately in need of help. He's got a home for the first time in 13 years, but he owns nothing, and has no means of getting any money for food or anything until the benefits system kicks in, which could take up to 3 weeks. He's got some pretty serious problems, but really seems to want to work them out. The response from the Church has been great, people are feeding him, befriending him, spending time with him, going with him to various appointments to support him, getting help from appropriate agencies, and a group of men have offered to be around for him as a group that will be with him no matter what as he sorts himself out. The community is really working. But what if the Church had just been an informal network? Where would Ed have come to?
I know Church is flawed, and I know that because I'm part of it, and I'm flawed. I know Emergent Church will prove to be flawed too, because it is a network of humans, who will still bicker and rant and lash out, and eventually it will cease being dynamic, and become established - because that is what happens to every human movement over time!
That's not to say it's wrong though. Not at all. I'm really excited by how God has been moving in it and using it. There are a whole lot of lessons the established Church can learn about thinking creatively about faith and worship and community.
I suppose I just hope that as things develop, that there will be grace and love between the emergent and established Churches, that neither one will be of the opinion that 'they've got it wrong, we've got the best way of being Church.' There is always more to learn, always more mistakes to be made, always a better way of doing or being.
Anyway, my head has started spinning again, so I'm of to reatreat under my duvet, and become re-aquainted with those heros of british daytime TV, Fern and Phil.
Anyhow... on to emergent/emerging Church. This is something I've only recently become aware of, and something I find fascinating, exciting and challenging. I totally get where it is coming from. I'm working for the Church, because that is where God has called me to be, but if that had not happened, I can easily see how I would feel disenfranchised, and struggle to relate to the practices and politics of the established Church. So it makes a whole lot of sense to be asking questions about how to be a Christian in community with other Christians, worshiping, sharing faith and serving the needs of others - but not being tied down by a building or a 'but this is how we've always done things,' attitude.
I still have some pretty big questions about it though, and I'm sure these will come up in subsequent posts. One that has come home this week is a chap who has turned up at the Church desperately in need of help. He's got a home for the first time in 13 years, but he owns nothing, and has no means of getting any money for food or anything until the benefits system kicks in, which could take up to 3 weeks. He's got some pretty serious problems, but really seems to want to work them out. The response from the Church has been great, people are feeding him, befriending him, spending time with him, going with him to various appointments to support him, getting help from appropriate agencies, and a group of men have offered to be around for him as a group that will be with him no matter what as he sorts himself out. The community is really working. But what if the Church had just been an informal network? Where would Ed have come to?
I know Church is flawed, and I know that because I'm part of it, and I'm flawed. I know Emergent Church will prove to be flawed too, because it is a network of humans, who will still bicker and rant and lash out, and eventually it will cease being dynamic, and become established - because that is what happens to every human movement over time!
That's not to say it's wrong though. Not at all. I'm really excited by how God has been moving in it and using it. There are a whole lot of lessons the established Church can learn about thinking creatively about faith and worship and community.
I suppose I just hope that as things develop, that there will be grace and love between the emergent and established Churches, that neither one will be of the opinion that 'they've got it wrong, we've got the best way of being Church.' There is always more to learn, always more mistakes to be made, always a better way of doing or being.
Anyway, my head has started spinning again, so I'm of to reatreat under my duvet, and become re-aquainted with those heros of british daytime TV, Fern and Phil.
posted by Kathryn at 10:03 AM
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