The emerging church can't be placed within a modern framework of imposed measurements, no matter how hard you try. This is not another program that needs to be adopted to fulfill the factory, success quota.
It is not about 'working' for predetermined outcomes, as if the end result were the most important thing. Within the emerging culture the process and journey is more important than the destination. In actuality as Peter Rollins says, the journey is the destination. And even more, it is the emphasis on the essence of being on the journey.
To ask the question or even feel the sentiment in conversation within the emerging church is to blatantly say, "I really just don't get it."
Saturday, February 17, 2007
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3 comments:
I found you via Sarcastic Lutheran, and I can tell already that I'll enjoy following your blog.
But let me push this question of whether emergent "works." Is emergent financially sustainable? Is it structurally sustainable? Or, does it need to be? I have visited some emergent churches and read some emergent literature, and I wonder how sustainable this "model" of ministry is. The emergent churches that I have noticed receive moderate to significant financial support from a sponsoring (traditional) congregation, a denomination's evangelism fund, or a small number of benefactors who may or may not actually be part of that particular congregation. Also, I have noticed that some emergent pastors receive significant percentage of their salary from writing, speaking, or other work - not from the offering of their church members.
I appreciate Emergent's theology and paradigm, but I still ask the question, "Yes, but does it work?"
If you care to glance at my sypathetic yet critical thoughts on emergent, visit my Emergent Tag over at The Lutheran Zephyr.
Thanks for your blog. Peace and blessings to you!
thanks for entering the world of the curious. the whole notion of sustainability seems to be big these days...i'm hearing it in a variety of places. i will be blogging on some of this more because i think your question raises some important things to consider, once again, not least of which is our modes of measurement for what determines success...in my opinion a 'standard/rule' that is transferred and imposed on the postmodern church from the modern. we'll chat about this soon. hope you stay in the conversation.
This all sounds so new agie, where is the accountability in the emrging chuch. I can't help but compare it to the unitarian church campfire meeetings.
All feel good no responsibility.
The jurney is the most important thing. We head down our jorney on our merry. While the lost around us suffers. It's a western version of hinduism. Let's think deep thoughts about God, while sitting in the local Starbucks. But let's not go to Church because that takes time amd commitment.
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