a label that has been used to refer to a particular subset of Christians who are rethinking Christianity against the backdrop of Postmodernism.... Emerging Church groups have typically contained some or all of the following elements:
Highly creative approaches to worship and spiritual reflection. This can involve everything from the use of contemporary music and films through to liturgy or other more ancient customs. ...
Aflexible approach to theology whereby individual differences in belief and morality are accepted within reason.
A more holistic approach to the role of the church in society. This can mean anything from greater emphasis on fellowship in the structure of the group to a higher degree of emphasis on social action, community building or Christian outreach.
A desire to reanalyse the Bible against the context into which it was written...." Psalm 119:11
the above is a blurb i took from a website some time ago. i wish i could reference it, but i did a cut and paste job onto a text file some time ago, sorry.. so here it is. my reading over this holiday has got me to thinking about whether i am emergent or not.
i have often been asked while leading a retreat, worship, or writing if i was "emergent." my inclination is to say "no." from what i have explored of the emergent church "movement" i feel i am quite different from this. i will acknowledge that i love the people that are a part of the movement & am charged up by their passion to challenge traditional ministry. i am enriched by the conversation. i want to be a part of it as much as i can. my hope is that i contribute someway to their mission, even though i am not going to be a part of their total mission. talking with, my friend, jonathon the other day, we talked about the united methodists role in the emergent church... let's face it, the emergent church is a charismatic movement, not something of the mainline protestants. when i was at the emergent convention '04 here in nashville i was amazed by the number of methodist ministers that would ask thoughtful questions about the "movement." what is the ecclisiology of the emergent church? would be something i'd hear. 1. so i wonder if part of the united methodist churches role in this movement is to bring some validity by questioning the foundations for it? it seems logical to me because as a united methodist church we would embrace elements of the emergent church that are well thought out. our knee jerk reaction to contemporary church lead me to think we are moving more cautiously into this one. thus challenging the "fathers" of the emergent church movement to evaluate themselves.
sorry, back to me. my walk with faith has not taken me down a road of emergent but of ancient. i find spiritual nourishment in traditions that my church doesn't make readily available, but are practiced throughout Christianity. this might make me post-modern (as they are in not in my mainline denomination), but i feel it is far from modern, but only embracing what has been lost. i will call myself "monastic" and this is what i will be. my life is by the hours of prayer. i carry my prayer rope for times of meditation. i have a journal for art and writings. i shall minister through relationships, hard work, prayer, silence, & at times use words.
when i am having formal "worship" times with my youth i could call that ministry, and it may be. i really feel that my ministry, my way to Christ, Connection to God falls into the monastic rhythms. as the rule of st. benedict tells me, i shouldn't get into the politics, but i can love the Christ in everything. let me listen, let me be a voice, but i will not consider myself "emergent" but call myself "monastic."
