Larry Isitt Jan 2013

Transcription

1 Larry Isitt Jan 2013

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11 (1)The world is radically changing and the church must radically change with it Emergents believe postmodernity represents a dramatic break with the past and that only an extreme transformation in the church can keep the church relevant and effective in this environment.

12 (2) Since the Church has been culture bound for so long we must reexamine and question every belief and practice in the Church, finding new ways to define and express these

13 (3) We have no foundation for any beliefs, therefore we cannot know absolute truth

14 (4) Since we cannot know absolute truth, we can only experience what is true for our communities

15 (5) Since we cannot know absolute truth we cannot be dogmatic about doctrine Emergents see orthodoxy as generous, that is, inclusive of many beliefs Christians have historically thought of as aberrant or heretical.

16 (6) Since we cannot know absolute truth we cannot be dogmatic about moral standards Absolute stands on issues such as homosexuality are viewed as obsolete.

17 (7) Since we cannot know absolute truth, dogmatic preaching must give way to a dialogue between people of all beliefs Emerging Christians do not posture themselves before the world as though they were the light and the world were in darkness. Instead of preaching to the lost they join in conversation, with people of various beliefs.

18 (8) Since propositional truth is uncertain, spiritual feeling and social action make up the only reliable substance of Christianity Postmoderns think and communicate in narratives. Since the pursuit of truth is portrayed as a never ending journey with no solid starting point, they consider the only legitimate measuring rods of Christianity to be experience and good works.

19 (9) To capture a sacred feeling we should reconnect with ancient worship forms Trappings such as burning candles and events such as silent retreats are popular in the movement. Embracing these premodern forms further breaks their connection with modern Christianity.

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21 (10) Since sublime feeling is experienced through outward forms, we should utilize art forms in our worship Many participants in the movement see appreciating art for art s sake as a spiritual experience.

22 (11) Through conversation with them, outsiders will become part of our community, and then be able to understand and believe what we teach The postmodern approach is not to try to persuade people to believe, it is to try to befriend people into joining.

23 (12) All are welcome to join the conversation as long as they behave in a kind and open-minded manner. Emerging believers reject any posture which hints at exclusivism.

24 (13) The ultimate goal is to make the world a better place The Emerging Church movement envisions a utopia in which the oppressed of the world are free, the poor are no longer impoverished and the environment is clean. This paradise is achieved through social activism. Many emergent leaders think it is selfish folly to live for the return of Christ.

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26 History Emergent Village began as a group of friends who gathered under the auspices and generosity of Leadership Network in the late 1990s. We began meeting because many of us were disillusioned and disenfranchised by the conventional ecclesial institutions of the late 20th century. Emergent Village--History

27 History Friendship Above all, we became convinced that living into the Kingdom meant doing it together, as friends. Thus, we committed ourselves to lives of reconciliation and friendship, no matter our theological or historical differences. Emergent Village--History

28 History Organization By 2001, we had formed an organization around our friendship, known as Emergent, as a means of inviting more people into the conversation. Emergent Village--History

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30 Craig G. Bartholomew H. Evan Runner Chair in Philosophy Professor of Religion & Theology Michael W. Goheen Geneva Professor of Worldview and Religious Studies

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32 The proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom is not an announcement about a new religious experience or doctrine. Still less is this an offer of future salvation in another spiritual world. (2) The biblical story of redemption is about the restoration and healing of God s good creation (52)

33 The biblical story of redemption is about the restoration and healing of God s good creation (52)

34 In Plato s thought, salvation is: vertical (our destiny is upward in heaven) otherworldly (our souls are saved into another spiritual world) an escape (we are saved not as part of this world but rather from this world)

35 A genuinely Christian worldview contradicts the Platonic view at each of these points, since biblically the goal of salvation is: --horizontal (we look forward in history to the renewal of creation) --of this world (the creation is to be renewed) --integral to God s ultimate plan for this world (no escape necessary)

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38 1) God's kingdom is not a literal, physical kingdom that will be established on earth 2) Jesus will not physically return to earth 3) God's will actually means the dream God has for this world, and eternal life means does not mean life without end In Plain Site. Org Carol Brooks

39 4) The message of Jesus was good news- not just for Christians, but also for people of other religions, including New Agers, agnostics, and atheists, In other words, unbelievers and pagans can be saved without explicit faith in Christ In Plain Site. Org Carol Brooks

40 5) The book of Revelation was not written about the (then) distant future, but was the first century way of talking about the challenges faced by the early church. ie. The Roman Empire. 6) Judgment is generally a good thing, because it means the coming of truth and justice into our world In Plain Site. Org Carol Brooks

41 7) Salvation emphatically does not automatically mean "save from hell" or "give eternal life after death" 8) Christians have been "brainwashed" to read Genesis through Greco-Roman bifocals, but "these stories aren't intended to be taken literally" In Plain Site. Org Carol Brooks

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43 Phyllis Tickle As we re about to do that, let us remember what we are doing. We not only celebrate that death and that promise of return, but we re feeding by eating God, which is what we re doing here, by eating the body and blood of our God, we are feeding the God within us. For as we take those elements, the Spirit also feeds within us, and is reinvigorated as he, or she, or it is by our faith.

44 In Plain Site Carol Brooks

45 is a book that constantly must be wrestled with and re-interpreted. Bible interpretation is colored by historical context, the reader's bias and current realities The more you study the Bible, the more questions it raises This is part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that Scripture alone is our guide. It sounds nice but it is not true When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true

46 This is misguided and toxic and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus message of love, peace, forgiveness and joy that our world desperately needs to hear Love Wins (2011)

47 Labyrinths are rapidly becoming a recognised form of worship in many evangelical organisations and churches. They are being promoted by Youth for Christ, Youth Specialties, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, The Emergent Church Convention, NavPress, Rick Warren, Zondervan Publishing, National Pastors Convention, Leadership Magazine, Group Publishing and a host of others. In Plain Site. Org

48 Grace Cathedral is the Episcopal Cathedral of the Diocese of California, and an iconic house of prayer for all - locally, nationally and internationally. Our inclusive congregation consists of seekers and believers, embraces innovation and openminded conversation, and tries to put its beliefs into action in all aspects of life.

49 Grace Cathedral, which now boasts two labyrinths.. an indoor and an outdoor one, says.. There are three stages of the walk Purgation (Releasing) ~ A releasing, a letting go of the details of your life. This is the act of shedding thoughts and distractions. A time to open the heart and quiet the mind. In Plain Site. Org

50 Illumination (Receiving) ~ When you reach the center, stay there as long as you like. It is a place of meditation and prayer. Receive what is there for you to receive.

51 Union (Returning) ~ As you leave, following the same path out of the center as you came in, you enter the third stage, which is joining God, your Higher Power, or the healing forces at work in the world. Each time you walk the labyrinth you become more empowered to find and do the work you feel your soul reaching for.

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53 After the convention we knew we couldn't keep this experience to ourselves. A few months later we featured a labyrinth as part of Graceland's annual art event at Santa Cruz Bible Church. Graceland artists recreated the labyrinth with a kit we purchased (The Prayer Path, Group Publishing), transforming one of the church's multipurpose rooms into a medieval prayer sanctuary. Dan Kimball

54 The team hung art on the walls, draped fabric, and lit candles all around the room to create a visual sense of sacred space. Over two nights we saw more than 100 people go through the labyrinth. It was a joy to see so many people on their knees communing with God through the experiential prayer elements.

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56 "How then have we come to believe that at the cross this God of love suddenly decides to vent his anger and wrath on his own son? The fact is that the cross [is] a form of cosmic child abuse -- a vengeful father punishing his son for an offense he has not even committed. Understandably, both people inside and outside of the church have found this twisted version of events morally dubious and a huge barrier to faith. (Steve Chalke and Alan Mann, The Lost Message of Jesus [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003], pp )

57 Leonard Sweet, Drew University

58 There was once a broken-down old mainline/sideline/offline church traveling on the road from yesterday to tomorrow when it fell among postmodern culture. It was stripped of its place in society, leaving it beat up, left behind, and more than half dead.

59 Now by chance there was a doctoral student going down the road who passed by on the other side. I ve got papers due, and besides, that dead old denomination hasn t got any life left in it.

60 In the same way a prophetic pastor came to the place, saw the broken-down church, and whispered to himself, O Lord, let me retire before it finally dies.

61 But then a complete nobody, who didn t know enough not to get involved, and who had failed the Jesus course, found the church and had compassion on it.

62 S/he bound up its wounds, pouring on the oil of hope and the wine of Christ s blood, poured out the oil of forgiveness of sin; then set it on her/his own beast and took it to a place where it could reflect and refresh and find healing.

63 S/he said to the keeper, This poor old church is almost dead. It may or may not have anything to say to a new world; but make it as comfortable as you can, spend whatever you have to, until I come back A student at Drew University, Leonard Sweet s So Beautiful

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65 In answer to your inquiry, I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.

66 "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master - - that's all." (Through the Looking Glass, Chapter 6)