Stumbling through other’s blogs, here’s a link to an explanation of the word “emergent” when applied to the current “Emerging Church Movement.” I link to this because of a well know evangelical, radio pastor who lambasted the emerging church as a universalistic, heretical, paganistic movement. In the interview, he also stated how suits and ties are best suited for church “(I think there are reasons to go with the suit rather the grunge approach—of dignity, respect, sober mindedness, seriousness, loftiness, etc, etc.)”
As with all movements, the critics find reason to critique and destroy. Obviously, some in any movement are blatantly wrong. Even Jean Calvin regreted his decision to put to death another theologian, Severetus. The typical response to change agents is to find everything possible, arcane or obvious, which discredits the movement. When will it all change?
Are we part of the emergent church? What if the word “emergent” is simply a new way of saying the word, “reformed?” Are we reformed and being reformed by the word of God? Are we emerging from darkness and continually emerging into the light? We constantly need to change. The more a person looks at his or her beliefs, and the more a church looks at the way they do church, the more culture and tradition can be seen to have shaped beliefs and practices.
When I was growing up in our Plymouth Brethren Assembly (Muskegon Gospel Chapel, Muskegon, MI), women were not allowed to speak publicly at any meeting except the Ladies Group. Women accepted this as their lot in life. My generation did not. The church saw a slow trickle of my generation leave every year until the doors closed in 1991. The church saw music as bad for the worship around the , but not in any other service. The church believed that pastors did not have a role to play in churches. The elders were supposed to teach, preach and do pastoral ministry. Few elders were qualified. Yet, the church would rather die than admit its beliefs and practices were shaped by a movement of the 1820’s and 30’s in Anglican England as a backlash against the heavy handedness of the Church of England.
I combatted people to the death over these issues when I went to college. Yet, slowly, as I searched scripture and saw the truth of what shapes us, I realized many, many people are hurt by this combative attitude, especially me. This doesn’t mean we who see these shaping forces lack conviction. On the contrary. I see God’s power at work through truth and the living Word of God more than ever. Let HIM work. Let truth speak for itself. This, I believe, is the emergent church at its best, even to the place of having worship surround scripture reading alone, without commentary.
