the    sides

A buddy of mine went to a church leadership meeting the other day (no, I didn’t make that one). He said something that was really funny yet really sad.

He said that most of the guys at this meeting equated ‘emergent church’ with burning candles and incense. We both laughed - pretty hard.

But it got me thinking - I have a picture in my mind as to what an ‘emergent church’ is. But when I talk to real people (those not paid christian professionals), they look at me like I’m from Mars.

Once I get about halfway through my definition - they go - “Oh!! You mean just being relevant to the folks we live with? Taking Jesus to them in an real way, not a head way?”

Then I look dumbfounded - yeah, that’s about it.

Did you know Google lists 215,000 sites for ‘emergent church’? The Po-Mo in me says - “Heck yeah, baby! We are going deconstruct this pale, pathetic mask of an institution called church and bring it back to the TRUTH!!”

Then another side kicks in - the Spirit? - and speaks “You know, it might be just that simple - taking Jesus in a real way wherever I go.”

So in an attempt to rescue the church from the professional, what do you think? Are we wasting time with the definitions? Are they helpful? Is the act of defining, in and of itself relevant and helping us be GC2?

Here are some links for further investigation.