CCBlogs thinking critically, living faithfully

Here's the Q:
I have read your book "A generous orthodoxy" in swedish translation, 2 times. I am thrilled, and I really like your writings, and your way of neutralizing negative statements about "the others" by mentioning parallel phenomena within the christian world.

I guess one of the things about the emergent church is that we really do not know how it is going to develop. Looking at some video clips about some of the groups now operating does not help, and in fact, I would feel very uncomfortable sitting in a sofa just asking questions in a never ending discussion. Isn`t there any place for an orderly service??? Not everybody is a postmodern "non-committer" who enjoys questioning everything. Furthermore, I do not think that we have to invent more and more userfriendly things. Sooner or later our inventiveness ends.

Reply after the jump ...

Continue reading Q & R from Sweden: Isn't there any place for an orderly service?...

This question reminded me how we need to remember that each day, new people are for the first time realizing that some sort of paradigm shift is possible, happening, and needed in their faith. Every day, new people are ready to start on the journey and get involved. A number of friends from the emergent village community have talked about this for years ... we need to keep extending the new road farther and farther into new territory, while maintaining onramps for people from many different communities to start the journey from wherever they are, whenever they're ready. It's too easy to do one without the other ... but both are essential. I've inserted a few replies into the email below:

Hi Brian, Thank God for you, and for other men & women like you! I realise that you must get 1000's of emails just like this one, from people just like me, saying that they feel just like Dan Poole! I also realise how incredibly busy you are so I'll keep to the point and dispense with the need to provide you with my entire story! First, thanks for your kind words. And please know that I appreciate every email like yours that I get. It's so encouraging to see how Dan Poole's fictional story continues to strike a resonant chord with so many people. For a number of years, I have felt called by God to church planting; the church I attend has also recognised this so I have attended their seminary and 'qualified'(!) as a pastor, and the church has tried for a long time to help me bring to fruition the call to church planting. The problem being that I cannot - in good conscience - move forward with a plant, keeping to the 'party line', whilst knowing that there is so much more to real (a new kind of-) Christianity than what we currently practice. My question is this: I feel like a new kind of Christian but I need to know what a new kind of church looks like... what post-modern worship looks like... what post-modern preaching looks like... the actual day-to-day practicalities of a new kind of church. I really need to network with other like-minded people; I just need to find them. How did you ever start this journey?

First, you're fortunate in that fifteen years ago, when this journey was beginning for me, it was really hard to find anyone "safe" to talk to ... there was a lot of talk about innovative methodology, but to raise theological questions was somewhat risky. Of course, it's still risky - but thankfully more and more networks are forming where it's safe to ask questions, think together, and explore. Let me mention three resources based in the US:

1. As you've already discovered, Emergentvillage.com is a great resource. They put together and promote excellent conferences which always build in time for conversation - not just a lecture-listen format. The site can also help you find or form a cohort - a group of people who connect regionally for mutual support, encouragement, exchange of ideas, and development of relationships.

2. A great place for online dialogue is theooze.com. So many people have been helped by the "safe space" and virtual community available there. There are other helpful online communities too ... like Questians, for example.

3. When it comes to networking with other church planters, the good news is that a number of denominations are moving forward in supporting church planters like yourself. And some trans-denominational networks are beginning to form to encourage both affiliated and unaffiliated faith communities that are forming. One excellent new network to look into is TransForm.

I have only recently 'discovered' your books and feel a sense of elation; I feel like I have come up for air after a long time holding my breath at the bottom of a pool. I have read A new kind of Christian this weekend, and have started on The story we find ourselves in. Next to be read (this week) will be The last word and the word after that and A new kind of Christianity. But are there any other resources you can recommend? I'm looking at the Emergent Village website and Leadership Network's site, but would really appreciate some pointers... Many thanks in anticipation.

Again, I'm so glad you've found the "onramp" to some very encouraging developments. The good news is that there are so many resources - books, blogs, podcasts, etc. If you follow the links above and others on this site through emergent village, questians, transform, etc., you'll find lots of bloggers who are engaging in the emergent conversation. And soon, you'll see that you're not just an observer, but a vital participant with much to offer - as you've already done through this email. Thanks!

One last thing ... We need thousands of leaders to help lead existing churches through the current paradigm shift. AND we need thousands of leaders to help plant new faith communities. Both are essential, and progress in one helps the other. Among church planters, we need folks who will start churches to help alienated churchgoers ... people who will drop out of church unless somebody forms a more open space where they can survive and thrive spiritually. But no less important - more important, in my opinion - we need church planters who will go much farther than most alienated churchgoers would want to go - to meet the "spiritual but not religious" where they are and form faith communities among them, forming authentic disciples or followers of Jesus without needless religious baggage. So I just wanted to say to you and anyone else feeling this call ... you're needed. Fan the flame. Go for it. Don't let anyone discourage you!

Here's the Q:
I have been following you on Facebook and I've been reading your newest book, "A New Kind of Christianity," which has brought me to joyful tears throughout. After re-reading Chapter 19, I was wondering if you could suggest some Bible studies that are outside of the Greco-Roman narrative? I grew up in the Greco-Roman Christianity of the 80's and 90's. After getting married and moving to a new state, we tried to find a new church home which was a disaster. For the last 12 years I have been questioning and fighting and giving up and taking back my faith and last year I started considering church again.

What I have not yet done again is pick up my Bible. The Bible, when read from the Greco-Roman point of view, is scary. I think about reading the Bible and my hands get sweaty and my heart races and so of course, I skip it. I feel like a Pavlovian dog. When reading Borg, McColman, Newell and now your books, I cherish the parts that are like mini-bible studies because that's pretty much all I'm getting unless I'm following the liturgy on Sunday mornings (on the mornings I attend, which are few as I am very slowly getting reacquainted with churchgoing.) I just don't know how to approach it again in a healthy way and I know guidance would be helpful in the way of a workbook or study guide. However, I don't know who to trust so I thought I might ask you.

I know you're extremely busy and I appreciate that you take the time to answer your reader's questions - those that applaud and those that question (sometimes harshly) with such grace.

Reply after the jump:

Continue reading Q & R: Sweaty palms, joyful tears, and the Bible...

Thanks, Julie!
Here's the article.

Here's the Q:
My name is X, and I'm the new minister of spiritual formation at Y Baptist Church in Z. I had the opportunity to hear you preach last Sunday night at BB and have also read some of your books. As a young pastor and writer, I have an interesting background-- grew up Catholic, a M.S. in marine and environmental science from CC, licensed in the Church of the Nazarene, attending Wesley
Theological Seminary, and having helped launch a new church ... that had over 200 people show up for Easter-- before I moved here a month ago for my new position and seminary. I might be only 2 years in ministry, but have experienced a lot. I am passionate about preaching the gospel in a real life, relevant, out-of-the-box way, and communicating to the people of today.

Anyway, I have a question for you about the whole model you showed, using the world-church-you series of circles as a model. I realize that many pastors and churches, especially in conservative circles (literally) reject what you are saying because what they fear is the arrows going the opposite way- meaning, that the world will infiltrate into the church, which will infiltrate into 'you,' corrupting the true gospel. I know many (and have been friends with) who are afraid of 'the world.' My question is: what do we do? I've had friends hide behind the theory of following 'false teachers' and shrink further into their walled circles. What do we do?

Thanks for being an influence on me and for sharing a new way to look at
things. I hope God will someday use me to plant a church where people are
unafraid of the real world. God bless!

Reply after the jump

Continue reading Q & R: Who influences whom?...

How about a number of us connected with the emergent/emerging church conversation set aside the week of August 23 as BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK. And how about we blog on Christian education/spiritual formation for kids and youth that week?

Some good friends have started a blog on ethnicity, ethics, and faith ... called Ethnic Space and Faith. It's worth getting familiar with now, and checking back in on often. I hope to be a regular contributor.

Here's the Q:
After reading several of your books, I get the impression you primarily vote Democratic. While I agree with the Democrats on many issues, especially those focused on personal freedoms and social justice, I have never been able to support a candidate who is "pro-choice." I understand that there will never be a candidate who matches my own political mindset exactly, but the potential of human life is too important for compromise. How do you deal with this issue in your own voting choices?

R: I think you'll find this post - which I wrote during the last presidential election - to be helpful in answering your good and important question. I'm like you - I agree with Democrats on many issues, but I agree with Republicans on some issues too, and in both cases, my agreement is often partial, not complete. I may agree with the conclusion, but not the arguments made for it, for example. Sadly, both parties play some unhelpful games.

This email has several questions which I'll address one by one ... Here's the Q:
Thanks so much for the continued effort you put into all of your books. I finished chapter 18 of your new one yesterday. Dr. King's quote at the end really moved me--what a wonderful world it would be if we lived out those words!! There was one other thing with that chapter that really struck me--I thought that you might actually touch on it in the chapter. You discussed in depth the meaning of the second coming and how it could be viewed as already occurred with the destruction of the Temple in 70AD. This view that you present creates a stark irony regarding christians following a dispensationalist paradigm who sometimes persecute Jews for not realizing that Jesus is the messiah. Just as the Jews are waiting for a messiah that has already arrived, so are dispensationalist christians waiting for a second coming that has already occurred.

Thanks for the encouragement. One slight tweak - in Chapter 18, I talk about the meaning of the word "parousia." I explain that the term "second coming" isn't found in the biblical text. It's a term like "the Fall" - developed in extra-biblical theological literature, and then read back into the text (and sometimes put there by "translators" who are actually interpreters). That doesn't mean it's wrong - just that the term itself is subject to questioning. When Jesus speaks of coming back or again, sometimes he's referring to the resurrection ... sometimes he may be referring to his coming to be with us via the Holy Spirit at Pentecost ... and sometimes he may be referring to the coming of a new era and "the end of the (current) age" centered in holy city, temple, priesthood, and sacrifice. He may also be referring to some ultimate judgment day ... but the more I read the New Testament, the fewer of those references I think there are. More and more, it seems, Jesus was referring to things that were very close at hand, and so in that way, it turns out both Jesus and Paul were right: the cataclysm they predicted would happen "before this generation passes."

Q (cont'd):
Your chapter on whether God is violent or not was helpful. However, this is something that I really continue to struggle with.

Continue reading Q & R: 2nd Coming, God's violence, selectivity ......

I received an encouraging email recently (after the jump). Along the way, the writer asked if I could recommend a study Bible. There are lots of good ones, and probably the one I would recommend most will be released in the next year or two. But in the meantime, regarding understanding the Bible, I'd recommend Walter Brueggemann's work on the Hebrew Bible, and on the New Testament, N.T. Wright's growing body of work. There are so many others, of course, but I'm trying to keep things simple. And of course, I hope my podcasts on the Bible would be helpful too.

Continue reading Q & R: Study Bible?...

I couldn't be at last year's emergent theological conversation with Jurgen Moltmann, but I'm savoring the podcasts, available here.

The last few minutes of episode 1 - on the mutual indwelling of the trinity, and making space for the other - are absolutely beautiful.

BTW - speaking of podcasts, just a reminder: my bible overview podcasts are available here. You can sample the first three for free, or buy them singly for a buck a piece, or $19.95 for all 51.

Google makes a socially responsible decision ... here.

Here's the Q:
My name is YZ and I am doing a study on the "New Perspective on Paul" and was wondering what an emergent like yourself thinks about this exegetical movement in our interpretation of the Pauline Epistles? I would love to hear your opinion and view point on this crucial movement away from the traditional approach.
[reply after the jump]

Continue reading Q & R: On Paul...

Find out here.

Here's a review of my friend Sharon Baker's new book on hell.

And here's information on Doug Frank's equally helpful new book, A Gentler God.

Here's the Q:
There's been one question that I've been dying to ask you ever since I met you so I figured I had just get it out. When I interviewed you I asked you "What one thing do you want to come out of the emergent movement?" You gave a great answer but I had a sub-question that I was going to ask you and I didn't. That question relates to a fear I have with the emergent movement, and that is "Is the emergent movement going to throw it's weight behind one key issue or is it going to adopt a hodge-podge of issues?" I realize this may seem like an odd question but I believe it's of fundamental importance. One of the problems with modern social justice ethics is that there are so many voices screaming to have their voice heard (which is great) and all end up having to compete for the same resources. The problem is that people get capitulated by so many choices that they can feel overwhelmed or powerless or that there resources end up getting divide up so narrowly that little change can take place in one particular field.
I look at the early evangelical movement in which it was a powerful force against slavery (though i'm quite aware that the motivations for some was a moral crusade rather than a humanitarian issue) but this act of changing one thing gained the early evangelical church a great deal of respect and influence (the contemporary affection for William Wilberforce comes to mind). The emergent movement seems to be quite powerful and yet it is one voice amongst many. My fear is that if the voice is not united against a single issue that it will get lost in the cacophony of voices in the public sphere. Is there one issue that you would like to see the emergent movement address? My heart is for sex-trafficked women but their are a plethora of other causes that one could address. Yet I feel conflicted in writing this because all the issues are worth addressing.
I realize you don't represent the whole emergent movement and yet you are generally regarded as champion of this movement. As well, I know you are a remarkably busy man and have a lot of people ask you a great many of questions (and likely you often feel lost in the cacophony of voices!) so I apologize for asking you this question already, but I simply had to get it out there.
[Reply after the jump ...]

Continue reading Q & R: What will the emergent conversation DO?...

Here's an update from my friend Kent Annan, on the ground in Haiti ...

Here's part of a longer note from a reader of Everything Must Change ... I'll insert a couple of comments ...

I am still working on making tangible changes in my life. I recently made a commitment to longer do grocery shopping without taking re-usable bags with me and something that simple and easy, believe it or not, can be a challenge.

That's great. All of these seemingly small "lifestyle" changes add up, and they also strengthen your long-term commitment to change. Let me mention two of the biggest next steps you could take:
1. It turns out that about 40% of all greenhouse gases are emitted in the process of heating and cooling buildings. So - if you increase the energy efficiency of your home, you're going to the biggest single leverage point. Here's a good place to start researching ... a simple search on "home energy efficiency" will give you lots of info.
2. The biggest single thing you can do on this subject is support legislation that will re-price carbon. I have a short but really important post I'm working on regarding this subject at the moment - so stay tuned. We need to support every energy bill that takes us even a baby step in the right direction - but the key one will be the one that wisely reprices carbon. Here's a way to say it:
Dirty energy is cheap, and that's not a good thing.

One final note:
I was somewhat saddened the other day to see a bumper sticker that read "Jesus, don't leave earth without him". Of course I have seen this saying in the past and usually in the form of a bumper sticker. Seeing it the other day though irked me because it represented a certain shallowness to thought or maybe even arrogance. In the same vein I was thinking today of the old "Uncle Sam Wants You" posters that you would see in the Late 70s early 80s, at least I think that is the time frame. Maybe a "Jesus wants you to:" poster would be a little over the top. Still, I would love to see believers and non-believers for that matter called to action. I have never been a fan of bumper stickers but would perhaps place one on my car that said "Jesus wants me and you to: Learn to do good; seek justice, rescure the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow." (Isaiah 1:17--taken from Gary Haugen's books.)

It could also more succinctly read, and this would be great for us Americans, "Consume Less and give more!"

Yes, there is so much downright stupidity being purveyed by bumper-sticker theology. Perhaps bad-theology-bumper-stickers will start irking more and more of us - and so fill a useful function!

P.S. I have a very poor grasp on the situation between Palestine and Israel--if you have any book recommendations to help me better understand the history and current situation there please pass them along.

Thanks for asking about this. Here are some books I recommend ... I also hope to do some posting and maybe a youtube video on this subject in the next month or so.

On a related note to your "consume less, give more" bumper sticker idea ... here's a powerful short video about hunger ...
View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Find out here.

Find out here.