And just to preface this blog - this is just a random stream of thoughts popping in my head. This is NOT a well thought out, researched, theological essay. I won't be quoting authors, experts, or even Scripture. So this is all 100% opinion as they fall out of my brain.
So I can't stand the emergent church. I don't think that's a secret. They drive me nuts. I also can't stand modern day fundamentalism (aka legalism). I think it's safe to say no one can stand legalism. But what I REALLY can't stand is the absolute brainwashed zombie like absorption of both sides. As Will Smith would say "Let's Break It Down"...
The Emergent Church - A Personal History
I think I really came to loathe the emergent church during college. For those of you who don't know I attended a small Christian college in Ohio. And much like any private, Christian school it was full of hipster Christians. The Christians who were different simply to be different.
"The man says I can't drink or smoke on campus? Ha, I'll show them. I'll go off campus and drink, smoke, cuss, and have relations. Take that right wing conservative Christian education system."
Needless to say they were the coolest kids on campus...(sarcasm'd). Now all of that applied to their personal lives, but when it came time to talk spiritual (as in for class assignments, to impress Christian girls, etc.) it was time to get emergent.
"You mean you haven't read the latest Rob Bell?" "You still haven't memorized Blue Like Jazz cover to cover?"
It was just the cool thing to do. It was like drinking the freaking Kool Aid! And obviously if you didn't adhere to the emergent guidelines you were a strict, legalistic, Baptist, Republican, nut job. Good times. My favorite game to play with the emergents was try to have an actual theological discussion where they expressed themselves without quoting from the book of Rob Bell or Donald Miller. As in an original thought of their own. It never happened.
I'll be the first to admit my distaste for the emergent church STARTED with the previous annoyances. But I honestly took the time to read all of the sacred tomes of Miller and Bell to understand this post-modern (am I the only one who gags at this term. Not for what it stands for but just the pretentiousness it's used for...anyway) movement.
The Emergent Church - A Personal Cliff Note
So I'm going to reduce everything I learned about the emergent church into tiny, manageable, snarky bites (don't worry, fundamentalism has it come-uppins soon)
Basically what *I* gleaned about the emergent movement is thusly:
The modern (aka right wing, legalistic, Republican, uptight, etc.) church is full of hypocritical, two-faced, rule following (and rule breaking), broken but hide it, emotionless robots. The modern church doesn't care about the lost, hurting, widow, poor, etc. They sit in their big-fancy buildings chanting and judging the world from inside their safe Christian bubble.
Are they right? ABSOLUTELY!!! So what's the solution? Well it's to not really read the Bible, just ignore those parts that say what NOT to do (that's what makes you legalistic). Let's just sit in a circle in our home church, holding hands, drinking beer/wine, swearing, and listening to Sufjan Stevens.
It's all about emotions, feeling good (not letting that sin stuff be such a drag), and trying to fit in with the world SO hard that it's impossible to tell the difference. Basically, the current church system is broken so let's just throw EVERYTHING out and start fresh. The baby and the bathwater if you will...
OK so that's how *I* feel about the emergent movement. Now it's your turn fundamentalism...
Fundamentalism - A Personal History
I was born and raised in the Southern Baptist Church. Did I live it? Sure didn't. Not until Sophomore year of High School. Did I love it? Absolutely. I finally belonged. I knew all of the things I should do and all of the things I shouldn't do. I also knew how to tell everyone else about the do's and don'ts.
That's about it.
I know I wrote a small novel about what I didn't like about the emergent church and here I am saying one paragraph about being raised in the modern church they hate so much. But there's not much to say. I lived it and I loved it. Every part of it. I was a sinner and a saint. I was everything the emergent church said we were. I was a hypocrite, I was two-faced, I lived a different life outside my safe Christian bubble, I did all of it.
The Emergent Church - A Personal Cliff Note
And all the while I was learning and growing in my own faith challenging the emergent church in college, I also came to realize some things about my faith. Not necessarily my home church, but the modern Baptist, mainstream church as a whole was legalistic, hypocritical, secluded, etc. But that didn't mean going emergent was the answer. Just because everything wasn't working as it should be doesn't mean the whole thing is wrong and needs to be destroyed!
Does the emergent church have all the answers? No. Does fundamentalism? No. That's where this beautiful marriage comes together.
Here Comes The Bride (Biblical Pun)
So the modern church I grew up in and love is broken. What do we do? Well I think the emergent church is right - we do need more emotion, more honesty, and more love in the modern church. We do show up every Sunday and say "Hi how are you? "Oh just fine thank you" while inside we are torn apart with sin, depression, struggles, loss, and heartbreak. We DO need to be more honest and open with one another.
We DO need to be more involved with our community, with the hurting world outside our brick walls. Let's stop assuaging our guilt about the lost and hurting world by throwing money at a faceless organization and saying we're doing our part. Yes I do believe 110% that we should be financially supporting local and foreign missions, good hard working charities, Christian radio....and others. But let's stop using money as the be all end all. Let's start getting our hands and feet dirty! Let's go out into the community and physically help the lost and hurting. Let's GO to Africa and DO something. Let's BE Christ.
The modern church has dropped the ball BIG TIME and the emergent church has got that part nailed! BUT that's where the emergent church wants to stop, and THAT is where they drop the ball.
BEING A FUNDAMENTALIST IS GOOOOOOOD. Unfortunately that name, that title has been sullied by "famous" "Christians" in the media who take it to the extreme and give it a bad rap. The core idea of fundamentalism is sticking to the FUNDAMENTALS. Aka 100% honestly reading, following, and living God's inherent and INFALLIBLE Word!
But Craig isn't that called being legalistic? Do you know what legalism is - it's a fundamentalist who let his emergent side die. It is someone who is devoid of the love of God, the emotion, the feeling, and replaced it SOLELY with the fundamentals - the law.
Are the 10 commandments bad? Absolutely not! Is getting drunk bad? Bible says so. Is adultery bad? Bible says so. The emergent church doesn't want the world to know that. It's going to harshen everyones buzz! But IT IS GOD'S WORD. We can't just throw that away because it makes us feel bad. But we also can't be fundamentalist who ignore the entire focus of the New Testament - JESUS IS LOVE. Is getting drunk bad? Bible (the law) says so, but Jesus says it's because we should be getting drunk (full) of His Spirit! Not ONLY because the law says so, but because there is something BETTER to fill ourselves with! Don't twist or even ignore parts of the Bible and say they're wrong because it makes you feel bad. It's not guilt it's conviction. We know better (or we would if we followed the fundamentals).
So what that's perfect Christian? If you ask me it's the child of a hipster and a yuppie. A Democrat and a Republican.
Let's get back to the fundamentals, and let's start letting our emotions get the better of us. Let us love. Let us love like God would love.
The End
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