Emerging wannabe
Hey, I don't know if I did this right, but here goes. I have a question: how do I get my name to be highlighted? I don't wannabe an emerging wannabe, I just wanna be.
There was a good article by Dan Kimball in the-next-wave-ezine entitled "REality Church." It's kind of about wannabe's. The stages we go through from beginning our journey with Jesus, thinking everything is great in church, then a little less thrilling, then getting tired of it/thinking we have the "right" idea, starting our own thing... only to eventually wind up back at the beginning. I don't wannabe an emerging wannabe, I just wanna be.
I don't think I'm really making a point, but more letting my own fears emerge about being "emerging" because I am emerging, rather than wanting to be emerging because it's cool or hip or some kind of "anti" whatever is happenign now thing is. Maybe that makes no sense, but I don't wannabe an emerging wannabe... you know.
Someone told me I couldn't be emerging, because I pastor an old church, with an old building, in the middle of nowhere and so on. I have emerged from my hurt and cry even louder, I don't wannabe an emerging wannabe, I just wanna be.
So I am back to... how can I fit in and get my name to light up in bold and have an underline? Seriously. I'm not being smart, because I'm not. But I wanna be...
posted by dan at 10:06 AM
14 Comments:
I wannabe too. No, some likely think emerging is just cool. I haven't been accused of being cool in a while.
Anti is also what I am not. It is more that I want to understand. To have faith means to understand the questions of faith more than it does to understand the answers. (And that doesn't mean we don't believe anything either.)
As for the sidebar and highlights, this is just bookkeeping. I realized I wasn't sure what to link the name to. I linked my name to my blog. Dan's link is to his church's website. He didn't ask. Maybe I should have asked.
What would you like your name to link to Dan? I can probably make it your email if you want.
I think you're plenty cool, Brian. I wasn't trying to insinuate that anyone was "trying" to be cool or anti -- other than that being a fear I hve about myself sometimes.
I was really wondering about the links on the sidebar, then I got to typing and couldn't stop myself. And my humor is hard to read sometimes and I am mistakenly taken as a serious person, and I probably should be more serious, but I seldom am. So... sorry.
Now that I know I'm not missing out on anyting, you don't need to link me to anything, unless you want to link my email: fairviewchurch1@juno.com. It is kinda long.
By the way, Brian, thanks for setting up this thing. Very much appreciated.
No problem. I didn't feel accused at all. My humor is also hard to read. My hope here is to humbly serve this community. I'll see about adding your email to the sidebar.
I just noticed this sentence you (Brian) said earlier: "I want to understand. To have faith means to understand the questions of faith more than it does to understand the answers." Yeah... I like that.
Yes, there are some answers we need to know, but one of the things that I find attractive in the whole "emerging" conversation is the comfort level with mystery. Rather than worrying about whether we have all the answers (I think some people make up answers just to appear 'spiritual'), it is more important to be looking... and looking in the right places, or place. And a real pet peave of mine is when people try to give me answers to questions I'm not asking. I think that has described the church for a long time. Like 'we know what you need better than you do.' And I think that comes from a deep seated insecurity, because deep down we all know we don't know all the answers - even if we appear to or have convinced ourselves we do, but we're afraid to admit it.
A relationship is never "settled." Even with someone you are in love with there is always give-and-take; there will always be squabbles and things you don't agree on. That doesn't mean we have to chuck the relationship. We pursue our Love more and more. Finding beauty in the pursuit. Seeking to understand the questions, more than the answers.
Aren't we sometimes afraid to find out more about someone, because we're afraid we might find out something we don't like, or something we don't want to know? But how different Jesus is. There is nothing in our Love not to like; nothing to turn our true, spiritual selves away.
Even though I do not fully know... I want to. Because I am fully known... and loved.
I've been looking for the quote, but I think it was Karl Barth, and I don't know enough about him to put it into any context, but he said something like, "Every generation has to start from the beginning." I'm no good at just accepting answers. I like to trace it out myself. It gives it a much firmer feel. It isn't a denial of what the last generatio concluded. I just have to start at the beginning.
Dan,
Great to read your thoughts.
Your comments about "mystery" are right on. I had a conversation with our neighbor yesterday. He just discovered the whole what if the Jesus of our faith isn't the Jesus who actually existed.
He admits that he has found little support within his church for his questions. His pastor assumes that questions like this are "of the devil" and shouldn't be talked about anywhere, let alone the church.
This guy is an honest skeptic and just wants someone to listen and tell him he isn't going to hell for asking if Jesus really existed. He is looking for someone who is willing to discuss the mystery of the Christian faith.
We talked for about 20 minutes. At the end of our conversation he told me more pastors should be like me.
I told him to remember that (they have some money) when I'm fired someday for allowing questions like his to be discussed in the church.
He laughed, but he didn't offer any money.
Hi Brent, how have you been? Great to connect with you again.
Yeah, doesn't it seem like the greatest mystery in church work is usually where our paycheck is going to come from. :)
So mystery isn't just the unknown about God, but according the the Barth statement from Brian... it's just as much about learning to be comfortable with the mystery of who we are?? Is that tied to the idea that "God started a good work in me..." and now I'm trying to catch up to it? I don't know.
I remember Burr Schilling or someone talking about the oddity of adults being afraid to let their kids question the Christian faith. Like, are we afraid they will find out it's not true; or are we afraid they'll just find out that we don't really have all the answers after all???
Brian,
I will enjoy this site. Thanks for setting it up. You labeled me as more "emerging" than you on your blog. I really had never understood what "emerging" is/was. I am interested to read what others have to say. Needless to say I have been doing some research on this lately and have followed many of the discussions on your blog closely. What I am finding is that there are folks out there who actually ask the same "heretical" questions I have been asking myself for a long time. Keep up the good work.
You are welcome. I'm not sure who you are though. It feels like one of those great games. "You labeled me as more emerging than you." Hmmm... Sorry about labeling you. Do you want to be signed up to post?
Yikes. Sorry forgot to put my name. Not playing games.
rob smith
Rob Smith is an old friend, leader in his church (Mt Pleasant Church of God in IL, is this right?) and teacher of social science in a midwestern high school, former principal of the school but stepped down because of loss of family time.
I can't imagine that I labeled him as more emerging than myself, but... it makes me again think that labels are extremely dangerous. Rob is looking for a conversation. Many are looking for a conversation. I'm not one who fears conversation. Some do.
Thanks for joining the conversation Rob.
Thanks Brian. I have been looking for substantive conversation for a long time. Unfortunately, I don't seem to get this conversation in many places. As someone asked in an earlier post, why are so many
Christians afraid to ask the tough questions?
So, here is a question I have thought about for a long time, and even had a conversation about it with a Pastor friend. He almost freaked that I would even bring it up. Here goes: Why do many Christians almost worship the Bible? When John talks about the Word of God is he talking about what we call the Word of God? I've always thought it was circular reasoning to view scripture as God-breathed just because it proclaims itself God-breathed and inerrant. Are we sure that we have it right when it comes to the Bible?
Several questions, but all the same conceptual question. And, the relevance here is how do we proclaim what God wants us to proclaim to a world that may view that very proclamation synically, especially in a post-modern world.
I am not questioning the reality or certainty of Truth. What I am questioning is its mode of revelation.
rob smith
oops...spelling mistake...cynically...let's call it a typo
rob smith
Rob Smith,
I have tried to mention this thought a while ago and have not had many takers on discussion of this thougth either. Not that these guys are afraid of this question but, (IF I may give my thoughts on why) I think that this is a question they have wrestled with and have realized, like I have that the Bible is not to be worshiped but is the only tangible physical expression of God that we can hold on to. Faith is not concrete or something that you can visually see (other than the actions of faith).
I have come to understand that the Word "logos" became flesh and dwelt among us. the Bible is the only physical piece we have of the Word. It points to Jesus Christ, shows us Jesus Christ and has us waiting patiently for his return.
There is unfortunatly some that think by quoting scripture chapter and verse is the only way that truth can be spoken. to bad that the writers of teh Bible didn't put chapter and verse in their original writings ;-).
All truth is God breathed, not all truth is spelled out in the Bible. i.e. if yo ustep out in front of a semi going 70 MPH the chances of you being killed are let's say good. I haven't seen that in my Bible yet. Also if you read some of the points that Paul makes to different cities as he is traveling you will find that the truths he quotes are from their philosophers and poets, not from the Hebrew Bible (which is the only Bible Paul had).
So, if you still have any questions about this and you want to continue on this thougth lat me know.
You can ask any question you have had a hard time asking before here. It's safe and we haven't burnt anyone at the stake yet, besides I'd be first in line!
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