Today has not been a bad day at all. In Philosophy of Religion we spent a lot of time talking about postmodernism and evangelism in a postmodern world. It was wonderful, because finally I was able to see the "big picture" of postmodernism with all the ins and outs (although it is an over-simplified big picture, to be sure). I was talking to Brian when the conversation turned to postmodernism. I mentioned emergent churches and he told me to be careful. I asked him what he meant. He said, "Just be careful, Man. You don't want to slip into false doctrine or anything." He's right. Unfortunately, the mindset that many have is that the emerging church is about changing doctrine to suit postmodern culture. No, not at all. The emergent church is about returning to the original doctrine without all its religious lace and living it out in a postmodern world. I plan on really exploring the emergent church here in a few weeks...
John, Brian, Megan and I were on our way to Wal-Mart when John's car broke down. We pulled it into Taco Bell and called Cassie to help us "boot up" the car. She showed up in about ten minutes and did accordingly, but John's car was still failing so we took it on a frantic drive to an automobile shop here on Price Hill. It literally the died the moment we pulled in. Everyone piled into Cassie's car, and we finally made it to Wal-Mart (needed some paper, some pens, and some contact solution). John got a movie and Megan got the two Legally Blonde movies. We hit up K.F.C. and my dinner consisted of a single buttermilk biscuit to go. We spent the rest of the night in the Alumni dorm eating and throwing back conversation. Emily joined us. Eventually Megan and Cassie left, so me and John departed, abandoning Brian and Emily in the lobby (they're hometown buddies).
So I was going to do my final exam for Sociology tonight, but Brian isn't here and we were going to do them together; I think we'll wait until tomorrow. I finished Chapter Three in "No Perfect Ending." It's probably my best work so far. Now to spend the rest of the night journaling, listening to techno with John, playing some Battlefield Vietnam, and investigating Colossians!
John, Brian, Megan and I were on our way to Wal-Mart when John's car broke down. We pulled it into Taco Bell and called Cassie to help us "boot up" the car. She showed up in about ten minutes and did accordingly, but John's car was still failing so we took it on a frantic drive to an automobile shop here on Price Hill. It literally the died the moment we pulled in. Everyone piled into Cassie's car, and we finally made it to Wal-Mart (needed some paper, some pens, and some contact solution). John got a movie and Megan got the two Legally Blonde movies. We hit up K.F.C. and my dinner consisted of a single buttermilk biscuit to go. We spent the rest of the night in the Alumni dorm eating and throwing back conversation. Emily joined us. Eventually Megan and Cassie left, so me and John departed, abandoning Brian and Emily in the lobby (they're hometown buddies).
So I was going to do my final exam for Sociology tonight, but Brian isn't here and we were going to do them together; I think we'll wait until tomorrow. I finished Chapter Three in "No Perfect Ending." It's probably my best work so far. Now to spend the rest of the night journaling, listening to techno with John, playing some Battlefield Vietnam, and investigating Colossians!
3 comments:
Because "Emergent" has so many negative connotations these days - and because I believe that eventually the Emergent movement will become a denomination - seriously - I no longer describe my vision for the church as "emergent". I am taking a name from the book called The Shaping of Things to Come - I envision an "incarnational-missional" church.
You need to read this book, Anthony - and The Present Future by Reggie Mcneal - if you are going to start exploring the "emergent" church. I was telling Rochelle yesterday at church that The Shaping Of Things To Come is a bad book to read because it will explode all of your safe zones of what church is and should be and will call you out of those comfort zones...
Most people in think that postmoderninsm is a negative thing. Postmodern philosophy is an offshoot of nihilism, which is the child of naturalism. Since both of these worldviews denies absolute truth, people assume that postmodern christianity does the same. Postmodernism (the christian movement) is really a reaction to two things. It is the reaction to a growing postmodern world and a reaction to the modern interpretation of christianity.
As for its first underlying reaction, postmodern (emergent) christianity approaches the world of today and asks, "how can we engage a culture that has disengaged?" The second response is in the approach it takes. Realizing that the tools, methods, and traditions of modernism might not be the best answer for reaching a postmodern culture, postmodern chrisitanity attempts to deconstruct the religiosity of christianity to a culturally relevant faith.
This can be quite confusing to some. Postmodernism, the world view philosophy, is typically areligious, that is, not "anti-religious" but unreligious. There is no absolute truth, no moral measuring stick, no value or purpose to life. Whereas christianity's response to postmodernism insists that there is one absolute truth, God. I plan to expound more on this on my blog this week.
I thank you both for your comments. Mike, I'll be visiting your site everyday in gentle anticipation of your next post :)
Adam, I'd love to borrow those books sometime.
Thanks again, fellas
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