Emerging Church

For the past few years, I've been increasingly uncomfortable calling myself an "evangelical." It's not that I don't believe in God or don't read the Bible. I'm not rejecting orthodoxy or anything like that. I'm just so turned off by the smugness and moralizing that seems to characterize evangelicalism, not to mention the disturbing cosiness between evangelicalism and political conservatism.

And I'm not convinced Jesus would vote Republican (gasp!). I'm not convinced evangelical perspectives on theology and moralism are as correct (or important) as some advocates make them out to be. (double gasp!).

Fortunately, the church we've been going to for these past few years is on the same wavelength, and I've recently become aware that we're not exactly alone. There's a movement afoot called "the emerging church," and the more I learn about it, the more I identify with it... even though I think the label "emerging" is sort of dorky...

The Feb 2007 issue of Christianity Today has a great article titled Five Streams of the Emerging Church. It really describes what this Emerging this is all about. And if you're looking for a great example of Emerging Christianity in action, check out this article titled "Maybe it's time to stop bullshitting God," or "My Prosaic Jesus... or Brown Like Shit."

No evangelical would use words like that (and I still don't, to be honest). But authentic honesty - humble, human honesty before God - is what it's all about. It's about loving people. It's about social justice, fighting poverty, showing mercy, blah-blah-blah. It's not about a list of words you're not supposed to say.

It's very cool.