For a fascinating discussion on the Emerging Church movement, and why James MacDonald is not emerging check out: http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2005/10/why_james_macdo.html#more. The feedback on the blog is fascinating. Author and speaker Scott McKnight's response to MacDonald is most interesting. You can read his response, and James MacDonald's response back here: http://www.jesuscreed.org/?p=502.Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Acts 17:11
2 comments:
I'm looking forward to checking it out! Being a ministry major in grad school, the Emergent Church movement surfaces in conversation every now and then. Today it came up because Wheaton Bible now differentiates not only between traditional and contemporary services, but traditional, contemporary, and Emergent Church services! Go figure. It's the new wave. EC service is held there on Sunday nights and draws the 20s-30s crowd. I'm kind of surprised Wheaton Bible is the first well-established church in the area to offer this (at least, first that I know of). Thought you might find that interesting.
Jenny
He was given one night to live, so he gathered with all of his closest friends and shared a meal with them. This would be the last time he had to share his heart with them. The last time he had to instruct them in the ways of the new law. He had performed miracles in front of their eyes, healing the sick and the lame and raising the dead. Now he spoke what would be one of his last words of instruction before he would offer up his life:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (Jn. 13:34-36).
Fast forward roughly 2000 years. What's the problem with MacDonald and McKnight in light of these verses? This isn't rocket science; it is Christology 101. My only comment, where has the love for our fellow believer gone?
Parenthetically, I agree wholeheartedly that these issues are important. I do not negate theology at all. And even I firmly adhere to one of these positions on the EC movement.
But if Jesus' words are true--and I'm guessing you agree they are whether you're Emergent or otherwise--it's not so much the issues of cultural preference that proclaims your message, "I side with Jesus!" It's our love. Our love not just for the unbeliever, which the Church seems rightly to focus on today, but our love for each other, which the Church seems to have forgotten.
Really...who wants to follow a religion with a group of bickering zealots? Be bold. Be revolutionary. Be Christians who love. You just might point someone to the Jesus who commanded it.
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