e~mergent kiwi

Narnia as atonement theology beyond the stone table

The stone table cracks. Aslan, who has given his life for Edmund, returns from the dead. This was my childhood understanding of the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe. In doing so, I was trading on traditional atonement theories; Jesus/Aslan as substitute, giving his life for someone else. So I was pleasantly surprised in watching the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to find a number of layers added to traditional understandings of the atonement.

A brief overview of atonement through the ages: Throughout the centuries; 3 main ways of understanding atonement - how Christ made at-one-ment for humanity – have starred.

Victor – Christ is the victor. Pushed to extremes, Jesus becomes the bait, which the devil swallows hook, line and sinker. In doing so, the devil is tricked. This is one of interpreting the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Aslan tricks the witch because he knows a deeper magic.

Inspiration – Christ is the greatest example of love. The manner of his life and death are a triumph of love. This in turn, motivates us in our Christian lives. And so the Witch whispers in Aslan's ear of his foolishness, thinking that love could triumph.

Substitution – Christ offers himself in our place. The problem of sin demands a legal payment. Christ becomes this payment.

Contemporary concerns: Handled poorly, these understandings present serious problems for Christians. Do we want to follow a God who tricks people (Victor)? What should be the place of sacrificial love in Christian behaviour, particularly when relationships become abusive (Inspiration)? How vengeful does this make God? What sort of Father would sacrifice his son (Substitution)? These concerns warn us that traditional atonement theories need to be handled with care.

I found it fascinating that in the movie, the motives for Aslan’s death all come from the mouth of the witch. She urges adherence to the code of violence. She questions Aslan’s sacrificial love. This suggests we need to handle with care. Aslan suggests this is her "interpretation" (very postmodern word). In doing so, we are allowed a moment of hermeneutical suspicion. How much should we believe the White Witch? How much might her chilling icy darkness be distorting her "reading"? Alongside this call for care, the movie brought some more metaphors to the surface.

Relational redemption: In recent years I have pondered 1 Peter 2:9, 10, where once those who were no people are now the distinctive people of God. This suggest a relational and communal understanding of at-one-ment, in which the significance of Christ births a distinct community.

In the movie, Aslan initiates the return of Edmund well before the stone table. He lets the wolf go and so Edmund is saved and the family is re-united. He encourages practices of forgiveness and the children move beyond distrust. Finally, they tumble out of the closet, back into the real world, as allies in shared adventure. Once no people, now the Pevenses children are a distinctive family. Such at-one-ment is secured by Aslan well before the stone table and suggests quite a fresh understanding of the atonement.

Integrator of Creation - In Colossians 1, the at-one-ment of Christ offers integration to every atom and molecule. Christ’s death is cosmic in significance and tree hugging a normative Christian practice.

In the movie, the mice eat away Aslan's ropes. The trees talk. The breath of life redeems stone creatures. The movie offers a vision of at-one-ment which is environmental in its scope and global in its concern. The death and life of Aslan are integrally linked to the whole planet. We are offered and environmental angle on at-one-ment.

Conclusion: The Bible describes the atonement in many ways (Jesus as victor, as sufferer, as martyr, as sacrifice, as redeemer, as reconciler, as justifier, as adopter, as pioneer, as merciful). The Biblical data is like a diamond, reflecting the beauty of at-one-ment in many different facets. It is sad when we get locked into one part of the diamond and limit Jesus death to one narrow interpretation.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe suggests we adopt a hermeneutic of suspicion toward traditional atonement theories. We are forced to ponder how much we should trust the words and motives of the White Witch. The movie then turns the at-one-ment diamond, hinting at a relational redemption achieved through Jesus life as well as death. It suggests a cosmic view of the at-one-ment of creation.

Further reading:
I have a chapter on contemporary atonement images being published in Proclaiming the Atonement, edited by Mark Baker (forthcoming from Baker Books)
For Narnia quiz go here.
For Narnia church service go here.
For my reflection on atonement in another contemporary movie, go to Open Letter to Mel Gibson.

emerging church postcard update

The emerging church postcard series is still open. So far I have had postcards from New Zealand, Australia, UK, Scandanavia, and enthusiastic conversation with Canada and South America. I will be blogging the postcards I have got from 1 January, and will run them until I run out (or the end of January), whichever is sooner. So if you're non-US and emerging then read on ...

I am collecting a series of postcards from the edge. To qualify just send me at steve at emergentkiwi dot org dot nz;
a) 1 photo of your emerging community this year;
plus a paragraph answer to these 4 questions;
b) how were you as an emerging community birthed?;
c) what do you as an emerging community value?;
d) what music track sums up your year;
e) what was your best mission moment in 05?

During January I will be post your image and responses as a series of postcards05 on my blog. Feel free to use the image and spread the word.

Oh, I nearly forgot. You need to be an emerging church outside the US. Sorry but I'm tired of the UScentrism of the emerging church blog world. Postcards05 is not for Americans. It's a blog-stake in the ground; a visual reminder that God is active outside the bounds of America.

Why postcards05? Darren interviewed me last week in relation to my out of bounds church? book. (He reviewed the book in May here). My book is based on a series of 8 postcards, posted from around the Western world. I write "postcards" from emerging churches around the Western world, and then seek in the chapter following the "postcard" to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by the emerging church.

The last chapter of the book, completed in May 04, postcard 9, invited people to write their own "emerging church" postcards. So during Darren's interview he asked me where I would like to be writing postcards from today. I replied from here; here and here. Darren then asked me where I would like to receive emerging church postcards from. I said France, because I'd love to see the emerging church turn back the tide of secularity in Europe, and a mixed ethnic church plant in Serbia, because I'd love to see the emerging church embrace mission in a country riven by religious and racial tensions, like Serbia.

This morning I thought, wow, maybe it could actually happen. Hence postcards05.

advent art set

4 advent art pieces: 4 advent art reflections

Turn around churches?

Jordon Cooper wrote: Can you name me some mature churches that made big mid-course corrections? Ginghamsburg Church lead by Michael Slaughter comes to mind as does my old employer, Lakeview Church but after that, the list gets quite short.

The church I moved to pastor 2 years ago (Opawa Baptist church) is 96 years old. It was a very typical conservative Baptist church that had been in serious decline after some glory years in the 1970s. In the last few years it has made some radical midcourse corrections. Read some of the story on my blog - over 110 posts (probably almost a book!) - start from the bottom and read upand also the church's blog.

Now there are some unique factors at work, but I regularly pinch myself in disbelief at what is happening. This year we have seen over 50 people become regular worshippers (many of them 20s-40s). We have partnered with Side Door Arts Trust to take art into public places. We have planted espresso - a 4th emergent congregation.We have commenced intentional spiritual formation, a 24/7 prayer room and a spirituality festival.

I moved to this church because I believe that the real emergent horizon is among mature churches. I hold this for theological reasons. I actually believe in the body of Christ and resurrection and redemption. (See a rant - a simple metal plumbing pipe and why the future of God is indeed, among the people of God.) I also hold for pragmatic reasons that revolve around resource and change dynamics. And for this season of my life, I am called to work among models of emergent+mature in turnaround.

Christmas blame

Emergentkiwi is boarding a bus in town today, following a morning off with family. As a crowd surge toward Bus no. 28, the following conversation occurs;

Bus stranger: It's organised chaos.

Emergentkiwi: So is most of Christmas.

Bus stranger: I blame Santa.

Emergentkiwi: I blame the baby Jesus.

Bus stranger: I blame the father not using a condom.

The crowd moves on, leaving emergentkiwi pondering how prevalent this rather crude notion of sexuality and the human/divine connection is among Kiwis this Christmas.

how secular is new zealand?

Hat tip to New Zealand Post. These are the 2005 Christmas stamps. New Zealand post have very nicely sent us the orginals as computer files. We wanted to use the stamps as contextual, everyday visual images for our Christmas services, and their images on the web were too small. A few phone calls later and many MegaBytes later and we are ready to roll with some great powerpoint to rear project on white sheets around the auditorium.

Looking at these images yesterday caused me to wonder;
how secular is New Zealand when our national stamps still carry a Christian message?
how diverse are New Zealand spiritualities when our national stamps carry the Christian story?

alternative blue christmas service

The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Christmas is not good news for everyone. People die. People grieve. People consider children absent or unborn. Tonite at Opawa Baptist I'm running an alternative blue christmas service, as part of Side Door. It's a time to play the Christmas blues in the presence of Jesus.

I've mixed this icon, and a story from the Moot community, with the U2 album Passengers (Your Blue Room and A different kind of Blue), borrowed from this Anglican Advent candle lighting cermony (scroll down until the heading "Blue Christmas liturgy for individuals") and woven in a number of tactile responses (holding blue stones and blue boxes).

(I ran a blue christmas service last year, basing it around a nativity art piece in which a shepherd and an angel have the appearance of Down's Syndrome.) Here's the order of service for this year (if you're coming tonight, you might not want to look).

"Some of us walk into Advent
tethered to our unresolved yesterdays
the pain still stabbing; the hurt still throbbing.
It’s not that we don’t know better;
it’s just that we can’t stand up anymore by ourselves.
On the way to Bethlehem, will you give us a hand?"
— Ann Weems

Welcome:

Scriptures of comfort:

Careys Story:

Candles of memory:

A different kind of blue: the Magnificant

Praying with Advent candles:

All: May Eternal Love surround them.

All: Refresh, restore, renew us O God, and lead us into your future.

All: May we remember that dawn defeats darkness.

All: Amen. So be it. Amen.

A different kind of blue: the Magnificant

Three options to help you play, and pray, the blues:

a) hold a blue stone
and consider what is formed through fire.

b) take a blue box
and ask God for what do you need.

c) be “blessed” in the Elizabeth sofas.

Benediction:

Music played tonight includes Veni, veni, Emmanuel, from From Sound of the Spirit, Your blue room, A different kind of blue, Miss Sarejevo from Passengers.

journey of the magi church service

Some ideas from Sunday's service on the theme of Magi:

1. Question on large screen for people to consider as they arrive: Ponder this ... To get to church today, did you travel from the North or South, East or West.

2. Sing O Come O Come emmanuel and use different languages for the first line of each verse. We used English, Korean, Tagalog and Maori. Make a verbal link to the Magi story, people who no doubt spoke a different language in their "coming" to Jesus.

3. Make stars in four different colours. Display again the opening question (Ponder this ... To get to church today, did you travel from the North or South, East or West). Get the kids to give out the stars, a different colour for each direction. It takes a bit of time, but the kids love it.

4. Invite people to write on the stars something that might distract them from their journey toward Jesus this Christmas.

5. Place four Christmas trees at the compass points around the church. Have an appropriate coloured star on each one to help people's direction finder. Invite people to place their stars on the tree in the direction of which they are heading home after church. Sing some carols while people do this. This allows space for lots of people to mingle and move. (175 people on Sunday.)

6. For the benediction, invite people to face "their" tree as they are blessed into their week of journeying toward Christmas.

All of this can be easily laced through singing, lighting of Advent candles, preaching, Scripture reading. All allow multiple ways to participate and response. Connections are made to people's coming and going, with diverse cultures, with people's hands and feet.

ground hog day in typepad blog world?

Quite a number of typepad blogs I visited this morning have lost posts. It's like Groundhog day, reading stuff you've read before and thinking, I'm sure this blog has posted more since then. Nada. Gone. Typepad life has all bounced back to around 12 December. It's quite hilariously funny, although probably not for those hosted by typepad.

More: Here's the typepad media release; here's the admission of a mistake and here's the promise of regular updates here.

emerging church postcards05

This Christmas I am collecting a series of postcards from the edge. To qualify just send me at steve at emergentkiwi dot org dot nz;
a) 1 photo of your emerging community this year;
plus a paragraph answer to these 4 questions;
b) how were you as an emerging community birthed?;
c) what do you as an emerging community value?;
d) what music track sums up your year;
e) what was your best mission moment in 05?

During January I will be post your image and responses as a series of postcards05 on my blog. Feel free to use the image and spread the word.

Oh, I nearly forgot. You need to be an emerging church outside the US. Sorry but I'm tired of the UScentrism of the emerging church blog world. Postcards05 is not for Americans. It's a blog-stake in the ground; a visual reminder that God is active outside the bounds of America.

Why postcards05? Darren interviewed me last week in relation to my out of bounds church? book. (He reviewed the book in May here). My book is based on a series of 8 postcards, posted from around the Western world. I write "postcards" from emerging churches around the Western world, and then seek in the chapter following the "postcard" to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by the emerging church.

The last chapter of the book, completed in May 04, postcard 9, invited people to write their own "emerging church" postcards. So during Darren's interview he asked me where I would like to be writing postcards from today. I replied from here; here and here. Darren then asked me where I would like to receive emerging church postcards from. I said France, because I'd love to see the emerging church turn back the tide of secularity in Europe, and a mixed ethnic church plant in Serbia, because I'd love to see the emerging church embrace mission in a country riven by religious and racial tensions, like Serbia.

This morning I thought, wow, maybe it could actually happen. Hence postcards05.

Serenity film review

Here's my latest film review: of the science fiction movie Serenity in which I explore the movie, the ethics of fundamentalism and the place of spirituality in science fiction.
Buckle in for a wild ride. The movie Serenity is a fast-paced science fiction thriller that weaves the viewer through the complex debris of space junk and intriguing moral choices ...for more

This review is another of the monthly reviews I do for Touchstone magazine and ie reprinted here with their permission. Other reviews include;
The World's Fastest Indian here;
Sedition, a New Zealand film about the fate of conscientious objectors in World War 2, here;
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, here

Further Serenity resources:
The official movie site is here; and the Serenity movie trailer is here.

Further film resources:
Film as a point of gospel engagement (PDF).
Film and spirituality web resources.
Why gospel and film?

spirituality and aotearoa new zealand

Just been phone interviewed by the NZ Herald on the general topic of spirituality in New Zealand;
are we more or less spiritual as a society? is going to a Crusaders rugby game a "spiritual moment"? is modern spirituality just pampering? what does this mean for churches
The article is due out New Years Eve, so it might be worth keeping an eye out for.

narnia church service

Sunday morning was a Take a Kid to Faith Church service (interactive, all ages learning together). We did a Lion, Witch, Wardrobe Church Service and also prepared a Movie Resource guide.

Here's the environment: complete with real life wardrobe, fir tree, cradle and Advent candles. Note the use of rear projection to enhance the forest feel.

How to make a "forest"? Cut our bits of paper to look like trees and rear project using a Par 38 green light. Very simple. Works well.

We showed some movie clips from the BBC 1988 film. We had a Narnia quiz. We reflected on this Advent art piece, with the kids colouring in a photocopy of the art piece while the adults listened to this advent reflection.

We had placed blue and yellow ribbons on the seeds. By way of response, people were invited to welcome the Christ child by bringing their ribbon forward to lay a cloth for the cradle. We finished by offering a movie resource pack, to help families in their movie watching.

I love Take a Kid to faith services and that sense of doing alt.worship for all-ages and learning together. I loved this service and the sense that we are resourcing people in making connections between the film and their Christian faith. To see the whole congregation, from kids to those using walking sticks, laying their blue and gold cloths on the cradle was quite moving.

christmas not for church

Christmas doesn’t belong in church. It didn’t start in a religious building. Its message was for all of humanity, not just Christians.

Today we (Side Door, Opawa, Peter and Joyce Majendie, with help from some other churches) opened the Christmas journey in the square in the heart of Christchurch city. It sits outside major hotels and alongside the Christchurch Cathedral. Tourists stroll by, preachers shout and street kids loiter.

The Christmas journey is the brain child of Peter and Joyce Majendie and has been developing over the last 5 years. This year it consists of a landscaped path that guide people through 8 interactive art installations, housed inside 8 shipping containers, wrapped in material to look like the largest presents any kid could ever imagine getting.

It is wonderful to have Christmas outside the church and in the public domain. It is great to have the Christmas narrative, told through art and engaged with through interactive response. It runs 12 hours a day, 10 am to 10 pm, for the next 14 days.

Photos of last year’s Christmas Journey are here. An article by the Listener, a national secular magazine, is here.
Repackaging Jesus. Churches around the country are changing, diversifying and adopting marketing practices in order to attract new and particularly younger members ... So, if you're expecting what Rev Dr Steve Taylor at Opawa Baptist Church in Christchurch calls "a Mr Bean experience" – a mumbled sermon and badly sung ancient hymns, with people dozing off around you – think again. link.

narnia quiz

I'm working on a Narnia Quiz for our Take a Kid to Faith service on Sunday.

Question 1. Ponder this … Who said, "Narnia is my favourite children's book?"

a) Madonna
b) Paddington Bear
c) Shannon Taylor
d) Jeff from The Wiggles

Answer

b) Madonna: Madonna said on TV that the Chronicles of Narnia was one of her favorite children's books (according to here and scroll half way down).

Question 2. Ponder this ... The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first Narnia film ever. Yes or no?

Answer: No. Six Narnia films have been made: Two versions of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (1968 and 1979), live versions of "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (combined into one film), and "The Silver Chair" in the 1980's.

Question 3. Ponder this ... Narnia is the name of a real town in
a) England
b) Norway
c) India
d) Italy

Answer: d) Narnia is the name of a town in Italy.

Question 4. Ponder this ... The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe book was almost never printed. Was this because

a) Tolkien so criticized the novel
b) Lewis got very sick
c) The printer jammed

Answer: a) Lewis' friend J.R.R. Tolkien so criticized "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" that Lewis nearly didn't finish it.

spirituality of coffee

The church now owns a coffee machine. But I didn't want it as a status symbol or to be relevant or look cool. I wanted it because there is something about the spirituality of coffee making that makes the act of taking a break and the act of sitting with friends special. It can potentially re-enchant relationships and space.

We are training barrista's in the new year. But I don't want to just train them to make coffee. I also want to offer practices of hospitality and spirituality. Anyone out there done this? Any barrista's out there have prayers and practices of blessing they use? Anyone thought about integrating coffee making into their Christian spirituality?

Are you Elizabeth?

I was moved to tears on Sunday by the simple words of an older woman. Its easy as you get older to get more fixed and firm in your ideas. Its easy as humans to judge the outside and not the inside. On Sunday I preached on Elizabeth and Mary and was struck by Elizabeth speaking words of blessing and hope to a scared, pregnant, teenager.

(For more on this art piece and for four art images to guide you through advent, go here.)

A number of things clicked for me.

1. I have been working a lot with the image of ministry as mid-wife over the last few years (in my out of bounds church? book and in spiritual formation). Elizabeth becomes another example of mid-wiving, of recognising pregnant possibilities and speaking words of courage and hope.

2. We introduced growth coaching at church this year; 1-1 intentional formation; person-centred, not programme-centred. Elizabeth becomes a wonderful example of a growth coach, naming potential in a person and going on a personal journey.

So on Sunday I preached about Mary and Elizabeth. Imagine what church would be like if our older woman spoke words of courage and hope to our younger woman? I invited all those women who wanted to be Elizabeth's, who wanted to speak words of courage and hope to a new generation to stand. All over the church people did. I prayed for them with tears in my eyes.

There's something in here that I am still not fully grasping. But it's a vision for church that inspires me, to bless what the Spirit is doing by coaching Elizabeth's and watching them bless Mary's.

the emerging church and the Bible

John Hammet emailed and asked a very good question: What I think many would like to hear is a statement about how you teach your converts to regard the truthfulness of Scripture. Is it a message that is true for them and the world? I am not talking about crude Cartesian foundationalism or modernist rationalism. I am not talking about evangelistic strategy; it is entirely appropriate to start with people where they are and answer their questions. I am talking about the church and its teaching and discipling ministry.

It's a great question. I am teaching a course on this at Fuller Seminary July 17-21 2006 and am working on a book about this very topic; how the emerging church use the Bible. Publisher negotations mean I have to be a bit coy about what I say and how much I can post.

I can't speak for the emerging church, but perhaps what we did tonite at Digestion, our interactive more youth orientated service, is some answer (to the general question of the place of the Bible in the inner life of the emerging church).

The Bible text for today was Luke 1:39-42. Tonight I told it as a story; taking about 15 minutes and creatively using various symbols to enhance people's imagination. (OK, if you are really desperate, here's the script I wrote. Be understanding, I only had about 2 hours so it's on the fly). I told it slowly, reverently, because this is our central, sacred text. The storytelling approach enabled me to honour the essential narrative nature of the genre and to bring in a whole lot of extra historical information; how far was it from Mary's house to Elizabeth's house; how old was Mary and Elizabeth; the social stigma of bethroned pregnancy and infertility.

I then invited those gathered to "wonder"; to ask questions about the story, the characters, ourselves. For over 20 minutes the congregation "wondered" aloud, probing the story (I wonder why Mary left; I wonder how Joseph felt; I wonder if her parents drove her away; I wonder if there were other Mary's.) Gradually the wonderings got more personal; (I wonder if we gossip and drive people away from our church; I wonder if we are Mary and what God might be saying to us.)

I affirmed all the community wonderings as honouring the text and honouring the way the text speaks to our lives. I then read the Biblical text.

I then offered a range of responses; I gave out little dolls (you had to be there OK) and invited people to consider what was happening in their work, home, health, finances etc and how they were responding to God speaking to them; and space for people to be blessed by some "older" Elizabeth's as Elizabeth blessed Mary. Music track played in the background and people had space to continue to process the Bible. I finished by praying; thanking God for the faith and example of Mary and Elizabeth. All told, about 35 minutes.

What does this say about the way I (as only one voice in the emerging church) use the Bible?

1. I affirm the importance of the Bible speaking for itself through storytelling. In doing so I reject as arrogant and longwinded the preacher who tries to explain the Bible by privileging their mind and rationality over the Scriptures.

2. I affirm that God speaks through the wonderings of God's community. In doing so I reject as individualistic and cultural captive to modernity the privileging of one preaching voice in the community.

3. I affirm that our imagination and all our senses are needed to fully engage Scripture. In doing so I reject as cultural captive to the rationalism of modernity any approach to preaching which uses only words.

4. I affirm that the Scripture calls for a response by offering a variety of ways to respond to the Scriptures. In doing so I reject a one-size fits all or solely intellectual approach to the Bible.

I as an emerging/postmodern/alt.worship (whatever other label you as reader of this post want to stick on me to neatly stereotype me) am seeking a whole bodied, multi-sensory, community engagement with the Bible, honouring it, enflamed by the Spirit, as a living, active, sacred text that reads us and shapes our community.

There is a lot more I could say about subversive readings, global perspectives, micropoetics of everyday life but as I said, this is a book in process.

angel spotting

This worked well on Sunday evening; Context: Often the taking up of the offering on Sunday evenings becomes a time to chat and whistle, or worse, hum strange tunes!

With the start of Advent, I had placed a number of angels around the church. During the offering, I whipped up the following question on PPT; Ponder this ... how many small golden angels can you see around this church?

People were looking all around, up out of their seats, counting and searching, a lot more connected than normal. The offering prayer then included a thankfulness for Advent and the presence of 8 angels in the church, and a gladness that God's angel presence is with us all the time, inside and outside church.

A useful way to keep connection, build another layer into the service and encourage attentiveness to space and the church season.

brian mclaren speaking in New Zealand

Here's a PDF if you want to read the fine print, want more information, to register, or to spread the word via the web; Download Mclaren publicity.

I've worked hard to make this a conversation rather than a monologue; 8 different local panelists responding to Brian's input on the Saturday, 10 different workshops or book club options with local emerging church practioners, including Mark Pierson, Jenny McIntosh, Fyfe Blair, Pete and Joyce Majendie, Alistair McKenzie, Steve and Lynne Taylor; exploring work, Spirit, formation, art, worship curation. In my opinion it's worth travelling from Aussie and the North Island for this.

If you want a paper poster for display in your church drop me an email; steve at emergentkiwi dot org dot nz

a southern response to a southern response

John Hammett, Professor of Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has offered An ecclesiological assessment of the emerging church. I glanced through it (just wish Carson was as easy to glance through) and have made about 10 brief responses.

Update: I emailed John Hammett to inform him that I had made this response to his paper on my blog and I've just had a warm email response, full of the intention to continue dialogue and a desire to keep it cordial and gracious. Hoorah for nice Southern baptists!

1. (Reading the footnotes). Every single reference is US-based. Surely it's time every US emerging church organisation and website added two letters (US) to their names, because it's obvious that people are not getting the "oh, we really are global" rhetoric. (Here on my blog is a list of some non-US emerging church research.)

2. (Reading page 3). Heck it's hard to criticise the emerging church. We don't like to define ourselves. We produce diverse characteristics and emphases. When we catch flak we just define ourselves as local church pastors and ask for academic backup.

3. (Reading page 5). I like Hammett's point about the diversity of culture and the fact that not overyone is postmodern. When I arrived at Opawa Baptist I showed the first minute of Zeffareli's Romeo and Juliet and the first 2 minutes of Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet. Some people liked Zeffareli's 1968, other people like Luhrmann's 1996. (There's cultural analysis of these movies in my out of bounds church? book if you want more.) Instantly we could all see that mission would have to variegated, both/and not either/or. That's helped us formulate our multi-congregational model, and allow us to use different ways to reach different people.

4. (Reading page 5) I don't like the automatic equation of lots of young people with the assumption that a church is effective at "winning postmoderns." To make that claim you need to research firstly the religious background of those young people and secondly, the cultural background of those people. (Such research requires some work and it's what I did for my PhD study of an "emerging church.") It might just be that Manhattan's Redeemer Presbyterian Church is full of rural US people, already Christian, who have moved to Manhattan. I don't know. I'm just questioning the assumption that "lots of young people" = "effective in winning postmodern."

5. (Reading page 6). The research John draws on regarding attitudes of young people is in such striking contrast to that produced by OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith In The iPod Era, (PDF can be downloaded from here).
"[A] generation who are seekers far more than drifters … They are actively considering questions of identity, community, and meaning – negotiating how important their religious identities will ultimately be – but doing so with their own friends, in their own homes, and in their own ways. We are fascinated by the majority who hunger for episodic religious experiences, preferring the informal and expressive to the ritualistic and institutional."

Perhaps we are again seeing the variegated nature of our mission context.

6. Definitions of postmodernism/ity are so slippery and I think both John and Carson are slip-sliding all over the place. Here is one definitional attempt I made a while ago.

7. In all humility, John needs to read Postcard 8 of my out of bounds church?book. In the book I suggest that our models of gospel and culture are now unhelpful, as they so easily slide into either/or; if you are emerging you are culturally accomodating cf if you are non-emerging you are gospel faithful. The dualisms are easy but dead wrong. I argue in the book that at it's best the emerging church is DJing. A DJ can subvert, amplify, juxtapose. I argue that our culture is so "variegated" that we need multiple responses. At times we applaud (amplify), at times we subvert and juxtapose (challenge). The authority for this is "two or three gathered together", the wisdom of Christ present in the community. (I draw on Miroslav Volf at this point, especially this article: Soft Difference). It's a caricature to define the emerging church as culturally accomodating, just as it is a caricature for the emerging church to define the mega-church as accommodating of suburbia. The future is what I am now calling the "micro-poetics of the everday"; everyday lifestyle discipleship.

9. (Reading page 10). I'm uneasy about the simple comparison of culture against Scripture. It oversimplifies our mission task and it oversimplifies Scripture. I doubt any Christian is prepared to literally read Psalm 137:8-9 and not want to suggest some cultural influences might shape how we respond to that Scripture.

10. (Reading page 11). I like John's ending. There is warmth and wisdom. It reminds me of the famous quote by Dean Inge; that the church which "marries the spirit of the age becomes a widow in the next." That is not a licence to embrace modernity or postmodernity. Rather, it is a challenge to be a faithful Jesus follower in the culture that is now. To use the Eugene Peterson quote I blogged yesterday;
God's great love and purposes for us are all worked out in messes in our kitchens and backyards, in storms and sins, blue skies, the daily work and dreams of our common loves. God works with us as we are and not as we should be or think we should be. God deals with us where we are and not where we would like to be. (Christ plays in ten thousand places, 75).

Dang (to use a tallskinnyism) that's a long post. Perhaps I should have given the paper, not John Hammet. I am after all, more Southern Baptist than him, because I am a Baptist Pastor down (South) under! :)

More thoughtful responses here and here.