February 10, 2004

I am dumb

Emerging church. I had always used the term to refer to the widespread cultural shift from modern to postmodern and God's missionary desire to birth new life in new cultures. The church emerging, like a seed, from postmodern soil.

I've been reading the blogs and the discussion kept revolving around church. I couldn't get it. Just read phil and dan/dan and phil and the penny clicked. I have been dumb. Apparently the term is to do with old and new ways of being the church. Duh. I do feel stupid.

OK, so to capture this missionary impulse I quickly need to find a new term and a new name for my blog. Cos I want to follow God in the culture, fan the coals of mission, see unchurched postmoderns find faith and community, not get stuck in dodging the flack and fire between different parts of the church world.

Posted by steve at February 10, 2004 12:06 PM | TrackBack
Comments

New name: EmergentEagle!

Nice triumphal, militaristic ring to it. They won't dare criticise you now. :-)

Seriously though, leave it how it is.

Posted by: Stephen at February 10, 2004 04:02 PM

I don't think the name will make the difference as to whether you "get stuck in dodging the flack and fire between different parts of the church world", nor about whether you would want to be involved in that conversation.

I think part of the conversation is about God's power to birth new life, growth and missional innovation in church communities which have become isolated from their local culture.

Posted by: dan at February 10, 2004 04:33 PM

of course, emerging and emergent don't mean the same thing, although most people in this conversation seem to use them interchangeably; for your particular purposes, emergent is rather a good definition. (unless, of course, like 'consumptive' we are once again "divided by a common language" (was it Churchill who said that? I think so)

Posted by: maggi at February 11, 2004 12:05 AM

on second thoughts, I think it was George Bernard Shaw, not Churchill. Although more than likely Churchill quoted him...

Posted by: maggi at February 11, 2004 12:56 AM

Rather than the Emerging Church, I prefer the term missional communities

Posted by: dave at February 11, 2004 11:13 AM

Steve,

In keeping with Ward's book, How about Submersible Kiwi? or Aquatic Kiwi? or . . . maybe you could leave it as is and define your terms, that's what most of us do anyway.

Grace and Cigars,

ron

Posted by: ron Willoughby at February 11, 2004 11:45 AM

Wet Kiwi!

Posted by: phil at February 11, 2004 04:50 PM

don't think you're dumb; just more optimistic than dan in her post. i linked and added a few thoughts of my own.

Posted by: Bald Man at February 12, 2004 07:33 AM

thanks corey, that is a really helpful comment that clicks a few things for me.

Posted by: steve at February 12, 2004 07:59 AM

The kiwi is nocturnal... but we want to bring light to the world... hmm... DiurnalKiwi? Doesn't have quite the ring to it really.

As for you being dumb, I think in fact it is an interesting take on the issue. I wouldn't drop your interpretation so easily. There is depth here.

Posted by: duncan at February 20, 2004 11:33 AM