Cat’s Eye Glasses: Pomo/Emerging Theology Part the First
About two years ago, something about how I was living my life with Jesus, especially how I was “doing church” started to feel not quite right. At first I just thought my nose just itched. But then I reached up there to scratch between my eyes and realized that somehow I had ended up with postmodern lenses fairly permanently attached to my face. I wore those around for awhile saying, “Hey, do you dig my new postmodern lenses? They’re green plastic cat’s eyes. Cool, eh?”
Too many people freaked out at me. Too many people told me I was being “liberal” or “relativistic” or “trendy.” But at the same time, things were working really really well in my soul, you know, so I kept the glasses, but I dropped the postmodern nomenclature. I switched to “emergent.” It was more organic. Something is emerging out of me, man, it’s like, organic man. Now I sounded like I had a plant growing out of my head, like at any moment my green cat’s eyes glasses with their new lenses would turn into some snaky fast growing vine. It was softer and gentler and more accessible. People stopped freaking out. But then, they started scoffing. “Oh, you mean you’re wearing the new hip evangelical uniform? Cool new look on the outside – same old same old on the inside, right.”
It has become a Charlie Brown moment.
Good Grief.
This thing that I am a part of—which feels like a homecoming by the way—is nothing short of a move of the Holy Spirit. (Now hang with me with that lingo, I’ve got Vineyard roots and they show. But it is what it is, ya know.) Now, I’m not saying it’s the only thing the Holy Spirit is doing this days. But it is one of her projects, and I really love being a part of it. It’s not just hip glasses on an aging church though. It’s not just killing the lights and unboxing the candles and breaking out the multimedia. That’s what the evangelical church does when they want to market to “post moderns” or “start a postmodern service.” That so is not the point.
Now, I understand why people think it is the point. For awhile I, and the people I was traveling with, we thought it was the point, because that was what was itching the most. Remember the itch at the top of our noses? First we were dissatisfied with worship. So we shook it up. We wove liturgy and ritual back in. We dipped into chant. We called all our artists and made space for them, even let them call the shots and taught the “worship leaders” (i.e. musicians) just follow along. To some this seems like a mostly cosmetic change. I don’t think so really, but maybe it is. Regardless, it also broke something loose in us. Because then we got hungry for a new kind of learning.
Yep. We got tired of sermons. We suddenly all developed ADD. We just could not sit still. We could not absorb 40-60 minutes of lecture. We were intuiting truth through art, now we wanted to learn through dialogue as well. So we, here at ThPM anyway (and this is not for everyone or how everyone has to do it because pomo/emergent stuff is very VERY context specific) got permission to go try it another way. And a year later, we’re starting to get the hang of it. A little.
So we changed how we worshipped and how we preached and what time and day we did it at. A lot of so-called “emergent” or “post modern” churches just stop there. But I don’t think that’s where it really ends. I think that’s more like the beginning. A portal you step through. That’s just putting on the green cat’s eyes glasses, ya know. You still got to get used to looking through that new prescription. After that things really shift inside you. After that you realize your theology–it can’t really look people in the eye. And then the deep changes begin to happen. Then you start forming a postmodern theology. A theology which finds it’s inspiration in ancient teachers and newly published writers. A theology which spins out of fresh translations of the Bible. A theology which is more lived has more open ends, and which is very very definitely post-evangelical.
Want to know some of the bits within that theology? Want to know what is emerging, not just out of a few years in an ivory tower, (thank you Regent for the foundation – kiss kiss) but out a practiced post modern life?
So do I. Let me know when you’ve found it.
Just kidding. I’ll tell you. At least, all tell you what I’m, what we at ThPM, are finding. Mostly because it will help me get my own head around it. So stayed tuned. I’ll be writing soon.
Rachelle,
This is the best post I have read in a long time. It was the refreshing voice I have been needing to hear, so thank you so much for posting it. I am looking forward to hearing more.
Oh, man. This is good. Thanks Rachelle.
Rachelle, (my wife’s name is Rachelle), this is well put. keep writing.
bring it on, sister!
“So we, here at ThPM anyway got permission to go try it another way.”
Rachelle,
Who did you get permission from?
George,
We’re part of the Seattle Vineyard. I used to be an assoc. pastor at the Sunday morning congregation. Our then senior pastor, Ed Cook (now our “pastoral team overseer”) wanted to find a more supportive means of planting churches/missional communities in the city. So now we are three congregations, with distinct leadership, teaching and worship styles–the basically independant congs, under one umbrella organization. The Seattle Vineyard now = SunAM, Along the Way (Sat Night) and ThPM. We also have a small congregation which is primarily made up of homeless folks from our neighborhood that is supported by all three of the more financially stable congs. It’s called Still Waters. Though it’s not w/out it’s challenges, I really feel grateful to be working in this new model and would love to talk to anyone who’s interested about our multicongregational adventures.
R
Glasses. Very helpful metaphor.
I wear disposable contacts (because my prescription is so huge that my cokebottle glasses threaten to shear my nose clean off my face due to their massive mass).
When I don’t wear the contacts, I not only can’t see, but I get headaches. I can’t navigate, I can’t read to learn, I can’t communicate well because I can’t see their expressions. My brain does’nt wholly function.
Every couple of weeks they need to be disposed of. When they’re at the end of their lifecycle I get raging headaches, similar to the migraines I used to get when I was a stressed-out, performance-motivated junior high kid.
If I don’t change my lenses frequently I’m wholly incapacitated. If I don’t change them frequently enough I spend a day or two having difficulty thinking clearly, paying attention, moving forward.
Hmmmmmm. Very interesting metaphor.
—
(By the way/On the way, I’m very curious about the postmodern theology that’s being discussed now. I’m very much looking forward to reading your thoughts).
I’m also currious what you mean by post-modern theology. Care to define some terms please?
Yes!!!! I so totally get that homecoming idea. And also have experienced that feeling that this organic, emerging way of being with God works so perfectly for me. This way of being with Jesus seems to bypass the things that used to stop me up, freak me out and break me down. My heart sings. It’s like I’ve come home to realness.
The way I’m “doing church” and following Jesus doesn’t feel quite right.
Check!
People freaking out on me, calling me trendy or relativistic (or perhaps sorta maybe not saved).
Check!
Things working really well in my soul?
um… er.
The truth is, the incongruity between what was going on in my head and soul and what was going on in my church fellowship was painting me with feelings of restlessness and alienation. It wasn’t—isn’t an easy transition.
Rachelle…
I am enjoying your thoughts. A few comments back you volunteered to talk about your multicongregational experiences. I’d love to hear your stories, particularly from a woman pastor’s perspective…can you shoot me an email?
Thanks for the info Rachelle.
The reason I asked is that I believe Jesus has already given us permission and not being part of the Institutional or Emerging Church I was just wondering how people in the Emerging Church think and process things.
We are in Pittsburgh, PA. If you guys ever get on the East Coast look us up.
Peace
Rachelle -
I just wanted to leave a note to thank you for doing what you do and writing about it. I can totally identify what you say about this - whatever it is - feeling like a homecoming. I’ve been lurking around your blog and others I’ve discovered recently (Maggi’s, Jen’s, etc.) and have been so encouraged. The things I’ve been reading and discovering lately have produced in me this reaction which I can only call overwhelming relief: I can ask these questions and think these thoughts that prod me and poke me and won’t go away - and still be a true follower of Christ! Coming out of my relatively conservative evangelical background, I really wasn’t quite sure that I could. I’m learning a lot and feeling like I’m actually finding a spiritual home again. You have such wise words. Please keep them coming! I’m sure there are others like me out there who aren’t actively involved in the conversation yet but are drinking it all in like water in the desert.