Another Ten Minute Powerblog
I don’t know what happened, but today, at least for today, I so do not care about the emerging church. I mean, I do care. I care that my friends are trying to figure out how to live their religious lives in a way that makes sense in their post modern culture. I’m glad they are expanding their ideas about worship and prayer and learning. I’m happy to throw in my two cents about how they might do that — offer up somethings we have done at ThPM, in the church and in the home, that have helped us get somewhere on that front. But when it comes to debating church structure; figuring out if team leadership is do-able; discussing paid vs unpaid pastors; being snippy about whether or not it’s “okay” for pomo’s to “borrow” ancient liturgies even if they don’t understand all their underpinnings; and figuring out how to make a church service cozy and welcoming — well, trutfully I really don’t care anymore. (At least not today.)
I think there are maybe two things happening right now. First, there is the reshaping of church as a service. By this I mean that there passionate, creative, called-by-God men and women who are out there trying to find a way to let the organizational church — you know the thing that meets in a physical place for a service and has some sort of worshipping activity and some sort of teaching activity and some sort of collection of ministry-type activities attached for it– they are trying to let that thing become more relevant to the post-modern world. I am not knocking this at all. People like Jason Clark and Ryan Beattie and Doug Pagitt and … I don’t know…who are the women out there doing that sort of thing? …Maggi Dawn maybe and Ruth Limkin … they are all out there carving things out into new shapes. And I’m down with that. That’s cool. And I don’t mean, that’s trendy. I mean, that’s fabulous. That’s what obedience looks like for them.
But then there is this other group of people. People like me and Jen Lemen and Kelly Bean and Jim and Barb Henderson and Neil and Margaret Tibbot who are doing something a little different. It’s somewhat related, so we keep thinking we’ll fit in there. But it’s really quite different too, so we don’t always relate. What are we doing? What am I doing that’s different from the emerging church thing?
I’m not sure. I can’t quite put my finger on it. But it’s different. It’s more like being a missionary. Living missionally. Living incarnationally.
This is the point in the conversation that people jump in and say “people are the church, not the organization” or “you’re talking about being the church not just doing church.”
Well, yes and no. Yes, I believe there is a difference between kindom living and just going through the motions. Yes I think that the people are the church, not the buildling or the roster or the activities of a Sunday morning. But there’s something beyond that too…something that includes the organizational church and her people, and something that includes this thing the other misfits are doing…
I don’t know. The closest I can come to defining it is to call what I’m intersted in, what I’m captured by, as “the invisible church.” This is what my friend April calls it. That’s what I care about. That’s what were trying to live. That’s what looks like obedience to me. I just can’t figure out what it will take for us to do this intentionally and with purpose, but without treating people as prey, or as objects to secure. And I can’t figure out why it feels so “naughty,” rebellious, and pissy when it’s put up next to the emerging church paradigms. And I can’t figure out why it’s so threatening, or so divisive, or why everyone seems to be wanting to stake out turf and decided who’s “right.”
Why can’t we all play? Why can’t the body be big? Why can’t it be okay that we care about differnt things?
Okay, more questions than answers, but my ten minutes for power blogging are up. Be nice to me, I wrote this stream of concious and I didn’t edit it. 
ps. when I went to find Jason’s url to embed in this entry, I saw that he’s posted something somewhat related today (even though he’s supposed to be on SABBATICAL…remember Jason? Check it out here.
Tim Bednar (e-Church.com)had some good things to say in this vein today, in response to a couple of other posts. Seems there is something in the air…
Dana
I really appreciate your thoughts, and they are articulating something that I am struggling with too. I’ve lost my fit with the “modern church” (whatever that means) but I’m not quite sure that I am fully embracing the emerging church either. I can’t even articulate why. It’s just a feeling in my gut. So where does that leave me, and what exactly is it that I’m doing? I love your comments about being missional…..maybe that’s what I’m doing, or atleast striving to do. It’s a strange place to be in, and I too have more questions than answers. Thanks for taking the time to try and put words to this.
Rachelle, Dig. Since we have wrapped up our own experiment in GA and moved to Central CA. I have found nothing that resembles what I want to call myself. I have bumped into a few christians that have no idea what we have attempted and I could not even imagine trying to explain it. They are trying to “help” me. They invite me to “their” church. They seem abit nervous that we have not found a “fellowship”. But I am not sure I could go back to that style. I joined a mixed centering prayer group which is the best church I have experienced in awhile. I smile say nothing to anyone of any significance, sit in silence with them and leave. For now it is enough. I consider myself an embedded monk. Stuggling to find a rythem, struggling to stay centered, struggling to not drift away. But all this to say that I don’t care anymore either. Much love to you girl. You inspire me and say many of the things I think and then I say the things you think that I would have never thought of. Did you get that?
Thanks Rachelle. Coming from someone who is just beginning this journey of trying to figure out what she and her family want in regards to “church”, I found your comments very helpful articulating some of the confusion I’m experiencing. That was one long sentence…I hope it made sense. “Why can’t we all play? Why can’t the body be big? Why can’t it be okay that we care about differnt things?” Such good questions. We left our neat little pre-packaged church a few months ago. I have no idea where we will end up but it’s people like you who are helping me sort it out. In the mean time, I really feel free for the first time. We’re worshipping as a family at home. The only one we have to worry about pissing off is the dog when we make her get off the couch. Life is good…
i think now is the time to break out the roxburgh. maybe for us it’s more about gospel and culture than about church and either one of those two things. and that (so far) has not been emergent’s gig. emergent is for missional leaders right? (aka pastors) if you aren’t interested in growth per se, then why are you in the conversation? growth still drives the church conversation.
it has taken me a VERY long time to figure this part out. that i don’t really fit because i’m not a pastor/leader interested in reaching more people. i just want to do my journey and experience god’s presence everywhere along the way. does that count?
Thanks, Rachelle, for putting your struggle out there. It’s helping a lot.
I’m not sure I know how to verbalize it either, but I think I know what you mean, and I think it’s fabulous and important, too.
From now on I want to see much more sparse 10 Min Power Blogs.
Whatever you do, don’t give up and don’t shut up. Crash the party if need be, but keep contributing. Don’t try to fit in anyone else’s box, or we’re back at square one, “this is the way you do church, amen, end of story”- conformity to the “emerging church” or ____ is still conformity, and it is still confining sometimes.
For whatever reason, you have a more difficult row to hoe. But keep hoeing, for all our sakes.