I’m skeptical about all things “emergent,” mainly because it is impossible to nail down the theological underpinnings of all things “emergent” (and they – whoever “they” are – like it that way!).
You should know by now how I feel about the efforts of well-meaning Christians to keep Christ in CHRISTmas. Now it seems there is a group of believers who are being just as proactive to ensure that Jesus’s birth isn’t associated with rampant year-end consumerism.
The article made reference to a group called Advent Conspiracy. I’d never heard of it, even though for the past two years they have raised more than $3.5 million dollars for social causes around the world.
Turns out it’s those hard-to-define “emergents” who are behind this conspiracy to replace consumerism with compassion at Christmas. Five pastors collaborated in 2006 to start the conspiracy among their own churches -churches with names like Imago Dei Community and Ecclesia. My interest was peaked.
So peaked that on Monday’s Paul Edwards Program I’ll talk with the Creative Director at one of these “emergent” churches: Tony Biagnne of Windsor Crossing in St. Louis, MO. Hopefully your interest is peaked enough to tune in at 4:00 pm ET on Monday.
Hey Tony,
Let me clarify that while I have reservations about some aspects of emergent theology, I have NONE about AC. My desire is to broaden my perspective about emergent, to see the good more than the bad, and AC is most certainly a positive thing that has developed out of the emergent conversation. *Being* the Kingdom is the one thing emergent philosophy is encouraging among followers of Jesus Christ, and I hope that aspect of emergent spreads into the more theologically conservative circles I run in!
When I said in my post above, “Turns out it’s those hard to define emergents who are behind this conspiracy to replace consumerism with compassion at Christmas,” I didn’t mean to imply that there was a hidden agenda. I meant it as a complement, and it was directed at those who know my very conservative views about emergent. I meant, “Hey guys – there is more to emergent than what I’ve been focused on in these posts. Turns out they are actually putting theology into practice, and we can learn from that!”
I should have said it that way in the first place!
It was an honor to speak with you on-air and I hope we have an opportunity to do it again on other subjects.
Hey all,
This is Tony Biaggne, the Creative Director behind Advent Conspiracy. Thanks again Paul for having me on the other day. It was an honor to meet you and I had a great time on the show.
Advent Conspiracy was created for one reason and one reason only: To learn how we can worship Jesus fully at Christmas by spending less and giving more to those who really could use our help. That’s it. No hidden agenda. No asterisk. No emergent underpinnings. In fact, the church I work at, Windsor Crossing, isn’t an emergent church at all by the definition of emergent. We are a suburban nondenominational church that is culturally liberal but theologically conservative. I guess our friends who started AC with us could be considered emergent, but so what? I remember sitting at a dinner meeting two years ago with these guys, dreaming up AC, and we were so excited because we truly believed it had the power to be a Kingdom thing and not a denomination thing. Something that we as Christ followers could rally behind for the good of the Church. And it was true:The moment AC was created the impact immediately effected denominations of all kinds from extremely conservative to defiantly liberal. What is also interesting is the number of people who are experiencing Jesus for the very first time because of AC. From atheists to spiritualists, to Buddhists, I’ve received emails from those who have said that if this is what it’s like to follow Jesus then maybe there’s something to Christianity after all.
The point is my best guess as to why this idea, this movement, is catching is because there isn’t a hidden agenda. It’s just right there, in front of you. To me, that’s what the offer of Jesus is supposed to be like. Simple, powerful, alluring and inviting. In fact, the only skeptics I’ve heard from are from the religious end who don’t trust it because of its simplicity. They try to categorize it into a religious philosophy like “emergent”, because if they are able to do that they can work off the stereotypes associated with that religious philosophy. I suppose we all do that from time to time. I certainly am guilty of that. But it’s this narrow focus that separates Christ followers, and in my opinion there’s enough separation between those who follow and those who don’t to focus on rather than fights between Christ followers at the dinner table.
Thanks,
Tony Biaggne
Creative Director
Advent Conspiracy/Windsor Crossing
Jeff,
I understand what you are saying, but when there ARE clear truths in God’s Word, we do have to take a stand for those truths. I think any Christian who claims to know the whole counsel of God is beyond foolish, but because we do not know ALL truth, does NOT mean we don’t stand for what is plain in the Scriptures.
Well, this is not an emergent plot…just a testimony from our Sunday service…Our Christmas monies this year will be used toward a building fund for our new larger children’s wing for the church and the orphanages…yes, plural we will be building in Myramar…that’s not the good part…One of our pastors was contacted by an unknown member…we never tell who does the GOOD stuff…and asked how much it would cost for the orphanage the church would sponsor in Myamar…Then they donated enough to build two (2)…the rest of us will be building one (1) so that makes three (3)!
James 1:27 (King James Version)
27Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Maybe I can be forgiven this once for tooting the horn for our church…usually, I just say, “I did something good once…but I’m not going to tell you about it…*: )”
A Christmas prayer:
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
But ye have not so learned Christ;
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place to the devil.
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
don
It is amazing how much, I have changed in the past two or so years. The opening line to this blog entry was spot on for me, I don’t like emergent’s because you can’t nail down their theology. Until I realized that maybe that is not what is required of us. Maybe Jesus didn’t come to create a nailed down perfect theology so that everyone can be happy and brag that they have the right one. It’s bad enough that we boldly proclaim superiority over all other faiths, but we even do that among our own community. We fight over this and that doctrine, when we could be loving others and lifting them up. Is it possible that God can reach a catholic in a catholic mass than reach a catholic in a Pentecostal service? God made us all different right? Why do we have to create a theology then tell everyone they need to fit into that theology to get on the straight and narrow path? I know many of you will throw this or that scriptural text at me to justify your own theologies, and I am certain that everyone one of you thinks you are right for a host of reasons. The more I study and reflect on God the more I tend to think it is not about being right, it is about trying to get there and the path that needs to be taken is grace, humility and maybe admitting some uncertainty in your own position. When I read all the comments a couple of weeks ago about certainty of salvation, I couldn’t help but think that every person who commented on that entry couldn’t possibly be that certain of salvation. Can it be possible that I could be completely wrong in my theology and doctrine and still be saved? I think to, I no longer accept the crapshoot mentality of God, God is bigger than a denomination, doctrine, theology and dare I say my own religion. I am sure that will get some feathers ruffled.
BTW, Paul I commend you for having this guest on, you might find that more emergent’s reflect your position than you think.
Wait…does that mean that the supposedly evil, popular, fat “S” character in the red suit is really not evil at all??? It has all been an emergent plot?!?! Well… they certainly had me fooled!…They may have been successful on this front…But, no amount of coercion will ever make me listen to that Christmas Shoe song!