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!).

I recently read a news story about two ladies in Ohio who started a campaign to buy up billboards on interstates to share the message that “It’s OK to say Merry Christmas.”

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.