In college I was introduced to a book that challenged my thinking. It was a work that presented some questions to the way that my churches practiced their faith. Among these questions included some very radical views, for instance on revelation. What I did not know then is that that author would become (or had already become in many eyes) a leader of an ever growing movement in Christianity. His name is Brian McClaren and the book was A New Kind of Christian.
Since that time I have gone to seminary where I now have all the answers to all the questions concerning faith. Right. However, it ahs been a great time for me to grow in my knowledge of my faith and the revelation from God, The Bible. However, during this wonderful time I have come to neglect the thoughts of that movement known as emerging (to speak broadly while recognizing a difference between emergent and emerging). That neglect might come from sheer ignorance of its movement, it might have come from a reaction against some of its proponents, but in either case it has become ever present in our churches and I realize it is something we must engage.
So if you were to ask me what I thought of the movement a few months back I might have said I do not think it is good, but knowing I really was ignorant of the players in it let alone the ideaology they carried. To correct this error I have decided, amongst all my other readings, that I need to engage and examine these movers and shakers in the post-modern Christian culture.
To being allow me to briefly review a book by pastor Mark Driscoll from Seattle. This book is Radical Reformission: Reaching Out without Selling Out, Zondervan, 2004.
In this work Driscoll is attempting to change people’s minds about what missions is. Oftentimes missions is thought of as something doe over seas, foreign missions, but there is much to be said about the mission field in our backyard. This is the focus of being reformissional, which simply begins by a return to Jesus. Notice that it is not a reformation but more in line with a restoration of what the Church should be. One should look to Jesus as the example.
Much of his argument comes from the triumvirate necessity of Gospel, Church, and Culture. All surround love. Gospel is loving the Lord, Church is loving your brother and Culture is Loving God. He lists three scenarios of when one of these is missing:
Gospel + Culture – Church = Paracurch
Culture + Church – Gospel = Liberalism
Church + Gospel – Culture = Fundamentalism
These are three areas we need to be wary of. We must have all three parts in order to properly do the ministry Christ has called us to.
Much can be said beyond this in his book, but the idea centers around making sure the balance of all three of these parts are in place. For instance he mentions the poles of Traditionalism and Innovation. When one goes too far in one way the message suffers.
Reformission is about the old gospel answering without blushing the new questions that emerge from new cultures. Page 49
Another set of poles he mentions is Sectarianism and Syncretism. As Christians we need to engage the world but not become like them. We must stay between these two vices and seek the virtue culturally presenting the Gospel.
Driscoll’s message, although shocking at times, is one that is centered on presenting the gospel to anyone everywhere where they are. It is not so much about building bridges to culture as tearing down the walls we have built around ourselves from culture.
All in all I am looking forward to reading and listening to more of what Driscoll has to say.
This is the beginning of my journey into this very broad movement. Where I am missing something please correct me.
