Fear, Identity, and the Emerging Church
March 16, 2007
Scot McKnight has a very interesting post on liberals, evangelical/conservatives, and the emerging church. In his series, “Letters to Emerging Christians,” he looks at the question, “What does our greatest fear tell us about ourselves?” He then answers this for conservative/evangelical, liberal, and emerging Christians. You really should read the whole article, but the breakdown is roughly this.
- Liberals – Intolerance
- Conservatives – Change
- Emergents -Power & Authority
If you read the post and care about both the emerging church and the UMC, you’ll immediately wonder about the way that our system will cause a great deal of fear and trepidation among those with emergent sensibilities. If we’re ever going to get serious about ministering from this paradigm, we’ll have to address these questions.
Entry Filed under: Emerging Church, Methodism, Methodist, Religion, United Methodist. .
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1.
john Wesley | March 16, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I should not dare to interrupt your more weighty affairs with a letter of mine, did I not hold you to be a disciple of Him who would not have the smoking flax quenched nor the bruised reed broken. But since I am entirely convinced of this, I beg of you that in your prayers and the prayers of the Church that sojourns with you, I may be commended to God, to be instructed in true poverty of spirit, in gentleness, in faith, and love of God and my neighbor. And, whenever you have a little leisure, do not disdain to offer to God this short prayer, which I have heard frequently offered by your brethren at Savannah (would they were mine also!):
Then the dauntless mind
Which, to Jesus joined,
Neither life nor treasure prizes,
And all fleshly lusts despises,
Grant him, Highest Good,
Through Thy precious blood.
God’s most humble servant, I remain,
John Wesley
2.
Matt | March 16, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Thank you for stopping by John. I always appreciate your presence on the blog.
3.
gavin | March 19, 2007 at 10:03 am
i’ll have to take a glance over that article. thanks for the link.