Whether we talk of the “emerging church” church or “the “emergent church,” the root word is the same- “merge,” syn.= “combine, coalesce, unite, join, amalgamate, consolidate, blend, mix, mingle, fuse, conflate, commingle pool.” Add the prefix “e-” = “out of” = “to (Fill in your favorite synonym from the preceding list) out of the previous state of being.”
However we define what is happening in this current re-formation of the church, it is about change. The Holy Spirit, as we affirm when we talk of “the church reformed and always being reformed,” is at work in the world pushing us out of what we have been to become something else through a process of coming together with others.
If we have forgotten something important it may be this: God called a community out of bondage through Moses, then they learned what God wanted them to know about faith and life. Jesus gathered the “First Church, Disciples” without first asking them what they believed. Paul shaped communities out of people of widely disparate beliefs- on purpose! Forming community before forming confession is the rule of Scripture.
Taken together, the whole witness of Scripture is God’s invitation to come belong to the Kingdom, then to learn the Way.
Following this model, the call is for the identity of the local congregation in its context to shift from maintaining distinctions between “what we believe” to demonstrations of “who we are.” This will touch on every facet of congregational life: re-focusing the mission; re-structuring the organization; re-presenting Christ.
Ask the question: How did the gospel move and grow from a tiny group of frightened people in a backwater province of the Roman Empire to become a bold proclamation right under the nose of Caesar in Rome in one short lifetime, and this without an evangelism budget? Answer: People were attracted to what they saw in the lives of “belongers” and wanted to experience it before they ever became “believers.” Goodness knows, they didn’t all believe the same things!
“Go…make disciples…baptize…teach” are the verbs in the order our Lord gave them. We will attract others by doing what we do and by being who we are because “Jesus is Lord.” We can explain what that means all in good time. They will be more open to believing if they already belong.
Meanwhile, first things first, in the order of Scripture: an emerging/emergent congregation will look like a place where people are eager to belong without demanding that they first believe certain things.
I think I hear the spirit of what Skip wants to say but it is really, really sloppily put. Jesus repeatedly taught the first disciples what to believe and what not believe. To imply this was not the case by saying “Jesus gathered the first Church, Disciples, without first asking them what they believed” is totally to miss what he spent his ministry doing! They were taught to believe in the Scriptures, to believe in Him, to believe in God. This is so clear in the Gospels that I must assume that this post is not about saying belief is an optional, or even that it can be postponed until a later day. What I think is trying to be said is that the early Christians did not have to read a 700 page textbook of systematic theology to be a member of the Church. Furthermore I do agree that actions speak louder than words. But Saint Peter leaves no doubt, Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you. 1 Peter 3:15 . I do not see the emergent Church as an excuse to be lazy. The catechism process of the primitive church was rigorous, it often took years of preparation before a person was baptized and they did this knowing full well the result might well be persecution, torture and death. It was only after Constantine legalized the Church that admissions were made increasingly easy. Talk about postponing what we need to believe – just look at the mainline churches today! Because nothing specific is believed, nothing specific is practiced!
So here is a thought. As Christians welcome everyone into our homes and fellowships to love, serve and pray for them – whatever they believe. We do this because we believe they are made by God and in the image of God. That I think, is the basic intent of Skip´s post. But why hide our beliefs? As they walk with us they should clearly see that we are putting our beliefs into practice. Do they want to become follows of Christ? Then it is time to deny oneself (our old beliefs) and believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, Lord and Savior, Emanuel, the way the truth and the life, by whom we are redeemed and given eternal life. Emergent church is radical stuff because there is no more radical teaching than the counter-culture gospel of Jesus.
A complete donation of oneself always brings happiness.
Rev. Donald Wehmeyer, Mexico