a blog by howard jameson @ gatheringgrace.org

Being rational

Joel has left an interesting comment on an old post about Anti-Emergent Feelings over a year ago. He says

In the attempt to argue for post-modern emergent churches, you are using modern rationalism to do so.

Hmmmm, intersting.

having said that I have also spoken with people who claim that post-Modernity is hogwash precisely because it does NOT use modern rationalism to work through arguments. I am not sure how to move forward on this one and argue (as I did in the original post) for some conservatives to accept the enculturation of their own theology and ecclesiology without using "modern rationalism", perhaps there is an degree of sarcasm in Joel's comment which is fair enough. Speaking for myself I think I was using modern rationalistic tools (quoting proof texts for example) in an ironic way to try to point out the slippery slope upon which modernity has placed conservative theological views. It is not the rock that Jesus spoke about.

There's good news and bad news...

The good news is very good news indeed. After years of jealously reading of others and their Clergy residentials, doing something with relevance for post-Modernity and its interface with the Established Church it appears that Salisbury Diocese is going to include a worskshop on post-Modern culutre as it effects spirituality this summer. This is GOOD NEWS indeed. Big HURRAHs all round.

The bad news, though, is as bad as the good news is good. Guess who they have got to do a workshop!

Me

Doh!

Play away (part ii)

Lorna asked in a comment for more info on the local clergy over-nighter to think about Mission Shaped Church. Was it what I was expecting?

No. I was expecting a rather bland series of sessions displaying (as I see too often) a misunderstanding of the basic values of MSC, as if they can just be bolted on to a traditional form of Church and away you go.

Instead we got some really good input from John Holbrook from Wimborne Minster, and talked about the relationship between traditional and emerging forms of Church. Thank goodness we talked about some other things as well!!

A note of caution. We spent quite some time trying to find a decent pub in Warminster. In the end we gave up and went to the least dive-like one we could find.

Play away

About to depart for 24 hours play away with a group of local clergy, being led on the theme of Mission Shaped Church. Looking forward to getting to know some more people living around here, and the chance to talk and share.

My last experience of a clergy discussion about MSC was less than encouraging.

Mission Shaped Church

At the recent Clergy Day I opted for the seminar on the subject of Mission Shaped Church.

Emerging Church and Spiritual Opposition

I am thinking about Spiritual Opposition...not engaging in it (although I am sure I do my fair share), but why I read so very little about it on blogs and in writing about post-Modernism and faith.

It would certainly be easy to nominate a few candidates. There is nothing that some traditional form of Church love more than an enemy they can demonise. I am not saying that everybody who writes against fresh expressions of Church is the spawn of Satan.

What can we learn from a vodka and tonic?

Its amazing what you can glean from a simple experiment.

Take this one for example! ("Oh, thanks - don't mind if I do!").

Sin and judgement

Something I read repeatedly in the rather uninformed criticisms of Emerging Church is the lack of emphasis on SIN. We are, according to our accusers, relativists and therefore SOFT ON SIN.

I had a moment of semi-panic earlier. I was talking to somebody who made a comment about a sermon I did some months ago. The reading was Genesis 6:9-22, Noah being told by God to build a boat because of the wickedness of the world. The person I was speaking graciously expressed surprise that I had not mentioned judgement during the sermon...

Anti-Emergent feelings

There does seem to be a fair head of steam building up within Conservative Evangelical circles against Emerging Church.

Those within Emerging Church who are trying to argue our corner seem to be feeling frustrated. Bob and Leighton are typical examples.

Emerging Church: movement or conversation?

It appears to have become a big issue on some sites as to whether Emerging Church/Fresh Expressions/whatever is a movement or a conversation.

This is the article that drew my attention to the issue.