Emerging church talk

An interesting topic in the blogging community these days is the definition and values of 'emerging (or emergent) church'. Jason Clark of Emergent in the UK suggests there are twelve emerging values, though not all emergent churches have grasped all these:

1. Women in leadership, with role of pastor, elder, deacon, evangelist, apostle, etc.
2. Multi-cultural (ethnic and generational) representation in leadership and congregation (dependent on culture of context).
3. Salvation as a process: progressive, continual, ongoing vs. sinners prayer salvation.
4. Evangelism through community: relational, worship, communal.
5. A recognition of unclear absolutes in regard to moral truth (i.e. sex before marriage, cohabitation before marriage, drinking alcohol, homosexuality, stewardship of money).
6. Theological openness, discovery.
7. Value placed on creatively worshiping God via arts and other alternative means. Music, writing, painting, screaming, mud baths, etc. (got ya thinking).
8. New metaphors of teaching: moderation, facilitator, conversation, dialogue.
9. Redemption of everyday life: vocation, recreation, friendship, family, neighborhood, etc.
10. Social action as a way of life.
11. Decentralized leadership, pluralistic leadership, whatever you want to call it.
12. Discipleship and mentoring as a priority.

Brian McLaren of Emergent Village in the USA holds the view that there are no postmodern churches, and quotes his friend Ed Chinn when he says:

"The primary reason I ever attend a church service (or frankly, even have serious or long conversations with Christians) is the hope that I will hear something proclaimed out of heaven, something that carries the majesty, the revelation, the heart and breath of God. I am not interested in a 3-point guide for living or more apologetics and theology. We all know that the more traditional churches live in a ghetto of unreality; they speak only to themselves, write books for themselves, and make music for themselves. No one else has any clue what they're saying. That's why serious people have been ignoring them for a couple of decades. While I appreciate the freshness and youthfulness of 'the emergent church' (or 'postmodern church movement' as some call it), sometimes I think they have simply become better conversationalists. They've learned the language and the concepts of the natives and are very good about engaging them in real conversations. I greatly admire and enjoy that. But, very honestly, I've not heard very much in that world that really testifies of anything seen in Heaven. Like most other church worlds, they speak from a distinct 'earthview' and in a distinct earth-language."

Brian comments: "Ed is telling us something humbling, something we need to hear. The emergent movement has a wonderful promise, but it could just become another marketing gimmick to sell books, build egos, and bolster sagging spirits with a new invisible wardrobe for a pudgy, pasty old emperor. No doubt, in some quarters it will squander its potential, but if you care about the possibilities being actualized... please... let's aim deep and high."