Sorry - Carl Gladstone and I are unable to attend tonight.
We will announce fall cohort dates soon!
Any suggestions for days/times/locations??? - POST below :)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Meeting with Emergent Detroit
For the near future I plan to meet with a cohort that will be meeting in Ferndale, the Metro Detroit Emergent Cohort (North Metro Detroit). The next meeting is May 15th. I believe it is wiser for the time being to meet with this cohort that has already started rather than split my efforts from theirs. When the time seems right to begin meetings of an additional cohort on the south/ south-west side of the city, we can do so.
The Metro-Detroit Emergent Cohort
Metro Detroit Emergent Cohort website, see:
http://www.emergedetroit.org/user/cohortdetroit
to email me, see my address at http://www.emergentvillage.com/cohorts-locations/SEMichigan_Cohort
The Metro-Detroit Emergent Cohort
THIRD THURSDAYS, 7:30pm
at the Woodward Avenue Brewery
22646 Woodward Ave, Ferndale, MI 48220-1810
Join us MAY 15, JUNE 19, JULY 17, and AUGUST 21 for conversations on emergent theology, community, and praxis! At 7:30pm we'll gather and catch up with each other on what's been going on in our lives/ministries. At 8pm we'll get going with the dedicated topic for that evening, and close up by 9:30pm or 10pm depending how talkitive we are.
Metro Detroit Emergent Cohort website, see:
http://www.emergedetroit.org/user/cohortdetroit
to email me, see my address at http://www.emergentvillage.com/cohorts-locations/SEMichigan_Cohort
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Article on "Ancient-Future Faith"
A recent article from Christianity Today discusses the trend towards incorporating ancient practices into worship and discusses "emerging" trends among many young Christians.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Faces of an emerging Church
Across the country, small groups of Christians are attempting to model their lives off of those early Christians from the book of Acts who tried to live a simple life of obedient faith in community with other Christians.
For example, you may read...
A Boston Globe Article, "The Unexpected Monks"
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/03/the_unexpected_monks/
about A Christian Community in San Francisco called "Seven"
about another Christian Community called "The Simple Way"in Philadelphia
An article from "Christianity Today" called "The New Monasticism"
An article from "The Christian Century" - "The New Monastics"
For example, you may read...
A Boston Globe Article, "The Unexpected Monks"
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/02/03/the_unexpected_monks/
about A Christian Community in San Francisco called "Seven"
about another Christian Community called "The Simple Way"in Philadelphia
An article from "Christianity Today" called "The New Monasticism"
An article from "The Christian Century" - "The New Monastics"
What is a Cohort?
A cohort is a local learning community.
From "Starting an Emergent Village Cohort", Mike Clawson, Chicago Cohort Coordinator
4. To enhance the local participation and the grassroots nature of the emerging church conversation.
5. To identify/support a new generation of leaders.
6. To host regional gatherings.
From "Starting an Emergent Village Cohort", Mike Clawson, Chicago Cohort Coordinator
What is a learning community?
While being a place of connection and support, an Emergent learning community (cohort) is primarily a place of communal exploration, theological and professional reflection, honest connection, and strategic collaboration. These learning communities are geared toward post-critical, constructive conversation, rather than deconstructive rants about the current state of the Church.
However, cohorts are not intended to be “churches” or new church plants per se. Instead they are connection points for people from many different church communities, as well as those who have left the institutional church.
Why learning communities?
1. Local (Intrinsic)
2. National (Extrinsic)
4. To enhance the local participation and the grassroots nature of the emerging church conversation.
5. To identify/support a new generation of leaders.
6. To host regional gatherings.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
What is "Emerging Christianity?"
That is a simple question with a long answer.
First, it is a large category with a wide diversity of opinion. While I will do my best to give a description of it, some may not agree with every point I lay out just as I don't agree with all comments made by everyone who calls themselves "emerging/emergent." It is this diversity of opinions that emphasizes the fact that the "emerging" movement is best approached as a dialogue about Christianity, not a set-in-stone doctrine. For many, it is an attempt to think about Christianity and the way that we as Christians should live in a more authentic way, not simply as a list of guidelines, dos/don'ts and rituals for which we ascribe no meaning.
It is not a new denomination. Most past responses to concerns about a church, denomination, doctrine, etc. was to leave the church you had a dispute with and start your own church, denomination, or write your own doctrine.
The main idea behind emerging Christianity is not necessarily to leave your old church or faith community and start a new one (though many have felt led to do so). Some may follow an "emerging" path while staying at the same church they have always attended.
Instead, many see emerging Christianity as a dialogue between Christians from different denominational backgrounds in order to create greater community within the body of Christ and learn from one another's strengths (rather than focusing on doctrinal differences). But this simply sounds like ecumenicism and is indeed, only a part of "Emerging Christianity."
Another common answer is that it is a "postmodern" view of Christianity.
What is "postmodern"?
Well, technically, we are in a "postmodern era".
Scholars like to classify periods of history with neat titles like Renaissance, pre-modern, industrial, information age, space age, modern age....well the modern age has allegedly passed (for most of us anyway!) and now we are in a postmodern age, where previous, "modern" assumptions about reality are questioned or rejected and people begin to re-evaluate "reality" (just as modernity was a challenge of "Victorian" values and beliefs, so post-modernism is the challenging of modern values and beliefs). This is certainly not a complete explanation of "post-modernism" and certainly not a great definition but further research could bring you any number of quality explanations delivered by scholars who have a better grasp on this concept than I.
Emerging Christianity is controversial. Because of the nature of its approach to reviewing and questioning long held practices of the institutional church countless critics have emerged to counter the "emerging" movement. Some of their criticisms are valid, some are defenses of the very changes many "emerging" Christians think are necessary to recapture the truth of Jesus' teachings, some criticisms are based on misconceptions about what most "emerging" Christians believe, and some are criticisms of comments made by "emerging" Christians that do not represent a consensus of the "emerging" church. Since it is not a denomination, or a single body with a decision making hierarchy, there is no one voice of the "emerging" church, but many advocates, all with slightly differing opinions on a range of theological issues.
I still have not explained entirely what emerging Christianity is and rather than trying to explain it myself, I will point you in the direction of a few helpful explanations and articles I have read:
For example - here is one good explanation I found very useful.
For a more critical analysis/commentary: "What Should We Think of the Emerging Church? Part One" and "What Should We Think of the Emerging Church? Part Two" discusses the implications of a "postmodern" understanding of Christianity and does a very good job of pointing out the benefits of the emerging movement while raising important questions and concerns about the doctrine being espoused by some of its loudest proponents - an important read for anyone with an honest attraction to the emerging movement.
This article from Christianity Today, "Five Streams of the Emerging Church" by Scot McKnight addresses some misconceptions about Emerging Christianity. He also points out 5 main ideas within the emerging church movement. In addition to the embrace of many "postmodern" ideas he also points the the emerging movement's deliberate embrace of prophetic language, the effort by many to live out their faith through more practice and action (not as a means to salvation, but rather as a response to their salvation and a challenge to those who say they believe, but do not act accordingly), a rejection of what is seen as a religion of exclusivity and divisiveness among various doctrines, and a rejection of the automatic embrace by many Christians of the Republican party. McKnight reports that he has... "voted Democrat for years for all the wrong reasons. I don't think the Democratic Party is worth a hoot, but its historic commitment to the poor and to centralizing government for social justice is what I think government should do. I don't support abortion—in fact, I think it is immoral. I believe in civil rights, but I don't believe homosexuality is God's design. And, like many in the emerging movement, I think the Religious Right doesn't see what it is doing." It is important to emphasize that McKnight does not speak for all "emerging Christianity" on these views, but his is a good example of the complex views many have about politics and religion; moreover the emerging church movement does not endorse either party since neither party uniformly emphasizes biblical beliefs about Life, Poverty, Social Justice, etc. Above all else, many in the "emerging" movement would agree that critical thinking about faith and political issues is more important than allegiance to any political party.
Also, as mentioned by McKnight, there is a technical difference between "emerging" and "Emergent". Emergent is actually a specific organization within the "emerging" movement.
This organization's website emergentvillage.com, is one of many online communities trying to connect "emerging Christians" who may not already be in an "emergent-friendly" congregation.
Their "values and practices" along with other bits of information are on their webpage.
The means of dialogue within the "emergent Village" is within local "cohorts" where Christians can come together to discuss "things that matter." Who decides "what matters?" The people who take part in the cohort!
A cohort is a learning community... (to be continued)
First, it is a large category with a wide diversity of opinion. While I will do my best to give a description of it, some may not agree with every point I lay out just as I don't agree with all comments made by everyone who calls themselves "emerging/emergent." It is this diversity of opinions that emphasizes the fact that the "emerging" movement is best approached as a dialogue about Christianity, not a set-in-stone doctrine. For many, it is an attempt to think about Christianity and the way that we as Christians should live in a more authentic way, not simply as a list of guidelines, dos/don'ts and rituals for which we ascribe no meaning.
It is not a new denomination. Most past responses to concerns about a church, denomination, doctrine, etc. was to leave the church you had a dispute with and start your own church, denomination, or write your own doctrine.
The main idea behind emerging Christianity is not necessarily to leave your old church or faith community and start a new one (though many have felt led to do so). Some may follow an "emerging" path while staying at the same church they have always attended.
Instead, many see emerging Christianity as a dialogue between Christians from different denominational backgrounds in order to create greater community within the body of Christ and learn from one another's strengths (rather than focusing on doctrinal differences). But this simply sounds like ecumenicism and is indeed, only a part of "Emerging Christianity."
Another common answer is that it is a "postmodern" view of Christianity.
What is "postmodern"?
Well, technically, we are in a "postmodern era".
Scholars like to classify periods of history with neat titles like Renaissance, pre-modern, industrial, information age, space age, modern age....well the modern age has allegedly passed (for most of us anyway!) and now we are in a postmodern age, where previous, "modern" assumptions about reality are questioned or rejected and people begin to re-evaluate "reality" (just as modernity was a challenge of "Victorian" values and beliefs, so post-modernism is the challenging of modern values and beliefs). This is certainly not a complete explanation of "post-modernism" and certainly not a great definition but further research could bring you any number of quality explanations delivered by scholars who have a better grasp on this concept than I.
Emerging Christianity is controversial. Because of the nature of its approach to reviewing and questioning long held practices of the institutional church countless critics have emerged to counter the "emerging" movement. Some of their criticisms are valid, some are defenses of the very changes many "emerging" Christians think are necessary to recapture the truth of Jesus' teachings, some criticisms are based on misconceptions about what most "emerging" Christians believe, and some are criticisms of comments made by "emerging" Christians that do not represent a consensus of the "emerging" church. Since it is not a denomination, or a single body with a decision making hierarchy, there is no one voice of the "emerging" church, but many advocates, all with slightly differing opinions on a range of theological issues.
I still have not explained entirely what emerging Christianity is and rather than trying to explain it myself, I will point you in the direction of a few helpful explanations and articles I have read:
For example - here is one good explanation I found very useful.
For a more critical analysis/commentary: "What Should We Think of the Emerging Church? Part One" and "What Should We Think of the Emerging Church? Part Two" discusses the implications of a "postmodern" understanding of Christianity and does a very good job of pointing out the benefits of the emerging movement while raising important questions and concerns about the doctrine being espoused by some of its loudest proponents - an important read for anyone with an honest attraction to the emerging movement.
This article from Christianity Today, "Five Streams of the Emerging Church" by Scot McKnight addresses some misconceptions about Emerging Christianity. He also points out 5 main ideas within the emerging church movement. In addition to the embrace of many "postmodern" ideas he also points the the emerging movement's deliberate embrace of prophetic language, the effort by many to live out their faith through more practice and action (not as a means to salvation, but rather as a response to their salvation and a challenge to those who say they believe, but do not act accordingly), a rejection of what is seen as a religion of exclusivity and divisiveness among various doctrines, and a rejection of the automatic embrace by many Christians of the Republican party. McKnight reports that he has... "voted Democrat for years for all the wrong reasons. I don't think the Democratic Party is worth a hoot, but its historic commitment to the poor and to centralizing government for social justice is what I think government should do. I don't support abortion—in fact, I think it is immoral. I believe in civil rights, but I don't believe homosexuality is God's design. And, like many in the emerging movement, I think the Religious Right doesn't see what it is doing." It is important to emphasize that McKnight does not speak for all "emerging Christianity" on these views, but his is a good example of the complex views many have about politics and religion; moreover the emerging church movement does not endorse either party since neither party uniformly emphasizes biblical beliefs about Life, Poverty, Social Justice, etc. Above all else, many in the "emerging" movement would agree that critical thinking about faith and political issues is more important than allegiance to any political party.
Also, as mentioned by McKnight, there is a technical difference between "emerging" and "Emergent". Emergent is actually a specific organization within the "emerging" movement.
This organization's website emergentvillage.com, is one of many online communities trying to connect "emerging Christians" who may not already be in an "emergent-friendly" congregation.
Their "values and practices" along with other bits of information are on their webpage.
The means of dialogue within the "emergent Village" is within local "cohorts" where Christians can come together to discuss "things that matter." Who decides "what matters?" The people who take part in the cohort!
A cohort is a learning community... (to be continued)
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