Where oh Where is Widebody?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. After 50 days of consecutive posts, a recent illness and a new job, seem to have tipped the scales for Matt Parker. He has disappeared from the blogosphere… ya’ll write him and encourage him to dust off the keyboard, count the cost (or calories) and weigh in again with his wonderful words!

Tolkien by the Lake

Upon a rock he reclined there
Steady blowing, growing colder was the air
Restful, wistful, reading in autumn rays
Water lapping, leaves falling, all a form of holy praise.

A Tolkien book, a small-town pastor
Under heaven’s canopy enjoyed his Master
With tales of fiction, pages worn
Captured mind as leaves were torn
From limbs on high and drew the sight
Of man from page to colorful flight
Till they lit on land and lake
Some to sink and some to bake.

Gusty hour of wondrous beauty
Replaced the normal day and duty
This man in awe retired till later
Trodding pine path, praising Creator.

Absolutely loving life…

I’ve been on a personal retreat the last several days and therefore have been “blogless.” I’ve missed keeping updated on several folks while I’ve been gone.. Matt, Justin, Kenny, and another blog I’ve been following: nextreformation.com. I’ve also gotten hooked on gizmodo.com – a haven for all gadget lovers.

The picture to the northeast is of a small rock on the shores of Lake Degray. I stayed at the lodge there these past few days. An absolutely beautiful place! The family and I took off for Arkadelphia on Sunday afternoon on a whim. Caro was taking pix at a crafts fair in Dumas and called and said, “Wanna Fanta?” uh, I mean, “Wanna go somewhere?” I said, “Sure!” In the next two hours, I’d packed and we were off.

We enjoyed a great 24 hours! Shopped in Hot Springs and walked some trails. Beautiful. Then Caro and the kids left Monday evening while I stayed for a coupla more days to read, reflect, relax, and refresh.

I typically try to do a couple of personal retreats each year, one in the spring and one in fall. They do wonders for my focus and spirit. This one was no different. I used to be pretty “legalistic” in how I approached these getaways. I’d take my Bible, notebook, and guitar and forbid myself any entertainment or contact with the “outside” world. Almost a monastic experience. However, I’ve learned that’s important to balance myself during these times, and this experience was uniquely refreshing for me.

I walked the trails that my family had walked on Monday, hearing the echoes of my kids’ laughter in the trees. As a cold front blew in on Tuesday, I sat on the shore of Lake Degray, reading Tolkien’s Lost Tales 1, listening to the steady wind gusting through the woods behind me. I was tranquilized by the sun glittering on the lake in front of me… So inspired I actually wrote a poem! (scary!) See it in another post.

One thing I’m sure about… of all the unique and wonderful things I noticed, read, saw and heard over the past several days… I LOVE LIFE. It is only through the lens of faith that a person can truly enjoy simplicity, solitude, and communion with the created. And when that faith becomes personally focused and directed into a humble relationship with the world’s Redeemer and Messiah, Jesus Christ, all of life becomes a gift and a stewardship.

As I packed up to leave on Wednesday, I was struck by the simple declaration of joy that my daughter inscribed on my dusty Dakota… “I love evrybity.” I love everybody. Thanks, Adelyn, for that reminder of simplicity and faith. It’s the same declaration that God made in the cross of Christ.

Loving life because of Him who only is life….

Numa Numa…

I know everyone else has seen this on the web… but if YOU haven’t… well, get ready to laugh… The sad thing is… I can see any number of my friends doing this..

Go here… http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/numa.php

Vidcast/Vodcast… Holy Cow…

I was listening to the Podcast from Macfixit’s site on the way to Little Rock this morning, and was awed by the technology that is in our hands TODAY but that not many folks have jumped on just yet… With the release of Apple’s new video iPod, your average Joe suddenly has access to millions of folks through Apple’s iTunes distribution capabilities. What that means is that while all the networks and Hollywood stars are freaking out about how to get their money from Apple’s $1.99 per episode of “Lost,” the playing field is now level.

What’s to stop a talented young filmographer, writer, and group of friends from producing their own sitcom, drama, documentary, etc. and making it available via subscription in the same way you currently subscribe to Podcasts? What will the networks do when some of these edgy, talented, “Vodcasts” or “Vidcasts” began to rival their own audiences on TV?

It WILL happen. Just wait.

The ability to Vidcast has HUGE applications and opportunities for ministry as well. I see some Christian reality Vodcasts coming up…

For that matter… here’s a reality show for you… You’ve got $17.87 to your name, and you live in rural south Arkansas. Lights… camera… action… Do you spend it all at Wal-Mart, Sonic, or make it last for 3 weeks by eating off of Wendy’s $ menu?

Even better, with hunting season around the corner, why not just follow a hunter into the woods and preserve for posterity every nosepick and projectile tobacco spew? I’m sure folks will be lining up to download these quality shows.

Hmmm… so I got a little carried away there… But it still remains that Vidcasting is going to turn video media, TV, cable, and satellite upside down… Just you wait…

Cut!

Mac Plaxo is here!!!!

I’ve been a Plaxo user for a while now, but always seem to screw it up since there’s not a great way to sync between Plaxo and Mac Address Book or iCal. Plaxo has been promising Mac compatibility for a long time. I’m in the process of being a beta tester with them for a new product called “e2xo” that is Tiger-friendly. It installs a menu bar icon on your Mac which has the pull down option of syncing with Plaxo. I’ve synced seamlessly now between AB and Plaxo. iCall functionality is coming soon!

Mac users rejoice!

Superheroes in Iraq

Came across this article by accident today and thought it was a great pictorial statement of who our heroes are… As the White Sox won the World Series last night and I saw the slobbering, hysterical celebrations going on in Chicago, this picture reminds me again that our nation has no clue what a hero is. It’s not someone who gets paid millions of dollars for playing baseball, basketball, and football. (many of whom have no moral commitment or integrity). True heroes are those who serve (and die for) others for the great causes of humanity: life, liberty, justice, and freedom.

Thank you to our soliders in Iraq, Afghanistan, New Orleans, and other parts of our world who serve for someone else.

Think Different…

There’s a powerful new ad by Apple on their website today commemorating the life and commitment of Rosa Parks to civil rights. I have to confess that I am an Apple fanatic. A Macintosh geek. A Mac Daddy.

Let me trace my Mac Roots. In 1988, at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, I was a sophomore journalism major. Dr. Bill Downs spent a wad of money on the latest,greatest desktop publishing computers, and challenged us to be the first yearbook in the nation to produce an entirely “camera-ready” yearbook. It was a daunting task for a bunch of 20 year olds.

Our yearbook and newspaper offices were soon decked out with the coolest looking “computers” (could you call them that?) I’d ever seen… Mac Pluses! Everywhere you looked, we had a box with an 8 inch black and white screen and a small box with a button on it attached to a cord. They called it a “mouse.” Crazy.

And so we went to work… and I felll in love. Using Adobe Pagemaker, Microsoft Word, and a few other programs, we missed our goal of being the first, but the OBU journalism department became Mac-dominated. And I was converted.

Since that time, there’s been a long parade of Macs in my life, including a
Mac LC, a Performa 6400, a Powerbook G3 333 Pismo, a Powerbook G4 17″ 1ghz, the first Powermac G5 1.8 single, an Emac, a Powerbook G4 867, and we’re now waiting the arrival of our first mini Mac.

Somewhere along the line, I began to realize how many unfortunate and lost people there are in the world who have to live with these things called computer viruses (what’s that?) and who even have to reformat their hard drives regularly or reinstall system software. You know them as PC users. I’ve taken it upon myself (since Steve Jobs seems totally clueless about how to produce a convert in non-urban areas) to escort these poor, imprisoned, and misled PC users into the marvelous light of the Mac.

In the last year, I’ve made more than 6 converts single-handedly in our town of 9000 (with several more in the making). Now that’s not much, but when you consider that there is little to no Mac presence here, that’s a major inroad. Because everyone of these new converts talks about their Mac experience…. How fun it is, how problem free it is, and computing has become enjoyable to them again. They have no fear of wanton viruses anymore, and no longer do they plan a week of their lives every quarter to reformat their hard drives. (When do PC users have time to enjoy life?)

What am I passionate about?
That brings me to this question. As much as I love the Mac, I love Jesus more… My faith in Christ has totally changed my life, and He has brought forgiveness, peace, and purpose to this struggler. I’ve personally witnessed the miraculous, and been a regular partaker of His grace. Yet, while I’ve made several converts to the Mac platform this year, I am unaware that I’ve led anyone to the throne of grace. To my knowledge, I’ve opened no “Windows” into the reality of Christ for anyone this year. That’s humbling.

You heard it here first… I am hoping and planning to start a “MACUG” (Mac Users Group) in Monticello thr first of next year. My express purpose for doing so is to tie two passions together. I hope to discover fellow Mac users and learn from them. We’re going to have a blast. As they learn about me, I am committed to opening my heart and sharing with them my first love… the creator of Apple… Jesus Christ.

The bitten Apple logo is my reminder that sin has entered the world, and the only solution is a love relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Next time you see a commercial about the iPod (how cool is the new video iPod?!), look at that logo and ponder the bitten apple. Could it be that your life and mine was profoundly and eternally directed by an ancient decision? Chew on that one.

From the land of the double-click…

Blogfrog

My wife’s Emac is dying, or at least the hard drive is… We’ve sold it on Ebay and bought a replacement, but today I came home to do some design work, and she had “discovered” my G5 Powermac. We have a detached studio from our house where I office and do my graphic design and she takes pictures… (Check out anoblephoto.com; she’s awesome!) Anyway, much to my chagrin, she was enjoying the G5 experience over her Emac experience.

“Get up,” I said sweetly. She kept working. I meekly returned to the house to check my fantasy football scores before preparing for a class that I teach on Monday nights at Journey… The class is called “Biblical Mathematics: Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth.” It’s basically a biblical hermeneutics class. We’re using Duvall & Hayes book, Grasping God’s Word, as well as Blomberg’s Biblical Interpretation. It’s been a great class. I’m convinced that humble, informed biblical interpretation is one of the great needs in the postmodern church. I encourage every student of God’s Word to pick up one of the above books (GGW is the more readable). I hope to have Scott Duvall as a guest author here in the near future.

Back to the point… over the last two weeks in this blog adventure of mine, I’ve felt rather “froggish” – leaping from one blog resource to another, not really knowing what I’m doing, but seeking to promote and link my site to as many as possible. I thought I would list a few sites I’ve found for those of you who are in the same boat- beginning blogging. It may help you as you blogfrog your way to syndication. (BTW, the term blogfrog has probably been used by others, but I am not aware of it.. I’m using it here in a ‘you-heard-it-here-first-maybe sense’ to mean the act of jumping between blogs, keeping up with your favorites… blogfrogging).

These are not listed in any particular order…
1. Make sure you set up your options in Typepad to offer a “Subscribe Link” and a “Syndicate” link. This will give sites and bloggers a way to connect to you better.
2. Feedburner.com Go here after copying the link that shows up on your site’s RSS or .xml feed. Paste the link in the box on Feedburner. (On Typepad, view your page, and where it says “Subscribe” or something like that, command click(Mac)/right click(PC) and copy that link… Feedburner will help you promote and connect others to your site.
3. Go to blogger.com, myblogsite.com, xanga.com and other major blog services and open up a free account. Name your blog, and post some basic info about yourself. Then as your first “Welcome” post, simply tell folks where your main blog is located. That way if someone is a member in that network and search for you, they can still find you.
4. Set up a free picture account at flickr.com and post your blog’s address there. Especially if you use iPhoto for the Mac, it becomes amazingly simple to simply send an email with some pics to your flickr email account, and it will automatically post your photos for you on your blog!
5. Go to technorati.com and set up your blog to be connected there.
6. More to come… but you have enough to keep you busy for a while.
7. I’d also encourage you to find a few well-done blogs whose subject matter/writers interest you and see who they recommend. After following them for a few days, subscribe to them. You’ll find that you’ll learn a lot from those who are ahead of you in the journey. Two blogs that have provided invaluable help and insight for me as technical resources as well as content inspiration and encouragement are:
a. radicalcongruency.com – Justin Baeder’s site
b. findingfaith.org – Kenny Tomlin’s site
c. widebody.typepad.com – Matt Parker’s site.

Nuff said…

Pee Wee Football…

Wow. So I’m coaching a peewee football team (ok, so it’s Monticello Junior League football), but they still look pretty small to me. It’s 3rd and 4th grade, and Sam is on the team. It’s been a real blast to coach them – though I never played. Something about my mom saying my asthma would act up, I’d turn blue in the face, and due shortly thereafter probably convinced me not to. In hindsight, however, I kinda wished I’d played.

We’ve got a great group of folks helping me coach, from dads to other friends, so we’re covered. The amazing thing has been watching these kids learn the basics, work hard in practice (though we’ve had to run them a lot to work off PFS – Playstation Fat Syndrome), and then bring it all together in the Saturday a.m. games. We’re 1-1 so far. Won the first game vs. Maxwell’s Green Machine 6-0, and dropped last week’s game vs. Griffin Heat 0-6. We match up against the unbeaten Ryburn Mustangs this weekend. Their coach is a member of our church, and the momentum has been building up to this weekend’s titanic matchup…. (Yes, I know it’s peewee football, and “titanic” may be going overboard, but hey, we live in Monticello where there’s only a Wal-Mart, so I stand by the description).

One thing I’ve learned so far about coaching these great kids… you can’t ever get too involved in your community.

I’ve met folks doing this that I never would have otherwise, and it’s been a great way to nudge me out of my cocoon. I think we all do it. We make our homes our private castles and entertainment capitals, so that we don’t have to actually relate with our neighbors or get involved in our communities.

That’s definitely not the way that the God I worship encourages us to live from His Word. He describes His people as a “city on a hill” and “light” and “salt.” All three images evoke influence on your surroundings. So why do we cocoon ourselves into our homes with 3 TVs and 1.8 DVD players? And why do we repeat the withdrawal from society by creating churches that serve only their members?

Go figure. Me, I hope what I’m learning right now by being involved (and yes, it’s a sacrifice of time, energy, and commitment) will continue to propel me into the lives of my neighbors. We could all use some touch up work in our commitment to our communities. Me, I’m focusing on “touchdown” work! :0

Conflicting accounts regarding dome refugees

In the last two weeks, I’ve head and seen a lot of different accounts that seek to reveal the nature of many of the people who took refuge in the LA and TX domes after Katrina. These are not meant in any way to be sweeping generalizations… (I’m just reproducing the accounts I’ve read or received), but I’d like you all to reign in… which are more accurate?

FROM A HOUSTON VOLUNTEER (being passed around the internet, author unknown)

I arrived at the astrodome only to find out that there are too many volunteers and that volunteers were needed at the George R. Brown Convention Center. As I was walking up to the Convention Center I noticed a line of cars that wrapped around blocks filled with donations. These where ordinary Houstonians coming with truckloads and trunks full of water, diapers, clothes, blankets, food, all types of good stuff. And lots of it was NEW. I felt that warm fuzzy while helping unload these vehicles of these wonderful human beings. I then went inside the building and noticed approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of clothes, shoes, jackets, toys and all types of goodies all organized and ready for the people in need. I signed up, received a name badge and was on my merry way excited to be useful.

I toured the place to get familiar with my surrounding; the entire place is probably around 2 million sq. ft. I noticed rows as far as the eye can see of mattresses, not cots, BLOW UP MATTRESSES!!! All of which had nice pillows and plenty of blankets. 2 to 3 bottles of water lay on every bed. These full size to queen size beds by the way where comfortable, I laid in one to see for myself. I went to look at the medical area. I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing!!! A makeshift hospital created in 24 hours!!! It was unbelievable, they even had a pharmacy. I also noticed that they created showers, which would also have hot water. I went upstairs to the third floor to find a HUGE cafeteria created in under 24 hours! Rows of tables, chairs and food everywhere – enough to feed an army! So that was the layout: great food, comfy beds, clean showers, free medical help, by the way there was a library, and a theatre room I forgot to mention. Great stuff right????

Well here is what happened on my journey -
I started by handing out COLD water bottles to evacuees as they got off the bus. Many would take them and only 20% or less said thank you. Lots of them would shake their heads and ask for sodas! So this went on for about 20-30 minutes until I was sick of being an unappreciated servant. I figured certainly these folks would appreciate some food!!! So I went upstairs to serve these evacuees some GOOD food .
Evacuees came slowly to receive this mountain of food! I tell them that we have 2 types of great deli sandwiches to choose from – ham and turkey. Many look at the food in disgust and DEMAND burgers, pizza, and even McDonalds!!!! Only 1 out of ten people who took something would say “thank you” the rest took items as if it was their God given right to be served . They would ask for Beer and liquor. They complained that we didn’t have good enough food. They treated us volunteers as if we where SLAVES. No not all of them of course…but 70% did!!!!!! 20% were appreciative, 10% took the food without any comment and the other 70% had some disgusting comment to say. Some had the nerve to laugh at us. A Needless to say I was in utter shock. They would eat their food and leave the mess on the table… some would pick up their stuff many would leave it for the volunteers to pick up.

I saw many young ladies carrying mattresses and I helped for a while. Then I realized something…their where hundreds of able bodied young men who could help!! I asked a group of young evacuees in their teens and early twenties to help. One said “We just lost our ****ing homes and you want us to work!!” The next said “Ya Cracker, you got a home we don’t” I looked at them in disbelief. If immigrants, who come here, can work and become successful… CAN’T THE MAJORITY OF THE HOMEGROWN DO IT!!! If we continue to reward these losers then we will soon destroy our great country. I just witnessed selfish, arrogant, unappreciative behavior by the very people who need help the most. Now these same people who cursed me, refused my generosity, refuse to help themselves are now DEMANDING handouts on their terms!

I think it’s time that we demand work for relief and stop this cycle of behavior which is going to spread in our city which already has enough of these problems.. It’s this behavior which has caused these ‘REFUGEES’ to be in the situation presently in and they will continue to be ,until they learn that work is rewarded and laziness brings nothing… It’s sickening to hear the press act as if it’s noble to be a poor person. IT’S TIME TO WAKE UP AMERICA!!

A frustrated but wiser Houstonian!!!!

FROM A STAR-TRIBUNE COLUMNIST (written September 15, 2005 – verifiable)

Gratitude, not anger, comes from Astrodome
Katherine Kersten, Star Tribune
September 15, 2005

Jim Lodoen shakes his head at some of the news reports out of Houston. They feature angry Hurricane Katrina victims lodged at the Astrodome who insist they are receiving insufficient assistance. Lodoen, a Minneapolis attorney with the Lindquist & Vennum law firm, just got back from a week as a volunteer at the Astrodome complex.

“That’s not what I saw,” he says.

Lodoen didn’t plan his Houston trip with hurricane victims in mind. He went to visit his sick mother. But before he left, he mentioned to two colleagues that he would be staying at the Holiday Inn, temporary home to dozens of victims. “I told them I planned to make contact with a few families, take them to Target or to a restaurant,” he says.

The two eagerly asked to contribute, and pressed cash donations on him. The next day, as others at the firm heard about Lodoen’s plans, donations poured in. An amazed Lodoen left on Sunday with $3,700, which swelled to almost $8,000 as the week wore on. He used the money to buy $50 and $100 Target gift cards to distribute to displaced families.

Once in Houston, Lodoen made his way to the Astrodome complex, which houses thousands of victims displaced from ravaged New Orleans. He was prepared to find chaos. Instead, he says, he was struck by how well-organized the massive operation was. “There was lots of food, and free stores stocked with clothing, personal items and games. Volunteers on laptops were helping people find family and friends.” FEMA, Social Security and other agencies were out in force.

Lodoen circulated among residents’ cots, striking up conversations. “Everyone has lost their possessions, their jobs, many friends and perhaps some family. No one knows what tomorrow holds.”

But to his surprise, he saw no resentment. People were eager to talk, he says — not about grievance, but about hope and gratitude.

He met a family that had slept in stadium seats for four nights. “I said, ‘That must have been terrible.’ ‘Oh, no,’ the woman said. Instead of focusing on what they lacked, they were deeply thankful for what they had: food, lights, a roof, each other.”

Another family told of fleeing their first home two days after moving in. The mother and father left hand in hand with their children perched on their shoulders, struggling through water up to their necks. They were awestruck at nature’s power, and grateful to survive. Now, at night, the parents plan their future as their children sleep.

After chatting with each family, Lodoen handed out Target cards “from your friends at Lindquist & Vennum.” Recipients responded with tears and embraces. People were grateful, says Lodoen, for each small gesture: a pat on the back, a listening ear, a lift to Target, an outing for ice cream.

For six days, Lodoen heard tales of courage, perseverance and fierce family love. Over and over, people told of risks that relatives, neighbors and strangers had taken to save them.

One grandfather had rescued 200 people from his housing project by floating them out on foam-filled doors he had ripped from refrigerators. Another older man had saved his 20-member extended family with air mattresses. “All their belongings were under his bed in a plastic bag,” says Lodoen. “I gave him three Target cards. He offered to give one back because he didn’t want to take more than his share for himself and his five children and their children.”

Yet another man — now serving as a volunteer coordinator — had lost his house, his business and his truck.

Instead of fleeing New Orleans, he had ferried terrified people to safety until his truck ran out of gas. A plumber, he’s grateful that he has the skills to work and rebuild.

Back at his mother’s hospital room, Lodoen saw television reporters interviewing victims who appeared angry and indignant. “I thought, ‘Where are they coming up with these people? I’m not seeing them.’” He was also shocked at the shrill finger-pointing on the news. “All around us, politicians are focused on the blame game. Yet the victims themselves are blaming no one. I didn’t hear one complaint. In fact, I was overwhelmed by the love, faith, determination and compassion that everyone shared.”

One black woman, says Lodoen, pointedly rejected charges of racism: ” ‘There’s been no racism,’ she told me. ‘There are only kind people helping everyone, black or white.’ ”

In his experience, says Lodoen, two things keep victims going. The first is their families. Often, three or four generations bunk together, making plans to start life anew. The second is religious faith. “Nearly everyone told me their faith in God sustains them.”

One mother of five is typical, he says. At night, she reads her children Bible stories, and prays for Lodoen, his mother, his law firm and others listed in her prayer book.

Lodoen acknowledges that hurricane victims need government aid. “But volunteers can do something more. With hugs and kind words, they can let people know that someone — an actual person or group of persons — cares.

“That makes the victims feel like we’re all in this together. And we are.”

I’d be interested in any of your observations and stories…

A couple of conclusions I’ve already reached…
1. It’s obvious that there are thousands of people that need LOTS of help, and in any disaster, emotions and tempers can flare. We do not get along with one another very well in times of routine. We shouldn’t expect heaven on earth in times of crisis.
2. Yet in times of crisis, the character of people is revealed. Some step up to the plate, and do what is needed, for hours on end, tapping into reserves of faith and inner courage. Others, it seems, spill out what was in their core character already: bitterness, hatred, jealousy, anger, etc.
3. A disproportionate amount of people of one socio-economic class wound up as refugees in the domes. They brought with them their life experiences, attitudes, and worldviews.
4. Our nation’s system of “helping” those who are poor and disadvantaged often does little to address their true needs: self-respect, integrity, initiative, and desire to belong.

Just some thoughts… What are yours?

Emergent… a self-described movement or a protest?

In the past few years, there has been much talk about the “emerging church.” It’s become quite the talk among many leaders and circles in evangelicalism. While it has many outspoken proponents, it also has attracted some nay-sayers (and some pretty respected ones at that!) What is the emerging church, and what’s the big deal?

First of all, it’s a pretty much self-described label for a group of churches and leaders who are seeking to bring authenticity and passion, as well as a deep connectedness with the past back to the evangelical church. I say self-described, but you really have to be “in” with this group for the moniker to fit. I couldn’t just up and say, “Hey, my church is an emerging church” and suddenly get on the speaking circuit and get a cool article written about Journey Church in CT (Christianity Today).

Before you scratch your head in complete confusion, let me point you to a definition on Wikkipedia cited here. (It’s a great article, and a good first stop in getting a handle on what we’re talking about. Here’s the definition: “The emerging church or emergent church is a movement which arose as a conversation in the late 20th century in Western Europe, North America, and the South Pacific. The emerging church is concerned with the deconstruction and reconstruction of Protestant Christianity in a postmodern cultural context.”

Basically, that means that this group of leaders and churches are deeply concerned about perceived errors, apathy, and tradition-made-doctrine in the evangelical church. They call themselves a “movement” (but is a movement a movement just because you call it one?) and seek to bring a new reformation to the church through numerous spiritual emphases.

Before I go further, let me say that there are lot of points that the leaders in this circle make. I am impressed with the remarkable ministry of many of their churches and the love for the Lord that they demonstrate. However, I’m a little concerned by a few things:
? The tendency to create a closed circle of fellowship where there are some who are “in” and some who are “out.” It smacks of a country-club, elitist attitude in many ways.
? The tendency to put forth passion and relevance to culture above ancient truth. (They have a deep desire to connect the contemporary church with the ancient church, but it seems to be more so from a methodologial and philisophical approach than an objective-truth approach.)

Here are some great links to investigate some of what the emerging circle is saying about itself:
? Some good stories from different leaders and churches @ emergingchurch.info. They’re big on “stories” in that a good narrative communicates better to people in our culture these days than propositional truth. (But that doesn’t make the story carry more weight than the truth does it?)
? emergentvillage.com. This is one of the main sites. Here you can actually find out about emergent events. Presumably if you attend enough, and network enough, you too might become part of the emergent movement or “conversation.”
? CT article on emerging churches from November 2004 issue
? vintagefaith.com demonstrates their desire to connect the current church with the ancient one… the more I’ve read it, the more I keep sensing that whatever is written or said that is “cool” or “relevant” suddenly becomes NEW and GOOD.

As you see what they’re saying about themselves, I encourage you to balance that with what others are saying….
? Another good definition of emerging church – “a label that has been used to refer to a particular subset of Christians who are rethinking Christianity against the backdrop of Postmodernism. Emerging Church groups have typically contained some or all of the following elements:
– Highly creative approaches to worship and spiritual reflection. This can involve everything from the use of contemporary music and films through to liturgy or other more ancient customs. …
– A flexible approach to theology whereby individual differences in belief and morality are accepted within reason.
– A more holistic approach to the role of the church in society. This can mean anything from greater emphasis on fellowship in the structure of the group to a higher degree of emphasis on social action, community building or Christian outreach.
– A desire to reanalyse the Bible against the context into which it was written.” Sourced here.
? DA Carson, a great thinker and writer has critiqued the movement here.

TO SUM UP
If you’ve read this far, I’m impressed. One of the main reasons for this post tonight was simply because of the growing frustration I’ve sensed within myself over this “movement.” It seems very trendy, faddish, and “edgy,” and while there are some extremely valid points from its leaders, I do not think that identifying yourself as “an emergent church/leader” is a healthy way of creating needed change. It almost paints an us/them paradigm, which automatically puts people on the defensive.

Rather, I remember that the disciples of Jesus expressing their concern about “others” who were doing miracles in Jesus name. Jesus replied, “Do not forbid Him… for he who is not against us is on our side.” (Mark 9.40) I think both “sides” of this current conversation should take heed.

I wholeheartedly agree that the evangelical church in the States is in deep trouble. I too believe we’re embraced a dead orthodoxy rather than a vibrant love relationship with Jesus. I appreciate many of the emergent leaders’ emphasis on the Word of God as the source of truth, yet in practice they seem to elevate experience to the same level as revelation.

It’s not our way or your way. It’s HIS way. He is the Master; we are just the servants. In our effort to reach the most people possible and to revive the sleeping church, may we work together!

What is occurring in evangelical churches today is may be another turning of the wheel. Things that were on top are rolling underneath for a time. It’s the swinging pendulum. The height of the swing has been reached in othodoxy and propositional evangelism, and the needed corrective is taking place. But let’s be careful that we don’t simply move to the other side of the swing. Peter Drucker, a noted futurist from a business perspective said this in The Post Capitalist Society (1993): “Every few hundred years in Western history there occurs a sharp transformation…. Within a few short decades, society rearranges itself–it’s worldview; its basic values: its social and political structures; its arts; its key institutions. Fifty years later, there is a new world. And the people born then cannot even imagine the world in which their grandparents lived…. We are currently living through just such a transformation.”

And on a sidenote… if you can start a movement just by calling it one… then who wants to join the “Semi-Balding But Extremely Funny South Arkansas Jesus Lover” movement? It starts today!