I am wondering where I fit these days. The old denomination didn't want me. Of course, it has been rumored that early in my ministry I sent a letter to the headquarters which had a misspelling of the word "denomination," and that the word was spelled "demonation." I think I did send a letter with that typo. Dang! That's cool. Someone I didn't even know asked me a few months ago if I wrote that letter. That would have been nearly 20 years ago. Wow!Well, so now we are making new friends, and leaving behind old ways, because the old gang got rid of us. So, who am I now? I wonder. I have a little Emergent in me, and yet I still have the Charismatic/Pentecostal in me. So I am looking to find how these divergent worlds fit together. I guess we'll see if I end up Pentemergent or Emergematic.
Which one rings true to your ears?
For some theological discussion concerning Emergent and Pentecostalism see The Gathering church blogsite.
22 comments:
Charismergent?
Ergodynamic? What?..
;)
Personally, I still like christian.
Hey Lily,
Nice. Getting on the moniker train. :-)
Phil
Hey Carl,
I kind of liked Jim Henderson's "former Christian following Jesus" that was cool too. I teasing my way through looking at the strange alliances we have forming all around us.
How about "Christian," "disciple of Christ" or (Blind Beggar's favorite) "Jesus follower"?
Man, do I know about identity issues. I've struggled with this ever since leaving the Roman Catholic Church, and even before that.
If I had to describe my faith, the only other adjective I might use would be missional. Emerging, emergent and others don't do much for me, and I think they are a bit too vague to be useful. Also, I'm not particularly Pentecostal/Charistmatic and never have been, so those don't come into play.
Hmmm....
Hey Adam,
I'm not actually worried about naming it. I'm simply identifying an interesting tension some people are walking (including me), and giving it a name for the fun of discussion. Just wait till I really let loose, and start throwing the puns, and double entendres out there. :-)
I don't see why you can't get in on the reclaiming bandwagon and call yourself just plain Christian a la 'And they'll know we are Christians by our love' stylee. No, I DO know why. It is because there are far too many people who have publically hijacked the term for something that seems to contradict those excellent words. :(
Servant of the Lord... yeah, I know it seems cliched.
Charemostal? :D
BB
Mike
Mike,
Charemostal? - darn you're good at this. I think Emerganabaptostal might work actually for me.
If we're going for really big combinations, how about BapEpiMergOstalIsmaTheran? :D
BB
Mike
I feel ya Phil. I don't feel like I really fit into any one label either. None of them do justice.
I still generally use the term "Christian" and I get into a conversation that goes deeper, I just explain rather than give more labels.
~Fellow Missiomergenismatic Follower of Jesus :-)
I got it! I would describe myself as a practical emergematic
Emergent C! Emergent C! Everyone please to get from streets!
Anyone venture to guess where that came from? ;)
Hey Mike,
I'm not sure the Theran fits. :-)
Marieke,
"~Fellow Missiomergenismatic Follower of Jesus :-)"
Nice!
Hey Carl,
I like that. I prefer Emergematic over Pentemergent also.
The first sounds ready to go, and the second sounds frustrated.
Webb dude,
I don't think I've ever seen the movie.
How about "the Gathering Man"? You pulled us in all the way from California and made us feel AT HOME.
Miss you guys :(
Smulo's still pining ;(
Love to all...
Steveman!
The Gathering Man sounds kind of like the Green Man. I think I like it. You're one cool dude.
Grace on you and love bro.
Phil,
The only tensions I deal with are:
A) Distinguishing between missional and emerging (I think there's a difference)
B) Trying to get a grip on what missional really means and what it should look like.
Hey Adam,
I'm with you on that tension as well. Maybe I'll get it figured out before I die. ;-)
Phil,
I don't really identify with any of the brandings, (well, maybe Christian). It's always seemed a pretty troublesome business. Now, within the past few years I had to be able to use Emergent and post modern in sentences, (mostly to explain to other novices what they are - talk about blind leading the blind). The truth is I'm lazy and I care more about how I live with something than what people call it.
I had a Bible teacher once say something along the lines of all institutions striving for convention and then being dead the moment they actually achieved it. I'd much rather work on doing what seems right at the time. Maybe I'll do it different the next time. Regardless, I'll leave the naming business to others and be happy with whatever group(s) I'm involved with as long as I feel God is taking us somewhere.
Jeff
Hey Jeff,
I only have fun with brandings myself, and consider it a good way to challenge preconceived ideas of various groups. Helpful only in finding direction with a little fun - like finding a road sign in a foreign language along your way.
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