Succinct

Where is this site going? I’m almost tempted to say that “I have no idea”. That is not entirely true, of course, since I believe that there is a very large, steady paced, and a very momentum-laden freight train coming. If I really mean it (and believe me I do), then obviously I have something in my viscera that must come out, and I have some direction that I wish to pursue. I have found, however, that the details and articles that are being generated by this site have so far dealt almost exclusively with the modern Christian thrust known as the Emergent Conversation. In the natural realm, it appears to be winning the day. If there is harm being generated by this community, then certainly it must be addressed in a most serious manner by those who so perceive it to be harmful to our community. Like many who are concerned by this phenomenon, it is still unclear to what degree this is so. Anyway, all of that is to simply apologize for being so polarized in my efforts on this site. There are many, many more topics of concern that I wish to deal with in the future, but it seems that the Spirit within me has me pursuing in this area to the exclusion of those many others, and I must obey to whatever degree that I am being led. This thought arose this morning as I was reading.

D. A. Carson is one who is engaged in this area. I think that this paragraph is succinct and addresses the concerns of many pursuing in this area:

“Third, granted that the emerging church movement is driven by its perception of widespread cultural changes, its own proposals for the way ahead must be assessed for their biblical fidelity. In other words, we must not only try to evaluate the accuracy of the emerging church’s cultural analysis, but also the extent to which its proposals spring from, or can at least be squared with, the Scriptures. To put the matter differently: Is there at least some danger that what is being advocated is not so much a new kind of Christian in a new emerging church, but a church that is so submerging itself in the culture that it risks hopeless compromise?” (Carson, D. A.. Becoming Conversant With The Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2005, p. 44) - bold has been added.

By the way, the entire book is quite clear and succinct. If you are researching in this area, then this book seems to be quite clear on the subject and quite honest in its dealings. To those of you who are “emerging”, I understand that this concern is part of your “conversation”. Please do not too readily dismiss this concern. To whatever degree it is true, to that degree great damage is being placed upon our Christian community. For those of us whose tendency is to be concerned that “compromise” is where they are heading (taking us?), we need to be penetrating in our analysis, and we need to do so with much honesty and integrity - There are so many of them and they all lay claim to the name of Christ.

The Church seems to be in great flux. - and at a critical (terminal?) time in history. We may have to pull our pistols out eventually - perhaps just not yet.