Brian McLaren calls himself “post-Protestant” and others have talked about our society as “post-Christian.” I identify as “post-postmodern” and “post-emerging.” There was a time of several years that, while terribly discouraged with the state of the evangelical church as I understood it, I was definitely in the emergent camp. My book shelves are still replete with the ruins of that time: books by McLaren, Marcus Borg, Rob Bell, Dan Kimball, Shane Claiborne. They testify to a time when I was searching.
As I have said all along, any evidence to contradict my suspicion was welcome. Thankfully I can declare myself in error because very distinct evidence has been provided! The following is the audio from Rob Bell’s sermon on Easter Sunday 2010:
A series on the mind and heart of the average Christian heretic
Just the sound of their name is enough to make your skin crawl. They carry disease and are so quiet and subtle that you may not even know you have become a victim before it is too late. They sink their teeth in and devour the life-giving nutrients from your body as the remove your blood.
Unfortunately, this is not about insects, but people who hold and teach others false doctrines. This post is written by one.
In The Pilgrim’s RegressCS Lewis talks about growing up and being handed a card that was covered front and back with rules. He found that there was no possibility of following all of the rules, and this set him on his journey to find what truth really was.
As I was wondering around in the forest of the Emergent Church (see part 2), I decided to follow what I believed to be God’s call on my life to serve as a pastor. I honestly thought that I had something figured out, and was ready to lead a group of people in the same direction.
My fervent determination to make a difference in the church instilled a passion for learning, and in the process was opened to a number of books and resources on church leadership and church models, which is how I was exposed to the work of Thom Rainer.
When culling my email inbox this week I ran across this email I got way back on October 27, 2009 from Dan Kimball of Vintage Faith and author of They Like Jesus But They Don’t Like the Church. His reply was to a post (click here) in which I mentioned him in reference to my bleak journey into the heretical world of the Emerging Church. Undoubtedly, that journey started with on of Dan’s other books aptly titled The Emerging Church.
Hey Aaron!
Read your blog about your journey into emerging church world and I found myself resonating and agreeing with your experience. I think I was further down the road obviously, but sounds like we both are thinking similar things now! that’s why I ended up forming origins with Erwin, Rick M. and some others.
Anyway, wanted to just say I scanned through your blog and I appreciated your thinking.
Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications by D.A. Carson
