Really? Ok.

How, as a Christian, should you define yourself? How should you define your mission? Let's hear from Paul:

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

"May I never boast except in the cross of Christ"

"Remember Jesus Christ, descended from David, raised from the dead. This is my gospel."

Emerging Churches define themselves as those:
1. Who take the life of Jesus as a model way to live

What does this mean?

I agree, this does not sound bad. I also want to be like Jesus, I want my life to reflect his, etc. But when we look at what controls and motivates us as Christians, is it really an attempt to "live as Jesus lived?" Is our faith and spirituality about no more than a vague following of Jesus's teachings? Self-definition needs to be a bit more rigorous. If this is what emerging churches mean, than there is a much better word for them--legalists.

We don't just take the life of Jesus as a model way to live. We do this, certainly, but this is far from the heart of the Christian experience. In fact, this is what faith produces, a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit, which is "in conflict with the sinful nature."

Now this is based on a very charitable interpretation of what is meant by "taking the life of Jesus as a model way to live."

2. Who transform the secular realm
3. As they live highly communal lives.

This part is great as well, and certainly, the Christians are called to "transform" the secular realm (not again that curse of the Emerging churches lack of faith in language...a deadening vagueness). But from what does this power of communal living and transformation of the secular realm come? Is it no more than simply living in this model way? Was that Jesus's purpose in coming, to simply lay out a model way that would somehow destroy whatever had prevented us from living wonderful communal lives?

Can you live communal lives apart from the power of the Holy Spirit? Can you receive the Spirit if you are not clean? Can you be clean apart from the blood of Christ? Do you have an interest in the blood of Christ except by faith?

Ay.

Why so many want to exchange the blood of Christ for stew of legalism, I do not know.

Because of these three activities, emerging churches
4. Welcome those who are outside
5. Share generously
6. Participate
7. Create
8. Lead without control and
9. Function together in spiritual activities.

As for the rest of this, I do not know how any of it is different from any other church, except that it is more obnoxious and vague in its presentation of it.

I'm a bit tired, back from a long trip, so my thinking is somewhat scattered, but maybe that will spark some thought. Comments?