Ron Cole : unplugged, unorthodox, heretic

from baby...to the Cosmic Christ

This time of year, life is like the last big down hill of a roller coaster ride as we speed recklessly towards the day. But this year, It's my prayer that we would take time to pause, to sit, and to think deeply about life. To breathe in deeply the relationship between Jesus, creation and humanity. Don't let it be a fleeting thought, like a gust of wind, here for a second and then gone. Keep breathing it in, until it rests in that place where the psalmist says, " deep calls to deep."

Jesus was around long before his embryonic human presence would form in the womb of an unwed marginalized young woman. And then birthed into humanity on that starry night in the filth and stench of a stable. We seem so easily caught up in the nostalgia of the Christmas scene...

Away in a manger,
No crib for His bed
The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay

It's as if the scene has lulled us to sleep. We have forgotten the awesome nature of this Jesus. Whose name should leave us breathless. Where we are left silent, mouths open in awe, lost for words. Even with the limits of our imagination we come to an edge where we are left reaching, but never touch. He is the Word, through which all creation came in to being, from atoms to galaxies.

This structure of complexity, of infinite power and wisdom, of such unity that none can exist separately...it is the origin of all existence, likely beyond the physicists imagination of a pre-Big Bang theory. It is here God, the creator; the Son, the Word; and Spirit, the Power existed as something infinitely beyond human imagination, and unseen. Yet, infinitely immense as to fill everything from beginning to end.

Into a dark murky void of nothingness the Creator thought, and the Word spoke, and like wind the power moved, there was light...creation began.

In the opening of John's Gospel the writer says. " In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him." And, that the Word, Jesus made his dwelling among us. 

This is Christmas, the Word becoming flesh, Jesus the Christ, the Messiah...Emmanuel, God with us. And out of this comes the redemptive imagination of God, the Word comes speaking, and revealing a new creation. In Jesus, the Kingdom would be near, that the Kingdom would be among us.

This new creation comes through reconciliation of Jesus...

^15-18We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.

 ^18-20He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross. ( From Colossians 1, Eugene Peterson's, The Message )

However we see this reconciliation happening we merely scratch the surface of the radical scandalous redemptive imagination of Jesus. To make this reconciliation solely a personal event is to make creation all about us, a creation just for us, and a creation outside of us. We are woven into the very fabric of creation. It is the very fabric, every strand and fiber, seen and unseen that Christ has come to redeem, restore to reconcile to himself. To restore the original relationship with "all" creation.

Against the backdrop of all that is going on here on planet earth,  I pause this Christmas, sit, reflect and breathe in deeply not an image of a baby...but of a cosmic Christ. More than ever, we are at time when the fragility of life stares us in the face. In a sense we are no more further along in this human journey than when we decided in the garden that we would eat from the tree of knowledge and become our own gods. That we could control our own destiny, create our own eternal life. Thousands of years later our own eternity has become our delusion. Our own wisdom, knowledge and technology can not save us. Humanity stands on a road in which we see unavoidably, has a dead end. We stand in a place where we have exhausted every effort to save ourselves. With all money spent, all wisdom spent...we are only left to hope.

And there is only one hope, and that is the truth, the way and the life of a Cosmic Christ. There is a way forward, and it is the way of Jesus. He came, pitched his tent in our neighborhood. He showed us, and lived the life of what it is to be truly human. He showed us life consists of an intimate relationship with God, creation and humanity. This relationship must be cultivated, nurtured, that when it is lived to the fullest we find wisdom, life...and a true revelation of the Kingdom.

So this Christmas let the Cosmic Christ capture your imagination. Let the Cosmic Christ reign in our life. Don't just slot him into some small vacant place in your life. Center your life in everything that He and His Kingdom are about. Learn to give, learn to sacrifice...to live with less. Learn to embrace all of humanity, not the colors and languages you like. Learn to care, to rekindle the covenant that the creator gave us in the garden...that we would be good stewards of all of it. There is Hope this Christmas, in the reality and totality of a Cosmic Christ.

I close from these words of a dear friend that I've come to know over the past few months. A friendship in which we both search for the truth of the Kingdom, and these words come from seeing the Kingdom unfold on Victoria's inner city streets...

Peace on Earth isn't impossible.  It has already started with you and me.
If you have seen the light in the eyes of one of our family when they have been blessed with a cup of hot chocolate, a treat, or a piece of warm clothing, you have seen a glimpse of Peace on Earth.
If you have noticed the gentleness (usually!) that this rough and ready crew exhibit towards each other when we are around, you have seen a little bit of Peace on Earth.
If you have been able to give (and receive) a hug from one of the 'least of these', you know that you have planted some seeds of Peace on Earth.
Whatever your theology might be, you have to recognize that doing what we do helps bring about the Peace on Earth that the angels sang about.

Merry Christmas...to ALL.

Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Barb Orlowski

I'm excited that this book, " Spiritual Abuse Recovery: Dynamic Research on Finding a Place of Wholeness " has been published, hot off the press and ready for people to access. It has been a long period of gestation for Barb Orlowski, to finally see her " baby " birthed. I'm guessing I first talked to Barb when she was working on her doctoral dissertation at the Associated Canadian Theological Schools, the Graduate School of Theological Studies of  Trinity Western University a couple of years ago. I know from the updates along the way it was a tremendous amount of work, and research on a very sensitive subject. But through her work, she has gathered data from interviews across the landscape of the whole church ; big and small, cross denomination; evangelical, mainline and traditional. It is a must read for the whole church, to help us better understand spiritual abuse, and move forward from dysfunction to wholeness.

Book Description

What factors contribute to active Christians in ministry leaving their church and becoming exiting statistics? Every year dedicated Christian people leave churches because of spiritual abuse. The stories of people who left their home church because of a negative and hurtful experience paint a picture of a widespread occurrence which beckons consideration by church leaders and church congregants alike.

Spiritual abuse, the misuse of spiritual authority to maltreat followers in the Christian Church, is a complex issue. This book shows how people processed their grief after experiencing spiritual abuse in their local church and how they rediscovered spiritual harmony. Their spiritual journey shows how one may grow through this devastating experience.

This book offers a thoughtful look at the topic of spiritual recovery from clergy abuse through the eyes of those who have experienced it. It invites church leaders to consider this very real dysfunction in the Church today and aims to demonstrate a path forward to greater freedom in Christ after a season of disillusionment with church leadership.

Endorsements for Back Cover

 "In an age of increasing calls for strong church leadership, this book is a gift to church leaders and those who have been severely hurt and abused in our churches. Through careful research and an insider's perspective, Barb has opened up both pathways for healing from church abuse and insights for leadership to ensure that potential future abuse is stopped."
—Alan Jamieson, author of A Churchless Faith

"What we refer to as spiritual abuse was a concern for Jesus in his earthly ministry and it is a common problem today. It is, therefore, surprising that more attention is not given to it by today's Christian community. Barb Orlowski, however, does take it seriously as she offers insight into the causes of bad church experiences and how to recover from them. Her counsel alerts people to the dangers of spiritual abuse, and if leaders hear her, they will be less likely to become part of the problem . . . I encourage you to read it."
—Ken Blue, author of Healing Spiritual Abuse

"Dr. Orlowski's research has provided a balance for various perspectives on the experience of woundedness. She listens to the voices of the wounded and lets them inform us of their reality of feeling disappointment and disenfranchisement, tragedy and turbulence in the Church . . . For recovery, Dr. Orlowski gives an excellent starting point—the voice of the wounded—and follows that with the grace of God demonstrated through hearing the voice of God and basing recovery on the Word of God."
—Kirk E. Farnsworth, author of Wounded Workers

You can purchase a copy of the book by contacting Barb Orlowski  at ( info@churchexiters.com ). She will have books available, autographed if you like...and details about cost of the book and postage.

the ebb and flow of the inner city...

In all life there is an ebb and flow. Circumstances of life are like a tidal force, that have the ability to change our personal landscapes. On the inner city streets the tides are dramatic, with mountainous highs, and cavernous lows. Every second Wednesday is a high tide, welfare cheques feed addictions and fill the wallets of dealers. Everyone seems to know the rhythm of the tides. Dealers know exactly when the high tide is, when cheques have been cashed and they wait for the bodies to wash ashore where they wait like beach combers. Even the police understand the ebb and flow of the inner city, their presence far more visible when the tide is high. Many might call it a sea of despair. But in the dramatic ebb and flow I see calm...I see hope.

We had a couple of new volunteers on Friday, ( M ) who suffers from schizophrenia and addiction has finally got his life back on track. He's received lots of help dealing with his problems, and would like to give a little back. He works as a janitor for a local restaurant in which his work day begins at 7:00 am. He's excited to have the job and a fresh start. But, he has a bit of a glitch. He commutes by bus from out in the Western Communities, and the issue is getting to work on the weekends. Bus schedules on weekends are notoriously bad, so it means he rides his bike, about 20 miles. Yes, he could take a cab, but making  $8.86 / hr...you do the math. He's got an ad on Craigslist, so if you know of anyone coming into town that early on the weekends, check it out.

Also a couple of young ladies who work with mental health ( D ) and ( T ), it was great to have someone with there experience.

CARTS = Christian Action Reflecting The Spirit, and on the street we move in the truth of that Spirit, and it moves in and around in the midst of everything, and everyone. It is dangerous, and it is exciting to live in that mysterious moment. Before we headed out on the street from the parking lot Al gathered everyone for prayer. There was a pause while we settled and out the silence came the voices of a couple of our street community friends, asking if they could pray. ( S ) prayed a prayer of thanksgiving, and gratefulness for what we had, and prayed for Godspeed among his friends. Another friend, intoxicated, could still find some clarity to pray for the lives we have received, to live life...and for freedom. Al, closed affirming the words of all our friends, and off we went on to the streets.

This night I was manning the cart with toques, mitts, gloves, scarves, and for the past week there has been a really bright red, almost Santa Claus red toque and scarf to be given out. Red does not appear to be a popular color on the street. So by the time we got down to Street Link some asked me if I had got rid of the red toque. " Nope ", I said, " no one wants them." Minutes later this old guy, maybe in his mid to late 70's comes over to me and asks, if I have a red toque. For sure, I thought one of my friends put him up to it. No, he seriously wants the red toque...and the scarf.

I have to tell you. Yes the guy has white hair and white beard. He tells me a story of when he was a bit younger, of when his hair was longer, and his beard was full. He used to wear a red jacket, and red toque he'd be sitting in the park while out walking, and kids would come over, want to hold his hand thinking he was Santa. We talked a little more, and Charon took our picture. I think I'll use it in my Christmas cards next year.

So on the inner city streets there is an ebb and flow of high and low tides in which we see the geography of personal lives change. But also in the midst of it all the Spirit moves in and around, in the midst of everything...touching people in ways in which we can't perceive. Jesus said, what ever you do for the least of these you do for me. I say hold your idea, your image of Jesus very loose and gentle, because he might shatter your shiny image. You just might meet Jesus on the street, he might even look like Santa.

subverting Christ(mass) consumerism...

This image is from a news story from a couple of years ago of a local rural artist that wanted to say something graphically about the consumerism and over consumption of Christmas. So, he placed this piece of subversive art in his front yard. Over the head of the cross is written something to the effect, " King of the Empire; Sumptum Fac Donec Consumptus Sis." Which means " shop till you drop."

Some neighbors were outraged, local municipal politicians came to visit...and a local Anglican minister came to visit. But, the art stayed up.

My question to you is, is this subversive art ? Does it speak into the prevailing culture of rampant consumerism, and at the same time provide a revelation of an alternative. Or is it just tasteless and gruesome?

I couldn't find Canadian shopping stats for over the November/ December period, but this from USA Today, for expected American spending over those 2 months...

 

"U.S. consumers are expected to spend $437.6 billion in the November and December period, a 1% drop from $442 billion last year." This is one country, I suspect if we were to add all the rich nations spending to the tab...it would be mind boggling.

 

As for Santa, I guess it's not really fair to nail him to the cross, he is only the messenger...so to speak. But, I don't think we can avoid the cross in the face of Christmas, it truly is a revelation of an alternative way...of profound sacrifice. It seems at Christmas we don't sacrifice much.

This image is from a news story from a couple of years ago of a local rural artist that wanted to say something graphically about the consumerism and over consumption of Christmas. So, he placed this piece of subversive art in his front yard. Over the head of the cross is written something to the effect, " King of the Empire; Sumptum Fac Donec Consumptus Sis." Which means " shop till you drop."

Some neighbors were outraged, local municipal politicians came to visit...and a local Anglican minister came to visit. But, the art stayed up.

My question to you is, is this subversive art ? Does it speak into the prevailing culture of rampant consumerism, and at the same time provide a revelation of an alternative. Or is it just tasteless and gruesome?

I couldn't find Canadian shopping stats for over the November/ December period, but this from USA Today, for expected American spending over those 2 months...

 

"U.S. consumers are expected to spend $437.6 billion in the November and December period, a 1% drop from $442 billion last year." This is one country, I suspect if we were to add all the rich nations spending to the tab...it would be mind boggling.

 

As for Santa, I guess it's not really fair to nail him to the cross, he is only the messenger...so to speak. But, I don't think we can avoid the cross in the face of Christmas, it truly is a revelation of an alternative way...of profound sacrifice. It seems at Christmas we don't sacrifice much.

breathless...pregnant mystery

“We’ve lost the ability to hold our breath. Everything is instantly available, regardless of longer-term costs, and the damage we do to ourselves and our planet is immense. So we get into debt, we produce more emissions and become unhappy if we are not immediately gratified.”( Ann Pettifor )

Listening to an Advent sermon talking about pivotal beliefs, how faith hinges on their truths. If not, it is like gravity, Christianity collapses into a pile of irrelevant rubble. The focal point of the talk was the virgin birth, the incarnation.

I believe in the virgin birth, but...

She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.

   He will be great,
  be called 'Son of the Highest.'
   The Lord God will give him
  the throne of his father David;
   He will rule Jacob's house forever—
  no end, ever, to his kingdom."

 Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man."

 The angel answered,

   The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
  the power of the Highest hover over you;
   Therefore, the child you bring to birth
  will be called Holy, Son of God. ( Luke 1:29-35 The Message )

I really believe when we try and explain the Virgin birth, the incarnation of God becoming flesh, we reduce it to nothing more than a lab experiment, test tube fertility, Mary the anesthetized surrogate mother into which God places His egg, and His sperm.

That somehow it had to be this way, or Jesus would not have been sinless, Holy, without blemish. That somehow "sin" is genetic.

Mary asks how, and the angel says, " The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will hover over you." Here we have lost our ability to hold our breath, and loose ourselves in the eternal mystery of those words. To try and explain the incarnation is like trying to explain the opening verses of Genesis. In fact, I am haunted by the similarity, " the power of the Highest will hover over you." In Genesis it was the Spirit hovering over a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, and inky blackness...and God speaks, and creation unfolds.

Here into the life of Mary the Spirit hovers, God speaks, " the child you bring to birth will be called Holy, Son of God...His Kingdom shall have no end." The new creation unfolds.

Advent is a season of waiting, of holding our breath in expectation. I can not explain the incarnation. Yes our faith does hinge on this profound mysterious event, but it does not hinge on us having to explain it, summarizing it like biology lab.

Anytime the Holy Spirit comes into the story, there is always mystery...I hold my breath. But in the waiting, and the breathlessness I am lost in a truth that is beyond my wildest imagination.

exploring doubtful belief...courageous imagination

Thanks to Paul Fromont for these breath taking quotes from Rollo May's book, " The Courage to Create."

“…People who claim to be absolutely convinced that their stand is the only right one are dangerous. Such conviction is the essence not only dogmatism, but of its more destructive cousin, fanaticism. It blocks the user from learning new truth, and is a dead giveaway of unconscious doubt…”

“The person then has to double his or her protests in order to quiet not only the opposition but his or her own unconscious doubts as well.” 

“…The person with the courage to believe and at the same time to admit his doubts is flexible and open to new learning”, and I’d add, open to new depths of meaning and new vantage points from which to gain new or different perspectives.

“Commitment”, May writes, “is healthiest when it is not without doubt, but in spite of doubt. To believe fully and at the same moment to have doubts is not at all a contradiction: [rather] it presupposes a greater respect for truth, an awareness that truth always goes beyond anything that can be said or done at any given moment…” 

It's interesting after many years into this journey of faith, that this is where I find myself. I fully believe, as much, as if not more than when I first started. But, I do have doubts. But, my belief has become an anchoring pin, secure enough that I can explore doubt. I can repell it's depths without fear...it's here we find new dimensions. We are at a time when we must plumb the depths of truth if we are to find a redemptive imagination that speaks hope into a world that seems to have lost all imagination.

Advent...let there be light

I wrote the following meditation looking at creation, the beginning of all existence, and Advent the beginnings of a new creation. In both we are awakened to the truth of a Triune God, like an infinitely powerful atomic structure. The Father, the Son and the Spirit hovering in unity, in a bond held together with such magnitude, when released life is created...and created anew.

Christmas is about Jesus, but, it is also about the imagination, the infinitely awesome creative power of a Triune God. Father, Son and Spirit. As was in the beginning, now, and forever and ever.

In the beginning was One,

And in the One was God, the Word and the Spirit,

The three were One.

Through the One, All things were made.

God the creator.

The Spirit hovering.

The Word speaking.

God thought; the Spirit moved; and the Word spoke,

And there was light.

In the new creation was One,

And in the One was God, the Word and the Spirit.

The three were one.

And through the One a new creation was made.

God the creator.

The Spirit hovering.

The Word incarnating.

God thought; the Spirit moved; the Word became Flesh.

The light came into the world.

By Ron Cole

CARTS...wheeling radical scandalous table fellowship

Amidst the world of empire, of wealth, of money and of injustice, Jesus announces into the chaos, the "Kingdom is near". It would be a word that would spark the memory and imagination of people from years gone by, and a word that would threaten the religious, and political status quo of the day. What ever they thought about the Kingdom, it would fall of the edge of human imagination...to where we would have to learn to see again, and rethink anew.

From here it would be as if Jesus grabbed the four corners of the foundations of the earth and gave it a shake, a chiropractic adjustment to realign. Jesus would proclaim the Kingdom in parable, radical scandalous stories filled with divine redemptive imagination that would reboot the hard drive of the human operating system. But it was one thing to hear these stories, to wrestle with their stunning and beautiful truth, it was shocking to see them lived out. The Kingdom was truly a world upside down...the poor on top, the weak on top, the sick healed, the lame walk, the blind see, the unforgiven forgiven, the outside were inside, debts were paid, boundaries and borders erased...God and religion were no longer a commodity, a product to be consumed and sold by religious peddlers of the day, to those worthy and to those who could afford buy.

We need to reclaim, and proclaim the truth of Kingdom...it's radical scandalous stories, that rock our world. But more! We need to be bold, and crazy enough to live the Kingdom out. The reality that the "Kingdom is near" is only true when the truth of Kingdom is lived out. If not, the Kingdom is a myth, our words drift off like a smoke screen and mean nothing.

One of the most central rituals of church culture is the " Lord's Supper, Eucharist ". I plumb the depths of the gospels and I imagine something far less ritual, but, more an everyday expression of the Kingdom being near, and yet future. Eating in Jesus day was a serious business, what you ate, how you ate, who you ate with, were all barriers as to got to sit around the table.

Jesus meal time practice shocked the social classes, and religious orders of the day. It was one thing to eat with outsiders, lepers, sinners, the poor, the mentally ill, but to announce and proclaim, all barriers, boundaries have been removed permanently, that you don't have to make a reservation to eat with God. Exclusion was over, everyone was welcome.

I wonder if the practice of our ritual says something else, more like...behave, believe and belong. It is then you have access to God and his table. There is no where in the gospels where any one made a statement of faith before they had access to Jesus and his table fellowship. He ate and drank with sinners. Even the ritual that we hold up as communion, the Eucharist, the last supper...there was no statement of faith by the disciples. I would even go as far as, despite wandering the dusty countryside with Jesus for three years, seeing the miracles, hearing the Kingdom stories, they still weren't really sure what Jesus was about. But far more than belief, Jesus gave them a profound sense of belonging, and they followed. The believing would come later. It was in the belonging that Jesus' table fellowship was all about.

Jesus believed in that welcoming, and in belonging it sparked a nuclear reaction that released a divine redemptive force beyond human imagination ( GRACE ), that the Holy Spirit could change an unrepentant heart, creating it anew. Remember what happened when Jesus called Zacchaeus out of the tree, and invited himself over to Zach's for dinner. Remember...go have a read.

CARTS on Friday was another busy night on the streets of Victoria's inner city. It is a collage of the city's marginalized ; folks living rough on the street, addicts, the poor, the working class poor and the mentally ill. Sure these folks have their issues, we all do. They are just more harsh and more visible. But they are very much a community. They care about each other, watch over one another. Every Friday they gather in the parking lot behind Capital Six Theater. Yes, for the bag lunches, clothes, cookies...but, they come for more than that. They come because they belong, they are welcomed, they are loved. They are accepted every last one of them, there is no exclusion.

It's a chance to talk. It's a chance to pray. It's a chance to build relationships. They know who we are and what we are about...Jesus. There is no Bible thumping, no fire and brimstone call to repentance. We offer the table fellowship Jesus offered all are welcome, all belong. And I believe with that little mustard seed of faith, that in the midst of that a the divine redemptive force of Grace can be released and the Spirit can move hearts in a new direction. On Friday nights Carts is a revelation that the Kingdom is near.

So as a church, we need to really look at this ritual that we call communion, the Eucharist, the Lord's Supper; is it really an expression, a revelation of Jesus and His Kingdom. Is it more of an expression of " whose in and whose out ." In the table fellowship of Jesus, everyone was in. Jesus did tell us to do this when ever we gather in remembrance of Him, but, not for whose in and whose out. This act should be a profound revelation of the redemptive imagination of His Grace, that all are in...now go out and live it in the world. Go out, and practice ways to express it's truth.

We need to find ways that express the radical scandalous truth of the redemptive imagination of Jesus and His Kingdom that is available to those considered disqualified, unworthy...not just for those who believe, but those who search for belonging. The truth of the gospels, the truth of Jesus meal time habits that were a revelation of his Kingdom, where the King sent his son out after initial invitations were turned down, to the streets, back allies, skid row hotels, ditches and gutters...anywhere, and everywhere till his table was full. We need to be revealing the same things in our rituals, our acts and our practices...and then live them out in the world. Jesus' Kingdom practices revealed the same shocking profound redemptive truth he told in his parables.

Do our christian cultural practices reveal the radical scandalous truth of the gospels? The Kingdom is near, and becomes closer if we are willing to build and reveal it. Are we willing  to use the redemptive imagination of Jesus and experiment, and explore different ways to missionally plant in the broken spaces and places of our cities, and communities?

Jordon Cooper...on Missional Challenges

Over the last year I have noticed a trend when in a mixed group of churches (often evangelical) and NGOs.  It is the local evangelical churches inability to organize or work with outside groups.  All of them share the following characteristics.

• The needs and convenience of the local church are more important than other partner agencies.
• Other partner agencies or the community are expected to conform to the church’s convenience, even though it is a big inconvenience to other parties.
• The church has a much bigger need for recognition than other agencies and groups.

Read Jordon's complete post ... Here

terrorism on another front...IHOP rallies troops against an emerging enemy

Big, huge conference happening in Kansas, " the One Thing 09'", in which the speakers will address some of the biggest faith issues concerning the church today.

According to Mike Bickle of the influential charismatic movement ( IHOP ), International House Of Prayer, " emerging churches are turning 20 and 30 somethings to ' casual Christianity ' or even apostasy!Along with gays, Muslims, and abortionists, emergers form a quadrangle 0f evil threatening the pure ' end-times move' of God today."

You check out Mike Bickle and Lou Engle plugging the conference...

http://is.gd/5ihDA

It reminds me of my army days of a general, or battalion commander rally the soldiers for a frontal assault on a perceived enemy. It's obvious they should have left there fortresses and camp and done some real reconnaissance.

They also say the following on their website...

We will also address the growing crisis that is emerging in many churches across America. A new wave of confusion is systematically seducing many young adults into deception. Sincere young people whose hearts were once ablaze for Jesus are being allured into compromise on foundational biblical truths and practices, while at the same time they are increasing in works of compassion and justice. No amount of increased ministry activity can “balance out” their profound spiritual compromises. In the name of tolerance, they are settling for a humanistic and "politically correct" theology that trivializes the glory of Jesus. Many young adult ministries are falling prey to this as they are seeking “relevance” that dulls the razor’s edge of truth for the sake of man’s approval. It is not enough to mention Jesus’ name if they deny foundational truths about Him. Our works of justice must flow from deep allegiance to Jesus and the Scripture.

Really! If Mike Bickle and others in the war room had read intelligence from from other sources they would have discovered there are few emergent terrorist cells propagating their weapons of faith destruction. And interesting a couple of days ago I was in a FB conversation with Bill Dahl around him being approached by a publisher to write an article about the decline of the emerging church. Some early authors of emerging conversation are re-thinking the terminology and use of the word. Kan Kimball says this...

Although I am finding that the term [emerging church] has become so broad now and so confusing, it is very important to know that I am not by any means stopping being involved and pursuing the heart and mission of what the term "emerging church" originally meant.

And, Andrew Jones author, blogger, global missionary and practitioner of the emerging expression of church says this...

Words change. We give meaning to words and we take it away.

Both Dan Kimball and Andrew Jones are dropping the term while remaining faithful to the original intention of the conversation and movement. They represent many others in church leadership, bloggers, people on the fringe of the church, and ordinary people in church seats struggling to understand post-Christendom, and who might be move towards a post-emerging church paradigm.

I'm still using the word on my blog, and still writing about it. Why? Because in a sense I think it is important. I think for many there has been a sense of jet lag, many now are just catching up, ( yes really ) reading, thinking and beginning to ask questions and looking for safe places for conversation. They might not be using the term " emerging ", but they are asking and wrestling with same questions as many were in the beginnings.

For me the conversation and movement were, and still is important. Not because of the bells, smells, the ambient music of the alternative worship practice, but because it made me look seriously at postmodern culture...to take a serious look at the world outside the church. It made seriously look at interfaith dialog, conversations and cooperative interfaith justice. It really made me look at theology, especially in the terms of mission. Jesus not only spoke the truth of the Kingdom, he practiced the same truth he spoke.

I know Mike Bickle and IHOP do some wonderful Kingdom stuff, but I'm saddened when one part of the beautiful, diverse, and complex body of Christ attacks another. I know it's nothing new, but still it is a cancerous infection that really that makes the whole body sick.

 I don't think it was ever destined to be a brand, a label, a denomination setting up a structure of power, and theological dogma, and doctrine...it is still destined to be something much more humble. Perhaps if they understood it's embryonic beginnings, they would put their swords back in the sheathes.

It initially was a fragile, embryonic and diverse conversation being held between individuals over the internet, small gatherings, pubs and cafe's. The conversation had an elusive tentative nature what made it difficult to describe, what if anything unified those involved. The shear breadth of perspectives and diversity of conversation made it difficult to but a label on. But maybe, to it's demise one was put on and stuck, " emergent." It was a diverse matrix of relationships that bridged various faith communities that shared different theological traditions. It never really could have been described as a becoming into something, or possible as having arrived. In the conversation there was always an acknowledgment that it is a shared journey of becoming all the Jesus is, and trying to live that truth out.

So I pray that the spark that kindled this conversation that dared to dive into the redemptive imagination of Jesus is never snuffed out. That there will always be safe places of conversation, where we dare to explore faith to it's limits. That will honor the past, but that we will stretch what faith is...but never breaking away from the truth that we live in unity.