Perhaps the terms “Emerging Church”, or “Emerging Christianity” are new to you and seem strange, or vague? Is this the product of yet another reforming zeal? The terms are being used in different ways today, some of which are tremendously exciting and others of which miss the point. But it is my belief that something very important is happening around us, and within us. This “something”, I would argue, is a revolutionary change in Christian consciousness itself. It is a change of mind and a change of heart that has been a long time coming, but which I believe indicates our new receptivity towards the Holy Spirit. In the last 50 years, several significant developments have taken place, both within and alongside the various Christian Churches, which foster this movement. Emerging Christianity is a movement in all the Churches more than a structural reform of any one Church. Movements are the energy-building stages of things, before they start to take on characteristics of monuments, museums or machines. The question for us is: “can we keep this consciousness at the dynamic movement level?”
Spiritual globalization is allowing Churches worldwide to benefit from these breakthroughs at approximately the same time, which of itself, I believe, is a new kind of Reformation. No one is controlling, or limiting this movement. We are all just trying to listen together. It might be helpful to identify 10 historical developments that I see are propelling Emerging Christianity:
Read more...Here.
Richard Rohr is one of my five all time favourite authors. It has been a long process of letting go of either/or thinking for me. His books continue to help me grow and challenge me to live the Gospel.
Posted by: Hope | March 14, 2010 at 11:56 AM
Hope, Richard Rohr is one of my favorite authors also, his musings on non-dualist think continues to challenge me daily, It's hard not to read the gospels in see it crystal clear in the words and action of Jesus. Non-dualism is the reality of grace.
Posted by: ron cole | March 14, 2010 at 10:20 PM