"Emergent" queries

In the emerging church blogosphere there is great buzz generated over the decision to create an organization called "Emergent", what I believe is meant to be a centralization of resources for those interested in the ec world.

I find it mildly amusing in how we are analyzing and critiquing this action. Isn't part of the whole emerging church thing recognizing some of the flaws of the enlightenment (not everything should be deconstructed, weighed, quantified, qualified)? Now those measurements seemed to be applied to evaluate whether or not this is a smart move (how to define who fits in with "Emergent" or just the emerging church movement, how to organize something that's defined by being unorganized, etc.).

What about using the spiritual disciplines to gather a sense of if/how we should be involved? What about looking at the fruit that has been produced by the folks who are spear-heading this organization (i.e. do things they touch bear fruit or wither? I’d assume if they're following the will of God, their efforts would bear fruit). Wouldn't those be the tools to use?

And isn't this detracting from the spirit of ec: being incarnational and missional? How much time is being spent pondering whether to join in with the organization or not? Whether to change the name or not? Whether we’re "a part" or not?

Isn't the whole goal to live out God's love in our daily moments, our day-to-day lives? If something's taking away from that (this seems like an internal problem: it's not equipping folks to go out but rather drawing their attention inward), that's probably not a God-blessed use of our time.

The one good thing: it's causing some conversation and some thoughts on what's important, what's equipping, what's meaningful. Now if we can use that to spread the Light of Christ in the world, that'd be *AWE-some*.

(Yes, these are a lot of questions, but hey, I come from a rather 'query'-oriented faith background). =)

(Personally, it seems like Emergent would be like an emerging library, full of resources for seekers, which I would *so* appreciate. Librarians don't shove information down patrons' throats, but they wait for folks to ask for help. I believe that's what the Emergent friends desire - an organization of their helpful materials and collective experiences/wisdom. Many many dankes for sharing!)

"Doing Church" - Bleck

I've been recruited to write an article on "Doing Church", specifically aimed at talking about what appeals to my generation (young adults).

What a crappy phrase: doing church.

I understand the concept of the assignment, but the pictures it conjures up is along the lines of "doing pushups" or "doing taxes" or "doing crack" - nothing very appealing. Actually, it's about as appealing as "traditional" church is (and by traditional, I mean the predominant amount of churches that are simply a once-a-week management of your (and every once in a while others') personal salvation).

BLECK!

How do you convey "doing church" to others? The most effective means, obviously, is to live it out and be in other people's daily lives (novel concept!). How have you put that into writing?

Have you been successful at painting a picture for folks who've attended church forever and ever amen, but just don't seem to get it?

Have you ever paced around your apartment and sighed so much due to writer's block that it's becoming a regular aerobic activity? :)

We built this city . . . kinda

Our town has an opening on the Downtown Revitalization Committee, and I've applied to fill it. They meet next Monday to decide if I or the two other candidates fit their qualifications.

I applied out of resignation that I'm going to live here for some time (doesn't that sound so pleasantly optimistic?). =) This town and I have a less-than-sunny history, but looking at the resources and opportunities available to me, I sense that the Spirit's got something going on. So instead of being crabby for the next couple of years, I decided to be proactive: look for redeeming aspects, perhaps get involved and make a mark. Applying for this committee would be one of those things.

This could be a total projection, but this town feels rather depressed. Community pride does not abound, neighborhood friendliness is less than present. The downtown area is mostly something to travel through on the way to the beach - empty buildings and a couple of stop lights. A few shops are popping up here and there, but many go out of business pretty quickly.

Have you lived in a similar place? Has it been turned around? Have you ever experienced a concerted effort at bringing life back to your downtown areas? What sorts of projects/experiences/businesses/community outreach worked? I've heard some stories about church gatherings that opened a coffee shop or community center or art gallery that helped be missional and incarnational in the community. What sorts of examples could I give to local church gatherings (not as in "you must follow this mold" but rather "here’s an example of one community - what would that look like in ours?")? I’d be honored to hear of your experiences.