They Like Jesus (But Not the Church)

This is an interesting book.  Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, California has spent a lot of time talking to younger people about religion and Jesus; the book They Like Jesus is the outcome of those discussions.  This in and of itself makes for fascinating reading.  Of course most of the people he talked to really didn’t know Jesus as Scripture describes Him; still, the discussions are worth reading (even if a bit depressing at times).

Some of Kimball’s commentary on these discussions didn’t sit well with me.  I disagree with his views of women in the church, and I have some biblical objections to his views of worship.  Anyway, my Reformed convictions made me uncomfortable with some parts of this book.

However, I still appreciated the book because it really made me think.  I do at times get sick of all this emerging stuff, but since I often have the same questions about and concerns with the “traditional” church as these guys have, I keep reading.  Here are a few of my favorite parts of They Like Jesus But Not The Church (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007).

“It’s important that we think like missionaries.  Instead of viewing our towns and cities as Judeo-Christian and feeling that everyone needs to automatically adhere to what we believe, we need to act like missionaries do when they enter a different culture.  When missionaries enter another culture, they listen, learn, study the spiritual beliefs of the culture, and get a sense of what the culture’s values are.  They may try to discover what experiences this culture has had with Christians and what the people of the culture think of Christianity.  Missionaries in a foreign culture don’t practice the faiths or embrace the spiritual beliefs of that culture, but they do respect them, since the missionaries are on the other culture’s turf.”

“Christians are the foreigners in a post-Christian culture, and we have got to wake up to this reality if we haven’t.”

“We may see those around us as lost (Luke 13.3-32), and though we might invite them to Christmas musicals, for the most part we don’t think about their lostness like we used to when we prayed for them daily by name.  We get more excited about the latest Christian CD or the latest Christian novel than we do thinking about how God can use us for the gospel in our town.  We even go on Christian boat cruises for vacation with our favorite Christian radio preachers and Christian bands.  We are content living in our little Christian subculture as citizens of the bubble, but we don’t even know it because everyone in our social circle is also in the bubble.  We all view things the same way.”

“…When I talk to those outside of the church, I find that we in the church are known more for what we stand against politically than what we stand for spiritually.  How sad, since we should be known for being churches that passionately love God, love each other, and love people.  We should be known for being followers of Jesus, serving him, each other, and our communities.”

In summary, the book is a good and easy read if you’re one who has wrestled with these things.  Even if – like me – you don’t agree with all of it, it should help you wrestle through some churchly issues.  I like these kinds of books because they spur and provoke deeper thinking about the church in our ever-changing culture.  Along these lines, be sure to check out this part of the WTS bookstore for more similar resources.  And, as always, feel free to comment and give other resources.  We appreciate your input.

shane lems

Students of Emergent (Emerging Students?)

I know some of you might disagree, but I’m pretty convinced that we can learn quite a bit from the Emergent movement.  Of course, the Emergent movement is quite “liquid,” so I guess I tend to appreciate the more orthodox side of it – I learn more from those who are more faithful to Scripture, in other words.  I’ve mentioned An Emergent Manifesto of Hope ed. by Pagitt and Jones (2007) here before, and though some of the chapters were frankly repulsing, I think one of the better ones is “Humble Theology” by Dan Kimball.  Here are a few excerpts.

“I want to be continually discussing, learning, reading, and thinking seriously about all varieties of theological thought.  I want to be constantly exploring which theological beliefs have changed throughout history, which ones have remained consistent.  There are many unknowns and mysteries in theology.  We should be able to continually think and learn about theology with open hearts and open minds.  It is not a weakness to explore theology outside what we’ve been taught in our specific church or seminary.  It’s not a weakness to admit there is a lot we just don’t know.  I see that as a strength, not a weakness.  Weakness is when we simply close our minds and become afraid to explore different ideas, which may mean we are afraid to be challenged or discover something new.”

In some ways and to some extent we try to do that on this blog (and see here for more info). Kimball closes the chapter with a few thoughts to ponder.  I’ll list a few (emphasis his).

“We can hold certain beliefs as truth and not feel arrogant or close-minded when we do.  Yes, there is mystery, and yes, there are a lot of unknowns, but we can still confidently say we do know certain things that God revealed to us. …  It is not a weakness to be open to theological rethinking. … Approach theology with humility. … Be loving and gracious to others when you disagree.”

These are things worth wrestling over, especially in our changing times.  A hundred years ago we could stand for the truth against the liberals with a fundamentalist defensive posture.  Today is a different day.  We need a different posture of standing for the truth.  We have different people to speak the gospel to – not many higher critics and liberals, but more skeptics, doubters, mockers, the broken-hearted, and the poor.  Humility and love is, I believe, a great posture to assume as we stand on and for the truth.  And it sounds quite biblical!

Speaking of being students of Emergent, I have this “Five Perspectives” book coming in the mail, so stay tuned.

shane lems

sunnyside wa

Deep Church (Brief Review)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of reading Jim Belcher’s Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional (Downers Grove: IVP, 2009).  I just learned about it a few weeks ago and after checking it out on Amazon, I thought I should get it since I enjoy reading 21st century books about “church.”  I’ve read quite a bit of Emergent stuff so I figured this would be right up my alley (though Belcher isn’t “Emergent” technically speaking he knows “Emergents” well).  I wasn’t disappointed – I’m glad I read it.

Of course, there are some things about the book I’m not in line with.   I’m not too excited about “transforming culture;” I would rather talk about vocations than “kingdom agents.”  I would balance the emphasis on community with a discussion of the covenant of grace.  I’d like to see some discussion of how “authentic church” is highly subjective.  I’d also like to see an interaction with the Regulative Principle of Worship.   At the same time, I don’t want to overlook the helpful parts of this book.

First, I’m with Belcher: we can learn from the critiques the Emerging crowd levels at the “traditional” church.  I’m completely of the mindset that “postmodernity” or “post-postmodernity” can teach us some things and we should be open to learn from critique.   Also, to be sure, Belcher is right in saying that the Emerging church is broad/vast – some guys are halfway decent while others do indeed mess up the gospel.  I appreciated the “gentle” tone of this book; it wasn’t an angry fundamentalist (over)reaction to postmodernity.

Second, Belcher makes a few good points about some of the weaknesses of “Gen X” type churches (including Emergents).  He says they are quite segregated.  Many of them have “a music style targeted to a particular age group and the church is no longer what it is supposed to be – a family with all ages worshiping together” (p. 28).  Also, he notes how many Gen X type churches are almost rootless, “cut off from much of the [historical] church” (p. 29).  Finally, he found the Gen X movement to have “little discussion on the centrality of the cross for forgiveness and the enabling power of grace to live for Jesus” (p. 30).  In other words, he finds the Gen X emphases on mission, obedience, and reaching the culture to be a form of moralism.

Third, Belcher summarizes the Emergent critique of the traditional churches in seven clear points.  Emergents say traditional churches 1) Are captive to Enlightenment rationalism (individualistic/rationalistic – a.k.a. fundamentalistic), 2) Have a narrow view of salvation (individualistic rather than cosmic), 3) Put belief (correct theology) before belonging (membership), 4) Their worship is uncontextualized (i.e. it ignores culture around it), 5) Have ineffective preaching (it is simply a talking head conveying information in a rationalistic way), 6) The traditional church has weak ecclesiology (i.e. is concerned about programs, societies, and form instead of personal discipleship), and 7) Reeks of tribalism (is sectarian, inward focused, and isn’t welcoming of “other” kinds of people) (pp 40-43).  Belcher devotes seven chapters to tackling these seven areas, showing how traditional churches are sometimes guilty of these things.  At the same time he shows how the Emergent alternative often leaves much to be desired.   He posits a “third way” in the bulk of the book.  The reader will have to get the book to see his “third way,” though I may blog on this again later.

This is a great 7 point critique; it really reflects some of my own struggles about “church.”  In fact, as I read Deep Church I wrote many more critiques of both the traditional church and the Emergent church in the margins.   Probably my critiques of the traditional church would outnumber some Emergent lists!  At the same time, I think many of those above objections could be answered by stripping the church of  ”traditionalism” and going back to the good old confessions (even if we have to translate them into modern language).  In other words, though I think those 7 critiques above are valid when it comes to the traditionalism of the church, I don’t think they can be leveled nearly as well at the confessions of the church (whether it be Reformed, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Calvinist Baptist, etc.).   Our practice quite often deviates from our confessions, and we need to be called out for it.

This book is a good one for serious “churchly” Christians to read and discuss.  I’d love to be part of a discussion group going through this book!  I’m grateful Belcher took the years to study and write this book.

shane lems

sunnyside wa

Our Way, Right Away: Finding God

 In David Wells’ great book, The Courage to be Protestant, he discusses the inherent neo-paganism in American religion.  “The assumption that we all have a natural access to the sacred is as old as the oldest forms of paganism.”  This, writes Wells, is the assumption of many Americans, that we can get to God our way, right away.  But Wells notes two new elements (hence ‘neo’-paganism) of religion today.  First, the centuries-old  paganism was a religion wherein people were afraid of most of the gods. 

“By contrast, we are unafraid of the sacred today.  More than that, we feel that the sacred will be pleased to have us, will spread out the welcome mat, so to speak, and be grateful for our attention.”

The second ‘neo’ to today’s paganism “is our consumer mentality.”

“As consumers we expect to get what we want immediately, without waiting, on our own terms, and with the right of return.  That is the mind-set that now invades the spiritual quest, as it does also many of our churches.  …Today we come confidently seeking, assuming an instant welcome, an immediate access when we have time for this in the midst of our busy lives. …We expect access to the sacred without cost, without thought, without pain, without waiting.  We have learned this in the malls.  After all, this is our right.  It is also our right to walk away from our experience of the divine if we are not satisfied.”

Wells continues.

“And many of us do [walk away unsatisfied].  To see this at work we need not look for strange cults or covens.  It is there among our most ordinary neighbors.  It is going on at the next desk over on the office floor, in break rooms, in meditation rooms, and on the way home in the car.”

Let me give just one more paragraph along this line.

“And it is going on in the garden-variety evangelical church of a seeker-sensitive, [conservative protestant - my addition!], or emergent kind.  There you can see this very same consumer spirituality at work, completely unafraid, buying, matching product to need, at work in all these ways.  Instant access!  An experience to be sized up.  Help when we want it, but on our own terms.”

I’ve quoted from this book before, and again, I deeply appreciated it.  The book was painful at times, because Wells’ critique is penetrating and deep; it was also painful because the finger was pointed at me!  Even if you don’t agree with Wells in this book, I encourage you to read it and let it chuck you around.  I’d love to see an “old-school” presbyterian/reformed guy/gal, a mega-church guy/gal, and an emergent guy/gal discuss this book cordially over coffee! 

Above quotes taken from pages 188-189 of The Courage to be Protestant.

shane lems

sunnyside wa

The Emergent Manifesto (A Quick Review)

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I finally finished this: An Emergent Manifesto of Hope (ed. by Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones).  As you may know from earlier posts, I’m about as Emergent as a dead stick.  At the same time, the “movement” fascinates me, and is something I as a pastor want to know something about.  Also, to be sure, the movement makes some good points.  I’ll acknowledge that despite my deep disagreement with much of the theology and piety of the Emergent movement, some things I read by them are helpful.  But instead of discussing Emergent (smarter guys have done it already quite well), I’ll give a few comments on the aforementioned book.

The book has five parts:  1) A People of Hope,  2) Communities of Hope, 3) A Hopeful Faith, 4) A Hopeful Way Forward, and 5) Hopeful Activism.  In each section, around 5 or 6 Emergent type leaders write on differing topics, from jail church to social justice to Karl Barth to sexual ethics to transforming culture.  The book is one you certainly want to get if you need a small and very easy to read window into the Emergent movement. 

On thing I appreciated about the book was that the authors understand our “day” is different from the “day” of 50 or 100 years ago.  I realize some in “conservative” churches are entrenched in the past, using old grammar, language, illustrations, totally unwilling to step into this century.  Again, despite my theological disagreement with how they handle our new “day,” I enjoyed some aspects of how they described it. 

I also enjoyed the chapter on the church in the jail (by Thomas Olson) as well as the chapters on Karl Barth (by Chris Eerdman) and humble theology (by Dan Kimball).  I’m not convinced by Eerdman as he compared Barth’s Church Dogmatics with Brian McLaren’s ”broad ecclesiology” – though I see some truths in the statement, that in some ways Barth and McLaren are similar (p.241).  Kimball’s chapter was so doctrinal that it almost doesn’t fit in the book!  Some authors in the book were saying quite negative things about fundamental theological beliefs, while Kimball advocated the need to hold on to fundamental beliefs (p. 215).  I’d say things a bit differently than Kimball, but the chapter does stick out for me.

I also was quite frustrated with certain aspects of the book.  First, the buzzwords drove me nuts.  How many times can you say “explore” and  ”post-colonial” and “adventure” and “authentic” and “community” and “generative” and “missional” and “conversation” in a single book?  I suppose the buzzwords might have to do with the internet aspect of the Emerging churches.  Buzzwords and internet go hand in hand.

Some aspects of the book were pretty offensive for me.  Though the words “hope” and “future” were all over the place, many of the authors were totally stomping on the historic or “old-school” church.  I was offended when they criticized “modern” churches for being so exclusive and disruptive to families.  For example, on page 53, Carla Barnhill critiques modern churches: In many churches, “There is little help for parents who struggle with a difficult child. There is little room for imperfect families.”  She goes on to say how Emerging churches are much more family-friendly than traditional churches because they are so much more inclusive and diverse than anything else.  This is pretty offensive, not just incorrect.  In the “old-school” churches I’m in, and grew up in, I have seen a group of mothers take turns helping a troubled family for weeks on end – food, cash, and prayers.  A month ago, after church, I saw an 82-year-old woman teaching some 13-year-old girls how to do needle work for their school project.   I’m not sure how you could improve on that kind of help and inclusiveness - this stuff just happens without all the blog buzzwords and talk.

The book also has an underlying theme: white, middle-class Americans (especially males) are to blame for most of the problems in Christianity.  It is my fault the Enlightenment happened, it is my fault that the church is patriarchal, it is my fault that there is racism, it is my fault that churches are fragmenting.  There may be glimmers of truth to some of those statements, and I’m far from perfect, but all those implicit accusations soon became offensive to me.  The only solution to the problems I’ve caused, the book implies, is to become Emergent, then my white-maleness will somehow be erased.  I’m not sure what to do with this undercurrent of the book!

In summary, there were some helpful things in the book and I’m glad I own it.  Some chapters made me want to put it in the compost pile to see if the ink really is biodegradable; other chapters left me pondering a few things.   I could note a few more things; this was just a very short review.  Maybe some other day I’ll post a tad more about it.

shane lems

sunnyside wa