Early last week I claimed my space on Facebook. My kids love it. It’s a great way to communicate and laugh with them. I’m also excited about the level of communication among believers, especially of those among my tribe.

There are various (actually many) groups and forums a person can join. I would encourage anyone who wants to communicate, become familiar with the outer edges, and learn what is on the horizon to go to Facebook.com and claim their space.

There are so many things I could mention but I’m especially excited about the two emerging Church of Christ forums I’ve found. The emerging conversation continues to gather and has now overflowed right smack dab into the lap of my religious heritage. I was surprised by the growing numbers of members signing up in this forum. Today I posted the following thoughts on emerging/missional and John Mark Hicks made his comment below.

The Following is taken from the group “The Emerging Church of Christ”

I’m going to attempt to jump-start the conversation here:

Emerging will never progress from conversation to movement and one day, all of a sudden, burst onto the religious scene as a single, unified and distinct perspective or become something that can be charted in some linear fashion. The conversation continues to gather but it is not unified by a shared theological tradition, nor does there appear to be an aspiration to develop one. There is a sense in which those involved in the conversation are acknowledging the process of ‘journey’ and ‘becoming’ as opposed to the long held idea of ‘destination’ (destination is in the journey). In other words we are all becoming saved, we are all becoming church. The other obvious point, within the emerging conversation, is that a missional component has evolved and is now taking root.

From my somewhat limited travels I have discovered that the ‘progressive’ Church of Christ (I could say ‘all’ progressive churches) appeals to the attractional model of church and mistakenly call it emerging. By attractional I mean the centerpiece has become the Sunday worship. Preaching and praise music. Many hours are spent crafting the event when equal time should be given to traing people to be missionaries to America. FRED

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I would agree that the Emergent and Emerging movements have rejected the “attractional” models and are seeking a more missional model. Most progressive Churches of Christ are still attractional in my experience, but many wanting to move toward missional.

Part of the hope here, I think, is that many recent church plants are seeking to work out of a more missional-type model that embraces much of emerging thought and sometimes practice (which is quite varied). John Mark Hicks

The conversation is gathering, more and more are beginning to understand!

It seems the premise of Rollins’ first offering is the idea that two ways of thinking does not cancel each other out.

Brian McLaren calls How Not to Speak of God one of the two or three most rewarding books of theology he has read in the last ten years.

I’d be interested in hearing from those who have read Rollins.

I don’t know that I ever believed debate was an effective method for teaching but it could certainly provide for an entertaining afternoon. Twenty-plus years ago I vividly remember a college minister, engaging a college professor in a debate. The minister affirmed the existence of a God, while the college professor denied the existence of God. About half way through the debate the professor challenged the minster to prove God’s existence by having God “miraculous” move a chair across the stage. My friend, sitting in the audience, ran up on stage and while the college professor was making his point, back turned; moved the chair a good ten to twelve feet from where they stood. When the professor turned to see what happened the audience broke out in a loud and long laughter. Without a doubt it was the highlight of the debate.

It is not coincidental that modernity and the “Age of Reason,” (i.e. a celebration of linear thinking and rational argument) came about just after the printing revolution. The visual orientation that resulted from print’s ethical imperative created an emphasis on reason, analysis, systematic understanding, and a rational explanation of doctrine. This difference in sensibilities from an oral culture to a visual (print) has much to do with the schism within Christianity. A child of the print era was debate. It was a period that reoriented us away from the imprecise beliefs and opinions of others toward scrutiny—a characteristic that continues today.

What are your thoughts?

Al’s Debate List

Al’s Web Site

Years ago when I took my son fishing on Twelve Pole Creek I found a Budweiser can and noticed a small Rock Bass fish trapped inside. When smaller, he swam unsuspecting into the can and then, failing to find his way out, soon became too large to get out. When I freed him from the can, he had already begun to grow in a curve.

That true story suggests the way thousands have experienced religion. It held out for them promise for a fuller, richer life where problems could be handled and freedom experienced daily. In reality it brought additional problems—church politics, power plays, one more thing to do, and one more thing to become frustrated with. Instead of finding freedom, life seemed more stilted—they found themselves growing in a curve.

Much of what we see in the established church today has no fire. She has become ensnarled in a kind of “institutionalism” that withers in the labyrinth of its organizational structures. But more serious than all of the above has been the people’s failure to find a worthy cause for which to live. People can live in churches for years and never discover any greater reason to live than a career, a few more possessions or a little more fame. You don’t have to be religious to pursue these goals.

Remember Jesus? He established the greatest adventure the world has ever seen and did it in the midst of massive religious failure. If we hear His call afresh today, we, too, can participate in a quality of life that makes new everything around us.

John Sumlo has had blogger block.

Will Samson hasn’t blog since May and for good reasons.

Wade Hodges says it is time to take a break.

Let’s face it, being a consistent blogger is a time consuming task.

People of faith must embrace a kingdom imagination and take our enculturated lives seriously. We start when we change the terms of the conversation. We no longer critique, consume, or copy culture-we make culture.