Here, there, and all over the place people are trying to figure out what this emerging church thing is. Unfortunately, much pain and sruggle has been caused by proponents and antagonists fighting over misunderstandings.
My own personal hope for this “movement” or “discussion” is that the “emerging church” is just the continued pursuit of the Kingdom. Rather than a new, better, shinier version of the church, it *is* the church, with Christ as her head and the whole community of saints as her body. Can we please once again recgonize the katholikos church–“The Whole” church?
What we need is unity in love by recognizing our One Lord. What we need is worship that is true in all it’s forms. What we need is a community that is as concerned about our enemies, as our neighbors, as our selves. Even if our ‘enemies’ are in a different denomination.
My prayer for the people in the ELN flavor/tribe/community/discussion, is that we can be inclusive in our language and hopeful in our living for the future of the entire catholic church. Because, to be honest, there is no such thing as the emerging church. There is only a broken people with a loving God who is excited to include us in His subversive agenda to love people where and when it’s least expected.
If you want to change the world, tell an alternate story.
(Don’t condem the old translation.)
First published on Emerging Leaders Network .org
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