The Buzz

Today’s buzz-word is “emergence.” It’s all the rave. In the same way that “seeker sensitive” and “contemporary” were the catch phrases du jour in the 90’s, the “emerging church” and all things “emerging” have become the talk of the town. There are quite a few books on my shelf that sport the term somewhere on their cover. Emerging this, emerging that. I half-envision the Fad King from Wag the Dog off with some Hollywood producer somewhere coming up with catchy slogans, jingles, and t-shirt ideas that could be pandered to the eager masses of hip, young, twenty-something’s who have described themselves as the “emerging church.”

I am not sure to do with all the hype. I like most of what I hear in the emerging church conversation, but I have experienced something of an aversion to the subtle messiah complex that seems to be dancing behind the scenes. It is almost like some emergents (this is a noun coined to describe those who consider themselves part of that which is emerging) see themselves as able to deliver orthodox theology from the grasps of the modern, post-enlightenment oppressors who have held it hostage for the last three hundred years.

That being said, I stumbled across a great web site called opensourcetheology.net. What they are attempting does resonate with me, and I will probably be more on board once I have quelled my initial misgivings about the emerging church conversation.

Please don’t label me as a stick-in-the-mud. My thirty-something mind just needs some time to figure out which end is up.