I should've seen it coming but the ending wasn't near as helpful as the rest of the book. In a nutshell, we're still arguing about where authority lies for the Christian tradition - not a surprise. But the simple, and self-evident as I see it, bottom line is that the argument itself is where the authority lies.
Some would prefer that we call it a conversation (and Tickle does). But in my family, you're not really talking until you start raising your voice a little. So, for my blog's sake, let's say... it's in the argument.
Where there is disagreement is allowed, where differing opinions are honored, where people sit at the table with others who disagree, it is at that table that truth is honored most.
Conversely, where disagreement is feared, where differing opinions are hushed, where folks the table is kept to reserved seating for those who look and think like you, it is at that table that truth doesn't stand a chance.
The Great Emergence then is about acknowledging that truth is a lot harder to come by than once declared. Therefore, we need more voices and more diversity in order to find out what is authoritative. And when you get disagreement and differing voices, it's hard not to find that something authoritative emerges from that diversity... it's called community.
The Church has this great opportunity to find itself a place to call Home for those desperate for community. I like to say that I'm a "Star Trek Voyager" generation, meaning that I'm part of a generation of explorers that are so lost that we don't believe that we'll ever really make it back home. And so home becomes the community in which we enjoy home in the here and now.
A great example of this is at my friend Jeff's church. They started a new Sunday evening worship service called "Worship in a New Key." They worship creatively and then turn their chairs around and share a meal together. Check out their site.
For this next year at our community of faith (which is our preferred way of speaking about church), we're going to have at least four worship services in our fellowship hall, around tables. It's one of the many things we're doing to celebrate our 50th anniversary year. We're focusing on table - feeding all who hunger: body, mind and spirit.
Sometimes people say that the Bible has become an idol since the Great Reformation. I wonder if in 500 years from now, the table will receive the same critique.
Perhaps saying that the Great Emergence is about replacing scripture with the table is too simple. Yet, as one of the next generation of pastors, I'll take community over scripture any day of the week and twice on Sunday morning.
Beth,
ReplyDeleteI liked your comments. I think faith is as much as what we REJECT as it is what we accept (just like they taught us at NBTS!) And that takes argument.
Moving on to creative worship, why don't we start serving large, hot chunks of homemade bread for communion rather than thin, miniscule wafers?