emerging mosaic

It finally had to happen I guess. I’ve just felt to often that the values I embraced for living the faith and I thought I saw in the emergent conversation have not materialized in reality. So I finally have to admit (not that anyone cares) I’m post emergent. Why? Here are five reasons.

1. The conversation still looks to much like the old conversation, white, male and academic. The dominant culture still dominates.
2. The values behind the conversation aren’t readily expressed in actions. No generous orthopraxis to go with the generous orthodoxy. (see my previous post)
3. The lexicon of the white European theological framework which still dominates. There is very little inclusion of black theologians and the theological framework of people of color. People of color seem to be included in the conversation only if they are willing to use this language and framework. It seems we all need to read NT Wright in order to have any credibility.
4. Talk, talk and more talk. My experience is we love to talk about this stuff but other than retro worship stuff we don’t get around to acting on it. Even so talk about diversity has never come to the fore. I want to be the church and act like the church not just talk like the church.
5. Ultimately its about relationships and I have made some good ones which go beyond the whole emergent (non movement) thing. So I’ll go about the spiritual practice of reconciliation through relationships with my brothers and sisters and leave emergent tag to others.

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Shortly after I wrote my post about being post emergent I started to ask myself this question. After all this blog was called emergent mosaic. I decided I could call it emerging mosaic instead. Because I do think that the emerging church conversation is bigger than Emergent.

Now let me say for the for the record I consider the work that Emergent does to be exceptional it is meeting the deepest yearnings and desires of many folks for something beyond the distorted way that North American Evangelical Christianity has been practiced. I was involved in the very beginnings and still participate in an Emergent cohort. But I want to emerge into something more.

• I want to emerge into a conversation that doesn’t demean the traditional role black pastors or Afro-Christian worship because it doesn’t fit with a postmodern egalitarian world view.
• I want to emerge into a conversation that acknowledges the contribution to worship of all races and cultures to Christian worship.
• I want to emerge into a conversation that embraces theology from a non Anglo worldview as easily as it does the euro/Anglo one.
• I want to emerge into a conversation where saying that there are still prophets among isn’t derided because there is no room for strong charismatic leadership.
• I want to emerge into a conversation takes seriously the post colonial story and the impact it continues to have on relationships between the races.
• I want to emerge into a conversation where my story (and those of other people of color) isn’t tolerated but is embraced because we are aware that is the only way all our lives will be full.
• I want to emerge into a conversation that moves beyond trendy “retro-worship” to contextual indigenous worship.
• I want to emerge into a conversation that isn’t driven by theological piety
• I want to emerge into a conversation that is evolutionary not just revolutionary and drawing on the best of every era and expression of the Christian faith to birth new forms into the new era.
• I want to emerge into a conversation that promotes a generous orthopraxis alongside generous orthodoxy.
• I want to emerge into a conversation that leads to subversive transformation in the lives of those who participate in it.
• I want to emerge into a conversation like the ones I’m beginning to have about where things go from here.

The Rolling Stones say you can’t always get what you want but if you try you may get what you need. Well I need to be emerging but post Emergent. Is that possible? only time will tell!

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