I confess, I recently went to a church service. It doesn’t happen very often (did I go to one in 2004?). At first, I was excited because part of the reason I wanted to go was to particpate in the eucharist, and I saw a table with the elements.
Another blog sparked this post, by the way.
Any way, our house church (for lack of a better term) hasn’t been gathering lately, and I just really felt like I should go. I’ve wanted to visit this particular church for awhile. I actually had planned on going in the morning, but I made the mistake of turning the TV on. The playoffs. It was 1:30 before I realized I totally put the thought of going to the service out of my mind! I guess that’s what happens when you don’t center your Christian life around a service.
So any way, I called a few of my friends, and four of us ended up going to the evening service.
This service kind of epitomized the coffee and candles critique of “emerging” church activity. They have a pastor for “emerging generations,” so I guess I hoped that there would be something actually different from the same ole, same ole. The encouragement at the end for people to draw or whatever at the art table was the only thing even close, and that really isn’t different.
Now I’m not saying new and different is what I’m wanting, but it’s something that goes beyond the typical evangelical obsession with the sermon. All the coffee, candles, art tables, whatever were just peripheral to “the message.”
Over the past few years, I’ve come to the conclusion that our bodies, the physical, are neglected in evangelical worship. The closest we come is the ability to raise our hands or prostrate ourselves, but even those actions take on the cognitive. I remember having to explain why I raise my hands or prostrate myself. And my explanations were mostly an intellectual endeavor.
In the eucharist, the body is a participant in worship. It’s something more than symbolic. The reflection on the elements is not the main point, in my opinion.
Worship needs to be holistic. And that includes the physical.
Alan,
I found your blog through Planet Emergent. I am still in the Vineyard, if only by way of our community being “officially” affiliated. I find I am really not resonating with much that the Vineyard as a whole has become these days. I did however really resonate with what you have written here. If all the “emerging” church is ultimately about is cosmetic change, then I don’t give a rat’s ass (can I say that in your blog? If not then delete this comment and I’m sorry.) about an “emerging” church. I’m all about real theological change which then brings about a change in praxis. And not just a question of the way we do church, but a question of the way we do life as apprentices of Jesus. If all we are gonna do is light candles and think rediscovering some liturgy is cool, and think “post-modern” thoughts, then count me out. Real change, not cosmetic, is what is needed.
It must be remembered also, that there are some very diverse things that all get lumped under the label “emergent” (one of the reasons I don’t find the term helpful actually). In this sense, there may be (at least) two different “emerging” churches out there. I’ve certainly seen the ones that I would consider to be only cosmetic change, but I know plenty of people (mostly in small, “neo-monastic” missional communities) that are all about a fundamentally different way of thinking and doing things.
Arlen Hanson
January 12th, 2005
Arlen -
When I was in the Vineyard, I planted a church which was truly structurally different. Todd Hunter coached me in the plant, and the feedback I got from him and others within the Vineyard was that the high-ups were not behind us. We were told, “You’ll grow out of it.” That was my main reason for leaving the Vineyard once I moved on from the plant and took my career path down the writing/acting road.
Ass is fine. You should listen to my “Nature of the Church” podcast, and you’ll know you’re fine.
I’m hesitant to define who is really in and who is really out of the emerging church. I usually stop at saying if you really think you’re doing things differently, you must consider whether you’re priorities are still the same with just some external, stylistic changes.
Anonymous
January 12th, 2005
>>Over the past few years, I’ve come to the conclusion that our bodies, the physical, are neglected in evangelical worship…
In the eucharist, the body is a participant in worship. It’s something more than symbolic. The reflection on the elements is not the main point, in my opinion.
Gina
January 14th, 2005
Ok, something went awry with my comment…
What I said after the quote was, “Are you sure you’re not Orthodox?”
Gina
January 14th, 2005