Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Continuity, roots and staying power

Chaplain Mike at Internet Monk is posting a series about "movements" among evangelicals. He intends to discuss "the ancient-future movement spearheaded by Robert Webber; second, the emergent/emerging movement spearheaded by young thinkers and leaders like Brian McLaren ... and third, the revival of Calvinism among the NeoReformed." His attitude about them [with which I am in sympathy]:
The longer I have been a believer in and follower of Jesus, the less I have been attracted to “movements” (“fads?”) in the church. I realize this puts me at odds with those who think I am constantly missing “catching the wave of the Spirit” as he does “new and exciting” things among his people. It’s just that, the older one gets, the more one sees these movements come and go, ebb and flow, morph and get swallowed up into other waters. The relentless changes and enthusiastic voices exclaiming the arrival of the “next wave” get shrill and annoying after awhile. Count me as one who longs for continuity, roots, depth, and proven staying power with regard to matters of faith.

If that makes me an obstreperous old coot, then so be it.
The first of the movements he is discussing is the emergent/emerging one — which many evangelicals argue is already passing or past. He confesses that he has never read anything by Brian McLaren put off by the titles alone [e.g. "The Secret Message of Jesus sounded too much like gnosticism to me, Everything Must Change—well, no"].

I wonder whether his yearning for "continuity, roots, depth, and proven staying power" may incline him to be more sympathetic to Webber.

Convince Me! | internetmonk.com

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