So this conversation about postmodernity and the emerging church has been very interesting. (If you missed the first installment, looky.)
In the words of my good friend Sev, "I think we're having a heated agreement, here."
I was slightly disappointed in the discussion, only because it seemed like there was a lot of talking past each other. But it's a flawed system we've got here. And we're flawed people. I was VERY happy about the fact that there seemed to be a common thread of thought. Many people, in their own way (how postmodern of me, huh?), seemed to be saying that everything boils down to your own relationship with Jesus. Without this base, the entire discussion is academic, sterile, and pointless.
Yes. Let's agree on that.
On an interesting side note, I've been continuing my own personal pursuit of this elusive concept of the Emerging Church. Last Sunday night, Nica, her brother Isaac, and I went to Solomon’s Porch.
And believe it or not...
I thought it was great. I thought the music was actually worshipful. The songs were not the types of "praise" songs that make me wonder who we are praising. Do you know what I mean? I can't stand it when the message of a praise song is basically, "Isn't it great, what I'm doing for God by worshipping Him?" That always sticks in my craw.
But the music at Solomon's Porch was very worshipful. And artist. and interesting.
Mostly, I was impressed with the message from the pastor,Doug Pagitt. Since last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, Rev. Pagitt set aside the series he was preaching and gave a history of Pentecost. It was fascinating. In a very postmodern, Tarantino-esque fashion, Pagitt leapt back and forth in the timeline of events; first the day of Pentecost in Acts, then back to Moses climbing the mountain to get the ten commandments, then back to the apostles. He gave the context of what Pentecost meant to the Jewish people and how those things were fulfilled, or made fuller, through the event that Christians refer to as Pentecost.
It was very insightful and, yay, even liturgical. I mean, Solomon's Porch was following the Church calendar. Weird. Like most Evangelicals, I'm grossly unaware of the Church calendar. But Nica? She has a Missouri Synod Lutheran background. And her maiden name was Liturgy.
So maybe this whole "postmodern" thing is blown out of whack in my head? I don't know. We'll see.
In the words of my good friend Scully, "The Truth is out there."