The Great "emergence"!

I just found this post at Andrew Jones' blog and I'm starting to wonder if the emerging conversation will soon morph into a "Purpose-Driven" empire for the 21st century of young people:

The Great Mergence

Emergent
AGmergent
Convergent
Submergent
Baptimergent
Anglimergent
Luthermergent
Reformergent
Methomergent
Presbymergent
Cathlimergent?
Fundamergent?
Neveremergent?
Shuttheheckupaboutemergent?

The last thing we need is another Christian capitalistic empire to suck in all the young "evangelicals" and divert them from what's really happening in this country. If such an atrocity happens, then the emerging conversation, or Emergent more likely, has become the very thing it dared not to be from the beginning. There's already a movement of "Emerging women", next all we need is "emerging youth, men, children, seniors, etc," and viola, we have a new form of a Christian consumer empire for the new generation, it's just subconscious.

Something like this makes you wonder if Emergent has already gone into the stages of a consumer driven empire because such a response like this means that Emergent is having a different kind of effect on Christians then what was expected. Being "emerging" is the hip cool new thing to be **having flashbacks of Purpose-Driven era!** and it has become a catch phrase within Christianity. When people hear the word "emerging" I have a feeling they think cathedral-esque church with candles and low romantic type lighting with art hanging around as Sigur Ros or The Album Leaf plays as people come to sit with an "stage"/alter that’s at the same level as they are. In the back you have fair trade coffee and tea. Simple overhead screens show projections from a Mac Book of artsy images meant to enhance our worship experience. We come to a discussion about some biblical theme or watch a teaching film and talk after words. This atmosphere is very soothing to the tastes of a younger generation and suits THERE NEEDS. What we have is nothing more than a re-visit to the consumer driven society we so despised. We're just consuming different things.

In reality, the use of candles and indie music with coffee and low lights are not what makes something "emerging." They are simply instruments of tradition that may help us connect with the deeper reality. The DEEPER REALITY of it focuses on being missionally minded Christ-followers in this postmodern era when people are more skeptical of everything they see, smell, touch, hear, etc. Realizing a world in need of authentic, loving communities who offers real help besides just how to get to Heaven when we die. Responding to social justice in a real way of active involvement rather than giving our $5 to Compassion each month. Focus on the embracing the gospel as the holistic means of God restoring and redeeming all of his creation (not just human souls) to himself via the crucifixion on the cross.

It seems that a lot of "evangelicals" who are embracing the emerging conversation appear to be more concerned with "how" things are done rather than "why" they are being done. "This is cool, let's do this." Sitting in a living room drinking coffee talking about how to reach out to gay people is not the embrace of this "emerging" conversation. Going and engaging in dialog with homosexuals and listening to their stories for the sake of showing them the love of Jesus seems to be more adequate, because it involves DOING SOMETHING. If coffee and candles are what makes us different then we've done nothing to make a real difference except change our appearance. If living simpler, giving more, spending less, and loving the marginalized, oppressed, and broken hurting parts of hell on earth are what make us different, then we've done something.

I pray that this emerging conversation remains focused on practicing what is preached rather than finding new ways to preach! I pray it continues to wrestle with the tough questions of this world and how God's truth applies to it. I pray that the ambiguousness that is "emerging" continues to stay on the front line of what God is doing in our world.