Junk Drawer Spirituality

Megachurches and Young People

I just read an article that talks about some research that was done suggesting that, contrary to popular opinion, the vast majority of younger church attenders attend megachurches (churches with an average of 2000 or more attenders) rather than non-megachurches.  I suppose it shouldn't be that surprising, but in recent years, there has been alot written by folks who've suggested that the new, upcoming, "postmodern" generation is tired of the megachurch model of their baby-boomer parents and they're ready for closer, more intimate, more "authentic" fellowship when they go to church.

According to this research, that thinking is ridiculous.  "Nearly two-thirds of megachurch attenders are under 45, double the numbers in Protestant congregations of all sizes. The vast majority are between 18 and 44."  That's pretty amazing when you consider the fact that the average attender age in a protestant church is 53!  Young people gravitate toward megachurches, not smaller more intimate churches.

Now, the big question is why . . . Why do younger people like their churches BIG?  Is it a quality issue (bigger means better music, more programs, facilities, speakers, etc.), an anonymity issue (it's easier to slip in and out of a megachurch without being noticed), an enthusiasm issue (bigger means the church leaders must have a compelling vision)?  It's hard to say.  

"Does Satan Exist?" The Nightline Debate

I recorded it on my DVR last week, but I was watching basketball, so I couldn't watch it when it aired.  But tonight, I finally got the opportunity to watch the "NIghtline Face-Off" debate on the question "Does God Exist?"

I'll be honest. . . the only reason I was interested in watching this debate was for the sheer gluttonous entertainment value of watching Mark Driscoll debate Deepak Chopra.  For a theology nerd like myself, entertainment doesn't get any better than that.  As far as how challenging the debate was for either the debaters or the audience, I'd say it was sub-par and flawed from the beginning. 

Is John Calvin Changing the World?

I just read a Time Magazine article in their latest issue titled, "10 Ideas Changing The World Right Now."  Now, after examining the other nine ideas, scratching my head thinking, "Is that really changing the world?" I suppose "the New Calvinism" isn't too far of a stretch.  But there it is. . . number 3 on the list. . . "The New Calvinism."  Time is referring to the recent popularity of "Reformed" gurus John Piper and Mark Driscoll, and the churches emerging (no pun intended) from their ministries.

So this introduces 3 big questions for me with regard to this article.  First, by who's definition is the theology espoused by Driscoll and Piper new?  Calvinist?  Yes.  New?  I don't see it.  If somebody can, I'd be more than willing to listen, but as far as I can tell, Driscoll's and Piper's theology is the same Calvinism we've been hearing since Jonathan Edwards.  The only thing different is the music and the dress code.

Second question . . . Other than Mars Hill and Bethlehem Baptist, which pastors, churches, writers, or thinkers, are elevating this "New Calvinism" to such rock star status?  The largest and most popular church in America is still (by far) Lakewood church in Houston - a church that is about as far removed from John Calvin as one could get.  And even beyond Osteen, it appears to me that some of the largest and most influential churches within Evangelicalism include churches like Mars Hill Seattle, but Mars Hill Grand Rapids seems to be having just as wide of an impact with a different set of Doctrines.  The point is, they're doing great stuff. but I don't see any basis for believing that this theology has suddenly rocketed to an exclusively influential position within Evangelical thought. 

Third question. . . Who decided that "New Calvinism" is "changing the world?"  I could be convinced that evangelicalism is changing the world (with lots of numbers and pie charts).  I could be convinced that certain movements within evangelicalism are changing the world (movements toward global concerns, social justice, etc.).  But Neo-Calvinism?  Somebody enlighten me please.  

Mark Driscoll On CNN

Just saw this interview on CNN tonight.  D.L. Hughley (how he got a show on CNN, I have no idea), interviewed Mark with respect to Valentines Day and how Mark talks about sex at Mars Hill so openly and freely.  Driscoll does an amazing job.  I know he's a guy most people either love or hate, but in this interview he rocked.  The guy's so cool in these kinds of situations, I'm sick with envy, and next to D.L. Hughley, he looked like the most articulate, logical, and educated guy on the planet.

Book Review: Rapture Ready

On the plane ride to Texas over Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to finish reading the wildly entertaining, sometimes offensive, but usually enlghtening book, Rapture Ready: Adventures In the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture.  It is a book by a guy named Daniel Radosh who describes himself as a "liberal New York Jew," who took it upon himself to spend a few months trying to better understand the subculture of evangelical Christianity.  He talked to popular Christian authors, visited a Christian theme park, went to Christian concerts, music festivals, raves, visited Christian bookstores, entered "Hell Houses" on halloween and attended Christian WWE style wrestling matches in the south.  Radosh wrote about his experiences, the things he saw, the conversations he had, and the impressions that were left on him. 

As an evangelical, I appreciated the book. . . 

Emergent Village "De-Institutionalizes"

There is a press release coming out tomorrow (yes, I feel pretty cool that I knew about all this before the press release came out) written by Tony Jones and the group at Emergent Village.  I don't know all of the details but it looks as though they are attempting to dissolve some portions of "Emergent Village," and Tony Jones will no longer be the chief . . . and apparently there will not be a replacement chief.  Here's the statement: "To this end, Emergent Village will “flatten” the organization by discontinuing the national coordinator position and significantly reducing the organization’s fundraising."

The way they're pitching it is that this is an attempt by Emergent to move away from an institutionalized method of living their mission . . . which makes sense, since their primary function seems to me to offer a critique of the modern institutionalized church.  So to that end, I applaud Emergent for walking the talk.  It does get me thinking about how often an organization, a non-profit, a church, a business, anything that has started off with a very simple, grass-roots mentality tends to gravitate toward institutionalization and complexity.  Even for an organization who's primary function for existence is to critique institutionalization, the natural tendency is always to create structure, and layers, and bureacracy; and that's not nearly as sexy as a "grass-roots" or "organic" movement . . . and arguably not as effective either. 

On Being a Progressive Thinker in a Traditional Church

There's an interesting blog discussion going on today on Scot McKnight's blog.  Scot McKnight is a New Testament professor from the area, an accomplished author and an academic advocate in the Emerging Church movement.  A young pastor wrote him a letter asking his advice on what to do if you're a progressive thinking, emerging, youth pastor in a more traditional church that tends to frown on thinking that colors outside of the lines.

I don't know that I would classify myself or ever will classify myself as "emergent" but I certainly know the feeling of being at odds with certain streams within the church in which I'm employed.  I've been there, and it's tough.  There's a continual awkward tension of trying to teach with conviction and honesty, always knowing that if you stray too far from the party line, you could get shot for mutiny.  But there was one comment on this blog post that I found to be especially profound concerning this topic.  Here was the comment:

"When I started to feel emerging leanings, it became so enticing to become cocky and let everyone know anytime I disagreed with a conservative pastor about something. It’s easy and sexy to do, but somewhere along the way, I quickly forgot the importance of submitting to Spiritual authority. Preach with conviction, but submit to authority- if you can’t do both, then it may be time to move on."

Simple, humble, and wise. 

Redefining the Emerging Church Movement

I have had a kind of love/hate relationship with the emerging church movement since about 2002, when I first became aware of this conversation younger pastors were having.  I originally learned about the movement when I read Dan Kimball's The Emerging Church, a book that challenged alot of people's thinking (mine included) with regard to the way modern churches are equipped to reach a postmodern, post-Christian world.  Around the same time, Brian McClaren introduced his character "Neo" in his fiction book A New Kind Of Christian, and the subsequent trilogy.  It was a book about a pastor wrestling with (you guessed it), how to be a Christian in a postmodern world.

Why The Church CANNOT Be Political

I had an interesting weekend.  There was a buddy of mine from High School who came into Chicago for a friend's wedding, and I decided to head downtown on Saturday to hang out with him.  He's a guy I've known for a very long time, but we haven't talked much in recent years.  Today he works as a lobbyist in Austin, Texas, involved in real estate issues.  He went to Law school . . . real smart guy.

I've also known for awhile that he wasn't a Christian.  In fact when we were in college, he was at the University of Texas and I was at Texas A&M, and we were both on that sorta anti-establishment, "screw the church" journey and we spoke about that often.  God got ahold of my life my junior year of college, but my friend continued his path, which eventually led him into atheism and now a sort of agnostic/deism.  We've talked some over the years, I've prayed for him often (at some points in a judgmental way, and at other points just as a friend that I love . . . that's been part of my own spiritual journey).  But it's been at least 4 or 5 years since we've talked.

Defining The Emerging Church

I stumbled across this pdf from C. Michael Patton's blog on the emerging church.  I like this guy.  I think he's pretty fair and level-headed, even if you don't completely agree with him on everything.  Anyway, this is his take on the emerging church for better or worse.  I think he does a pretty good job.

Download Would_the_Real_Emerger_Please_Stand_Up.pdf

Why the Emergent Guru and Reformed Pastor DIDN'T Cross the Road

I found this post on C Michael Patton's blog.  This is pretty funny for you fellow theology egg-heads out there.  Patton wrote the top ten reasons the"Emerging Church Guru didn't cross the road.  Enjoy:

10. Because he did not want to be labeled.

9. Because he was not absolutely certain that he could cross since in order to get to the other side, you would have to go half way, and in order to go half way, you would have to go half way to the half way, and in order to go half way to the half way, you would have to go half way, ad infinitum.

Mapping The Emerging Church

The emerging church is a pretty slippery little sucker to wrap your hands around, even if you've spent some time reading the Padgitt's, Jones' (both Tony and Andrew) and McLarens, the gurus of all things emerging.  Throw Bell, Don MIller, and some of the other guys into the mix, it gets even tougher.  C. Michael Patton posted a chart on his blog that I think is pretty helpful which he used to teach a class on the subject.  It maps out where the different emerging church guys and gals and other Chirstian leaders fall on the spectrum of evangelicalism vs. fundamentalism, vs. liberalism vs. emerging, etc.  I think this is his third or fourth try at this chart after recieving much critism in earlier generations.  Kinda intersting if nothing else.  What do you think?  Accurate?

    

Peter Enns' Suspension

Peter Enns, Old Testament professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, was suspended last week over his book Inspiration and Incarnation.  Apparently there were some concerns from the board of the seminary over the implications the book's conclusions may have on hermeneutics and the school's beliefs with regard  to bibliology.  I haven't read the book, but I do own and have often used his Exodus commentary (which seems fairly moderate and Evangelical to me).  There's a Christianity Today article you can check out on the subject if you're interested, and I also read a review by D.A. Carson of Enns' book, N.T. Wright's book called The Last Word, and one by John Webster-- all having to do with Bibliology and hermeneutics.   

What's the Real Story on Emergent?

So I recently heard the podcast from Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill (Seattle) where he talks about the Emerging Church movement (in typical Driscoll smart alecky style).  But right before I heard that podcast, I'd read The New Christians by Tony Jones.  Jones tells the early history of the Emerging Church movement in one of his chapters and he was less than codial in telling about his history with Mark Driscoll.  He basically says that it was Driscoll who earned them a bad reputation in the early years because he was a raving, cussing lunatic in all of his preaching engagements.  So it was interesting listening to Driscoll's podcast on the same thing shortly afterward, where Driscoll kinda told his side of the story from the same time period (basically that he was a lunatic, but the other guys were "heretics" of sorts, so there was no need to keep partying together).  Most of the details line up, but it's basically two sides of one story of a few years with a few guys who launched a radical and increasingly diverse movement and how all of that came about.  I found another blogger (Chris Ridgeway)who transcribed Driscoll's whole talk for your viewing pleasure if you're so inclined.

Download Mark_Driscoll_Emerging_Church_Full_Transcript_24feb08.pdf