Thanks to Brad Sargent, aka futuristguy, for this intriguing insight into a shift in emphasis within the Western Church. He blogs from the USA, but it rang true for me…

It seems to me that the focus or integration points have shifted from ecclesiology (with its inherent concern about methods and models for relevant church planting), to doxology (worship as the key thing to unlock the Kingdom), to theology proper (tinkering with a series of theological issues, like open theism or reforming the reformation), to Christology (with an emphasis on incarnational ministry), to missiology (with an emphasis on being missional and “culturally relevant”).

See here for more on this… but be prepared for some stuff that will hurt your head!

What do you think?

As far as I understand, I think Brad is suggesting a development in the way that radical church movements have sought to engage with the world around us, in this kind of progression;

1. A technical focus on models and shapes of church- the way we meet and greet, the way we structure ourselves etc (perhaps resulting in a renewed interest, for example, in the House Church movement)
2. Then a move towards worship (particularly the large praise and worship gathering) as a way to bring us together in an experiential encounter with God, and thereby equip us through a ‘soaking’ in the Spirit of God, which filters out into our lives and communities. I suppose this strand is still alive and well, stereotypically in churches such as Vineyard?
3. A re-examination of the theological underpinnings that arose from Modernism and enlightenment thinking- particularly around the whole ’emerging church’ conversation.
4. A return to the centrality of the person of Jesus- interpreting scripture, life and mission according to what we know and see of Christ. A renewed understanding of what Jesus meant by ‘The Kingdom of God’ and a rich understanding of ‘Incarnation’- as a way of literally embodying Jesus in our streets. This seems to me to be the active ingredient that releases the ’emergents’ above into the real world…
5. And finally we come to that word again- missional. Brad sees this most recent turn as a focus on church engaging with the real world around the mission of God- however we might come to understand this mission. He also refers to a wide concern to understand the context and culture that we are part of, and to be relevant within it.

Now simplistic models of change such as this can never be complete, but as I look at this list- it interests me, as in many ways it mirrors my own journey over the last few years…

7 years ago, I was part of a (mostly) thriving church in the North of England, where I led the worship team. We had this thing for Scotland, and eventually headed up here in 2002.

In Scotland we attended a small Baptist church, which had rigid structures and traditions that I always found ill fitting. I became more and more interested in looking at the way we did ‘church’, and frustrated at the servicing of a set of dysfunctional systems at the expense of any real engagement with the town we were part of.

However, I was still involved in leading worship- and spent a bit of time in America and in Europe leading worship at conferences. My motivation in worship was very much to sing with all that I could bring to bear so that we might encounter the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. I longed for those moments when the air seemed to crackle with the electric presence of God- but with hindsight, I am convinced that often, we sought to manufacture them, and to overstate our experience to validate our practice… Our group Aoradh started around this time- as a very different animal than it is today.

The small church in Scotland I attended had some real problems, and eventually, sort of ate itself alive. We decided that we had to leave about 3 years ago, and in and around this time, I found myself desperately re-examining the building blocks of my faith and doctrine. I read incessantly, just about everything I could that would enable me to relate again to what this Christianity was all about. I discovered Bell, and McLaren and all sorts of other Emerging Church stuff, and it totally blew me away- before ultimately allowing me once again to adventure with God.

And the central part of this adventure- was Jesus. I fell in love with what he was and is all over again. I read the gospels with eyes wide open, and wept over the sermon on the mount. I am still there really- seeking to find ways to live in community and connected to others, so that I might better be able to celebrate and display the person of Jesus, and serve the people and place I am planted within.

All this time there was talk about post modernity and the need to engage with context in a way that is relevant and appropriate. I worried at times that this mixed in with a stream of folk who just wanted to make the church trendy and hip- which I think has always been beyond me! But I came to believe clearly that we could not longer keep trying to engage in a way that suited the 1950s (That quote from someone who said this comes to mind- If the 1950’s ever come back, we are ready!)

So where am I with this? I know myself to have been on a journey. My hope and prayer is that this journey has many places to visit yet.

May we meet along the way.