as the flock, we have no flocking concept

We are supposed to be the flock the Jesus talks about. John 13:35 "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.".

And yet we have years of division and strife. We have fractured community. Some spend more time attracting other Christians to church from existing church relationships than attracting those in serious need. We are more adept at apologetics than we are at meeting needs and being community. Many of us know the arguments regarding our chosen version of salvation theory better than we know how the addiction process works in our own lives. We have to form small groups and have an agenda before we'll hang out with each other.

What went wrong???!! Where did we divert so far from the Gospel? When did Jesus become an American caucasian, stuck in first century middle east? When did we start looking at verses versus looking at context? When did the Bible become an indexed reference book rather than a collection of stories to introduce God? How many times did Jesus toss a verse to someone compared to the number of times He related a story to them?

I've been exploring the emergent church, and have some hope that the paradigm of contention might be over… the we all believe that Truth exists, but that our experience and background changes how we see the Truth, and that our Truth is truth trying to be Truth. I see real hope, and I see more love than I've ever seen.

Few people can be argued into real relationship, but many are attracted by acceptance and love. I've yet to meet anyone comdemned into right relationship with God... maybe that's why Jesus was so hard on those who condemn.

Like the AAers say, "attraction, not promotion."

origins

Based on a conversation on this blog, does anyone care to address these questions?

emergent vern

I’ve been spending time on various blogs that are run by people in the emergent church. I’ve really enjoyed Karen Haluza’s blog Raw Faith and have recently been spending time on Willzhead. Will Samson and I will be getting together in the next week to talk about funding virtually unfundable Christian services, something I’ve been working on for two years and something that I believe Will and his family are jumping into with both feet (my perception).

I’ve also spent some time on Lessons Learned and Laborings Lost as well as screaming through the masses.

I spend time talking to people I really don’t agree with, as they stretch me, although I always try to be a positive part of the conversation. I stay away from “mental masturbation” of irreconcilable difference, as I just don’t want to waste time. I pick blogs where those that are in the discussion are polite, but above all, bright. (my desire is to talk to people smarter than myself, which isn’t all that hard to accomplish). Lessons Learned and Laborings Lost as well as kidpositive fit this description, as does Willzhead and Raw Faith.

For some reason, I have offended Lessons Learned and Laborings Lost to the point that they’ve turned off comments to all but those recognized in their group. Kidpostive isn’t saying much either. Neither of these blogs are run by people who care to identify themselves from what I can see, and have no contact info to clarify anything offline (unless it's my ignorance of where to look).

To both of these communities, I apologize… it was not my intention to offend you.

-vern-