SUMMARY: THE contemplative and emerging “church” is big news around the world. No wonder “Purpose Driven” is making such inroads into AoG as reported in our previous magazine (CETF #36 – June 2006). Now we learn that AoG Australia’s Southern Cross Bible College has linked with the Roman Catholic Church in inviting a priest to lecture on THE TRINITY. A search on the AOG USA website produces over 600 entries for “Purpose Driven.” Paste the following into your browser for a most revealing article: http://www.fromthelighthouse. com/blog/index.php?p=193&more=1&c=1 Stay tuned. More on this theme in future CETFs, God willing. “Therefore come out from among them, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Jesus said, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night is coming, when no man can work”
An increasing sense of urgency is upon us. We must translate this into increased effort and opportunity.
Please read on...
IT should be apparent by now that the emerging church is more experiencebased than Bible-based. Further, in the emerging church the Word of God takes a secondary position to the worship of God.
While Dan Kimball and other promoters of the emerging church may be sincere in their efforts to evangelise the post-modern generation and believe they are genuinely representing the scriptures, there are some real concerns that need to be addressed.
Deviating from the Word of God for extra-biblical experience can open the door to deception.
While worshipping God is a very important part of the Christian faith there are problems that can occur if worship supersedes the word.
However, Dan Kimball sees a new worship generation in the making, based on experience that is essential to the emerging church.
In a section of his book subtitled “Truly worshipping in a worship gathering,” he writes:
We should be returning to a no-holds-barred approach to worship and teaching so that when we gather, there is no doubt we are in the presence of God.
I believe that both believers and unbelievers in our emerging culture are hungry for this.
It isn’t about clever apologetics or careful exegetical and expository preaching or great worship bands. … Emerging generations are hungry to experience God in worship.*1
Obviously, in order for this to happen, changes would have to be incorporated. Kimball has thought this through and offers a number of suggestions, which he lists in a chart *2 that shows how the “modern church” must adjust and move towards a “no-holds-barred approach” to worship. Some of these are:
• Services designed to be user-friendly and contemporary must change to services that are designed to be experiential and spiritual-mystical.
• Stained glass that was taken out of churches and replaced with video screens should now be brought back into the church on video screens.
• Lit up and cheery sanctuaries need to be darkened because darkness is valued and displays a sense of spirituality.
• The focal point of the service that was the sermon must be changed so that the focal point of the service is a holistic experience.
• Use of modern technology that was used to communicate with a contemporary flare must change so that church attendees can experience the ancient and mystical (and use technology to do so).
While I realize we are living at a period of time where technology is the key to entertainment and visual stimulation is a necessary tool required for capturing the attention of this generation, I ask you to consider what the Bible teaches.
What about less Word and more experience?
Could someone quote the chapter and verse to justify that?
What about the idea that visual stimulation is the formula for inducing a spiritual atmosphere that will draw seekers to Jesus?
Where is that found in the Bible?
I don’t know about you, but when I hear about the emerging-church-methodology of forsaking “apologetics” and “careful exegetical and expository preaching” for the sake of a generation that is “hungry to experience God”, I have some concerns.
Could this be another avenue to “dumbdown” Christianity so that we no longer know what God has said?
How effective can experiential Christianity be when it comes to knowing who we are, where we are in time, and where we are headed?
Jesus said He is coming again?
How many professing Christians will be ready when He returns?
Ancient-Future Faith
Dr Robert “Bob” Webber is recognized by pastors, denominational leaders, scholars and lay people as one of the foremost authorities on worship renewal. He regularly conducts workshops for almost every major denomination in North America through the Institute of Worship Studies, which he founded in 1995.
Prior to his appointment to his present position at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr Webber taught at Wheaton College for 32 years as professor of Theology.
He has authored over 40 books and is also a regular contributor to numerous magazines and newspapers. *3
He is on the editorial board of Chuck Fromm’s “Worship Leader” magazine.
I was fi rst introduced to Dr Webber and his views when I read an article that he had written in the May/June issue of “Worship Leader” titled, Wanted: Ancient Future Talent. Under a subheading labelled, “The Call for Ancient-Future Worship Talent”, Webber wrote:
I am personally most gratifi ed to see the shift toward a recovery of the ancient.
While many good choruses have been produced over the past forty years, the rejection of the sources of hymnody and worship by the contemporary church has resulted in a faith that is an inch deep. *4
In this article, Dr Webber stated, “the Spirit is working a new thing in the church” and an “ancient-future worship is being born.”
He listed a number of things that he believes are necessary for “talented workers” to discover if they are going to be a successful part of this new movement. Some of these are:
• Rediscover how God acts through the sacred signs of water, bread and wine, oil and laying on of hands.
• Rediscover the central nature of the table of the Lord in the Lord’s Supper, breaking of bread, communion and Eucharist.
• Rediscover how congregational spirituality is formed through the Christian celebration of time in Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost.
While I agree with Dr Webber that it would be benefi cial to reintroduce the great hymns written in the past by anointed men and women of God that expound sound biblical doctrine, it appears that is not what he means by returning to “the ancient.”
In fact his list of things to do in his call for “ancientfuture worship talent” mentions a number of terms and ideas that cannot be found in the Bible.
For example, when I hear the expression “sacred signs of bread and wine” or the mention of “Lent” as a means of “rediscovering congregational spirituality” — while these ideas may be ancient, I wonder where the ideas originate.
Further, when I hear about “rediscovering the central nature of the table of the Lord in the Lord’s supper, breaking of bread, communion and Eucharist” I am reminded about the “new evangelisation” program that is presently underway.
Did you know Pope John Paul II called for a “missionary vision” centred on “a rekindling of amazement focused on the Eucharist” to bring the world to the Eucharistic Jesus?
Could the Merging Church be Re-emerging?
Dr Webber is one of the chief promoters of the emerging church.
He has written a number of books on the topic Including Ancient-Future Evangelism: Making Your Church a Faith-Forming Community and Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Post-modern World.
In order to clarify Dr Webber’s views, I did some further research. I found an interview Dr Webber had done posted on a web site called TheOoze.com.
Responding to the question: “What do you think the North American evangelical church is going to look like 25 years from now?”
Dr Webber responded: Christianity will be less national, less culturally formed. It will be smaller pockets of communities in neighbourhoods. The church will focus on people, not buildings, on community, not programs, on scripture study, not showy worship.5 Certainly this view of the future sounds reasonable and acceptable from a biblical perspective. In fact, I could say a hearty “Amen” to what Dr Webber said. But the next statement adds a whole different dimension to the direction he believes Christianity is emerging towards. He stated: Biblical symbols such as baptismal identity and Eucharistic thanksgiving will take on new meaning. The church will be less concerned about having eschatology and more committed to being an eschatological community.6 Over the past several years, I have observed that Dr Webber’s prediction regarding the future of the church seems to be accurate. Many who were once anticipating the soon and imminent return of Jesus are now asleep. Some are saying it appears “the Lord has delayed His coming.” Others are saying, “We have been misled by pastors and teachers who have taught us that the second coming is a literal return of Jesus to set up His Kingdom.” These same people are claiming the “Kingdom of God” will be established here on earth through Christians during the Eucharistic Reign of Jesus.” After reading Dr Webber’s prediction that “Biblical symbols such as baptismal identity and Eucharistic thanksgiving will take on new meaning,” I ordered his book “Ancient-Future Evangelism.” This is what I read on page 114: A brief glance at the teaching of the Eucharist from the pre-Nicene period provides insight into the early church’s understanding. The Fathers taught that continual spiritual nourishment was provided to believers at this great feast. First it is clear from the writings of Justin Martyr in the middle of the second century that this is no empty symbol. Christ is really present in the bread and wine. He feeds us in the remembrance of His salvation. He feeds us through His presence, which is accomplished through prayer.7 The idea that Jesus is present in the Eucharist is a Roman Catholic teaching. It is based on transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is required to manifest the Eucharistic Jesus. The Eucharistic Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. The Eucharistic Jesus is “another Jesus”. Is the “Emerging Church” emerging or remerging?
Who Is Evangelising Whom?
Supporters of the “Emerging-Church” write and speak passionately about evangelism. They are committed to reaching the Post-modern generation. They say that their goal is to communicate the truths of Christianity in a way that can be understood by this generation. They are willing to adapt or change whatever needs to be changed in order to be relevant evangelists.
While purpose-driven evangelists removed crosses and other Christian symbols from church services to be seeker-friendly, the Post-modern generation, also called the Gen Xers, apparently are attracted to crosses, candles, stained glass, liturgy, and sacraments.
According to Julie Sevig, in an article called “Ancient New” that she wrote for The Lutheran:
Post-moderns prefer to encounter Christ by using all their senses.
That’s part of the appeal of classical liturgical or contemplative worship: the incense and candles, making the sign of the cross, the taste and smell of the bread and wine, touching icons and being anointed with oil. In Soul Tsunami: Sink or Swim in New Millennium Culture (Zondervan, 1999), Leonard Sweet says: “Post-moderns want a God they can feel, taste, touch, hear and smell--a full sensory immersion in the divine.” *8
Sevig interviewed Karen Ward, an associate director for worship for an “Emerging Church.” Sevig wrote:
This return to the traditional—the sacred— crosses denominational lines, Ward says. In fact, an interesting marriage is occurring between evangelicals and the liturgy. “Evangelicals are using traditions from all liturgical churches from Orthodox to Lutheran to Catholic,” she says.
“Though they have limited experience using their new-found symbols, rituals and traditions, they’re infusing them with vitality and spirit and life, which is reaching people.” *9
It can be documented that Dr Robert Webber’s books are winning converts. But who is being converted and what are they being converted to? The answer to this question can be found at a Roman Catholic web site called “Ancient and Future Christian Reading List.” Several of Dr Webber’s books are listed there such as Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism.
Under the books heading, there is the following description: Webber writes about how many Christians today, especially younger ones, are seeking a faith connected to the ancient Church.
Thus, post-modern Christians are seeking an ancient and future faith, one that embraces the past for the future, rather than ignoring the past completely.
Also, thanks to the reality of relativity (how’s that for an oxymoron!), gone are rational apologetics, and coming back are embodied apologetics (i.e. defending the faith by living as Jesus did). Creeds and Councils are in, as is mysticism and community.
Editor David Bennett admits that Webber’s writings helped lead him to the Catholic Church, although much of what Webber says is far too “cafeteria” in approach.
Also, Church Tradition is treated more as an evangelical trend as opposed to what it is: the Truth. Nonetheless, Webber is a good transitional author. *10
The Ancient and the Mystical
It seems that the “Emerging Church” is reemerging. However, rather than going back to the inspired Word of God found in the Old and New Testaments, the goal is to reintroduce an “Ancient- Future” faith based on the ideas, dogmas, traditions and views of the Roman Catholic Church Fathers.
Over the past number of years I have had the opportunity to travel the world speaking in various countries visiting many old churches that are dark and mystical. These churches were founded by the Roman Catholic or Orthodox Church many centuries ago.
In these churches I have observed, icons, statues of Mary holding baby Jesus, Jesus hanging on the cross, candles, incense, relics, and statues of the saints.” While there is a lot of emphasis on the visual sensual and mystical, there is very little evidence that the Bible was ever taught to the people.
If it had, there would not be an emphasis on extra-biblical paraphernalia, extra-sensory images, sounds and smells.
It appears to me the “Emerging Church” of the present era and the church that emerged after the New Testament was written is one and the same.
Remember the words of Paul as recorded in the book of Acts: “For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the fl ock.
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).
While Rick Warren, Dan Kimball and Dr Robert Webber and others may be excited about the Emerging Church” and the direction it is presently headed, I am concerned the “Emerging Church” may actually be a re-emergence of what has already occurred in church history.
If the pattern continues expect to see evangelical Protestants become more and more Roman Catholic.
Will the Emerging Lead the Church to the Roman Catholic Church?
It is important to keep scripture in mind when we are looking for a method or a means to promote church growth.
A Christianity that is not based on the Scriptures is a false Christianity. It may be ecumenical and it may be successful in attracting numbers, but it is not biblical.
It could even lead people to believe they believe, but instead they follow false teachers and false doctrine and are deceived.
You know where they could spend eternity, separated from God!
Footnotes:
1 Dan Kimball, p. 185
2 Ibid. p. 185
3 www.serminary.edu/aboutnorthern/index.html
4 Robert Webber, “Wanted Ancient-Future Talent,” Worship Leader, May/June 2005, p. 10
5 Ibid.
6 Robert Webber, “Ancient-Future Evangelism: Making Your Church a Faith-Forming Community,” Baker Books, page 114
7 Julie B. Sevig, The Lutheran, “Ancient New, September 2001, http://www.thelutheran.org/0109/page36.html
8 Julie B. Sevig, The Lutheran, “Ancient New, September 2001, http://www.thelutheran.org/0109/page36.html
9 Ibid.
10 http://www.ancient-future.net/apcbooks.html
About the Author...
Found this information useful?
Web Site by
S & R Cope in association with
Appeared in Issue CETF 12.3 #37 October 2006
"...contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" -- Jude v3
© Copyright 2006 Christian Witness Ministries, except where noted. All rights reserved
|
|
|
|
|
-Last revised-
Monday, October 09, 2006
