July 08 Meeting

Nine of us gathered at the Moonlite Diner for our July conversation. A few newcomers fit right in to our discussion of Scot McKnight's article, "Five Streams of the Emerging Church," which we plan to continue next month. It was amazing to hear the same themes from so many of those gathered, some of whom had just met. I enjoyed both the insight and humor that everyone shared! We discussed how emerging conversations are prophetic (or at least provocative) concerning how the "church" needs to change. Change how? One aspect is that, while we have a basis in Christ, "no systematic theology can be final." We say, "This is what I believe, but I could be wrong. What do you think? Let's talk." And talk we did. But it doesn't stop there. "How a person lives is more important than what she or he believes...This holistic emphasis finds perfect expression in the ministry of Jesus, who went about doing good to bodies, spirits, families, and societies. He picked the marginalized up from the floor and put them back in their seats at the table; he attracted harlots and tax collectors; he made the lame walk and opened the ears of the deaf. He cared, in other words, not just about lost souls, but also about whole persons and whole societies." We discussed the importance of living "communal lives," by serving and loving God and one another as an expression of "church." We plan to continue the conversation in a month at a place to be determined. Join our Meetup Group for upcoming notices and details http://emergentchristian.meetup.com/29/ We also decided in the meantime that we would share missional opportunities in the community that any of us might participate in, through Meetup, so that others can join in if they choose. And we decided that we would continue to encourage each other, through these conversations and in any way, and any time we can, "in the way of Jesus."