by Will Samson
While I was at Glorieta for the Gathering I hosted two conversations, both entitled "The Hopes and Dreams for Emergent". I wanted to know why people had bothered to travel to the Gathering, why they identified with Emergent and what they hoped for the future of Emergent. The answers were not surprising, although the strength of the answers was.
One of the most significant reasons for people participating with Emergent was to find friends as that person journeyed in the mission of God. Some people felt as if they were in liminal space, somewhere between where they had been and where God was taking them. Others felt as if they have left some place permanently and were seeking friends and companions as they journeyed on. People really felt passionate about joining with Emergent as a way to create friendships for living out the mission of God. This came out as the strongest theme of both conversations.
One of the interesting aspects of this conversation is that is spoke to a belief I have long held about Emergent. There were at least two distinct groups who participated in these conversations. One group was asking the questions "What is God doing in my context?" and "How can I be a part of that?" Another group was asking "How can I be more effective at _______", with the blank being filled in by some version of what they saw as their distinct mission.
This fills me personally with a lot of hope for Emergent. Some people are looking to this conversation to make them more effective wherever God is calling them, and that's great. While Emergent is not a resource provider per se, I am delighted that folks asking that question felt comfortable identifying with the larger Emergent conversation.
The others, who made up the majority of both conversations, are asking questions of contextual theology. This is what really got me excited. This is how I came to be involved with the church that is emerging, by reading authors like Lesslie Newbigin and David Bosch. By being willing to ask what God was doing today and how I might join that.
Speaking of "the church that is emerging," Brian McLaren mentioned that this might be a better title than "the emerging church." I like that because it connects deeply into the Church at her root rather than speaking of the work we are participating in as some new expression.
I will be hosting a forum on the hopes and dreams of Emergent over at The Ooze. Please feel free to stop by and continue this conversation!
