Emerging Church Part 5

The originally intended "Part 5" is coming soon, as soon as I can get a few minutes to do it, but in the mean time, I came across this today. The "Everything Must Change" conference in Canada was this past weekend and the question was asked to the panelists as to what the Gospel is.

Brian McLaren was the only one to answer and this is what he said:

...the good news isn't the good news of Christianity, it's the good news of the Kingdom of God. And I think that Fatmire [Muslim peace activist also present at conference and sitting next to him on the panel] working for peace, is an agent for peace, and I'd much rather her be working for peace being who she is than... becoming a person in a church worrying about the list over there on that wall. [on "the list" are things non-essentials like speaking in tongues, etc.)

So, to me there's something we really have to grapple with about whether the border of a religion is the border of the kingdom of God. And I think that's a question we'd be wise to raise. I liked what you said about there not being despair when you're among the extremely needy people. Wouldn't it be interesting if we found out that God is present wherever there's suffering because God is there bringing healing and God is really present wherever people are working against injustice because that's the work of God, wherever people are working for peace. And then the we find that the place that God isn't is where you have a bunch of affluent people who are self-absorbed... and that wouldn't surprise me why they would get depressed, because, in some way, it's not that God isn't present but they're snoring through the presence of God.

Does that answer bother you?

It should.

I read some dialog on McLaren's comments and there were a lot of obtuse explanations, justifications, etc. But I found this simple comment (by someone named hashman) to be the wisest:

i’m not a sharp as many who will comment on this, BUT…

Heaven help me if someone asks me what the gospel is and I don’t mention either 1) the name Jesus 2) his death 3) his resurrection 4) faith.

But again, I’m not very sophisticated.
kbh

That, right there, is what we need more of- "heaven help me" Christians. Those who able to see through the garbage and simply say "Heaven help me if I don't preach the simple Gospel."

Oh, BTW, by time I get this series over, it will be obsolete, I understand that the term "emerging" will soon be dropped because it has too much baggage attached to it. May I say, "rightfully so"?