ATTENTION! The conclusive report on Emergent!
February 20, 2005
Frankly, I was beginning to get pissed that I couldn’t define what the “emerging church movement” or “Emergent” or whatever the hell we’re talking about here, actually is! How can a movement really be one unless there are REAL boundaries - real definitions - some real substance! No more of this FUZZY BOUNDARY stuff - this won’t help any “movement.” Well, I was lucky enough to run across the Lighthouse Trails Research Project on the Emerging Church (who if you remember my post last year, they helped me see the evils of Richard Foster, Henri Nouwen and Mike Yaconelli) — and they have a conclusive report on the emerging church, AND I came to realize that the emerging church is connected to contemplative spirituality!!! (Horror of horrors). I am soooo glad I found this website, because they were able to steer me away from a horrible movement of the church (Emergent!!) that is heading towards apostasy, an “all paths lead to God” approach to religion and has many other heretical-leanings.
I don’t know what would have happened to me had I stayed involved with this thing called Emergent! Thank the good Lord for the Lighthouse Trails Research Project…I’m so grateful. I’m also grateful for Karla and her critique as well as Steve Muse, from the Eastern Regional Watch, who is also leary of Emergent.
Posted in Emergent
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
February 20th, 2005 at 9:20 pm
when asked what did he thought emergent was … a new friend who visited my church on one sunday said he had the impression of a kind of “social justice/concern conscious” movement. Oh! he also commented that my message didn’t sound very “emergent” - I asked what do you think “emergent” preaching is (obviously I didn’t use the word a lot during the message). I told him I think we do share from the Bible right? and we laughed. It was a fun exchange …and it showed how people who first connect with the word “emergent” have all sorts of ideas.
Thanks for the links … I’m reminded of a book “Charismatic Chaos” years ago and its critique of the Charismatic movement. Now, it’s hardly mentioned. Time will tell whether the “horrors” of “Emergent” are really helpful calls to healthier Christianity.
February 21st, 2005 at 12:57 am
don’t know whether to laugh, cry or raise a glass;) what a meanspirited, mis-informed group…have they forgotten that Jesus was a contemplative…who often went to a quiet place to pray, was tranfigured and resurrected and appeared in rooms with locked doors, was anointed with oils and perfumes by sinners,(like all of us emergent folks) ate with them, died for them, and he even talked about being one with his disciples, and them with one another.. pretty mystical stuff, and that is just the new testament… the Hebrew scriptures are even moreso…(jesus picked an unlikely group of men to be his disciples, men who would not eat at the same table under normal circumstances. And the hebrew scriptures are filled with unlikey mismatches…) Why does difference and ‘the other’ frighten and threaten as oppose to intrigue and invite? we need to return to Martin Buber’s I and Thou…
February 21st, 2005 at 2:49 am
So why hate on Nowen and Yac?
We’ll get to more about emergent later…
February 21st, 2005 at 11:21 am
I host a syndicated radio show and have to say your original profane comments on the Lighthouse Trails site pretty much sums up why we now have “emergent” leaders like Brian McLaren, er, Pastor McLaren, warmly endorsing New Spirituality guru Dave Fleming’s book, The Seekers Way. I have a link on my blog to my radio show where Fleming comes right out and and tells me that underlying all world religions there is one spirituality and how we need to stop trying to CONVERT those of other faiths and just sit down and LEARN from them. Sort of like the children of Israel ignoring their “patriarchal”, “tribal God” of the Old Testament and sitting down with the Molech worshipping Canaanites and “making space” to learn from them. I can just see Moses saying, “I don’t really have to agree with you tossing your babies into the fire, but let me just sit here and experience god with you. We’re emergent Jews, so the rules don’t apply to us. We’re really hip and COOL Israelites, not FUNDAMENTALIST types.” False doctrine is cool now. Actually, according to our hip post-modern creed, nothing can be false or true because those are ancient constructs, right? Look at the fools who care about truth, would ya! Lighthouse Trails, ha ha ha. Bring on the Molech worshippers. Bring on the gourmet coffee, bring on the magic mushrooms, we’re REALLY REALLY HIP CHRISTIANS!!
February 21st, 2005 at 1:27 pm
Adam,
Thanks for the links, and opening up this emergent thing wide open for me. I never realized until today, the hubris of those that are anti-emergent.
February 21st, 2005 at 1:48 pm
Ingrid (Kyrie66), thanks for the link to the radio program. I listened to the entirety of Pt 3, and it only inspired me more to write another post. Thanks. I hardly know what “profane” comments you’re talking about?
February 21st, 2005 at 1:49 pm
From their news page:
“Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Life are now openly promoting contemplative prayer!
(And they are doing it with the youth.)”
Now this is really too much. Accusing Rick Warren of doing it with youth. Really, is there no mud-slinging too low for this group?
February 21st, 2005 at 4:39 pm
Kyrie66, I think there IS an extent to which God separated his people out from foreigners in a way that maybe he does not today. Have you ever thought about that?
God also told the Israelites to go out and kill all of those “Molech worshippers” (or whatever the case may have been). Do you think God is calling you to do that with people of other religions today? I assume not.
My point is that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions about how we can or cannot learn and grow from a loving, open-minded relationship with non-Christians. Do you really believe you’re the only one with something to offer? Do you really think God’s presence in this world has had no positive impact on that other person?
You’re facetious comments really aren’t helpful. No one’s suggesting that we go out looking for false doctrine. I think what is being asked is that we be more sensitive to truth, which comes from God, wherever we might find it.
February 22nd, 2005 at 10:25 am
Ha! Very funny links. Cheers!
February 24th, 2005 at 12:32 pm
Ingrid, what Dave was trying to say, if you could listen without automatically getting defensive and jumping to conclusions, is that no one likes a telemarketer. A book came out in the last year or two called permission evangelism. As evangelcial Christians, we too often come across as salesmen trying to pitch Jesus and our faith, even when people don’t ask.
He isn’t saying that Christians are wrong and other religions are right, but no one will ever want to listen to our message if we are rude and arrogant and do all the talking and none of the listening. No one, except evangelical christians, want to take place in a one way conversation.
February 24th, 2005 at 1:27 pm
Indeed Benjy - the Listening to the Lost:Off the Map seminar at San Diego was very revealing. Just blogged about it a bit, too. Awesome seminar.
June 16th, 2005 at 9:04 pm
if you are interested in learning about the false information and inaccurate statements being made against rick warren by lighthouse trails research project, then see my new post here . . .
title: “Lighthouse Fails Research Project”
summary: a small sampling of the many errors that have been posted at LTRP against rick warren. the article is a quick point-counterpoint formatted refutation/correction of LTRP.
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other links connected to this article include:
- RICK WARREN RESPONDS TO LIGHTHOUSE TRAILS RESEARCH
http://abanes.com/warren_lighthouse.html
- Errors in Lighthouse Trails Research Project’s “Press Release” about Rick Warren & Ken Blanchard
(my own response)
http://abanes.com/lighthousepressrelease.html