emergent network

Love Rules All

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:16:00 +0000

Mixing Religion With Nationalism

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:55:00 +0000

The other night I caught a special independence day “celebration” series being broadcast on a prominent christian television station. As the program aired, the choir was singing “God Bless America” as a digital picture of the American flag waved proudly in the background. Following the singing, brief interviews of US soliders in Iraq would give their take on America and what it meant to them.

Now this is all well and good except for one tiny detail. I kept asking myself why this message of American nationalism was being broadcasted all around the world on one of the largest Christian satellite broadcasting companies? What does all of this have to do with God and why is the United States sending a message to the
world that “Americanized” belief systems are somehow in perfect alignment with
God’s true will? Would they do the same thing for a national Canada Day? My gut tells me no.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against patriotism. My beef is that when people
start mixing political viewpoints, both conservative or liberal, and tie them up into the Bible to support their positions its diluting the message of Jesus, bigtime. If a Christian wants to pledge allegiance to the flag and launch off hundreds of dollars of fireworks into the sky thinking they are with the most “Christian” nation on earth, that’s fine. But don’t for one second think that the gospel of Jesus should be pronounced to the world on behalf of a man made nation that operates under its own worldly systems that is opposite of what Jesus taught.

Jesus’s message embraced a revolution through peace. The “freedom” He preached
about was a spiritual freedom and a restoration of man and earth from the systems
of empire. Can America claim God as its own to justify its involvement overseas to
protect its economic interest in oil? Can America claim God as its own when we
intentionally murder millions of babies every day? Can America claim God as its
own when we assist our allies with violence in persuit of political interests?

As soon as nationalism gets mixed into the “Christian” religion we can be sure that
the original, raw gospel message is going to be misrepresented in some way. So
keep the American flags in the garden, but be very careful not to place them inside
your Bibles.

Faith As A Way Of Life Vs. A System Of Belief

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Faith could be described as more of a “moving away” from a system of belief to a way of life. Christ is constantly calling us all out of complacency to a radical way of life where He can reign in us and through us. Spiritual life might be considered a “way” rather than a dissemination of facts and information that categorize a belief system to label our own personal worldview.

3 important metaphors used by Jesus in the New Testament are Kingdom, Yoke, and Path. Could it be that the journey of faith with God is a walk where we never truly arrive at a destination while here on earth? Could Paul’s message be a call to a new way of life which is characterized by reconciliation with God, one another and all of creation in a global community?

A new way of life as an alternative to the way of Empire was certainly an attractive proposition for first century Christ followers. Are we willing to learn a new art form in partnership with our brothers and sisters and the Holy Spirit? Can we handle the ugly side of authentic Christian community while we learn to love one another in the process? Jesus has certainly set the bar high.

Has the Christian religion developed its own individual tastes for the truth spreading across hundreds of different denominations which all utilize the Bible as their foundation? We, as Christians must be careful not to defend the exclusive “rightness” of our particular flavor of doing church. Can we develop
a new way of holding traditions that allows for the sharing of spiritual practices in an effort to strive for unity in the love of God so we can focus on loving one another?

The world has changed. The time has finally arrived that we must realize we will never be able to sew up all the mysteries of God into a tight, neat package. Let
us come together and focus on transforming ourselves through love so we can transform the world for Christ when they see our unity.

RC

Ancient Spiritual Practices For Modern Day Lifestyles

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:28:00 +0000

In today’s search for spiritual relevance, it can serve us to study the scriptures to discover fresh perspectives on how to connect with God. One way is through the study of ancient spiritual practices, rooted in the lives of God’s people which is traced back to Abraham. Spiritual practices are not meant to bring a religious discipline of works into our lives, but rather to make our faith more alive
and awaken our spiritual nature.

What do I mean by “ancient spiritual practices?”

There are at least 7 major spiritual practices in the Bible which can be found in the lives of the prophets, old testament saints and Jesus himself. These include:

1.) Pilgrimage: serves to undercut nationalism, ethnocentrism and racism
2.) Fasting: exercises self control to defy gluttony, lust and greed
3.) The Sacred Meal: emphasizes reconciliation with God, neighbor and enemy
4.) Common Prayer: knowing God in daily life
5.) Giving: bridging the gap between rich and poor
6.) The Sabbath: liberation from exploitation and workaholism
7.) Sacred Seasons: provides memories and anticipation for the community

Adept students of karate will tell you that Black Belts must master about 12 moves practiced millions of times to reach their level of expertise rather than learning a million different moves. In the same way, ancient spiritual practices can be viewed as a framework to assist us in enriching our relationship with God. When we seek to exercise these practices within an authentic community, the personal and shared experiences can open up an entirely new dimension of spiritual life with one another.

Jesus Christ was not a “Christian.” He was a Jew proclaiming a new way of life for both the Jew and the Gentile. This new way of life is sometimes in sharp contrast to the modern day Christian religion which has built in thousands of years of tradition on top of the original gospel of Jesus to suit its own needs.
The “Jesus Way” calls for a new way of life entirely. Are we open to this call? Ancient spiritual practices can assist us in making sure that we are in alignment with God’s call to this new order.

A “movement” is defined as people following and modeling the moves of their leader. We must constantly check ourselves to make sure we are acting as Christ followers vs. becoming adherents to a Christian religion. “Communities” of spiritual practice can help us become formed and transformed while learning how to love God and one another in every day life.

Experiment with a few of these spiritual practices. Note which ones you are familiar with and which ones you would like to implement more in your life. Begin working on and sharing these practices together in your faith communities and expect transformation. Sometimes we must look back in order to move forward!

RC

The Advent Of "Intentional" Spiritual Communities

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Thu, 15 May 2008 19:06:00 +0000

A great shift is taking place across church groups around the world. This shift is a result of the growing disparity between “faith life” and “real life” in people’s lives. Today’s culture desires to incorporate spirituality into a lifestyle that embraces a common purpose. By eliminating “church” as a societal institution in our lives, it frees us up to become passionate in our walk with God and “be” the church
as Jesus originally intended.

No longer driven out of obligation or expectation, individuals can engage with others in the persuit of a shared, holistic spiritual experience. Central to this paradigm shift is Jesus. Jesus remains the sole purpose for becoming “intentional” in our local communities to bring about spiritual change. Many critics of the emerging church claim that it is becoming “unitarian” in nature. I would argue that most emergent groups have been organically grown out of the need to search out the teachings of Jesus at a much deeper level.

Emerging spiritual gatherings tend to lean heavily on the experiential, with the focus of developing the spiritual being inside us all. While politics, nationalism and economics may play some role in our lives, most of us have agreed that the transformation that Jesus was talking about can only come through an inner spiritual awakening. That awakening, when shared, may hold the potential to actually solve the world’s problems.

So what is it that these ISC’s do anyway? (Intentional Spiritual Communities) They are filled with tableside conversation. The sharing of time, resources, talents and spiritual experiences is a daily occurrence. It might be hard to describe because there is no set agenda other than the common bond to explore the Ways of Jesus together. Individual and communal worship is an expression of ones relationship with God. Artistic expression is encouraged and no topic of conversation is off limits. There tends to be a lot of smiling, crying and open heartedness where people use their hearts as well as their heads to work through this thing we call "life." (maybe a few laptops and coffee cups as well!)

Coming soon to a Church near you…

RC

The Cry Of The Emergent Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Thu, 15 May 2008 02:56:00 +0000

At first glance, it might seem that the emerging church movement is nothing more than a new ministry fad. Unorthodox worship styles filled with candles, couches and casual conversation. But I would encourage people to explore the driving force behind this desire to “do” church differently. What has prompted a large portion
of the body of Christ to depart from Sunday morning services once and for all?

Emerging practice stems from the heartfelt desire to return to the original teachings of Jesus. Jesus did not mandate us to build institutions and formal seminary schools to further the Kingdom of God. The mandate of Jesus was to learn to love God and one another in order to transform the world, one person at a time. I believe Jesus desired to see a reflection of Himself reigning in the daily lives of his disciples.

Our intention is not to bring division to the traditional church. It is to pioneer a new path that is rooted in the ancient traditions of becoming an authentic follower of Jesus Christ. It is a blatant attempt to stand in the face of thousands of years of modern tradition which has slowly diluted the raw, original gospel of Jesus. Simply put, many emerging leaders believe that a radical departure is necessary in order to get back to the basics. Is there really a difference between becoming a follower of Christ and being a believer in Christ? I think Jesus made his case clear on that issue.

For many, Sunday morning service has lost its meaning. Emergent’s desire to spend their time participating in the work of God in the world on a daily basis. Programs seem to be artificially manufactured to meet the needs of the congregation. The missional focus of the church is normally reserved for a few people who dare to venture to a foreign land while 90% of the membership defaults to a drive-thru, Sunday morning performance.

A return to simplicity. The desire to participate in the Kingdom of God in the here and now. A return to authentic relationships. A focus on holistic personal growth. Intentional community gatherings that foster peace and love. Emerging leaders are making people nervous because they are asking the tough questions that threaten the entire religious system as we know it.

I try to ask myself what an uneducated Jewish carpenter named Jesus would say to me if He showed up at my door. I always arrive at the same conclusion.

“Come, follow Me.”

RC

The Emerging Church Movement

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:37:00 +0000

Jesus & The Kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:06:00 +0000

The Worship Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:40:00 +0000

Emerging Church Video

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:39:00 +0000

What Is An Emerging Church?

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:29:00 +0000

A loaded question indeed! Emerging Church's are currently taking on many different forms around the world. While the variety and flavor of all emerging church's cannot be defined entirely, there are some common characteristics that most "emerging" folks can agree upon.

#1) A general dissatisfaction with the state of the institutional church. Most emergent's will agree that the traditional church needs to deconstruct itself and reevaluate its practices entirely. The reason for this is that the church has become culturally irrelvant in today's modern world and no longer addresses the key needs, questions and desires for an authentic spiritual experience with Jesus and one another.

#2) A lack of focus on missional activity, the way Jesus called us to go into the world and be the "salt of the earth." In a traditional church setting, the system is setup to cater to the congregations needs at the expense of the greater good in the world. Both are needed, however emergent's tend to overweight their focus on healing the outside world of social injustice and the needs of the poor. We believe we must model Jesus by constantly putting our priority on "Them" vs. "Us."

#3.) Need for the return to Jesus's original teachings. In an emergent community, the focus in always 100% on Jesus, His teachings and how He lived out his life. Emergents are primarily concerned with becoming dedicated Christ Followers in the Way of Jesus vs. just lukewarm "believers."

#4.) Lifestyle Christianity vs. a Sunday morning routine. Emergent's are big advocates of creating authentic, intentional faith communities. This is a big departure from Western Church practices. We want to be actively connected in the daily lives of our brothers and sisters throughout the week. Some groups even go to the extent of Communal Living. The emphasis here is on real "tableside fellowship" with one another.

#5.) Conversational spiritual experience vs. teaching/preaching format. Emergent's are big believers in asking the hard questions and learning and growing together through the process. No questions are off limits, and most emergent's are less concerned about "perfect" doctrine than learning to love one another together in the here and now.

#6.) A return towards ancient spiritual practices that develop the relationship between God and the individual, which is then shared for the growth of the community.

These are just a few touchpoints into Emerging Church Culture.

RC

Domesticated Jesus Video

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:58:00 +0000

New Social Network Launches For The "Emerging Conversation" Worldwide

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Colby) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:21:00 +0000

I'm excited to have completed one of my little technology projects. The "Emergent Network" is a new social network created for everyone who is seeking an authentic online community to discuss the "emerging conversation" in detail. My objective was to create an online network, much like MySpace, to connect people at the local level who are serious about exploring their spirituality and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

The social network is free and enables members to have real time conversations with one another through a state-of-the-art instant messenger system. What a great way to meet friends from around the world who share a common interest in the Emerging Church.

Swing on by and join in the Conversation today! :)