Comments on: Disappointed with Emergent Village

By: David Fitch

David Fitch — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:02:21 +0000

I’m with you on this one Jordon.

By: The Point Is Living : The Edge of the Inside

The Point Is Living : The Edge of the Inside — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:40:34 +0000

[...] of occasions since then, once in the Bahamas. He often offers insight on a variety of subjects. Here Jordon describes how we must view any movement when it comes to following Jesus. Talking about [...]

By: Todd Littleton

Todd Littleton — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:14:43 +0000

Hello Fellow Shark Swimmer,

Outstanding post. Great thoughts. And, living into the rhythms that come with the ebb and flow of family give you integrity with we who read you and blessing to Wendy and your boys.

Peace.

By: david

david — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:01:50 +0000

word! be the change you want to see.

thanks Jordan.

By: Elle

Elle — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:16:35 +0000

I would agree with Ian. I never got the impression EV was supposed to be a global takeover movement. To me, that smacks of Empire thinking, and everything that is wrong with other church movements. I had always through EV was encouraging change through small, intentional, local expressions of “being the change you want to see”.

Maybe I missed it, or maybe those who are disappointed with EV did.

By: Jordon

Jordon — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 01:51:09 +0000

Lisa, I totally agree with your criticism, the conversation did become really removed from anything local which drove me crazy. I am not sure that had anything to do with the Emergent Village leadership but rather from the frustration which grew up from those in the local contexts that is reluctant to change.

As for the collectible sports actions figures…. that is just envy

By: Lisa (msla)

Lisa (msla) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:52:56 +0000

Jordon –

One of the reasons I have continued to follow your blog and why I love teasing about dolls on twitter is that you are living your life right where you’re planted. I appreciate that you are planted in community and family and your conversations swirl around those realities. My criticism of the EC is that the conversation went from being interesting to totally boring as the locus changed from community to generalities. Those (of us) that are living out the EC are doing it conversation by conversation with friends, family and local church.

By: Ian

Ian — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:07:23 +0000

great post. i think that there is all this expectation that Emergent would become huge … denominational. by definition it is meant to be tiny, local, all about relationships as they relate to each other in the immediate vicinity around them. my church community encourages each other to live in the immediate area around our worship space and that is a blessing beyond belief. we see each other as we go about our daily lives and i know that people pray for me as they see me going about my daily life. i say that because i know that i’m praying for them as i bike past their homes on my way to work or as i see them walk to the store or to a shared supper of several different households.
Emergent is all about doing church differently and i think it’s best done small, locally. when your quote stated that each of these leaders were busy developing relationships in their local emergent village my reaction was, “of course they were, that’s how it should be done”. if people want emergent to explode and refurbish the North American or the global church then it has to be done in all sorts of little cells as people step out and try to make the church mean something on the local level. it’s all about relationships amongst your neighbours. i suppose there’s value in blogs that discuss it but only as those blogs reflect what folks are doing to “do church” in their locale.
i’m interested in this discussion if you want to continue it.

By: Zach

Zach — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:45:21 +0000

It is ironic to catch this blog today. I spent some time yesterday sketching out a blog for baptimergent related to the “emerging downturn.”

My story is much like the one shared here. If I am going to be a minister to a local congregation, then I will have little time to lead a movement. (trying to lead a small local one if catch my drift) I am still trying to find some space to do “movement-oriented,” on a macro-emergent level, but its sparse and sporadic.

I get the criticism because I know a lot of people who are frustrated with the status quo, and had placed a lot of hope in EV. As I see it, the only thing that will change the church is people taking responsibility for change in their own location. Expecting someone else to do it (clergy, leaders, etc.) is one of many things the emergent movement has deconstructed.

Folks like Brian, Tony, Doug, and others cannot change the church. That’s something the Spirit of God does through willing participants. They’ve been willing to participate as have I and others, but we can only do so much.

Its okay to be critical, but before you blog about it, you should ask yourself what you are doing with your responsibility within the movement.