The Emerging Identity Part 2

  This is a follow-up to the previous post, so the reader may want to review that one (below) before reading this one.
  Actually, Part 2 was pretty much written for me as a brief comment on Part 1 by my cousin who loaned me Stuart Murray's book, The Naked Anabaptist.  Dave Hollenbeck, says, "I believe our common identity is simple child like faith and love for God... it is so dangerous to try and form a common group of God lovers; we just are not similar enough to fit under one roof."
  His comment summarizes two halves of a broader belief that I've arrived at when I've been pondering the phenomenon of denominationalism and how it affects the identity of the Body of Christ:  The first half is that generally, Christ-followers are to be known for their love for God and for each other; this is the flag that should fly over all of us.  The second is that because of our differences, we will never be able to agree on many of the secondary aspects of our identity - our doctrines, our dogmas, our various convictions and opinions; so there will always be a thousand denominations - or un-denominations, if you will - groups of believers with no organizational trademark.
  Which means that neo-Anabaptism, or any other denomination-like identity, will represent some of us, and maybe a lot of us, but not all of us.  And because of this truth, I believe it might be better for us to attempt to avoid making concrete generalizations about what our common identity will be, outside of our common love for each other and for the Lord.  Or maybe we can make those generalizations, but avoid a label or title or name for our group.  And especially I would like to avoid the committee meetings that are endemic to denominational structures!  (Bake sales are okay, because one comes away with a good taste in his mouth!)
  I am actually relieved at this.  As I observe the grass-roots movement that is emerging in the Christian world today, I do not see a hierarchy or an organization rising to the top to take control or a champion ascending to become its leader.*  Other than a smattering of unassuming spokesmen or authors, there is no organizer emerging, other than the Holy Spirit of Christ.  Thank God!  I am really happy about this and hope it stays this way.
  But I'm also still happy about the general direction that the new Emergents are moving:  away from legalism, toward freedom and mutual respect;  away from militarism, toward non-violence;  away from nationalism, toward a new allegiance to a greater Kingdom;  away from lording-it-over-chain-of-command-style hierarchies, toward humble servanthood regardless of gender and economic status.
  So I'll probably keep making generalizations as I describe this movement, but I'll resist any and every attempt to organize it, institutionalize it or otherwise damn it.
  *What rises to the top in the pond next to my house is scum!  (Oh, relax, it's just a bit of sarcasm.)

The Emerging Identity Part 1

  Who are the emergent Christians?  Is there a common flag that can fly over all of us or most of us?  I've been wondering this for some time.  Having read most of the popular books from most of the leading authors - informal spokesmen for the emerging church, if it were possible - I've seen many labels used to describe this growing group of ragtag radical followers of Christ, from "Post-evangelicals" to "new reformers" to "barbarians" to - from the other side, "liberals" or even "heretics". (Surprise me, why don't you?)
  But what I have been watching for is a common orthodoxy or doctrinal identity.  Like a denominational platform.  Not that I want one.  The whole idea of signing on to a new doctrinal creed is repulsive to me... I mean, I just recently got rid of the old one!  And the new believers are understandably all over the map on their positions, because the new Way is in the process of developing and solidifying as we speak.
  Anyway, I think I may have found it - or it found me, or my cousin's husband found it for me.  Dave gave me a book titled, The Naked Anabaptist, by Stuart Murray, thinking that he saw me in there, I think: the Neo-Anabaptist.
  This just may be the common orthodoxical homeland for many of us, simply because there are so many similarities between the direction of the new reformers and this little-known 500-year-old tradition.  If you are one of the "new" Jesus-followers, you just might see yourself in these core convictions held by most contemporary Anabaptists:
  1. Emphasis on emulating/imitating Christ as a lifestyle, as well as worshipping him.
  2. Jesus-centered doctrine.  Emphasis on the gospels - the life and teachings of Christ - as a filter for interpreting all of the Bible.
  3. Commitment to learning from the experience of movements that have rejected standard assumptions of Christendom and pursued alternative ways of thinking and behaving.
  4. Commitment to exploring ways of being good news to the poor, powerless, and persecuted.
  5. Strong sense of community.  Churches will be places of discipleship and mission, friendship (not just fellowship), mutual accountability, multivoiced worship.  Young and old are valued, leadership is consultative (the group makes decisions together), roles are related to gifts rather than gender, baptism is for believers.
  6. Spirituality and economics are interconnected. Simple living, generous sharing, caring for creation, and working for justice.
  7. Nonviolence. Commitment to finding ways to make peace between individuals, within and among churches, in society, and between nations.
  You probably noticed right away that, as Murray puts it, "these statements say nothing at all about foundational theological subjects... Nor do they pretend to cover every aspect of the subjects they do address, such as Scripture, the church, and mission.  These core convictions are not intended to be comprehensive, to substitute for creeds or statements of faith....  They introduce a way of being followers of Jesus that is unusually holistic."
  So, you saw Shane Claiborne (The Irresistible Revolution) in there, right?  And how about Brian McLaren (A Generous Orthodoxy)?  And I also see my young counterparts, Sam, Ben, Jordon and Ricky in there, along with tens of thousands of new radicals who are leaving the traditional institutions on pilgrimage to something more authentically Christ-ian.
  I think Stuart Murray speaks for many Post-evangelicals when he points out the similarities between certain Anabaptist convictions and the common direction of many radical, authentic Christ-followers of today.