Comments on: Silent Neo-Reformed, Disappointed Progressives and Ambiguous Anabaptists

By: ollwenjones

ollwenjones — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:29:21 +0000

ChrisMorton82 I think it’s good to focus on common ground and positives we can learn from each other. On the other hand I fear just being more ourselves will be good for a conversation or two, but we’ll end up retrenching again in ways the whole “Emerging/ent” movement was trying to undo. (I fear even these labels are a step in that direction!)
Even in our college days, I’ve always imagined a huge, cross-label effort of repentance towards God, begging him for unification in truth and Holy Spirit revelation of what HE meant in the areas we argue about to be the only thing that could really unify us.
Our own wisdom and effort just won’t be enough. Without the Holy Spirit’s unifying power those passionate about the different streams of the Church’s mission will always be in conflict (via someone Keller quoted one time, haha.)

By: ChrisMorton82

ChrisMorton82 — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 23:17:45 +0000

ollwenjones Thanks for reading all the way through! I’m writing a little more in-depth on this, but here’s what I think think is the solution: Let’s be more of ourselves.
Let’s have reformed types share about the rest of Calvin’s institutes, not just a few people’s obsession with predestination.
Let’s have Anabaptists talk about the beauty of a baptized believers discipling each other in community, not just some quasi-anarchist politics.
Let’s have Progressives talk about the beauty of the imago dei in both the rich and the poor, not just the rights of the LGBTQ community.
Make sense?

By: ChrisMorton82

ChrisMorton82 — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 23:12:41 +0000

zachhoag While we need prophets, we also need tact. Here’s a basic tenet I believe: If you have been following Jesus for a long time, and still tend to act like a total a$$hole, you’re doing it wrong.
Tone is defined by two things: 1) Does it emulate Jesus, and 2) Who is your audience.
Here’s another way of thinking about “prophetic”:
MLK “I Have a Dream” – Jesus like and eschatalogical
Jeremiah Wright “God Damn America” – Needlessly abrassive, and unintelligible to the outside community.
Make sense?

By: ChrisMorton82

ChrisMorton82 — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 23:02:04 +0000

zachhoag I agree. As I told Dave, the key is to be MORE anabaptist (and let the Reformed be more Reformed, progressives be more progressive). Let’s be defined by what we believe is vital first, and what we’re against a far second.

By: ChrisMorton82

ChrisMorton82 — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 22:57:44 +0000

BryanLong Bryan, you are probably right. The web can be used well for conversation, but it has to be highly structured. I just finished a two year degree at Fuller where I interacted daily with charismatics, religious right republicans, A29 neo-reformed and Mennonites. We were given specific conversations to weigh in on, in a highly moderated format.
We focused on what we have in common and all learned a lot. So, it can be done.