I'm B-a-a-c-k!

Tonight's entry will be short as I'm heading to dinner with a local clergy person. As I head back into my studies, I'm still digesting Tim Conder's "The Church in Transition". I sense early on that this book would be particularly meaningful since's its purpose was to address issued involved in bringing an emergent worship experience into an existing community. As I continue to delve deeper into Conder's work, I appreciate his amazing honesty and candor (things that are foundational for emergent leaders - and all leaders who profess to follow Jesus). For example, Conder writes when communities are dealing with tensions between competing styles of worship, we need to stop and realize where a good portion of these tensions are coming from. He write, "the real cause of [these] conflicts is our culture of entitlement and the theological sanctification we give to our personal preferences" (96) Amen to that, brother! The second half of his book explores the four areas that he feels must be addressed by faith communities in ordre to welcome emergent experiences into their midst: (1) spiritual formation, (2) leadership, (3) community formation, and (4) mission. I've only just started the section on spiritual formation so I won't reflect on these areas tonight. Hopefully the list will capture your interest and invite you to return tomorrow for my initial reflections. Til next time...