WHERE THE EMERGING CHURCH IS GOING...

From Apprising Minisries:

"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? (Galatians 3:1-3)

Spiritual Freedom!? You Can't Handle Spiritual Freedom!

In the following current example Apprising Ministries brings you a most vivid illustration concerning where pastors and leaders in the emerging church like Dan Kimball and Doug Pagitt and Shane Claiborne are now taking the gullible and so-called "Protestant" evangelical community of the American Christian Church. The women quoted below is speaking of an event held by a church called The Refuge , which is—what else:

a new faith community, all equal, love jesus, pretty messed up, lead, follow, laugh, cry, serve, co-pastors, stories of brokenness and healing, smoker friendly, the refuge. (Online source)

In the post authentic community (shift keys are apparently verboten in emerging church circles) at The Refuge Blog we also learn more about this spiritual group hug:

there’s no question, at the refuge, we believe spiritual transformation happens through community. it is not the only way. there are lots of ways to experience God, grow in our relationship with God, and learn a lot about God. Jesus transforms in many wonderful ways. but we also wholeheartedly believe that the greatest work of our spiritual journey will happen through relationships, true authentic community.
(Online source)

This alleged authentic community is classic methodology in the emerging church with their twist of what the ancient church was actually like. The basic idea is, they think that because churches initially met in people's homes this means there was no structure and Scripture was open to interpretation as the group would decid together what it meant. Even a quick glance at the pastoral epistles in the New Testament will quickly dispell that democratic dream.

However, the Church is a Theocracy ruled by Christ Jesus Himself and He has already told us:

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

But you see, pouty postmodern spiritual fourteen-year-olds don’t like that so they have found apostates like Emergent Church spiritual director/guru Brian McLaren to scratch their itching ears and tell them that they don’t have to follow what God said if they don’t want to. You can just reimagine it. So where is this Emergent Church—the cult of repainted (post) liberal theology—with “teaching pastors” like Rob Bell taking your young in your youth groups?

Well, here’s an eyewitness recounting of what is going on right now in many evangelical churches in what are often called “alternative” services:..."

And (You Guessed It!) you can read the rest of the sad story here...