The Emerging Church is a part of the ecclesial landscape now and if you believe Phyllis Tickle, it is part of a major movement within the culture as well. Dan Kimball is one of the faces of the emerging church. In "The Emerging Church" he wrote "worship is not just singing"; "guard the content of what we sing"; "times of silence are a way for people to worship"; "communion is beautifully designed for experiential participation"; "reciting creeds is a valuable way to involve people". If you are thinking that the emerging church is simply embracing the things that the traditional church is already doing you are partially right. Even Kimball raises the issue, "The new cutting edge or simply back to basics". It depends where you are in the ecclesial landscape. Compared to the contemporary worship/seeker sensitive churches which previously stripped their sanctuaries of religious symbols and traditional language to be more accessible to unchurched people, it is a return to basics. Kimball calls this "vintage Christianity". If you are tuning in from a more traditional venue, it is still not business as usual. The emerging churches are experiential, community focussed, mission driven, integration of action and beliefs. They are not business as usual but they are integrating the ancient and the modern in a unique way.
I had a chance to experience emerging worship in the Presbyterian tradition last Sunday (August 9) at First Presbyterian Church in Harrison, Arkansas. The music was a blend of contemporary, taize and hymns played on instruments ranging from guitar and drums to saxaphone and penny whistle. The congregations was seated in four quadrants facing the communion table in the middle with the band on a stage but not in the center of worship. Communion is celebrated each week and the baptismal font is also front and center and filled with water weekly during the prayer of confession. The order of service was classic Presbyterian but each part was ceative, passionate and participatory. You could see the pastor's enthusiasm rise as he approached the communion service. You could feel the congregation's connection with the pastor as he preached with passion and joy and humor. The congregation even completed the pastor's phrase when he said: "Don't come to church...BE THE CHURCH." And the fascinating demographic was that the congregation in this emerging worship service at 8:30 in the morning included about half over 60 years, one quarter baby boomers (many in the band) and one quarter under 30 with many children in worship for the whole 70 minutes. You can check out the website at www.fpcharrison.org. And if you were surfing the web last week on the www.pcusa.org website did you notice that our church, Covenant Presbyterian Church was featured. You can also check out the Presbyterian expression of the emerging church at www.presbymergent.org.
The Emerging Church is a part of the ecclesial landscape now and if you believe Phyllis Tickle, it is part of a major movement within the culture as well. Dan Kimball is one of the faces of the emerging church. In "The Emerging Church" he wrote "worship is not just singing"; "guard the content of what we sing"; "times of silence are a way for people to worship"; "communion is beautifully designed for experiential participation"; "reciting creeds is a valuable way to involve people". If you are thinking that the emerging church is simply embracing the things that the traditional church is already doing you are partially right. Even Kimball raises the issue, "The new cutting edge or simply back to basics". It depends where you are in the ecclesial landscape. Compared to the contemporary worship/seeker sensitive churches which previously stripped their sanctuaries of religious symbols and traditional language to be more accessible to unchurched people, it is a return to basics. Kimball calls this "vintage Christianity". If you are tuning in from a more traditional venue, it is still not business as usual. The emerging churches are experiential, community focussed, mission driven, integration of action and beliefs. They are not business as usual but they are integrating the ancient and the modern in a unique way. 
I had a chance to experience emerging worship in the Presbyterian tradition last Sunday (August 9) at First Presbyterian Church in Harrison, Arkansas. The music was a blend of contemporary, taize and hymns played on instruments ranging from guitar and drums to saxaphone and penny whistle. The congregations was seated in four quadrants facing the communion table in the middle with the band on a stage but not in the center of worship. Communion is celebrated each week and the baptismal font is also front and center and filled with water weekly during the prayer of confession. The order of service was classic Presbyterian but each part was ceative, passionate and participatory. You could see the pastor's enthusiasm rise as he approached the communion service. You could feel the congregation's connection with the pastor as he preached with passion and joy and humor. The congregation even completed the pastor's phrase when he said: "Don't come to church...BE THE CHURCH." And the fascinating demographic was that the congregation in this emerging worship service at 8:30 in the morning included about half over 60 years, one quarter baby boomers (many in the band) and one quarter under 30 with many children in worship for the whole 70 minutes. You can check out the website at www.fpcharrison.org. And if you were surfing the web last week on the www.pcusa.org website did you notice that our church, Covenant Presbyterian Church was featured. You can also check out the Presbyterian expression of the emerging church at www.presbymergent.org.
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