Alex Harris of The Rebelution participated (along with his twin brother, Brett) in a recent Christianity Today panel on the Emergent Church (video – mp3), and “…the conversation [about the emerging/emergent chruch] is not a clash between post-modernism and modernism, but between two objectively good things, both of which they see in their bibles. When they are presented with the decision between timeless truth, sound doctrine, and biblical orthodoxy, on the one side, and really living out the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, on the other, their question is, why do I have to choose? Can’t I have both?…They are passionate about learning more about this God who is worthy of their lives…Why do I have to choose? For them, the conversation boils down to that question.”
John Wesley would be proud, and, frankly, the whole emerging/emergent/missional church thing in many respects has just been a flash in the fire, but in other ways, a realignment that better aligns the church with its history (the entirety of it, not just the Western church).