Emergent Church

[Gruvmachine28]

@ 2:56 - "World be with you" -? At the end of a "prayer" ? Did I hear that right?

[DefineDeath090]

These kinds of churches are ridiculous. Since when should faith be about bending over and taking it in the ass from lazy 'believers' who don't want to spend ONE hour of their day in a pew listening to what being a Christan / Catholic is about.

This is just another excuse for people to turn faith into a party. If it's such a party, why not just get wasted and go this disgrace of a 'mass' and meet people who are just as lazy as you are.

[Jfab777]

Romans 12:2 "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"

there is no transformation in these people, they are just embracing themselves and not Christ...This is not Biblical...In the last days they will rays themselves up teachers because they have itching ears and they only want to hear what "they" want to hear.

[Burreyito]

It just apostasy, no Jesus really, altars are not necessary and opposed to biblical Christianity. This church is attractive for religious people, and this setting is even more religious minded than traditional settings.

[MrBlake14]

Well it should be noted that there is a huge difference between the Emergent and Emerging church movements.

Emergent would be basically an example of a church like Mars Hill in Seattle whose theology and doctrine is New Reformed and very traditional, but the service itself is very contemporary and community centered.

Emerging has the contemporary service, and a community feel to it, but it is much of "individualistic" focused and can be very post-modern in its doctrine and theology.

[nodoubt257]

They have to bring Jesus down to their level until they feel "acceptable" instead of go to the real church of real worship that is spiritual of Holy Spirit because Christ died for us. They feel uncomfortable in that setting because their hearts are not right with God.

[qaileys]

The comfy chair churches. I would want to know how these people live on a daily basis. Everything from the ECs is all about me-me-me rather than Christ. Yes, the speak of Jesus all the time, but typically I have yet to find the true Jesus of the Bible only parts of it. Anything short of the full gospel is heresy. No repentance found in the EC.

[johe64]

Since when has Cristianity been "comfortable?" I would question whether people who need to be comfortable in Church have truly been regenerated.

[iamrta]

Christianity is comfortable now. Well, that IS nice eh. Too bad Jesus wasn't alive today, he might not have been crucified but lovingly accepted instead. That's too bad for him.

[keagankeagankeagan]

Im sorry.

These people all seem like a bunch of godfearing, lazys that don't have the "patience" to sit down in a traditional church... Christians? Hardly...

If you're going to worship the christian god, it seems a bit daft to reconstruct the ever holy crimescene that is the traditional church....

[HopeFlies40]

Most people in modern churches don't believe that sin is "all gone" when you get saved and then you can do what you want, as many traditional church-goers believe they do. But having said that, most charismatics don't believe in wallowing in guilt either. The repentance I hear preached most of the time in my church concerns confession to God, asking for forgiveness which we have in Christ, then repenting ie: leaving the sinful act and turnng from it to God and Godliness.

[gareth157]

I'm confused. These people seem like evangelicals. They way the leader speaks of God inviting etc. It doesn't seem like the liberal side is in there much at all. I would bet the average audiance member would be almost entirely non liberal. i.e Virgin birth, bodily res. 2nd coming, life after death. all the old classics. I can't see this as 'emergent'. Perhaps I'm wrong. But it seems very standard to me. Just wrong music and liturgy with a tyre.

[gareth157]

whoops, I mean Rock Music not wrong...

[HopeFlies40]

Sin is that which separates us from God, either through direct disobedience to His Word, or the inherent sin of Adam and Eve. We are sinners because of ther disobedience, and sinners because of ours.

[vaultaddict205]

I like the idea from breaking away from tradition in the church, yet im not for watering down certain basic biblical fundamentals just to become "hip" I like the way the run their churches though... I want a coffe house in my church haha!

[HopeFlies40]

Sin is sin, and whether you're a sinning Catholic, sinning Protestant or sinning Muslim the consequences are the same. False gospels will pass away, so what are you worried about? Its not a case of "the church who holds fast to the historical traditions and changes them the least over the generations" wins. God is and will ever be the judge. Don't worry...I think He is on it.

[Philos2006]

HopeFlies40: Would you mind given me your definition of sin. Thank you.

[HopeFlies40]

I must be in the "emerging/emergent" church or whatever its been coined...because I have been a Christian for 27 years and this is the first time today I have ever heard this term. Whats the problem? Get over it. So we have great music? So what. So we drink coffee at church? Big deal. So we are trying to be more culturally relevant? Yep, we sure are. Its a different way to worship and fellowship but the gospel is the same.

[LuisLeones]

I have known many emergents and a problem that seems to be with almost all of them is that they think that just because they believe in Jesus that they're forgiven. They live in sin and don't subject themselves to God's law. They don't realize that when they stand before Christ they will hear "depart from me, you who lived without my law."

[MrTraitorX]

@LuisLeones that's not what my bible says.

Matthew 7:21 (King James Version)

21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

John 6:40 (King James Version)

40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

[FATMIME]

I don't care about the chairs, the coffee, the worship style or the candles, as long as we don't water down the main point - We are all sinners who need a Savior, that Savior is Jesus Christ, and without Him, we have no Gospel, no salvation no destiny. The blood of Jesus washed our sins away.

[Jitpring]

Understand: the coffee, the style, the kitsch and all the rest is itself a watering down, a trivialization of the sacred.

[davidalanlee]

Second Timothy Chapter Four Verse Three!!!

[jesusfreakrkg]

amen!

[rebzugo]

I have so many things to say about this, but as a conservative Catholic, I'll just say that one can benefit much more from taking some time to learn about the traditions and symbols of the Church than immediately turning to easy-to-understand, modern"celebrations" like this one which seem to undermine the solemnity of prayer...

[SeinUndZeit]

"Becomming Conversant with the Emerging Church" D.A. Carson, Zondervan Publishing. Great book for both sides to read. Gives the pros and cons to modernism and post-modernism i relation to Christianity.

[skinfiltr8r]

I must say this still looks too much like church. I´m not sure if this is emergent or not but I definately wouldnt call this pushing the envelope. The structures are almost the same as the churches they grew out of. Like dutch youthchurches Jesus is made a bit hipper and the music but church is still the same. At least everybody looks happy.

[Fazedor]

Agreed. The news-piece seems to ignore that the movement isn't about pushing the envelope, but rather about mergind conservative and liberal churches. Pentecostals are the ones pushing the envelope: they got hip-hop, r&b, rap-preachin', etc. Me likes it. Peace.

[mrodjr]

"Wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires" - 2 Tim 4:3b

[oallos]

Great verse mrodjr, though from this clip, I can't tell if I agree with its application to this particular video. I'd like to hear what the pastor's are actually saying to their congregations before I begin to judge. Still I love the verse - there are certainly many "christians" that it does a fine job of describing.

[RobNW]

Thanks oallos for being the one person in this string of comments who have not set themselves up as judge, jury, and executioner. First things First. . . The Great Commandment and The Great Commission. Seems everyone knows them, but few live by them - love one another. If that means make a judgment based off a 5 minute video, guess I'm reading my scripture wrong.

[RobNW]

Oh yeah, look at the Great Commission, including those who are present - Many worshiped, but some doubted, yet Jesus gives the instruction and blessing, "I'll be with you always." Last but not least, Paul said it best, "I've become all things to all people so that I might save some." I'll continue to live in this manner; faith, hope, and love, with the greatest being. . .

[cephas4708]

lol