Signs Of Emergence

Book Review.
Brewing, Kester. Signs Of Emergence. A vision for church that is organic/ networked decentralized/ bottom-up/ communal/ flexible {always evolving}. Baker Books 2007 (U. S. Edition) KB- a writer and pioneering church planter based in London, England. He works with an alternative worship group Vaux. He has worked in an advisory role at Fuller Theological Seminary, helping them think about new ways of training emerging leaders. He is a high school teacher of math and religious studies in London. He was born in 1972.
Comment. Henry.
Emergence and the Emergent Church are controversial topics in our church culture. The endorsements from those in this ‘camp’ are high. E.g.”This book has the potential to blow the emerging church conversation wide open.” Will Samson. In his postscript the author explains that he “has sought to discuss issues of conjunctivity” but acknowledges the limitations of his presentation and welcomes all ‘feedback’, positive or negative. When he uses the analogies of the city, a gift, and dirt to describe the ministry of the Emergent Church I resonate with the first two but I struggle with the ‘dirt’ analogy. On the pendulum of emergent literature I see this resource as being in the extreme of the pendulum.
To stop changing is to die. The question is: How do we change as a church? It is not enough to focus on personal change. There must also be corporate change. Such change will not come through legislation but education, not through power but through empowerment.
Genuine newness is preceded by an “advent” (41) of grieving. In our grieving our memory opens the door to what might be in the future. After a time of waiting, change comes not by revolution but by evolution. Specifically it is an experience not unlike being born again. The incarnation can in this sense be thought of as, God being born. “We must re-emerge.” (67) When God is born in us we experience a new birth and that new life must be nurtured and developed.
When church no longer has a need of its surrounding culture (community) it becomes irrelevant. “We (the church) must re-emerge into our community as infants.” (74) The Emergent Church will be characterized by an open, adaptable learning system. “We cannot tell exactly what form the Emergent Church is going to have as it will evolve in local places under local conditions in different ways.” (116) The Emergent Church must learn to become more effective in its ministry in an urban environment.
Using the analogies of the city, a gift, and dirt the author explains the place and purpose of the Emergent Church as a ‘conjunctive’ organization. For me this discussion takes me into some pretty ‘uncharted waters’. I do resonate with a statement made in his postscript. “Whatever states our churches are in now, we still have this amazing hope: Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection provide us with the archetype for change and grounds for belief that God is not done yet.” (200)
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