My only concern is that like the Scripture “body” metaphor, I believe that there are countless people who serve little country churches unjaming the 15 year old copier for the 10th time every Sunday printing their 30 bulletins and ministering faithfully to a parish of people who grow families in their community. Their ministry is traditional, establishment, small, and often predictable, but out of their parish grow kids who learn the faith. Sometimes they depart for a few years around college, but often they return and become productive, effective disciples. People grow old in those communities and die with peace, because they lived in the context of a faithful parish community of believers and have gained confidence in their faith. Those little parishes pay countless dollars over the long haul to advance the cause of Christ around the world, both in missions and evangelism. They produce people of Salt and Light who influence the social fabric all around them in myriad ways.

These people are part of the same Church. It may be old, may be governed the same as it was when Francis Asbury planted it, and may not even have a significant numerical growth potential, but those people are part of the Body.

I hope that dynamic, culturally relevant, emerging communities of Christian faith who are developing in unique ways and in unorthodox places and who are reaching unlikely people — see themselves (at least eventually) as part of a much bigger family that includes the folks that I’ve described above. AND VICE-VERSA!

Blessings Brother, Ken

My intent is not to be over and against, but rather building on and contextualizing in. I see myself (and any community that might form with me) as standing firmly on the shoulders of our forebearers. I do see that we are a different contextual situation than my parents. The context calls for a missionary position relative to it. That missionary position is “post-bureaucratic”. By which I mean that the systemic organizing method (ie. hierarchy, central committee) doesn’t work like it used to work. So, I’m not attempting to set “me and mine” up against a some straw-man called “institutional religion” – rather I hope that what we are doing is a missional, incarnational response to the Kingdom in our cultural situation.

I also hope I did not give the impression that we are “bringing the Kingdom” in some kind of unique way that is better or more “right” than others. Far from it!!!! I’m not even sure I like the language of “bringing the Kingdom”. I think I see every local congregation/community of faith as uniquely called to enact the Kingdom (to be a sign, instrument, and foretaste of the KoG) in it’s locale. We have a responsibility here in PRidge/Cincinnati to do so (in concert, I might add, with other and existing communities of faith… which I suppose one might call “missional ecumenism”).

I hope that clarifies or elaborates helpfully. Feel free to push back on specific things I’ve said in the post or my comments.

Peace of Christ to you!

I see wonderful things that are happening as you described all over the place. I perceive them as a move of the Holy Spirit, built in concert with and on the foundations that the Church has provided (blue-haired old ladies and stubborn old establishment people included).

Exciting followers on the edge of a new movement aren’t uniquely saints, nor are they exempt from sin (to include some of the same sins of the establishment Church leadership).

I also don’t think anyone today can make any more claim of bringing in the Kingdom than St. Paul or Martin Luther or John Wesley or Billy Graham did dozens or hundreds of years ago. I affirm what is happening and the obedience and passion of the people through which it is happening and I join you in celebrating it, and I hope and pray that it is eschatalogical even!

I’m glad that the Holy Spirit is raising up people as you’ve described who are joining the long line of people through whom God has been bringing in His Kingdom since before the foundations of the world.

Blessings, Ken