Future Church
"OK so you've always wanted to be a prophet." How many times has that been said to you? I mean really, wouldn't it be cool to be able to see what's coming. As soon as I typed that I thought about some ways that it would not be cool. Like problems in the future that your kids will go through. I would not want to see that before it happens, that is unless I could stop it from happening. Boy, am I rambling now or what!!
To the point.
I have been reading and listening to many people lately about what the "emerging" church is going to look like. Some of you guys reading this BLOG are probably ahead of me on this, but I thought it would be interesting to ask the question, "What will the future 'church' look like?" Be brutally honest! Let's just be open and see where this takes us. I know it's a big question and we could spend many "blogging" hours typing about this, but I'm asking anyway. We might even save the responses and see who the real "prophets" are.
To the point.
I have been reading and listening to many people lately about what the "emerging" church is going to look like. Some of you guys reading this BLOG are probably ahead of me on this, but I thought it would be interesting to ask the question, "What will the future 'church' look like?" Be brutally honest! Let's just be open and see where this takes us. I know it's a big question and we could spend many "blogging" hours typing about this, but I'm asking anyway. We might even save the responses and see who the real "prophets" are.
posted by Keith Davis at
10:03 PM
4 Comments:
In my short life (compared to others), I have seen changes not only in Churches of Christ but others also. Seems to be a shift in wanting to get back to the fundamentals as Greg said. Trying to just follow the life of Christ and how He responded to people and situations. I'm not worried about it because in the last 5-8years I have learned to really trust God and I know whatever transpires, He and He alone is in total control.
Also, I find some of the churches (few indeed) around here are attempting to get back into the idea worship is to Him/not center on us. None of the Churches of Christ mind you but then as said above He is in control and that too can change.
By
Three C Farm, at 9:43 AM
One of the long-range benefits of the "emerging church" movement will be our expansion of understanding as to who the church is. I believe it to be an important link in the chain that will lead us to complete unity.
Others have heard me rant about membership. How I hate that we have "membership" in our separate churches. The very idea of exclusivity in the church makes me crazy. It truly doesn't get any more Pharasaical than that. When we understand that we are all like sheep who have gone astray, and the church is those who have found their way home, it forces us to drop ideas like membership and simply open the gates of the pen as wide as we can.
Prophetically speaking, I think Emergent helps lead us to a world with no denominations. I believe that if Jesus found the topic of unity important enough to spend his last hours before death praying about, than it is something that will take place before he comes again. And isn't it a wonderful thought? No more CofC...praise God! No more Episcopresbypentecostal. Just the church. Just the bride of Christ.
And when that unity happens, then the gates will fall.
By
Thurman8er, at 10:36 AM
How about a short answer concerning the future –
If the Lord graces me with enough time on this side of eternity, perhaps I will love long enough to see a church where it’s “distinctives” will not be forms, traditions, and rituals. Rather, the church will be distinctive because it will be a serving church, a reaching out into the community church, a Pauline church in the guise of one that reaches out to tattoo artists as well as 2 parent (in other words, speaking philosophy to Greeks and scripture to Jews) households, and one that will be known for it’s acts of service in the name of Jesus and not acts of disenfranchisements.
Was that short?
dbhhlas (short for hlas)
By
cwinwc, at 11:21 AM
I agree with Steve that the church is headed toward a greater unity.
At least that is my prayer for us. I see many different denominations in our area trying to come together in Jesus and talk. That is a beginning of great things I think.
Thanks to all of you who responded.
By
Keith Davis, at 8:26 AM
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