grace is harder then law

it is harder to live in grace, than it is to live in law

it is harder to forgive, than it is to judge
it is harder to love, than it is to hate
it is harder to include, than it is to exclude
it is harder to engage, than it is to ignore
it is harder to share, than it is to hold
it is harder to accept, than it is to reject
it is harder to welcome, than it is to walk away

it is harder to live in grace, than it is to live in law.

emergent self-portrayal

Hello all,
My name is Stephen Miracle and this is my first post to the blog. I was invited into the mix out of Ginkworld's forum. It is in sincere hope, that I might be able to contribute as I at the same time absorb the conversation brewing in here...
For my first entry I want to rant about my personal entrance into emergent and a view about it now. About a year ago, I had read a ChristianityToday article about the Emergent Church with Brian McLaren. I did not know anything about him, so I began to read attentively. In the few pages that were given whole concepts were given that rang true from my own experiences. The day after reading the article I bought "The Story we Find ourselves in", and "A New Kind of Christian". They were honest with good questions dealing with the modern church.
Maybe it is just me, but when I came into emerging life it wasn't because it is Postmodern. It was because the views being portrayed seemed real, biblical, and true. One of these affirming views was a redirection of the outlook of our faith. Our faith is not something that can be laid out in objective belief's. Instead, it is something living and breathing. We hope that we believe the right way, but it is the relationship and the journey which is important.
This idea of living in faith and emphasis not on beliefs but relationships was not something extremely held deep in the modern church. The emergent views is something that I believe is biblical and real. Since my first initial readings, I have become quite involved in emerging thought. But there has been something that has been bugging me lately... The way we portray ourselves to the modern church and to the world.
First, we say to the modern church that we do not believe that they are wrong. Instead we just are recontextualizing some theology and methodologies to better fit our own perspective. I do not agree with phrasing ourselves as this., because I do believe the modern church has gotten it wrong. Their overrationalizations, proof-texts, and systematic theologies just make me want to shoot them. I have to pray for forgiveness every time I speak to one :). Whether one is a conservative or liberal modern Christian, they believe that God can be made into a logical sequence.
Next, we say that our focus is to be a church with a postmodern philosophy for the postmodern generation. This is the one that really gets me going. While it might be true, that we do have postmodern philosophies, and we probably do speak to the larger outside of the faith postmoderns better than the modern churches, our focus was not on creating a new strategy to reach a particular audience. At least for me, coming to emergent it wasnt. I think in deconstructing our modern faiths we have managed to start a faith that naturally flows towards those who are of postmodern minds...

a "personal" creed

as a follower of jesus i seek to walk...

in love; where the power of love changes my heart and the hearts of everyone i touch. in the power of love as to place my life below the lives of others, and be willing to give my life for the life of another.

in forgiveness; in the knowledge that if i do not forgive, i will not be forgiven. in the joy, peace, freedom and blessings of forgiving those who have done me wrong, and have harmed me. in praying blessings upon them, and wishing for them only the best this life, and eternal life, has to offer.

in change; knowing that the spirit of God changes me from who i am to who God desires, and that change is inward and not outward. in feeling that i can be more and more like christ each and every day of my life and that i can truly be different then the world around me. in changing my walk to be a walk of positive effect on the world and to help others in their walk as well. to rid my life or harmful and negative emotions that destroy relationships with others and my relationship with God.

in grace; in the pure, love, freedom, power and reaching of grace and not in the bindings of law. i trust in the guidance of the spirit and seek God as that guide. i seek to know how to act with others in kindness and with an up-lifted heart and a positive look at everyone. i seek to judge no one, but to love others as christ love me. i desire to be a "exampler" of my faith in grace and not a "teller" of how to live in law.

in service; where i am willing to place the needs of others over my needs, with a open and authentic heart. where i will be willing to be the servant and serve others with a glad heart and a loving mind. in knowing that all who follow jesus are servants and all are equal. where i am willing to go outside my comfort zone, and into the crap of the world to serve others.

in sharing; knowing that all i have, can be shared with others. that i hold nothing back from those in need because of a selfish motive on my part. where, as a community of faith, we share our food, lives, hearts, shelter, and all we have with those in need.

in justice: in all forms, as part of our life and walk. i seek economic, civil, cultural, environmental, and governmental justice for all people. i seek to work for the equal rights of all people [all people] and to seek changes in our world to embrace differences. to see people from the inside, and not judge people from the outside. i do all this in peaceful ways and never cause harm to person to seek justice for another.


Matthew 3:8-10, 6:25, 6:33, 8:4, 23:9; Mark 1:5; Luke 6:37-38; John 6:27-43, 15:13; Acts 17:30; 1 Corinthians 5:7, 15:52; 2 Corinthians 3:15, 7:11, 13:2; Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:8; James 1:21; 1 Peter 2:1; 2 Peter 3:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Romans 5:20-22, 6:3-5, 12:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:1

take it yourself :)

what is emergent evolution?

emergent evolution: noun: evolution that according to some theories involves the appearance of new characters and qualities at complex levels of organization (as the cell or organism) which cannot be predicted solely from the study of less complex levels (as the atom or molecule) -- [the blog]

we have changed the name of the "postmodern theology" blog to "emergent evolution" to fit more with what we have in mind. our thought is to be a place where change can happen - and the "spark" of change can find a home. we will be using the defination as a guiding light to what we are about.

How To Build Community

jordon cooper posted this over at the ooze, and i love it - i think he hit it on the head:

Turn off your TV
Know your neighbors
Look up when you are walking
Greet people
Sit on your stoop
Plant flowers
Use your library
Play together
Buy from local merchants
Share what you have
Help a lost dog
Take children to the park
Garden together
Support neighborhood schools
Fix it even if you didn't break it
Have pot lucks
Honor elders
Pick up litter
Read stories aloud
Dance in the street
Talk to the mail carrier
Listen to the birds
Put up a swing
Help carry something heavy
Barter for your goods
Start a tradition
Ask a question-hire young people for odd jobs
Organize a block party
Bake extra and share
Ask for help when you need it
Open your shades-sing together
Share your skills-take back the night
Turn up the music-turn down the music
Listen before you react to anger
Mediate a conflict
Seek to understand
Learn from new and uncomfortable angles
Know that no one is silent though many are not heard.

Work to change this.

want to join the conversation? Emergent UK

a bud of mine from the postmodern theology egroup posted this, and i just felt the desire to post it here:

Dear Global friends,

In short: UK Scripture union Holt summer mission desperately seeks 4 (or more) leaders to fulfil it's quota to go ahead this summer, do you like working with children and can you spare a week in August?

The Holt Holiday mission has ran for over 8 years now every summer in the slow Norfolk market town of Holt. My Ex house mate and good friend is the mission leader and is desperately looking for some volunteers to join the mission team this year. Basically the mission runs Monday to Friday (briefing and training start the first Saturday) on the playing field of a private school and all the kids between the ages of 6 and 16 arrive to be carefully looked after with a upfront active meeting in the morning and some talks and team games in the afternoon. The event is well attended and well supported by the towns folk.

Holt is predominately a middle class town which has become almost class divided by the building of a bypass. The mission week is infamous in summer as one of the few (if not only) chances that the churches of Holt have to come together and evangelise by works, demonstrating the servant love of Jesus.

There is some doubt as to whether this years mission can go ahead if a few more team members can't be found, this would be a deep shame.

Dates are August 6th through to August 12th. The mission is affiliated with Scripture Union UK and details can be found on their website ( I believe). Over 18's required. If you have a UK CRB check in the last 12 months that would help too! A small donation of £50 is needed to cover your accommodation and all your meals which are catered for.

If you feel called to help or know some one who is interested then either please reply to me or get in touch directly with Andy Jones the mission leader: +44 07917 047151 or a.jones@norwichyfc.co.uk where upon further details can be sent to you.

Church leaders if you could make some announcement that would be appreciated. Please keep the mission in your prayers.

If you can't help but know of other churches with possible leaders then please forward this email on to them with your blessing.

Grace & Peace

Gary Dickenson


Want to join the conversation? Emergent UK

Gary Dickenson
Latvia 371 7294741
UK 0870 760 8334

a survey, worth the taking :)

i know, i am not big on surveys - but i thought this one was worth taking - and it is very short, very short.

a friend of mine at "forministry.com" is considering starting a new blog exclusively devoted to scripture engagement in a emerging/postmodern context. what i love most about this idea is that they are not saying "this is what we are going to be." here is what my friend tells me about the blog:

"I wish I could give you a compact blurb regarding what our new blog will be, but we're still trying to determine that. The best I can do is tell you that it'll be committed to the evolving dialog taking place around the Bible in the emerging postmodern context."

that is just so cool - if you can, please take the time to hit this link and take the survey - it's helping build the kingdom and getting more people involved in the conversation.

link