“By the quality of your ironic
t-shirts, all men will know you.”

                  - The Voice, John 13:35

 

 

 

“We know that the late emergent church movement® is pretty much dead. But if emergent taught us anything, it’s that nostalgia sells. Hence this book, which is a guide to emerging, but is also a nostalgic look at a movement that shaped at least six years worth of evangelical history. Let’s remember it together. This is a humble, generous, incarnational, missional, community-based, grassroots guide to becoming emergent. So roll up the sleeves of your intentionally distressed Dickies work shirt, made entirely out of recycled cardboard, and enjoy!”

A. The keynote speaker at last year's Youth Specialties convention.

B. The author of An Emergent Manifesto of Hope.

C. A bloodthirsty murderer whose motto was, “If in doubt, kill him.”

D. Co-Star of the movie Twilight: New Moon

On Worship Atmosphere. . .
“It's important that your church not look anything like a church, and in fact should not even be called a church (see also: names of things). It should look more like an abandoned meat-packing plant, complete with lots of exposed brick and ductwork. Big steel doors are nice. You'll also need a corner for the fully-functioning latte bar, one for the free-form liturgical finger-paint station, and lots of electrical outlets for the DJ stand, turntables, etc. And you’ll need a large projection unit and screen for showing the Johnny Cash videos.”
 
On Choosing a Workspace. . .
“Here's the thing. You need to get to Starbucks early and get that one table in the corner where everyone who walks into the shop can see you, your Mac, and the very intentionally cool books that you're reading (anything by Dave Eggers, David Sedaris, Deepak Chopra, Kant, Derrida, Noam Chomsky, anyone philosophical or not more than one of the following: dead, white, male).”
 
On Articulating Your Theology. . .
“Always strive to sound deep. Don’t actually talk about what you believe directly (after all, “believe” is a Greco-Roman, bounded-set category). Instead, wax poetic about “something trying to be born from the womb of a better future” or about “harmonizing, dancing, sacred eco-systems.” This makes you sound ridiculous to most people, but very deep to a few. And it’s those few who buy your books or read your blog, so they’re the ones who matter.”


You don't really believe that Moses came down a mountain with a list of rules from God. But if he had, they would be about reducing your carbon footprint.

 

 

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