Chester, You were right. The Apostolic Emergents -

[DAII]

ARE HERE ....

http://revertolution.org/rvt/2010/11...olic-emergent/

You may be experiencing cognitive dissonance after reading the title. The anxiety is rooted in the belief that I am simultaneously holding contradictory or otherwise incompatible beliefs by placing Apostolic and Emergent together. But, if it helps, I did it with good reason.

In some small way, I would like for you to experience what I experience each time I read an article like Hipster Faith by Brett McCracken in Christianity Today, or a book like Why We’re Not Emergent by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. Each time I am presented with two options: to be Emergent or not to be Emergent, yet the tension lies in the reality that I am culturally Emergent and theologically Apostolic. As a result, I have come to the conclusion that I can be both Apostolic and Emergent. I hope you will give me a moment to explain.

After reading works attempting to define Emergents, here’s what I tend to find: in some ways I am much the same as Emergents and in other ways, I am much different. Take the list below for instance. After reading the article by McCraken I made a list of the similarities and differences that I shared with Hipsters (a.k.a. – Emergents) and shared it with some friends:

Truth be known, I am Apostolic. I believe that covenant initiation is the beautiful surrender of seeking forgiveness, turning away from sin, having the name of Jesus Christ called over me in water baptism, receiving the Spirit of Christ in my life with the initial sign of speaking in a language that I have never learned, and giving myself wholly to a life of holiness consecrated to my God and Savior Jesus Christ.

At the same time, it is because of the cultural similarities that I share with Emergents that my heart if filled with hope. Maybe—just maybe—Jesus has allowed me to be born in this postmodern era, so that I could authentically relate to a lost and hurting generation that needs to hear the gospel story.

So, how do we resolve the tension of being Apostolic and Emergent? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure yet.