With the new year upon us this seems like the right time to highlight the best comments from the most popular posts of 2005. True, Out of Ur has only been in existence since October, but if mediocre sitcoms have taught us anything it’s that everyone loves a “best of” show. The comments below are ones we found insightful, witty, or just plain funny. Thanks to everyone who has helped get this conversation started. We look forward to more conversation, controversy, and congeniality in 2006.
From:
Why James McDonald is Not Emerging
What are Emergent Christians? I thought Rev. McDonald made his point quite clear. Emergent Christians are fault-finding, biblically illiterate, disobedient, style worshiping, culturally obsessed, people seduced by a desire for respectability.
Posted by Michael Kruse
From:
How Emergent Are You? McLaren’s Seven Layers of the Emergent Conversation
Is it just me or does it seem to anyone else that this whole website appears to be far more focused on the world than on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?
Posted by William Gormley
It’s you.
Posted by Dirk
From:
Expletive Undeleted 2: The F-bomb Fallout
I’ve responded to only three or four blogs in my life; scholars/teachers have a few other commitments in life too 🙂 , but I’m now pondering the whole “medium is the message” question. Does the very FORMAT of inviting people of inevitably tons of conflicting perspectives to respond to an issue this potentially divisive, and then to respond to each other, inherently work against the love and unity of the church that is already found too little in most places?
Posted by Dr. Craig Blomberg
From:
Who Really Needs Church? Coping with the Death of Ecclesiology
What passes for ecclesiology has become fixed on preserving the church (small c) as an institution rather than building a Church (capital C) of authentic Christ-following believers. Barna’s research reveals the little c’s utter evangelical ineffectiveness, and, tragically, it’s general refusal to capitulate to the idea of ministry that isn’t somehow tied to a local church, despite demonstrable success.”Thinking outside the box” works sometimes, but many of us wonder why the box is there to begin with.
Posted by dorsey
From:
The Jaded Driven Church: Re-Introducing People to God & His Church
Maybe we can stop feeling guilty when some of our growth isn’t the purely “unchurched” but restoration of the wounded and disillusioned. I wonder if most of what we call seekers are actually divorc?s who are cautiously trying to get back into the pool, one toe at a time.
Posted by dabeirne
From:
Marketing Narnia 2: Is That a Mouse in Your Pulpit?
I believe that over the past 250 years, we have allowed “American” values to become confused with Christ’s values. Now we are reaping the results?This marketing effort directed at the church is not Disney’s fault. It was invited by the church. And there really aren’t any church leaders speaking up saying “the church and commerce don’t mix.” Instead, it is being embraced by many outspoken church leaders.
Posted by Tim Johnson
From:
Closed for Christmas 2: The Megachurch Response
I am a Vietnamese refugee and, sadly, all these arguments about celebrating the Lord’s Day this Christmas or not remind me that I have forgotten how wonderful it is to be able to worship God together freely with others and not get into trouble with the police.
As long as I live, I will thank God for this free country. And I thank you for bickering about this Christmas Day 2005. You have helped me to re-examine my own heart and see where my Lord is in all things.
I am genuinely glad that Americans don’t have to go through persecution for their beliefs, but, at the same time, I’ve begun to be keenly aware of the blessing of the hardships I had to go through. Without such hardships I wouldn’t know the incredible joy of being in God’s presence and the great pleasure of worshiping Him, in His house, freely with my brothers and sisters, let it be on Christmas Day, the Lord’s Day, or every day. It’s a privilege.
Posted by Anh Vu Sawyer
