THE NEWEST REFORMATION
Verne Critz
Just when we thought we had gotten over the Worship Wars; just when we thought the distance between traditional and contemporary worship and praise had gotten closer and blended together; just when we thought even the most conservative church goer accepted the lifting of hands and even an occasional expression of dance; just when we thought the “seeker sensitive” mega churches had found the solution to the boredom and hypocracy of “old school” churches; just when we thought that ecumenicalism was being embraced by most denominational Christians and the “one body” prophecy of Revelation was becoming a reality; just when we thought we could see all the pieces of Christ’s return and start putting them together, along comes a whole new philosophy of Christianity. A new foreboding, powerful, momentous crusade called the Emerging church movement or some call it the Emergent church movement has been creating a lot of fear and havoc amongst the mainstream Christian hierarchy. Actually the Emerging Church movement and the Emergent Church movement are two different concepts which essentially are the same. However, they are not movements according to their proponents, they are conversations. There are no churches just meetings of cohorts. Confused yet? So was I! We will explore the differences a bit later. The following is an attempt to bring awareness, description, interpretation and points of view to the latest of a long list of Christian rebellions in which believers try to distance themselves from the hierarchy that attempt to have authority over them. From the birth of Jesus Christ theologians have been trying to define the perfect way to worship Him and spread His message. Just as Martin Luther when he nailed Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517 there have been countless splits, divisions, discents and rebellions to the point where according to Adherents.com: National & World...