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A site that Brandon referred many of us to a few months ago, Emergent Nazarenes, has an amazing summary of the conference. Brian Hull, a friend of mine who is the director of NYC, and on staff at headquarters, also wrote a breif review and reflection. Brian has been an encouragment and source of hope for many already in the youth world of the Nazarene church, and I was glad they invited him to speak at this conference. I find both summaries very helpful and very insightful. For those who weren't there, but would have liked to be, it will be encouraging. It is like the CliffsNotes for the conference.
Also, check out this video by James Diggs. He grew up Nazarene, has been on staff at a non-denominational church for a few years, and is planting a Nazarene church out of the non-denominational church. I have never heard of the Nazarenes partnering with anyone like this. I had heard that the Mid-Atlantic district was stepping outside the box, and is encouraging to see this partnership. This video is the one presented the entire district assembly to launch the idea.
Well... I am off to my first day of work! This is so crazy.
7 comments:
Hope your first day is going well. I've been praying for you today.
Kerri
How exciting it is to be alive to witness, and hopefully have the joy of being a part, of the "emerging church" as a Nazarene in today's world! You inspire me, Son, and I know that this stirs you deep within. Thanks for challenging your dad and I to think "out of the box" and dare to try new things in ministry.
Hope your first day at work/training was a good one. I was home sick all day ... Yuk!
Love,
Mom
I'll believe when I see it James. I personally don't get the whole Nazarene thing in the first place. I wasn't brought up to call myself a Foursquarean or Asemblean of God. I was/am a Christian there were no boundries. Not until I went to a Nazarene college were the boundries shown to me. It saddens me, one of our local Nazarene churches won't even merge with any other church in the area on some activities-they have to be on there own. I just don't understand that. I have "nazarene" in-laws who basically shun us because we go to an Alliance church. The difference I just don't see other than the name? So it's hard for me to respect a so-called christian denomination who holds themselves higher than the rest.
Even if you and your family were to leave your "nazarene...tribe" I would think your friends and family would have no problem seeing that the actual christian tribe you are in, is massive and lucky for us has no boundries.
I do hope there is change coming, James and I will pray with you in support of it. As you go out to your church visitations I'm sure you will be a light to help it unfold.
Christ did not start a new religion, not the Catholic Church, not the Orthodox Church, not the Protestant Churches, not the Holiness Churches, not the Evangelical Churches.
What he did do was remain unequivocally and unapologetically Jewish, prophesying from within that tradition.
Can we live in the prophetic spirit of Christ and shed the light of the Kingdom in our own tradition?
Israel is judged and purified from within by Christ the righteous judge, and so it is with the individual, all cultures, all nations, the human race, all creation.
I am constantly wondering should I remain in the Nazarene church and be it's hemorrhoid or should I shine Nazdom and break outside it's doors because it's not. In LA many of the Nazarene churches were the same way, and so it has to be a systemic thing. For right now, I'm sitting on that buzzer like in teen quizzing (how Nazarene is that?) and waiting to bolt, but I can't help feeling that there is redemptive value within. I'm just not comfortable with what it is now.
This is the dilema "ur ben". I honestly DO NOT want to leave the Nazarene chruch, but I also don't feel like I am leaving the church if we start something new. I feel that some give the impression that we should be the hemrroid or stir stick within our exisiting churches, but I feel no obligation to that cause. I admire those who do and support them with love and prayers, but feel we are all led to alternate modes of activity during this time of transition. Who knows what that is for you. I would love to see you and "C" put your creative genious to work in C-town, gather some of your peeps in and do something radical together. Transforming from within the family, but outside of the nest perhaps?
Columbus 1st is dying... maybe they need a dose of young adult change makes to move in a shake things up.... huh...huh...huh. :-)
I'm down for whatever right now. I don;t want to put my gifts to work in an affluent church that's already overgifted and underutilized.
Also, this is not the first time I heard this about Columbus 1st and how I should be involved. My heart has ached since I first heard about what's not happening and the opportunities that are out there for someone living the gospel out in thos streets. With my experience, it seems like a decent fit. Thanks for the encouragement.
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