Emergent or Submergence

Emergent
Coming into view, existence, or notice.
Rising above a surrounding medium, especially a fluid.
Arising or occurring unexpectedly.
Demanding prompt action; urgent.
Occurring as a consequence; resultant.

Submergence
To place under water.
To cover with water; inundate.
To hide from view; obscure. v. intr.
To go under or as if under water.
[Latin submergere : sub-, sub- + mergere, to plunge.]

The word "emergent" came up tonight in a conversation concerning using the arts in church. "Emergent" is a somewhat new term to me in regards to the church. (I'm way behind) This may be a difficult subject for me to address because it goes against everything I stand for and have stood for in moving the church out of the dark ages. I just wonder sometimes if the "dog and pony" shows we've cooked up for church are what God wants? Are the fundraisers, worship teams, dramatic vignettes, slick video presentations, and polished preachers what it's all about? In the end, the answer I come up with is NO! It's all about Jesus. Simple as that. When was the last time you entered a church and actually heard someone preach the love and blood of Jesus? When was the last time you witnessed an altar call? It's been a long time for me. Please don't get me wrong. I've made it my mission in life to push the church, challenge it to be better than it is. I'm all for the rock music, the drama, and the video. But, the question remains...is Jesus in the center of all this? Is he the crux for what's being done in the church? Now, back to my beginning thought. Should we be concerned with being the Emergent Church or should we be pointing to an Emergent Jesus. Referring back to the definition at the beginning of this post, it is Jesus, not the church, that should be coming into view, rising above, the ultimate result. It seems to me that most churches are not doing this. We are a church that submerges Jesus under the depths of all that other "stuff" that, in the eternal picture, don't matter. I have always told people that I would do anything it took to reach people for Christ and I still mean that. I have always tried to be one who is on the cutting edge of ministry and yet trying to keep Jesus, and not myself, in the spotlight. I have had successes and I have had failures. So, where am I going with this? I'm unsure because it may take a whole lot of thinking to wrap my head around this. All I know is that if Jesus is not in the center of things; the music, the drama, the video, the preaching; it's all for naught. As usual, my ramblings are just a bunch of gibberish. So, I'll let the Bible do the talking from now on. Here are a couple of scripture passages that came to mind. I included all of Matthew 7 because it's so good. The bold sections are the ones that hit me the hardest.

Amos 5:21-24 (The Message)
"I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice--oceans of it.
I want fairness--rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want.

Matthew 7 (The Message)
"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults--unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, "Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
"Don't be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don't reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you're only being cute and inviting sacrilege.
"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. 9If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?
"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
"Don't look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life--to God!-is vigorous and requires total attention.
"Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don't be impressed with charisma; look for character. "Knowing the correct password--saying "Master, Master,' for instance--isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience--doing what my Father wills. I can see it now--at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, "Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? "You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'
"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit--but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."
When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying--quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.