By: {gather} - » “Burned by Branding” Is Starbucks Getting Smaller?

{gather} - » “Burned by Branding” Is Starbucks Getting Smaller? — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 04:42:45 +0000

[...] Possibly Related: What Evangelicalism Is… What Do I Mean By Small Churches? Things I Value In A Church [...]

By: gathering in light - Blog Archive » Critiques and Possibilities: Evangelicalism Part IV

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 22:35:43 +0000

[...] This is the continuation of a larger discussion I am working on, here is part I, part II, and part III. [...]

By: Evangelicalism and Subcultures: Part V at gathering in light

Evangelicalism and Subcultures: Part V at gathering in light — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 05:04:25 +0000

[...] Part I – Reflections on Evangelicalism Part II – What Evangelicalism Is Part III – Critiques and Possibilities – Biblicism Part IV – Critiques and Possibilities – Spiritually Transformed Life Part V – Evangelicalism as a Subculture A critique on the movement as a subculture What I like so much about Quakerism and the Emerging Church (not necessarily both together) is that they both hold values that extend beyond the restrictions of Evangelicalism and modernity. What both Quakers and Emerging Churches hold in common is a desire to transform secular space (see Ryan Bolger’s conversation on this), and see that all is God’s, all is in his realm and that his fingerprints are over everything. This is where the larger Evangelical church loses me and many in our generation. There seems to be a lack of ability to create things new and authentic. I was having a conversation the other day where my friend and I were making fun of those old G.A.P. (God Answers Prayers) christian tees. Now maybe I take that stuff too seriously but we rarely as the church generate ideas worth duplicating, instead we take the ideas of the world and slap some kind of christianese on it. This is the effect of a dualistic disease that sees everything as either Christian or non-Christian. “Gap�? is not Christian but we can make it Christian by rephrasing what it stands for. Some things are not worth saving. The Evangelical church has become a sub-culture, a group of people out of touch with the larger world. It is this part of the church that has largely moved away from the urban centers of the world and into the Suburbs, it is largely representative of Anglo-Americans and has largely represented conservative views on politics and culture. Even if these are only generalizations and don’t fit the whole of the movement, these generalizations in my mind constitute a reason to “listen up�? and “consider thy ways.�? Many of us were told as teenagers to throw, burn, and smash anything that was not Christian. Growing up under this kind of anti-secular sentiment, Evangelicals try and think “what would a non-christian person like to do if he/she came to church�? or “what kinds of songs would they like to sing,�? or “what words can I use to change the way they think about Jesus.�? This is how we “engage�? with the culture. The reality is that there is little interaction from those “on the outside.�? A majority of church growth is transferring memberships from one Evangelical church to another (typically to “bigger�? and “better�? churches that offer more programs and services to me as a consumer). [...]

By: Reflections on Evangelicalism Part I at gathering in light

Reflections on Evangelicalism Part I at gathering in light — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 07:05:40 +0000

[...] are the links to the other parts in the series: Part I – Reflections on Evangelicalism Part II – What Evangelicalism Is Part III – Critiques and Possibilities – Biblicism Part IV -Critiques and Possibilities – Spiritually Transformed Life Part V – Evangelicalism as a Subculture [...]

By: Critiques and Possibilities: Evangelicalism Part III at gathering in light

Critiques and Possibilities: Evangelicalism Part III at gathering in light — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 19:06:21 +0000

[...] I’ve been working on a series of posts concerning Evangelicalism and when I get to it Quakerism. Part I Part II [...]

Comments on: What Evangelicalism is: Part II

By: {gather} - » “Burned by Branding” Is Starbucks Getting Smaller?

By: gathering in light - Blog Archive » Critiques and Possibilities: Evangelicalism Part IV

By: Evangelicalism and Subcultures: Part V at gathering in light

By: Reflections on Evangelicalism Part I at gathering in light

By: Critiques and Possibilities: Evangelicalism Part III at gathering in light