why i am emerging

at least i think i am. i have been watching, listening and reading some things about the emerging/emergent movement lately. it gets a lot criticism from the conservative christian right. some of it may be warranted. i can't decide. but this is why i am emerging, at least to some extent. if the kingdom of heaven is true, and is advancing in our lives right now, then some things need to change. brian mcclaren says "everything must change" in his new book. we need to begin to see personal morality is a small portion of the kingdom message. it is not the sole point of the gospel story, but seems it is all we(church folk) will talk about. and don't even get me going about systemic sins or problems.

we don't even think about christ and the nature of his kingdom when talking "globally" or addressing global problems. government, violence and fighting fire with fire is what we always resort to. but if i read jesus right (and i probably don't), i am pretty sure he came to live a radically different way, that threatened the very assumptions of the empire, just by what he said and who he hung with. a lot of "conservative religion" continues to operate with the same assumptions as the world, just with religious skin on it. this is why i am emerging. not interested in a "better way of doing church." interested in the movement that is the kingdom of heaven.