parables of a prodigal world

Lotta buzz generated by the Top 10 Emergent/Missional/Post-Evangelical Blog Posts of 2008 . TSK's shout-out didn't hurt. Not too many dissenting voices out there, as far as I've heard, so I might've hit the nail on the head for once. The natural next question is, "How do I get my post listed in the Top 10 Emergent/Missional/Post-Evangelical Blog Posts of 2009 ?" Good question. Here's some pointers that I gleaned while looking at the posts that made the '08 List : 10. Give an example of the practical consequences of that which you are critiquing. (HT: Jared ) 9. Laugh intelligently at Emergent. (HT: Jonathan ) 8. Write a balanced, insightful review of a wildly popular book. (HT: BW3 ) 7. Laugh intelligently at Evangelicalism. (HT: ProdigalJon ) 6. Get deep. (HT: Kathy ) 5. Write a good post with a great title. (HT: Tom ) 4. Say something unique about something common. (HT: David ) 3. Bridge gaps. (HT: Eugene and Scot ) 2. Rant/Vent eloquently....

If you're looking for objective criteria, rhyme or reason to this list, rest assured that there is none. Some of the posts were included for their impact. Some for their humor. Some for their beauty. Some for their wisdom. Some were by Emergers. Some were about Emergers. Some were by Emergers about Emergers... In other words, there were no hard-and-fast rules. Kinda like "The Movement Formerly Known as Emergent" (See Post No. 1). So without further ado, MY list of the top 10 Emergent/Missional/Post-Evangelical blog posts of 2008. 10. Osteen-Esque Entitlement and Knowing Your Place at Gospel-Driven Church Jared Wilson's biting commentary on the Victoria Osteen / flight attendant story. A poignant parable about the real-world consequences of the prosperity gospel. 9. Top 50 Possible Reasons Why You're Not Emergent at Missio Dei Jonathan Brink's classic list of...well, the title speaks for itself. Like all good comedy, it's real-ness makes it even funnier...

Brother Maynard sums up the issue better than most. The term "Emerging Church" is dead. Good riddance, I say. Too misunderstood. Too much reading into it. Too ill-defined. Too much having to defend the term against what it isn't. Here are 10 other terms that are too misunderstood, too ill-defined, requiring too much of my time and energy to defend them against naysayers and detractors. I'm therefore dumping all of 'em: 1. Jesus 2. Christianity 3. Atonement 4. Justification by Faith through Grace (along with "Justification," "Grace," and "Faith") 5. Sin 6. Righteousness 7. Cross 8. Bible 9. Disciple and, of course... 10. God I might have some trouble communicating from here on in in. Pardon me if my posts become a little vague while I try to come up with different terms to express theses concepts. It's all for the greater good. [ Still working on this one ] and Peace, Raffi

My pastor asked me to introduce a teaching series on Romans to our congregation. I laughed. "Haaa..ha..haaaaah...haah...haa! You want me to do what ! Romans?! " "Romans," he replied. He was serious. "You're serious," I said. "I'm serious," he replied. He was serious. "Why not just ask me to introduce world history," I replied jokingly. He didn't laugh. He was serious. "You're serious," I checked one last time. He was serious. So yesterday I spoke to our congregation about Romans. It was serious. Here are 10 things I learned in preparing for that presentation. Maybe not the "top" 10, but more of the first 10 that popped to mind. 1. Romans is BIG. 2. Paul was a genius. 3. God is BIG. 4. God is a genius. 5. No one can ever "know" Romans. 6. I'm no longer concerned whether I'm justified, glorified, sanctified, or deep fried; I know that I'm loved, and that's enough for me. 7. I w...

The conversation around the blogosphere (or the small slice of it that I follow) has forced many of us to re-think many facets of the Emerging/Emergent movement. Steve Knight has a list of some of the pertinent posts concerning the conversation over at Emergent Village (I was honored to see my Open Letter listed among them). I'd add Jonathan's recent post at EV to the list as well. I've followed the conversation pretty closely. Here are 10 things I've learned as a result, in no particular order: 1. There are far more Emergents than simply those that use the label. 2. It is immensely difficult to sustain a movement without clearly delineated borders; that's made me sad. 3. Names are really important...far more important than we can ever realize. 4. I've understood why, when Moses asked for God's name on Mt. Sinai, God said what He said. 5. While Jesus' yoke will turn out to be light, it can feel as heavy as a solid-wood cross along the way. 6. The opp...

10. Never underestimate the principalities and powers; in fact, assume that you won't even see 'em coming. 9. God speaks to you in a manner that He speaks to no one else. 8. The last segment of my Christian journey was very unlike the segment before it, or the one before that. 7. The closer you get, the bloodier the battle. 6. The most dangerous times are those immediately after you sense that you've accomplished a task for which you were called by God. 5. Give me a couple of hours, and I'll put together a rather compelling argument for any moral position using nothing but Bible verses taken out of context. 4. Blogging has re-wired my brain to work in a noticeably different way...and not necessarily for the better. 3. There is a yet-unexpressed Grand Unification Theory of Theology, and it will be doctrinally comprised of roughly equal pieces of each and every denomination out there. 2. I tend to preach to the choir. That is usually a colossal waste of time. 1. I should ...

Less than one week to Christmas. Got all your shopping done yet? As the final madness approaches, please join me for 7 days and 7 stories/blurbs/video/audio/etc. about how we may re-imagine, re-appropriate, and re-learn how to celebrate the story of the Lord of the World arriving in a feeding trough in the middle of the night, the bastard this-worldly son of an unwed mother, destined to become the most climactic figure in all history by accepting the call to embody the fullness of His other-worldly Father. Nothing like a good old "Top 10" list when the ol' creative juices start running dry, or when the ol' hard drive crashes. Whoever sent me that virus, God loves you and forgives you, and so will I...just not today. Part 3 of 7: Top 10 Chrsitmas Quotes 10. Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We...

C.S. Lewis was so instrumental in formulating my earliest understanding of Christianity that I still have a hundred or so C.S. Lewis quotes floating around my head (and on my computer). Although there is much I now disagree with Lewis about, I don't think I'd be able to arrive at that place of disagreement were it not for him (if you know what I mean). Well, then, here they are: "The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us; just as the roof of a sunhouse does not attract the sun because it is bright, but becomes bright because the sun shines on it." "The Scotch catechism says that man's chief end is 'to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.' But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him." "We may note in passing that Jesus was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He d...

“Heaven is important, but its not the end of the world.” “The Biblical vision is not so much concerned with life after death but about life after life after death.” “Wherever St. Paul went, there was a riot. Wherever I go, they serve tea.” “The word ‘gospel,’ in Paul’s world, meant the accession of Caesar. And when Tiberius or Nero came to power, the imperial heralds did not go around saying, ‘There is this new experience you might like to try on for size, namely, you might like to give allegiance to Caesar if that suits you and if that’s where you are right now in your own personal journey.’ No, they said, ‘Tiberius is emperor! Get down on your knees!’” “God is not very concerned with the method by which rulers come to power; He is passionately and compassionately concerned with what they do once they attain power.” (In response to those who tell him, “I don’t believe in God”) “Really? Which god is it that you don’t believe in?” “My proposal is not that we understand what the word ‘g...