complex christ

I read Kester Brewin's, The Complex Christ: Signs of emergence in the urban church on the flight to Cincinnati today. At first I thought Brewin was too smart for me and found myself skipping paragraphs as I read (not good given the book is under 200 pages including endnotes). I just didn't understand what he was saying. Is there really an emerging church? Is there really one coming? Should there be an emerging church? Those were the questions on my mind...I'm not sure if Brewin was speaking to that or not.

But then it got interesting (ok - understandable at least) in chapter 4 in which he describes the characteristics of the emergent church. For me, I think these could have be better titled the characteristics of the church (I found no need for the "emergent" word).

• Emergent systems are open systems - it is constantly engaging with its environment and changing it.
  
• Emergent systems are adaptable systems - as it engages with the environment, it also changes (I'm choosing to assume Brewin does not mean compromising the message).
  
• Emergent systems are learning systems - to adapt in the proper manner, it must learn.
  
• Emergent systems have distributed knowledge - the learning and growth is happening from within. It is not centralized, top down information but rather the whole benefits as individuals and groups grow.
• Emergent systems model servant leadership - no heroes and leaders that lead by "lording".
  

The book got better but only in the sense that I began to understand it more (now I wish I payed more attention in the beginning) and that it was thought provoking. But I don't think it ended up being good. Brewin quotes Johnny Rotten in Sounds, 1976: "I hate shit. I hate hippies and what they stand for. I hate long hair. I hate pub bands ... I want people to see us and start something, or else I'm just wasting my time." I like the point. It's the same with the church. If we are not representing Christ to the world in a way that they are disrupted by Him, we waste our time doing what we do? On the other hand, it seems that there could have been a "nicer" quote for this.

This was the mildest of several of Brewin's anecdotes that I felt uneasy with. He explained the use of Andres Serrano's "Piss Christ" in a worship-like event to convey God's coming into contact with the real dirt (he used more graphic language) of humanity. Again, I got what he was saying but I am not convinced this was the best method. Sorry, that's not strong enough - I didn't like it at all.

Net - don't run out and buy this one. I'll keep it on my shelf as proof that I try to read views outside my comfort zone.

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