The Emergent Church is the Ancient Church…really…?

Recently I came across a wonderful article examining just how much the new Emergent Church is really like the Ancient Church.  If you are not familiar with the term “emergent church” then know it is a new spin on old liberalism where the centrality of proclaiming the Scriptures tends to be marginalized…among other things.  Or, as one Bible author put it, “Emergent church is old liberalism with cool hair and clothes.”

The emergent church often claims that it is getting back to the worship of the ancient church.  My answer is “Really…?”  The following article from Shepherd’s Fellowship is reproduced in its entirety.  Take a look at it and see just how much the emergent church is like the ancient church…

How Emergent Was the Ancient Church?(By Nathan Busenitz) I am in the midst of teaching through the Ante-Nicene period of church history. Recently, as we studied the life of Justin Martyr, I came across an interesting quote in which Justin describes a mid-second-century church service. To give a little context, Justin is explaining Christianity to the Roman emperor, making the case that Christianity should not be illegal (as it was in those days). In the course of his Apology, he describes a typical church service. I think you’ll be encouraged to see what was included in an ancient Christian worship service. (Note that Justin refers to the pastor by the term “president,” namely as the one “presiding” over the worship service.) On the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all who live in a given city or rural district. The memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits. Then when the reader ceases, the president [pastor] in a discourse admonishes and urges the imitation of these good things. Next we all rise together and send up prayers. When we cease from our prayer, bread is presented and wine and water. The president in the same manner sends up prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people sing out their assent, saying the ‘Amen.’ A distribution and participation of the elements for which thanks have been given is made to each person, and to those who are not present they are sent by the deacons. Those who have means and are willing, each according to his own choice, gives what he wills, and what is collected is deposited with the president. He provides for the orphans and widows, those who are in need on account of sickness or some other cause, those who are in bonds, strangers who are sojourning, and in a word he becomes the protector of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Savior on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration. (First Apology, 67) Per Justin’s description, we get a pretty good idea of what took place in an ancient Christian church service. Notice at least seven important factors: (1) Scripture was read, from both the New Testament (“the memoirs of the apostles”) and the Old Testament (“the writings of the prophets”). (2) The pastor preached a message (“discourse”), exhorting the people to obey the things they had just heard from the Scripture. (3) The congregation prayed together. (4) The congregation participated in commemorating the Lord’s Supper. (5) In their preparation for Communion, the pastor prayed and the congregation sang songs of affirmation. (6) An offering was taken in order to meet the needs of fellow saints. (7) All of this took place on Sunday, the day on which Jesus rose from the dead. When I read Justin’s description I am encouraged, because those same things are found at our church too. Like the ancient church described here, we read the Scripture, listen to preaching, pray, sing, give, and regularly celebrate the Lord’s Table. And, of course, we also meet on Sundays. I sometimes hear proponents of the emergent church arguing that we need to get back to the “ancient practices” of the church. But what “ancient practices” are they talking about? The mysticism of the late medieval period perhaps?  If you really want the ancient church, it doesn’t get any more ancient than the quote provided above. In fact, this description of an ancient church service (written by Justin Martyr around A.D. 150) is the earliest we have outside the New Testament. So, how “emergent” was the ancient church? According to Justin Martyr, not much at all. For starters, a church that spends “as long as time permits” listening to the reading and preaching of God’s Word would hardly fit the Emergent Village paradigm. Yet, that is exactly what the church of Justin’s day did. They met each Sunday to fill their hearts with the truth of God’s Word. Then, having been overwhelmed with that truth, they responded by praying, singing, giving, and celebrating the Lord’s Table. http://www.shepherdsfellowship.org/pulpit/posts.aspx?ID=4373

Achey backs, broke teeth, and the fallenness of Mankind

One Wednesday morning, a couple of weeks ago, I arrived at the office early in the morning and began my studies.  After an hour or so, my back felt a little stiff, so I stood up to stretch.  As I did, a pain shot through my lower, right back that took me to my knees.  In fact, it was so painful it almost took my breath away.  I alternated studying and laying on the ground for a while as my back continued to hurt.

I had a raquetball game planned for around lunch, and I thought that exercise might loosen those aching back muscles.  Yes…I know…I know, how dumb is that.  Needless to say, I ended up in a fetal position on the raquetball court with my partner helping me up.  Elissa came to that location and took me straight to the doctor.  I ended up on my back for two days with severe back pain.

Interestingly enough, I’ve never really had back problems before.  Wonder why it would begin to bother me now?  Surely it couldn’t be that I am just a whisker away from one of those birthdays that begins with “4″ ends in “0″…could it…? Maybe…maybe not.

If I had any doubt about the birthday question, it was probably answered yesterday.  Elissa and I had a nice Labor Day lunch out together.  As we left the restaurant, I decided to put a quarter in the gum machine (normally my five year old lets me know that the future of her life depends on whether or now she gets gum from those machines…) and get 72 pieces of that little square gum (maybe not quite that many, but it takes almost that much to even get a good wad of gum in your mouth).  You know…the kind of gum that dentists recommend (…NOT!!).  Normally, that kind of gum crunches when you first chew it.  Gum really ought never crunch.

As I chewed it a few minutes, I realized that something was not right.  As I investigated, I realized that a tooth on my top right gum had cracked off.  A significant portion of my tooth was now in my gum (…TMI..??).  As I write this article, I am waiting on a call from my dentist for an emergency appointment.

How has all of this happened to me.  I am living life, minding my own business…and…BAM!!…I start having these issues that some would suggest relate to the aging process.  That reminds me of Genesis 2:17 as God tells Adam, “but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” 

God was laying down the principle of obedience to Adam.  The problem with this tree was not that its expiration date had passed, but that God had simply said NOT to eat of it.  Later, in Genesis 3:6, we read “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.  She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” 

One reads this passage and says, wait…these two did not immediately die as God had said.  And, while humans did not immediately did, the reality is that man and woman began the process of dying as sin entered the world.  Sin has caused separation from God, brokenness of relationships, and damage of humanity.  In addition, sin has caused mankind to experience the deterioration of these physical bodies.  That’s right.  In the perfect garden, human bodies were bullet proof and unbreakable.  Sin was the one element that would plunge us into destruction…spiritually and physically. 

So, as my tooth broke and my back ached, the thought entered my mind, “Sin is still destroying lives as it has my physical body.”  And…thank God I will receive a resurrected body one day.  Yet, there are so many around me who are devastated physically and spiritually. Am I as concerned about their spiritual condition as I am my physical? 

Too often our prayer lists are more concerned with the hospital roll than a roll of unredeemed people in need of a Savior.  By God’s grace, I pray that we would be reminded — as our teeth break and our backs ache — that physical ailments are only a small reminder that men and women desperately need a Savior.