A New Confession

The 16th and 17th centuries are loaded with confessions. Every major protestant group leaving the Catholic church did so by writing down their particular beliefs and creeds. Looking around today, you don't see much of that going on anymore. Most famous pastors and preachers have great self help books. There are volumes on the post-modern and emerging church. Every political group of Christians has their own writings and you even see religious fiction popping up all over the place.

Are we content with our current confessions?

In her book the Great Emergance author Phyllis Tickle (best author name ever) wrote that we are currently in a time similar to that of the Reformation. That every 500 years or so the church goes through a major overhaul. Constantine, the Great Schism, The Reformation and now here we are, just shy of 500 years later and the emerging post-modern church looks set to explode. Where are our Luther's and Calvin's hanging out? Who is the voice of this movement.

Certainly Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis have found their way to the top of the heap. Reggie McNeil laid out a plan to change the scorecard in the church, but unlike previous movements there doesn't seem to be a defined opponent. Much like the war on terror differs from WWI this movement lacks traditional definition. There isn't an evil empire church we're striking out against, we're fighting on the transformation of ideals. We're bucking a system, not an institution. So where does this leave our tightly held denominational lines?

I still consider myself a Lutheran, but the church I attend and lead worship at doesn't look or sound like any Lutheran church I've ever been to. Am I any less Lutheran because our signage doesn't say Lutheran on it? We've had more missional support from the local Episcopal church than any Lutheran congregation. We've even gotten along with a Missouri Synod congregation. Is this an anomaly or a sign of things to come? Join in this conversation, I plan on writing more about our need for a new Confession as we further our understanding of this new expression of Church. 

Cheers, Mike.