First Presbyterian Church Launches Emergent Worship for Young Adults

Hunington News: First Presbyterian Church Launches Emergent Worship for Young Adults (HT: Presbyweb)

Huntington, WV (HNN) – On August 5, 2007, First Presbyterian Church of Huntington will launch The Crossing, a cutting edge, Emerging worship gathering designed by and for young adults. The Crossing is a unique worship service in the Huntington area. The style of the worship gathering is Emerging worship, the newest movement in worship, which reflects the postmodern perspective of 18-35 year-olds. ...

Hmmm.... Frankly, I think there are already too many people who worship Emergent. :) Seriously, I'm not sure there is such a thing as Emergent Worship. I'd be interested to know what this congregation's take is on what that means.

Comments

[Peter Kirk]

Actually the article consistently refers to "emerging worship". The word "Emergent" is used only in the title, and probably by mistake. There is no sign of a link with the specific Emergent movement, only the use of the general buzzword "emerging".

[Nate Custer]

Ok, the first rule of being a hacker is that you never call yourself a hacker. Claiming that name makes you a n00b. Someone else, an already recognized hacker will recognize you as one once you have done the work required.

Same thing with an emergent/ing church. I suspect any church (much less worship service inside a church ... ewww) that has to market itself as emerging/ent is not doing enough radical stuff to actually be recognized by anyone else.

[Michael W. Kruse]

Good point Peter. I suspect they don't make the distinction between Emergent (the organization) versus emerging church that some of us do. There's would be a small "e". Whatever it is called, it suspect a conversation about how to be the body of Christ has been distilled into a worship style. My perception is that corporate worship style is in many ways peripheral to the emerging church conversation. Style is an extension of an ecclesial/missiological/theological understanding and there are many emerging styles.

Nate, I think of churches like those listed at Presbymergent when I think of emerging churches with in the Presbyterian world. Most still meet in buildings but maybe aren't quite so ewwwy. :)

[Dana Ames]

Whoever wrote that does not understand that "emerging" does not really have anything to do with a "style of worship". Grr. What it says to me is that First Presbyterian Church of Huntington is desperate to get "youth" into the congregation. That may not actually be the case, but that's what it says to me.

Dana

[Michael W. Kruse]

I detect the same thing Dana.

[Nate Custer]

Mike,

I am sure emerging congregations exist within the Presby and even PCUSA world. I suspect your right, the churches listed on PresbyEmergent are a pretty good glance. But best I can tell ... they were nominated not by themselves (as in marketing) but by others (as in game recognizes game) ... hence it flows from my original rule.

Nate

[Mel]

I don't even understand this whole emerging concept. Our authority is not in the words that we make up to somehow gimmick people into worship--but the Word of God is authoritative in and of itself, and it speaks of our worship life in and through Christ. What a concept...in this whole post, there are allusions to Christ, but not as the Author of Worship. Criminelli, it's too much work and terrible theology to think you have to do something, or create worship apart from Scripture, to win souls. Last I checked, and in accordance to "Good Shepard Sunday," on the liturgical calendar, we are reminded that the Shepherd, Christ, seeks out the lost sheep. The means by which Christ uses to seek out the lost is through His Word, which is also never apart from the Sacramental life.

Maybe I'm misreading here, but there is no foundation on which to stand that has been made clear here. Has anyone read a bible about how God works?

[Michael W. Kruse]

Mel, I think what this congregation has erred (and many others along with them) is thinking of "emergent" or "emerging church" as a worship style or a growth tactic. Most emerging groups see themselves creating (restoring?) an ecclesiology that centered around community centered on Christ and exhibiting the Kingdom of God to the world in warp and woof of our lives. They’d say it isn’t about a service on Sunday but about being a community where one expression of what they do is corporate worship once a week. You wrote:

“Our authority is not in the words that we make up to somehow gimmick people into worship--but the Word of God is authoritative in and of itself, and it speaks of our worship life in and through Christ.”

I think many emerging church folks would hardily agree with you here, but possibly add that hearing and acting on the Word of God is something that happens in community, not as isolated individuals.