Regardless of the various modalities of "church" that seem to be emerging in various venues, a common thread running through many of them is a hunger and thirst for "community". Something more substantial than just the hour or so before lunch on Sundays. A place to be real without fear of rejection. A place to be safe while you try to figure things out. A place where the theological "stuff" about the love of God is lived out in tanglble ways that folks can count on--a place where "love" isn't theologized into unrecognizability. I don't know if Gen-X churches will ultimately offer this kind of community, but it is pretty rare out there in mega-churches or non-mega-churches.
Posted by: SK at February 20, 2004 2:12 PMI think all this new community building and new worship styling is great and refreshing. As a visually creative person I love sharing in the worship service. I do think the article "lumps" a bit. I don't think age matters so much. If a Boomer wants to do it power to 'em. The most important thing is GOD has to be there, Himself. I mean if not (and I've been there, too often) it's dad-gumm performance art! I'd rather go to the SFMOMA.
Posted by: kwk at February 20, 2004 5:22 PMI'm not educated at all about the movement described in this article but I do think that a desire for community is probably at the heart of this movement. However it does seem that this movement could be drawn in to directions: those that seek to connect to God and each other through reconnecting to the past with old liturgy and ancient worship practices, and those that seek to connect to God and each other through devising new forms of worship and making Christianity fresh. Now in all likelyhood the vast majority of these pomo churches have a bit of both tendencies in them.