ABOUT SPIRITUAL FORMATION

Possible Evidences of Spiritual Formation and The Emergent Church:

Emergent Church ideologies and Spiritual Formation teachings overall uplift relationship and downplay law and doctrine, thereby elevating part of the character of God while minimizing or dropping off all together the rest of His character. You may hear the mantra “Jesus all” or something similar. Ironically it is a misnomer in that the Emergent Church and Spiritual Formation focus of Jesus do not incorporate ALL of His character. Only love and relationship are emphasized as if the justice and Righteousness components of His character are somehow devoid of love or even Jesus.

The atmosphere in an Emergent Church tends to be more casual and relaxed, and coffee stations may also be present. Sermons tend to remain on surface level, often mixed with a few jokes and are typically short in duration. The focus is on grace and justification stopping just shy of discussion and biblical teachings of sanctification. The lighting tends to be (but not always) darker for creating an experiential worship service based on feelings. You may find candles, a wooden cross, repetitive worship music, couches or pillows on the floor rather than a more formal setting, though a formal, somewhat traditional setting may also leave off the teaching of law, doctrine and sanctification while promoting and emphasizing relationship theology. The Emergent Church is the result of a deconstruction and most often deletion of the traditional teachings due to dissatisfaction. Doctrine is considered dry, therefore the focus is on experiencing God. The Emergent Church is meant to be a post-modern church for a post-modern world. It embraces experience over reason, subjectivity or objectivity, spirituality over religion and images over words.

Books of another order are quoted and recommended. The most popular authors are Leonard Sweet, Dallas Willard, RIchard Foster, Gerald May, Henri Nouwen, Brennan Manning, Thomas a Kempis and Brother Lawrence. There are many other authors, now including even those within our own denomination.

Ellen G. White’s writings are rarely mentioned but when they are, they are typically misapplied or mentioned simply in jest. You will not hear sermons on the sanctuary in connection with the 2300 days, sanctification (the cleansing of the sanctuary), the investigative judgment, or righteousness by faith. Nor will there be an emphasis on the detailed teachings of Daniel and Revelation prophecies. These teachings are considered to be fear mongering instead of promoting the comfortable, feel good messages of love and grace alone even though we are told it is “ The Revelation of Jesus Christ…” in Revelation 1:1. Rest assure that Jesus is also in the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation just as much as He is in all of the other Books of the Bible, His inspired Word.