It's not enough just to see the wrong.

On the newly formed Leadership Journal blog, Out of Ur, James MacDonald begins a multi-part post entitled Why James MacDonald Is Not Emerging. His first point is that "observing the bad is not a credential for guiding us to the good."

I think he is reacting to a tendency seen among many who identify themselves with the emerging chruch, to define themselves almost entirely in terms of their opposition to what is wrong with that part of the church from which they perceive themselves to be emerging. I too have found this emphasis on the bad to be somewhat less than satisfying. However, I would point out that it is not just the emerging church that is subject to falling into this negative definition trap — for the past 500 years, this has been the standard operating practice in the church. So much so that we now have hundreds, if not thousands, of churches that identify themselves principally in terms of the protest that spawned their initial formation.

Lately, I have been reflecting upon my own lifelong journey of faith, and I am coming to see that it is actually impossible to divide the good from the bad in the church. That is, I am becoming increasingly aware that it is one and the same church that has been both the place where I have been introduced to, and nurtured in my relationship with God, as well as the place where I have been thwarted, opposed and misdirected in my relationship with God. I have not been influenced by one good church and also by another bad church, but rather the same church — the same people, the same structures, the same institutions, the same teachings, the same emphases — has been at work in my life both for good and for ill.

As a result, I dare not turn my back on that part of the church which has exhibited the bad, for it was there that God met me, guided me, and made me grow. Nor can I uncritically bless that part of the church which has exhibited the good, for it was there that I suffered much spiritual opposition and wrong. Rather in both, the good and the bad, it was God who was at work in my life and in the life of the church.

It is far too easy to blame the insert identifying adjective here church for everything that has been wrong about our spiritual journey, and to assume that by converting to the insert alternate identifying adjective here church we will be sure to grow spiritually ourselves and also to see that all around us develop spiritually as they should. But it just doesn't work that way. No matter which "adjective" we pursue in our practice of church, we are going to be the source of much pain and much detraction from God. But we are also going to be part of God's working in the lives of people, in spite of our "adjectives".

I'm still curious, however, to see whether James MacDonald's post of reasons why he "is not emerging" is going to be more than just "observing the bad".