So what do you know of neomonastacism, postmodernism, missional living, praxis-oriented lifestyles, post-evangelical, or the emergent and emerging church?

Say what?

If these terms are unfamiliar to you, or vaguely familiar, you are not by yourself. But, in case you are not aware of it, the church, or ecclesiology, if you are sitting in a seminary class, is a-changing.

Since the early 70's, the Christian church has been dramatically and substantively evolving. This is not a species change, like the Darwinists would love. These are believers who, (by and large) still adhere to orthodox Christianity. These are the true believers.

There are some, however, who are questioning some (or a lot) of orthodox beliefs. But this has always been true. Their questions keep the rest of us on our toes. There is very little new, and nothing seminal, in their challenges. Most of their questions have been asked and answered a zillion times over.

Still, it is impossible to deny that change is occurring in every denomination and level of interpretation. Denominationalism is all but dying and both young and old are finding the "contemporary" mega-church slaking their spiritual thirsts. The days of hand -- wringing over the lack of church involvement among young people are over. The mega-churches of today are reaching them in droves.

Others are abandoning the traditional church altogether, opting for the "house church." One of the great theologians and prophets of modern times, Flip Wilson, saw all of this coming and advised us to quickly connect with his "Church of What/s Happening Now."

What has happened is a fundamental change in worship and in understanding the bible. Mind you, not dismissing or relegating the bible into irrelevance, but engaging new, fresh and powerful ways of studying and absorbing it. Scripture is more relevant today than it has ever been.

We won't take the space to dig into it here. Google "emerging church" and you will discover more information than you will ever want or need, to know.

The point we make here is that if you want to check interpretations of the bible, theological notions, or changes that are happening in Christianity, the very first place we need to look is at Jesus. What, specifically, did he teach? How do the new (or the old) ideas square with his life, the things that he did, his teachings and character?

Jesus is, after all, the focus of our worship. We evangelicals are very fond of the phrase, "Christ-centered." Yet despite the warnings of both Jesus and Paul, we have yet to really discover that "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

The purpose of Jesus in coming to earth in the first place is to seek and to save those who were and are to this day, lost. It is hard for most of us to get our minds around the notion that anyone, let alone whole groups of people, can be "lost." Yet Jesus made that distinction, and he dedicated himself to their redemption.

He is the Anchor, more even than he is "The Answer." Everything we hear, everything we read, everything we do, is measured by him, and his integrity. Without Jesus, nothing about God makes sense. What else, who else, do we need?

Jesus: The Man without variables. Makes sense.

For a detailed study of Jesus as the Lens through which all phenomena, both written and existential, is understood, click here.

-- PDM

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