Rising From the Ashes - TEC and 'Mainline' emergence

My friend Becky Garrison has written a new book called 'Rising from the Ashes'
and I did a 'review' of it on Amazon.

If you are TEC (The Episcopal Church) Anglican or part of any other kind of 'mainline' church seeking to emerge Do read Rising from the Ashes

Here is my review below:

Becky Garrison has done the 'mainline' churches (and especially The Episcopal Church and The Anglican Communion) a big service in writing this book.

A book like this has been needed for a while now, to help the often 'sidelined' mainline churches to get back on the playing field of western Christianity with both 'voice and vote,' and to offer our sorely needed giftings and perspectives.

Brian McLaren says 'Everything Must Change' in his new book, and I second it and add that 'everything' includes the mainline churches.

Becky moved freely around emerging church circles to gather data and collect some 'true stories' which may help to get mainline emergence 'on the radar' of the established mainline churches, which many of us love and serve faithfully with little 'institutional support' so far, in the ways we truly need it.

Over 35 % (my guestimate) of those active in the 'emerging church' in North America and at least 50% of those in Europe (especially in England) are from 'mainline' traditions rather than from the free church evangelical ones that most people associated with this 'movement.'

We mainliners are 'in the emerging church house.' - This book may help us 'come out' in our own denominations and communions.

As an emerging church 'practitioner,' I was able to tell the story of my community and our pilgrimage in emerging church and mission within the mainline for the last seven years, and I was also able to share my recent efforts to birth 'Anglimergent' (Anglicans) to walk alongside 'Presbymergent, Luthermergent, Submergent (Mennonites) and other mainline native emerging groups.

Sometimes (and quite recently) in my own experiences in my beloved 'TEC' tribe, I often feel as much 'buried in the ashes' as rising from them, but there IS real rising going on none the less.

This book is a must read for the rising that is taking place now among mainline 'scouts' of emergence who are 'on the ground, fumbling in the darkness, submerged in the water, off the map, and down the rabbit' hole, in seeking to actively participate in God's Kingdom and missional future with hope.

Comments

[Justin Mayfield]

Karen, I was just talking to Paul about the decline of the many of mainline churches today. I like that you carried Brian McClaren's "Everything Must Change" statement to the mainline churches as well. I think there is a tendancy to just want to leave them behind until they collapse and join something more Kingdom-centric and relevant to the presentations and pains of our culture. (Obviously, I don't just mean service presentation, I mean all around contextualization.)

I'm glad you posted a blog! I added it to my RSS a few months ago and haven't had the chance to read soemthing new yet! I may have missed the blogging-boat :-( I'm going to keep writing any way! haha.

Oh and hey, do you know of a feed for emerging blogs? I found one but hasn't been updated in over a year. Here in Tacoma there is a feed for Tacoma related blogs and it gets a lot of traffic. An emerging pne seems like it would be a great resource for all of us. If there isn't one, I just may have to start it!

Justin
Zoe Livable Church

[Becky]

Thanks for the positive support - really appreciate it ... moving forward.