Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Attention All Postmodern Emergents

Now is your chance to teach others how to be as "hip" as you are! The Westwinds Community Church is seeking an emergent leader:
You probably connect with today’s culture if your iPod is part of your wardrobe; if your play lists include U2, Black-Eyed Peas, Moby, and Coldplay; if your library shelf contains N.T. Wright, Leonard Sweet, Bill Easum, Jim Collins, John Grisham and John Steinbeck; if your DVD collection goes beyond Disney to Cohen brothers, Oliver Stone, and Mel Gibson; and if you can successfully order at Starbucks without tripping over your tongue or holding up the line. Westwinds Community Church is seeking a subversive teacher/communicator and team player who can connect with the inquirer as well as the seasoned Christ-follower and who accurately and passionately exegetes Scripture and culture. This catalytic leader must guide the ongoing theological and cultural dialogue while exploring different approaches to ministry.

If this is you, here are the requirements:
Five years experience in an emergent church would be ideal . . .

I can understand the five years of indoctrination in an emergent church. But it's the closing requirement that really baffles me:
. . . as well as a master’s degree and/or seminary training.

Why would seminary training be desirable for such a position? Doesn't that just represent more "stuff" that needs to be deconstructed? I'm also a bit baffled at the "accurate exegesis" stuff. Wouldn't that be self-defeating? I mean, once I have engaged in accurate exegesis and harvested its conclusions, wouldn't I have to abandon the emergent church?

By the way, while I don't own an iPod, don't listen to U2, Black-Eyed Peas, Moby, or Coldplay, my library shelf does contain N.T. Wright (though not John Grisham) and I do order Venti, No-fat, Extra-hot Chais at Starbucks on a regular basis--and I can order it like I know what I'm talking about. I wonder if I qualify.