E-merg-ing  (I-mur-j-ing)  adj. Newly formed or just coming into prominence; emergent: emerging markets; the emerging states of Africa.        Coming into existence “an emergent republic”, being born or beginning, coming to maturity “the raising generation”.

Ok let us get aboard again, your flight is ready for take off once more, we begin with simple questions am I at home as all around me emerges, recognizing it has to emerge to bring life and be in life in our day.

Let us consider further as we have read Part 1 and the introduction now into the emerging ways of God.

Perhaps it was the similar notion that Paul was dealing with when writing to the Philippians when he said “…i press on towards…that which has taken hold of me…” it’s emerging Paul said I am taking hold, making the emergence part of his life.   Faith produces in me and compels me, demanding that I become at home with the insecurity of emerging paradigms, thinking patterns and life styles.   As a matter of fact I am laying hold of that which is emerging that which is still coming, but sure as eggs are eggs its emerging and making itself known more and more.

I feel to say that the nature of this gospel is “…to make known the full Knowledge of the Christ…” (Eph 4:13; Col 1:9) is this not a way of saying get to know him as he comes towards you, he is emerging himself, letting you in little by little, step by step, emerging.   We are to grow from glory to glory, faith to faith, strength to strength, favour to favour, emerge in these going from one step to another as his mercy and grace draws and knowledge opens up.

I would even say that the nature of God is emerging, Isaiah saw him in the temple his train filling the temple, God in nature filling and still coming in the train.   Was that the very train that Moses saw while he was hid in the cleft of the rock of Exodus 33.   Realize that we are emerging into a people a bride who has made herself ready, emerge that’s it!

I have found that God is en ever coming, ever arriving, ever emerging God and the church is to be the same stuff.    We are truly to be in the image and likeness of God and continue Jesus: function, “to explain him” John 1:18 (NASB) the same nature as him, we are still emerging into this creation. The Kingdom will bring a filling of Christ in all in all, as the kingdom  emerges through His people  God arrives.   The ecclesia has to discover a way of living again with pilgrimage and emerging before them, making known what is known, but  still emerging becoming the same nature as the Father  an emerging Church.

The change that happened in Jerusalem all that time ago, the shift going from one center to another, called Antioch to me, only affirms the thought that the day we stop emerging is the day we become institutionalized or a static group.  Jerusalem well establish you “got saved” and you were circumcised as male to be part, you conformed to historic patterns, `Mosaic law’ you where part of the culture that drew its doctrine and practice from history it was your continuity.   Your language was Mosaic and keeping all that was laid down in every way you could and you should, keeping alive past.

Antioch burst on the scene the product of a fleeing church with a different language, this people group, this ecclesia they spoke in terms of vision, dream, prophecy and their doctrine seemed to come from the eternal, from the risen Christ of Johns vision on Patmos.    It was dynamic now it was doctrine emerging, we see that continuity was affirmed, not into Moses’ law but into Abrahams’ life of faith, they believed in continuity, and so should every apostolic community and apostle. We are not apostolic without a deep sense of continuity.    A continuity of Abraham, fathering a faith family.   I would propose to you the emerging church was back on-line again, Paul going down outlined this to Jerusalem; this is the coming church of God in our world.

Unfortunately we get caught on keeping historic ways of thinking and acting, maintaining established people and organization, rather than giving ourselves to the emerging Father Creator and his emerging Ecclesia.

I am fully aware there is greater control and security in a church that does not need to embrace as we have a form and structure to assist and they do, yet

The Ecclesia the Father has in mind is one that is emerging, not a Celebration model, a simple church, model, a house church model, a new church model, a denominational model, a success model, a seeker friendly model. a business model, a mega church model but an EMERGING CHURCH in what ever shape that  people display,  while easily continuing to emerge towards a theology that is Holy Spirit led, Christ focused and holding to a continuity in our faith.

The emerging Ecclesia by nature given to revealing and being the incarnate Christ in our world-embracing all that the Spirit is emerging in each new day is our cry and build what ever model fits you as a people and the people we each touch each day.