The title alone of Brother Maynard’s latest post made me chuckle…
The Post-Modern Post-Emergent Post-Evangelical Post-Charismatic Post-Fundamentalist Post-Label
…and his first sentence made me think.
“It’s gone so far now that we’re blogging about how we’re tired of talking about the topic we’re blogging about. Again.”
Now, I’m kind of new to this online conversation, so it’s kind of an interesting perspective to jump into discussions of the terms “emergent” and “missional” just when people are getting tired of talking about it. 🙂 And I definitely understand the dynamic that when you’re being shaped into something new, it becomes hard to define because the change is ongoing–and it seems like just when you adopt a term to describe yourself, you no longer feel like the term fits. So please understand that what I’m about to say is more tongue-in-cheek observation than criticism. I’m just thinking about this like everyone else…
It occurs to me that when we see ourselves shifting or drifting away from some label that once defined us, we like to put the prefix post- in front of it. Post-Modern, Post-Charismatic, Post-Evangelical, etc. Technically, the post- prefix simply means “after”, but in our vernacular, putting post- in front of the label essentially means, “Been there. Done that. Moved on.” I’ve done this myself with at least one of these labels, “post-charismatic.”
But seeing all those “posts” in Brother Maynard’s “post” title (can you tell I’m having fun with this?)…it just made me wonder…
- Is this a sign that we’re too busy defining ourselves by what we used to be rather than what we are becoming?
- Are we looking back just a little too much in our quest for identity?
- And is this need we feel to label ourselves and what God is doing possibly getting in our way a little bit? Are we perhaps so consumed with the labels that we are limiting our ability to embrace the process of change itself?
It seems to me that one reason the labels keep changing is that we’re in too big a hurry to create labels. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” (Oh, great, now I’m quoting Shakespeare.) My point is that while it’s certainly okay to try and describe the changes that are happening in us, the change itself is more important than the label we “post” on it.
I don’t have any clear-cut answers or suggestions on this one–just trying to maintain perspective for myself. I feel like I don’t want to be so caught up in figuring out what labels I should adopt (or create)…I just want to be a Jesus-follower, and let Him work this change in me.
Wayward Son
Musician. Composer. Recovering perfectionist. Minister-in-transition. Lover of puns. Hijacker of rock song references. Questioner of the status quo.
I'm not really a rebel. Just a sincere Christ-follower with a thirst for significance that gets me into trouble. My quest has taken me over the fence of institutional Christianity. Here are some of my random thoughts along the way. Read along, join in the conversation. Just be nice.
View all posts by Wayward Son →
Good thoughts. I think (for me…) we (I) find comfort in defining ourselves (myself) as something.
We humans have the tendency to want to allign ourselves with something and unfortunately that sometimes involves explaining what we are *not* rather than defining who we are in a positive sense.
Unfortuntately this has been my experience with conservative christianity in general. We’re good at the proverbial: “…don’t smoke, drink or chew and we don’t hang with girls that *do*.” This is a bit off point…sorry…, but wouldn’t you agree, we often tend to define ourselves in the negative vs. presenting real answers?
I heartily agree with you on the whole “been there, done that” attitude that comes across with this post-language particularly regarding certain christian “camps”. I for one am grateful for my heritage (though misguieded at times) and I firmly believe that God has used all of those experience, both good and bad to shape me along my own journey.
***A nose? What’s in a nose? A nose by any other name would smell as sweet… (From American Tale)
Jeff,
Ha ha ha ha! I loved this “post.” It is so true how the term/prefix “post” tends to have the implications which you described. I especially loved the “been-there-done-that.”
My heart especially resonated with: “Is this a sign that we’re too busy defining ourselves by what we used to be rather than what we are becoming?” -Jeff
And…
“It seems to me that one reason the labels keep changing is that we’re in too big a hurry to create labels.” -Jeff
And…
“…while it’s certainly okay to try and describe the changes that are happening in us, the change itself is more important than the label we “post” on it.” -Jeff
Good stuff.
Blessings,
~Amy 🙂
http://amyiswalkinginthespirit.blogspot.com
The Apostle Paul wrote that he was forgetting those things that were behind and reaching ahead to those things that were before him. Sounds like he was “Post-post”.
I think that’s what I want to be.
Co-heir – Good thoughts!
Good post, heh.
I think you have a pretty good point there Jeff,
Maybe this is just another form for our vanity (pride)to manifest it’s self. I think it’s hard for us sometimes to focus on what is ahead because we can’t see it yet, while (as my mother says) ,”hind sight is always 20/20″.
We may not like what we were but in some aspect were were comfortable in it and therefore it makes it easier to define ourselves by that.
I think Jesus follower sounds pretty good.
Peace
I think that is the key, just follow Jesus. We are so excited about lables that “the following” gets lost.
It used to be the “im a baptist” or “I’m a Lutheran”. Now it is I’m Missional.
Yep I am bored with it all. This conversation has been going on for seven years now. Lets move on.
Steve,
Yeah, I agree that we feel the need to label ourselves for comfort reasons. For some reason we’re uncomfortable with being works in progress, where the end result is not yet known. I also would admit that sometimes it’s easier to say what we are NOT because we don’t *know* yet what we are, or what we will be.
Thanks for the kudos, Amy.
I guess post-post is a good thing to be, Co-heir. Even if it is a double negative. You can’t not like that. 🙂
Skwirl,
Thanks, eh.
Shaun,
I can see the point about pride; I also think a lot of the labeling thing goes on because we mistakenly take identity from these kinds of things, instead of being centered on Christ. No label, no identity. Make sense?
Mike,
Yeah, I have to agree. I think it’s so easy to worry about what to call ourselves that we aren’t free to enjoy the journey of following Jesus. It really can be that simple, I think, if people could just get over it.
Sometimes Christians are so desperate to know one another’s labels that it almost sounds like a Christianized version of astrology: “Whatchersign?” 🙂