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July 11th, 2006

My Emerging Church credentials

emerging church

Let me explain.

I was surprised and pleased to find that the Cartoon Blog is listed in a list of blogs being researched as part of a dissertation on the Emerging Church.

In case any readers are wondering what ‘the Emerging Church’ is my definition is: “People who are going about being ‘the church’ in a bit of a different way to the way that most people are going about it”. All straightforward enough, I’m sure you’ll agree. In the UK at least the Emerging Church mainly came from the ranks of those who were doing ‘alternative worship’ (ie worship, but a bit alternative) services. They then decided that, good as alternative worship was (and is), there was more to life than sitting in a darkened room listening (but not dancing) to dance music and so they joined forces with various people in the USA and also Australia who were either doing some similar things in darkened rooms or who had written some books on not-unrelated subjects, and together they became the Emerging Church. Again, nothing too complicated there.

Now, I have had some involvement with such goings-on in the past. Imagine my horror then, when I read on the same dissertation research weblog that my Emerging Church credentials were being doubted. By my friend Mark Berry, no less, who comments:

…some of the Blogs are most definitley not influential EC Blogs (Cartoon Blog for example is a wonderful Blog but not a leading voice in the EC in the way you seem to mean… perhaps because Dave posts occasionally on EC he gets a Tag but his links come from his cartooning/humour – Worship matters… seems to bare no resemblance to the EC at all as far as I can see)

Not a leading voice in the Emerging Church??? No resemblance?? Good heavens. I am flabbergasted.

I need somehow to establish my Emerging Church credentials before I get disqualified from this dissertation, with all the shame that that entails.

OK, Mark, I raise you one defunct slide projector previously used to project deeply meaningful words onto sown-together sheets, and a box containing upwards of 50 half-used tealights. Do better if you can.

You can add this cartoon to your blog, subject to one or two very basic conditions. To do so, either save the cartoon and upload it to your own webspace, or simply copy and past the code below:

<img src="http://www.weblogcartoons.com/cb/emerging-church-1.gif" alt="cartoon from www.weblogcartoons.com" />
<p>Cartoon by <a href="http://www.cartoonchurch.com/blog/">Dave Walker</a>. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at <a href="http://www.weblogcartoons.com/">We Blog Cartoons</a>.</p>

25 Comments »



This is a single Cartoon Blog entry, posted by Dave on Tuesday, July 11th, 2006 at 3:53 pm.

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25 Responses to “My Emerging Church credentials”


  1. Karin says:

    There’s probably still time to organise an alternative worship session for this year’s Greenbelt using cartoons and all the junk you don’t want to take with you when you move. String has numerous uses in alternative worship services, and unravelling tatty old jumpers would be equally good. I’m sure a pile of old bankstatements to tear up in order to represent freedom from past sin (debts) would go down well, too. As you’re a very inventive sort I’m sure you will be able to come up with lots more ideas, Dave. ;0)

    July 11th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
  2. Nefertiki says:

    Dave, I, and at least five acquaintances, would be happy to sign a statement to the effect that: “To the best of our knowledge Dave W’s EC credentials are impeccable.” That should do it.

    July 11th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
  3. Mark Berry says:

    Dave Dave, re-read the comment… I never questioned your EC credentials perse (it was ‘Worship Matters’ blog I said had ‘no resemblance’ to EC…read it and you’ll see what I mean!) What I said is that your Blog is not sepcifically an EC blog and the permanent links you get are more likely to be down to your excellent cartoons and “humour” not down to you being a significant voice in the Emerging Church conversation! As opposed to someone like ‘TSK’ or even ‘EmergentNO’ whose main purpose is to explore/critique the EC. tut tut Mr Walker, you do yourself no favours with this slipshod posting ;-)

    Mind you I don’t agree with your definition! ;-) on many levels!

    July 11th, 2006 at 10:45 pm
  4. Mark Berry says:

    …therefore my question was in regard of the research methods… as you do know me (and I guess occasionally read my Blog) you should know that I reject any attempts to ordain significant voices… that is part of the beauty of the conversation for me…

    By the way about your history of EC… what, no mention of Bosch, Donovan, Tomlinson et al…? mmm maybe more complicated than you give it credit for? I know your post has the usual irony attached… but I do get fed up the recycling of misread posts etc. that goes on… we all have E-mails don’t we?

    July 11th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
  5. Dave says:

    Dear Mark,

    Aha! I had not picked up that there was a blog called ‘Worship matters’. I thought you were saying that I sometimes posted on worship matters, which I thought odd but then I take odd comments in my stride.

    I still take great umbrage at your dismissal of my definition of the emerging church. I am a significant voice for goodness sake!

    :)

    July 11th, 2006 at 11:05 pm
  6. Dave says:

    Mark – sorry – crossed posts.

    I am of course largely joking and agree with all your points. My definition is of course nonsense, though I do think that sometimes the very significant influence of the alt.w movement (largely in the UK and Australia) is sometimes downplayed.

    My serious point (if I have one) might perhaps be that in a movement that aims to be as democratic as the emerging church defining who the significant voices are is rather difficult. My claim to be have significant credentials (and I hope this was obvious) was said with a twinkle in my eye.

    July 11th, 2006 at 11:29 pm
  7. Mark Berry says:

    Mate, agreed and consider oil poured on the waters… I wish we could let go of the need for ’significant voices’ and whilst I think the ‘whole’ research may be interesting I do wonder why there is a need to try and ‘pin down’ the conversation and find leaders!? … and I have had a long day and am feeling somwehat bruised for other reasons!

    July 11th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
  8. Liz says:

    On first glance at the acrtoon, I wasn’t sure which non-conformity the ‘gentlemen’s’ attention was being drawn to…the lack of a Mac Powerbook…lack of Howies style slogan t-shirt…lack of earphones…lack of sunglasses…lack of a goatee…or the fact that the slightly longer hair might suggest there was a woman in the room.

    Heaven forfend!

    As for your lack of EC credentials Dave, well I’m shocked and shall obviously have to review whether I continue to subscribe to this blog…

    ;-)

    July 12th, 2006 at 12:55 am
  9. steve says:

    this is hilarious. I have borrowed it and blogged some more, on why there might be no such thing as the emerging chruch … and have linked to your site. hope that’s OK.

    dave, I will add in 3 dance tracks and one obscure quote by a Europoan philosopher to go with your slide projector, sheets and candles.

    any chance of adding into the cartoon an internet war between mark and dave – with emails flying between them and ironic humour stripped by the interent. :) peace to all

    July 12th, 2006 at 2:00 am
  10. Jamie Arpin-Ricci says:

    I was tickled that I made the list as well. However, Technorati is increasingly a poor representation of the voices. For example, some time ago I helped Scot McKnight register and he instantly hit number one (and stayed there for a while). I wonder how many others have the same potential. Even then, ENo is also proof that “influence” and “leadership” are not necessities to hit the top 10. Oh well, it will be interesting.

    Peace,
    Jamie

    July 12th, 2006 at 3:32 am
  11. Kate P says:

    And I thought alternative worship was where half the choir/sunday school children only come every other week, because they spend alternate weekends with their other parent somewhere else! Sad but true

    July 12th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
  12. St says:

    I will see your slide projector, candles, dance tracks, sheets and philosophical musings and raise you a bag of sand, a broken mirror, a dirty mirror and two piles of stones, one clean one muddy.

    July 12th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
  13. Jack the Lass says:

    I can lend you a Moby CD if that’s any help.

    July 12th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
  14. Kyle says:

    Dave, I am quite possibly the most significantly self-important voice in the emerging church “conversation.”

    So I will give you tips. Understand that it’s all about image control. I am important on the Internet if other people talk about me. If people you don’t know talk about you as if you are an important and influential voice in the emerging church, you are.

    This is how you do it.

    1. Talk about Brian McLaren. I met him, I like him, I enjoyed the 2 books that I read, and think he made some good points. I don’t think of him when I wake and when I lie down. But if I talk as if I did, I will be an Important Voice.

    2. Start slagging off the “Institution.” I don’t think that’s a bad word myself, but if I pretend, I become more important.

    3. Use words like “gospel,” “postmodern,” and “relevant” a lot. Hormonal American seminarians with limited vocabularies will immediately think you to be brilliant and/or dangerous. They will get really upset with you (as regarding some current cartoons!) whist you will be watering the plants and thinking about lunch.

    I hope you enjoyed my unsolicited but deeply urgent advice. :0)

    July 12th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
  15. tired&emotional says:

    I’m all for the Emerging Church. Its about time it started doing what it was made for. However I don’t think that alt.worship is the be all and end all. If it isn’t working in the community and reaching out then it won’t emerge very far. There are many who believe that this is another fad that will disappear and lose relevance to all, apart from a few hippies who wandered in by mistake.

    July 12th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
  16. Ben says:

    Thank you Mark and Dave for modelling such a friendly, gracious and humourous public conversation.

    I’m beginning to realise that the relationships that we play out over blogs and all that give us a look into what kind of a church we might emerge into.

    And this little conversation gave me hope that we’re going the right way.

    July 12th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
  17. Mark Berry says:

    Hey, in my tired and emotional state I forgot to place my bet… I see all your mirrors, stones, projectors etc. and raise you one Anthony De Mello book, A tub of Myrrh and one of Frankinsense (with burner and charcoal), an S.Video cable, my copy of Arkaos and a plate of Chilli (with Nachos and a bottle of Leffe)!

    July 12th, 2006 at 9:46 pm
  18. LauraHD says:

    Dave and Liz – LMAO! I thought on first glance that the cartoon was of me! Curly hair, glass, pen and paper, no mac, etc (ok, so I do have a howies top)… Great one Dave! :-D

    July 13th, 2006 at 11:18 am
  19. MadPriest says:

    Hi. I’m back.
    Dave. You’re a trendsetter not a sheep. The Emerging Church is just so yesterday.
    You want them to want to join you not visa versa.
    Think up your own snappy sounding book opportunity (CartoonChurch, Converging Church, SUBMERGING CHURCH! etc.)
    I’ll join yours if you join mine.

    July 14th, 2006 at 11:16 am
  20. Jan says:

    Dave,

    I love the “pew” cartoon – reminded me of a time I was invited to sing at a particular church. I had to arrive very early for a sound check, as as they were a VIP church (they televised :) There was no one sitting down as I chose my seat. Soon a little old man came tapping with his cane up the aisle, the second person to get a seat. He went to the pew in front of me and looked down it. He went to the pew in back of me and looked down it. He then stood by “my” pew and informed me I was sitting in his spot!

    July 15th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
  21. Jim says:

    I’m a quite fan of your work, truly original. Just one point on the emerging church cartoon… too much hair!

    July 17th, 2006 at 9:48 pm
  22. Mandylion says:

    Dave, I’ve just put your rss feed into the ‘EmergingChurch’ folder on my links bar… so that proves it.

    Anyone wishing to test my credentials (like once having created black OHP slides with white letters and killing my printer!) will need an appointment.

    July 19th, 2006 at 7:01 am
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    Trackback

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