doctrine... belonging... and a song in-between

We had an awesome time togther at our Emergent West Michigan group this past Wednesday. Kudos to Dr. Mike Wittmer from Grand Rapids Theolgocial Seminary for his insights, cheers, and challenges toward the emergent expression.

I walked away pondering one particular idea that pertains to the inter-relationship we face in our ministries of believing, belonging, and behaving (for lack of sexier terms). It seems to me that there is much discussion about which comes first and why. Lest you think I’m going “linear,” let me take this further by asking waht you think the blur of these three essential elements look like in our communities of faith?

My observation is that many have reacted to "starting with believing” because it makes doctrine seem like a “line in the sand” that we draw and creating an in/out, us/them division that many of us are trying to avoid. I think this leads to a slow death of ecclesiastical insulation, chosen navel-gazing, and "Left Behind" dementia .

The challenge by Dr. Wittmer was, “why do people have problems with in/out?” Theologically, is there not some point where a distinction becomes important (in membership, communion, church discipline, etc.)? And… does not some element of “believing” give us some starting point for what our expectations are for “behaving” (ie. There are certain things I expect of a professing believer that I don’t with one’s who’s journey is on the fringe)?

I've been pondering the metaphor that expresses doctrine (ie. the story of God) more like a song. There are some that know the song so well that they know the words while there are others that are just learning to hum the tune. Is not the role of the church to embrace the song, sing it often and ask people add their part?

Does this help us at all in thinking through what Jesus followers are to be like and how they embrace a belonging-believing-behaving matrix? I’d love your thoughts, your critique, and how your naviagting this in your own corner of the world...

Thanks all. Rock on…