Over at the Ooze in a conversation about Seeking diversity in Emergent sacred narrative writes

"Maybe we study African Christianity and South American Christianity and Eastern Christianity and Mexican Christianity and tell those stories."

I’d add the many facets of African-American and Afro Caribbean Christianity as well.

Another ooze conversation responds to a blog by Maurice Broddus on Black People in the conversation  he writes

"In a lot of ways, the emergent church struck me as, well, the Christian equivalent of the grunge movement. A little subversive, a little edgy, and whole lot of white, middle class evangelicals trying to make Christianity look cool. In other words, originally I saw a lot of style over substance. However, once I dug a little deeper, read some of the foundational works, a lot of the substance of postmodernism resonated. I was left wondering how this would translate to black churches, wondering what an emergent African American church would look like or what a multi-cultural emergent church would look like. "

This is exactly how I feel sometimes about t Emergent. What we are trying to do at my church Mosaic Life is figure out and life out biblical emerging church values in a real multiracial faith community.

Jose over at cracked pots has this perspective on the diversity from the urban side of things

"i think you’re right about an urban presence. reverend ray rivera, executive director of LPAC (south bronx) will say that people want to "parachute into the city" and try to save us. it becomes less about being missional (coming along side), and more about the old-school, missionary mentality. my other question is how do we preach relocation, and for those who are already there to remain?"

And Finally Anthony smith at postmodern negro is exploring/imagineering the postmodern black church

"I want to be a part of Christian community…a local ekklesia. But I want to feel at "home". Not in a consumeristic sense, but in a sense that it will challenge me, provoke me, encourage me, to be a part of the missio Dei or God’s mission of salvation in the Land. When I think about the kind of church community that would draw me…my imagination always goes to images like these. Am I crazy?"

This is how many of the spiritually searching people of color I know feel. I really do resonate with this. This is where I think Emergent has missed the boat.

I think is all boils down to creating new churches that speak this yearning. As my church planting  coach (grandfather to biracial kids said on the need for diverse and new churches "my grandkids need churches that haven’t been started yet."

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. Urban-"What does it mean to live as a Christian in the ‘Urbs’?" This is less about location and more about influence. We are living in a globalized society, where the world can be represented on two square blocks in our cities, while the suburbs continue to receive their influence from the urban environment. How will this challenge a new kind of church into thinking about urban theology? Further, how do we develop a community of believers that have a heart for the city?

I’m looking forward to Brian’s visit to GR next month maybe there will be a chance to explore some of these questions

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