Ken,
Another problem is that we are such suckers for fads. Rather than stepping back and seeing the big picture within its historical sweep, we ping pong from one fad to another. During my ministry, I can unfortunately count the eras by my faddish emphases. Being out of the pastorate for 11 years now has given me a little distance to observe the slavish copycat traits of most mainstream evangelicals I knew during my time in ministry. Watching the broad evangelical culture over several decades has seen pastors jump through the following hoops (at least some of them): Charismatic and non-charismatic renewal (60s-70s), small groups (early 70s onward), spiritual gifts (late 70s) theonomy or Lordship salvation (80s), seeker sensitive (90s), purpose driven (00s), emergent (00s) . . .
Can't we ever focus and keep the main thing the MAIN THING?
Confessionally reformed churches are not panaceas. Look at theonomy, the FV, and micro-Presbyterianism. However, I am increasingly convinced that a confessional boundary marker, while an imperfect fence, is better than no fence at all. Otherwise our egos will run amuck and our sinfully depraved minds will travel where they ought not to go.
So true!
I even know of one association that has promoted a speaker who claims to be a theologically conservative emergent church pastor. "He patterns his church after the "vintage" values of the original Christian church and teachings of Jesus - at the same time moving forward to what it means to be Church in a very different culture today." Perhaps this man will spearhead the neo-emergent church movement!