I wonder, as our congregations "emerge" - that is become more "emergent" and spirituality becomes more personal and authority more democratized - will there be a place for classically educated, former seminary students now ordained ministers?

I wonder about this a lot.

Not just because my pension depends on it.

In my congregation all manner of folk sit side by side, not disturbed by the fact that the woman sitting next to them does not have a developed Christology, the guy behind feels more comfortable with an "Eastern" expression of the Trinity, the woman taking up the offering doesn't believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ and the fellow pouring coffee considers the day that he was "born again" to be the most important day of his life.

This, to my mind, is a good thing. We work together, we listen to each other and we celebrate our differences as well as our commonality. But we are still in the throes of an "authoritarian" church. Many people look to the minister (which is often me) to see if what Ms. SoandSo believes makes any sense and if what Mr. WhataboutThis believes is a threat to the church.

But what happens when or if that person (me) isn't around?

Who will say, "That's stupid!" when it is suggested that Jesus is the ultimate Leprechaun and we really should do more with St. Patrick's Day?

(Of course, "That's Stupid" would be expressed in a far more pastoral tone, and certainly appear to be said lovingly.)

What do we do when a congregation wants to shorten the year and celebrate Christeastermas all on one day in February - singing about how Jesus comes into the world, leaves, comes back, leaves and promises to come again...a Christological Peekaboo?

Who says, "Wait a minute, that's just goofy!"?

It is my experience that most people have spiritual experiences and ideas, but do not have a vocabulary to express these ideas; they are not often well versed in scripture, tradition, or theology. They need someone to help them learn, to find a ways to share their experience, and advice on how to pursue such experiences.

I have friends who eschew such "authority" and insist that we can be our own guides, that every experience shared is as valid as another and should not be held to any kind of critical light. If they were to go to any kind of church, it would be a church without authority, it would be one where people's ideas are shared and honoured equally. If such a church could ever exist, I don't think that I would want to be part of it.

I'm a wine drinker (how was that for a smooth segue?). I'm also a wine taster. I gather once a month with other wine tasters, we taste wines and we share with each other what we are tasting. We talk of great wines that we've had and about horrible wines with which we were assaulted. And we use words and expressions like "wet dog," "barnyard," "pencil lead," "hints of hibiscus," when talking about the wine in our glass. We have learned a common language by which we can communicate taste and flavour. When I first began to taste wine, I would seek out a teacher and sit with him or her, listen to him describe the taste of wine and I would look for the things he described -- "tobacco," "tar and roses." I would go to the grocery store and smell produce so that I really did know what a mushroom, grapefruit, or a kiwi smelled like. I put my nose right up against a soaking wet dog so that I could understand what was meant when someone said "It has wet dog on the mid-palate." I did all of this because an authority invited me and instructed me to do these things, if I wanted to have his/her appreciation of wine. The teachers didn't tell me what wine to like or not to like, but they did teach me how to express my like or dislike, how to communicate my experience so that it could be meaningful for others and what to pursue as I became more aware of what I liked in wine and what I didn't know about wine.

That's the kind of emergent church for me. Not one where they serve wine, but one where there are teachers who are able to share with me their vast experience, insight, and formal learning, so that I can begin to appreciate my spiritual life, pursue spiritual experiences, and learn to share all of it with others. I want to hear from those who have more experience and training than I, so that I can benefit from their experience - not to walk in lock-step behind them, but hear about some of the roads that they have travelled. And when I bring out a bottle of Mexican Pinot Noir, I want somebody to warn me that I am about to make a very big mistake!

I think that there is a place for me and my kind in an emergent church, but it may be more the role of Sommelier than Chef or Maître d'.

Incidentally, feel free to send this whole blog back if it seems corked.