In the center of town around High Street and Main
five churches were started in 2010.
Two bought out old chapels, one met in a bar
one met at the Bijou and one in the park.
Each sought for a word to distinguish their flock
from the other four gatherings there on the block.
Community, Village and Friendly all worked
some called it a Meeting, still others a Kirk.
But when names weren’t enough to set each one apart
each sought to distinguish the core or the heart
of their groups unique style of spiritual improvement
by coining a term to inspire a movement.
One said, “We’re Emergent and by that we mean
something new coming out from the old Christian scene.”
Another said, “Close but that’s not quite the thing
instead of emergent we are Emerging”
One tied to their heritage lit on Resurgent.
While the ones on the narrow path, they chose Divergent.
The fifth and last church sadly took a long time
Before choosing “Mosturgent” because they liked the rhyme.
Well one fine summer morning ol’ Jacques came to town
to check on the doings and have a look ‘round.
He saw all the churches ensconced at the center
and tried to determine which one he should enter.
Each one’s vinyl banner puffed up by the breeze
declared why their own was far better than these.
The MOSTurgent, Emergent, Resurgent all cried
Divergent, Emerging said, “Please, come inside”
‘Ol Jacques chuckled because he had heard each ones claims
as he took the first letter from each of their names
saying, “I’ve listened to all of you now and I’ve heard
your irregular movements combined into MERDE.”
So ol’ Jacques left the town satisfied in his search
Having never once darkened the door of a church
For he thought, “Now if that is the best they can offer to me
then perhaps I’ll just watch politics on t.v.”
Fin
No hard feeling towards any particular movement, just the competitive nature they’ve all seem to have taken on. What does it say about being “in but not of” and “striving for unity”?
Curtis O. Fletcher 
“…your irregular movements combined into MERDE.”
Well played.
Dave Johnson…Dave Johnson…I knew a Dave Johnson once…
🙂
Thanks man, I was worried it was a little forced.
Church unity. That I feel is one of the most difficult parts of the Christians walk. I have no answer. I am not emerging or emergent, I was saved in a Pentecostal church and am now a Reformed Presbyterian.They like most other groups have a tendency to believe they got it right. Maybe they do maybe they don’t, but one thing I know for sure is that the fragmented American church is not how God intends us to be. I have theological answers to many questions that satisfy my intellect but where to draw the line on Christian unity is not one. I really believe that the Apotle Paul would be a lot more ecumenical than we are in America but I also believe that part of our problem is that we do not have a teachable spirit. When someone tells us we are wrong instead of searching the Scriptures to see if it’s true we just assume we are right and part ways with each other. This I feel is a huge problem in American Chistianity. We all assume we know everything. I am always struck by the story of Appolos in Acts 18. It says that he taught accurately the things of God but only knew the baptism of John, then Priscilla and Aquila explained the way of God to him more accurately. From his action he obviously had a teachable spirit and accepted their instruction. It is this teachable spirit that I feel is missing with Christ’s church in America and has led in part to our fragmenting.
Spot on. I have another post in there somewhere on the lost art of dialogue…same idea.