All I can say is FAIL. Here's why.

First off, anybody who reads the sign, which is probably tens of thousands a day, won't have a CLUE what it means.

What does a sign with "Kingdom of God" mean to people who don't even go to church???

What some who used to do the church thing (or have heard of people who do), will recognize is 'born again'--that buzzword from the 70's generally used in the pejorative today.

Secondly, people who are churched might not even understand the sign. What does 'seeing the Kingdom of God' actually mean? (And apparently this whole Kingdom of God thing is only for men.)

Thirdly, the sign is wrong.

I get what they're trying to say (or at last how I interpret it). If you haven't said a 'prayer' to get to 'heaven' then you won't see the 'Kingdom'. So get on your knees and be 'born again'!

FAIL.

Not only will the sign not work but the theology is wrong.

Using words like 'Kingdom' imply, in orthodox Christianity, the ushering in of God's ultimately dream of righting all the wrongs. Because we live in a liminal space, the now but not yet time where the Kingdom has now been glimpsed in Christ and joined by the church, but not yet in realised in full, the Kingdom IS seen.

Ironically, the church who put up the sign ARE the ones who should be glimpsing moments of God's Kingdom on earth by being participants in a mission to right wrongs.

Next time they should put something at least semi controversial for the right reasons, perhaps something drole? Any suggestions?

Church Sign Fail is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

But don't take our word, here's a quick article I stumbbled one written by heavyweight theologian NT Wright (who blasts poor Tim out of the water on anything Bible IMO).

Nt Wright on the rapture (1 Thess).

Rapture is a Scam – NT Wright on 1 Thess 4:16-17 is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

Technorati Tags: lahaye, rapture, wright

Modern denominations, which include pretty much everyone, but I'll pick on evangelicals because they tend to think they're cutting edge when it comes to connecting with the world around them, are doing a poor job raising post-modern leaders from within.

Why? I think it's because they measure success and new leaders with a modern lens and thus can only conclude inadequacy.

For leaders, in an effort to minimize the loss of new leaders, the solution is to get these individuals to prove or gain experience. Make them work in the modern attractional consumer church for a few years to see if they 'get it' before accepting the rick of a 'trial' or 'test' model of post-modern church.

Success, on the other hand, is not measured in the transformation of a few, but whether an event captures the attention of many. Regardless of their initiatives do anything they must at least give the impression to people that they've done something. Although they claim efficiency (church development) they combine energies and impact few.

What's going to happen? Post-modern leaders won't play the game. If postmodernity is really a completely different culture than what's found in current evangelical modern churches, then being trained within that setting detrimental at worse and boring at best.

Here's a discussion between two young pastors, one employed at a 'emerging-missional' church in a modern denomination. The other, from the same denomination, can't get affirmation to do a post-modern/missional church plant. Read on, it includes a hockey analogy :D

D says: i got two sermons to write before i start on the conference stuff

R says: haha. the life of a modern pastor

D says: wow...you're really cranky these days

R says: i figure i'll talk to anybody who'll listen....which is nobody these days

D says: you're all suited up...u got ur skates on...great stick and glove...but u won't play coz u wanna to change the rules b4 u step on the ice...

R says: hang on

R says: good analogy, i'm thinking

D says: i'm listening

R says: i'm all suited up, i've got my skates on, great stick and glove, but i won't play cause i'd have to do it in front of a crowd that won't even cheer along

R says: i'd rather start my own team and play with people on the ice cause everyone dreams about being on the ice

D says: they ain't gonna listen to u until they know how hard u hit and how fast ur slapshot is

R says: who?
R says: i do'nt care about the owners
R says: all they care about is how many ticket sales they get

D says: so????

R says: they have all the money, but they only control a small segment of th epopulation
R says: little do they know that 80% of the market remains untapped ready to give

D says: this....isn't too bad...

Are Evangelicals Inept at Raising Post-Modern Leaders? is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

The Transforming Theology project pursues a three-pronged approach for deepening the relationship between theology and transformative action. The "Transforming the Church" page describes the denominational summit meeting scheduled for May 2009, as well as steps to strengthen the networks of Christians across the denominations who share with one another the passion for a transforming and transformative theology. The "Seminaries and Divinity Schools" page describes new initiatives in theological education that are helping to train future religious leaders according to these priorities and to disseminate them more broadly.

But what of the third, and no less essential, prong in the effort: theologians themselves? This part of the website, and of our overall project, is dedicated to those theologians who are writing in powerful and accessible ways to transform church and world. We are identifying these men and women, publicizing their work, making their books available to bloggers and to the media, recording interviews with them that can be downloaded as podcasts -- in short, creating a network of theologians whose work is transformative.

Our task is not to establish strict criteria for what counts as acceptable or unacceptable theology. Instead, we join with all Christian thinkers who are involved in formulating, and living, transformative theologies. We are working to bring home the two-directional nature of the organic link between belief and action. Powerful theologies lead to powerful ministries in the church and in the world. But the feedback relationship is no less important: examining transformative ministries, as well as those that fail to be transformative, often provides crucial guidance in how theologies should be extended, adapted -- or radically revised..

Our role will be to critique the writings and books we get through out own lens and hopefully we will engage some other blog writers. So stay tuned and enjoy!

Pomotheo Joining TransformingTheology Network is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

This debate between prominent Christian apologist and LDS author took place over the blogosphere. http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/mormondebate/. Personally I don't think it was a fair debate since Dr. Mohler is a PhD and Orson is merely an fictional writer. Nonetheless, Orson never answered the main question about the debate, basically "is Mormonism an accurate reflection of orthodox Christianity".

Why Mormons Aren’t Christians, Period. is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

It's GREAT! to see theologians finally getting their voices heard. Albeit, this particular woman is a Lutheran, evangelicals should take notice. Hopefully arrogant conservatives won't write these theologians off as 'liberal', or in this case 'just a woman'.

Quite frankly, dispensationalist theology, of which 'rapture theology' and the entire 'Left Behind' series is based, does not have a foundation to stand upon. It's dying a slow death, so people, please let it go.

More discussion in the PomoTheo Theology Forum.

Left Behind Junk – Sound Exegesis Finally Seeping Through is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

Predestination and Free Will is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives