With seasonal ‘bon amis’ positively dripping from this series of posts, I could wait no longer to add my postscripts…

Ivan, thank you; not only for the Christmas greetings and kicking off this highly amusing (as in joyful, rather than humourous) post, but also for your wonderful candour and your traditional views. They serve several fine purposes, not least of which is reminding us of a traditional view of things, which often provides, at least for me, a refreshing simplicity, after the rigourous deconstruction, reconstruction process of "emerging." They also provide an opportunity for others to stimulatingly express some of the reasons why the emerging process is valid, necessary and potentially fruitful. I look forward to more in 2006.

Andrew, thank you; I like your ideas regarding Epiphany and the useful analogy it provides of a somewhat typical "emerging" response to Christmas - recognise that some cultural battles have been lost, leave confronting them, which is almost guaranteed to appear mean-minded and find an alternative, cultural expression in which to present a fresh look at messianic faith. And thanks for the endless work you do on presenting such an integrated, articulte and thoughtful "emerging church" theology and process, via OST, providing us with a safe space to explore and last, but not least, promoting a very civil cyber-culture in which so many of us have enjoyed so much stimulating reading, writing and cyber-conversing.

Peter, thank you; for your tireless contributions to the site, your synergetic, emphatic exchanges offering a missiologically orientated conservatism, laced with "fifth-act creativity"; they have ocassionally helped me to personally "hang in there" when feeling relatively whelmed by Andrews highly challenging NT historical-theological paradigm, as well as some of the more liberal theological deconstructions which left not only Ivan but also me "cold."

Richard, thank you; for our highly stimulating exchange regarding "social realities and persecution" (including ‘fessing up and helping me to understand why it had been so challenging!); in researching for it I have been led to obtain an extraordinary book "Confessing Christ in a Post-Holocaust World", part of a series by Holocaust scholar’s that looks absolutely fascinating in its scope and very challenging in its conclusions; I think you’d be fascinated by it too.

Everyone: yes, especially some of the ‘old gang’ like Alario and Eric etc. Happy Christmas / New Year / Epiphany!

May the year-to-come contribute to the realisation of a Christian community that emerges out of "every kind of evil" towards the fullness joyous "shalom" for which Jesus Christ, Yeshua Mesiah, gave his life.

shalom! - john