In the early 70’s I went to see the original West End productions of both Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. Superstar uses the life of Jesus to explore themes of fame and celebrity. Godspell, on the other hand, portrayed Jesus (played by 23 yr old David Essex) as a charismatic clown. 

One of the unusual and thought-provoking features of Godspell was that during the interval, the actors invited the audience to join them on stage for a drink. Of course, those who took up the invitation were self-selecting. Some didn’t believe it, some were too scared or too shy. But lots did. There was something about that moment that captured brilliantly what I think the Church (Emerging or otherwise) is grasping for at the moment. The followers of Jesus in any generation need some leading lights, people with particular sorts of gifts, to take the lead and get things going. Yet Church goes badly awry whenever it turns into the sort of production where the "stars" are watched from afar by the audience. It only works if the ones who get things going invite the others on to the stage.

I don’t buy into the idea that we don’t need ministers. I think we DO need leaders, experts, priests, thinkers, teachers, pastors, ministers of one kind and another to take care of the church. And I don’t think the problems with Church life have to do principally with whether or not the minister is paid. The rot sets in, I think, when ministers become either the superstars, or even just the jobbing actors, who consciously or unconsciously maintain a line of separation between them and the rest. And that separation is not always created by the ministers. Just as it is the culture of the theatre to keep the actors separate from the audience, there is a tendency for the Church to exalt (and overwork) her leading lights, and for a lot of others to fill the audience’s seats.

Church life works best when the division into those who do and those who watch is broken down.  It’s OK to watch and learn and enjoy what the "experts" or the "artists" of the Church are doing, as long as that comes with an open invitation to take part, climb on the stage, learn the steps, and become an artist yourself.