There’s a tribe of Christian bros that I’ve been hard on in the last year (and usually, deservedly so), but I want to take a quick moment to voice some appreciation before the year draws to a close.

Here’s why I want to do this – I used to be a neo-Reformed bro, and as these things go, I’m realizing the good things I’ve taken from my time on the reservation. And there have been a couple touchpoints for me recently, too. First, as I’ve been working through a situation with a friend who is walking away from his marriage covenant without biblical grounds, I’ve been reminded of the good teaching and writing that has been done on the topic of marriage and family responsibility within the new Reformed camp. Specifically, I ran across this blog post over at the Mars Hill Church (Seattle) site and was prompted by the Spirit to email it to my friend immediately. Secondly, the same Mars Hill (bastion of all things neo and Reformed) recently put out a documentary that chronicles its growth and development over the last 15 years. And while I certainly chafe with parts of that story, and even the fundraising approach behind the doc itself, I have found other parts of the story unbelievably inspiring.

So, without further ado, here are the 3 things that I appreciate about the neo-Reformed movement.

1. An unapologetic emphasis on authentic, committed, Jesus-honoring marriage. While I chafe with the often hard complementarianism and outright bullying that can sometimes come with it (I am a mutualist), the diamond in the rough is that immature, culturally-conditioned manboys are being challenged to accept the deep responsibility of starting and nurturing a family in Christ. A responsibility that God is going to hold all of us accountable for in a major way. If anything, this emphasis is one that ought to be emulated, even in egalitarian or mutualist contexts. I think the credibility of the church in the west and the expansion of the kingdom in the next century may well depend on such an emphasis. (This is also the primary reason, imo, that Mars Hill is so successful – they’ve literally changed a city by telling men to pull their pants up.)

2. An unrelenting belief that planting churches with Jesus-centeredness, real leadership, and sustainable structure is the number one priority. I don’t like mutli-site video venues, and I don’t like all-male eldership, and I don’t like individualistic, small-gospel thinking. BUT I also don’t like hyper-organic, groupthink-based church planting that has as much vision and leadership backbone as a freshwater jellyfish. Have a vision. Stick to it, and lead with that vision. Let the haters hate. And watch a kingdom movement begin.

3. The Bible. Here’s the deal. Reformed theology – especially the dumbed-down, 5-horned, predestination-obsessed neo-Reformed brand of it – is often wrong. DEAD WRONG. On a bunch of stuff. On really, really, really fundamental interpretive issues. Dead wrong. Did I say, dead wrong? Good. But my neo-Reformed brothers love the Bible. They don’t apologize for the Bible. They see AUTHORITY in the Bible. And so do I. Now, I wish they would stop with the inerrantist, modernist, systematic silliness, but if we are taking the Bible as historically-rooted narrative that is inspired by God and authoritative for teaching and practice in the community of the redeemed across all generations, and letting it speak with all the power that the Holy Spirit has given it and continues to give it, then, my friends, we are being Christians and not some kind of cooler-than-everything spiritual hipsters. And I, for one, am tired of cooler-than-everything spiritual hipsters. I’m even tired of the temptation to be one that has often hung about in my atmosphere these last few years. 2012 will be a year in which I, for one, preach the Word – in all its new-perspective, post-foundationalist, 5th-act-innovative, Holy-Ghost-infused glory.

So, merry Christmas to all. Even the Calvinistas.