the brilliant chris smith's comment reminded me that nothing has to be an "either/or" thing. i wasn't really trying to imply that the emerging church communities (for lack of a better term) aren't incarnational in terms of being the church with each other. but sometimes it feels like it's just another form of church - a good one, which enables us to live with each other more deeply - but one that is made up of those of us who haven't found fulfillment in the more traditional church, but still don't really live WITH our neighbors and the larger community around us. i would be interested in knowing how many house churches have actually drawn in family members who haven't simply come from another form of the church. how many people are actually being introduced to jesus for the first time in our house churches? and for those "non-churched" people who do show up, how many are just a "nonchristian" version of our middle-class, educated, latte-drinking selves? i'm not trying to stir up a hornet's nest - i'm just asking myself the same questions as i realize that a lot of people in my every day world tend to think quite a bit alike, whether they claim jesus or not. i'll have to chew on this for awhile...