Rebel with a Cause?

In an effort to make up for my lazy study habits in seminary I have been reading a lot of late. I just finished "Chapter 0" of "Generous Orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren. McLaren takes an interesting tone as he warns people against reading his book. Perhaps I am reading into his words, but contained in them seemed a certain skepticism of education in favor of things with a practical, concrete value. McLaren is aware of his own lack of a "proper" seminary training but also believes he has something to offer to the theological debate. I agree that formal training is not necessary for one to have a theological opinion. What I want to respond to is the tone that McLaren uses. As I think about things like the "organic church" and "emerging(ent) church" movements, contained within them is a certain almost youthful rebelliousness. Maybe I see it in these movements because I see it also in myself. I do not want to be critical of the efforts and effects these movements have and are having, but I wonder if a certain appeal for them comes from the constant desire of the younger generation to overthrow all the previous generation has valued and strike out on their own. The idea of disregarding the recent past in favor of the distant past is certainly not a new one. My question, as a pastor is what can this tell us about how we do church today. I find the ideas around the emerging church to be alluring. As a 20 something who has constantly walked the line between my faith and my skepticism with the church I understand the desire to strike out in a new direction and try and find God in a place and a way that is meaningful to me. As a pastor perhaps the challenge is really to encourage rebellion so long as it is for a cause. Not just doing things different for the sake of ignoring recent trends and traditions, but instead as a real effort to discover better ways to seek God. So ultimately it seems the challenge is to cultivate a health rebellion for people, that teaches us all to explore what we believe and why