journal : : field notes
Coexist?
Bekah and I spent 4 months in Israel/Palestine while in college. Looking back, it was some of the best months of our lives. Incredible adventures. Wonderful friends. I could go on...
Toward the end of our trip, their was an outdoor installation art exhibit just outside of the old city, near Jaffa Gate (a few hundred yards from my dorm room). It was an exhibit dedicated to peace.
Within 2 days the art was vandalized. Huh.
My impulse is to vent the anger that wells within me as I watch CNN. My impulse is to tell off the guy in my church who quotes a random, obscure verse of scripture, as if that completely settles the matter. As if. My impulse is to spout off on this blog at the history of violence in the region. My impulse is to wax eloquent on my 'solution'.
I'll refrain. . .because, quite frankly, the people caught in the crossfire don't really care what a middle class white pastor in Ohio thinks. Nor should they.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem..."
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The Gospel in a Pomo Society 3.2
Continuing our discussion on Newbigin’s 3rd Chapter in The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, we delve deeper into the concepts of ‘knowing’ and ‘being’.
On the role of culture in our lives: “Like the lenses of our spectacles, it is not something we look at, but something through which we look in order to see the world. The lenses…in a sense, they are part of us. We indwell them.” (35)
What implications, then does this have for a postmodern culture? Profound implications. Though we find ourselves surrounded by postmodernism, the effects of modernism still linger heavily upon us. We must understand that the postmodern sees the world through a postmodern lens. Thus, to expect her/him to simply conform to a modern worldview is an unnecessary, and hindering step in the mission of the church. Our job as a faith community is not to make converts of modernism, but rather, passionate followers of Christ in one’s own culture.
Does this mean that modernism can’t be a helpful corrective to postmoderns (or vice versa)? Of course not. “It is only when we are exposed to a totally different culture and a different language, shaped by a widely different history, that we can turn back and see that what we always took for granted is only one way of seeing things.” (35).
This is certainly true in Newbigin’s life, returning to his British homeland after spending decades in India. Through his exposure to eastern culture, he was able to step back and see the culture that indwelled within him in a fresh way.
In America, we find ourselves in a unique scenario. Our churches operate from a very Western, modern mindset. But our society is now pluralistic (culturally and religiously), and the religious pluralism is mutating into a new postmodern blend. Thus, within our very geographic borders we have a modern and postmodern culture occupying the same space.
Yeah, it’s messy. . . yeah, it can be frustrating. But it can also be sharpening. . .
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The Church as Third Place?
I just finished Ray Oldenburg's intriguing book,
The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons and other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community. It's a sociologist's look into the places that foster community. What makes them tick? How are they structured? Oldenburg calls these effective community gathering spots: "third places". They are informal, distinct locales that fosters community. Your home is your first place, and your work is your second place. Americans, by and large, have no third place, no informal gathering space to hang out, converse, and build relationships.
Some of the symptoms that reveal the need to establishing 'great good (third) places':
- Our houses are no longer designed with the front porch as the focal point. We pull our car in our garage, enter the house from the garage, and never interact with our neighbors.
- Even our coffee shops are more concerned with profitable efficiency. Hence, chains like Starbucks hiring speed/efficiency gurus to get your coffee order filled in under 3 minutes (or something like that)
- Restaurants...even sit-down restaurants, adhere to the same goals. Get you in, get your food, and get out. It's interesting: on my most recent trip to Italy, we made a reservation for dinner at a local restaurant. The reservation reserved the table for us for the entire evening. . .
- Statistically, American stress levels are extremely high, in proportion to our 'affluence'. We have no place to go, relax, and unwind with good company.
To put it another way...cultures that have 3rd places live on a healthy tripod of home, work, and 3rd place (cofee shop, pub, etc.) In America, we're walking through life on stilts (home and work), and we're burning out...
If we were to bring back the third place, consider the impact. In Oldenburg's words: "the stranger feels at home--nay, is at home..." (xxviii)
Being a pastor, Oldenburg's findings have profound insight on how we, as a faith community, design and create the spaces we occupy. Can't there be more to a worship space than pews and/or chairs, and a stage with a screen on the back wall? I hope so...
A week or two back, I shared some of the conclusions in this book with our lead pastor, and of course, he said, "Great...present this stuff at our next lead team meeting." Good thing I opened my big fat mouth. Given that our church is about to embark on a new building campaign (an issue that could easily consume a whole 'nother post), third place principles could be profoundly impacting in how we design our new facility.
Personally, this gets me more involved in the building project than I had initially hoped for, but hey, if they're going to build, they might as well do it well.
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The Gospel in a Pomo Society 3.1
Leslie Newbigin's third chapter of
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society is a mindblowing interplay of two concepts: knowing and believing.
He sources the foundation of the thirst for knowledge void of belief in Descartes, who coined the now famous phrase: "I think, therefore I am," as a proof against doubt. (philosophers: I realize this is simplistic...look past it for the bigger picture).
Newbigin proceeds then to show how science, by its very nature, refutes the idea of mere knowledge formulated in a 'vacuum' (or in Descartes' experience, a stove), void of belief. First, science requires keen
observation of significant facts. This can only be done by
intuition (p. 31). Next, the scientist frames a hypothesis, a futher creation of intuition and
imagination, resulting in a discovery best described as a "sudden illumination" (p. 31). Finally, the hypothesis is verified through
experimentation. In Newbigin's words: "A true hypothesis will prove itself true in all kinds of unexpected ways, and scientists will be continually testing it in new situations." (32)
With hindsight, a scientist can look back see the interconnectedness between believing and knowing. The entire scientific journey is the two concepts working together. Thus, there "are not two separate avenues to understanding, one marked 'knowledge' and the other marked 'faith'. There is no knowing without believing, and believing is the way to knowing."
Let's take it out of the abstract an into the street. If we reduce our faith to mere facts, there is no room nor need for observation, intuition, imagination, experimentation. Many will say, "Good. Better safe than sorry." My reply: "That's not faith. That's a copycat faith. You've simply looked over someone else's shoulder and cheated. You haven't learned. You haven't experienced. You haven't lived."
It's when we take what we know
and what we believe, mix in a little intuition, imagination, and experimentation, we end up with a faith expressed authentically in our own zip code. Instead of every suburban pastor donning hawaiian shirts (a la Rick Warren), we have culturally keen prophets, artists, writers, leaders, all harnessing their gifts to interact with their surrounding community in a relevant, authentic, impacting way. It's real. It's also messy, because experiments are always messy. But it's true...not because someone else says it's true, but because it's been through the fire of experimentation.
It takes a bold person to use the scientific method to bolster the argument FOR belief as partner with knowledge. Newbigin is that person.
More later...
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Article Alert!
I've published my last installment in the "Getting the Word Out" series for The
Relevant Leader E-Newsletter. (links to previous installments in the series can be found in the 'articles' section of this site)
Here's your obligatory tease....
I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that this is our last installment of the Getting the Word Out Series (sob). But the good news is that this installment is devoted to those glorious communication tools that are FREE! Yes, that's right: FREE! These are the online tools that stick it to the Man. No cost. Zero. Zilch. Zilp. After reading this article, I guarantee that you'll want to dance an Irish jig. Don't resist the impulse to do a lil' jig. It's good for the soul …
Before we enter into the utopia of free-land, let's review our journey to this point. In 1.0: Where's the Easy Button?, we explored the need to keep the mission first and to do our research. In 2.0: The Bling Bling, we looked at those expensive but essential tools to getting the word out: logo and design. In 3.0: The Bargain Bin, we found those inexpensive gems of marketing tools. In this installment, 4.0, we're mining those digital nuggets in a tidy little linked-up list for you.Continue reading
here...
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E-Dialogue: Kingdom & Mission
A few of you have asked me about my thoughts on 'kingdom' and 'mission'. These two concepts are currently dominating my thoughts, readings, and writings. They are two terms thrown around quite frequently in the emerging church world, but I wonder how many people have actually stopped to think about the following two critical questions:
1. What does the kingdom of God look like, here and now?2. In light of question 1, what's our mission on this earth?Here's an excerpt; some thoughts I offerred in an email conversation I've been having with a fellow young adult pastor in Seattle. It paints with broad strokes, and leave many unanswered questions. But, maybe you all can help with some of the gaps:
"
re: mission and kingdom...Newbigin deals with the concept of mission quite explicitly, though not really in kingdom terms. NT Wright and McLaren have opened the 'kingdom' door for me lately, though originally wrestling with these issues came about via George Eldon Ladd.
Ladd introduced me to the term 'realized eschatology'. Basically, the kingdom is 'already/not yet'. It is already here through the life, message, blood, and resurrection of Jesus. It is not yet fully consummated until he 'returns'. (there's a lot more to this concept, but for this purpose, this will suffice)
Thus, the church finds itself in a 'tweener' role (my term, not Ladd's). Christ has commissioned His church, guided by the Holy Spirit, to participate in God's kingdom work here and now, until He 'returns' (I realize this is a very loaded concept, a topic for another day).
This is where NT Wright comes in for me...His view is that the gospel, the Good News that Jesus brought was the "kingdom". And to further explain, it's about 'God's future breaking into the present'. That's the kingdom at work here and now.
We then move to McLaren's latest work: The Secret Messages of Jesus. To be frank, I thought the title was weird, and seemed to cater more towards a publisher's idea to captialize on the current climate of discussion on gnosticism, da vinci code, etc. But beyond the title, the book was great. It should have been called The Kingdom Now. McLaren really delves into the idea of what the kingdom means here and now.
Beyond that, I'm really getting more into what 'mission' really means in a pomo culture. People throw the term around all the time, but nobody can really explain it. I believe it starts with the missio dei (the mission of God). What is God doing here? Where is he at work? And then, how can we participate? This takes control of the mission away from humanity, and recognizes it in its rightful place: God. But we are called to be agents, humble servants of the kingdom now.
I belive it was Holmes who once wrote, that some people can be "so heavenly minded they're of no earthly good."
I suppose, the inverse would also be true: people can be so earthly minded that they're of no heavenly good.'
Therein lies the balance: we must live in the tension of the 'already/not yet' kingdom.
What are your thoughts?
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A Throwback Template
Baseball teams pull out throwback jerseys a few times a season. Consider this a throwback look to the blog. Apparently the new template has a few bugs, and to avoid frustration for all, it's back to the old one until the new one is perfect. Hopefully, it should only be a day or so.
Labels: blogging
Christmas in July!
I finally splurged on the 6 volume
Anchor Bible Dictionary. Out here in the boonies, I no longer have access to a good theological library, and I've missed the Maroon 6 (as I like to call them...they are much more beneficial to me than Maroon 5).
They arrived today, and they are glorious. I'll share some of Volume 1's wisdom with you. I randomly opened the volume and I found the entry titled: "BABYLON"
Under "B. The Present Ruins," it reads: "The ruins of Babylon lie withing the suburbs of modern Baghdad..."
Unfortunately, as a result of the war in Iraq this entry may have to be modified in a new edition. I heard a story on NPR about the toll that the war (specifically, a U.S. army camp and heli-pad planted directly on the ancient site) is taking on the ruins. The ruins are, essentiall, ruined (pun intended, but not to provok a laugh).
Just goes to show that war has effects that go far beyond international politics. . .
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The Gospel in a Pomo Society 2.0
In this second installment of Newbigin's
fantastic work, we're going to look at the roots of pluralism (ch. 2).
First, I find it fascinating the connection Newbigin weaves between the recent spiritual emphasis of having a 'faith of your own' (p. 15) to the propagation of pluralism. In other words, our modern church's unhealthy (at times) emphasis of privatized faith has bolstered pluralism. As the saying goes, 'our faith is personal, but never private.' As soon as it becomes privatized, it becomes too insular to have any communal or global impact.
With this foundational point made, Newbigin rightly observes that "
The way we understand human life depends on what conception we have of the human story. What is the real story of which my life is a part?" (15) This I believe, is the fundamental question of humanity, especially postmodern humanity. Is it any wonder our culture has such an obsession with 'reality' TV? Is is any wonder our culture has such an obsession with Hollywood? We are drawn to stories, and lying beneath such superficiality is a desperate, tenacious search for the Grand Story that makes sense of all other stories.
He then ventures into a wise exploration of doubt and knowledge, which can best be summed up by this: "
Certainly if, in affirming what I believe to be truth, I suggest that I possess the truth in such a way that I have nothing more to learn, I am rightly condemned." (22) Thus, doubt plays a healthy role in our pursuit of Truth, a quest marked with humility. In my ministry to young adults, I deal with so many who feel serious shame when doubt creeps to the fore of their souls. It's been ingrained within them NOT to question. Simply toe the church line, show up for stuff, and keep your behavior in check and your ticket to heaven won't be revoked. Doubt and spiritual wrestling are thus shut out. The result: a stunted faith void of PRAXIS.
Knowing thus, has a subjective and objective pole. It's objective in that it is larger than us, something we ourselves cannot simply grasp, control, and propogate for our own benefit. Yet: "
It is subjective in that it is I who know...which requires my personal committment, (and) in the end, I have to take personal responsibility for my beliefs." (23) We can't detach ourselves from culture and tradition. There's no such vacuum.
The problem, according to Newbigin, is that we have created a false dichotomy between the subjective and objective poles.
What is needed, thus, is an understanding, a communication, and an expression of the gospel that values both. If we err too subjective, we merely foster the mish mash of pluralism, focusing simply on the individual's privatized faith. Simple subjectivity affords us "
no grounds for thinking that Christians have any right...to seek the conversion of (other religions) neighbors to the Christian faith." (25) If we err too objective, our faith will be void of Story, void of reality, void of life. Our faith will be reduced to simple doctrinal laundry lists to be checked off.
This, my friends, is PRAXIS.
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Books by the Bed
I have a problem...I can't simply pick up a book and devote my mind to said book until I finish it. I'm blaming seminary on this, where I had to juggle about 10 books at one time. Call me a creature of habit. Here are the books by my bed...
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, by Leslie Newbigin
If the Emerging Church had a patron saint, he would probably be it, although Stan Grenz and NT Wright would give him a good run. I'll post my second installment on Newbigin's work soon. Great read.
From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, by Ruth Tucker
This book is a look at the history of global missions through a biographical lens. I'm reading it for one of my classes through Gordon. More on this later...since I just started it.
Emerging Churches, By Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger
This is the best book I've read on the emerging church thus far. It doesn't have an agenda, except to explore what makes emerging churches tick, and what is happening in our culture to necessitate this new expression of Christian community. An outstanding read.
The Great Good Place, by Ray Oldenburg
I'm reading this in hopes of providing some insight for how to structure the space we occupy when we do 'church'. Fascinating insights into what draws people to certain places: coffeeshops, pubs, cafes, etc. More on this later...
Basics of Biblical Hebrew, by Pratico and Van Pelt
And, of course, I'm continually reading this. I wouldn't call it compelling, nor would I call it a fun summer read, but alas, it's there. I did get an A on my midterm, so I'm basically a Hebrew genius...at least on the 1st half of the 1st semester of Hebrew. Beyond that I'm clueless, for now.
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And now, the rest of the story...
The recent issue of
Relevant Magazine has an article on the Emerging Church...more specifically, an attack on the
Emergent Village. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in the article. It didn't seem to have an objective starting point, and I thought it to be somewhat short-sighted.
If you want a more full picture of Emergent and, specifically, what Tony Jones and Brian McLaren had to say, Relevant has posted the transcripts of the interviews that the authors of the article used.
Check out the interview with Tony Jones
here.
Check out the interview with Brian McLaren
here.
You still may not agree with everything, but I believe these interviews give a more balanced perspective than what was offerred in the article.
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Check this Out: eBible.com
The
Gutenberg Bible revolutionized the way Christians encounter Scripture. The Bible was now accessible to the common person, in her/his language. We are now embarking on a new kind of Scripture revolution: the digital revolution.
With the dawn of
Web 2.0, the wired body of Christ is desperately in need of an online Bible resource that utilizes cutting edge technology with sound Biblical content.
I personally use two online Bible sites:
- Bible Gateway--This is the most widely used onine Bible site. It's helpful in that it takes what's readily available on print and makes it digital. It contains numerous translations. It was a good first step in making the Bible accessible online. It's downfall is that it's very rigid, the content is set and you can navigate through it. It's simply a portal to already available resources that you can find in print.
- The NET Bible--The folks at the NET Bible have undertaken a vast Biblical studies project with electronic communication in mind. They have a nice amount of indigenous content, study materials, etc., plus their own fresh translation of the Biblical text. The NET Bible is another helpful step in the right direction, and is relatively user friendly. It's downfall is that it's limited to it's own content (which is generally good), and the users don't drive the content whatsoever. Thus, it's static.
Both are good sites. But just imagine a site where the best print content is available online, in an incredibly user friendly interface, coupled with what's best about Technorati (user driven tags) and Google (simple, efficient, precise searching). That, my friends, is the attempt of
eBible.
eBible is still in Beta mode, and the creators were kind enough to give Rural Praxis a peak under the hood. Until they get all the bugs worked out, you must be invited to access the content. But here's my very initial take on the project:
- The Home Page takes what's great about Google and Technorati and melds it into a simple starting point for your Scripture Study. A Google-esque search bar, and a tag cloud gives you instant access to what's been tagged.
- They also have a nifty 'answers' feature, which searches their online resources and puts together articles for you to view on that keyword you entered. Nice.
- It also allows you to bookmark anything with tags, or you can see everyone elses tags, harnessing the collective wisdom of the masses, keep track of the content you want to revisit, etc.
I'm thrilled about this site...as long as it ensures a few things. Here are my recommendations:
- Don't settle for just the cheap resources. Pay the premiums for some of the main versions of Scripture (NIV, TNIV, and forthcoming The Voice). Given our transition stage from print to digital, eBible needs to have the resources available that correspond with what's available in our personal Bibles and in our libraries. Pay for the good commentaries, dictionaries, etc. It will pay off in the long run. (I'm sure they'll be adding many more resources as they progress towards launching the site).
- There's rumors afloat that eBible will be adding a note taking feature within the passages. That would be awesome. Do that..and ensure that one can save her/his notes for later use.
- You currently have to purchase some of the resources to use them in the site. That's ok, so long as it's a fraction of the going rate from a bookstore. If you must charge, keep the costs down, and use ad revenue to pay the bills. Also, come up with a 'the works' package special, offerring all of the purchasable content together at a cheaper rate.
- Figure out a way to incorporate the original languages with easy word studies. That will further enhance the study capabilities, and not require us to find our own lexicons and dictionaries.
- Harness the glory of a wiki (such as wikipedia) and create a community driven commentary on Scripture within the site. Again, more collective wisdom from fresh perspectives.
All in all, I'm very confident that eBible will become THE site for online Biblical study. I have added it to my study links, and I foresee it being the primary site for my online Biblical study. If you'd like to check it out for yourself, I've been privy to a few 'invites'. Comment or email me your email, and you're in, while supplies last of course.
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The Gospel in a Pomo Society 1.0
This is the first installment in a series of interactions with the writing of Leslie Newbigin. Consider this a running commentary of his
The Gospel in a Pluralist Society. Leslie Newbigin was an innovative thinker, theologian, and missiologist. He spent many years serving as a missionary to India, and upon return to his native England, found himself in a very different 'home', a pluralist society.
His writings have, in many ways, opened the door for 'emerging' practice.
Here are my thoughts on Chapter 1: "Dogma and Doubt in a Pluralist Cutlure".
Newbigin prophetically sees our current culture as it is: pluralistic...what we would call today 'postmodern'. His first chapter is devoted to explaining the various expressions of humanism, and how the church has domesticated the gospel (corrupting it) in order to keep a foothold in the culture.
In a powerful analogy, Newbigin compares the Western domestication of the gospel with that of Hinduism in India:
"Jesus had become just one figure in the endless cycle of karma and samsara...He had been domesticated into the Hindu worldview...It was only slowly, through many experiences, that I began to see that something of this domestication had taken place in my own Christianity, that I too had been more ready to seek a 'reasonable Christianity'..." (3)We are prone to domesticate the gospel because we, in fact, find ourselves in a pluralist society. Newbigin poses a powerful question:
"How, in this situation, does one preach the gospel as truth, truth which is not to be domesticated within the assumptions of modern thought but which challenges these assumptions and calls for their revision?" (5)This in essence, is the task of the emerging church...The church at large in America is still operating in the modern mindset: logical, rational, systemi, linear faith. These things aren't bad...in fact, in a redemptive way they are important. But, as we have clung to these modern characteristics; as our knuckles have turned white from the tight grip, the culture has passed us by. We now find ourselves in a very POSTmodern, pluralist society.
In a way, Newbigin deconstructs the modern interpretation of the gospel, all the while upholding the authority of the gospel, a proclamation that
"by the acceptance of which all human experience can be rightly understood...It rests on no authority beyond itself." (6)
It's often so difficult to separate our modern tendencies from the essence of the gospel. In Newbigin's words:
"we take for granted the assumptions which the society of which we are a part takes for granted." (8)
To put it more sociologically, Peter Berger calls this a 'plausibility structure', "
patterns of a belief and practice accepted within a given society." (8)
Thus, the tension arises when the gospel is coopted by our society's plausibility structure, whether it be postmodernism or modernism. In fact, "
the gospel gives rise to a new plausibility structure, a radically different vision of things from those that shape all human cultures apart from the gospel." (9)
What then, of truth? Newbigin gets directly to the heart of the debate over postmodern expressions of Christianity:
"There is an admirable air of humility about the statement that truth is much greater than any one person or any one religious tradition can grasp." (9)
Now, settle down, all you fundies...he explains:
"The statement is no doubt true, but it can be used against the truth when it is used to neutralize any affirmation of the truth." (9)
Thus, it seems a humble confidence is in order. We must "
recognize that to its (the Gospel's) witnesses does not mean to be the possessors of all truth. It means to be placed on the path by following which we are led toward the truth." (12)
This is where it gets real good. Newbigin, with grace and fortitude, attacks the church's previous expression of the faith: "
it has, for so long been entangled with coercion, with political power, and so with the denial of freedom--freedom of thought and conscience. When coercion of any kind is used in the interests of the Christian message, the message itself is corrupted." (10)
Thus, how are we, in a post-Christian, pluralist, postmodern society, to proclaim the truth of Christ. Not by cramming it into the reigning plausibility structure, but rather by entering into the Story of God, and inviting others to "
stand here with me and see if you don't see the same pattern as I do." (11)
There's more to say, but brevity is fleeting, so I'll stop. Using Newbigin's concepts, it appears as if the church at large is operating with a modern plausibility structure, and attempting to proclaim it to an emerging culture that has a completely different plausibility structure. Thus, the dissonance between church life and reality. But one question that arises in my mind? How do we impact (or, 'be relevant') to a culture without domesticating our message into that culture's plausibility structure? Any thoughts?
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What compels me to continue...
I've nearly completed my first year of 'pastoring' VOX. Looking back, I'm asking myself: "What compels me to continue for another year?"
It's not the initial growth we've experienced, although that's been nice...
It's not the paycheck, although that's nice...
You want to know what keeps me going? I can summarize it in a recent encounter with 'Amy' at our last VOX Gathering:
It was Amy's first time to VOX. A friend had convinced her to come. I met her before our Gathering started. We exchanged pleasantries, and I went about my last minute prep. At VOX, we've been journeying through a 'Culture' series: media, money, politics, art...and justice. Last thursday, it was 'justice'. I led a discussion on how we have a choice: to naively live our ho-hum lives, neglecting the plight of the poor and sufferring (and passively perpetuating the injustice), or we can answer Christ's call to fight injustice, in light of the prophet Micah: 'seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before God.'
Amy came up to me afterwards, and confessed to me that: "
I stopped going to church years ago, and I agreed to come to VOX just to please my friend. I thought it would be boring...you know, the same old stuff...the same old message. This wasn't at all what I expected. This was so refreshing. . . "
We could have thousands 'attend' our VOX gatherings, and that couldn't possibly touch this one encounter with Amy. That's what compels me to continue...
(What's sad is that I simply shared some stats and stories on poverty, sufferring, injustice, and then read the words of Jesus straight from Scripture. How has that become so refreshing?)
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Today's the Day...
The World Cup 2006 will end today. It's sad that we will have to wait till 2010 for the next one, although I probably could use the extra time away from the TV.
My prediction in the battle of the Blues? Italy 2-France 1. I believe France (specifically Zidane) will finally penetrate Italy's stifling defense, but the Italians will eventually wear France down and scrape by with a victory. But what do I know?
See you all in four years in South Africa!
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Rural Praxis Trick
Jonny Baker has his
worship tricks. In honor, here's a rural praxis trick. Last week our
VOX Community had an outdoor movie night. In this pic, you can barely make out the screen, but it gives you a feel for what we did. Basically, we invaded a local farm, backed up a truck, hooked up a laptop, projector, and speakers, and voila! Outdoor movie night. We also popped some kettle corn over a fire...nice.
We watched National Treasure. Personally, I'm not a huge Nicholas Cage fan, but I enjoyed this flick. It contains a good message of adventure, subversion, following your heart, and...I know that without a doubt there is a big pile of loot buried somewhere in the northeast.
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.Technorati Tags:
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Book Review :: The Secret Messages of Jesus
Leslie Newbigin coined the term ‘open secret’ to refer to our mission as followers of Christ. Brian McLaren, in his new book, The Secret Message of Jesus, opens up the secrets of Jesus’ message, a message that has been either largely ignored or covered up by so many churches. His message isn’t a secret to be decoded. Rather, it’s an open secret, available to all through faith, obedience, servanthood, humility, and sacrifice.
Sorry fellas, you can put your Cap’n Crunch secret decoders away…
McLaren’s exploration of Jesus’ message found in the gospels is essentially an exploration of the Kingdom of God. What is the Kingdom? What does it mean for today? How are we to live in this world, but for His Kingdom? These are crucial, essential questions.
He divides his work into three sections:
1. Digging Beneath the Surface to Uncover Jesus’ Message
2. Engagement: Grappling with the Meaning of Jesus’ Message
3. Imagination: Exploring How Jesus’ Secret Message Could Change Everything
I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this read. It’s very accessible and very readable, yet incredibly profound. McLaren nudges you into places that you wouldn’t otherwise consider, and he does so with a grace and humility that many theologians could learn from.
My copy is dog eared and underlined too many times to share here, but here are a few key concepts that deeply resonate with me:
- Good News—McLaren revisits the concept of ‘Good News’ and provides a refreshing perspective on why this news was, is, and will be ‘Good’.
- The Kingdom as Revoultion—In many ways, it’s a revolution turned on its head (fueled by prayer, suffering, peacemaking, servanthood, etc.)
- The Power of Parables—Beyond mere information…and towards transformation
- The Impossible Paradox of Kingdom Growth—Power through weakness
- The Importance of the Kingdom for the Here and Now
- New Metaphors for the Kingdom—The Dream, The Revolution, The Mission, The Party, The Network, The Dance
- The Power of Peace—He explores some areas of peacemaking that I hadn’t considered
In addition, McLaren implicitly answers his critics who have unfairly labeled him a universalist. His view on the issue: purposeful inclusion. “The Kingdom of God seeks to include all who want to participate in and contribute to its purpose, but it cannot include those who oppose its purpose.” (167)
There. Case closed. Let’s stop wasting time over this issue.
This book is definitely worth the money. For those of you struggling with the dissonance you observe between the message of the gospels and today’s church, you’ll love this book. It’s an incredibly welcoming, stretching, and good read.
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Don't These People Have Anything Better to Do?
Apparently it was a slow day for Congress...and for Christians. In the midst of global poverty, an AIDS pandemic, a war in Iraq, and a myriad of other issues that Congress and the Church could be dealing with, they instead chose to discuss
this.
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