"The violence we preach is not the violence of the sword, the violence of hatred. It is the violence of love, of brotherhood, the violence that wills to beat weapons into sickles for work." Oscar Romero, November 27, 1977
The Gospel in a Postmodern Society 8.0: The Domesticated Jesus
(warning: I'm angsty today, so I'm venting. Please keep this in mind. It's probably because my wife had an awful experience with a doctor today, reinforcing the need to reform our health care system. Plus, I spent 2 hrs in the waiting room watching political ads. Also the weather outside is horrendous, and I have a headache. Thus, I'm working out my angst via the blog. Hey, it's cheaper than therapy.)
"...a portrait of Jesus can be happily accommodated in the premises of a Hindu missionary establishment, because Jesus has been painlessly incorporated into the Hindu worldview. The foreign missionary knows that this is not the conversion of India but the co-option of Jesus, the domestication of the gospel into the Hindu worldview. He (or she) only slowly begins to realize that the same thing has happened in the West."--Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, p. 96
Do you agree? I do. Here's why:
1. Our churches are becoming more like Wal-Mart. Bigger, more uniformed, and more efficient. Get in, get your spiritual goods, get out. Lower prices are fun. There's a smiling yellow face to tell me how fun it is. Plus, to save YOU time, there's a handy-dandy lil' self check out machine. You can do all your 'shopping' without interacting with a single person, and you don't have to worry why the prices are so low. Isn't that great?
2. Jesus, the lion and the lamb, has become our domesticated, cute little puppy. We bring him out when we need a smile. We cuddle. We play. We put him in our cage when we're done.
3. Totemism--You've seen totem poles, right? Well, the people groups who make totem poles carve out images of their gods that look...well...pretty much like them (only more fierce, more fertile, or more pretty). The point is: we so easily craft God into our own image. Span through the history of Christian art. Each period portrays a very different Jesus. Is the Western, modern Jesus any different? Nope.
4. Wealth--Follow the train of thought that pervades so many followers of Jesus.
Self Observation: I'm a Christian and I'm rich. Self to Self: That's great. Why am I rich? Self Observation: Well, I live in America, which helps me build wealth. Self to Self: Why does America help me build wealth? Self Observation: America was founded on the principles of freedom, democracy, and free market enterprise. They allow me to have opportunities I wouldn't have anywhere else. Self to Self: Wow, that's awesome. Who founded America? Self Observation: The Christians founded America. We are 'one nation under God'. Thus, God is on our side. Self to Self: That's great. God sure has blessed America.
See the circular logic? Now, let me offer a bit of balance before some start reigning comments of wrath upon me...
1. Megachurch doesn't necessarily equal Wal-Mart. True. I'm merely pointing to a prevalent notion in America that bigger is better, church should be whatever you want it to be for you, and it's what you get out of it. Plust, if you buy the videos of all the big pastors...if you do things their way; you'll grow. Cultural ingenuity is thus tossed aside for a cheap, quick fix. However, I do know that there are some big churches who aren't falling into the trap. They're big for other reasons, many of which are directly related to their faithfulness to God and His mission.
2. Jesus is loving. Jesus is kind. Jesus does love me. He loves me personally. I'm not disputing that. I cling to that. However, Jesus isn't my boyfriend, nor his he my very own coping device. He's not an emotional hug to make everything Ok (Although I bet Jesus is a wicked awesome hugger. I bet he avoids the awkward 'camp counselor side hug', as well as the 'shoulder only touching forward hug', as well as the 'I'm not comfortable hugging another dude so I'll smack him on the back mid-hug as hard as I can to validate my masculinity' hug. He probably doesn't like those at all.).
3. Totemism is a very different animal than contextualization. Domestication and totemism are ethnocentric. The culture reigns supreme over the gospel. Contextualization is God-centric. The gospel is communicated authentically, with cultural sensitivity and effectiveness...(more on this soon).
4. God doesn't hate money, and God doesn't hate America. He certainly has blessed America. But he's blessed us to be a blessing, a contemporary outworking of the Abrahamic covenant. There's a lot of justifying of our wealth going on in today's churches (I'm just as guilty as anyone). It goes something like this: "Does God want me to buy a hummer, or does he want me to give that 50 g's to the poor? I know, He'll be cool with my buying the hummer, so long as I use it to minister to the poor." (hat tip: The Church You Know) God's economy is NOT confined to capitalism, communism, socialism, or any other man made system.
And I do love our country (though there are certain aspects that bother me). I love our freedom.
There, I've worked that out of my system. Thanks...
I stumbled upon The New Monasticism site after reading The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. It's a website maintained by a sister community to The Simple Way. They live and breathe the following "12 Marks of a New Monasticism". These are the unifying 'marks' that bind many intentional, missional communities together. I thought they were worth sharing. . . My brief reflections upon each are italicized. 12 Marks of a New Monasticism.
1) Relocation to the abandoned places of Empire.Who better than the Body of Christ, an organic, living, body marked by the redemptive, transformative love of Christ...who better to reclaim the places that capitalism has deemed unprofitable, and that the American dream has deemed unsuitable?
2) Sharing economic resources with fellow community members and the needy among us. Acts 2:42-47 anyone? Consider the beauty, the simplicity, the possibility...
3) Hospitality to the stranger. What if we literally had a bedroom continually ready for an unexpected guest? What if our expectation (not our exception) was hospitality?
4) Lament for racial divisions within the church and our communities combined with the active pursuit of a just reconciliation. Man, this seems so hard in our culture...where to begin?
5) Humble submission to Christ’s body, the church. Thus, our place of Sunday worship is but a drop in the bucket of the global, historic Church.
6) Intentional formation in the way of Christ and the rule of the community along the lines of the old novitiate. This is the 'new' in monasticism. A sacrificial life devoted to Christ and His service.
7) Nurturing common life among members of intentional community. After all, we're part of a family...
8) Support for celibate singles alongside monogamous married couples and their children. A broader, yet biblical vision of family that is much needed in our polarized culture.
9) Geographical proximity to community members who share a common rule of life. This goes beyond the 30 minute commute to church on Sunday morning. You live with and near your brothers and sisters. . . you serve daily alongside them.
10) Care for the plot of God’s earth given to us along with support of our local economies. In other words, consider your impact on creation. Consider your spending. Both are decisions that Christians should consider carefully.
11) Peacemaking in the midst of violence and conflict resolution within communities along the lines of Matthew 18. This is the work of a heavenly kingdom. A kingdom that expands not by force, but by peace.
12) Commitment to a disciplined contemplative life. A healthy balance of abiding and producing fruit is the goal.
Here's my promised counterpoint letter. It's other side of the coin from my previous letter, "A Love Letter to the Mennonites." Please do read that letter before you read this one.
My Mennonite Sisters and Brothers--
I write this not as an outside critic with an agenda, but with a love and concern of a brother. My hope is that these critiques will encourage, build up, and propel the vision and mission of the Mennonite church; not merely insult. My critiques, of course, are not applicable to ALL Mennonites, but rather are a response to some general trends that I've witnessed within Mennonites churches. All of these 'critiques' are simply warnings regarding potential over-emphases on the strengths (those things that I truly love about the Mennonite church). So it's probably more fair to call them helpful, preventative 'reminders' to the Mennonite church.
Ecclesiology I applaud the Mennonite emphasis of not succumbing to unhealthy, business-like hierarchical structures that pervade many denominations. The church is not a business. However, the church is not a committee (or a bunch of committees) either. There's a collective wisdom that can be harnessed for the kingdom, but there's also a collective stupidity that results from committee-ing everything. I've known Mennonite communities that have committees to nominate people for a committee, which sole purpose is to nominate people for other committees. Sheesh... Scripture reveals a tension between spiritual leadership (elders, deacons, etc.) and the priesthood of all believers. It's a both/and that must be worked out carefully in the local church. To err to either side is unhealthy. I've seen some Mennonite communities err to the side of making the church a committee, which paradoxically, turns a church into a very political , democratic body. Politics are thus brought into the church in an unhealthy, very un-Mennonitelike manner.
Simplism I absolutely love the Mennonite call to simple living. I'ts a powerful Christ-like witness in a materialistic, consumer oriented society. But there's a difference between simplicity and simplism. Simplism reduces a very complex concept (such as pursuing simplicity in a complex world) to a simple formula. The devotion to God and reliance on the Holy Spirit in decision making can become unnecessary with simplism. Plus, it can convey an often misconstrued, but yet very present idea that Mennonites are cheap. Why else would there be this joke?: "How do you fit 10 Mennonites in a phone booth? (Answer: Put a quarter in the coin return slot.)" Simplicity is much more complex than NOT spending, NOT keeping up with the Joneses. Simplicity, first and foremost, is a matter of the heart and soul, a fierce devotion to God and God alone, which translates into a lifestyle that is very different from the world. It's marked by personal frugality, conscientious spending, and a generous, generous heart. Be known for your generosity.
Spirituality Mennonites are passionate doers. Social justice is part of the fabric of the Mennonite cloth. You are right to tell the church at large that the gospel is to be lived out, and is marked by compassion, love, and justice. But for some Mennonites, that's the end of the equation. There can be real lack of spiritual formation in the Mennonite church. Our spirituality should be the reason for our justice. Our love for our neighbor, taught to us by Jesus Christ, should be recognized as a very present nudge of the Holy Spirit. Mennonites are great at living the gospel out, heeding the words of St. Francis to "Preach the Gospel at all times: if necessary use words". Some Mennonites have recently stopped seeing the need for words. I believe their is a clear mandate for a spiritual formation that compels us to social action AND gospel proclamation. It's a seamless garment of witness to the world. It's not a 'cart or horse issue', but rather a holistic living of the gospel. If the Good News of Jesus truly transforms and redeems, then it redeems ALL of our being; our hands, our feet, our hearts, our souls, our minds, and our speech. All are offerred as a living and loving sacrifice to Him. We shouldn't be shy about proclaiming 'the reason for the hope that we have' (thanks Timothy).
Tolerance vs. Acceptance There have been some very recent controversies over some Mennonite branches policies of tolerance; primarily over the issue of homosexuality. I want to tread lightly here, and not assume that I have all the answers. Nor do I have very good solutions. I merely see a potential danger in some Mennonite churches when it comes to controversial issues in general. Recently, the position of some Mennonites churches is to be open to all positions for the sake of tolerance. But the method hasn't been tolerance...it's been acceptance void of discernment. I"m all for tolerance. I believe that people of all walks of life should be welcome to worship in the church with open arms. But there's a difference between welcoming all to belong in fellowship and worship (tolerance) and allowing all beliefs/lifestyles/attitudes/etc. to be incorporated as 'gospel' in the church (acceptance). I love the contextualization of the Mennonite church. I'm scared of potential for syncretism.
Mission This leads into the scope of mission in the Mennonite church. Because of all of the great distinctives of the Mennonite church, I firmly believe that Mennonite (and other anabaptist) communities, are in a wonderful position to engage our postmodern culture in a powerful way. The problem is that most Mennonites fail to see this postmodern, Western world as a mission field. I hope and pray for a renewed sense of mission to the West in the Mennonite church; one that includes but is not limited to pursuits of social justice. How about a creative, innovative, postmodern church planting effort from the Mennonites in the urban and postmodern contexts in the West?
A Paralyzing Pacifism I applaud the Mennonite tradition of peace as a core component of their community. I believe too that nonviolence is the way of Jesus, and loving alternative to war. But there's a difference between the absence of violence and peace. A situation void of violence is not necessarily peace. This is why we are called to be 'peacemakers'. Peace is a proactive and creative enterprise, where we make peace with God (through believing and following Jesus), and out of that peace with God, we are able to make peace with our neighbors/enemies. Some Mennonites rant about war (a worthwhile pursuit), but neglect to do their part in making peace (an even more worthwhile pursuit). As Jim Wallis wrote, "Protest is good. Alternatives are better." May we never grow weary of making peaceful alternatives in our midst, sharing the peace of Christ made possible by his sacrifice on the cross.
There it is. My lover's quarrel. I write it out of love and hope.
There are two great lies that i’ve heard: “the day you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will not surely die” and that Jesus Christ was a white, middle-class republican and if you wanna be saved you have to learn to be like Him... --Derek Webb, "A King and a Kingdom," Mockingbird
It's no secret that I love to read. I try to keep a book-a-week pace (which has been challenging as a new father), and with college and seminary, I've read my share of books. They all seem to fall into a few categories:
1. Books I hate--These are the ones that are either a) poorly written, b) ideologically ridiculous, or c) completely irrelevant to any interest, desire, or context that I care about. 2. Books I love--These are the books that a) entertain, b) inspire, c) reaffirm, or d) readjust. I could list the books I love, but it's a very long list. 3. Books that remind me of a cold cup of coffee that's been sitting out too long--I don't like cold stale coffee, but if I'm craving caffeine enough, I'll sip. These are the books that are completely forgettable the next day. They don't provoke me to throw them across the room, but they don't inspire me either. They are just...there. 4. Books that ruin me--These are the books that tear at my heart, expose the sacred cows in my soul, and command a radical life change. Other than the Bible (duh, captain obvious), I reserve only a few books for this category. This category didn't exist in my life until college (I didn't care about books in high school), which makes it an even shorter list.
Book that Ruined Me #1: The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Bonhoeffer's call to count the cost in following Christ absolutely dismantled my notion of the easy Christian life. He exposed the cheap grace I had been clinging to, and pried my fingers away from it, one by one. The book packs even more punch, considering the fact that Bonhoeffer knew a thing or two about the cost of discipleship. This book was a catalyst to get serious about following the Way of Jesus.
Book that Ruined Me #2: Celebration of Discipline, by Richard Foster Bonhoeffer showed me the cost of discipleship, and Foster showed me the depth of discipleship. Growing up in an evangelical context where the historic spiritual disciplines weren't emphasized, this book was a breath of fresh air for my soul. This book taught me the beauty and simplicity of a disciplined life, plus it exposed me to a whole new world of anabaptist writings. Foster revealed that spiritual formation was more than morality and Sunday School, it's a disciplined way of life.
Book that Ruined Me #3: Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, by Ron Sider I read this book in seminary for an independant study course. In many ways, this book was the cause of what I call my 'second conversion'. My eyes were opened up to the plight of the poor and the oppressed. I realized that my implicit and explicit materialism, greed, and spending was actually robbing the world's poor, and neglecting the unmistakebly clear call of God to seek justice and care for the poor.
Book that Ruined Me #4: The Irresistible Revolution, by Shane Claiborne I just finished this book yesterday. It's incredible. Shane is a man who truly lives what he preaches, and he preaches love. He's a prophet, an activist, a storyteller, and a self titled 'lover'. He's been mentored by Tony Campolo, Mother Teresa, Rich Mullins, and Bill Hybels. He's a founding partner of The Simple Way, and is an example of how to live a life of holy subversion, all the while loving your enemies. This book is ruining me. It hurts so good. Shane has a way of calling you out for the ridiculous notions you have about God, ministry, money, and politics, but he does it with a sly grin and a twinkle in his eye. His love is infectious, and he's given me hope that there are men and women of Christ living ordinary, radical, neo-monastic lives of peace, love and justice. I'll interact with some of his thoughts in the very near future. But I'm going to warn you: they will mess with you.
"To answer the question, 'Who am I?' can only be given if we ask 'What is my story?' and that can only be answered if there is an answer to the further question, 'What is the whole story of which my story is a part?'"--Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society
If you're an avid reader of Rural Praxis, you have too much time on your hands. But besides that, you'll know that I claim to be a member of the Anabaptist tribe of Christianity. If you really pin me down, I'll claim to align myself with the Mennoniteclan within the Anabaptist tribe....with a strong emphasis on emergence and mission. Yeah, it's a small clan. But I'm recruiting. (Aside: the Quakers also really intrigue me, but I've never had any close experiences with Quaker communities, so to call myself a Quaker would make me a real poser).
I've spent most of my life a quasi-Mennonite. I grew up in (and now serve) in an evangelical denomination with Mennonite roots. If you asked most of my evangelical brothers and sisters, they would say I'm too Mennonite. If you ask my Mennonite brothers and sisters, they would say that I'm not Mennonite enough. I'm that guy who doesn't feel completely at home in either camp. I just tend to wander to and fro. I lament the fact that the divide between evangelicals and Mennonites seems to be widening...
So to bring some clarity, I thought I'd write a 'Love Letter' to the Mennonites , affirming what I love about this tradition. I'll follow this love letter up with a 'Lover's Quarrel with the Mennonites' that will bring some balance to the discussion. So if you find yourself reading this, frustrated, and thinking, "Yeah, but what about this ____?" Wait. You'll get your turn. The purpose of this first post is to unashamedly gush over the rich heritage of the Mennonite church.
My hope is that you (I believe most of you are NOT anabaptists) will come away from this 2 part series with some clarity on where I come from spiritually and theologically. Also...just maybe, you'll catch the Anabaptist vision to make peace and seek justice with the world.
Alright, here goes...
To my Sisters and Brothers in the Mennonite Church:
I can't begin to express how thankful I am for all of you. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a loving, nurturing, Christian home. However, I've struggled to feel at home in 'church'. But you, the Mennonites, give me so much hope for the church. I read the New Testament, and I study the rich heritage of the Mennonites, and I think to myself: "There is a group of disciples who are serious about living out the New Testament."
I owe you much gratitude to awakening my soul in so many areas to which I now hold dear:
1. Peace--You understand Christ's words, "Blessed are the Peacemakers..." Peace is more than a pie-in-the-sky ideal for you. It's a countercultural way of orienting your entire being as individuals and a church body. You seek to make Peace with God, with your families, your friends, your enemies, and Creation. You abhor violence, and show me that in an age where Christianity and War are so closely associated, there are disciples of Christ who take seriously Christ's peaceful, revolutionary kingdom work. You also see our government's 'justice' system for what it is: lacking in restoration. Your audacious attempts to bring the Biblical principles of peacemaking to the table of crime and punishment (such as Restorative Justice ) are courageous. In a world marked with violence, you show me that there is a better way: The peacemaking Way of Jesus.
2.Justice--You embody the words of the prophet Micah to "Seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly before your God..." In a world where unbridled capitalism reigns, and the bottom line is profit regardless of dignity, you show me that relationships and larger socio-economica and political systems must seek justice. You've shown me that exploiting the 1/3 world so that we can save a few bucks on our coffee, or a new pair of jeans, is poor stewardship and antithetical to loving my neighbor. Through your committment to Fair Trade (through Ten Thousand Villages stores), and to 1/3 world relief and development (through the Mennonite Central Committee), you have visibly, tangibly, shown me that there is an alternative to pillaging the poor for my own benefit.
3.Community--In an age of fierce individualism, you have a rich tradition of interdependance that is, in itself, a witness to a world full of lonely souls. You take care of one another. You break bread together (often known as the Love Feast ), you open your home to one another (see the Mennonite Hospitality Directory ), and you stand on the shoulders of your persecuted ancestors, who knew the mighty power of unity of the Body. In a postmodern age thirsty for authentic community, you Mennonites have a fantastic opportunity to show the world what the community of the Kingdom is like.
4. Subversion--You have carefully articulated to me the dangers of mixing church and state. There's an unhealthy patriotism that is infiltrating our churches. You rightfully pledge your allegiance to Christ alone. You operate as a community out of humility and meekness, not political power (which always corrupts), and you're courageous enough to subvert the governing authorities when their laws and policies blatantly contradict the call of Christ. So many Christians today waste their time and money on frivolous political pursuits, hoping for change that simply won't happen. this isn't too say that you have no political voice. The Good News of Christ is very political. You have shown me that politics is to be submissive to that Good News, which liberates one from oppression (spiritual and political), which opposes empire in any form, and which calls us to be loving subjects to a new kind of Kingdom. You're subversive. You're radical. I love that.
5. Simplicity--As the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, you have shown me that my lifestyle makes a difference. You have taugh me to 'live simply so that others may simply live'. You Mennonites are a source of encouragement in an age of materialism, greed, and consumer driven economics. Historically, you have taught all of us how to do more with less (even printing a bestelling cookbook with that name), and your committent to community results in a lifestyle befriending the Joneses, not simply keeping up with them.
6. Radical Discipleship--Your movement was born out of a time and place where earthly rulers determined the faith of the people. But the call of Christ is a radical, sacrificial call upon the individual not to toe the line of the surrounding society, but to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness...". Your ancestors risked lives and livelihoods for the sake of following Christ, for obeying His Word, and for loving one another.
7. Believer's Baptism--A significant part of this radical committment to Christ was subverting the ruling church-at-large and adhering to the Biblical example to baptize one another. Your ancestors risked everything to baptise one another again (since they were all baptized as infants; this is how the name 'anabapists' came about. It was a term used by opponents of this new wave, and it means 're-baptizers').
I could go on and on. I can't thank you enough for your impact upon my life, my calling, and my spiritual formation. You have shown me, in a crucial time for the church in America, that there are communities seeking to follow Christ no matter what the costs.
I just finished This Beautiful Mess, by Rick McKinley. The book is set to come out in a few days, but they had advanced copies available at the Catalyst Conference. I snagged one. I'm glad I did.
The book is basically Rick's thoughts on the kingdom, with a heavy dose of real-life experience of kingdom living at his Portland church, Imago Dei.
If you enjoyed McLaren's The Secret Messages of Jesus, then you'll love this book. McLaren did a great job of exploring the theology of the kingdom. He opened up some new doors in how we think and view the kingdom. McKinley does a fantastic job of helping the reader live the kingdom. Practically. Incarnationally. Biblically.
(And both authors' last names start with 'Mc'. Coincidence? Maybe I should change my name to 'McMoser' and write a book?)
This Beautiful Mess is an open, sincere, and passionate look at living life with a kingdom mission. I'd highly recommend it. Rick doesn't take the opportunity to boast about how wonderful his church is. Rather, he simply tries to tell the story of Imago Dei's journey to living with a missional, kingdom perspective.
A few quotes, out of context, for your provocation:
"We take the 'Jesus is our Savior' message home like a really good story, but Jesus as King has no place in our lives."
"When I became a Christ follower, the sad truth is that I transferred Christ into my kingdom, into the context of my life."
Go buy the book. It will be $12 and a few hours well spent.
Big things happening here in Archbold. I just have to share them with you.
1. We have just crossed a major threshold in our adoption journey. We received our I-171h, which is the approval from the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security to bring a foreign born child into the U.S. Now we just wait for a referral (a match with a baby girl). In adoption circles, we are 'paper ready'. To keep us from going crazy waiting, we are staying busy writing grants, and helping launch an adoption ministry within our church. Exciting stuff...
2. Our VOX Community is entering a new chapter in our ministry. I'm thrilled about the changes, and even more thrilled that they have come about organically through our leadership, and not by my manipulation. I could have forced things in this new direction from the start, but my patience has paid off. Our leadership is truly becoming a community with a missional heart. I'll blog more about this in the future, but we're basically orienting ourselves to be an innovative, small, missional, anabaptist community. My hope is that VOX will be a 'lab', of sorts, for experimenting with fresh and innovatives ways to be anabaptist/mennonite to a postmodern, postchristian culture that has, in many ways, lost its anabaptist roots and neglected its rich heritage.
I'll save the nitty gritty details for future posts, but I'll tip my hand a bit: I believe that anabaptist communities (mennonites, quakers, etc.) are in a perfect position to engage the postmodern world, shape culture, and speak to the heart of postmoderns. The only problem is that many of them have no idea what an advantageous position they are in.
I'm beginning to feel that my life's work is to be a catalyst for anabaptist communities in the pomo world. It's stuff like this that gets me up in the morning.
I'll tease this out in coming posts. Stay tuned...
(BTW: I've switched our VOX community's blog to wordpress. Blogger, who? Check it out HERE.)
Confused by the jumbling bag o terms used in the emerging/emergent/missional conversation? You're not alone. There seems to be a fair amount of confusion, as well as a dash of frustration hovering over the conversation. People like clearcut definitions. The problem is this: all three terms are so new that 'clearcut' is still a ways off. The distinctions are NOT clear, and maybe they shouldn't be.
Regarldess, here's my very barebones, CliffsNotes version:
1. Emerging--To me, the emerging church refers to a very broad movement within the global church. Simply, it is whatever new expressions of church that are EMERGING in our world, within our cultures. In terms of emerging, there can be no unifying doctrine, denomination, etc. The only marking characteristic is that these communities of faith are new. 2. Emergent--In my noggin, 'Emergent' refers to a specific organization (Emergent Village) which falls under the broad umbrella of the Emerging Church. It generally (though not completely) is led by the major catalysts for the 'emerging church', and is a resources for the emerging church (through their NON-conference 'gatherings', 'conversations', podcasts, publishing, etc.). The problem with Emergent is that they are organized just enough to take the brunt of all the criticisms, though most critiques come from people who don't really understand what the Village is all about. 3. Missional--This is a relatively newer term (in the U.S., that is) that is steadily gaining steam. People are starting to use it because it conveys a slightly more nuanced and proactive approach to church than simply 'emerging'. Anything can 'emerge'. Missional is an embodiment of the mission of God (missio dei) in the DNA of a faith community. It's not a mere special interest (i.e. a missions committee). Rather, it's the fabric of the community.
Blind Beggar has launched the Friend of Missional website. It's a tremendous one-stop resource on the Missional Movement. Check it out. Read it. Bookmark it. Return to it often.
Where do I stand among these three terms? I'm comfortable with all three at the moment. I'm all for new expressions of church (emerging) that gather to converse in the emergent village, and are on a mission in their cultures and communities. As the dust clears from all of this, I may adjust my perspective, but for now I embrace all three.
That's why, in the PROFILE section of this site, you'll see badges for the Emergent Village and Friend of Missional.
(related: Jami Arpin-Ricci has a more indepth look at the emergent/missional issue HERE)
The Gospel in a Pomo Society 7.0: Election Balance
Is there any theological topic that Newbigin can't address with brilliance? His thoughts on ELECTION are fascinating. He gets beyond the worn out debate of predestination/free will, and frames his view in light of mission. Brilliant!
To summarize Newbigin's thoughts on election:
"It is the universality of God's saving love which is the ground of his choosing and calling a community to be the messengers of his truth and bearers of his love for all peoples." 85
"No one, whoever he or she be, can establish claims on God's grace which exclude others." 85
"To be chosen, to be elect, therefore does not mean that the elect are the saved and the rest are the lost. To be elect in Christ Jesus, and there is no other election, means to be incorporated into his mission to the world, to be the bearer of God's saving purpose for his whole world, to be the sign and the agent and the firstfruit of his blessed kingdom which is for all." (86-7)
"When Jesus was asked the question about whether few or many would be saved he decline to answer it but sternly warned the questioner to strive to enter the narrow door that leads to life." (88)
"There is a kind of confidence which leads to complacency, and there is a kind of anxiety which leads to selfish efforts to save oneself...the Christian life has room for both a godly confidence and for a godly fear." (88)
The Gospel in a Pomo Society 6.0: Custodians Of Memory
13 October 2006
In ch. 6 The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, Newbigin addresses the concept of Revelation (in History). According to Newbigin, the issue is this: "Is this relationship (your relationship with God) something seperate from your involvement in the ongoing life of the world, your family, your neighborhood, your nation in the family of nations?" (67)
The short answer is 'no'. "Your life of devotion to God will be expressed in and through your invovlvement with history as your are now part of it." (67)
Thus, God chooses to act in history, not apart or outside of it. But yet, sophisticated intellectual arguments exist to refute the claim that God (especially the Christian Triune God) exists and interacts with people, community, societies, cultures, etc. How do we respond?
A common approach in recent history is to mine and convey the bare facts of God's existence and interaction (ala Josh McDowell). While well meaning, Newbigin claims that "We do not have access to bare uninterpreted 'facts', but we can undertake the exercise of relocating the events of the biblical story within this other tradition (our own context), so that they have their meaning through their place in this tradition." (77)
Newbigin makes some critical points here. First, facts are only determined as 'facts' through our own set of experiences, our own cultural lenses of truth and fiction. This is not a denial of absolute truth, but a recognition of how humanity interprets truth. Second, we best understand how God interacts within history by coming to terms with how God interacted within the cultures of the Bible. This isn't a fundamentalist call for a return to the NT church (an impossible aim), but rather a call to understand the culture and context of a particular time within which God interacted.
We therefore are better equipped to indwell this understanding of God's revelation and relationality within the our own context. "We inhabit BOTH traditions, and there is an internal dialogue within each of us between the two." (77)
Newbigin closes the discussion with a prophetic look at John's gospel. He highlights some crucial pieces to this revelation puzzle (p. 78): 1. There has been a decisive and complete revelation of God in the particular event of Jesus' earthly ministry (John 14:9) 2. However, we still have much to learn. The Spirit will teach us (John 14) 3. This gift of the Spirit is for the Church, but it's not our private possession. Rather, it's our witness to the world (John 15) 4. This witness will contradict the world's most funamental beliefs (John 16) 5. The work of the Spirit in the Church will be the hermeneutic (the means of interpreting) of the world's continuing history (John 16) 6. Through this process, Jesus is glorified as the Lord of History (John 16:14) 7. The scope of this work of the Spirit is as wide as the universe itself, for 'all that the Father has' belongs in truth to Jesus (John 16:15)
Thus, what we see in John is the intent of every community in any given context: 'a particular community in history, that community which bears the name of Jesus, will be given, through the active work of the Spirit of God, a true understanding of history--the ongoing history that continues through the centuries after Jesus, an understanding which is based on the particular events of whose memory they are custodians."
Just imagine if the millions of faith communities that exist today would be custodians of Christ's memory, hermeneutics of history, witnesses to God's relational work in the present! Today's postmodern world is thirsty for cultural prophets, custodians of the memory of Christ, possessors of fresh interpretations of God's activity within history...
I heard on NPR this morning that Forbes just updated it's list of The World's Billionaires. 3 years ago, the list totaled 476 billionaires. This year? 793. Yeah. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer...again. (I realize that inflation and economic development are forces for this change, but are they primary? I doubt it.)
Bekah and I strive to live a simple life. It's our little way of sticking it to the Man. It's hard, especially in our community, which is marked by two very evident qualities: 'churched' and 'affluent'. These two qualities have meshed into a way of life that, in our community, is never questioned. Second homes, huge fancy SUV's, lavish vacations to escape either the oppressive heat/humidity of the summer, or the long, cold winters; all are considered completely sensible and appropriate uses of money. And trust me, given the climate of NW Ohio, such escapes our tempting. Really, really tempting.
In our countercultural strive towards simplicity, we choose to share a car, share our home, and spend frugally. Sounds like a simple formula, right? By all outward instances, our lives are incredibly simple, given our context. When people realize our shared living and our sole vehicle, we get some very interesting looks.
Yet, lately, our lives seem incredibly complex. We're juggling parenting, an adoption in the works, jobs, school, ministry, etc.
The problem is: a person can only juggle so long before his/her arms get tired. The concentration wanes, and balls start to drop to the floor.
Richard Foster, the Quaker author, writes in his fantastic book, Freedom of Simplicity, that simplicity is both 'easy and difficult'. Simplicity, in the Christian expression, must address inner and outer dimensions. In sum, "Simplicity is an inward reality that can be seen in an outward lifestyle." (p. 10)
It's an easy cop-out to merely address the outward lifestyle. That's SIMPLISM. Our inner lives can hide under the guise of simplism, all the while maintaining an unhealthy complexity that erodes the inner soul. We can look in disgust at our community's excess, but no longer without confronting two critical issues:
1. At what point am I jealous of what others have? 2. At what point does my quest for simplicity slide into legalism?
Foster continues: "The outer expression of simplicity must flow from the inner resources...There is an inwardness that is central to our task; without it all is lost...We delude outselves, however, if we think we can possess the inner reality of simplicity without its having a profound effect upon the way we live; the tension must be maintained." (10)
The Quakers (fellow Anabaptists, I must mention), have a rich tradition of fostering inner/outer simplicity through the use of queries, series of questions intended for guidance and spiritual reflection. I found some Quaker queries on simplicity HERE (ht to Wess Daniels):
Do I center my life in an awareness of God's presence so that all things take their rightful place?
Isn't this the heart of simplicity (and the heart of our Christian existence)? To return to the center of our being, which is in Christ?
Do I live simply, and promote the right sharing of the world's bounty?
This is where the call (often found on bumper stickers) to 'live simply, so others may simply live' rings true. Are we sharing our wealth with the poor? Or are we merely feeding the Christian consumer machine of America?
Do I keep my life uncluttered with things and activities, avoiding commitments beyond my strength and light?
If simplicity is truly a focus of our being, then it must impact our time and commitments. Are we too stretched? Does 2 red lights in a row ruin our entire day?
How do I maintain simplicity, moderation, and honesty in my speech, my manner of living, and my daily work?
This is my greatest struggle, as a pastor living in the aforementioned context. How do I maintain simplicity in THIS place?
Do I recognize when I have enough?
Consider the implications of this question on our technology, our bank accounts, our food intake, our automobiles, our vacations, our gadgets, gizmos...
Is the life of our Meeting (or Church Service, or Faith Gatherings) so ordered that it helps us to simplify our lives?
This is a prophetic one for the church in America. Do our gatherings help to simplify our lives, or do they increase the complexity?
Two quotes to leave you all with:
"Life is meant to be lived from a center; a Divine Center...a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time."--Thomas R. Kelly
"Simplicity, beauty, and happiness go together if they are a byproduct of a concern for something more important than ourselves."--Elise Boulding
One thing I ask of the LORD this only do I seek that I may dwell in the House of the LORD all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. --Psalm 27:4
Back from Catalyst in Atlanta. Overall, it was a great conference. I definitely need a break from auditorium seating and rock concert level noise, but I came away from the event with some great concepts and ideas to chew on. I'll recap session by session:
Session 1: Andy Stanley Andy set the tone for the conference: he put us in our place. The basic thrust of his talk was this:
Leadership is a stewardship.
It's temporary.
And you're accountable.
He based his message off of the the book of Daniel; specifically Daniel 4 and 6, where the following verse is repeated frequently:
"The Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. Your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules."
yeah. gulp.
Session 2: Marcus Buckingham
Best selling author, high demand business consultant, and Gallup pollster Marcus Buckingham gave a powerful talk challenging us to be a part of a paradigm shift in leadership: focusing on strengths. Sounds simple, but consider every 'performance review' you've ever had (or led). You probably spent about the first 5% of the talk praising strengths, and the other 95% of the time on weakness (or 'opportunities for development'). In Marcus' view: this is absurd.
Here are some bits of wisdom from his message:
find out what's unique in each person, and let it flourish
weaknesses are areas of LEAST opportunities
as you grow, you're personality doesn't change. you simply become more and more of who you are. unleash who you really are
One interesting note: Marcus wanted to figure out the most effective way to get his 'strengths' message to the masses. Guess who he turned to? The folks at NOOMA, the short film company started by Rob Bell, a pastor! He basically turned his message into 6 short Nooma-esque films on leading through your strengths. When does a brilliant succesful, innovative, creative, influential leader turn to the church to get his message out? That never happens! Until now....
Session 3: George Barna, Andy Stanley and John Maxwell
I don't have much to report about this session. Barna gave a quick synopsis of his book, Revolution. Nothing new here. Then, Stanley and Maxwell followed with a long dialogue on leading only those who have the ability to lead, and figuring out where they rate on a scale of 1 to 10. Blah...
However, I was impressed by a truly authentic show of emotion by John Maxwell concluding this session. He implored us to maintain integrily and moral purity in our leadership. Good stuff...
(Special Catalyst Surprise: A visit from Jeff Foxworthy. This was a nice treat, he basically gave his 'you might be a redneck if' spiel, but tied it into his faith. His point: the Bible is full of 'rednecks', the unsophisticated, unpopular, uneducated. God chooses to use these 'rednecks' to do some incredible things. It was great to see Jeff's heart for God.)
Session 4: Gary Haugen
I love Gary Haugen. It's a miracle that a man who devotes his life to rescuing people form all forms of slavery and injustice can be so full of hope. He's the founder of International Justice Mission, a ministry devoted to seeking justice in very, very dark places. He gave a hope filled plea to seek justice...
Session 5: Don Miller and Rick McKinley
Don Miller, author of the best seller, Blue Like Jazz, led a scripted Q & A time with his pastor Rick McKinley. The focus of the session was on the 'kingdom of God'. Here are some bullet point thoughts:
The issue isn't really, 'How do we reach out to our community?' Rather, it's this: 'Do we want to?'
It's not about what we've been doing in terms of ministry, it's about what we're NOT doing. (not reaching out to the poor, the broken...)
The church exists for the world; not for ourselves.
Don't just think: GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY
Session 6: Louie Giglio
Giglio, founder of the Passion movement (conferences, CD's, etc.) gave a passionate (pun intended) plea for us to lead the church to change the world. I took two main thoughts away:
1. The church is God's plan (only plan) to change the world. 2. The church should be the LEAST safe place on earth.
Session 7: Kevin Carroll
Kevin Carroll just oozes creativity and energy. He recently left Nike, a company which paid him to do whatever he wanted. His only task was to add creativity to the company. One result: those little yellow wrist bands (Livestrong) that everyone and their mom owns. He challenged us to rediscover the creativity and passion of an 8 year old kid, and rekindle our lost passion for 'play'. Dream big. Go bold. Live passionately.
Session 8: Donald Miller
I'm pretty sure Catalyst scheduled Donald Miller last so that everyone would stick around. It was worth sticking around for...Donald Miller made two audacious (yet true) claims about the state of evangelicalism today. We've let free market capitalism reign supreme. And we've chosen Darwinian evolution as our method of doing church. Yeah, ugh. But he's right. We've created a Wal Mart of spirituality, advertising quick spiritual fixes that don't really work. In the process, we've sold people a lie: get perfect, and then come into our family. Thus, those who can't play by the rules get tossed aside. It's natural selection/Darwinian theory at it's worst. His alternative: recognize the role of the family of God in the body of Christ. Own the fact that it's our own fault that the family is in flux in our society. It's because we've told our society that family must be a false 'perfect'. It's not. It's broken. But it's real.
My favorite Miller quote about this very issue: "The problem with family in America is NOT hip/hop music and a few supreme court justices...It's that we have lost our mission to point people to their Father"
Off to Catalyst in Atlanta. I'm not sure if I'll be able to blog while I'm there or not. We'll see. If not, I'll have some post-catalytic thoughts this weekend.
In all honesty, the idea was completely mine, but much of the body of the article came from the editors....I'm still claiming it though! (you want proof? click on the 'contributors' at the top of the page)
Regardless, it's fun to have made it onto the Christian satire scene.
I've encountered many Christians who are offended by Religious Satire. "Why is making fun of us (Christians) funny?" is the common question.
Here's my response: 1. First, I believe that the ability to laugh at ourselves is critical to our witness. It shows that we Christians can take our faith seriously without having to take ourselves so seriously. If we can't laugh at ourselves, then we really are boring and too serious to the world. Plust, in terms of witness, it seperates the ridiculous from the essential for a non-Christian audience. 2. Second, satire can be a powerfully effective corrective for the church. I once heard satire described as 'lining up the sacred cows of a belief system and shooting them'. Thus, I love satire that exposes the weaknesses of some of our ridiculous church practices, our unnecessary unwritten rules, and our syncretism into the culture-at-large. These are the things that need to be brought to the surface and dealt with. Satire helps this process along. 3. Third, I don't appreciate satire that attacks the core of our faith. I don't appreciate mockery in any form of Jesus' crucifixion, for example (you listenin' Madonna?). But I've rarely ever seen satire on the essentials of the faith, and when I do it bothers me. The overwhelming majority of satire is generally applied to the unnecessary peripheries of the faith, where it should be.
My encouragement: Next time you watch the Simpsons and cringe at their portrayal of Ned Flanders, or King of the Hill and Hank Hill's frustrations with his church, don't change the channel. Listen to the message being communicated by the writers. What are they seeing in Christians that needs to change? How can we work to bring about this change?
Facebook is now open to anyone and everyone. I created an account, just to see why all my young adults were spending hours upon hours 'facebooking'. You can check out my profile HERE. (no, that's not my real hair).
I like a lot of facebook's features. It attempts to gather people by life's natural social networks, leaving the smut out (unlike...{cough}...myspace). As I get a better feel for the facebook experience, I'll post some more thoughts.
Other than the clear philosophical differences from myspace, Facebook offers a much cleaner interface. No obnoxious templates...no top 40 song to have to turn off on any profiles...and much less intrusive advertising.
The views on drewmoser.com are solely my opinions. They are not necessarily the official views of any organization with which I'm affiliated (VOX Ohio, AEMC, Nieu Communities, etc.). There. I've covered my rear.
