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Just got some great news today.
Kristy and I have been praying for my faithful friend Nathan Williams, who was in our wedding last month. He's got a Computer Science undergrad degree from Wheaton, as well as a masters degree in Computer Science from OHSU. Lately, he's been pursuing top business schools in order to get a MBA and begin implementing some of his web technology ideas. Just a few minutes ago, he informed us that he got accepted at MIT! Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the top tech school in the States and the #4 business school. Essentially, it's one of the top Universities in the world.
Nathan is a brilliant thinker and devoted follower of Jesus, so it's absolutely thrilling to see him take that into the market place, where I'm confident he'll do well - not only in business terms, but also in terms of demonstrating the Kingdom of Heaven.
Way to go Nathan!!
30.1.06
29.1.06
"End of the Spear" & Re-Imagining Christians in the Arts
Friday night, Kristy and I finally had chance to go see “End of the Spear,” with the testimonies of Steve and Matthew McCully still fresh in our hearts and minds. Keeping the “independent” nature of the film in mind, it was brilliantly done. There aren’t any big name cast members, but the lead characters are obviously played by seasoned, professional actors.
The story focuses on Nate Saint, his son Steve, and Mincayani, the tribesman who took part in the murder of Nate, Jim Elliot, and three other missionaries in the early 1950’s. Little background is given about Elliot and the other missionaries, which gets a little confusing at one point in the film, if you aren’t already familiar with the whole story.
Something I appreciate about the film is that it struck a decent balance in portraying the violence that was such a pervasive part of Waodani society without going too far in typical Quentin Tarantino (or even Mel Gibson “Passion of the Christ”) fashion. Some might argue that the violence could’ve gone even further in order to be truer to reality, but my guess is that it would’ve bumped the film up to an “R” rating, and therefore given it less exposure.
Another highlight of the film as a whole is that the spiritual context of the story is pretty subtle. What’s obvious about the five missionary families is that they are there in the jungles of Ecuador to help the Waodani people, but the truth of their mission to “convert the Waodani to Christianity” is not blatantly obvious. This makes the subversive impact of the film all the more powerful. Whereas Hollywood tends to promote violence and portray meekness as weak, this film tells the story of five armed men who refuse to use their weapons against those to whom they are bringing a message of peace.
Not only is this film (as well as the story) worthy of wide recognition in and of itself, but my hope is that it will help to set a new precedent for people of the Christian faith who wish to use mediums such as music, film and literature to persuasively communicate spiritual truth. Whereas the Church has often only given value to such forms of art if it has an overtly Gospel message to it, what is needed is a recapturing of a holistic approach to the arts that is characteristic of Rembrandt and Daniel Defoe. After explaining how Protestantism historically claimed the nonreligious aspects of life for God, Steve Turner says this in his book “Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts,”:
Maybe another good step would be to recognize spiritual truth wherever it is found, including Hollywood. After all, if it’s true, it finds its source in the Maker of All Things.
Other helpful quotes from Steve Turner's “Imagine”:
“I believe that Christians should be writing poetry infused with godly perception rather than poetry about religion.” (p. 20)
“[Philippians 4:8], probably more than any other, has been used to deter Christians from the arts. It has been interpreted as meaning only look at, listen to or read things which are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Yet this would preclude us from passing our eyes over much of the descriptions of impurity and awfulness in the Bible. David’s life would have to be read in an abridged version. Could we dwell on Job or Revelation? How could we deal with the negativity in Ecclesiastes?” (p. 40)
“A corollary of this has been that Christians have thought that they should only create art with a Pollyanna quality to it: paintings of birds and kittens, movies that extol family life and end happily, songs that are positive and uplifting – in short, works of art that show a world that is almost unfallen where no one experiences conflict and where sin is naughty rather than wicked.” (p. 41)
“In fact wrestling with worldly ideas is one way in which our minds are renewed. It challenges our assumptions and threatens our complacency. It sends us back to the Bible and forces us to kneel in prayer.” (p. 44)
Categories: film, culture
The story focuses on Nate Saint, his son Steve, and Mincayani, the tribesman who took part in the murder of Nate, Jim Elliot, and three other missionaries in the early 1950’s. Little background is given about Elliot and the other missionaries, which gets a little confusing at one point in the film, if you aren’t already familiar with the whole story.
Something I appreciate about the film is that it struck a decent balance in portraying the violence that was such a pervasive part of Waodani society without going too far in typical Quentin Tarantino (or even Mel Gibson “Passion of the Christ”) fashion. Some might argue that the violence could’ve gone even further in order to be truer to reality, but my guess is that it would’ve bumped the film up to an “R” rating, and therefore given it less exposure.
Another highlight of the film as a whole is that the spiritual context of the story is pretty subtle. What’s obvious about the five missionary families is that they are there in the jungles of Ecuador to help the Waodani people, but the truth of their mission to “convert the Waodani to Christianity” is not blatantly obvious. This makes the subversive impact of the film all the more powerful. Whereas Hollywood tends to promote violence and portray meekness as weak, this film tells the story of five armed men who refuse to use their weapons against those to whom they are bringing a message of peace.
Not only is this film (as well as the story) worthy of wide recognition in and of itself, but my hope is that it will help to set a new precedent for people of the Christian faith who wish to use mediums such as music, film and literature to persuasively communicate spiritual truth. Whereas the Church has often only given value to such forms of art if it has an overtly Gospel message to it, what is needed is a recapturing of a holistic approach to the arts that is characteristic of Rembrandt and Daniel Defoe. After explaining how Protestantism historically claimed the nonreligious aspects of life for God, Steve Turner says this in his book “Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts,”:
This liberated the art made by Christians because it allowed art that wasn’t explicitly religious yet was soaked in biblical values. One of the most frequently cited examples of this is the work of Rembrandt. We don’t have a record of Rembrandt’s personal beliefs but know that he was raised in the Reformed Church in Holland, and it is assumed that he would have been taught the Bible from a Calvinist viewpoint when at school.When we look carefully at the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, we see an example of a brilliant teacher who used subversive methods of communication (such as story) in powerfully persuasive ways. Those who claim to follow in his footsteps would do well to imitate Him accordingly. “The End of the Spear” is a great step in that direction.
Maybe another good step would be to recognize spiritual truth wherever it is found, including Hollywood. After all, if it’s true, it finds its source in the Maker of All Things.
Other helpful quotes from Steve Turner's “Imagine”:
“I believe that Christians should be writing poetry infused with godly perception rather than poetry about religion.” (p. 20)
“[Philippians 4:8], probably more than any other, has been used to deter Christians from the arts. It has been interpreted as meaning only look at, listen to or read things which are noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Yet this would preclude us from passing our eyes over much of the descriptions of impurity and awfulness in the Bible. David’s life would have to be read in an abridged version. Could we dwell on Job or Revelation? How could we deal with the negativity in Ecclesiastes?” (p. 40)
“A corollary of this has been that Christians have thought that they should only create art with a Pollyanna quality to it: paintings of birds and kittens, movies that extol family life and end happily, songs that are positive and uplifting – in short, works of art that show a world that is almost unfallen where no one experiences conflict and where sin is naughty rather than wicked.” (p. 41)
“In fact wrestling with worldly ideas is one way in which our minds are renewed. It challenges our assumptions and threatens our complacency. It sends us back to the Bible and forces us to kneel in prayer.” (p. 44)
Categories: film, culture
28.1.06
Mark Driscoll in the Blogosphere
Andrew Jones has a great post about Mark Driscoll and his activities in the blogosphere. Just the other day, I made a comment about Driscoll on another blog. After I made the comment, I realized that, though I tried to be balanced in my opinions about Mark, I probably could've been even more careful not to disrespect him. (Having said that, sometimes he makes himself such a big target!!)
I appreciate Andrew's comments and I must say myself that I have a lot of respect and appreciation for Driscoll. Being from the Pacific Northwest, I've had many conversations with pastors and ministry leaders who have both benefitted from Driscoll and been enraged by him. I think this tension to dialogue well (i.e., respectfully, truthfully, patiently, graciously, etc.) and still have strong opinions/convictions is really good for healthy community amongst God's people. I think it's a necessary component of the Kingdom that a skeptical world needs to see.
(CLICK HERE for what I would consider to be a very balanced and cautious description of the emerging church by Mark. Mark's opinions about the emerging church come in the context of a discussion he had with a brilliant apologist, theologian and godly man by the name of Ravi Zacharias. Ravi spoke at the first GEM Annual Conference that I attended in Budapest in the summer of 2003.)
I appreciate Andrew's comments and I must say myself that I have a lot of respect and appreciation for Driscoll. Being from the Pacific Northwest, I've had many conversations with pastors and ministry leaders who have both benefitted from Driscoll and been enraged by him. I think this tension to dialogue well (i.e., respectfully, truthfully, patiently, graciously, etc.) and still have strong opinions/convictions is really good for healthy community amongst God's people. I think it's a necessary component of the Kingdom that a skeptical world needs to see.
(CLICK HERE for what I would consider to be a very balanced and cautious description of the emerging church by Mark. Mark's opinions about the emerging church come in the context of a discussion he had with a brilliant apologist, theologian and godly man by the name of Ravi Zacharias. Ravi spoke at the first GEM Annual Conference that I attended in Budapest in the summer of 2003.)
26.1.06
From the Mouth of an 8 yr. Old
Some of the best metaphors/illustrations/analogies for truth that I've heard in the past have come from young people and children. Click here for yet another, from the mouth of 8 yr. old Isaiah, giving a commentary on those who claim to represent God, but do not live in the way of love.
23.1.06
Cost of Housing in Dublin
As Kristy and I prayerfully seek out the financial means to return to Europe and begin serving in Ireland, one of the things that we have to consider is the cost of housing in the Dublin area. To give you an idea of what we're up against, check this out.
22.1.06
BIG DAY FOR SEABIRDS FANS
It's a big day for Seabirds fans. I'm really hoping for a Seattle/Denver Superbowl. It was just a few years ago when the Hawks and the Broncos were AFC West rivals. And now, to be living in Colorado when a Seahawks/Broncos Superbowl could be just around the corner . . . too good to be true? We shall see . . . .
20.1.06
BIG Gap Between American Pastors' Perceptions & Reality
Earlier this month, the Barna Group released scathing results of a study conducted to get some insight on whether or not American pastors are in tune with the spiritual health of their congregations. I'm always a little wary of Barna's research because of how easy it is to get the answers they want/expect, but I think these particular findings have potential to do a lot to help American pastors re-think how they evaluate their ministries.
The report states that "pastors contend that 70% of the adults in their church consider their personal faith in God to transcend all other priorities." At one point in the report, it's unclear as to whether or not the 1002 adults who were polled were church-goers, or just average American people on the street. That said, the poll did isolate those who attend Protestant churches and reported that "23% named their faith in God as their top priority in life." (51% of those who identified themselves with the term "evangelical" said that their faith in God was their highest priority.)
I've never been real crazy about how Barna throws around labels (like Protestant, Evangelical, conservative, liberal, "born again," etc.) and it seems like there are a lot of presuppositions that go into much of the research. However, in this particular poll, I have to wonder if Barna is on to something critically important, especially in summarizing the conclusions of the survey.
Ooop. There it is. Welcome to 21st Century Christendom. A lot of concern for numbers (financial, attendance, or otherwise.) A lot of concern for surface level involvement. A lot of concern for external indicators of success. Not much concern for making disciples of Jesus who are increasingly committed to walking in the way of Jesus. Not much concern for being a catalyst of change in society. Not much concern for announcing and demonstrating the Kingdom of God on the Earth. (Heck, even Barna ostensibly suggests that the objective of pastors should be to meet the needs of their people to have a deeper relationship with God, which is good, but still falls far short of Ephesians 4.11-12, not to mention the ministry objectives of Jesus.)
I don't say these things to be overly critical or cynical. I say these things because I love the church and I believe that it is the church that God Himself has commissioned to be the primary tool for accomplishing His purposes on the earth. But when I look around at the church in Western society today, I see a lot of acquiescence to modern day business standards, enlightenment philosophy, and other standards of success that fall so short of the vision that Jesus had when he launched the church in his 3+ years of ministry on the earth.
How do we change? I don't know. Thus far, it seems that I myself have this uncanny ability to know exactly what's wrong with the Western church, equaled only by an uncanny inability to articulate those things well and suggest necessary steps for change. But there are a lot of other people out there asking similar questions and raising similar issues. And there are even people out there trying to do something about it. Best of all (and I have to remind myself of this constantly), the One who created all things, including the Church, is the One who said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
The report states that "pastors contend that 70% of the adults in their church consider their personal faith in God to transcend all other priorities." At one point in the report, it's unclear as to whether or not the 1002 adults who were polled were church-goers, or just average American people on the street. That said, the poll did isolate those who attend Protestant churches and reported that "23% named their faith in God as their top priority in life." (51% of those who identified themselves with the term "evangelical" said that their faith in God was their highest priority.)
I've never been real crazy about how Barna throws around labels (like Protestant, Evangelical, conservative, liberal, "born again," etc.) and it seems like there are a lot of presuppositions that go into much of the research. However, in this particular poll, I have to wonder if Barna is on to something critically important, especially in summarizing the conclusions of the survey.
". . . the typical pastor measures the spiritual health of congregants by considering one or two numbers (e.g. church and Sunday school attendance) and a handful of vague impressions (what did exit comments suggest about people’s reaction to the sermon, how widespread was people’s participation in the singing, were there enough people who were sufficiently trained to enable the services and programs to operate smoothly)."Later, George himself goes on to say, "“The only way to explain the enormous gap between the perceptions of pastors and the reality of people’s lives is to understand that pastors evaluate spiritual health from an institutional perspective – that is, are people involved in keeping the system going – while people are aware of their unmet need to have a deeper and more meaningful relationship with God.” (emphasis mine)
Ooop. There it is. Welcome to 21st Century Christendom. A lot of concern for numbers (financial, attendance, or otherwise.) A lot of concern for surface level involvement. A lot of concern for external indicators of success. Not much concern for making disciples of Jesus who are increasingly committed to walking in the way of Jesus. Not much concern for being a catalyst of change in society. Not much concern for announcing and demonstrating the Kingdom of God on the Earth. (Heck, even Barna ostensibly suggests that the objective of pastors should be to meet the needs of their people to have a deeper relationship with God, which is good, but still falls far short of Ephesians 4.11-12, not to mention the ministry objectives of Jesus.)
I don't say these things to be overly critical or cynical. I say these things because I love the church and I believe that it is the church that God Himself has commissioned to be the primary tool for accomplishing His purposes on the earth. But when I look around at the church in Western society today, I see a lot of acquiescence to modern day business standards, enlightenment philosophy, and other standards of success that fall so short of the vision that Jesus had when he launched the church in his 3+ years of ministry on the earth.
How do we change? I don't know. Thus far, it seems that I myself have this uncanny ability to know exactly what's wrong with the Western church, equaled only by an uncanny inability to articulate those things well and suggest necessary steps for change. But there are a lot of other people out there asking similar questions and raising similar issues. And there are even people out there trying to do something about it. Best of all (and I have to remind myself of this constantly), the One who created all things, including the Church, is the One who said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
19.1.06
Avoiding the Statically Fossilised & Other Such Intimidating Jargon
Some really good thoughts over at Generous Orthodoxy Think Tank today re: the necessity of humility in theological discussion. It's brief and a bit wordy, but I'm hoping that this kind of attitude really takes hold in the evangelical church, especially with those who are opposed to all things "emerging."
18.1.06
Safe Landing in Sunny Colorado
Kristy and I landed safely (albeit a bit sleep deprived) in Colorado yesterday. It's good to see the sun again after, 22 days straight of rain in the Pac NW. After some lunch with the in-laws in Denver, we cruised on down to The Springs and walked into a house in desperate need of re-organizing and cleaning. It was good to see my luggage that United lost on our way home from the honeymoon. Fortunately, the only casualty was the wet swim trunks that were stuffed in a plastic shopping bag and still smell moldy after one round through the wash. Still not sure if I'm gonna be keeping those or not. (And yes, the bottle of rum survived.)
On Saturday, the wedding reception went great. Kristy and I shook a lot of hands and smiled for three hours straight. Numerous people from my parents’ church helped with the food and decorations and made the afternoon come off brilliantly. We were even able to get regular updates on the football game from my uncle who was back at the house with a group of other relatives, calling my dad’s cell phone whenever the Seabirds scored. (Gonna be a tough game against the Panthers this Sunday afternoon.)
We drove down to my home church (Grace & Glory) in Vancouver the next morning and took the whole service to introduce Kristy and explain what God has called us to in Ireland. After the service, it was a privilege to be able to sit through a brief annual business meeting and then chat with people over a meal. It was so much fun to see how God has blessed Grace & Glory and caused it to grow.
On Monday, Kristy and I decided to go up and see my younger brother, Jason, in Seattle. He's renting a house on the West side with a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline across the harbor. At least, on a clear day it's a gorgeous view. When we squinted, we could at least see the silhouettes of skyscrapers through the fog and mist. After some lunch in a cool little seafood restaurant, we went over to downtown and helped Jason pick up a new bed with my dad's truck. Later in the evening, we saw "Munich," which was not what I expected it to be. (I'm still trying to decide if I liked it or not.)
It was a lot of fun to hang out with my little bro and hear about how his job is going. Jason works for a big PR firm and mainly works with Microsoft, his firm's biggest client. He was in Vegas a few weeks back for the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. His parents and brothers are all praying that he doesn't kill himself working 12 hour days and beating back blood-thirsty media while trying to explain why Microsoft decided to pull their media player support from Mac's OS. (Why do Mac users need Windows Media Player when they've got I-Tunes and the I-Pod anyway??) We also got a little spiritual conversation in, mostly regarding the book he’s reading (Velvet Elvis). Our youngest brother got it for him for Christmas. (Sounds like it was a good choice, Ty!) It’s encouraging to see my little bro (both of them, actually!) wrestling with issues of faith and seeking God in it all. And yes, I’ve forgiven them for the embarrassing toast they gave at my wedding reception.
On Saturday, the wedding reception went great. Kristy and I shook a lot of hands and smiled for three hours straight. Numerous people from my parents’ church helped with the food and decorations and made the afternoon come off brilliantly. We were even able to get regular updates on the football game from my uncle who was back at the house with a group of other relatives, calling my dad’s cell phone whenever the Seabirds scored. (Gonna be a tough game against the Panthers this Sunday afternoon.)
We drove down to my home church (Grace & Glory) in Vancouver the next morning and took the whole service to introduce Kristy and explain what God has called us to in Ireland. After the service, it was a privilege to be able to sit through a brief annual business meeting and then chat with people over a meal. It was so much fun to see how God has blessed Grace & Glory and caused it to grow.
On Monday, Kristy and I decided to go up and see my younger brother, Jason, in Seattle. He's renting a house on the West side with a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline across the harbor. At least, on a clear day it's a gorgeous view. When we squinted, we could at least see the silhouettes of skyscrapers through the fog and mist. After some lunch in a cool little seafood restaurant, we went over to downtown and helped Jason pick up a new bed with my dad's truck. Later in the evening, we saw "Munich," which was not what I expected it to be. (I'm still trying to decide if I liked it or not.)
It was a lot of fun to hang out with my little bro and hear about how his job is going. Jason works for a big PR firm and mainly works with Microsoft, his firm's biggest client. He was in Vegas a few weeks back for the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. His parents and brothers are all praying that he doesn't kill himself working 12 hour days and beating back blood-thirsty media while trying to explain why Microsoft decided to pull their media player support from Mac's OS. (Why do Mac users need Windows Media Player when they've got I-Tunes and the I-Pod anyway??) We also got a little spiritual conversation in, mostly regarding the book he’s reading (Velvet Elvis). Our youngest brother got it for him for Christmas. (Sounds like it was a good choice, Ty!) It’s encouraging to see my little bro (both of them, actually!) wrestling with issues of faith and seeking God in it all. And yes, I’ve forgiven them for the embarrassing toast they gave at my wedding reception.
12.1.06
Dinner with the Bilbys
Kristy and I had a great time at the Bilby's for dinner last night. Dave Bilby is the Missions Committee chairman at Cascade Park Baptist Church in Vancouver (WA). He's recently begun working on staff over at ACMC (Advancing Churches in Missions Commitment) and is doing a lot to help them re-strategize in getting North American churches involved in passionate cross-cultural mission support. Before joining the staff at ACMC, Dave was running his own web hosting company and played a big part in helping me get a web site up and running.
11.1.06
Cross-cultural Thinking (or, Confusing Faith with Culture)
One of the things I am most excited about in current day missiological discussion and interaction is the way it is helping various forms of cultural Christianity (i.e., American, British, etc.) to think cross-culturally in their own cultural. Christ-followers are being challenged to see the cultural idiosyncrasies that inform their faith more than scripture and the Holy Spirit. They are being confronted with the fact that much of how they see their faith isn’t as biblical as they would like to think, but rather cultural.
Yesterday, Jonny Baker touched on this as well. As I mention in the comments of his post, I really believe that the global conversation that has grown in the last several years due to blogs and healthy networking has done much to inform and fuel that cross-cultural thinking. I so enjoy being an American, living and serving in Europe because it forces me into such a steep learning curve in the process of educating myself about British or Irish or whatever culture. It forces me to ask questions that European Christians should also be asking themselves. In that way, we can link arms and learn from each other and alongside each other. Then, when I interact with my fellow American Christ-followers, I can take what I’ve learned from my European friends and essentially say, “I think maybe this or that part of our faith is actually more American culture than it is purely biblical Christianity.”
Take James Dobson and Focus on the Family for example. (I hate to belabour The Dob on this issue, but he makes a great case study due to the pervasiveness of his ministry amongst so many Christians in the U.S.) An obvious objective of Focus is to legislate biblical morality through government lobbying and pressure. Many American Christians would say that this is excusable and even necessary because God Himself has seen fit to show extra favour to America and make it a great nation, and therefore, we should do as much as we can to make our country a place where children can be shielded from immorality and evil. In this way, what Dobson does in his political involvement is the “biblical, Christian thing to do.”
The problem is that it’s not the biblical thing to do. It’s the “American Christendom” thing to do. Nowhere in scripture are we asked to force governments or whole nations to embrace Christianity through the political system. We don’t see Jesus or the Apostle Paul trying to legislate Christian morality through the Roman Empire’s political channels. We see Paul preaching the gospel to Roman government officials, but that is much different than the defensive posture of Focus on the Family and other American Christendom groups preoccupied with preserving Christianity as a powerful special-interest group.
Another example is the way the Gospel is presented in American Christianity (not to mention much of evangelical European Christianity). Most often, it is presented as “what God can do for you, the individual.” Recently, I came across an article simply entitled, “What is the Gospel?” In it, author and professor Scott McKnight argues that the Gospel embraces much more than that, calling this version of the Gospel “hyper-individualism.”
In “The Continuing Conversion of the Church,” Darrell Guder calls this hyper-individualism “Gospel reductionism,” and further defines what he means here:
From the perspective of a typical American hyper-individualism view of salvation, it may appear that Guder is arguing for universalism (all people will be saved) when in fact he has done a brilliant job of highlighting the fact that my salvation is meant not only for my own future entrance into heaven, but to be a blessing and a service to humanity now. One only needs to recall the book of James to recognize this truth. There’s a difference between saying that the Gospel should affect all the world and that it should save all the world (in terms of regeneration and entrance into heaven.)
Evangelical churches in both the U.S. and England have pointed a lot of criticism at parts of the Anglican church for their own “reductions” of the Gospel into a “social gospel.” However, in my own observations of the Church of England while I lived in Britain, much of the Anglican church avoided either reductions and maintained both the personal, individual nature of the Gospel as well as the useful, practical nature that releases the church to be an agent of healing to the world.
Categories: culture, mission, church, God
Yesterday, Jonny Baker touched on this as well. As I mention in the comments of his post, I really believe that the global conversation that has grown in the last several years due to blogs and healthy networking has done much to inform and fuel that cross-cultural thinking. I so enjoy being an American, living and serving in Europe because it forces me into such a steep learning curve in the process of educating myself about British or Irish or whatever culture. It forces me to ask questions that European Christians should also be asking themselves. In that way, we can link arms and learn from each other and alongside each other. Then, when I interact with my fellow American Christ-followers, I can take what I’ve learned from my European friends and essentially say, “I think maybe this or that part of our faith is actually more American culture than it is purely biblical Christianity.”
Take James Dobson and Focus on the Family for example. (I hate to belabour The Dob on this issue, but he makes a great case study due to the pervasiveness of his ministry amongst so many Christians in the U.S.) An obvious objective of Focus is to legislate biblical morality through government lobbying and pressure. Many American Christians would say that this is excusable and even necessary because God Himself has seen fit to show extra favour to America and make it a great nation, and therefore, we should do as much as we can to make our country a place where children can be shielded from immorality and evil. In this way, what Dobson does in his political involvement is the “biblical, Christian thing to do.”
The problem is that it’s not the biblical thing to do. It’s the “American Christendom” thing to do. Nowhere in scripture are we asked to force governments or whole nations to embrace Christianity through the political system. We don’t see Jesus or the Apostle Paul trying to legislate Christian morality through the Roman Empire’s political channels. We see Paul preaching the gospel to Roman government officials, but that is much different than the defensive posture of Focus on the Family and other American Christendom groups preoccupied with preserving Christianity as a powerful special-interest group.
Another example is the way the Gospel is presented in American Christianity (not to mention much of evangelical European Christianity). Most often, it is presented as “what God can do for you, the individual.” Recently, I came across an article simply entitled, “What is the Gospel?” In it, author and professor Scott McKnight argues that the Gospel embraces much more than that, calling this version of the Gospel “hyper-individualism.”
Hyper-individualism is the most selfish thing we can do with the gospel. To turn what God is doing in this world exclusively into what he is doing for me is to turn God upside down and stand ourselves up in God’s place. The gospel is not about me, but about what God is doing — and the “me” comes in as part of what God is doing. This difference is not a little matter. . . . The question the gospel of embracing grace asks is not “what can I do to get in?” but “will I be a part of God’s work?” Once this is understood, and that the gospel is designed to regenerate our hearts to love God and to love others, then what we are asked to do is as simple as that: we are asked to love God and to love others.
In “The Continuing Conversion of the Church,” Darrell Guder calls this hyper-individualism “Gospel reductionism,” and further defines what he means here:
This salvation was, quite rightly, understood as a fundamental change in the relationship between the person and God, and the assurance of life after death in heaven. Reductionism does not mean that what remains is wrong: it means that what remains is too little. The church, as it institutionalized, did not set aside the gospel; it reduced it and made it manageable. For the gospel of Jesus Christ, the king and the Lord to whom all authority has been given on heaven and on earth, is a message about God’s healing and saving purposes which affect all the world, not merely each individuals’ eternal fate. (p. 189)
From the perspective of a typical American hyper-individualism view of salvation, it may appear that Guder is arguing for universalism (all people will be saved) when in fact he has done a brilliant job of highlighting the fact that my salvation is meant not only for my own future entrance into heaven, but to be a blessing and a service to humanity now. One only needs to recall the book of James to recognize this truth. There’s a difference between saying that the Gospel should affect all the world and that it should save all the world (in terms of regeneration and entrance into heaven.)
Evangelical churches in both the U.S. and England have pointed a lot of criticism at parts of the Anglican church for their own “reductions” of the Gospel into a “social gospel.” However, in my own observations of the Church of England while I lived in Britain, much of the Anglican church avoided either reductions and maintained both the personal, individual nature of the Gospel as well as the useful, practical nature that releases the church to be an agent of healing to the world.
Categories: culture, mission, church, God
9.1.06
Is God Dead in Europe?
Interesteing article, worth a read. The conclusion of the reporter regarding the connections between the fertility rate and the spiritual/religious climate in Europe is an interesting theory. "Demographic suicide" due to fall of European Christendom, eh? Hmmmm . . . not sure I'm convinced.
Misc. Stuff Coming into 2006
Now that we're well into 2006, here are a few miscellaneous things on my heart and mind.
1. The Seattle Seahawks
The Hawks have a seriously good chance of making it all the way to the Super Bowl this year! Shaun Alexander is coming into the post-season with a phenomenal record-breaking season and will be well rested against the 'Skins after a first round bye. Matt Hastlebeck has improved year after year at quarterback and is leading the team like he's hungry for a ring. Coach Holmgren is also looking like he's found a good balance of roles and involvement on the team as well.
I'm looking forward to this Saturday when the Hawks face off against the Skins for a shot at the NFC Championship game. My Uncle Jeff and Aunt Sue got tickets to the game this Saturday, so they'll have to miss our wedding reception down here in Longview. (Frankly, I'd be offended if they passed up the game to come down to Longview!) Other relatives from both sides of the family are coming down to my parents' place early to catch the game on TV before heading over to the reception. Should be a lot of fun to have a house full of people watching the game!
2. Good Music
Over the last few months, I've discovered some great music, some of which has been around longer than other stuff. After listening to My Morning Jacket a few times, they seem to have a sound that's almost a cross between Radiohead and Lynard Skynard. It's growing on me.
The Magic Numbers and The New Pornographers (really unfortunate name, which doesn't even seem to reflect anything about the band) are in a similar style category as The Shins - quirky, but catchy pop songs that you probably won't hear on Top 40 radio (thankfully). Some incredible song writing in all 3 of those bands.
Sufjan Stevens also keeps showing up in my inquiries into new music. I've only heard a few songs off of his latest Illinois (which I've really liked), but from what I've read and heard, his music just keeps getting better and better after each album. Stevens has declared his intent to write an album in honor of each State in the U.S. Be interesting to watch where that goes.
Other groups that I've been enjoying recently:
Gorillaz
Wilco
Sigur Ros
Franz Ferdinand
Big shout out to Paste Magazine and Pitch Fork for keeping the world up-to-date with all the latest on good music.
Also, check out Relevant's latest The Year in Music Reviewed.
Categories: music, culture, life
1. The Seattle Seahawks
The Hawks have a seriously good chance of making it all the way to the Super Bowl this year! Shaun Alexander is coming into the post-season with a phenomenal record-breaking season and will be well rested against the 'Skins after a first round bye. Matt Hastlebeck has improved year after year at quarterback and is leading the team like he's hungry for a ring. Coach Holmgren is also looking like he's found a good balance of roles and involvement on the team as well.
I'm looking forward to this Saturday when the Hawks face off against the Skins for a shot at the NFC Championship game. My Uncle Jeff and Aunt Sue got tickets to the game this Saturday, so they'll have to miss our wedding reception down here in Longview. (Frankly, I'd be offended if they passed up the game to come down to Longview!) Other relatives from both sides of the family are coming down to my parents' place early to catch the game on TV before heading over to the reception. Should be a lot of fun to have a house full of people watching the game!
2. Good Music
Over the last few months, I've discovered some great music, some of which has been around longer than other stuff. After listening to My Morning Jacket a few times, they seem to have a sound that's almost a cross between Radiohead and Lynard Skynard. It's growing on me.
The Magic Numbers and The New Pornographers (really unfortunate name, which doesn't even seem to reflect anything about the band) are in a similar style category as The Shins - quirky, but catchy pop songs that you probably won't hear on Top 40 radio (thankfully). Some incredible song writing in all 3 of those bands.
Sufjan Stevens also keeps showing up in my inquiries into new music. I've only heard a few songs off of his latest Illinois (which I've really liked), but from what I've read and heard, his music just keeps getting better and better after each album. Stevens has declared his intent to write an album in honor of each State in the U.S. Be interesting to watch where that goes.
Other groups that I've been enjoying recently:
Gorillaz
Wilco
Sigur Ros
Franz Ferdinand
Big shout out to Paste Magazine and Pitch Fork for keeping the world up-to-date with all the latest on good music.
Also, check out Relevant's latest The Year in Music Reviewed.
Categories: music, culture, life
A Day at Auburn Grace Community (50th Anniversary of the Deaths of Jim Elliot and His Missionary Colleagues)
Over the weekend, Kristy and I had a tremendously encouraging time up in the Seattle area with folks from Grace Community Church in Auburn. I was asked to lead worship at all 4 services (2 morning and 2 evening) and give a brief report on where Kristy and I are headed in the coming months. It was a lot of fun to introduce Kristy as Mrs. Wellcome and get an applause from the congregation.
It was a perfect Sunday to be there, since it was the 50th anniversary of the deaths of Jim Elliot and his missionary colleagues in Ecuador. In honor of the men who were killed, the church showed a 40 minute, edited documentary regarding their story and the repercussions on the lives of the tribesmen who murdered the missionaries. After the film, Pastor Ben called up Steve and Matthew McCully, sons of Ed McCully, one of the murdered missionaries. Steve and Matthew have been attending Grace Community for several years. Their testimony of how their father’s death had impacted their lives was incredibly moving. Further, the stories that they had to share of the thousands of changed lives that were a result of that tragic story were nothing less than awe-inspiring.
One of the men who was involved in the murders later became a follower of Jesus and has come to the United States (and visited Grace Community) several times to share his story. At one missions conference, people were asked to stand if they had been inspired to become missionaries as a result of the story of Elliot and his comrades. Hundreds rose to their feet.
One interesting fact that I had not known was that the missionaries actually had firearms with them when they were murdered. However, they committed to not using them on the tribal people since they were not yet ready for heaven!
At one point during the interview, Matthew mentioned that the impact of those men began with the prayerful financial support of individuals and churches across North America and that people should remember that when writing out checks for Brandon and Kristy! I appreciated the plug for Kristy and I, but I was most excited about the clear explanation of how everyday Christians at “home” could have a part in impacting people’s lives across the world through their financial and prayer support.
Further reading about these men and their story.
“End of the Spear” promotional site and an interactive timeline (under the heading "Path of the Spear.")
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” (Jim Elliot)
It was a perfect Sunday to be there, since it was the 50th anniversary of the deaths of Jim Elliot and his missionary colleagues in Ecuador. In honor of the men who were killed, the church showed a 40 minute, edited documentary regarding their story and the repercussions on the lives of the tribesmen who murdered the missionaries. After the film, Pastor Ben called up Steve and Matthew McCully, sons of Ed McCully, one of the murdered missionaries. Steve and Matthew have been attending Grace Community for several years. Their testimony of how their father’s death had impacted their lives was incredibly moving. Further, the stories that they had to share of the thousands of changed lives that were a result of that tragic story were nothing less than awe-inspiring.
One of the men who was involved in the murders later became a follower of Jesus and has come to the United States (and visited Grace Community) several times to share his story. At one missions conference, people were asked to stand if they had been inspired to become missionaries as a result of the story of Elliot and his comrades. Hundreds rose to their feet.
One interesting fact that I had not known was that the missionaries actually had firearms with them when they were murdered. However, they committed to not using them on the tribal people since they were not yet ready for heaven!
At one point during the interview, Matthew mentioned that the impact of those men began with the prayerful financial support of individuals and churches across North America and that people should remember that when writing out checks for Brandon and Kristy! I appreciated the plug for Kristy and I, but I was most excited about the clear explanation of how everyday Christians at “home” could have a part in impacting people’s lives across the world through their financial and prayer support.
Further reading about these men and their story.
“End of the Spear” promotional site and an interactive timeline (under the heading "Path of the Spear.")
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” (Jim Elliot)
6.1.06
Missional Church & Disciple Making
One of these days, I’m going to actually finish this book that I’ve been trying to get through since September (The Continuing Conversion of the Church). It’s done so much to assist me in re-thinking my theology of church. Now that I’m at the end of the book, Guder has gotten real practical in discussing some implications of missional church. This quote in particular seemed to really tie some things together well:
“If a mission community saw itself primarily as the Spirit’s steward of the calling and gifts of its members, its internal activities would, in one sense, diminish. It would spend much less time on providing activities that take its members out of the world. It would devote more of its times of gathering for the equipping, support, and accountability of its member-missionaries. The ancient sense of the conclusion of public worship as the sending out of God’s people (ita, missa est = go, you are sent) would be translated into the concrete forms of congregational life.” (p. 179)
In one sense, what Guder says here is right in line with the disciple-making focus of the Sonlife ministry training, which essentially reflects the missional priorities of Christ’s ministry. However, it seems to take things to an even deeper level. Often it has felt like this disciple-making philosophy of ministry can merely be a “plug-in” to the modern day church structures, but true missional church philosophy challenges even the most basic structures of the church that don’t actually serve the world.
In the Sonlife disciple-making philosophy, you have “building believers, equipping them for ministry, and winning unbelievers.” Presented this way, it can come across as three disjointed purposes of the church or three disconnected components of the disciple-making process. What’s missing is the thread of purpose that brings them all together, namely, God’s mission in the world of establishing His Kingdom on the earth. Whereas the making of disciples is a key part of the purpose of the church, I’m beginning to think that it is not actually the sum total of the church’s purpose. Rather, it could be said that it is one non-negotiable priority in the mission, which is to announce and demonstrate the Kingdom of God – precisely what Jesus did when he was on the earth. The making of disciples was a key component of Jesus’ ministry (and an indispensable one at that), but there were other things that Jesus did that didn’t necessarily directly contribute to his disciple-making.
For example, Jesus was very active in serving and healing the poor and sick. It can be said that Jesus brought in a disciple-making component in teaching his disciple to care for the marginalized members of society, but I have a hard time seeing that as a primarily disciple-making activity. Here, there are huge implications for the church. Caring for the sick and the poor and the marginalized is not merely an optional activity for the church if there’s room in the calendar and the budget! (Nor can it be asserted that social justice is the gospel itself.) It’s part of the very fabric of the church’s mission in demonstrating and announcing the Kingdom of God on the earth.
Furthermore, Guder’s quote above suggests that even the most basic spiritual growth level (or "building") activity of the church should serve the missional purpose of the church in preparing God’s people to be a healing agent in the world. In other words, my spiritual growth is not just for my own sake. My own spiritual growth is meant to be of practical use in my witness to a lost world.
Plenty more thoughts on this, but I think I’ll stop for now.
“If a mission community saw itself primarily as the Spirit’s steward of the calling and gifts of its members, its internal activities would, in one sense, diminish. It would spend much less time on providing activities that take its members out of the world. It would devote more of its times of gathering for the equipping, support, and accountability of its member-missionaries. The ancient sense of the conclusion of public worship as the sending out of God’s people (ita, missa est = go, you are sent) would be translated into the concrete forms of congregational life.” (p. 179)
In one sense, what Guder says here is right in line with the disciple-making focus of the Sonlife ministry training, which essentially reflects the missional priorities of Christ’s ministry. However, it seems to take things to an even deeper level. Often it has felt like this disciple-making philosophy of ministry can merely be a “plug-in” to the modern day church structures, but true missional church philosophy challenges even the most basic structures of the church that don’t actually serve the world.
In the Sonlife disciple-making philosophy, you have “building believers, equipping them for ministry, and winning unbelievers.” Presented this way, it can come across as three disjointed purposes of the church or three disconnected components of the disciple-making process. What’s missing is the thread of purpose that brings them all together, namely, God’s mission in the world of establishing His Kingdom on the earth. Whereas the making of disciples is a key part of the purpose of the church, I’m beginning to think that it is not actually the sum total of the church’s purpose. Rather, it could be said that it is one non-negotiable priority in the mission, which is to announce and demonstrate the Kingdom of God – precisely what Jesus did when he was on the earth. The making of disciples was a key component of Jesus’ ministry (and an indispensable one at that), but there were other things that Jesus did that didn’t necessarily directly contribute to his disciple-making.
For example, Jesus was very active in serving and healing the poor and sick. It can be said that Jesus brought in a disciple-making component in teaching his disciple to care for the marginalized members of society, but I have a hard time seeing that as a primarily disciple-making activity. Here, there are huge implications for the church. Caring for the sick and the poor and the marginalized is not merely an optional activity for the church if there’s room in the calendar and the budget! (Nor can it be asserted that social justice is the gospel itself.) It’s part of the very fabric of the church’s mission in demonstrating and announcing the Kingdom of God on the earth.
Furthermore, Guder’s quote above suggests that even the most basic spiritual growth level (or "building") activity of the church should serve the missional purpose of the church in preparing God’s people to be a healing agent in the world. In other words, my spiritual growth is not just for my own sake. My own spiritual growth is meant to be of practical use in my witness to a lost world.
Plenty more thoughts on this, but I think I’ll stop for now.
Encouraging Meetings Over Food & Coffee
Kristy and I are enjoying a light series of meetings this week and next. Thus far, we’ve mainly been trying to catch up with a few financial partners and friends of mine that needed to be introduced to Kristy. Since December was so crazy, it didn’t leave a lot of room to set up meetings in advance for our time here in the Pacific Northwest, so we’re just seeing what last minute meetings can come together while we’re here.
On Wednesday, I had a chance to catch up with Gil Steensen, an old friend and former youth worker. I was really encouraged to hear about how much ministry ownership Gil is taking in the church he’s a part of. He’s a great example of an everyday believer with a missional mindset in his work as a meat cutter, as well as in his church commitment.
Yesterday, I introduced Kristy to Dave Childers, the missions pastor up at Grace Community Church in Auburn. He’s one of the biggest reasons I’m serving in Europe now. While he was with Reign Ministries, he set up the two trips to Ireland and Great Britain that I went on years ago that led to my heart being so burdened for that part of the world. Dave continues to open up the minds and hearts of American Christians by taking them on short-term trips all over the world. I’m always blown away by Dave’s travel schedule – this week in Africa to encourage and train pastors, the next week in Asia, via Europe to see this or that youth pastor, etc., etc.
After lunch with Dave, we connected up with Gene Poppino, the Student Ministries Pastor at Grace. Gene is a veteran youth pastor in the northwest whom many other youth pastors in the region and around the world look to for wisdom and advice. I always feel encouraged after getting some time to catch up with him and I’m always amazed at how easily he’s willing to make room in his schedule for me. He’s a great example of the “people are never an interruption” principle – even on a Thursday when he has to prepare to teach three times the following weekend. Gene is also involved in training, shepherding, and encouraging youth pastors around the world, from Europe to Asia to South America.
Today, I’m hoping to catch up with a friend back in England (via Skype) for some ministry consultation and fellowship. Tonight, Kristy and I have been invited to dinner with a family from my parents’ church here in Longview. Over the weekend, it’s back up to Auburn to lead worship singing at four Grace Community services and introduce the congregation to my beautiful wife!
On Wednesday, I had a chance to catch up with Gil Steensen, an old friend and former youth worker. I was really encouraged to hear about how much ministry ownership Gil is taking in the church he’s a part of. He’s a great example of an everyday believer with a missional mindset in his work as a meat cutter, as well as in his church commitment.
Yesterday, I introduced Kristy to Dave Childers, the missions pastor up at Grace Community Church in Auburn. He’s one of the biggest reasons I’m serving in Europe now. While he was with Reign Ministries, he set up the two trips to Ireland and Great Britain that I went on years ago that led to my heart being so burdened for that part of the world. Dave continues to open up the minds and hearts of American Christians by taking them on short-term trips all over the world. I’m always blown away by Dave’s travel schedule – this week in Africa to encourage and train pastors, the next week in Asia, via Europe to see this or that youth pastor, etc., etc.
After lunch with Dave, we connected up with Gene Poppino, the Student Ministries Pastor at Grace. Gene is a veteran youth pastor in the northwest whom many other youth pastors in the region and around the world look to for wisdom and advice. I always feel encouraged after getting some time to catch up with him and I’m always amazed at how easily he’s willing to make room in his schedule for me. He’s a great example of the “people are never an interruption” principle – even on a Thursday when he has to prepare to teach three times the following weekend. Gene is also involved in training, shepherding, and encouraging youth pastors around the world, from Europe to Asia to South America.
Today, I’m hoping to catch up with a friend back in England (via Skype) for some ministry consultation and fellowship. Tonight, Kristy and I have been invited to dinner with a family from my parents’ church here in Longview. Over the weekend, it’s back up to Auburn to lead worship singing at four Grace Community services and introduce the congregation to my beautiful wife!
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