A Baby, A Cross, and a Catharsis

Don't we all love the prayer scene from Talladega Nights?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7pco3TTV5k

OK, maybe not all of us.  But, I sure do.  What strikes me is that today is the day when we all celebrate "sweet baby Jesus". On Christmas Eve we watched a full slate of classic Christmas movies for kids and all of them dealt with skepticism regarding the existence of Santa.  At the end of the day the point was always, "Christmas is about helping poor people" or some derivation.

In my head though this wasn't ringing true.  I am becoming more and more convinced that Advent and Christmas cannot be separated from the Cross. The Magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh, all important for middle eastern burials.  Jesus was most likely born near Passover (that's a discussion for another time) and he died at Passover.

The Lamb of God born at Passover, the Bread of Life born in the City of Bread.

What is Christmas about? It's simple, it's about a Cross and a Resurrection.

It had to start somewhere and it started in Bethlehem in a common cave used for the keeping of animals.  To close I want to leave you an extended quote from Jonathan Edwards (this quote was taken from here):

What an amazing act of grace was it when Christ took upon our human nature. In this act of great condescension, he who was God became man. The Word should be made flesh, and should take on him a nature infinitely below his original nature. We should appreciate the remarkably low circumstances of his incarnation: He was conceived in the womb of a poor young woman, whose poverty appeared in this, when she came to offer sacrifices for her purification, she brought what was allowed of in the Law only in the case of poverty, a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.

Christ's infinite condescension marvelously appeared in the manner of his birth. He was brought forth in a stable, because there was no room for them in the inn. The inn was taken up by others, that were looked upon as persons of greater account. The blessed Virgin, being poor and despised, was turned or shut out. Though she was in such need, yet those that counted themselves her better would not give place to them. Therefore, in her time of giving birth, she was forced to give birth to her son in a stable, and laid him in a feed trough.

There Christ lay a little infant, and there he eminently appeared as a lamb. But yet this feeble infant, born this way in a stable, and laid in a feed trough, was born to conquer and triumph over Satan, that roaring lion (cf. 1 Peter 5:8). Jesus came to subdue the mighty powers of darkness, and make a show of them openly, and so to restore peace on earth, and to manifest God's good-will towards men, and to bring glory to God in the highest!

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I Can See Clearly Now...

...the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

It's funny how clarity can change things.  After the first big winter storm the schools were all closed and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader had just been released, so we packed into the car and headed to the show.

The roads weren't too bad but there was a constant spattering of stuff on my windshield.  I hit the mister and nothing happened except for the mud and grime to smear.  The realization of traveling on an expressway with no visibility was a little nerve racking.  This got worse as I had to slowly make way around the exit ramp cloverleaf without falling off the side.

I learned a timeless that day: Clarity IS important.

In the previous post we talked about the importance of language.  Here's the thing though: language without clarity is useless.

This hit home for me a few years ago as I was engaged in a conversation with some Mormon missionaries (it always strikes me as odd how many are named "Elder").  We were talking about Jesus, grace, faith, God, and Bible.  It seemed as though things were moving along well but it turned out that we were going nowhere.

I thought we were discussing the same things because we were using the same language.  I could not have been more wrong.

We did not have clarity.

Our definitions were totally different.  We were not even close to understanding one another and as a result our conversation slipped into mundane futility and frustration.

In a conversation about anything, let alone Jesus, the conversants must have a clarified understanding of the words they are using or there will be constant confusion and frustration. For those of us who want other people to follow Jesus we must listen closely to hear where we can build a bridge and in so doing we bring clarity.

Paul Tarsus was speaking at the Areopagus in Athens when he said these words, "For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. (Acts 17:23 ESV)"

He wanted to bring clarity and that he did by redefining "the unknown god" to that of the revealed God, Jesus.

May we take the time to clear the clouds and reveal the Son!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HagzTRmUBIE

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Watch Your Language!

Sa a se bagay ki pi enpòtan ke ou te ka janm li. Ou ka li li l '? Si ou pa kapab alò ou pa pral kapab konprann. Ou dwe konprann! Frape, frape! Ki moun ki la a? Ou. Ki ou? Oh pa kriye, li jis yon blag!

I think that I have heard the words, "Watch your language!" more than I could ever imagine. It turns out that when I was younger I did not have much of a filter. It also turns out that as an adult I do not have much of a filter. Every day my poor wife has to remind what not to say.

Don't you feel bad for her? I do.

My issues are not the point of this post, however. The issue is language. Could you read the opening few sentences? Unless you are some sort of awesome linguist, then probably not.

If you are a follower of Jesus you speak a secret language, a language that not everyone speaks. To he honest, most people don't speak our language. It is comprised of big words, special words, insider words and most of them end in "-tion".

When I have conversations with people I am reminded that sometimes my Christian language is different from their language. I want them to understand what I am saying because when we are talking about Jesus, we are talking about the most important thing.

What is the language of your neighbors? I am not taling about English. What are the metaphors and narratives that give their world meaning?

I will almost guarantee it's not the biblical narrative.

Television, films, music, celebrities, and to a lesser extent books provide the narrative arc for the world around us.

Can you speak their language?

If we want to be able to invite them to know Jesus we must be able to speak the language.

Oh, if you want to know what the opening paragraph says leave a comment!

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Destruction or Construction?

I was 18 or 19, the room was jammed with more than 1,000 college students and we were enthralled by the man on the stage.  He was thick necked and spoke with power and authority.  When he got passionate the veins in his neck bulged.  As a young man, I found in him the embodiment of all that I wanted to be: strong, intelligent, quick witted, and a command of philosophy and logic that left your head spinning.

He shared story after story of destructing the worldviews of other people thereby creating a vacuum for the message of Jesus to fill.

He didn't share many stories of people becoming followers of Jesus.

Fast forward nearly ten years.

I am alone in my basement listening to a man with an English accent, whom I have never seen.  He is sharing story after story of people responding to the story of Jesus.

One man built bridges and the other created vacuums.

One man started with humanity being created in the image of God and the other with human sinfulness.

One man started with the mindset of a builder and the other with the mindset of destruction.

If we respect people and understand what they believe we will necessarily find points from which to build bridges from their world to the glorious grace of God in the face of Jesus.

Building is harder than demolition, but it is worth it. It's worth it because regardless of response the conversation stays open.

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Can You Understand Me?

One of the most powerful feelings I have ever had was the time that I landed in Germany and realized that I had no idea what the signs said. It was remarkably uncomfortable. I had no idea what he ads were saying, I had no idea what the people around me were saying, I could not understand a thing. I felt very lost and very confused and very much alone (which is weird because I was traveling with a group of six others).

I felt these things because I knew I had no hope of being understood.

I have found that as a Christ follower who intentionally seeks to introduce others to Jesus I unwittingly speak German to them.

In my previous post I talked about respect.  Well, if I respect someone then I can not caricature them.  I need to honestly and authentically understand what they believe.  This means that I must listen. Not only that it means that I must hear them.

This is hard.

It's hard because the universe revolves around me and to really listen means that I need to set myself aside.

When you engage in conversation with someone about belief systems it is incumbent on you to be able to communicate back to this person their belief system in such a way they say, "Yes, that's what I believe".

Have you seen the movie White Men Can't Jump?  There's a great scene where Woody and Wesley are listening to Jimi Hendrix and Wesley challenges him and says, "You can't hear Jimi".  This is the point.

Can you "hear" another? If not then you are not really listening and you don't really respect them and you will never understand what they believe.

I love the fact that Jesus took time to hear people and listen.  John 8 is an incredible story where Jesus hears and understands and then responds in a way that changes lives.

Will we?

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha sang, "Find out what respect means to me".  Respect is a simple word.  It is one which causes people to get into fights, feel good, or get loud.  Respect is something that is intangible and yet is required.

Today I interacted on a blog where some people were critiquing a friend's book.

They had not read the book.

Yet, they trashed the book.  They trashed him.  They challenged his character.  It was a personal attack.

They claim to be Christians.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been teaching a group of people about how to engage with those who don't follow Jesus.  We began with "respect." Why? Because this is the place that Jesus starts.  This is the place that Paul starts. They were respecters of people.

Consider Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman in John 4.

He respected her.  He did not pull any punches but he dealt with her in love and did not demean her.

Respect is a powerful form of love and it opens many doors that might not otherwise open.  It is foundational for relationship.

If the Church is going to be what it's called to be it has to respect those who are far from God. This means that to caricature those who disagree with you is out.  This means that you must take time to learn and actually hear what these people are saying.

Back to my friend, he has a dynamic to atheists at a large state university.  He has written a fiction novel that uses a genre that is attractive to those whom God has placed on his heart.  I am probably not going to read the book, because it's simply not a genre that I enjoy.  But, I am quite certain that many people who are far from God will and as they do they will come face to face with the story and message of Jesus.

Will that message look like the Four Spiritual Laws? Nope. But it will challenge the mind and will of those who read it.

Interestingly, the Christians who have displayed such disrespect are probably never going to have the hearing that a man who has written something they detest will.

Why?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0XAI-PFQcA

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Community and Christmas

What is the meaning of Christmas? That was the question that NBC's Community asked last week in an incredibly creative stop motion animation episode that left me laughing. The episode was full of hat tips to great Christmas specials of the past and a few nice shots at the Christian faith.

Shots at Christianity in a Christmas special? Yes.

Are you offended?

The shots that they took weren't the kinds that you might expect.  The most crushing one came from Shirley, whose character is an outspoken Christian. She said, "I am a modern day Christian, I have learned sensitivity and so I say Happy Holidays not wanting anyone else's religion to feel inferior to mine."

I laughed. Then, I cried.

Not really. But, I have been thinking about this for the last few days.

Christmas has lost something in the post-modern malaise of mutual worldview affirmations.

Then I remembered last Friday, my son sang in a "Holiday Concert" at his school.  They sang Happy Hannukah, Mud Slide, and Up on the Housetop.

Silent Night was played on the piano, no singing.

Something manifestly changed.

A hush came over the crowded cafeteria. You could have heard a pin drop.

Christmas, the moment when God split time one passover many years ago and entered into history. Even today with all of our sensitivity and complacency humanity still becomes silent before the reality that took place when God moved into the neighborhood.

Everyone in that cafeteria experienced something different in that moment than all that had come before. That moment was thick with the holy.

I wish I could sit down with Abed and over a peppermint mocha just talk about the meaning of Christmas.

Maybe I can, maybe there are people all around me looking for the real meaning if I would just open my eyes to see and have ears to hear.

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What are you thankful for?

What are you thankful for?  This is the question that was posed by the boys at Professional One a "boutique of awesome" or also known as one of the best real estate firms in the country run by Mike and Todd.

Ever since the question was asked I have been thinking about it.

This is a question we ask around our kitchen table as opposed to the generic "God is good, God is great..."

How can you answer such a question with any kind of authenticity and keep the post relatively brief?

When I think about what I am thankful for I am amazed at all that I really ought to be thankful for, but I'm not. I am not thankful, at least not usually.  I want to be one of those people that are constantly overwhelmed by gratitude.

I really do. But, I'm not.

Life is more complicated, it seems.

What am I thankful for?

I am thankful that there are people who are asking the question and forcing people like me to actually consider the question. I hear that question and the normal sorts of things that I ought to be thankful for pop into my head: friends, family, God, faith, love, relationships, provision, daily bread, grace, mercy, and the like.

My head tells me I am thankful for these things. My life tells me otherwise.

I don't think I'm alone.

To answer the question, I ask another: If our lives don't reflect gratitude are we really thankful?

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The Paradox

When you find out that most if not all of your preconceptions are misconceptions it leaves you reeling.  The first time I woke up in Israel I struggled to believe all that I was seeing.  I felt as though I had stepped foot out of the Matrix and into "The Real". There was nothing that was what I expected.  Not a single thing.

We boarded our bus and met Yaniv, our guide and soon to be our good friend. He took us to Caesarea by the Sea.  It was a confusing time as we left Tel Aviv and arrived at a place that was over 2,000 years old.  This is the kind of confusion that leaves you scratching your head and unsure of what you are seeing.

It turns out that Israel is a place of paradox.  You never can quite get your mind around it. It is a living and breathing postmodern experience.  What is new is old and what is oldest is often times new.

The ruins of Caesarea were like nothing that I had ever experienced.  They were almost unreal.  I felt like I had stepped into one of those coffee table books that you find at your great aunt's house and you start looking at because you can't touch anything else.

Only here you could touch.

Smell.

See.

Experience.

It was a round the winter of 1996 that I began to truly study the Scriptures with tenacity.  I was particularly drawn to the person and writings of Paul.  He was almost a mystical figure to me.

Until now.

I stood in the very place Paul did when he left for his journey to Rome.  I saw the place where he was held prisoner prior to leaving.

Paul has now become a very real person for me. He became very real in a place that is a living paradox of new and old.

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Preconceptions, Land Mines, and Explosions

Any time you visit a new country there are always preconceived ideas that you have coming in.  When I left for Israel I had a picture in mind of sand, mountains, and camels.  Of course I also had the thought of one or two surface to air missiles and maybe a suicide bomber.  I could tell that these were the same thoughts that some of my family had in mind too.  I think that is part of the reason why I didn't really get too excited about the trip, why it "slipped" my mind and why I did not talk about it much with those closest to me.  My preconceived ideas had laid a foundation of fear.

Then I arrived in Israel.

I saw it.

There was no filter, there were no reporters or editors choosing what to show me.

I saw it with my own eyes.

What did I see, you ask?

I saw Tel Aviv and modern bustling city filled with people.  There were kids on the beach singing and barbecuing. There were clubs thumping the bass so that you could feel it in your chest.  There was graffiti.  There were coffee shops and pubs. There were people jogging and riding bikes along the Mediterranean Sea.  I saw a five star hotel that was had everything you could imagine.

I didn't see a single camel.  The only sand I saw was on the beach of the Med.  I didn't see a gun or a missile or suicide bomber. There were some explosions later in the weekend, but it turns out that people like to shoot off fireworks after Shabbat is over!

It's a time to celebrate and party.

That first night in Israel I saw my preconceptions explode like an old land mine in the Golan Heights...

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The Greatest Love Story

[podcast]http://danielmrose.com/wp-content/uploads/Grace-101031-reduced.mp3[/podcast]

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Figuring It Out...

[caption id="attachment_1246" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="It's not good if the baby goes with..."]

[/caption]

For the last few years I have been on a journey.  It's a journey that has cost me friendships.  It's a journey that has caused me to look pretty deep and it has caused me to evaluate my understanding of "church".  This week I had an epiphany.  It's both/and and not either/or.

You're thinking ,"That's pretty cryptic."

You're right.  Let me clarify.

The journey that I have been on has been the journey from thinking of church as primarily a "come and see" to that of "go and tell."  As per usual I have taken the pendulum of my life and swung it from one end of the spectrum to the other.

I didn't even notice.

Passion does that.

This week I met with a group of pastors from the area for a planning time.  We were meeting to plan what our churches would do together as we participate in "E.A.C.H.", a city-wide movement of churches that are seeking to give "everyone a chance to hear" during the first forty days after Easter.  We prayed and it was amazing.

Then we started talking.

Fairly quickly the debate began: proclamation OR service. The battle lines were drawn. The combatants were unwilling to budge. Then an image I used for many years with Campus Crusade for Christ (and I had used in a recent worship service) popped into my mind:

Now, what struck me was that I had forgotten something that had been drilled into me for ten years on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. A simple truth that brought clarity to my journey:

There are three relational modes: Ministry, Body, Natural.

I want to quote Keith Davy at length here:

As God works through believers in seeking to save the lost, there are three different types of relationships, or relational modes. These modes of witness are delineated by the nature of the relationship between the believer(s) and the unbelievers. God always seeks to work through our witness as a body, through our natural relationships, and through the relationships that result from intentional ministry outreach. A ministry’s evangelistic impact is increased as it expands the influence of each relational mode. Evangelistic momentum is achieved as synergy is generated between all three modes. Understanding these modes will enable us to align our methods with God’s work more effectively and expand the impact of each mode more fully.

We must have all three.  I am not suggesting that we go back to a model of church that is driven by programs and that everything is done within the four spiritual walls of the building.  What I am saying is that there must be strategic placement of all three modes in the life of any congregation and in the life of the church as a whole.

It's coming together.  The journey is still long and I am sure there will be many twists and turns along the way, but this is a significant piece that has come together.

Maybe I should take another look at some of those other models that I used to make fun of? I suppose I should.

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The Rest of the Story

[podcast]http://danielmrose.com/wp-content/uploads/Grace-101024-reduced-64kbps.mp3[/podcast]

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Psalm 136:1-9 - Creation, Worship, Mission

[podcast]http://danielmrose.com/wp-content/uploads/Grace-101017-reduced.mp3[/podcast]

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Why Weren't They There?

"You keep saying you've got something for me.
something you call love, but confess.
You've been messin' where you shouldn't have been a messin'
and now someone else is gettin' all your best.

These boots are made for walking, and that's just what they'll do
one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you."

In the 1920s the Christians walked away from education. In the 1930s and 40s we walked away from science and academia. In the 1960s we walked away from culture.  In 2010 it appears we have, by and large, we are in danger walking away from our communities.

Today I spent the day at a local hospital which was hosting an international taste festival and a world impact expo.  The organizer sought to provide opportunity for ten congregations or organizations from each of the world's three dominant faiths: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam to highlight their mission efforts around the world.  Only four Christian churches committed to participating.  One backed out and one was a no show the day of the event.

The Jewish communities and Islamic communities had their full compliment and then some because the Christians were no shows.

The Christians were no shows.

Over the last few years I have read and heard a lot of rhetoric and polemic about Islam and its negative influence in the world. Christians have felt threatened.  There has been a renewed zeal "evangelize" the "Muslim world". There is great concern about Muslim extremists blowing things up.

But, in their own backyard the Christians were no shows.

We have to show up.  When I worked with Campus Crusade for Christ we talked about how 90% of movement building was showing up.

Boots on the ground.

Being there.

I love that I am part of a church community that showed up.  A movement is building. God is at work. We got to see it because we showed up.

I hope that our boots are made for walking and that we won't walk out but we will walk in and show up.

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A Minute to Win It, or, How YouTube Changed Media

A little over a week ago a group of high school students gathered at Grace Chapel, EPC in Farmington Hills, MI.  They were there to play "A Minute to Win It".  They played a ton of different games, laughing, and trying to win, and then laughing some more. One of the volunteers in the crowd were recording the mayhem and a few of the videos were uploaded to YouTube.

Then it happened.  An email from an exec at NBC requesting the videos for use on an upcoming episode of A Minute to Win It!  The media is now trolling the web to find media for itself to show to us as media.

In this new world of HD cameras and YouTube one thing is now certain:

The media creators have become the media consumers.

Think about it.  NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, etc...need us.  They need us to keep themselves relevant, hip, and in the know. They need us to create for them.  They are consuming our self-made media as much as we are consuming theirs.

Ironic.

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To Think or Not to Think

What does it mean for a Christian to think? I don't mean the kind of thinking where one tries to figure out a problem. I am talking about the kind of thinking where one struggles with their core beliefs and tries to determine what is real and true.

We as Christians believe that the Bible is special revelation which shows us truth and points us to what is real. We believe that it is authoritative, that means we believe that we have a book that gives us real answers by which we ought to live.

I believe that this is true.

I repeat: I believe that this is true.

However we must not take our faith and use it as a replacement for critical thought. The Apostle Paul commended the Berean believers because they searched the Scriptures for truth. If we are going to be like them then we must take our cues from them.

I am coming to the thought that for the follower of Jesus to be a real and true thinker then he or she must truly believe that the Scriptures really do have authority. But that is not all. The belief must also extend to the necessity of a diligent study of the Scriptures. We must allow them to change our presuppositions and allow them to change what we believe about the core of our worldviews.

This is what happened with the Bereans. They were a community that believed one way about God until they took a fresh look at their authoritative text and allowed it to change them and change the core foundations of their entire worldview.

So, will we think? It takes work. It takes effort. It takes a willingness to hear the authoritative texts of our community, which are the very words of God, himself.

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Activity or Experience?

Rick Devos asked a simple question during his presentation at TEDxDetroit: When you plan an event are you thinking about activity or experience?  This is a profound question.  One that I think those of who are in the church need to think deeply about.  We must ask ourselves what we are calling one another too.

I think that often times we are asking and calling people to activities.

"Come and do..."

"Bring your friend to..."

What if this became...

"Hey I am a part of..."

"Do you want to join me in..."

One set of phrases represents activities, the other an experience.  Jesus is not something we do.  Church is not something we do.  Recently I have found myself saying, "We do church..." or "How do you do church..." These kinds of statements are meaningless.  We can't "do" church any more than I can "do" human being.

It's interesting this kind of language is typically reserved for those who are impersonators, like this:







Man, Hartman "does" a good Sinatra!  But, he' not the real thing.  He's an impersonator.  He's faking it.  He's doing his best but it's not real.

I think that when we try to "do" church we are the same, simple impersonators who are doing best but not the real thing.

We need to think about the experience.  How can we invite people into an experience where they come face to face with the body of Christ and its head, Jesus?  This question is imperative for us to answer.  Is it through fog machines and video?  Is it done through a high church liturgy? Maybe on both.  Maybe not on both.

It seems to me that it might be in the people.  When we gather for worship are we looking at ourselves and our needs or are we looking to interact and engage with the God of the universe? Are we inviting people into his presence or to our building?

I would love to know what you think it means to think about experience versus activity in this context.  Comment like crazy and let's discuss...

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Detroit, May You Be a Phoenix

The Phoenix is a mythical beast which lives and dies by burning itself into a heap of ashes. From the ashes rises the next generation Phoenix.  I look around at the Detroit Metropolitan area and realize that we have become a heap of ashes.  

The fire began to blaze in 1968 with the riots.  From that moment on the death spiral had begun.  The fire is out.  We are but a pile of ash.  The question now becomes what will happen with this pile of ash?  Will we be blown away by the wind never again to breathe the breath of life?  Or, just maybe, will we rise like a Phoenix from the ashes?

I have hope that we will rise.

Why?

In the last 24 hours I have been a part of two significant events in our city. On Wednesday, September 29 I participated in TEDxDetroit and on Thursday, September 30 I participated in EACH.  These two gatherings were very different and very much the same.  Both of them are seeking to transform a city which has become an icon of failure.

TEDxDetroit is a gathering of innovators, thinkers, doers, visionaries, entrepreneurs, and catalysts.  EACH is a gathering of pastors.  TED is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-everything; EACH crossed racial, economic, urban, and suburban.  TED made a call to the people of this city to act and do and be creative to transform this place.  EACH made a call to the people of this city to act and do and be creative to transform this place.

This may be a historic time that is coming to the city of Detroit.

From both I left with the same question: Will anyone really act?

I heard fine speeches and great visions and big dreams.  I prayed. I worshipped.  I thought.  I reflected.  I was challenged.

But will I act?

Will we?

A Phoenix may rise but it will require us to act.

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Mini Me...

One of the greatest characters in film is Mini Me from the Austin Powers series.  Now, granted for many of you reading this blog you are already offended just with the mere mention of that film series, sorry, but keep reading it might come full circle (maybe). Have you ever wondered how Mini Me relates to Jesus? No? Hmm...

This Sunday I was talking with a group of people about the Tabernacle.  The Tabernacle is a pretty cool thing.  It was a fold up Temple that the people of God were able to take with them anywhere they went.  It was a kind of holy Winnebago or something.  Here's a picture compliments of the ESV Study Bible:

It was a pretty remarkable thing.  It was over this tent that a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night hovered declaring that God was present in their midst.  That's pretty remarkable!  Of course, it didn't take long before this became totally ho-hum to the people of God (don't believe me? Check out Numbers 25). Anyway, the Tabernacle became the Temple and then something happened, Jesus of Nazareth showed up and said that he was going to replace the Temple (read John, all of it).

It gets better.  Jesus, this God-man, right before he died told his followers that it would be better for them that he leaves and sends them the "Comforter", popularly known as the Holy Spirit.  Why was this better?

It's better because now we can all be Mini Mes. That's right. The Holy Spirit is the agent of salvation and the agent of sanctification.  That's a ten dollar sentence to say that the Holy Spirit brings you to God and changes you to be more like God.  Anyone who claims to follow Jesus is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, he is at work in you.  He is changing you.  He is making you into a "Mini Me" of Jesus.  Alan and Debra Hirsch talk about the reality that the Church is to be "Little Jesuses".

If we are Little Jesuses then we must take seriously the call of Jesus and the inner working of the Holy Spirit.  It means that we must go where Jesus goes and love what Jesus loves.

How do we know if we are taking these steps?  How do we know if we are becoming like Jesus?  Well Paul gives us some help in Galatians 5:

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23, The Message)

So what kind of Mini Me are you?

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Hey, hey Hockeytown!

The Lions are 0-3, the Tigers are out of the playoffs, U of M is undefeated but it looks like they probably won't win a Big Ten game, that can only mean one thing: Hockey.  That's right we are ten days away from the start of the NHL and most importantly the Red Wings.  Last season was frustrating.  But, in the end it was great.

It was great because...

1. We found out that Jimmy Howard is the real deal.


2. We found out that guys like Eaves, Miller, and Abdelkader can play with the big boys.


3. We found out that Mike Babcock is a ridiculously good coach.


4. We found out that the Swedes have heart.


5. We found out that the leadership on this team will take them a long way.


6. Hudler found out that he needed the Red Wings.


7. Mike Modano didn't win a Cup and will go for one here in Detroit.


8. The Blackhawks won their championship and a real original six rivalry was reborn.


9. The Penguins didn't win the championship.


10. It made us as fans thankful for the nearly 20 years of amazing hockey we have seen in the D.

The boys from Grand Rapids grew into men last year.  The Wings have FIVE NHL caliber offensive lines.  They are deep.  They are hungry.  They are fast.

The big questions I have:

1. Can Franzen stay healthy?


2. Will Kronwall become the defenseman everyone else know he can become?


3. Will Datsyuk and Zetterberg each score 30+ goals?


4. Will Modano set up the Happy Hudler for 20+ goals?

If these things happen then there will be a parade in the D and it will be Mayor Bing's turn to buy the Vernors and Coneys!

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Do You Hear What You Want To Hear?

Pew Research posted a recent study looking at how people's religion effects their understanding of various social issues.  What I found interesting is that on many issues even though people hear their pastor speak on issues it does not effect the way they think about them.

I think this study highlights a significant shift within the religious community.  This shift points to the reality that people are looking elsewhere for wisdom.  This is especially highlighted in issues where television political pundits have the loudest voices. The leaders of religious communities cannot compete with the 24 hour news cycle and the reruns of hour long editorial commentary that is played off as "fact".

Continually, pastor friends of mine, are finding that people hear what they want.  They don't take into account the full picture. The Bible or the pastor are minor voices in a large conversation.  I think that in many ways we could say that our politics are shaping our theology.

When this happens the faith community necessarily finds itself on shaky ground.  The kingdom of God is a subversive kingdom which requires a radical reorientation of one's view of the world.  If the faith community is being transformed primarily through outside forces then it ceases to be the subversive community of Jesus but something else.

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Wednesdays are Wright (and sometimes Thursday): Authority

As I read this text, I am writing and responding.  You are getting my fresh thoughts, ones which are rather raw.  So, hopefully, this means that we will end up in conversation where we can interact over them and flesh it out a bit.  Up to this point I have been wrestling with how Wright was going to answer the Authority question.

He does so by arguing for the necessity of theology in understanding the New Testament (and really any historical work) due to theology's central role in world view.  This then leads him into the question of authority which he answers this way:

"I am proposing a notion of 'authority'...vested...in the creator god himself, and this god's story with the world, seen as focused on the story of Israel and thence on the story of Jesus, as told and retold in the Old and New Testaments, and as still requiring completion. (143)"

Now that is a statement.  I am not sure if I am yet fully grasping the huge paradigmatic shift that Wright is arguing for here.  Typically authority is based on the ontological reality that the bible contains the words of God and therefore is authoritative.  However, because Wright is not starting with the assumption that the Christian 'god' is THE 'god' (it is this fact that Wright is seeking to prove) so he cannot begin with an ontological basis for authority.  He must get there in another way.  This he does by arguing that the story being told is authoritative because of the fact that it is indeed TOLD!

This seems to me to be a very interesting approach as it opens the door to conversation with those for whom the idea of a 'god' is ridiculous and certainly an authoritative text about this 'god' is even more silly.  However, if we begin with the reality that worldviews actually connect to reality and that the story held within the confines of the Old and New Testaments actually seeks to relate reality then we can engage on issues of veracity, or as Wright puts it, validation.

To be sure this feels like a leap to me.  However, I wonder is this really a semantic game?  What I mean is this: Is there actually any difference in Wright's formulation of authority versus that of, say, the Westminster Confession?  What say you?

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Wednesdays are Wright: Narrative, Story, History

As I continue to work through The New Testament and the People of God by N.T. Wright, I was struck by this statement: "history...is rather the meaningful narrative of events and intentions.(82)"  Wright is arguing that history is not simply the subjective interpretation of events and ideas.  It is however, connected to a reality outside itself and is a process by which those events are placed within a grander meta-narrative.  He argues against the postmodern emphasis and focus on the centrality of the reader that disconnects texts from their historical setting.

This I think is very helpful.  Primarily because he draws out the fundamental flaw in our current cultural milieu. Which is this disconnect from the fact that things do actually happen apart from  someone writing them down.

The other thing that I think is key in his definition is that it points to "intentions".  The intention of an author is something that many in our world today argue against being a possible end.  However, it seems that Wright wants to argue that we have access to intent.  If this is the case then we can begin to grapple with the statements of the text that seek to subvert us.

In my previous post I asked the question, "where do we find authority?" I think that if we can find intent then we can have grounds for building authority.  Apart from this, it will be difficult to do so.

So, do you think we have access to intent? Or is all this a bunch of hot air?

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Lead, lead, lead...

Yesterday I committed myself to watching The NINES leadership conference.  I set up the laptop with the projector and big screen and kicked back in our youth room. I was impressed with the variety of speakers and the depth of insight that was being presented.  I was less than surprised by some of the poor exegesis.  I was able to invest in about half the conference.

For those of you who don't know how the The NINES works it's a single day web conference where speakers discuss a single topic.  This year they got 6 minutes.  So, over the course of the nine hours there were over 100 videos.  The pace is fast and a couple fo hours disappear before you know it. This year's topic was "Game Changers".

There were two highlights for me as a developing leader that I am going to continue chewing on.  The first was from Mike Slaughter.  He discussed the centrality of discipleship in his ministry.  What really caught me was when he said, "Programs and services do not produce disciples, disciples do."  Now, this is not new information.  But, it was one of those reminders that as a pastor/shepherd my calling is to disciple making.  It is not to entertaining or building a social club. The ramifications of this are still swirling in my head.

The second talk that has stuck was from Eric Geiger.  He discussed the role of the pastor.  He argued that the typical church structure is:

[Pastor]---->Minister----->[People]

He then turned to Ephesians 4:11-12 and made the case that the biblical model is:

[Pastor]----->Prepare-----[People]----->Minister

This ties directly into the discipleship issue.  While I was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ I think I was a pretty effective discipler.  The movements that I served developed high student ownership and our staff teams were diligent about preparing people to do ministry.  There was a clear DNA that we sought to replicate within each student.  I think that this has been the hardest part of the transition into the local church.  Our DNA is not as clear, the folks who have been entrusted to us are not as available, the expectations on the role of pastor is very different because the people have expectations!

This morning as I process I am wondering how do we effectively disciple in the modern world?

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Where do we go?

My good friend Damon Reiss and I will be spending some time reading and writing together on the issues raised in N.T. Wright's New Testament and the People of God.  This text is the first in a five part series that Wright is doing on "Christian Origins and the Question of God".  Wright is understood to be the leading spokesman for the "New Perspective on Paul" and is embraced by many in the "emerging church" as their key theologian (oddly enough he does not really fit there). He has recently stepped out of pastoral ministry to engage full-time in the academy.

I think my hope for these series of posts is to:

1. Stimulate our own thinking about root theological issues.


2. To encourage one another.


3. To challenge you, the reader, to grab a text, follow along, and engage in the conversation.

The majority of the opening sections are filled with methodology.  For some this is dense and feels somewhat pointless.  However, let me suggest a couple of thoughts as to the inherent goodness of clearly stating one's method:

1. It provides a common language and framework to evaluate for intellectual integrity.


2. It provides a look into the assumptions of the work and allows for dialogue at the root level of one's argument.

The key to understanding Wright's method is to understand the problem that he finds all of us bumping into in our post-modern world, he writes, "We must try to combine the pre-modern emphasis on the text as in some sense authoritative, the modern emphasis on the text (and Christianity itself) as irreducibly integrated into history, and irreducibly involved with theology, and the post-modern emphasis on the reading of the text. (27)"

This first volume, Wright insists, "argues for a particular way of doing history, theology, and literary study in relation to the questions of the first century; it argues for a particular way of understanding first-century Judaism and first-century Christianity; and it offers a preliminary discussion of the meaning of the word 'god' within the thought-forms of these groups, and the ways in which such historical and theological study might be of relevance to the modern world.(28)"

The approach that Wright argues for is what he terms "critical realism".  This approach is contrasted to the positivist and the phenomenalist.

Positivist: simply looks at the objective reality, tests it, if it doesn't work its nonsense.

[caption id="attachment_1067" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Wright, 35"]

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Phenomenalist: I seem to have evidence of an external reality, but I am really only sure of my sense-data.

[caption id="attachment_1068" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Wright, 36"]

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Critical Realist: initial observation, challenged by critical reflection, but can survive the challenge and speak truly of reality.

[caption id="attachment_1069" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Wright, 36"]

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Wright's "critical realism" seeks to survive challenges through what he terms as "verification".  This method has some similarity to the "scientific method" of hypothesis, test, evaluate, etc...However, the difference being that it is tested within the context of worldview.  The assumption is that each person has a worldview and seeks to make information "fit" into that worldview. As Wright says, "...there is no such thing as the detached observer. (36)"  Therefore, knowledge and understanding comes through the process of "question, hypothesis, test hypothesis" in the context of story-telling which is the fundamental means by which humanity shares information.

[caption id="attachment_1070" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Wright, 44"]

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I think that Wright's approach is very helpful.  There are two reasons I find this helpful:

1. It provides for authorial intent because it forces us to take seriously the story/narrative of the original context.


2. It provides for contemporary reading because we are forced to take our own context seriously.

The question that remains for me though is this: what determines the authority by which we modify our stories? What do you think?  How and where do we give authority to change the stories? What is the basis of authority? Is it possible to find authority outside ourselves and if so on what basis do we argue for that?

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We love Detroit. An Open Letter to Dan Shaugnessy

Dear Dan,

In a recent edition of the Boston Globe you had this to say about Detroit:

Think about it: For the next five weeks, you could live in downtown Boston and your wife could shop on Newbury Street. Or you could live in downtown Detroit, amid the boarded-up buildings and the proverbial skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets. Is this really a tough call?

I would like to commend you on your lack of research.  You seem to be looking at pictures from 1968 in the immediate after math of the riots. Do you still think there is a gunman on the campus of Kent State University? Or maybe you believe that the "British are Coming"?

Of course maybe you are upset that President John F. Kennedy had this to say about Detroit:







I don't know what your issue is.  I don't really know why you feel like you have to chastise a proud city.  I would invite you to come and see what Detroit is all about.  Oddly enough I have not seen a burned out Chevrolet anywhere.  From Midtown to Greektown to Downtown all I find are great restaurants, bars, world class hospitals, a world class university, and three great sports franchises.

When one determines to include the metropolitan area we find that on a weekend in the fall 110,000 people jam into U of M staduim, 70,000 at MSU, 20,000 for a Wings game, 20,000 for a Pistons game, 35,000 for a Tigers game, and 60,000 for Lions game.

Detroit is proud city with good people.  We are a collection of urban and suburban working together for a great future. I suggest, sir, that you come visit before you write about our home again.

Sincerely,

Me.

PS - Thanks to Dave Mieksztyn for the following links that you might find interesting:









http://500coolthings.com/ (from the boys at Professional One)

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I am Proud to Be an American...

[caption id="attachment_1048" align="alignleft" width="239" caption="Hilarious!"]

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...where atleast I know I can buy, whatever I want, when I want it, and nobody can stop me.

There are few lasting images in my mind like that of September 11, 2001 and the days that followed.  I remember where I was when I found out the World Trade Center had been attacked.  I remember sitting and praying with a team of missionaries in my home for the families, the world, and our country.  I remember looking at my son who was a few months old thinking what was his life going to be like?

Then it happened, the President of the United States finally spoke.  He told us that the terrorists would not win.  He told us that we can stand up to these people and fight!  He told us to do that we must...we must...GO SHOPPING!  Fill the malls and buy stuff, show them that they can't take away your lives!

In that moment, I thought, "Yes!  That's right we must go on." Upon nearly a decade of reflection I am becoming more and more distressed by this statement. What distresses me is the fact that it is emblematic of the broken culture within which we live in the West.  We are fundamentally consumers.  To go shopping and buy whatever we want is our highest freedom. It is what drives us.

Missional discipleship necessarily conflicts with this.  Consider this passage from Jesus' teaching,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
(Matthew 5:3–11 ESV)

This is not the teaching of a consumerist.  This is the teaching of a man who would end up being crucified in any era, any time, and any place.  Missional discipleship requires us to take a hard look at the culture around us and begin to understand how WE are being manipulated by a broken world.

So many who call themselves "Christian" are more interested in the spiritual wares that a church is offering than serving in the church.  "Churches" become a clearing house for a shallow spirituality that is designed to attract and lure as opposed to forming the followers of Jesus spiritually.  They become analogous to the the fishing lure. It is pretty and attractive and the fish can't help but take a bite in doing so it finds itself hooked without substance.

Eugene Peterson in "Tell it Slant" says that this approach is similar to narcotics.  You can not live on narcotics yet it is all you want.

"If Christianity simply mirrors its culture, what is the point of its mission? (Untamed, 109)"

If we are serious about discipleship we must set aside the trappings of the consumerism that surrounds us and embrace the covenantal communitas of the living God.

Are you a consumer or a member of community?

Is it all about you or another?

Are you asking "what's in it for me" or "what can I offer"?

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I believe in the Spirit! Well sort of.

In my experience the evangelical church has a bit of an integrity problem.  No, I am not talking about the issues that just popped in your head.  I am talking about the Holy Spirit.  The last time I checked he was still part of the Godhead, you know the Triune God we Christians believe in? Yeah that guy. Our creeds give him second billing.  In seminary our professors tack him on at the end of a course and seemingly never get to him.  Yet, it is because of him that Jesus said it was better for us that he return to heaven and be with the Father.

It is to the person of the Holy Spirit that we now turn in our quest for missional discipleship as outlined for us in "Untamed" by Alan and Debra Hirsch.

The Hirsch's spend much time discussing the abuses and problems surrounding our understanding of the Spirit and for that discussion I encourage you to read the book.  I want us to focus on the heart of the issue in the chapter which is the carrying out of holiness with the Holy Spirit.

First, there is a comment made that I think is worth repeating.  Holiness is not a list of "don'ts" but of "dos".  This is imperative for us in discipleship.  The Holy Spirit is not a cosmic kill joy but one who spurs us to creativity, joy, passion, and mission.  He also leads us into truth and reminds us of all that Jesus taught.

How does this translate into missional discipleship? Check it out...

Let there be creativity: The Holy Spirit is the Creator, and he lives in us.  The on who created the platypus can surely stir our hearts and minds to creative action.

Let there be risky mission: The Hirsch's remind us that God is a sending God.  He sent the Son and the Spirit.  He has also sent the church.  The Spirit of God is leading us on the Mission of God.  Will we boldly and faithfully follow?

Let there be communitas: Community without mission is a social gathering.  Communitas is developed around a mission.  Is your community on mission? If not, then you don't have communitas and you might be missing out on what the Holy Spirit is doing in your midst.

Let there be lots of little Jesuses: The process of discipleship is to become like our rabbi, Jesus. If we are not looking more and more like him and there are not lots of "little Jesuses" running around then we are missing the work of the Spirit in our lives.

Let there be love: Romans 5:5, "God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."  To love well means that we are in step with the Spirit.

Let there be learning community: The Spirit of God leads us into all truth.  We can pursue a quest for knowledge and knowing and ought to because of our relationship with the Spirit.

Let there be some miracles: Embrace the miracles of God that happen and let it be OK to do so.  We can set aside our enlightenment rationalism and rejoice in the working of God.

Let there be spiritual maturity: The Spirit is the means of spiritual growth, he brings us toward spiritual maturity, as we keep in step with him, we will see this growth.

Let there be a lot more discernment: To engage in the mission of God requires us to be in step with the Spirit so that we can discern between Spirit-led engagement and foolish absorption into the world.

Let there be unity around Jesus: I think this makes sense on its own.

Let there be ecstasy and intimacy: I have been reading some in the life of Abraham Lincoln and his counterparts.  I am noticing that there is a great sweep of emotion and intimacy in their writings.  This is largely lacking from our communities today.  If we are in step with the Spirit then we will begin to experience this more and more.

Let there be liberation and transformation: As we engage more fully with the Spirit we will experience his transforming power in our lives and in the lives around us.  This will be demonstrated through our being freed from the sin that entangles.

So, which of these do you question? Doubt? Struggle with?

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Your image or mine?

"If God is not the defining center of our faith, life, and identity, then who or what is? (58)" Now there is a question. The Hirsch's continue to challenge our thinking in relation to the center of our faith in chapter 2 of "Untamed". There is nothing more central to who we are than what we worship.

Missional Discipleship, at its core, is about worship.

Worship at its core is about the person or object worshiped.

If we get this wrong then we get it all wrong. The Crusader, the jihadist, the cult leader all do evil because their worship is wrongly placed.

So, how do we know if we are worshiping rightly? The answer, Israel's Shema:

““Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
(Deuteronomy 6:4–5 ESV)

This is the compass by which we set our heading in discipleship because it points us towards the reality and truth of who God is and what God has called us to do. Jesus said it this way,

“Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””
(Mark 12:29–31 ESV)

Notice his expansion to love your neighbor. If you love God, then you will love your neighbor. It is a simple cause and effect relationship. If you do not love your neighbor, then you do not love God. I think that this modern re-telling of the "Good Samaritan" proves helpful here.

The Hirsch's argue that this place of "biblical knowing" comes when right thinking, right acting, and right feeling intersect.  The process of getting us to this point is the task of discipleship.

The issue at stake here remember is worship.  The Hirsch's define it this way, "offering our whole world back to God. (76)" If our lives are not becoming to a greater degree more and more unified under the living God then we are not worshiping.

My challenge for each of us is to take stock here.  Where are you disunified under God in your life? In what ways are you creating God in your image? Where are you missing in the areas of right acting, right thinking, and right feeling?

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments...

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Is your Jebus ‘Untamed’?

Last week I spent some time reading Alan and Debra Hirsch's newest offering, Untamed. It was so worthwhile that I thought I would take a few days to post a summary of each chapter.  While there is nothing necessarily "new" in the book it is a really well done text that brings classic missional discipleship into an updated and fresh rendering.

We begin with our view of Jesus.  The argument that is posited is simple, "Show us your Jesus and we will show you who you are (38)."  This is key to our understanding who God is. This is why the Hirsches argue that the foundation of discipleship is Jesus.  To know God is to know Jesus.  In any way that our picture of Jesus fails so too does our image of God.

I think that Alan and Deb illustrate this well by asking this simple and yet profound question, "If we had a properly Jewish picture of Jesus would the holocaust have happened? (39)"

Let that question run around in your mind a moment.  Is it possible that had the world rightly pictured Jesus as a Jew and not as a European could it be that the holocaust could have been avoided?

We must ask this question, do we believe in the Jesus of the Bible or do we believe in a created Jebus of our own imagination?

This is critical for the task of discipleship because it is Jesus who sets the entire spiritual agenda for his follower.  Before continuing in your read, I would encourage to take a moment and consider, who is your Jesus?

Now we must determine what our agenda for discipleship is.  Quite simply it is the pursuit of holiness.  This pursuit of holiness is different from what we typically understand. Consider the fact that when Jesus was teaching there was a group of very holy people, the Pharisees.  They had cornered the market on holiness, they had all the rules and all the ways to make sure you could stay close God.  However, the people feared them and their religion.

Then this Jesus comes around and his brand of holiness is attracted people, and not just average people, but SINNERS.  Yes, his holiness attracted SINNERS, the very people who the Pharisees, those hard hearted harbingers of holiness, despised and avoided.  This holy Jesus was accused of being a drunk and a glutton.  His brand of holiness is clearly stated in Matthew 5-7, that great sermon on the mount.

Do you hold to the radical and untamed holiness that Jesus espouses in the sermon?

What is astounding is that this holiness is based within the context of love, grace, and mercy and yet a radical standard that transcends anything that most of us would consider doable.

The first task of missional discipleship: right our view of Jesus.

The second task of mission discipleship: embrace the sermon on the mount as our agenda.

[vimeo 6302404]

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Unity, Liberty, and Charity

I am really enjoying the ideas that are being put forth as part of the Big Tent synchroblog.  I think that one of the things I am noticing is that there continues to be one thing lacking in all of our posts, a center.  It seems that each of us would say "Jesus" is the center.  But, which Jesus?  Alan and Deb Hirsch in their text Untamed do a great job of pointing out that our understanding of who Jesus is determines what we believe about God.  It is here that I think we find either our center or the point at which the Big Tent falls.

For us to truly be a Big Tent we must find the good and the redemptive in each of the positions that are being voiced.  There are too many voices that make it feel as though to enter the tent you must set aside your tradition and set aside your understanding of the faith. Yet, this not the way that the first Big Tent worked itself out. We must realize that we are blazing new ground.  We are simply rehashing the same issues that have faced the church since the beginning: What do we make of the stranger? For the first century church this had everything to do with what to do with the Gentile convert.

The answer was: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28 ESV)" Paul was simply admonished to "remember the poor", which was the very thing he sought to do.  The table was opened.  There was freedom to approach God as male and female, Jew and Gentile, and so forth.  Today we are still free to approach our God as fundamentalist, neo-reformed, reformed, orthodox, liberal, neo-liberal, emergent, etc... The question is will we embrace a consistent picture of Jesus?

I would suggest that this is the pen-ultimate question.  Who is Jesus?  Can we agree on an answer? Is it possible to listen to one another's perspectives and find the baby in the bath water in each?

I appreciate the motto of the tradition that I belong to, "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."

Of course this requires a definition of what is essential.  The bigger the tent the larger the stakes required to secure that tent and keep it up. Here's my minimal effort at a "Big Tent" list of essentials:

1. Jesus is the real representation of God and in him alone we find the clearest expression of who God is.


2. The atonement in all its facets is central to our understanding of identity and mission for the follower of Jesus.


3. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the essential grounds for our knowledge of Jesus and his way.


4. The mission of the Church is to follow Jesus as king in his kingdom building movement in all of its ramifications.

Personally, I ascribe to the Westminster Confession with a couple of exceptions.  I also prefer the slightly more robust essentials statement of the EPC.  However, I think those four statements might allow for a symphony of harmonious voices to engage together.

What say you?  What are the essentials for a Big Tent Christianity?

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Scattered, Gathered, and Beautiful

This my third post for the Big Tent Synchroblog dealing with these questions: What are your hopes and dreams for the Church? More specifically, what does “big tent Christianity” mean to you? And what does it look like in your context?

I want to deal with the first question: What are your hopes and dreams for the Church?  In my first post I dealt with a definition of the church ( group of people who communing together in the midst of being on mission with Jesus).  So, here's how I see that playing out in my hopes and dreams.

I dream about a church that is scattered all over a city, town, or suburb in small, intimate groups that are keenly aware of the needs, heart cry, and passion of their surroundings.  These small gatherings would each have an embedded DNA of mission, compassion, and kingdom. These gatherings would be outward looking always seeking to broaden their definition of family by inviting the stranger into their midst.  They would gather around a common table fellowshipping together and worshiping through prayer and the word.

These who are scattered would come together each week and celebrate all that God is doing in their midst.  Stories would be shared and the DNA of mission and kingdom reinforced through the preaching of the authoritative Scriptures. The church would be diverse in as much as the communities which are represented in it are diverse.

I dream about there being a revolutionary effect because the mission grows the kingdom and the pursuit of the King is relentless.  Care and concern for the local would drive a vision for the global.  The creation would be cared for through a reconnection to local food sources that would require the local culture to be sustainable for its own sake.

The Church would grow in scope as it scatters further and further birthing new celebratory gatherings and so  on and so on.  The very nature of DNA requires multiplication and diversity.  When it becomes static and loses its diversity then mutations and problems occur.

For the church to be the beautiful bride of Christ it necessarily must be scattered, gathered, and multiplying.

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Big Tent or Single Issue?

As I mentioned in my previous post, I am on a study leave this week and a big part of that is preparing for the year that is to come.  I am enjoying the time to think and plan.  The Big Tent Synchroblog has been stimulating some of my thinking and has been a welcome distraction to punctuate my work chunks.

My initial response to the blogs is that there seems to be a couple of main issues surfacing in the conversation.  What are these issues you ask?  It's the issue of human sexuality.  Chad Holtz, and Rachel Held Evans are good examples.The other issue is that of what do we do with those who disagree with us. David Adams, Greg Bolt, Julie Clawson are good representatives of this side of the coin.

As I think about these two sides of the same coin I begin to wonder if we are missing the key issues that are potentially at stake in this conversation.  While we talk about enlarging our tent, I think we are missing the key issue, as Scott Frederickson helpfully points out, taking our tables out of the tent.

I am growing more and more convinced that as we authentically engage in the lives of people we will change our understanding of the way we understand "who" can belong.  People with real relationships with the homeless easily include them in the community.  People with real relationships with homosexuals easily include them in the community. People with real relationships with heterosexually broken people easily include them in the community. The list could go on...

The issue that continues to rise to the forefront of my mind is this: Who we know determines who we love. The unknown creates fear.  To broaden the "tent" we must broaden our relationships. As we broaden our relationships we will constantly have to return to the question of grace and what it means to embrace those who "live in a broken world with broken relationships and bad records".

Check out the blogs and let me know what you think...

I hope that as the week continues we will see conversations move from our personal "hot button issues" to grand visions of a unified body of Jesus.

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Big Tent Christianity 1

So, I am a day late to the Big Tent Christiaity Synchroblog.   Here is the theme that we will be discussing this week: What are your hopes and dreams for the Church? More specifically, what does “big tent Christianity” mean to you? And what does it look like in your context? Oddly enough I am in the midst of a study leave this week and one of the questions my counter part in ministry asked me to wrestle with was, "What are your hopes and dreams for the Church?"  Brilliant!

What are your hopes and dreams for the church?

I think that before I can answer that question I need to ask a more fundamental question.  What is the church?  There are so many definitions running around that it's hard to keep up.  It used to be (back in the 50s in America) that the "church" was simply those folks who showed up and sat in their pew on a Sunday morning.  Now we have "communities" and "networks" and "friends"  and "who knows what else".  So, I don't think I can express my dreams for the church until I can have some working definition of what the "church" really is.

I want to follow most of those before me and say that the church is broken up into two large parts, the church visible and the church invisible or universal.  I hold to a robust sovereignty of God and so I leave the latter to mystery, I am more concerned with the former. The definition that I want to posit for the "church" is a group of people who communing together in the midst of being on mission with Jesus.

So, let's break that down. "A group of people": this is necessary because following Jesus does not call people to be alone on mission.  He calls them to be a part of his body, family, and bride.  I think you can get a good sense of this from this clip:







The body of Christ ought be a collection of people of who speak with one voice because they are centered on one man and pursuing the same mission.

"Communing together".  Alan Hirsch calls this "Communitas". Whatever you want to call it, I think that the church must go beyond community to communing.  This is the active lived life of a group of people together.  They are engaged with one another sharing the mission, life, and life of Jesus. They are practicing the sacraments together (communion and baptism).  This is a group of people who worship around a common table and as they commune with Jesus through the Spirit they find themselves drawn to one another.

" In the midst of being on mission with Jesus".  A group of people doing "community" does not the church make.  They must be on mission with Jesus.  There is no other mission that they are to be on.  They are to be on Jesus' mission. This means that they are glocally concerned with living revolutionary lives calling those around them into this mission.  It is interesting that Jesus' invitation was always to follow him.  This following was at its core an invitation to join him in his mission.

So, that's my definition. What do you think? Later, I will post some comments on the other blogs in the discussion.  Tomorrow, I will write about my dream for the church.

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What does it look like to be on the Way?

Hebrews 13:1-19

[podcast]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1556882/Grace%20100725%20reduced.mp3[/podcast]

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How do I stay on the Way?

Hebrews 12:14-29

[podcast]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1556882/Grace%20100718%20reduced.mp3[/podcast]

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Silence is Golden

[caption id="attachment_983" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="I love that saying!"]

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I have been conspicuously absent in writing recently.  This is partly due to a technical glitch when the most recent Wordpress version was installed (which broke me of the writing habit), this is partly due to a season of busyness, and this is partly due to a new season of learning.  I want to finish my posts on youth theology and will hopefully soon.  However, I am wrestling through some things in my relationship with the Maker and as a result, silence.

Something is coming but I can't put my finger on it.  It's a weird season.  Bear with me and hopefully when clarity comes you will be there with me.

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Turn. Turn. Turn. No, not that song.

In Matthew 18:3 Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

The word for turn is straphēte.  The idea here is "to experience an inward change, turn, change (BDAG)". Jesus is not calling them to "repent", in Matthew that idea is expressed by the word, metanoeō.  However, he is calling them to change.  They must "turn". The disciples must experience an inward change.  From the inside out they must become something different.

Consider where we are in the life and ministry and Jesus.  We are near the end.  Jesus has set his face to Jerusalem, he is going to be sacrificed.  These disciples were a group of men who were about have their lives changed dramatically.  They are concerned who is going to be the greatest in the kingdom and Jesus calls them to change.

They are still proud, arrogant, and haughty.  They refuse to ask for help.  The disciples believe that they know it all.  There is not an answer they don't know other than "who is the greatest".  They sounds like typical adolescents.  These teenagers had become so caught up in themselves that Jesus called them to change.

I think that the issue becomes more clear when we look at verse 4, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." There is a juxtaposition between the disciples question of "greatness" over and against the "humility" of the child.  To get there one has to have an inward change.

Turn.

Jesus simply calls them to turn. Turn to away from themselves to humility.

This is the beauty of Jesus' call turn.  It is never empty.  It is always to something.  To act in humility, to be humble is a state of heart and soul. Most children I know are humble.  They ask for help.  They ask "why".  They know that they don't know.  They are interested but rarely self-interested.

I think we must all face this call to "turn".  I know I do. How about you?  In what ways do you need to turn?

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Kids are annoying, sniveling, little...or Theology of Youth Pt. 1

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
(Matthew 18:1–6 ESV)

In our churches today children and youth are the silent ones.  They are dropped off in their wings of a church for two hours so Mom and Dad can "worship in peace".  The harried teachers are expected to form these young spiritually to make them into mature Christians.  Why? I think it is because we do not have a comprehensive understanding of youth and children from a scriptural stand point.

Let's consider this statement by Jesus (the "founder and perfecter of our faith") from Matthew 18.  This is one of those passages that should cause to stop and think about things for a moment.  In the first century children were treated similarly to ours only without the cool cartoon characters and ping pong tables.  They were largely considered an inconvenience until they could be productive adults in the synagogue and society.

Jesus says that one who has become like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  What does this mean? I think that we have a hard time understanding this because we push our kids to the fringes of our communities of worship. I love the fact that the Presbyterian tradition includes infant baptism because it drives home the reality that children are participatory members of the community of faith. While this is what we ought to be embracing, we do not. We are going to have a hard time knowing and understanding what it means to be a child in the kingdom when we do not worship with them.

A child asks questions, incessantly.  A child laughs when things are funny.  A child laughs when things are inappropriate.  A child can not sit still.  A child finds mystery, wonder, and awe in the smallest of things (just watch one looking at the dust particles in a ray of sunlight sometime). A child believes their dad when he tells them something. A child loves the outsider. A child trusts. A child has fun.  A child dances to the beat.  A child loves to read.  A child loves.

Unfortunately these things about children annoy us.  We find them disruptive.  "A child is to be seen not heard."

It gets worse, they get pimples and hormones.  They get attitudes and they question everything.  They seek for identity and authenticity.  They no longer take simple answers to complex questions.  They grow and change and develop.  They look weird. They have awkward stages.

Unfortunately these things about growing children annoy us.  We find them disruptive.

Jesus is the great subversive.  He graciously embraces the fringes and broken.  Those without identity he shows them who they are.  So, the question is will you embrace the child?

Our next post will focus on one word: "turn".

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Theology of Youth

Whitney said, "I believe the children our future..." I think that song begins to run through the minds and hearts of people when they begin to hear people talk about children or youth in the church.  They immediately think "future".  Oddly enough many of us ignore the second line, "Teach them well and let them lead the way."  What would happen if the children led the way?

I think that we might play more.  I think that we might laugh more.  I think that we might collapse at the end of each day in joyful exhaustion more often.  I think that we might smile more.

It is interesting is it not that we as the Christian church have largely removed leadership from the hands of the young.  Is it not also interesting that the great revivals in the history of the church have often been led by the young?  Do we wonder why we have not seen a great revival in this generation? Could it be that our understanding of the role of children and youth has become anemic?

I am going to take a couple of posts to walk through the references in Matthew 18, 19 (and parallels) and Proverbs 22 to children with the goal of developing some type of "Theology of Youth".  What role do they play in the community of faith? What kind of leadership should we give to them? What does is it look like to embrace children and youth in the context of the church community?

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Review: Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=danielmroseco-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=0849946018 Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola, published by Thomas Nelson.  Jesus Manifesto brings Jesus to the front and center.  Sweet and Viola seek to highlight Jesus' sovereignty and supremacy. This is a great little text that is worth the read.  I found it to be very devotional and it met its goal of bringing Jesus front and center.  It is always good to be reminded of the centrality of Jesus to the life of the believer.

This not a book that wows you.  There is nothing controversial or new.  It is a book that you read and then you find yourself thinking about an illustration from it. It is a book you read and then find yourself mulling over some description of Jesus.  It is a book you read and then find yourself quoting it to someone else in conversation.

The only thing that twinged me as a downside was from the introduction. The comment made there is, "So what is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. (xxii)"  I agree that Jesus is central to the Christian. However, to say that Jesus is the full sum of the Christian faith is not exactly accurate. I would suggest that this be edited to highlighting his centrality. This statement by Sweet and Viola I think pushes down toward the problematic view of "me and Jesus" that is predominant in our post-modern world.

Overall: grab the book.  It's always worth the time remind ourselves how incredibly great Jesus is.

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Dude, that ain't cool. Objections answered.

It has been difficult to post recently as life and ministry have been very busy and margin continues to get swallowed up.  However, writing is a necessary output for my own spiritual formation, so I am taking some steps to build this into my schedule.  Thanks to all of you who have inquired as to the missing blog posts in your RSS feeds.  It does my heart good to know that both of you are reading this blog.

Infant baptism has fallen by the wayside in much of evangelical Christianity.  So, when you post about this topic you get some good conversation via tweets and different formats where some great questions are asked. I wanted to answer these objections and questions in a post.

1. What about those kids who get baptized and don't walk with God?  That's a very good question. I think that the first thing is to realize that God is on a different time frame than we are.  Just because someone has not yet responded to the gospel does not mean they won't.  The sacrament is not a guarantee to faith.  Infant baptism provides an opportunity for the people of God to walk along and trust him to save this child. This is about God not about us. Finally, the sacrament is also to show that the child of believing parents is a member of the covenantal community and that we can look forward in hope that they will publicly profess their faith. (This is edited, thanks to Laura who helped clarify some poor logic in the comments below.)


2. I heard that infant baptism is believed to actually give salvation to the infant, is that true? This is true or false depending on your tradition.  The two major divisions are catholic and protestant.  The catholic understanding of the sacraments is very different than that of the protestant tradition. The catholic understanding of the sacraments is that they procure grace for you.  The protestant understanding is that the sacraments are a means to experiencing grace. This means that in the protestant tradition salvation is not procured by infant baptism.  It is an external promise that  will some day become an internal reality. It is a marking that the children of believing parents are members of the covenant community of faith. In baptist traditions children are not part of the community of the church but are viewed as outsiders until they "make profession of faith".  This is in stark contrast to what we see in the Scriptures where children have always been included in the community of faith. So, infant baptism does not secure salvation but inclusion in the community of faith with the promise of future salvation.


3. Should I get re-baptized now that I have trusted Christ and am no longer a part of a tradition that does infant baptism? I would say, "By no means!" Why?  This is because the day you were baptized there was a promise made over you by God.  He has made good on this promise.  If you choose to re-baptize then you are saying that you do not care about the fact that God has made good on his promise.  I would argue that you should praise God for his faithfulness and rejoice with those around you about how God saved you and did so in covenantal faithfulness to you.

I am sure there are more objections.  These are the one that seemed to come up the most.  Please post others in the comments so that we can dialogue about them.

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Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=danielmroseco-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=0849946018 I received a copy of this book and will be reviewing it here soon. Keep your eyes open for it!

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You did what to your baby?

I remember the day well.  It was a Friday night, November 2001, the night before Michigan was to play the evil Ohio State Buckeyes.  Ethan, our firstborn, was reclining in the stroller and I was chatting it up with other college missionaries. Then it slipped (well it did not actually slip, I was waiting for just right the time), we had baptized Ethan, AS AN INFANT!  It was pretty funny when almost everyone within about a 30 foot radius (maybe I said it a little louder than I anticipated) stopped talking and stared at me with a dumbfounded look. I think it might have been a world record for chins on the ground at one time.

In the world of parachurch ministries the idea of infant baptism is relatively foreign. It is akin to saying that you are going to sew a third arm to your baby.  Why? I think it's because the dispensational and baptist movement has become quite pervasive in many parts of American Christendom.  Presbyterianism, Methodism, Lutheranism, and other American denominations that practiced the historic sacrament of infant baptism moved toward liberalism and removed themselves from the public life of the church. Their conservative counterparts are small and as a result lost influence in the general Christian world.

This has resulted in a loss of covenantal theology and the biblical doctrine of infant baptism. This is one of the great tragedies that the church has faced. This loss is tragic because it means that there is a loss of vision for the emerging generations.  They have simply become a missionary object as opposed to valued members of the community who need to be discipled and cared for.

Why did we baptize our kids?  We baptized them because they are members of the community of faith.  We baptized them because we believe that God is going to draw them to himself. We baptized them because we believe that this promise is visionary for their life.  We baptized them because we believe that the people of God are part of our family and that they have a responsibility to be a part of these kids lives.

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