Last year, I bought a book The Myth of A Christian Nation by Greg Boyd and I brought it on a trip to Londrina, Brazil to visit a mission partner. I love Greg and I was planning on reading it while there. The book is based on a six-week sermon series titled "Cross and the Sword" he did with his church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Approximately 1000 people left his church as a result of the viewpoint of this sermon series. He explains in his notes to his book that approximately 700 hundred people left during the sermon series and another 300 left in the fall of 2004 near that time of the election. Boyd is an incredibly gifted speaker and a gutsy (or stupid depending on how you see the situation) pastor.
While in Londrina, Brazil, I found myself in the midst of a conversation with the president of South American Theological Seminary and I discovered that he would enjoy reading this book and would have difficulty finding it, so I gave it to him.
I bought another copy later that year and I just picked it up as I think about our upcoming election. I may write a bit about in the coming weeks...I have only just begun but I thought you might like to wrestle with your view of the church and politics. If you want to see how you approach the interaction of the church with politics, take this quiz. You might just be surprised.
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
the missional question
Question: How does a person live missionally?
Here is a practical look at this question that was in the Neue Weekly e-newsletter today. After reading it, what do you think:
By Ashley Wolpert
In a culture that feeds off a vast array of social justice causes, it seems that the term missional living is being bandied about increasingly in our churches. But what does this really look like? Recently Dr. Ed Stetzer, co-author of Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living, spoke with Neue about what exactly “missional living” means, how church leaders can encourage their community live missionally and what some major barriers are. Philip Nation, Stetzer’s co-author, follows with a list of practical tips to help communities engage in missional living.
How would you define “missional living”?
Missional living is essentially living with our primary perspective as that of an ambassador for the Kingdom of God. It means making our lives not about us, but about Jesus and His Kingdom.
In an alliterated sense, missional living is an incarnational (being the presence of Christ in community), indigenous (of the people and culture) and intentional (planning our lives around God’s agenda) focus on the power of the Gospel to bring the reign of God into people’s lives.
When did you first arrive at this idea of “missional living?”
I think I first read missional ideas in The Missional Church (1998), edited (primarily) by Darrell Guder. I believe the subtitle of the first chapter is a great summation for the entire work: “From Sending to Being Sent.” After that, I was most impacted by Francis Dubose’s God Who Sends, which I read during my Ph.D. in Missiology.
Through their writings, and those of many others, the late 21st-century Church was again reflecting a local missiology for churches that moved from “pay for others to go” to “pay the price for me to go.”
Working through these ideas for nearly a decade as a church leader and missiologist, I arrived at the conclusion that the vast majority of missional literature and conferences were solely for the benefit of church leaders. So, I asked Philip to co-write with me to address that. Compelled by Love is a remedy for the average believer who is looking for a theological and practical bridge to move their lives in a missional direction.
What would you say is the greatest example of “missional living” in the Bible?
Without hesitation—it is Jesus Christ. He is sent by the Father. He is the incarnation of God. He sets aside His privileges (and rights) to live in our neighborhood. He communicates the Gospel in a way that is understandable to us. And, He is supremely sacrificial in the manner of His life and death.
Choosing one such example from mortal humanity is tough. However, for today, I’ll choose Moses. Without his knowledge, God was preparing him to participate in God’s work of deliverance. After he had failed miserably because of his sin, God still chose to use him—an imperfect vessel for God’s great work. In his old age, Moses served as God’s emissary to declare the glory of the one true God, awaken hope in the people of God and shake a society.
How can church leaders encourage their community to live missionally?
Missional living must be motivated with the truth and from the heart. Without the truth of Scripture and the Gospel, there is no reason to live any particular way. Since God has revealed the truth of His character and will, we should teach it to the Body of Christ as what we should do. Church leaders leading people boldly to understand God and His Kingdom should influence our manner of living.
We are blessed that God also desires for the truth to affect us. So through such heart motivations as love, hope, urgency and compassion, believers can be shown how missional living must be a compelled portion of life. Obviously, that was the point of Compelled by Love, as we used 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 as the central theme of the book. Because they are learning the greatness of God and His truth, believers must exhibit a deep desire to share such with the world.
What keeps people from missional living? Would you say there are any unique barriers for twenty- and thirtysomethings?
Believers do not live missionally for two primary reasons: a) because they believe someone else is doing it; or worse, b) they are selfish.
Too many Christians assume or deceive themselves into believing that someone else has explained the Gospel to our neighbors, co-workers and friends. Beyond that, believers choose their traditions over the mission. Entire congregations have decided that “the way we do things” is superior to the mission to go, be and tell the Gospel in understandable ways to the culture surrounding them.
The unique barriers for twenty- and thirtysomethings are also twofold. First, many are trying to await the renewal of the Church. Their hope is to show up one Sunday and it will suddenly be different—more missional, more externally focused, more compassionate. The problem: It won’t, unless they are willing to lead the way by serving in the church to which they are committed.
The second barrier is that the culture they face is farther from the Gospel than any other in American history. The young adults and families today have grown up without a mooring to biblical truth, and young Christians now have to begin at the beginning. They were raised to present five-point Gospel outlines, and it is not working very often. Instead, they must describe God in Genesis 1 and then Colossians 1. They will need to share about the freedom God offers first from Ecclesiastes and then Galatians. What I am trying to say is that twenty- and thirtysomethings must recognize the distance their culture is away from the cross and be prepared to work in soil that is dry and parched.
Ten Tips for Missional Living
1. Understand the Gospel. The mission of God is consumed with the person and work of Christ. As you understand Christ, you can accurately participate in God’s work of redemption. So read the Gospels—a lot.
2. Take an eternal view of people. The friends, neighbors and co-workers around you have an eternity in front of them. We need to see them as God does and care for them accordingly.
3. Be friendly. A Christian should be the most trustworthy confidant another person has in the world. Believers should be the kind of people everyone else wants to be around.
4. Watch for a chance to serve. People use up all of their energy on family, work and menial chores. Look for ways you can care for your neighbors—even if it is just cooking a simple dinner for them.
5. Be truthful. Missional believers contend for the faith while speaking in a way understandable to the hearer. No matter what, be ready to talk about the truths in Scripture.
6. Love like Jesus. He lived a robust life of caring for the lost. In elevating sacrificial love far beyond any previous thinking, He gave an example for us.
7. Be on guard. As you work alongside the King to extend His Kingdom, our spiritual enemy will immediately attack. Guard your heart in holiness.
8. Live missionally at home. Family is the first place for the mission of God in your life. When people see the impact it has on your home, they will be more willing to trust its veracity for their own lives.
9. Show patience. People are farther away from understanding the Gospel than in previous generations. Do not hesitate to invite them to submit to Christ, but know that they have plenty of questions that might need answering first.10. Do it for one reason—the glory of God. The only reason to be missional is to make Christ more widely known. God is worthy of being honored by all of creation, and it should be the main reason why we participate in His mission.
Here is a practical look at this question that was in the Neue Weekly e-newsletter today. After reading it, what do you think:
By Ashley Wolpert
In a culture that feeds off a vast array of social justice causes, it seems that the term missional living is being bandied about increasingly in our churches. But what does this really look like? Recently Dr. Ed Stetzer, co-author of Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living, spoke with Neue about what exactly “missional living” means, how church leaders can encourage their community live missionally and what some major barriers are. Philip Nation, Stetzer’s co-author, follows with a list of practical tips to help communities engage in missional living.
How would you define “missional living”?
Missional living is essentially living with our primary perspective as that of an ambassador for the Kingdom of God. It means making our lives not about us, but about Jesus and His Kingdom.
In an alliterated sense, missional living is an incarnational (being the presence of Christ in community), indigenous (of the people and culture) and intentional (planning our lives around God’s agenda) focus on the power of the Gospel to bring the reign of God into people’s lives.
When did you first arrive at this idea of “missional living?”
I think I first read missional ideas in The Missional Church (1998), edited (primarily) by Darrell Guder. I believe the subtitle of the first chapter is a great summation for the entire work: “From Sending to Being Sent.” After that, I was most impacted by Francis Dubose’s God Who Sends, which I read during my Ph.D. in Missiology.
Through their writings, and those of many others, the late 21st-century Church was again reflecting a local missiology for churches that moved from “pay for others to go” to “pay the price for me to go.”
Working through these ideas for nearly a decade as a church leader and missiologist, I arrived at the conclusion that the vast majority of missional literature and conferences were solely for the benefit of church leaders. So, I asked Philip to co-write with me to address that. Compelled by Love is a remedy for the average believer who is looking for a theological and practical bridge to move their lives in a missional direction.
What would you say is the greatest example of “missional living” in the Bible?
Without hesitation—it is Jesus Christ. He is sent by the Father. He is the incarnation of God. He sets aside His privileges (and rights) to live in our neighborhood. He communicates the Gospel in a way that is understandable to us. And, He is supremely sacrificial in the manner of His life and death.
Choosing one such example from mortal humanity is tough. However, for today, I’ll choose Moses. Without his knowledge, God was preparing him to participate in God’s work of deliverance. After he had failed miserably because of his sin, God still chose to use him—an imperfect vessel for God’s great work. In his old age, Moses served as God’s emissary to declare the glory of the one true God, awaken hope in the people of God and shake a society.
How can church leaders encourage their community to live missionally?
Missional living must be motivated with the truth and from the heart. Without the truth of Scripture and the Gospel, there is no reason to live any particular way. Since God has revealed the truth of His character and will, we should teach it to the Body of Christ as what we should do. Church leaders leading people boldly to understand God and His Kingdom should influence our manner of living.
We are blessed that God also desires for the truth to affect us. So through such heart motivations as love, hope, urgency and compassion, believers can be shown how missional living must be a compelled portion of life. Obviously, that was the point of Compelled by Love, as we used 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 as the central theme of the book. Because they are learning the greatness of God and His truth, believers must exhibit a deep desire to share such with the world.
What keeps people from missional living? Would you say there are any unique barriers for twenty- and thirtysomethings?
Believers do not live missionally for two primary reasons: a) because they believe someone else is doing it; or worse, b) they are selfish.
Too many Christians assume or deceive themselves into believing that someone else has explained the Gospel to our neighbors, co-workers and friends. Beyond that, believers choose their traditions over the mission. Entire congregations have decided that “the way we do things” is superior to the mission to go, be and tell the Gospel in understandable ways to the culture surrounding them.
The unique barriers for twenty- and thirtysomethings are also twofold. First, many are trying to await the renewal of the Church. Their hope is to show up one Sunday and it will suddenly be different—more missional, more externally focused, more compassionate. The problem: It won’t, unless they are willing to lead the way by serving in the church to which they are committed.
The second barrier is that the culture they face is farther from the Gospel than any other in American history. The young adults and families today have grown up without a mooring to biblical truth, and young Christians now have to begin at the beginning. They were raised to present five-point Gospel outlines, and it is not working very often. Instead, they must describe God in Genesis 1 and then Colossians 1. They will need to share about the freedom God offers first from Ecclesiastes and then Galatians. What I am trying to say is that twenty- and thirtysomethings must recognize the distance their culture is away from the cross and be prepared to work in soil that is dry and parched.
Ten Tips for Missional Living
1. Understand the Gospel. The mission of God is consumed with the person and work of Christ. As you understand Christ, you can accurately participate in God’s work of redemption. So read the Gospels—a lot.
2. Take an eternal view of people. The friends, neighbors and co-workers around you have an eternity in front of them. We need to see them as God does and care for them accordingly.
3. Be friendly. A Christian should be the most trustworthy confidant another person has in the world. Believers should be the kind of people everyone else wants to be around.
4. Watch for a chance to serve. People use up all of their energy on family, work and menial chores. Look for ways you can care for your neighbors—even if it is just cooking a simple dinner for them.
5. Be truthful. Missional believers contend for the faith while speaking in a way understandable to the hearer. No matter what, be ready to talk about the truths in Scripture.
6. Love like Jesus. He lived a robust life of caring for the lost. In elevating sacrificial love far beyond any previous thinking, He gave an example for us.
7. Be on guard. As you work alongside the King to extend His Kingdom, our spiritual enemy will immediately attack. Guard your heart in holiness.
8. Live missionally at home. Family is the first place for the mission of God in your life. When people see the impact it has on your home, they will be more willing to trust its veracity for their own lives.
9. Show patience. People are farther away from understanding the Gospel than in previous generations. Do not hesitate to invite them to submit to Christ, but know that they have plenty of questions that might need answering first.10. Do it for one reason—the glory of God. The only reason to be missional is to make Christ more widely known. God is worthy of being honored by all of creation, and it should be the main reason why we participate in His mission.
Monday, May 12, 2008
movement
Last night, I had the opportunity to anoint with oil half of our 545 Gathering and I found myself honored as people from our community moved forward toward me, allowed and even welcomed me to put my finger on their foreheads and make the sign of the cross as I said this simple phrase, "I anoint you with oil but be filled with the Holy Spirit."
There are certain tangible acts (the Lord's table, baptism, laying on with hands and anointing with oil) that our community participates in that transcend basic acts of worship. When I engage in these acts, I am consistently left contemplating how amazing God is to work through people like me (frail, despicable, sinful and at the same time holy). As I connected with people through this simple act, I looked people in the eye, put a small amount of oil on my finger and then when I could, I would address them by name and say the phrase above. It was a unique and special night for me.
There were many people there last night that are special in my transition to Solana Beach PC. At one point in the process of anointing, I realized that there was a young couple that was moving forward for me to anoint them who would be moving this week to work in another church in Champaign, Illinois. As they made their way closer and closer to me, I felt emotion that I did not expect.
I had mixed emotions as they moved closer to me. There was a longing inside of me that said, "Stay! Please, stay and join with us in our movement to become a missional church. We need your help. I need your help." And at the same time, I wanted to celebrate with them as God will use them in incredible ways as they move to Illinois and use their gifts for his movement in our world.
As I anointed them with oil, I had tears in my eyes at what God was doing in our community of faith as they move on and what God is doing in their lives as they move. I will miss you Kamin's. I hope we keep in touch and if it doesn't work out in Illinois, I hope and pray that God would lead you back to our community.
This story is just one of many stories of movement in and out of our community of faith in the past year and a half. These stories of movement make me think about the transitory state of young adults and what a moving target we are. This movement of people to and from our community, makes me realize how out of control much of life is.
My primary role in our community of faith is to cultivate an environment where young adults (18-35 year olds) find life in Jesus Christ and his community of faith. In the last year, I have experienced highs and lows of this role and call to cultivate this kind of space for young adults. In our transitory cultural setting of North County San Diego, how do we create this space where young adults intentionally put down roots, use their gifts and invest in our community? Yes, I want the gifts of young adults recognized, used and sent out across the world (even Illinois) but I also long for people to settle in and make a home in our larger community. At this point in my life, I have more questions than answers.
There are certain tangible acts (the Lord's table, baptism, laying on with hands and anointing with oil) that our community participates in that transcend basic acts of worship. When I engage in these acts, I am consistently left contemplating how amazing God is to work through people like me (frail, despicable, sinful and at the same time holy). As I connected with people through this simple act, I looked people in the eye, put a small amount of oil on my finger and then when I could, I would address them by name and say the phrase above. It was a unique and special night for me.
There were many people there last night that are special in my transition to Solana Beach PC. At one point in the process of anointing, I realized that there was a young couple that was moving forward for me to anoint them who would be moving this week to work in another church in Champaign, Illinois. As they made their way closer and closer to me, I felt emotion that I did not expect.
I had mixed emotions as they moved closer to me. There was a longing inside of me that said, "Stay! Please, stay and join with us in our movement to become a missional church. We need your help. I need your help." And at the same time, I wanted to celebrate with them as God will use them in incredible ways as they move to Illinois and use their gifts for his movement in our world.
As I anointed them with oil, I had tears in my eyes at what God was doing in our community of faith as they move on and what God is doing in their lives as they move. I will miss you Kamin's. I hope we keep in touch and if it doesn't work out in Illinois, I hope and pray that God would lead you back to our community.
This story is just one of many stories of movement in and out of our community of faith in the past year and a half. These stories of movement make me think about the transitory state of young adults and what a moving target we are. This movement of people to and from our community, makes me realize how out of control much of life is.
My primary role in our community of faith is to cultivate an environment where young adults (18-35 year olds) find life in Jesus Christ and his community of faith. In the last year, I have experienced highs and lows of this role and call to cultivate this kind of space for young adults. In our transitory cultural setting of North County San Diego, how do we create this space where young adults intentionally put down roots, use their gifts and invest in our community? Yes, I want the gifts of young adults recognized, used and sent out across the world (even Illinois) but I also long for people to settle in and make a home in our larger community. At this point in my life, I have more questions than answers.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Working in a foreign world
Why is it that sometimes I feel like I work in a foreign church in a familiar world? I would not be surprised by quick responses about how we should be "in the world but not of it." Now, what really does that mean? We were created by God who created the world that we live in. It makes sense to me that we would be in the world that God created and be a part of changing it.
I've been a part of the church for over 13 years and working in the church off and on for seven years. Sometimes I feel like such an outsider. My title doesn't fit right. My work seems like it is so backwards. I give announcements and carry on friendly conversation but life does not change. My role does not seem significant.
My hope is that there is so much yet to do in this world. God is not done with us. He is working on us. Will we respond? Will I respond?
I've been a part of the church for over 13 years and working in the church off and on for seven years. Sometimes I feel like such an outsider. My title doesn't fit right. My work seems like it is so backwards. I give announcements and carry on friendly conversation but life does not change. My role does not seem significant.
My hope is that there is so much yet to do in this world. God is not done with us. He is working on us. Will we respond? Will I respond?
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Considering Our Sin
This last weekend, I came down from an incredible retreat in the mountains that focused on community and the overlapping of heaven and earth. I consider it a monumental time for our church as we move towards being missional in the world and how this requires us to deal with our sense of health in the interior of our community. God is at work in us.
When I returned, I was confronted with the terrible sin of not the world but the church. I started to hear about the often spoken of Evangelical Ted Haggard and all sorts of allegations on Sunday night of sexual immorality. I then read further on Monday about what had happened over the weekend. The entire episode makes me have compassion on Ted's family, the community of New Life Church, and even Ted himself as I think about the words of Jesus in Matthew 7. I am driven to seek humility.
Through Jesus' words, I see that I need to seek compassion and humility in my own life. I must not forget that followers of Jesus Christ are all saints struggling with sin. Humility brings me to my knees and allows me to see myself for who I am and remember that God is still working in and on my own character. I am a work in progress just like Ted. We both need the grace and mercy of God.
Josh
When I returned, I was confronted with the terrible sin of not the world but the church. I started to hear about the often spoken of Evangelical Ted Haggard and all sorts of allegations on Sunday night of sexual immorality. I then read further on Monday about what had happened over the weekend. The entire episode makes me have compassion on Ted's family, the community of New Life Church, and even Ted himself as I think about the words of Jesus in Matthew 7. I am driven to seek humility.
Through Jesus' words, I see that I need to seek compassion and humility in my own life. I must not forget that followers of Jesus Christ are all saints struggling with sin. Humility brings me to my knees and allows me to see myself for who I am and remember that God is still working in and on my own character. I am a work in progress just like Ted. We both need the grace and mercy of God.
Josh
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Jesus Camp
I was amazed tonight as I saw a news piece on a new documentary called Jesus Camp (check out the website and see what you think). I don’t know exactly how to respond to a documentary like this; I am repulsed by it and interested to see it at the same time. How do I respond as I try to journey with Christ?
How do I respond as a father of a young son who will navigate this world when he gets older and attempt to follow Christ in the midst of North America?
Josh
How do I respond as a father of a young son who will navigate this world when he gets older and attempt to follow Christ in the midst of North America?
Josh
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