Grandma is home now

I just received word about an hour ago that my Grandma Syble passed away in Arkansas. It is strange how some things work - we already had plane tickets bought for the whole family to go to Arkansas for Christmas. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon and will now join the rest of the family in a memorial of my Grandmother.

My grandmother contributed so much to my life. She lived to be 99 years old - and every moment of it, she lived as a Christian. I don't ever remember hearing about a time that my grandmother was out of church or that she wavered from her Christian faith. She loved well - laughed a lot - was very industrious - and out-lived her two husbands. Tonight, she was tired and needed to go home. Thanks, grandma - you have left a wonderful legacy of how to live well.

Picture from Zambia

I had promised some pictures from my trip to Zambia, but had trouble getting the pictures on the blog. Anyway, here is one...me and the ladies cooking up some "shema". Tasty...

Jesus - Church ...."And the least of these"

In the last post, I looked at Jesus calling a new community. This witnessing community would be drawn into deep fellowship, accountability, and ministry. They would be the people of God - people where God's spirit could be seen at work. The lines of who was a respectable member of this community were carefully constructed in Jesus day. The teachers of the law could tell who was a "sinner". Extrapolated from the purity codes of the Decalogue, those who could not tithe properly (poor), those who could not get to the temple (poor or infirmed), those who were outside the set power structure (women, the landless, gentiles) were known to be "outside" the kingdom.

Jesus, in some of the most fascinating ways, called the sick, the infirmed, the landless, the poor, women, and occasionally a gentile, and invited them into the kingdom. This up-side down order is one of the main reasons that he was marked to be killed - too radical of a redrawing of God's community.

Today's church (slowly coming to grips with our addiction to power (Christendom) is barely beginning to realize that Jesus ministry among the poor and outcasts was not coincidental to the gospel. Jesus paradigm of ministry included unmasking the ways that power, priviledge, and wealth cut against what God wants for his community. He did so by specially inviting "the least" into the joys of the kingdom community.

What grade do we, the contemporary church, get on our report card in responding to the needy and poor. Do we simply minister to them as a church program, or do we invite them into our midst. Are we conscious of the ways that we lean toward power and wealth, and discount the poor, sick and afflicted? The world is waiting to see how we will respond...

Jesus - Church.....New Community

If the Kingdom of God was the driving message of Jesus, then what does that mean? Well, for Jesus it meant drawing people into new communities that would practice their lives under the reign of God. Jesus clearly went around Galilee and surrounding areas drawing together a new people of God out of Israel. Jesus choosing twelve disciples was a deliberate move to re-enact the community forming act of establishing twelve tribes in Israel. The Sermon on the Mount is nothing other than a community forming sermon to teach the new community how to read and live Torah.

Gerhard Loflink has argued that the first communities of Christ followers were developed into what he calls, "contrast societies". These believers understood Jesus' call to discipleship as a community forming event - the calling of a people - in order to live differently from the world for the sake of the world.

"Oh no", you may think, "another withdrawal from the world sect". And you would be wrong about thinking that way - because Jesus didn't withdraw from the world (he had that option available to him - he could have joined a community like the Dead Sea community) - instead he engaged the world by carving out communities in the middle in society. These contrast communities were to live differently in order to witness to the world that there is a profoundly new way to believe, behave, and belong.

So where are we now in the church? I am afraid that we are all over the map. There are some churches that withdraw from the world so far and circle the wagons so tightly that it becomes unloving and unattractive to the world. And there are some churches that long to appeal to the world so badly that they lose all of their contrast, all prophetic voice to the world. It is this latter option that seems to be gaining momentum presently.

So what keeps us from getting the right balance? Why do we as a church struggle with being a true community of believers with strong convictions, accountability, covenants, and habits of life together so that we can witness to a watching world. Why don't our folks (by and large)live any differently than anybody else?

Here are some possible culprits:
1. We really don't believe that the kingdom of God is upon us.
2. We really don't want other people that involved in our lives.
3. We really don't understand our culture and the way it has discipled us away from community. Consumerism, nationalism, individualism, democracy and freedom (these are part of the world's sermon on the mount) has formed us away from the Kingdom of God.

Jesus - Church - New community. The spirit, I believe, is calling us to deeper community - and then the world will take notice.

Jesus - Church ......The Kingdom

Well, I am finally getting started. After all the abuse that I took for not posting as I intended - I hesitated to overpromise anymore.

So what animated Jesus' ministry? Clearly, the first post has to call attention to Jesus' preaching of the kingdom. It is amazing that the church lost this fact through its history - but just this century there has been an awakening that the centerpiece of Jesus' ministry was his announcement of the kingdom. And the church through the centuries has typically responded in two ways.

First, one response was that the kingdom was already present - of course it was - Rome had conquered far and wide - the kingdom of God was in the midst of political Rome. Everyone was a Christian, and if they weren't it was only because Rome hadn't conquered their land yet. Especially after the conversion of Constantine, the kingdom of God became synonymous with life lived in the peace of Roman power.

The second response was that the Kingdom of God is relegated to a future time that will only be ushered in by the return of Christ. Life now is an attempt to live as best as one can - but real living happens after we die, or after Christ comes again to establish His future reign.

Both of these views seems to miss what Jesus was doing. Jesus appears to have believed that the kingdom was already upon his hearers. They could enter the kingdom and live in its power. But at the same time Jesus taught that the fullness of the kingdom was still coming - and we must live in that tension - living within the dawning of the kingdom, yet still learning forward into all the promises yet to be fulfilled.

When is the last time you heard a message about the kingdom? A message about living in the kingdom, believing that Jesus has enacted a different way of living in this world. We must become a church that leans into the future - reaching forward in the Spirit - and acting as if Jesus really did do more than die for my sins - he enacted a way of life that becomes a visible sign of the kingdom on earth.

Zambia Trip

I apologize for my absence. Things got a little crazy with work - so I had to let a few things go over the last month, and blogging was one of them. But, I think I am ready to get back into the saddle.

But before I tackle my topic that I planned, I wanted to share some pictures from my mission trip to Zambia, however, I am having difficulty in downloading the pictures into blogger. So that will have to wait until I check in with my technical staff...

Anyway, here is a brief list of things that I saw in Zambia...

1. I met a host of pastors that are crazy about Jesus and church planting... and work tirelessly without any or little compensation.

2. I learned that fences are really a waste of time and money - cows should be allowed to roam free.

3. I learned that a cart of Zambian farmers pulled by two oxen can get to town faster than four white Americans in a landrover with a flat tire.

4. I learned that in some places in the world the admonishment to "take care of widows and orphans" is still taken literally.

5. I learned that I really don't look very professional when I try to sing and dance in praise with the Zambians.

6. I learned to not dismiss places to eat based solely on names like "the Zig Zag" and the "Funky Monkey".

7. I learned that "Arkansas" is made fun of all over the world.

8. I joyfully learned that no one cared in Zambia if I wore velcro tennis shoes.

9. I learned that high schoolers in Zambia are bright and hopeful.

10. I learned what it means to be out of my culture, but at home with "brothers and sisters".

Jesus - Church

Well, as you can see, my blogging has slowed over the last few weeks. I have hit a very busy spell at church and it has squeezed out blogging time. But I think I am ready for another run at it.

Here is my plan. I hope to write a short series of blogs about a topic that has fascinated and concerned me for a while. The inquiry is... how much of what we do at church (meaning particularly the North American church - even though there is much diversity even in North American) matches the ministry and concerns that Jesus had. It is a difficult topic and I know it is tricky trying to draw a straight line from what Jesus was doing to what we should be doing - I understand the cultural and historical challenges. But I am surprised at how little attention Jesus gets in most churches. Maybe you are surprised at that last statement - and that is what I hope to tease out in the next few blogs.

New shoes

Can I get a witness concerning my new shoes? I would love to entertain testimonies about the "coolness" of my new white velcro tennis shoes. The velcro straps are functional and comfortable - I have my eye on a grey pair as well to round out my winter ensemble. So what do you really think?

America, Love it or Leave it

On Sunday, August 6, the following piece was published in "The Dispatch" newspaper of the Quad-Cities. It was written by a person in Moline for the "Letter to the Editor" section. They wanted to submit their favorite sayings regarding the way the United States has taken on the terrorists around the world.

Here is their list - read them slowly and listen carefully to what is being said.

1. America, love it or leave it.

2. You only have the rights you are willing to fight for.

3. If you can read, thank a teacher. If you can read English, thank our military.

4. America, home of the free because of the brave.

5. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of anyone who threatens it.

6. Do draft dodgers have reunions? If so, what do they talk about?

7. For those who fought for it, freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.

8. Marines die, so you don't have to.

9. Except for ending slavery, fascism, Nazism and communism - war has never solved anything.

10. If you can't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them!

I am not even going to comment right now - these popular statements just need to sink in a little. I just would like to ask the audience - what do you hear in these statements? What might a Christian response be?

Borders Boys

I thought I would take a short break from all the madness that I have been writing about. My wife and our friend Susan will be proud that I am. Something a little more personal is in order.

Last night my son Taylor and I made a solo trip to Borders to pick up some books. Books do something for me. I can't get enough of them. But last night was special for another reason. I noticed as Taylor hung out with me (impatiently at times, mind you) in the religion, then philosophy, then government and politics sections, that we were just plain having fun together. Taylor amused himself by finding a book on sign language - and walked away from the experience with the sign for "fart". That was entertaining for the rest of the night.

This note is "kudos" to Taylor. He is not a little boy anymore - we are beginning to have discussions (short ones) about the Middle East crisis, church, and of course, girls. But the best realization that was reinforced for me last night - is that he is just plain fun to be around. I am proud of him. I can't wait to see what he is gonnabe.

The Passion of Mel Gibson

The story of the arrest of Mel Gibson for drunk driving last week deserves some thought. It would be too easy for Christians to castigate Gibson for drunkenness. Way too easy to write him off for foul language. And it is tempting to throw stones at him for his horrendous statements about the Jewish people. But instead of castigating Gibson - I want to remind the evangelical church of our role in elevating Gibson to hero status not long ago because he was making "The Passion of the Christ" despite of Hollywood's inattention to it.

Gibson flew across the country visiting church after church, pastor's conference after conference, marketing his movie. Consequently, the movie brought in over 700 million dollars to date. (I grew very tired of evangelicals crying that Gibson had put up 25-50 million of his own money - you do the math on the profit margin...)

Bottom line, the movie was a success because the evangelical community made it that way. Never mind that the Jewish community reminded us that the movie tells the story in a stereotyped way that has fueled Jewish hatred down through the years. Evangelical leader after leader stated that this movie was the "greatest evangelistic tool" of the last 100 years. Many anticipated that millions would come to Christ and flood our churches. Well, none of that has happened and now we are left picking up the pieces after seeing Gibson's mugshot on CNN.

Here is what really bothers me:
1. I haven't heard any evangelical leader to date make any statement about Gibson's terrible language about the Jews. We made such a huge deal about the movie, now we are deaf and dumb.
2. I am tired of evangelicals believing that we need "tools" like Hollywood movies in order to win people to Christ. Whatever happened to living like Christ in such as way that the church itself was the "tool" for evangelism.
3. I am sad that the evangelical church can so easily be turned into a marketing machine. I suspicion that we will see more marketing efforts of Hollywood toward the evangelical church - (I now suspicion that Dan Brown is probably laughing all the way to the bank)

I pray for Mel Gibson - but I pray more for the evangelical community.



Mel Gibson Sheriff video

Subversive Christian Economics

I would like to return to a subject from a few posts ago. I believe that the modern market has become one of the leading disciplers of our culture - people and institutions make decisions now based on market sense - is it productive, profitable, and efficient. This business trinity has saturated our society (and we are trying to export it to the world) and in some ways the church.

Several people have inquired about what the church can do to respond to the market idol and its minions: individualism, consumerism, and materialism. Here is a short list of suggestions:

1. Subvert the marketing madness by consciously simplifying your lifestyle. Easier said than done I know, but there is great satisfaction in reclaiming simplicity. This may show up in not always needing things that are new - not always needing name brand - not always needing bigger things. (For instance, I just saw that Panasonic is coming out with a 102 inch TV that costs $70,000 ...tempting, but is it necessary)

Simplicity has been explained primarily as a personal discipline - but I would like to see some group try it in their church body.(There are groups doing this - you just don't hear much about it) What if a church body decided that they didn't need a 102 inch TV that costs $70,000 in order to be the church? What if a church decided that they did not need 7.9 million dollars worth of facilities, but was going to invest that money in kingdom initiatives instead?

2. Can we return to some sort of "Acts 2" economics? This giving and sharing as described by the early church would truly subvert our market mentality today. Possibly a church could develop a "co-op" where things are brought and shared - this cuts against individualism and the market that tries to make us believe that we have to buy things ourselves and own it. I suspect that much of the reason that we don't practice "giving and sharing" among the body is that we have most of our money going towards building and upkeep.

3. Some have suggested that returning to a "Sabbath" can be subversive to our current economic climate. What if a church decided to reclaim the day of worship as a time of rest and relationships. Not buying and selling on the Sabbath was originally intended as a statement that "I trust God to keep me even if I don't labor today - He will provide". What if a church tried to spend the day in community, rest, and worship and subverted desire by resting in God.

Here are a few ideas. I would love to hear more about individual ideas or church practices that help us keep our balance in the market-driven world.

Why I Don't Say the "Pledge of Allegiance" Anymore

I am hoping that this is not an argument starter. I don't intend it to be. And I must say from the beginning that I am not Anti-American - I am just more pro-Christ and his worldwide kingdom than I have ever been before. So here are a few points of why I have stopped saying the Pledge.

First, the pledge assumes that my highest allegiance will go to my country. Do I really pledge my "allegiance" to my country? Is this just another way of saying that "Caesar is Lord"? Does the pledge relativize my commitment as a Christian to Christ? Isn't the pledge competing for my allegiance that should only belong (in the ultimate sense) to Christ?

Second, the pledge reinforces boundaries that are nationally drawn. In other words, we are being asked to support "our" country. Doesn't this claim compete with the Christian claim that the "Body of Christ" knows no national boundaries? As William Cavanaugh points out in his great book, "Theopolitical Imagination", states tend to promote salvific myths about themselves. But it is only in the church that a truly transnational community can be developed.

Third, the pledge is used as propaganda to instill concepts of ultimate allegiance to the state. Ever wonder why the pledge is one of the first things you learn in school? I am told that after 9/11 many schools that had become complacent about the pledge in the mornings, have now redoubled efforts to make sure that the pledge is recited. This is another sign that the state is competing for absolute allegiance.

Fourth, the pledge adds confusion to the strange concept of a national God. "One nation, under God" sounds cool, but what does it mean really? Isn't it another attempt to state the myth that our nation is a Christian nation and somehow blessed of God more than most other nations? Isn't this just a step away from saying, "pledge your allegiance to our state, because we have God on our side".

Enough already..I simply want to end by restating a pledge that was written by June Yoder and J. Nelson Kraybill of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary as an alternative.

"I pledge allegiance to Jesus Christ,
and to God's Kingdom for which he died -
one Spirit-led people the world over,
indivisible, with love and justice for all.

Worship American Style

I just have to put down a few thoughts about this. Not that it surprises me - I fully expected it. As a matter of fact, a few years ago, I would have thought nothing of it. But now I am sensitive to it.

While vacationing in the great Smoky Mountains we were able to catch a few dinner shows in Pigeon Forge, TN. Great shows they were - but I had forgotten that July 4th was just last week. At both shows they obviously had added July 4th pieces. Both shows ended with Christian songs - one was "Mine Eyes Has Seen the Coming of the Glory of the Lord" - complete with military video on the screen. One shot was of an American soldier shooting a gun into a cave and leading those prisoners that were alive out in procession. It was a stunning display of American religion - Christian worship songs with the backdrop of American war planes and guns.

At the close of both shows, a huge American flag rolled slowly down across the back of the stage. You guessed it - everyone got up and gave a standing ovation. I stood there with mixed feelings - trying to feel proud of my country (which I am most of the time) yet trying to sort out the idolatry of our American religion which blends worship of the one true God that loves the whole world with American symbols that suggests that our country is somehow special to God.

Any comments? Any other stories of blended worship? (ie Christian worship with military overtones)?

New York

Just a quick note. We are in New York now, taking a few days of vacation. They have asked me to speak tomorrow (Sunday morning) at the church that we served at 5 years ago. It is a thrill for me to be invited to speak there again.

The weather is beautiful. It is very relaxing as we look out over Lake Ontario. Last night we had a get together with some folks from the church. Kathy and I snickered about what would happen if nobody showed up. Do people really remember us?

Well, about 30 people showed up and we had a great time. Lots of stories of old times here, lots of jokes, lots of good friendships renewed.

That is the best part. Lots of good friendships.

Ode to Goodwill

Go ahead and make fun of me. I will take a couple of days break before I post again about economics, wealth and poverty. Actually this subject may be more about the topic than the theoretical theological approach to capitalism.

Make fun if you want - but I love to shop at Goodwill. I went there yesterday to pick up a few things before I left for vacation this morning. As a matter of fact about 1/2 of my wardrobe has come from Goodwill over the last two years. Let me explain why I think I feel the way I do about Goodwill.

First, I committed a few years ago to not get caught up in the marketing of clothes. I will not pay $50 for a shirt or pair of pants if I am paying for market branding. I will not have to have the hottest brands, nor will my clothes have to be new. Consequently, I usually get by on less than $100 a year for clothes. (Some would say that they can tell how little I spend by the way that I look, but that is another subject...)

Second, Goodwill tries to support community initiatives that are good and useful. I can't vouch for all that they do (because I don't know where all the money goes), but by and large I think they try to do good with profits.

Third, (and I know this one will come off a little strange) but going into Goodwill is good for my pride. Everytime I go there I see families that are obviously shopping there because it is all they can afford. Not everybody of course, but you can tell that there is a clientele that needs the services of Goodwill. I watch folks when I go there - folks whose lives are different from mine - they are shopping there because they need to. And I want to see their faces. I want to share their joy when they find a shirt that fits their little precious third grader. I want to be reminded that I have so many choices, but many folks only have the choices they find at Goodwill.

Bottom line, for me the real reason that I shop at Goodwill is theological. I am committed to little ways of looking people in the face that are different than I am, but people nonetheless. I always want to remember God's powerful love for all people. Especially those folks that Wall Street acts as if they don't exist.

Healing of Desire

In the last post I talked about capitalism and the modern market and its basis in "self interest" and "scarcity" - lack which always desires more. But why I am spending so much time on an economic system of exchange of goods and services?

There is a small but growing number of young scholars that are discerning the markets "practices and rituals" as being antagonistic to Christianity. James K A Smith writes,"...the new empire is capitalism as a global, transnational phenomenon -an empire of which states are only colonies". (Smith, Introducing Radical Orthodoxy p. 248) Smith also declares that the market demands an allegiance that rivals our commitment to Christ.

How has the market co-opted our allegiance to Christ? By forming us into disciples of desire. In a remarkable book, "Liberation Theology after the End of History", Daniel Bell argues that the market has stolen our desire for God and twisted it into a desire of self-interest and material goods. Bell argues that Christianity has been understood in terms of positive desire based on Augustine's claim, "our hearts are restless until they find rest in thee". Human hearts are created to desire God. But the market has twisted this positive desire in accord with the whims of the market. Our desires are now disciplined by the market to acquire, compete, consume. The market teaches us that there can be no other way. Consequently, Bell considers Christianity to be a healing of the desire that the market has created. Only by setting our hearts toward the Triune God, and being renewed and sanctified by the Holy Spirit can our longing be set straight toward our created purpose - desiring more of God.

So do we overthrow capitalism? No, we can't do that- we are not called as the church to do that. Are we called to withdraw? No, we are not called to do that either, nor is that possible. This is where the church comes in. The ekklesia must be the place where folks are finding the healing of desire and the ability to resist the discipleship of the market. What are the practices of the church that heal desire? Again, creative thought and Spirit-led imagination are essential. SUGGESTIONS?

Wealth and Poverty, Part 2

I was planning on moving on, but some of the comments from friends made me think a little longer. Understanding our current market culture is so important that I thought I would explain some of my thoughts more fully. I don't want to sound critical of capitalism without explaining where it comes from.

I have said privately to several people that our modern market is becoming the most serious competitor with the church in terms of offering "salvation" for people. Our culture is being formed and discipled by the market every day. As blessed as we are to live in a country that benefits from market capitalism, let me explain why I get the willies when I think seriously about it.

The modern market stage was set centuries ago by philosopher Adam Smith. Smith laid the foundation for modern economic thought with some basic principles that were fine tuned through later years. But modern economics is based on at least two principles: (I know that this is oversimplification, but stick with me)

First, self interest - every person is wired so that they should be allowed to look after their own interest. This individual self-interest is what gives people the drive to make a profit and to innovate in order to thrive. This drive of self-interest should not be hindered by political or social means, but should be celebrated as the way things are and the way that wealth is best generated.

Second, scarcity - there are never enough goods and services yet humans have a desire for more. So the principle of scarcity declares that markets should celebrate this fact; as a matter of fact "the market feeds on an infinite desire that should never be satisfied; it needs lack".(Long, The Goodness of God, p. 258)

So put these two principles together and you get something like - let's celebrate individual selfishness and let create an environment where no one is every satisfied with what they have. Now, that is putting it bluntly and simplistically, but I think it is basically true of our market system. Hence, advertising is nothing else but trying to create the illusion of lack in our lives. We can't live without this product - we are unfulfilled unless we wear these kinds of clothes etc. The marketing game is based on the two principles above and designed to create a perpetual sense of lack - that we always need to desire more. There can never be the point of enough in capitalism , the system always needs us (consumers) to need more. Here is the catch - if we stopped shopping capitalism collapses. (Hence this makes President Bush's comments after 9/11 more telling when he said, "We just need to continue shopping and going about our lives")

So - bottom line - capitalism as a system trains us to celebrate self-interest (is this a Christian virtue?) and bombards us with messages that we should never be satisfied with the things that we have.

This is getting too long, but I wanted to sketch out some of my thoughts on the basic underpinnings of market capitalism. I think I will wait before I post my next thoughts - should we as a church endorse this program? How would we opt out even if we wanted to? If we can't opt out, then what can we do? I will be talking more to this in the future. I would invite comments to this post in order to stimulate thought.

Expanding the Gospel - Wealth and Poverty

It was announced in April that Lee Raymond, chair of ExxonMobil, was retiring with a 400 million dollar retirement package. That's right - 400 million - more than the average American worker would make in 175 lifetimes!

I was particularly intrigued by columnist William Buckley's comments - he called it a "lack of decorum". Since capitalism does not limit the size of bonus or wage, Buckley argues that there is not much we can do.

And what should the church call a "400 million dollar retirement package"? I know this is stretch, I don't even know if Mr Raymond belongs to any faith group. But if he is a member of a church, I hope the church would consider the correct word - "sin".

Is it possible in our culture, more attuned to the market than ever before, for the church to have an honest opinion about wealth? Are we too compromised on the issue to speak the word of the prophets that condemned wealth and power that marginalized common folks?

Jesus had a fairly consistent attitude toward wealth - while he called the wealthy to repentance and acceptance - he maintained a consistent level of disdain for wealth. Luke records in chapter 18 a story of the rich young ruler who wanted to know what else he had to do to inherit eternal life. He had done everything he thought was necessary and stood in front of Jesus fairly proud of himself - he hadn't stolen someone else's wife, he hadn't killed anyone, he hadn't stolen from anyone - or so he thought...

Jesus told him that he must sell what he had and give it to the poor. Wait, this isn't part of the Law! Why would Jesus say such a thing? In today's church we would have made the rich young ruler the chairman of the board in charge of finance and called him blessed of God...

The culture in Jesus day believed in economics as a zero sum game - meaning that there is a delicate balance in availability of resources. If someone became wealthy that meant that they did so by keeping others poor. In a advanced agrarian society about the only way one could become extremely wealthy would be taking advantage of others, such as foreclosing on their land, taking taxes, treating them as slaves and taking part of their crops as payment. Studies have shown that in Jesus day there was very small percentage of wealthy and a large poverty class from which the rich extracted their living. In other words, what Jesus seems to be suggesting in his conversation with the rich young ruler - is that he understood that you don't become extremely wealthy without stealing from others!!! Hence the rich young ruler was not keeping the Law as well as he thought.

I can hear some responding - but capitalism is a different system. Now we can create wealth without harming others. Capitalism raises all economic boats and has created an unprecedented middle class. That is true - capitalism has worked better than most systems at pulling some people out of poverty. But not all people! I fear that because capitalism is the last economic system standing, and because it does create wealth and distribute it better than other systems that the church is in danger of excepting the modern mantra - "salvation is in the market". We don't believe Jesus anymore when he says that wealth is dangerous to our spiritual life.

Can we, the church, pull ourselves awake long enough to creatively resist thinking that the market is the (invisible, Adam Smith) hand of God? Can we raise any protest? Can we shape a people that honestly believes that our hope is in the Lord and not Wall Street? Again, imagination and discernment is desperately needed...

Parent - Child Moment

It is a little unnerving having your sixteen year old daughter commenting on your blog. Just doesn't seem right. "Baby, your daddy just signed up for his very own blog" - just doesn't seem right.

But, I will go out on a limb here (since I know now that my daughter is reading my blog) to go on record to say that she is one terrific daughter. Just a couple of years and she will be moving out for college (if she gets her way about it) and one season of our life and interaction will move into another. I pray that she always knows how proud I am of her.

Expanding the Gospel - Shalom

Anyone that knows me well may know that the last couple of years I have come to understand the gospel to be a gospel of peace. I have moved away from the understanding of my childhood (and much of my adult life as well) that the gospel is primarily about people getting saved so that they will be ready for heaven when they die. Instead, I now see that the gospel (good news) is also about flesh and blood issues - it is about wealth, and power, and the poor, and the hungry. The biblical vision that animates the gospel is that of "shalom". The gospel of peace is more than the absence of violence - it is the shalom of God - the wholeness and well-being of every person.

Hence pacifism (a biblically oriented understanding of peace) "is a positive concept, reflecting a vision for how life can and should be." (This quote is from Ted Grimsrud in "A Pacifist Critique of the Modern Worldview".) Pacifism seeks for wholeness in every realm - economic, social, political. With this understanding of "shalom" being at the heart of what Jesus was all about - it frees the church to enact the gospel in all its forms - economic, social, political. This requires imagination... it requires discernment...it requires courage.

Postmodernism and Church

I just finished reading "Who's Afraid of Postmodernism: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church", by James K A Smith. This little book (only 146 pages) has so many tastey insights that it is hard to know which to highlight. The first part of the book is dedicated to giving the post-modern philosophers Derrida (there is nothing outside the text), Lyotard (incredulity toward metanarratives) and Foucault (power is knowledge) a fair hearing. Smith shows how each philosopher adds something positive that can help the church discover its rightful mission - hence Smith suspicions that post-moderism can help the church break out of the modern iron cage (rationalism, scientism, etc).

But the most fascinating part of the book is his attempt at the end to engage the emergent church and its attempt to reform the church. There is a real danger of letting the "postmodern culture" set the stage for the gospel; in other words, just trying to update the church in postmodern form instead of modern form. "Our understanding of what it means to be the church," Smith writes, "must be shaped by the priority of revelation and the Christian tradition, not what (even) a postmodern culture needs or is looking for" (p. 126). Instead, the church needs a recovery of new ways of thinking, living, practicing the faith, basically by going behind modernism and finding the rich resources of the pre-modern church.

Hence postmodernism provides a catalyst for the church to push back past Kant (rationalism)and past Descartes (a thinking mind) and back to a full engagement with the heart. Christians, Smith says, must become "proper materialists" - that is fully engaged with "flesh and blood" liturgy that engages the hearing, sight, sound, touch, smells, etc. New forms of liturgy and arts becomes important for a flesh and blood community to sustain its worship.

Too many insights to struggle with all at once. I simply pray that God gives us the insight, wisdom, and courage to see that the church has another window of opportunity to discover herself and bring good news to a world that desperately needs it.

Friends for the journey

One of the reasons that I enjoy the Ekklesia Project is because they understand how important friendships are to the Christian journey. Their statement reads "The EP is a network of Christians from across the Christian tradition who rejoice in a peculiar kind of friendship rooted in our common love of God and the Church. ..Our shared friendship is one of God's good gifts".

I deeply understand, more than ever before, how important "peculiar" friendships are to sustaining life in the kingdom. I have several peculiar friendships in my life right now - some with people much younger than I, some with people much different than I, some with people distances away.

One of those peculiar friendships is leaving this week to move to Madison, WI to work and help with a new church plant. She will be joining a couple of other "peculiar friends" that moved there last year. It is always sad to see people go, even when you know that the kingdom of God will be enhanced by it. Thankfully, I still have a few "peculiar friends" in the Quad-Cities that share a common love of God and church.

To all my "peculiar friends" I want to say - thanks for journeying with me. I count you as God's good gifts.

Ain't Studying War No More, Cont

Many thanks to my googlehound friend that forwarded to me today one of the most fascinating articles that I have read in a while. The article, "War and Peace and the Wesleyan Church" tells of the peace witness of the Wesleyan Methodist Church at its inception in the mid-1800's. The organizers of the Wesleyan Methodist Church appointed a Committee on Peace in 1844 to present a report entitled "The Duty of Christians on the Subject of Peace". Their report stated..."We believe the Gospel of Christ to be every way opposed to the practice of war, in all its forms..."

The author of this historical paper suggests that the peace witness of the Wesleyan Methodist Church remained strong until the Civil War which led to a change in the "Discipline" (1864) that lacked the strong witness against war.

I also learned that the Assemblies of God church, the large evangelical, Pentecostal church of my upbringing had a peace statement as well until the World Wars called it into question.

Incredible!! Maybe it is time that we investigate why we gave up so easily on peace.

Ain't Studying War No More...

That is really not true...I am studying war. As a matter of fact, I have been looking recently as some of the statements made by church denominations that are affiliated with the National Association of Evangelicals. The statements are rather surprising.

One of the largest evangelical churches in the United States contains this phrase in the by-laws, "As a movement we affirm our loyalty to the government of the United States in war and peace".

Another smaller denomination (to which I belonged for a short period of time) puts it this way in their Articles, "We recognize the sovereign authority of government and the duty of all Christians to reverence the power, to obey the law, and to participate righteously in the administration of lawful order in the nation under whose protection they reside..."

Do we really think clearly about what we believe about war in the evangelical church? Can we really use phrases like, "sovereign authority of government" and still make the Christian claim that "Jesus is Lord". I think we need a re-think....

Entering the World of Blogging

It is a scary thing. When I jump into the world of blogging - you know that times are changing. I just couldn't resist the temptation.

I have a couple of fears about this. The first fear comes completely from my ego. I fear that no one will read and respond to my precious little insights. I assume that this is one of the main reasons that people write on the web; they want to be heard. So down deep inside this blogging exercise must be fulfilling some strange and hidden need that I have to be listened to - but what if no one responds or even cares about the things that I care about?

The second fear is that I will quickly be branded a heretic. Some of my crazy ideas might get me in trouble. For that reason I want to say from the outset that some of the theological ideas that I talk about and write about will be simply my groping with theological ideas. I believe that Christian theology and the church suffer when we don't use our imaginations. Lack of imagination is why the church (universal) is in some of the trouble that it is in - we simply don't know how to do ministry and how to talk about things differently than we have always done it. So many of my posts will be tentative flights of theologizing that is humbly trying to discover new pathways in how to be authentically Christian in a fragmented world.

With those fears noted - let the journey begin. I better not make any promises of frequency of posts or depth of posts. At this point, I simply don't know what to make of all of this. But, I am now ready to enter this strange blogging world. Jesus, help us all....