Archive for the 'missional' Category

Evangelism or “Social Gospel”?

Published
by
Mike
on January 3, 2007
in Salt and Light, faith and missional
. 22 Comments

From, of course, N. T. Wright:

“For generations the church has been polarized between those who see the main task being the saving of souls for heaven and the nurturing of those souls through the valley of this dark world, on the one hand, and on the other hand those who see the task of improving the lot of human beings and the world, rescuing the poor from their misery.

“The longer that I’ve gone on as a New Testament scholar and wrestled with what the early Christians were actually talking about, the more it’s been borne in on me that that distinction is one that we modern Westerners bring to the text rather than finding in the text. Because the great emphasis in the New Testament is that the gospel is not how to escape the world; the gospel is that the crucified and risen Jesus is the Lord of the world. And that his death and Resurrection transform the world, and that transformation can happen to you. You, in turn, can be part of the transforming work. That draws together what we traditionally called evangelism, bringing people to the point where they come to know God in Christ for themselves, with working for God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. That has always been at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer, and how we’ve managed for years to say the Lord’s Prayer without realizing that Jesus really meant it is very curious.

(from an interview in Christianity Today, 1/07)

Christmas Stories I like

Published
by
Mike
on December 6, 2006
in Highland, Salt and Light and missional
. 41 Comments

Here are the kind of Christmas stories I like:

First, a boy at our church just had his twelfth birthday. He told his family that he wanted every — EVERY — present given to him to be donated to Highland’s Christmas Store ministry. So every present that was brought to his party was placed in a larger box — a box that was then brought to the church to be part of this ministry.

I don’t remember doing that when I was twelve.

Second, a mentally handicapped woman at our church — to be honest, she’s mentally handicapped but spiritually advanced! — handed a couple envelopes with money to one of our ministers, telling her that they were for the Christmas Store to help those who are poor. “They’re just pennies,” she said. “That’s all I have right now. But I think God does a good job of using pennies.”

I’m her preacher. And she’s teaching me about discipleship.

Third, I watched in amazement again as about 500 of our neighbors came for the Christmas Blessing. The children of our neighborhood did such a wonderful job in the Christmas pageant. Then everyone gathered in the gym for a meal. Here are a couple pictures of the pageant:

Xmas06_1.jpg

Xmas06_2.jpg

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Rarely do I think to check the “recent visitors map” at stat counter. But I just did that and saw that of the last 25 visitors, there was one from Brazil, one from Tanzania, two from Europe, and two from SE Asia. So welcome to those of you who are far, far from Abilene. May God fill you with his joy and his presence!

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Note to HCC members:

We can still use volunteers to wrap and to greet for the Christmas Store hours this Thursday (3:00 - 7:00), Friday (1:00 - 7:00), and Saturday (10:00 - 2:00). This will take place at Christian Ministries of Abilene (our downtown outreach center on Walnut). Call Joe Almanza at Highland if you can help.

What Happened to the Name Brittany?

Published
by
Mike
on November 14, 2006
in family, missional and politics
. 71 Comments

Knowing now that a granddaughter is coming . . . and awaiting word on what her name will be, I’ve been curious about names.

I can’t even remember exactly how Diane and I settled on names for our three children. Somehow, Matthew just fit the first one, as did Megan the second and Christopher the third.

We didn’t go far outside the box, I guess. I noticed that the three most popular boys’ names in the 90’s were Michael, Christopher, and Matthew. That covers the three guys in our family. (Of course two of us weren’t born in the 90’s!)

I believe the most common girls’ name in my class at ACU the past couple years has been Brittany. Lots of Brittanys were born in the 90’s. It was the fourth most popular name. Last year it wasn’t even in the top hundred. (Could that have anything to do with a less polished image of a famous Brittany/Britney? Does stuff like that really effect babies’ names?)

Whatever her name is, she will be eagerly welcomed by two parents, four grandparents, eight great grandparents, two uncles, two aunts, and two older cousins.

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Wow! Big coverage of Farmer’s Branch today. Surely the arguments of the people pushing for anti-immigration legislation (including making English the official language of their town) aren’t what they’re being depicted as in the media. Especially in light of what scripture says about how to treat aliens (Lev. 19:10, 33-34; Jer. 7:5-7; Ez. 22:29; etc.). Too often such debates have pushed emotional buttons of racism and of “there’s not enough for all of us” and “they’re taking over our town.” (I’m not at all saying that’s what has happened in Farmer’s Branch. I’m guessing it has more to do with the process and the problems of ILLEGAL immigration. The folks I know in that city are avid Christ-followers who I’m sure have a concern both for the struggling alien and for the legal process.)

While some focus on keeping illegal aliens out, I love hearing of churches that are figuring ways to care for them and to draw them into community: providing basic needs, language assistance, teaching, and friendship.

I try to imagine what I’d do if I couldn’t even feed my family and I knew that there was a place I could go work so that food, clothes and shelter could be provided for my children.

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An example of how bad theology can impact international policy.

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An amazing report on wholeness in a city (in this instance, Dallas) is available here from the J. McDonald Williams Institute.

Consistency

Published
by
Mike
on November 8, 2006
in family and missional
. 55 Comments

Sunday Chris and I went through a routine we’ve been through since he started kindergarten. We went to buy new shoes. Tennis shoes, of course. Just in time for 8th grade basketball. (Better to start the school year with worn out shoes but to enter the basketball season with fresh tread.) And once again, he said he thought he’d like something different.

So off we went to Academy. He looked at different styles, different colors. Tried several pairs on.

Then he made the selection, picking the all-black tennis shoes that look exactly like every other pair he’s worn since he was five.

There is value in consistency, right?

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Diane’s favorite present for her 50th was (aside from my constant love and companionship, of course!) finding out through the color of a baby bib whether she is going to be the grandmother of a little boy or a little girl. Our ACU niece was down in Houston for the weekend, and was sent back with two bibs, a blue one and a pink one. Then yesterday, after a Houston visit to the doctor, a call was made to the niece telling her which one to put in the package. So now we know. . . . and we’re VERY excited . . . .

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I spoke with two men.

One is unhappy at church. Some changes have him feeling uncomfortable. He just doesn’t like it. He doesn’t want to be so uncomfortable. He doesn’t care for the way the church is heading. He’s exploring other options.

The other has never been happier. He was lost and is now found. He was unemployed and through a ministry of the church has just been hired. He is pouring himself into outreach. He, with his broken, difficult past, has become an informal leader of the church. The shade of his skin, the level of his education, the type of home he was raised in — all are quite different than many others at the church. But he smiles and laughs as he talks about his new family. He grins as he introduces me to others as “my pastor.”

Both men matter. Both deserve pastoral care.

But if we continue to find our neighborhood, if we continue to join God in what he’s already doing in our city, then our faith community will look less and less like a gated community where access codes are required.

I’m afraid it won’t be comfortable. But it should be exciting.

Did the Early Church Have a Honeymoon?

Published
by
Mike
on November 2, 2006
in Baseball and missional
. 27 Comments

Here’s a great piece by Scot McKnight entitled “What is the Emerging Church?” (a copy of his lecture at Westminster Theological Seminary). It would be worth printing off. He looks at the strengths and weaknesses of this movement that he identifies himself with. Seems to me he’s right on target. (Thanks, SP, for the link.)

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Found these insightful words from N. T. Wright that relate to Monday’s blog:

“Meanwhile, there seems to have been a fourth ‘party’ — claiming that they were the real Messiah-people! Everyone else was following this leader or that leader, but they were simply following King Jesus! This, too, alas, is a well-known power-play in the church. . . . It’s a sobering thought that the church faced such division in its very earliest years. People sometimes talk as if first generation Christianity enjoyed a pure, untroubled honeymoon period, after which things became more difficult; but there’s no evidence for this in the New Testament. Right from the start, Paul found himself not only announcing the gospel of Jesus but struggling to hold together in a single family those who had obeyed its summons.”

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As you know from comments on an earlier entry, Terry and Dusty Rush wound up with tickets to the Cardinals’ winning game. How fitting. Dusty is a Cardinals’ fan, as am I. His dad is an obsessed stalker of the Cardinals, though. He’s not a Cardinals fan. He is THE Cardinals fan.

When he got back to his office at the Memorial Drive Church of Christ in Tulsa, his room had been decorated by the staff. There are pics here.

Community and Mission

Published
by
Mike
on September 22, 2006
in Books, Salt and Light, missional and politics
. 61 Comments

“I have come to realize that aiming for community is a bit like aiming for happiness. It’s not a goal in itself. we find happiness as an incidental by-product of pursuing love, justice, hospitality, and generosity. When you aim for happiness, you are bound to miss it. Likewise with community. It’s not our goal. It emerges as a by-product of pursuing something else. Those who love community destroy it, but those who love people build community.” - Michael Frost, Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture

I agree — sort of. The community is drawn together in authentic love and honesty when they, together, pursue the mission of God. It’s like the community that formed in The Wizard of Oz or the Lord of the Rings trilogy: unlikely people are brought together by engaging in a mission larger than themselves.

And yet . . . true community is itself the goal. Or at least a taste of the goal. God is seeking to bring all things together again — think “new creation” and “reconciliation” — and that means that community will break out.

But this community can be spoiled if it turns in on itself, forgetting that the work of God continues.

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CBS hoped there would be Katie Couric fans who would follow her to CBS. Diane and I have done just that. From Brokaw to Couric. Last night we got to see Jim Wallis talk about how many evangelicals are taking seriously the challenge to be “completely pro-life” (to quote Ron Sider). He kept resisting efforts to pin him as a person on the right or left, insisting that it isn’t about being a Republican or a Democrat but about being a Christ-follower who goes deeper in the call of the kingdom. When he said he thought he was something of a moderate, Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, said that the only thing in the middle of the road is dead cats and smelly skunks. That added so much to the segment.

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Sorry I haven’t been very involved in comments the last few days. Just haven’t had time to keep up. Thanks for the discussions, though. Page loads have bumped up a bit the last couple weeks. Don’t know what that means in terms of actual people — but thanks.

Touch a Life

Published
by
Mike
on September 7, 2006
in General, justice and missional
. 28 Comments

If you get a chance check out “Touch a Life” ministry, which my brother and sister-in-law, Randy and Pam Cope, started to minister to orphans in Cambodia, Vietnam (where my niece and nephew are from), Nicaragua, and Haiti.

Even in their grief over their son’s death in the summer of ‘99, God has made them compassionate advocates for some of “the least among us.” Here’s how they describe it on the website:

Jantsen was our beautiful fifteen year old son. He was atheletic and loved life — living it to the fullest.

He died suddenly of an undetected heart defect. As a family, we were able to use Jantsen’s Memorial Fund to start Touch A Life Ministries. We strongly felt that Jantsen’s legacy needed to be helping children.

Through a series of events which led us to visit Vietnam and Cambodia, we felt God’s calling on our lives to cry out for the children whose voices are not being heard.

God allowed Touch A Life Ministries to be birthed when we allowed Him to show us the great needs of His children who so desperately need us to be Jesus in their lives. We have a passion to share the news of James 1:27 so that we will have a better understanding of intimacies of God’s heart for His people.

Here are the kinds of beliefs that God our Father accepts as pure and without fault.

When widows and children who have no parents are in trouble,

take care of them.

And keep yourselves from being polluted by the world.

~James 1:27

(Update on 2/9/07.)

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After a final brain-storming session with the Zoe worship leaders yesterday, I’m really looking forward to this year’s conference called “Closer.” Lauren Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity, and Jeff Walling will be speaking at the leadership conference, while Randy Gill and I will speak for the worship conference. I haven’t yet heard the new Zoe CD to accompany the conference. Can’t wait. You can find more info here.

Training for Professionalism

Published
by
Mike
on June 14, 2006
in missional and spiritual formation
. 45 Comments

This is from my 9/28/04 blog entry (slightly adapted):

I’m not blaming anyone for what I’m blogging about this morning. Really good people were doing the best they knew how to do. The fault is largely mine.

But I was trained to be a professional.

It was great training for a Constantinian world in which the church is the center of all life. But it doesn’t fit our current situation of living in a post-Christian, post-modern world.

One of my graduate school professors insisted that a preacher should spend one hour in study for every minute he preaches. That’s great advice — if the goal is to preach sermons. For much of my preaching life, I’ve preached two sermons a week. That would be 50 hours of study. While in Searcy, I preached three sermons a week. That would be 75 hours of study.

I was trained to do just that. With seven years of Greek and a couple years of Hebrew along with class after class of textual studies, I was prepared to do one thing: study. I had (for the most part) incredible profs. I don’t regret most of the classes.

But I was never taught other things: like how to be missional, how to help form a missional church, how to pray, how to disciple people in the way of Christ, etc.

Again, good people were teaching me what they knew. It wasn’t them–it was more a whole system that didn’t understand what we’re facing. We majored in information transfer. We hardly even minored in formation and transformation.

There was never any training and mentoring in how to connect with lost people, how to move Christians from consumer-demands to kingdom-service, how to start justice-based ministries, or how to plan worship that forms people and prepares to send them out in Jesus’ name.

It’s easier to train professionals. People who know how to caretake the organization. They know how to bring about slow change. How to do studies. How to organize. Basically, how to do all the things really good businesses do.

So churches have learned to rely on people who know very little about Christian mission and formation but know a LOT about professional matters.

I remember taking a class on evangelism. The whole class was, of course, a study of evangelism. We spent the whole semester getting ready to perform a skit from GO YE MEANS GO ME. And there was a class on “the work of a preacher” that was basically a study of the pastoral epistles–in other words, another textual class. My class on worship studied the issues of worship and worked toward the big project: of each group preparing a devotional for one class period.

I’m thinking we don’t need any more professionalism. (That isn’t to say, of course, that we want to give up serious study of scripture, including languages!) We need missionaries. Missionaries right here: people who can learn the language, teach the language, learn the culture, teach the culture, mentor, equip, train, reach out.

Here are some realities we’ll have to face:

1. Some don’t want to be missional. They want the organization to work smoothly. We need to love them as they struggle, helping them to mature beyond consumer complaints. Jesus didn’t leave the church so everyone could be comfortable and happy; he left it as an outpost of the in-breaking kingdom. It is not safe!

2. There will be conflict as this happens. But this conflict is best resolved by people staying focused on what the mission of Christ is.

3. The day of megachurches as the center of attention is probably coming to an end. Megachurches are great at offering services. But they haven’t historically been great at forming people into the image of Christ. I’m thrilled when I hear about students (of various majors) eager to go out and start a house church. This isn’t either/or. I’m committed to helping a large church. But I think the future will be smaller.

4. I hope our theological training stays rigorous: in languages, history, theology, etc. But along with all the information we must find a way to form lives. We need to keep raising up teachers who are actively involved in the mission of Christ. (And I’m discovering more and more of them!)

One final word of grace here: God has used all our stumbling efforts–including my own pitiful ones–to his glory. This doesn’t discount any of the sacrifices that others have made. But it’s just a chance to think ahead and dream.

Signs of Hope

Published
by
Mike
on June 12, 2006
in Church of Christ and missional
. 59 Comments

The landscape of Churches of Christ looks very different today than it did back in 1992 when Wineskins magazine was launched. Here are five signs of hope:

1. Churches all over are struggling with their identity, trying to break from being defined by what we’re not. (Not Catholic, not Baptist, not Presbyterian, etc.) And for many, the language being used has to do with being missional: living out the Way of Christ in a world that God deeply loves and seeks to repair. There is more focus on kingdom language, echoing the dominant theme of Jesus’ preaching. I hear less discussion, e. g., of how our understanding of baptism is better than everyone else’s and more interest in what the implications are of baptism. Also, many more are talking about salvation as an on-going way of living — the continual process of God peeling away layers of selfishness that would demand our own way.

2. There is a revival happening in many of our Christian colleges and campus ministries. Just ask anyone who’s been to the Gulf Coast Get-a-Way in recent years. For a weekend in February, nearly 2000 university students crash in Panana City to be challenged and to challenge one another to live for Christ on their campuses. At Lipscomb, the wise, courageous leadership of Randy Lowry is showing quickly. Look for them to become a leading school in the next decade. At Pepperdine, Rochester College, and ACU (under the leadership of Andy Benton, Mike Westerfield [and before him Ken Johnson], and Royce Money), these schools have opened dialogue beyond our own small world and have built strong Bible faculties to help form students theologically and missionally. The books that have been coming from “The Heart of the Restoration” series from ACU have been insightful. (Check them out: The Crux of the Matter: Crisis, Tradition, and the Future of Churches of Christ, God’s Holy Fire: The Nature and Function of the Scripture, Unveiling Glory: Visions of Christ’s Transforming Presence, and Seeking a Lasting City: The Church’s Journey in the Story of God. ) I’m also encouraged by the recent news that Dr. Harold Shank, longtime minister at the Highland Street Church in Memphis, is joining the Bible faculty at OC. What a great addition for them. While I continue to be sad about the insular world the current administration of Harding has woven (Again I ask: How can Jeff Walling, as one of many examples, be banned from speaking on campus? He’s been impacting teens and university students all over the country for decades.), the school continues to send out young men and women to plant churches across the states and around the world. Harding students who come to ACU’s graduate school have been challenged (by Cox, Cochran, Fortner, etc.) to live radical lives of discipleship on behalf of the world.

3. The Christian Chronicle continues to bless Churches of Christ. Fifteen years ago the editorial tone of the journal was often harsh. “Young reformers” were encouraged to leave. But no longer. The Chronicle has a very responsible way of reporting and encouraging. Right now I find them to be a great rallying point of unity.

4. The response of Churches of Christ after the tsunami and after Katrina has reminded us again that there is a hurting world that isn’t interested in our internecine discussions. Churches large and small have cooperated to pray, to give, and to send workers to help.

5. The focus of “worship renewal” has changed for the better, INMO. The language I’m hearing at Zoe conferences, Stream in the Desert, the Tulsa Workshop, Pepperdine, ACU, etc. — would indicate that we’re thinking more holistically about worship. While some time needs to be spent praying and planning for the corporate times of gathering, even more important is that those times of gathering allow us to stir one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24f). We come together to remember who we are as Christ-followers, and we send one another out, freshly commissioned to live worshipful lives of service throughout the week. Praise, thanksgiving, confession, and lament permit us to remember that God, despite outward appearances at times, is in control and that he is blessing us to be a blessing.

There are many other signs I could have included in this brief list, such as the shared discussions this year with Christian Churches and the growing sense that the family of God is much larger than our streams of the “Restoration Movement.”

I have no crystal ball. I have no idea if there will be a major split in Churches of Christ in the future . . . or just a growing, informal split . . . or maybe a renewal of unity around the old idea of being Christians only but not the only Christians.

Blessed For a Reason

Published
by
Mike
on May 15, 2006
in missional and scripture
. 17 Comments

There is such a simple power in the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:

The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

But like any blessing, there is the danger that we start thinking that our blessing is the final goal. But it’s not.

In the words of Genesis 12, we have been blessed to BE a blessing to all nations of the world, since God’s concern is for all of creation.

So Psalm 67 borrows that old priestly blessing and adds a “so that” — just in case people start thinking that the final goal of faith is for us to be satisfied with how our life is turning out.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us –
so that your ways [note that God is now addressed in 2nd person] may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

He prays for the blessing of God — however that may look (and I doubt that it always looks like what’s described in pop theology) — so that God’s salvation may be spread among all nations.