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  • The Church of Every Place, pt. 2

    by Darren M. McClellan

    CoverAnd now, for a continuation on a previous post regarding a theology of mission. Specifically, I invite you to reconsider the stereotypical notion of the church as a “place.” I get it, you say. The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple…the church is the people. Hand motions are optional.
    Most of us get the idea, but reality is another matter. What is the consequence of failing to execute the practice of church and settling for the mere existence of place?
    In his work The Missional Church: A Sending of the Church in North America, Darrell Guder explains that

    This perception of the church gives little attention to the church as a communal entity or presence, and it stresses even less the community’s role as the bearer of missional responsibility throughout the world, both near and far away. ‘Church’ is conceived in this view as the place where a Christianized civilization gathers for worship, and the place where the Christian character of a society is cultivated. Increasingly, this view of the church as ‘a place where certain things happen’ located the church’s self-identity in its organizational forms and its professional class, the clergy who perform the church’s authoritative activities. Popular grammar captures it well: you ‘go to church’ much the same way that you might got to the store. You ‘attend’ a church, the way you attend a school or theater. You ‘belong to a church’ as you would a service club with its programs and activities. (p. 80)

    It should be noted that the missionary movement of the nineteenth century did little to alter the western churches’ self-conception that the church was primarily a place. As David Bosch went on to say, it was not until the twentieth century that this self-perception gave way to a new understanding of the church as a body of people sent on a mission.
    Again from Guder,

    Unlike the previous notion of the church as an entity located in a facility or in an institutional organization and its activities, the church is being reconceived as a community, a gathered people, brought together by a common calling and vocation to be a sent people….From the mid-twentieth century on, biblical and theological foundations for such a communal and missional view of the church have blossomed…A now global church recognized that the church of any place bears missional calling and responsibility for its own place as well as for distant places. The church of every place, it realized, is a mission-sending church, and the place of every church is a mission-receiving place. (p. 81, italics mine).

    I am struck by Guder’s influence here, as evident in my own work Out of This World. There, I examine this missional mindset through the lenses of John Wesley and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The task, if I may borrow a line from John’s little brother Charles, is to reassess what must be done “to serve this present age, our calling to fulfill.”
    What would it mean for us to be the “church of every place”? What change would be necessary?
    To what degree are we both a mission-sending and mission-receiving church?

     

  • The Church of Every Place, pt. 1.

    by Darren M. McClellan

    CoverHow does one begin to define the mission of the church?
    For those with an historic commitment to “one Lord, one faith, and one baptism,” we might think that most Christians would respond with some consistency (something along the lines of disciple-making); but alas, much of our experience as the church would suggest otherwise. While certain qualities of the church’s mission must remain inviolate (in order to be Christian), this question must nevertheless be revisited with the coming of each generation and emerging context. The reason being, as Paul said, because we “see through the glass dimly” (1 Cor. 13:12).
    Consider, if you will, a small slice of church history which I gladly summarize from the most impressive work of Darrell Guder in Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America.
    Beginning in the 16th century, the Reformers emphasized that a church exists wherever the gospel is rightly preached, the sacraments rightly administered, and church discipline is exercised. Declared in Protestant circles as “the marks of the true church,” they served as a means of identifying its essential nature and clarifying its mission. While these three “marks” might sound familiar to us today, these emphases were rather profound at the time, as they not only opened the doors for new possibilities, but also represented an intentional call for the church to reconsider its vocation in the world. No longer could the centralized power of the ecclesial institution serve as the sole dispenser of religious goods and services. Mission could happen wherever!
    This is the positive side of this ecclesiological development. Accompanied by the arrival of the printing press, these newly conceived “marks of the church” asserted the authority of the Bible for the church’s life and proclamation as well as the importance of making that proclamation accessible to all people.   This was one of the great shifts in the history of the church toward its reclamation of a missional identity, as witnesses to the gospel of Jesus Christ who were sent in the power of the Spirit to the ends of the earth. The mobility of Pentecost was slowly being rekindled, though a prevailing thought remained: the church exists wherever….
    As with any definition, there are limitations. Notice the implicit emphasis on place. Despite the considerable merit of the active criteria, a peculiar consequence did arise. Recognized in a series of lectures given in 1991, mission theologian David Bosch observed that the churches shaped by the Reformation came to conceive the church as “a place where certain things happen.” This stagnate image was never the intention of the Reformers, but it happened. The refrain was never stated in any formal creed, but eventually became so ingrained in the practices of the church that it eventually became a presumed characteristic of the church’s self-understanding.
    The influence of such thought with respect to the praxis of Christian mission is not hard for us to imagine. It has taken the church, in general, years to recognize the importance of witness and outreach beyond its literal walls. Many are still waiting for the world to come to them. In this case they are effectively waiting for death. As the formative itinerary of Jesus suggests, there is a time and place for the temple, but the great commission calls us to go to the ends of the earth. What good is resurrection if it stays in the tomb? In order for proclamation to do its work it must move beyond the boundaries of the cave. It is impossible to follow Jesus very long when cemented in the pew!
    Regrettably, some churches never grab hold of this gospel imperative to “go” and end up closing in on themselves. If that is the extent of their witness, then perhaps they should. “Follow me” said Jesus, “and let the dead bury their own dead” (Mt 8:22).

     

  • The Witness of Running with the Wild

    by Darren M. McClellan

    CoverSome years ago, a man confessed to his pastor an occurrence in which his good intentions had gone awry.
    This was his story: believing it was time for him to ‘step up’ his efforts as the spiritual leader of his household, the man decided to rededicate himself to the discipline of a standard devotional time.   Ignoring, however, Jesus’ admonition to not make a spectacle of oneself in the interest of piety, the husband and father placed himself prominently in the big chair in the middle of the living room at an hour that was sure to warrant recognition from the rest of his family. How appropriate to let his light shine, he thought to himself.
    Much to his dismay, no one seemed to notice on the first day of his new routine. Hoping for better results on day two, he brought additional commentaries and such and spread them across the coffee table. Previously convinced that his energetic children would cease their frivolous activities and be mysteriously drawn to sit at his feet, he was perturbed to watch them run and play, zooming past him time and again with no regard for his individual sanctity (or sanity). To make matters worse, his ungrateful children insisted on behaving like—well, children–which means that they were also loud and inconsiderate of the distraction they had become.
    Clearly, his self-made sanctuary had made no impact whatsoever, other than contributing to his own disease. Those he had sought to impress continued their path of revelry, undaunted.   Finally, with a fleeting breath of self-determination, the man slammed his Bible down on the table and shouted to his wife upstairs “Honey, will you get these kids out of my space? Can’t you see? I’m trying to do my damned devotional!”
    It’s been nearly a decade since I had the privilege of being that man’s pastor, but his story stays with me. In the context of confession, my friend’s transparency not only reveals the delicacy of Christian witness, but also leads me to reevaluate the methods and motives of the church in our attempts as salt and light. For instance, how many times has the church been shocked to discover that the community which surrounds them is not naturally inclined to stop and see what’s going on with the most stationary figure in the room?
    I once had a church trustee tell me that their plan to engage more young people in worship was to trim up the azalea bushes in front of the sanctuary. Really? I don’t mean to underestimate the importance of pruning, or the appeal of creation, but I had my doubts about the sufficiency of maintenance as the sole strategy for mission.
    What would have happened if the church chose to set aside its oblivious narcissism long enough to lovingly investigate the lives of those whom he was trying to reach? How can one say, hey neighbor, keep it down will you? I’m trying to work on my relationship with Jesus.
    A damned devotional…indeed!
    At times we are prone to forget that there are two planes that comprise the cross of Jesus Christ. One vertical. One horizontal.
    In the preface to the Hymns and Sacred Poems of 1739, John Wesley offered this critique:
    “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness…’This commandment have we from Christ, that he who loves God, loves his brother also;’ and that we manifest our love ‘by doing good to unto all…especially to them that are of the household of faith.”
    Fortunately, my wise friend gets it now. Children are going to run in all sorts of directions. The question is, who will get off their throne and run with them?

  • Which creation is the greater witness?

    by Herold Weiss

    Cover1Which is more important, the creation of Adam and Eve or the creation of the Risen Christ, the Last Adam? The story of the creation of Adam and Eve, the second of the stories in Genesis, is in part the story of the loss of life when access to the tree of life is blocked. As such, the story is theological, not about biology. Disobedient Adam and Eve did not lose biological life when they sinned. They lost access to the source of their life. That source transcends the biological realm, and without access to that source human life found itself floundering. The story of Adam and Eve, which much to one’s wondering is never alluded to in the rest of the Old Testament (with one exception, Job 31: 33), is the story of how  life East of Eden became a struggle, and death at the hands of others entered the created world.
    The story of the Last Adam, on the other hand, is the story of how biological death is not really the last thing to be said about human life because of what God has done for the benefit of humanity. All the disciples of Jesus who saw his crucifixion went home thinking that what they had hoped for had been brutally negated by the power of the State that judged Jesus to be a seditious man. They were ready to go back to Galilee and try to pick up the life they had left behind when they had decided to follow Jesus. Their enthusiasm for Jesus and what he promised had been crushed by his crucifixion. That is the biological side of this story.
    According to the apostle Paul, however, what God did on Sunday was not just the resuscitation of a dead body. It was a new creation. The revelation of the Risen Christ gave the crucifixion a totally new meaning. It saw God in the picture and understood that his crucifixion put an end to the overwhelming power of sin in the lives of all humans. The Risen Christ is the Last Adam. The descendants of the first Adam come to life in bodies like that of their progenitor, bodies of flesh. Those who are united with Christ by baptism into the death that he died for all, come to life in the realm of the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. Eventually, they will also receive spirit bodies and enjoy the life God had intended for humans to start with.
    The Risen Christ is the Adam of the new creation. This creation took place two thousand years ago and it is more real than the creation of Adam in as much as it is the creation of imperishable life, totally different from any biological life or death. Christians who are eager to affirm that God is the creator, to which creation should they give ultimate significance? Which creation should be the one that merits consistent efforts to affirm on the part of Christians?
    Neither the creation of Adam in the garden nor the creation of the Last Adam in the Spirit is subject to historical or scientific testing. All biblical authors affirm that God was directly involved as Creator. In both creations the Spirit was the active agent, but in the Bible, descriptions of the universe created by God, if given at all, do not provide a consistent picture, even as they affirm that God is the Creator. That God is the Creator is affirmed by faith. Of the two creations affirmed by the Bible, the creation of life in the Spirit is what Christianity is all about. That is the creation in which Christians live now and will live in eternity. Should not the reality of the creation of life in the realm of the Spirit, rather than the creation of life out of dust of the ground, be what Christians are constantly witnessing to before the world?

     

  • A literal reading of Genesis 1-3

    by Herold Weiss

    Cover1It is widely accepted that the first three chapters of Genesis actually contain two stories of creation which are told from two quite different perspectives. One is found in Gen. 1: 1 – 2: 4a, and the other in Gen. 2: 4b – 4:23. Neither one of them supports what came to be affirmed as the orthodox Christian view of creation – that God created ex nihilo, out of nothing. Both stories have pre-existent matter at hand when God enters the picture. The first says that God’s Spirit moved over the primeval ocean. The second says that God came to an inhospitable, arid desert.
    Most importantly, the two stories differ by the way in which they express God’s relationship to primeval matter and the way in which God accomplishes what he wishes to do. In the first God never enters the world that is being created. God remains throughout aloof in space and issues commands. In the second God walks upon the ground and gets physically involved in bringing about what is to be. He plants a garden, molds clay, breathes into the clay. God takes a rib out of Adam and closes its place with flesh. God talks face to face with Adam and Eve. God searches for them while calling them. God makes garments of skins for Adam and Eve, and clothes them. While the God of the first story is transcendent, the God of the second is fully immanent.
    Finally, both stories have God establish a means for keeping in touch with the human family. In the first God creates the Sabbath as a day of rest. In the second, God plants at the center of the garden the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Thus, each story has a peculiar “temple” of its own. All ancient stories of creation end with the establishment of a temple by means of which human beings keep their relationship with the gods alive. While the story of the transcendent God establishes a temple in immaterial time, the story of the immanent God has trees that establish that human life is dependent on obedience. In pointing out these details of the two stories, am I not reading my Bible literally?

     

  • Creationism: A Denial of the Authority of the Whole Bible

    Creationism: A Denial of the Authority of the Whole Bible

    by Herold Weiss

    Cover1It is disconcerting to witness the many efforts carried out by different groups, with otherwise disparate perspectives, to have creationism taught in public High Schools as a valid scientific explanation of the origins of the universe and life. Proposals to achieve this goal have been debated at local school boards, school district boards, and state departments of education. When requests for the teaching of creationism at science classrooms have been denied by these boards, appeals have been made to the courts, and some cases have reached all the way up to the Supreme Court of a state. This record of the insistence with which efforts to have creationism taught in in the science curriculum of public High Schools gives ample evidence of the high interest on the part of some to achieve this goal.
    Failing to achieve their aim through the public school system, those insisting on the teaching of creationism to the young steer their efforts to have the state provide funds to denominational schools so as to make tuition payments less onerous. In private religious schools creationism most likely is the only way in which the origins of the universe and life are taught in the science curriculum.
    There is a great deal of irony in this story. Those seeking to make sure that young people learn the truth about origins are primarily concerned with establishing the Bible as the final authority on all human knowledge. The irony is that they have not read the Bible in its entirety to determine how the universe is viewed within its pages. Creationism is an ideology concocted out of a superficial reading of the first three chapters of the Bible, but is presented as if it were all the Bible has to say about the universe in which we live. Anyone who reduces all that the Bible has to say about creation to the first three chapters of Genesis, obviously, does not take the Bible seriously.
    This means that all the efforts to teach creationism in public High Schools, or to teach only creationism in private denominational schools, are in effect efforts to misrepresent the Bible to the students on the part of those who pretend to protect them from falsehoods and to defend the Bible’s authority. I do not think those who advocate the teaching of creationism in science classrooms aim to have the words of the first three chapters of Genesis tested scientifically. They just want to have them taught the way they do. In the process, they wish to keep the rest of the Bible silent about creation. Is not this a blatant denial of the authority of the whole Bible?

  • Life offers many opportunities to testify

    by Doris Murdoch

    TestifyI retired from teaching four years ago.  Over the past four years, I have reminisced over the many experiences one could have with thirty-four years of teaching.  When I think of parent conferences, I recall one where a grandmother came in to accuse me of being a racist.  I listened to her concerns and then I positively assured her that I would never make decisions in the classroom based on the race of a student.  I invited her to visit in the classroom during the school day to observe my actions, teaching techniques, and relationships with the children.  I wanted her to see first-hand that I was not a racist.  This openness immediately put her at peace. I don’t recall ever having anymore confrontations like this that year.
    This could have been a bad situation if I had not acted as Jesus would have expected me to behave.  Sincere listening took place.  There was compassion for the grandmother’s concerns. There was an open invitation to be a part of the educational classroom experience.  Jesus holds us accountable for our response to other individuals.  He expects us to respond as He would respond.
    When the Roman centurion (Luke 7:1-10) searched out Jesus for the healing of the centurion’s slave, Jesus could have turned him away.  After all, he was Roman, not Jewish.  Jesus listened and had compassion.  Jesus respected the opinions of the Jewish elders and the leadership skills of the centurion.  Most of all, Jesus honored the centurion’s faith, for the centurion knew that Jesus could heal the sick. Jesus was willing to go to the centurion’s home, but the centurion’s faith was so strong that he knew Jesus’ words would heal the slave. Jesus responded with, “Not even in Israel have I found such great faith.”   Jesus set the example in this story for testimony, personal and in the faith of the centurion.  When we have a story that will glorify God and share the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to proclaim it to others.

    Testify: By the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of Our Testimony can be ordered from Energion Publications at http://direct.energion.co/authors/authors-l-m/doris-horton-murdoch/testify

  • What will your story be?

    by Doris Murdoch

    TestifyI viewed the movie, “Mary and Martha”, on Prime TV today. It was a very moving movie….I cried through this one! The movie was about family members dying of malaria and the events that occurred after this that altered several families’ lives forever. I highly recommend the movie.
    Besides sharing the story of malaria, this movie points the finger at “first world countries” and our lack of understanding and apathy for the worldwide struggles of mankind. Government avoids dealing with these struggles; life is better to look the other way and reap the rewards of public office. Societies and individuals get wrapped up in the social demands of petty conversations and purchases of the “worldly needs”. Even our family can become callous when they witness what they consider overindulgence in helping others and aiding the world in being a better place for us all. On a personal note, one can get involved in education and achieving goals and then overlook the needs of others in our quest.
    What will our story be? I’m guilty of choosing success, recognition, and pride in these endeavors. Is that the story I want? Do I want to testify to the world of my great achievements? Or do I want a story that will testify to my growing faith and help others to get on track with a growing faith? Do I want to glorify myself or glorify God? What kind of faith do we have?
    On page 188 of my book, Testify: By the Blood of the Lamb and Word of Our Testimony, I emphasize the words of Charles Stanley1. He suggests three essentials to be operative for someone to check out your faith. First, your character needs to be solid. What a person is on the inside is so much more important than what is observed on the outside. Sometimes that means following God to where or whom you least expect. Second, your conduct, or what you do, must be true to what you say. Conduct reveals character. A godly walk needs to be maintained and carefully watched over. Stanley’s last essential is conversation. Your conversation will either cloud or confirm your character and your conduct. Jesus should always be at the center of your conversation, not you. With Jesus at the center, the seed is planted and the Holy Spirit will nourish it into life. Your responsibility in sharing your testimony is to line up your character, conduct, and conversation. This can withstand cross examination and can be a life-changing experience for you and the person who is receiving the testimony. As we look at these three essentials, we see that testimony development can be beneficial in giving testament to your faith.

    Testify: By the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of Our Testimony can be ordered from Energion Publications at http://direct.energion.co/authors/authors-l-m/doris-horton-murdoch/testify

    1Stanley, Charles. The Glorious Journey: Insight, Encouragement, and Guidance for Your Walk of Faith. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 1996.
     

  • What is our responsibility as “children of God” to the “children of the world”, especially “children of the ‘Deep South’ ”?

    by Doris Murdoch

    TestifyIn the news recently, we’ve seen crimes in Louisiana with the theatre shooting, the Chattanooga shooting of the military men, and the Charleston shooting in the church Bible study. The recent disheartening events continue on. We could identify these crimes with terrorism, racism, lack of respect for the military or lack of respect for our nation and the people that live in this democratic society. How do we take a stand and how do we stop these crimes against humanity?
    If we read my book, Testify: By the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of Our Testimony, we may better realize the importance of thinking through God’s process of change or sanctification that each of us is experiencing as we grow as Christians (or at least we should be experiencing!). Once reading the book, we need to share our experiences or stories with others; our one present story may be one of many testimonies we’ll have as Christians. The book will take each person through step-by-step directions on how to identify these experiences and how to share these experiences through a personal testimony.
    The biblical figure, Paul, shares his testimony in Acts 26. Paul testifies to King Agrippa concerning his faith change when he came to truly know Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. He found that following Jesus Christ was the only way to true salvation with eternal life in heaven. He confessed his crimes of persecution against Christians. Paul allowed King Agrippa and anyone else in the throne room to hear his story of conversion, no matter the consequences. He was compelled to share his story in order to glorify God in his witness to others.
    In a worship service recently, I witnessed a young man reveal his story of being raised in a racist home where one condemned those of the black race. God changed this man of the South and the racist imprint in his mind. We’ve heard the saying that God works in mysterious ways. Well, this gentleman was converted and called to serve black people in a nation of Africa. He and his lovely family will depart for East Africa to serve as missionaries in an Islamic community of Somalis this year. My heart is deeply warmed by his story. As a missionary and as a Christian, this young man will continue to grow and change in his journey of sanctification.
    This man has a testimony to share. God called him to testify to the change in his life. God’s using him in a powerful way. Each of us, as “children of God”, have that same responsibility. Through story sharing, we may be able to convert or alter the beliefs in society, person by person, or one by one.
    Posts that follow will share stories of faith or testimonies that may alter or enhance the belief system in each of us.

    Testify: By the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of Our Testimony can be ordered from Energion Publications at http://direct.energion.co/authors/authors-l-m/doris-horton-murdoch/testify

  • Speaking to Your Grandchildren about God

    by Bruce Epperly

    Grandson cover“We’re going to Gabby’s church!” my grandson announces as we’re pulling out of the driveway to run errands. On the way, I tell him that we’re going to see my administrative assistant for a few minutes before going to the library across the parking lot. My four year old grandson asks, “Is she your boss?” and I correct him with “No, I’m the boss.” To which he responds, “You’re wrong, Gabby. God and Jesus are your bosses!”
    Children have a sense of the holy. They live in the magic world of the imagination and the joy of the senses. They experience both the awe and terror of life. They know that they are dependent and they are trying to make sense of the chaos of the world into which they are born.
    Grandparents have a role in helping their grandchildren make sense of the world. We provide a sense of safety and order, and we also encourage creativity and novelty. Our grandchildren know that they are loved unconditionally, without some of the pressures that come with parenting. Grandparenting is often easier than parenting, because of its gracefulness. We don’t have to prove ourselves. We know that we’ll make mistakes but we also know that our children survived our parenting, and grew up to be parents themselves!
    Children ask questions – about everything! My oldest grandchild loves sharks. He knows that sharks are predators and can be dangerous. He likes their fierceness. They help him feel brave, especially when he’s pretending to be a shark. But, being fierce often leads to discipline by his parents and occasionally his grandparents. One day, he asked me, “Does God love sharks?” You see, he already knows a lot about theology. He knows, based on our conversations, that “God is bigger than infinity.” He knows, based on other conversations, that “God and Jesus live forever and are in charge of things” even though we have freedom. He knows that his recently deceased great-grandmother is with God in heaven and that love never ends. So the question, “Does God love sharks?” is a perfect one.
    I responded to his query, “What do you think? Do you think God loves sharks?” And, his reply was “yes.” I returned with “God loves sharks and God loves you, too!”
    Talking with your grandchildren about God is more about creating a space for conversation than preaching to them.   Young children aren’t able to deal with abstractions, so doctrine is of little consequence and some so-called orthodox doctrines – such as hell, divine punishment, sin – can be harmful to children’s faith if shared in a literal, absolutist fashion. A young child who hears about the fate of sinners can worry that he or she will spend forever apart from their parents in a dark and fiery place. A young child who is told to change because he or she is “different” than others can spend a lifetime in shame and guilt for something unworthy of censure.
    Our task is to listen and not correct when spiritual issues come up. Our orthodoxies are too small to be taken literally in a 14 billion year, 125 billion galaxy universe. Don’t worry about the age of the earth; take your grandchildren out at night to revel in a starry night, show them a geode, or go hiking in the woods. Let their own curiosity drive your faith conversations.
    Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” He saw the child as an embodiment of the realm of God. Our talking is grounded in our listening. Let the children in your life shine. Watch them, observe their delight and fear, and let that be your guide. What our children need most is for us to “let our lives speak.” To share words of love and descriptions of divinity, but more importantly embody divine love in relating with them. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel spoke of “radical amazement” as one of the most significant religious virtues. Our sustained wonder and amazement is our best gift to our children, along with our love. In a world that tamps down amazement, we need to help them stay in touch with beauty, wonder, love, and the surprising world in which we live.
    We grandparents are the “elders.” Let us pass along our faith, and more importantly our love and wonder to bring delight, beauty, and integrity to generations in the making.
    Bruce Epperly is Pastor of South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Centerville, MA. He regularly teaches courses in spirituality, ministerial excellence, and theology for seminaries and gives seminars and lectures on healing, spirituality, process theology, and ministerial self-care and excellence. He is the author of 35 books, including a number of Energion books, “Letters to My Grandson,” “Process Theology: Embracing Adventure with God,” “Experiencing God in Suffering: A Journey with Job,” and “Holistic Spirituality: Life Giving Wisdom from the Book of James.” He has written texts on Philippians and Galatians for the Energion Participatory Bible Study Series.

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