In every culture, people have co-opted terms to describe the manner in which to best represent Christ. To the Jewish mind in the first century, he was seen to fulfill offices from the nation’s covenantal past—titles such as prophet, priest, and king. No single term adequately described the totality of Jesus, so the combination was used to try and convey the totality of who Jesus was and how the church was to understand his life and mission. For those living in the Western world, the role of Jesus is inherited through centuries of debate concerning his divinity and centrality to the Christian message. The titles which the church bestows upon him, Christ or Lord, have lost significant meaning because they have become synonymous with Jesus himself due to frequent usage. These terms have a rich meaning and, in their original context, conveyed a dramatic connotation. In contexts where terms have become stagnant or have no frame of reference, existing terms must be utilized
This essay will examine an African perspective on the role of Jesus, that of ancestor, and demonstrate this understanding through the illustration of Colossians 1:15-20. The goal of this exercise is to understand how a non-Biblical title for Jesus may communicate truth about his position among his people.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Titles such as “firstborn over all creation” place Jesus in a category of universal ancestor, as all of humanity descends from him. Examining the Lukan genealogy reinforces this notion, as the author draws the physical lineage of Jesus back to the creation of the first man (Dietrich 2002:61). The significance of the firstborn also conveys a place of prominence among other ancestors. As the elder brother of other ancestors, he has the role of spiritual authority, community mediator, and protector of the clan (Pope-Levison 1992:102-3). This understanding places him as the representative of God to the world.
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
In addition to having an eminent relationship to creation, the text continues (in verses 16 and 17) to describe his action in creation, stating that “by him all things were created…all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”. While other texts will convey the pre-existence of Christ, the understanding of ancestor places him as an integral part of the spiritual reality, not only as an originator, but as one that represents the meaning for creation and the unity of all things (“in heaven or on earth, visible and invisible”) He becomes the key to understanding the meaning of creation and the community’s relationship within it.
The African worldview does not categorize the world in terms of Western dichotomies of natural and spiritual, but rather views all of creation—near and far as well as past, present, and future—as belonging to the continuation of a common spirit. This spirit-world includes the presence of ancestors and distinguishes significance for future descendents. (Pope-Levison 1992:94)
And he is the head of the body, the church…
To continue the thought of the previous section, as Christ holds all things together, he also holds together the church. Jesus as ancestor establishes him as the head of the community which descends from him. In this instance, it is not his physical descendents, but those who have followed after him in faith through a new covenant with God. Nyamiti notes that the traditional (read Western) approach to Christology has focused entirely upon the person of Jesus and not the connection between him and the church. He writes that they have “paid almost exclusive attention to the Head, but not to the whole of Christ, Head and members” (Nyamiti 1984:48, in Tennent 2007:126). Ancestor Christology frames the church as the continuation in the spirit-power of Christ expressed in the community which has followed him. The person of Jesus is thus the defining and formative personality which the community is seeking to replicate in their life together.
The significance of recognizing Jesus as a common ancestor can also begin to address cultural and ethnic tensions that exist within the African context. Broad differences between different regions of the continent as well as differences due to nationalism, tribalism, and ethnic prejudice can begin to be addressed by the local church when it frames its existence in originating from the same source. This invites participants into a new and larger tribal affiliation which supersedes the former distinctions that divided them. This terminology also reinforces the right that the African church has to belong to the global church, as they can trace their roots back to Jesus himself, rather than trace their faith through the missionary efforts of Westerners. In speaking to their Nana Yesu, or Ancestor Jesus, the imagery in the collective mind of the church is reiterated that Jesus can speak to the African heart without Western translation (Bediako 1998:110).
…he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have supremacy.
A reading of the gospels will reveal that life after death is not unique to Jesus. Before the resurrection of Jesus, there is described the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mt. 9:23-26; Mk. 5:38-42; Lk. 8:49-55), Lazarus at Bethany (Jn. 11:43-44), and a crowd of saints at the time of Jesus’ death (Mt. 27-52-53). Again, for Jesus to be the firstborn does not necessitate chronological position, but designates importance. In the question of Jesus’ relationship as ancestor to other cultural and spiritual ancestors, his position as firstborn establishes his authority over them. He has become the “proto-ancestor” who more fully illuminates what the traditional ancestors sought to convey.
To understand Christ as “firstborn among the dead” in the ancestral sense affirms his continued presence within the practical life of his descendents. He is not relegated to an ethereal existence, but inhabits the tangible life of the community as he directs its life and provides a template for what it means to live a faithful life. Not all physical ancestors receive this distinction, but as they are established as prominent ancestors, they possess this spirit. “An ancestor’s ‘re-instatement establishes his continued relevance for his society, not as a ghost, but as a regulative force for the social relations and activities that persist as a deposit, so to speak, of his life and career’” (Bediako 1997:219).
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all thing, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Ancestor Christology also takes seriously the role that Jesus has as the mediator through whom God acts through in relation to creation. God, in his supremacy, cannot directly approach the lesser levels of creation, nor can humanity interact directly with the Supreme Being. Jesus as ancestor inhabits what has been termed a “second tier” between the two groups and represents each to the other (Tennent 2007: 123). This ancestor earns this capacity by living a life that deserves veneration. As Bediako writes, “…Christ, by virtue of his Incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension into the realm of spirit-power, can rightly be designated, in African terms, as Ancestor, indeed Supreme Ancestor”(1997:217). To view Christ as ancestor reminds his descendents of his continued relevance for interpreting life and provides the example of what it looks like to fully live the life that is purposed for creation.
In beginning to examine the manner in which ancestor can be a term to communicate the role of Jesus and his relationship to the church, we affirm the need for the gospel message to be translatable to differing contexts. These local theologies can more adequately form the minds of the local church because they inhabit existing worldviews. This essay has taken a broad look at a general concept pervasive in much of African traditional culture, although every context will present possible templates upon which to present an image of Christ that is understood by the minds and hearts of the people. From this place of resemblance, the uniqueness of Christ can begin to be expressed in a contextually appropriate manner.
Bibliography
Bediako, Kwame. 1997. Christianity in Africa: The Renewal of a Non-Western Religion. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
_____. 1998. “The Doctrine of Christ and the Significance of Vernacular Theology” International Bulletin of Missionary Research. 22, no. 3 (July 1998): 110.
Dietrich, Walter and Ulrich Luz. 2002. The Bible in a World Context. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Publishing.
Nyamiti, Charles. 1984. Christ as Our Ancestor: Christology from an African Perspective. Gweru, Zim.: Mambo Publishing.
Pope-Levison, Priscilla and John Levison. 1992. Jesus in Global Contexts. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Finding a Place Among the Displaced: An Image of a Vulnerable Jesus
The four gospels contained in the New Testament offer very little information related to the early life of Jesus. This is understandable, as the purpose of these documents is not to provide biographical writing (in the contemporary sense) but to communicate the message and ministry of Jesus, with special emphasis on the significance of his death and resurrection. What material we do possess of Jesus maturing life relates either to the events surrounding his birth (Matthew 1:1-2:12; Luke 2:1-40) or an instance of Jesus’ appearance among the scholars in the temple (Luke 2:41-52). One other aspect of the early life of Jesus is regularly lost among these more memorable stories, the account of his family’s escape to Egypt. With a casual reading, it is easy to overlook the significance of the latter half of Matthew 2. This event in his life, however, may prove especially poignant for a growing number of Christians who see themselves reflected in the situation thrust upon the holy family.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, there are an estimated 10.5 million people considered refugee or stateless in 2009. Additionally, 4.7 million people are registered as refugees under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (“Refugee Figures” Accessed 1/30/2010). This number dramatically rises when it expands to include those displaced within the borders of their nation or those lacking accessibility to responsible government. For reasons that vary from economic, religious, political, tribal, or legal, a sizable portion of the world would consider themselves to be without a home. The absence of land-rights, abuses of indigenous people groups, economic disparity, and existing social structures contribute to the context which presents displacement as the preferred option for survival.
Gutiérrez has defined poverty as being “socially insignificant due to ethnic, cultural, gender, and/or economic factors” (2009:323). Refugees and displaced people easily fall within these parameters, as they have been removed from significant aspects of their life and livelihood. The response of the West has been to establish consolidated shelter to provide the basic necessities of life. E.J. Choge, writing the definition for Refugees in the Dictionary of Mission Theology writes, “life for refugees in the camps is very dismal. They depend on handouts from these huge organizations. They suffer every kind of alienation and deprivation, including loss of homeland, loved ones, and sometimes even life” (2007:331).
To recognize the tremendous vulnerability of Jesus and his family should serve as a reminder of this reality that is experienced throughout the world. In these contexts, God is not absent or aloof, but has demonstrated the depth to which his incarnation in Christ extends. For the evangelist and pastor among the poor, this text illustrates a shared experience between Christ and them. God himself is not unaware of the difficulty inherent in being torn from family, nation, and livelihood due to political oppression. Facing the pressure of Herod’s impending mass infanticide, Joseph discerns God’s message to resettle in a foreign land. Joseph is equally unsure about returning to the region even when he learns that Herod has died. To construct a timeline utilizing Luke 2:42 as a chronological point would picture the formative years of Jesus spent fleeing to Egypt, settling in an immigrant community, uprooting, emigrating back to Judea, and then re-settling in another ethnically diverse immigrant community in Nazareth before turning twelve.
Further pushing the point, the Matthean author identifies this event in the life of Jesus with the words of Hosea, “out of Egypt I have called my son”. This reference frames Jesus in line with the character of Moses (similarly spared from the mass infanticide of a despotic ruler) who led the people of God from captivity in Egypt to the Promised Land. This connection is not lost on those similarly seeking freedom from oppressive circumstances. God’s action in the exodus is considered normative for those who have developed a theology of Liberation in response to contextualizing theology to their contemporary circumstances. With this perspective, “usually the marginalized or oppressed group relates itself to the Israelites in their achievement of freedom from bondage in Egypt and their resulting autonomy” (Tate 2008: 315-6).
For the displaced person, reading this account in the gospel presents an image of Christ that would have understood their poverty. De La Torre imagines that Jesus felt similarly to him as his family was also forcibly emigrated for political reasons. This reading closes the gap between the idealized message of the gospel and the situation in which they find themselves. Because the displaced can identify with Jesus in his poverty, there is the possibility for them to identify with the message of his ministry and meaning of his death and resurrection. The Christian life is not reserved for the triumphant in the world, but for those who are longing for God to provide rescue from their vulnerability. “To understand Jesus from the social location of the poor is to create sacred space where the marginalized can grapple with their spiritual need to reconcile their God with their struggle for justice and dignity” (De La Torre, 2003: 109).
The attention to this aspect of Jesus’ life also affirms the worth of the world’s poor, both within themselves and for those in relation with them. “In addition, solidarity with the poor also sets forth a fundamental demand: the recognition of the full human dignity of the poor and their situation as daughters and sons of God.” (Gutiérrez 2009: 325). The consistent mind cannot allow for the degradation of a person due to their economic status while simultaneously esteeming Christ. This is made more explicit in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, but the image in Matthew 2 should graphically demonstrate that it is not a stretch to imagine Jesus in need as a stranger needing shelter, clothes, and food. This is also true for how those experiencing poverty due to displacement view themselves. They are not forgotten or ignored by God, but uniquely similar to the character presented in the incarnation. “Because he experienced the cultural bias of being from the margins of society, oppressed and poor people, including those of color, are able to find solidarity with their God” (De La Torre, 2003: 111).
For the Western church which lives in luxury relative to the poverty of instability experienced globally, as well as the privileged stable surrounded by poverty, this reading of scripture is necessary to convey an element of discipleship missing to the interpreters that would identify Christ’s path with upward social mobility. Texts such as Philippians 3:20, 1 Peter 2:11, and a myriad of first covenant instructions on how to welcome the stranger take on an added reality when considered alongside the lived experience of millions of people around the world.
Choge speaks of this group of Christians when she writes that they “do not understand their own true identity as refugees and pilgrims, otherwise they would be ready to respond to refugees more positively. … They are vulnerable people and this is the reason behind God’s concern and clear biblical instruction on how we should treat strangers and refugees” (Choge 2007:331). Beginning with the unexpected notion of God choosing to live among people in such poverty forces the global Church to take seriously the value of these households in God’s perspective and the values that ought to guide the people of God in relating to a world in need.
Bibliography
“Refugee Figures.” United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees. http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c1d.html. Accessed 1/30/2010.
Choge, EJ. 2007. “Refugees” in Dictionary of Mission Theology.
De La Torre, Miguel. 2003. Reading the Bible from the Margins. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
Gutiérrez, Gustavo (Robert Lassalle-Klein, trs.). 2009. The Option For the Poor Arises from Faith in Christ in Theological Studies 70 no 2 Je 2009, p 317-326.
Tate, Randolph. 2008. Biblical Interpretation. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishing.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, there are an estimated 10.5 million people considered refugee or stateless in 2009. Additionally, 4.7 million people are registered as refugees under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (“Refugee Figures” Accessed 1/30/2010). This number dramatically rises when it expands to include those displaced within the borders of their nation or those lacking accessibility to responsible government. For reasons that vary from economic, religious, political, tribal, or legal, a sizable portion of the world would consider themselves to be without a home. The absence of land-rights, abuses of indigenous people groups, economic disparity, and existing social structures contribute to the context which presents displacement as the preferred option for survival.
Gutiérrez has defined poverty as being “socially insignificant due to ethnic, cultural, gender, and/or economic factors” (2009:323). Refugees and displaced people easily fall within these parameters, as they have been removed from significant aspects of their life and livelihood. The response of the West has been to establish consolidated shelter to provide the basic necessities of life. E.J. Choge, writing the definition for Refugees in the Dictionary of Mission Theology writes, “life for refugees in the camps is very dismal. They depend on handouts from these huge organizations. They suffer every kind of alienation and deprivation, including loss of homeland, loved ones, and sometimes even life” (2007:331).
To recognize the tremendous vulnerability of Jesus and his family should serve as a reminder of this reality that is experienced throughout the world. In these contexts, God is not absent or aloof, but has demonstrated the depth to which his incarnation in Christ extends. For the evangelist and pastor among the poor, this text illustrates a shared experience between Christ and them. God himself is not unaware of the difficulty inherent in being torn from family, nation, and livelihood due to political oppression. Facing the pressure of Herod’s impending mass infanticide, Joseph discerns God’s message to resettle in a foreign land. Joseph is equally unsure about returning to the region even when he learns that Herod has died. To construct a timeline utilizing Luke 2:42 as a chronological point would picture the formative years of Jesus spent fleeing to Egypt, settling in an immigrant community, uprooting, emigrating back to Judea, and then re-settling in another ethnically diverse immigrant community in Nazareth before turning twelve.
Further pushing the point, the Matthean author identifies this event in the life of Jesus with the words of Hosea, “out of Egypt I have called my son”. This reference frames Jesus in line with the character of Moses (similarly spared from the mass infanticide of a despotic ruler) who led the people of God from captivity in Egypt to the Promised Land. This connection is not lost on those similarly seeking freedom from oppressive circumstances. God’s action in the exodus is considered normative for those who have developed a theology of Liberation in response to contextualizing theology to their contemporary circumstances. With this perspective, “usually the marginalized or oppressed group relates itself to the Israelites in their achievement of freedom from bondage in Egypt and their resulting autonomy” (Tate 2008: 315-6).
For the displaced person, reading this account in the gospel presents an image of Christ that would have understood their poverty. De La Torre imagines that Jesus felt similarly to him as his family was also forcibly emigrated for political reasons. This reading closes the gap between the idealized message of the gospel and the situation in which they find themselves. Because the displaced can identify with Jesus in his poverty, there is the possibility for them to identify with the message of his ministry and meaning of his death and resurrection. The Christian life is not reserved for the triumphant in the world, but for those who are longing for God to provide rescue from their vulnerability. “To understand Jesus from the social location of the poor is to create sacred space where the marginalized can grapple with their spiritual need to reconcile their God with their struggle for justice and dignity” (De La Torre, 2003: 109).
The attention to this aspect of Jesus’ life also affirms the worth of the world’s poor, both within themselves and for those in relation with them. “In addition, solidarity with the poor also sets forth a fundamental demand: the recognition of the full human dignity of the poor and their situation as daughters and sons of God.” (Gutiérrez 2009: 325). The consistent mind cannot allow for the degradation of a person due to their economic status while simultaneously esteeming Christ. This is made more explicit in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25, but the image in Matthew 2 should graphically demonstrate that it is not a stretch to imagine Jesus in need as a stranger needing shelter, clothes, and food. This is also true for how those experiencing poverty due to displacement view themselves. They are not forgotten or ignored by God, but uniquely similar to the character presented in the incarnation. “Because he experienced the cultural bias of being from the margins of society, oppressed and poor people, including those of color, are able to find solidarity with their God” (De La Torre, 2003: 111).
For the Western church which lives in luxury relative to the poverty of instability experienced globally, as well as the privileged stable surrounded by poverty, this reading of scripture is necessary to convey an element of discipleship missing to the interpreters that would identify Christ’s path with upward social mobility. Texts such as Philippians 3:20, 1 Peter 2:11, and a myriad of first covenant instructions on how to welcome the stranger take on an added reality when considered alongside the lived experience of millions of people around the world.
Choge speaks of this group of Christians when she writes that they “do not understand their own true identity as refugees and pilgrims, otherwise they would be ready to respond to refugees more positively. … They are vulnerable people and this is the reason behind God’s concern and clear biblical instruction on how we should treat strangers and refugees” (Choge 2007:331). Beginning with the unexpected notion of God choosing to live among people in such poverty forces the global Church to take seriously the value of these households in God’s perspective and the values that ought to guide the people of God in relating to a world in need.
Bibliography
“Refugee Figures.” United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees. http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c1d.html. Accessed 1/30/2010.
Choge, EJ. 2007. “Refugees” in Dictionary of Mission Theology.
De La Torre, Miguel. 2003. Reading the Bible from the Margins. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
Gutiérrez, Gustavo (Robert Lassalle-Klein, trs.). 2009. The Option For the Poor Arises from Faith in Christ in Theological Studies 70 no 2 Je 2009, p 317-326.
Tate, Randolph. 2008. Biblical Interpretation. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishing.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Non-Western Biblical Interpretation for the Western Church
For generations, the stereotypical missionary method has been to train non-Western Christians to “think Western” in order to read, interpret, and apply scripture. This technique has been criticized, however, and there is a growing consensus that the most effective communication of the gospel message is one that is interpreted within the particular context of the local church. If this is the most beneficial practice, then the question must be asked, why should a Western church need to be concerned with culturally different forms of interpretation?
This article will examine briefly the value that these perspectives can have for a local church in a Western cultural context.
1. Acknowledges other interpretations and allows a freedom for diversity of thought and affirms that faith in scripture, rather than interpretation, is what unites global Christians
To utilize non-Western perspectives is to disarm the assumption that there is only one possible interpretation of scripture. By recognizing that different interpretations were drawn by committed Christians, cultural attitudes of hegemony and paternalism can begin to decrease. To validate the insight into scripture is to affirm the self-determination of the church within other regions. This appreciation can be viewed as a redemptive act, as the new voices often speak from beneath and directly criticize those Western values which have been unknowingly sanctioned and sanctified by the Western church. By identifying with their message, the Western church acknowledges that their attitudes have contributed to certain oppressive situations and that they now wish to make amends. (Brown 1984:16) “In [this] world, those at the margins, those without power, suffer most, particularly indigenous peoples. It is they who lose their own ways of understanding God and the world, who lose their own of production and sustenance. In [this] world, the local, the vulnerable, the particular are always sacrificed to the interests and power of the global.” (Douglas 2002:202)
To identify with the Biblical narrative, however, is to identify with a cosmic being which is greater than any one particular cultural heritage. God surpasses the cultural deities that are baptized into his name and the call to Christ’s discipleship surpasses all cultural values and assumptions. To belong to Christ’s church is to belong to a greater culture which, while taking seriously the particular context and worldview one possesses, conveys a distinct truth and expectation to be faithful to the revelation of God. This membership in the larger community of faith is what allows Christians from every culture to identify with the global church. Despite barriers of geography, language, or worldview, a common commitment to the supremacy of God and the work of Christ unites diverse tribes into one family.
2. Takes seriously the changing landscape of the west, pluralism and globalization and can serve as an example of contextualization to their particular “mission field”
To speak of a church that is thoroughly Western is becoming increasingly difficult in North America as the cultural landscape is increasingly diversifying with distinct cultural groups. There is no longer a single culture which is equally accessible to all people but instead had developed a multi-cultural milieu, fragmentation into sub-cultural identification, and the macro-shift into post-modern philosophical foundations. In this Western context, the culture is experiencing a life that is “post-Christendom” and needs to be re-introduced to the message of the gospel.
Still, in many western churches, any non-Western biblical interpretation is presented in connection with a description of international missionary efforts. This interpretation demonstrates how the biblical record is translated and adapted in order to impact a local people. To determine this interpretation, the translator must assess the distinctive elements of the culture and find bridges of meaning in order to connect. Those in the western church doing “domestic evangelism” can use as a template the methods employed by non-Western churches in proclaiming the gospel along cultural commonalities. Examples of these would include the spiritual awareness and cosmic orderliness of the Korean culture, which has provided fertile soil for the message of the supremacy of God and the restoration of creation through Christ to take root. (Jenkins 2007:143)
3. Helps to identify those parts of culture that have been co-opted into the life of the church and refresh tiered readings of scripture with new life
By being introduced and analyzing the interpretive processes of a different culture, a western church can offer critiques of the methods and identify strengths of weaknesses of the final interpretive product. After examining this, the western church can open itself up to those interpretive processes at work within their own culture. In the spirit of Matthew 7, a church may be compelled to remove the plank of syncretism of the supposed “American dream” from its hermeneutic after examining the influence that folk religion and voodoo have had on the Christian practice in the Caribbean region. In a more positive direction, in identifying those aspects of the Christian life that are culturally determined, a local community may also be freed to determine which aspects of the church are culturally determined and which have lasting theological significance. As Tennent categorizes this process, an attention to cultural distinctions in theology both over the history of the church and in the present context allow for the distinction between the “universal” and the “particular” in the Christian gospel. (2007:7)
The most obvious benefit of this interpretive appreciation is that it brings Western Christians back to the scriptures in a search to understand its meaning anew. The longer that one stays within a particular tradition, the higher the likelihood that they will become accustomed to a familiar reading, interpretation, and application of scripture. By listening to different voices, God’s spirit may speak to the church in different ways. This can be especially poignant in hearing voices from cultures that are more familiar with the culture of the Biblical narrative than Western culture. Biblical authors were in no manner familiar with the constructs or perspectives of modern Western culture and so to more adequately understand their writing, we must understand the cultural lenses which they utilized. (Tate 2008:39-40)
As Jacob Moewen writes of this window to Biblical culture through other current cultures, “we can try to understand the variation in their perception of God and of their relationship to God” (2000: 7). Their experience can alter not only how a community interprets a text, but also how they allow that message to impact their daily life. Scriptures pertaining to kinship, lineage, agrarian economy, and atonement may be better understood by listening to the voice of one whose culture is familiar with the practice and power of such concepts. Appreciation of non-Western biblical interpretation can also restore a spiritual dimension of life that is markedly devoid in Western culture. This affirmation of the presence of God in all of creation stands in stark contrast to the increasing secularism of Western life.
The incorporation of global voices is one that enriches the life of the church because it allows those different voices to create a harmony. The mentality of “to each his own” is valid as a starting point and should serve as correction to those who would demand entirely foreign constructs for communicating the gospel. As fresh expressions of God’s truth come to the table, however, they should be enjoyed by all who partake of the kingdom banquet. In time, it should not only be the Western church that enjoys the diverse landscape of interpretation, but every non-Western church share an awareness of how God is speaking to their foreign brothers and sisters as well.
Brown, Robert McAfee. 1984. Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes. Philadelphia, Penn.: Westminster Press.
Douglas, Ian. 2002. Globalization and the Local Church. In The Local Church in a Global Era, edited by Max Stackhouse, Tim Dearborn, and Scott Paeth. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.
Jenkins, Philip. 2007. The Next Christendom. New York, NY: Oxford Press.
Loewen, Jacob. 2000. The Bible in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.
Tate, Randolph. 2008. Biblical Interpretation. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishing.
Tennent, Timothy. 2007. Theology in the Context of World Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.
This article will examine briefly the value that these perspectives can have for a local church in a Western cultural context.
1. Acknowledges other interpretations and allows a freedom for diversity of thought and affirms that faith in scripture, rather than interpretation, is what unites global Christians
To utilize non-Western perspectives is to disarm the assumption that there is only one possible interpretation of scripture. By recognizing that different interpretations were drawn by committed Christians, cultural attitudes of hegemony and paternalism can begin to decrease. To validate the insight into scripture is to affirm the self-determination of the church within other regions. This appreciation can be viewed as a redemptive act, as the new voices often speak from beneath and directly criticize those Western values which have been unknowingly sanctioned and sanctified by the Western church. By identifying with their message, the Western church acknowledges that their attitudes have contributed to certain oppressive situations and that they now wish to make amends. (Brown 1984:16) “In [this] world, those at the margins, those without power, suffer most, particularly indigenous peoples. It is they who lose their own ways of understanding God and the world, who lose their own of production and sustenance. In [this] world, the local, the vulnerable, the particular are always sacrificed to the interests and power of the global.” (Douglas 2002:202)
To identify with the Biblical narrative, however, is to identify with a cosmic being which is greater than any one particular cultural heritage. God surpasses the cultural deities that are baptized into his name and the call to Christ’s discipleship surpasses all cultural values and assumptions. To belong to Christ’s church is to belong to a greater culture which, while taking seriously the particular context and worldview one possesses, conveys a distinct truth and expectation to be faithful to the revelation of God. This membership in the larger community of faith is what allows Christians from every culture to identify with the global church. Despite barriers of geography, language, or worldview, a common commitment to the supremacy of God and the work of Christ unites diverse tribes into one family.
2. Takes seriously the changing landscape of the west, pluralism and globalization and can serve as an example of contextualization to their particular “mission field”
To speak of a church that is thoroughly Western is becoming increasingly difficult in North America as the cultural landscape is increasingly diversifying with distinct cultural groups. There is no longer a single culture which is equally accessible to all people but instead had developed a multi-cultural milieu, fragmentation into sub-cultural identification, and the macro-shift into post-modern philosophical foundations. In this Western context, the culture is experiencing a life that is “post-Christendom” and needs to be re-introduced to the message of the gospel.
Still, in many western churches, any non-Western biblical interpretation is presented in connection with a description of international missionary efforts. This interpretation demonstrates how the biblical record is translated and adapted in order to impact a local people. To determine this interpretation, the translator must assess the distinctive elements of the culture and find bridges of meaning in order to connect. Those in the western church doing “domestic evangelism” can use as a template the methods employed by non-Western churches in proclaiming the gospel along cultural commonalities. Examples of these would include the spiritual awareness and cosmic orderliness of the Korean culture, which has provided fertile soil for the message of the supremacy of God and the restoration of creation through Christ to take root. (Jenkins 2007:143)
3. Helps to identify those parts of culture that have been co-opted into the life of the church and refresh tiered readings of scripture with new life
By being introduced and analyzing the interpretive processes of a different culture, a western church can offer critiques of the methods and identify strengths of weaknesses of the final interpretive product. After examining this, the western church can open itself up to those interpretive processes at work within their own culture. In the spirit of Matthew 7, a church may be compelled to remove the plank of syncretism of the supposed “American dream” from its hermeneutic after examining the influence that folk religion and voodoo have had on the Christian practice in the Caribbean region. In a more positive direction, in identifying those aspects of the Christian life that are culturally determined, a local community may also be freed to determine which aspects of the church are culturally determined and which have lasting theological significance. As Tennent categorizes this process, an attention to cultural distinctions in theology both over the history of the church and in the present context allow for the distinction between the “universal” and the “particular” in the Christian gospel. (2007:7)
The most obvious benefit of this interpretive appreciation is that it brings Western Christians back to the scriptures in a search to understand its meaning anew. The longer that one stays within a particular tradition, the higher the likelihood that they will become accustomed to a familiar reading, interpretation, and application of scripture. By listening to different voices, God’s spirit may speak to the church in different ways. This can be especially poignant in hearing voices from cultures that are more familiar with the culture of the Biblical narrative than Western culture. Biblical authors were in no manner familiar with the constructs or perspectives of modern Western culture and so to more adequately understand their writing, we must understand the cultural lenses which they utilized. (Tate 2008:39-40)
As Jacob Moewen writes of this window to Biblical culture through other current cultures, “we can try to understand the variation in their perception of God and of their relationship to God” (2000: 7). Their experience can alter not only how a community interprets a text, but also how they allow that message to impact their daily life. Scriptures pertaining to kinship, lineage, agrarian economy, and atonement may be better understood by listening to the voice of one whose culture is familiar with the practice and power of such concepts. Appreciation of non-Western biblical interpretation can also restore a spiritual dimension of life that is markedly devoid in Western culture. This affirmation of the presence of God in all of creation stands in stark contrast to the increasing secularism of Western life.
The incorporation of global voices is one that enriches the life of the church because it allows those different voices to create a harmony. The mentality of “to each his own” is valid as a starting point and should serve as correction to those who would demand entirely foreign constructs for communicating the gospel. As fresh expressions of God’s truth come to the table, however, they should be enjoyed by all who partake of the kingdom banquet. In time, it should not only be the Western church that enjoys the diverse landscape of interpretation, but every non-Western church share an awareness of how God is speaking to their foreign brothers and sisters as well.
Brown, Robert McAfee. 1984. Unexpected News: Reading the Bible with Third World Eyes. Philadelphia, Penn.: Westminster Press.
Douglas, Ian. 2002. Globalization and the Local Church. In The Local Church in a Global Era, edited by Max Stackhouse, Tim Dearborn, and Scott Paeth. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.
Jenkins, Philip. 2007. The Next Christendom. New York, NY: Oxford Press.
Loewen, Jacob. 2000. The Bible in Cross-Cultural Perspective. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library.
Tate, Randolph. 2008. Biblical Interpretation. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishing.
Tennent, Timothy. 2007. Theology in the Context of World Christianity. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures
A Brief Look at Culture
This book begins by examining the context that the church finds itself in currently. This is important material because without recognizing how the world has changed, one cannot find reason to experiment with new forms or appreciate innovation in Christian community. I especially resonated with the section on examining different forms of organizational structures. To many, the Sunday organization is the image of how the church should be formed, but this model as well as the denominational structure were themselves borrowed from the larger culture at the time.
What is the Emerging Church?
This is probably the question that everyone involved in innovative ministry gets tired of answering. They answer the question first by pointing to examples of communities that formed in contrast with those that remain traditional. The term “emerging” has been applied as a wide term of communities and this universality may appeal to some. To develop a more structural definition, they identify characteristics of emerging chapters which will be developed in the following chapters.
Identifying with Jesus
To be a church, one should expect to find something in connection with Jesus. What is especially vital to the theology and practice of the emerging church is the life of Jesus. This forms a basis for how community is defined, ethics of discipleship, and the practice of evangelism. Without this example, the church loses its distinctive heartbeat in the world.
Transforming Secular Space
To adopt the perspective of Jesus is to begin to see all of life as sacred, rather than through a dichotomy of sacred and secular. This movement rejects the dualistic premise because of the definition of secularity: a place devoid of the presence of God. More than transforming buildings, the emerging movements will seek to redeem all of life, music, notably, in an effort to create authentic responses to the invitation of God.
Living in Community
In creating a space for the kingdom of God to arrive (eschatology), the church creates a space to experience this life together, forming their ecclesiology. This is a departure from the predominant culture, which is moving towards greater autonomy and (as a side-effect) isolation. The life as the church offers a contrast to this by offering deliberate relationships across barriers that exist in the wider world.
Welcoming the Stranger
In extending beyond the barriers of the wider world, welcoming the stranger aligns itself with this goal. The emerging church is one marked with concern for the social welfare of the “other”, whether that be in the local community or the entire world. Especially for the person who has felt disenfranchised by the traditional church, emerging models may speak to them because of their shared departure from those traditional foundations.
Serving with Generosity
In contrast to the culture of accumulation, the emerging church is marked by serving with generosity. While traditional churches may have dedicated tremendous energies to human services, the emerging projects places the onus for service each participant. This change in thinking is a change from social programs to an engagement with the social arenas which each person is involved. Personally, this is a real issue, as the agency I work for is largely funded by traditional churches as “outreach”. For a wide swath of people to move away from supporting these churches which I turn support us, our financial foundation will need to adjust.
Participating as Producers and Creating as Created Beings
These two chapters dealt with the marker that a key distinguisher of an emerging church was that the majority of the people were active as an expression of their life in God. They were not passive receivers of Christian information, but participated in the daily function and creation of the kingdom of God within their community.
Leading as a Body
Another key aspect of participation is that the community life determines the direction that a church would move. Authoritarian management, although efficient, is not effective in leading people. This general lack of centralized leadership may affect the statistical growth of the movement adversely, but it retains the ethos which the individual communities strive to follow.
Merging Ancient and Contemporary Spirituality
An interesting development in the emerging churches, which stereotypically have rejected all aspects that remind them of the former, traditional church, is the appreciation of ancient practices that contribute to the Christian life. To me, this is a result of de-thinking the sacred-secular divide, as the so-called “laity” are able to experience the “spiritual” practices that before were reserved for a higher class of church leadership.
This book begins by examining the context that the church finds itself in currently. This is important material because without recognizing how the world has changed, one cannot find reason to experiment with new forms or appreciate innovation in Christian community. I especially resonated with the section on examining different forms of organizational structures. To many, the Sunday organization is the image of how the church should be formed, but this model as well as the denominational structure were themselves borrowed from the larger culture at the time.
What is the Emerging Church?
This is probably the question that everyone involved in innovative ministry gets tired of answering. They answer the question first by pointing to examples of communities that formed in contrast with those that remain traditional. The term “emerging” has been applied as a wide term of communities and this universality may appeal to some. To develop a more structural definition, they identify characteristics of emerging chapters which will be developed in the following chapters.
Identifying with Jesus
To be a church, one should expect to find something in connection with Jesus. What is especially vital to the theology and practice of the emerging church is the life of Jesus. This forms a basis for how community is defined, ethics of discipleship, and the practice of evangelism. Without this example, the church loses its distinctive heartbeat in the world.
Transforming Secular Space
To adopt the perspective of Jesus is to begin to see all of life as sacred, rather than through a dichotomy of sacred and secular. This movement rejects the dualistic premise because of the definition of secularity: a place devoid of the presence of God. More than transforming buildings, the emerging movements will seek to redeem all of life, music, notably, in an effort to create authentic responses to the invitation of God.
Living in Community
In creating a space for the kingdom of God to arrive (eschatology), the church creates a space to experience this life together, forming their ecclesiology. This is a departure from the predominant culture, which is moving towards greater autonomy and (as a side-effect) isolation. The life as the church offers a contrast to this by offering deliberate relationships across barriers that exist in the wider world.
Welcoming the Stranger
In extending beyond the barriers of the wider world, welcoming the stranger aligns itself with this goal. The emerging church is one marked with concern for the social welfare of the “other”, whether that be in the local community or the entire world. Especially for the person who has felt disenfranchised by the traditional church, emerging models may speak to them because of their shared departure from those traditional foundations.
Serving with Generosity
In contrast to the culture of accumulation, the emerging church is marked by serving with generosity. While traditional churches may have dedicated tremendous energies to human services, the emerging projects places the onus for service each participant. This change in thinking is a change from social programs to an engagement with the social arenas which each person is involved. Personally, this is a real issue, as the agency I work for is largely funded by traditional churches as “outreach”. For a wide swath of people to move away from supporting these churches which I turn support us, our financial foundation will need to adjust.
Participating as Producers and Creating as Created Beings
These two chapters dealt with the marker that a key distinguisher of an emerging church was that the majority of the people were active as an expression of their life in God. They were not passive receivers of Christian information, but participated in the daily function and creation of the kingdom of God within their community.
Leading as a Body
Another key aspect of participation is that the community life determines the direction that a church would move. Authoritarian management, although efficient, is not effective in leading people. This general lack of centralized leadership may affect the statistical growth of the movement adversely, but it retains the ethos which the individual communities strive to follow.
Merging Ancient and Contemporary Spirituality
An interesting development in the emerging churches, which stereotypically have rejected all aspects that remind them of the former, traditional church, is the appreciation of ancient practices that contribute to the Christian life. To me, this is a result of de-thinking the sacred-secular divide, as the so-called “laity” are able to experience the “spiritual” practices that before were reserved for a higher class of church leadership.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church
Alan Hirsch in this work is trying to re-introduce the church to what led it to distinctive growth in its early history. He is emphatic is saying that these methods are not new, but the “forgotten” structure of the church that needs to be re-established if the church is serious about its continued existence in the world. The book is divided into two sections, the first acting as a background reader and then the second, more extensive, section expands on describing the actions of the early church and then relating them to current practices.
The Making of a Missionary
Setting the Scene, Part 1: Confessions of a Frustrated Missionary
Setting the Scene, Part 2: Denominational and Translocal Perspectives
These sections give some background on the state of the church and also reveal some of Hirsch’s motivations in preparing this material.
A Journey to the Heart of Apostolic Genius
In attempting to classify what made the early church successful in engaging its culture, Hirsch names their method the “apostolic genius”. This classification aims to map the style and strategy of the early church leaders so that it can be recovered and put into practice in the modern church.
The Heart of it all: Jesus is Lord
Hirsch provides a model of visualizing the apostolic genius, and in the center he has the statement “Jesus is Lord”. From this center sprout the other aspects which receive the remaining chapters. To Hirsch, this is the defining statement of the church which the early leaders understood and the modern church needs to recapture. This statement is profoundly political and counter-cultural in its original context and should remain as such wherever a people make the decision to follow Christ.
Disciple Making
The message of Christ only survives by transmission, and as such the church must be determined to grow successive generations of disciples. This life-commitment is contrasted with the consumer-worldview that saturates the thinking of the church.
Missional-Incarnational Impulse
Understanding the role of the church in multiplication, the fopcus of the church’s mission should be based on proximity. Because people inhabit a geographic and cultural space, the most appropriate context for their ministry is the life that is around them.
Apostolic Environment
The growth of the early was distinguished by their leadership. In examining these criteria for the modern church, an apostolic leadership environment is one where visionaries intentionally move themselves and their communities into a mature understanding of the gospel and the transmission of the Christian message. This is not an authoritarian structure, but one that depends on the referent power of spiritual maturity.
Organic Systems
This chapter addresses the historic tendency of a movement to become an institution, which eventually leads to demise. The early church lived in the period of upswing, but the church today finds itself on the downward slope. To address this situation requires grassroots movement to continually re-discover the gospel and re-invent the community, giving rise to sustained growth.
Communitas, not Community
In developing disciples who understand the power of the gospel, there is the need for intentional interaction. This shared experience is what distinguishes the life of the Christian apart from personal spiritual experience. By drawing from this common experience, the gospel message has both an incubation area and a stage for demonstration. Communitas distinguishes the relationships that exist on top of our geographic and cultural communities which we also are a part of.
Final thoughts: It took me a little longer to get into this book, as my recent reading on the subject has been presented in a more narrative form. This book is more prescriptive than descriptive, in comparison. It presents more research than the other texts, although he regularly cites an encyclopedia CD-ROM, which I have an arbitrary bias against.
The Making of a Missionary
Setting the Scene, Part 1: Confessions of a Frustrated Missionary
Setting the Scene, Part 2: Denominational and Translocal Perspectives
These sections give some background on the state of the church and also reveal some of Hirsch’s motivations in preparing this material.
A Journey to the Heart of Apostolic Genius
In attempting to classify what made the early church successful in engaging its culture, Hirsch names their method the “apostolic genius”. This classification aims to map the style and strategy of the early church leaders so that it can be recovered and put into practice in the modern church.
The Heart of it all: Jesus is Lord
Hirsch provides a model of visualizing the apostolic genius, and in the center he has the statement “Jesus is Lord”. From this center sprout the other aspects which receive the remaining chapters. To Hirsch, this is the defining statement of the church which the early leaders understood and the modern church needs to recapture. This statement is profoundly political and counter-cultural in its original context and should remain as such wherever a people make the decision to follow Christ.
Disciple Making
The message of Christ only survives by transmission, and as such the church must be determined to grow successive generations of disciples. This life-commitment is contrasted with the consumer-worldview that saturates the thinking of the church.
Missional-Incarnational Impulse
Understanding the role of the church in multiplication, the fopcus of the church’s mission should be based on proximity. Because people inhabit a geographic and cultural space, the most appropriate context for their ministry is the life that is around them.
Apostolic Environment
The growth of the early was distinguished by their leadership. In examining these criteria for the modern church, an apostolic leadership environment is one where visionaries intentionally move themselves and their communities into a mature understanding of the gospel and the transmission of the Christian message. This is not an authoritarian structure, but one that depends on the referent power of spiritual maturity.
Organic Systems
This chapter addresses the historic tendency of a movement to become an institution, which eventually leads to demise. The early church lived in the period of upswing, but the church today finds itself on the downward slope. To address this situation requires grassroots movement to continually re-discover the gospel and re-invent the community, giving rise to sustained growth.
Communitas, not Community
In developing disciples who understand the power of the gospel, there is the need for intentional interaction. This shared experience is what distinguishes the life of the Christian apart from personal spiritual experience. By drawing from this common experience, the gospel message has both an incubation area and a stage for demonstration. Communitas distinguishes the relationships that exist on top of our geographic and cultural communities which we also are a part of.
Final thoughts: It took me a little longer to get into this book, as my recent reading on the subject has been presented in a more narrative form. This book is more prescriptive than descriptive, in comparison. It presents more research than the other texts, although he regularly cites an encyclopedia CD-ROM, which I have an arbitrary bias against.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Church Re-Imagined: The Spiritual Formation of People in Communities of Faith
Doug Pagitt communicates the practice of the community where he is involved, Solomon’s Porch in Minnesota. He is deliberate in the introduction to convey that this exposition is not meant to be a one-size-fits-all formula for fostering spiritual formation, but rather a singular example of what one church is doing currently. I appreciate this distinction and find it beneficial (for this dreamer anyway) to hear a story about what someone is actually doing, to give some inspiration and a look into practicality.
Sprinkled throughout the work are the journals of a handful of participants in Solomon’s Porch. These are insightful, if scattered. There is not necessarily a common thread running throughout, except to see what Pagitt is writing about as seen through a diverse set of eyes. The journals are all intensely personal, adding a depth to the topic being discussed.
Sunday: Spiritual Formation Through Worship
A church service would be recognizable to someone coming in from another Christian context. It has the right ingredients, worship music, scripture, sermoning, communion, and prayer. But the way that these are combined take on a different flavor. Rather than being a presentation directed from a stage to the audience, those present are invited to join along with the leaders to experience the worship of God. This is only the beginning of their community life being former spiritually into the people of God.
Monday: Spiritual Formation Through Physicality
Prayer and meditation are taken out of their cerebral context and applied to physical acts. Those techniques described in this chapter are yoga, massage, and prayer postures. In yoga, participants journey into a place where they can release the tension of life and find rest in God. This opening up culminates in a silent time of prayer together before returning to life. Massage is incorporated as a healing process, giving relief from pains built up through life. Especially poignant are stories involving those who had been carrying pains from abuse be able to let those go and accept the touch from a masseuse. Masseurs pray over the clients for ways to be the hands of God reworking the mess that people carry around. Lastly, prayer postures are used when prayers consisting only of words will not do, This stimulates people’s thoughts about prayer and keeps the issue in their mind throughout the week.
Tuesday: Spiritual Formation Through Dialogue
Pagitt walks through a night in their Bible discussion group, as well as his feeling of pastoral concern for those outside their community. Beginning the study, they have an exercise which reminds them that every participant is an individual who has been shaped by families, experiences, and communities. Each personal context is to be appreciated as they move forward. Studying scripture is vital to them because they see the texts as members of the community and as such has a right to direct their perspective.
Wednesday: Spiritual Formation Though Hospitality
Replacing the idea that evangelism can happen in a vacuum by propositioning, Solomon’s Porch engages those in their community by hospitality. To invite someone into the community is to invite them into your home and serve them. This is not only a stark contrast to normal American life, but also shows the life that is possible if they want to be a part of the community, no strings attached.
Thursday: Spiritual Formation Through Belief
In examining the process by which a person comes to believe something, Pegitt points out that it is not simply the allocation of information, but the process that information works through the grid of our experiences. When information is presented, a person asks if it is consistent with other things they know to be reliable, how its acceptance will affect other valuable areas of life, etc. The role of the community is to work together to navigate through the grid so that information can become belief and belief can become action.
Friday: Spiritual Formation Through Creativity
In telling his story of coming to faith, he describes finding a church full of people who default to reasoning to navigate life. His inclination, however, is for those for whom reason is not the strongest current in their thought. The creative members of the community find a place where they can be vulnerable with each other but also display their work proudly because it is made by, for, and within the community.
Saturday: Spiritual Formation Through Service
This is probably the chapter most people hoping for a traditional structure would identify with. For many, it would seem that discipleship could be equated with involvement in church volunteer projects. Because of the many needs of an institutional church (ushers, bulletin folders, chair movers, car parkers, etc.), there is rarely a surplus of volunteers. Once the church service ends, however, the work of the church is relegated to the paid staff. In this community, however, service is not what is done within the community, but with those outside the group in order to show them a glimpse of Christ’s love and humility.
I just realized that the aspects of community life that the traditionalist would most identify with would be from Sunday and (to a lesser extant) Saturday. This seems to be the point of Pegitt’s work, that to re-imagine the life of the church is to find those ways to incorporate spiritual formation into every day of the week and grow together in our experience of God by opening ourselves up to the myriad of ways to connect with the sacred.
Sprinkled throughout the work are the journals of a handful of participants in Solomon’s Porch. These are insightful, if scattered. There is not necessarily a common thread running throughout, except to see what Pagitt is writing about as seen through a diverse set of eyes. The journals are all intensely personal, adding a depth to the topic being discussed.
Sunday: Spiritual Formation Through Worship
A church service would be recognizable to someone coming in from another Christian context. It has the right ingredients, worship music, scripture, sermoning, communion, and prayer. But the way that these are combined take on a different flavor. Rather than being a presentation directed from a stage to the audience, those present are invited to join along with the leaders to experience the worship of God. This is only the beginning of their community life being former spiritually into the people of God.
Monday: Spiritual Formation Through Physicality
Prayer and meditation are taken out of their cerebral context and applied to physical acts. Those techniques described in this chapter are yoga, massage, and prayer postures. In yoga, participants journey into a place where they can release the tension of life and find rest in God. This opening up culminates in a silent time of prayer together before returning to life. Massage is incorporated as a healing process, giving relief from pains built up through life. Especially poignant are stories involving those who had been carrying pains from abuse be able to let those go and accept the touch from a masseuse. Masseurs pray over the clients for ways to be the hands of God reworking the mess that people carry around. Lastly, prayer postures are used when prayers consisting only of words will not do, This stimulates people’s thoughts about prayer and keeps the issue in their mind throughout the week.
Tuesday: Spiritual Formation Through Dialogue
Pagitt walks through a night in their Bible discussion group, as well as his feeling of pastoral concern for those outside their community. Beginning the study, they have an exercise which reminds them that every participant is an individual who has been shaped by families, experiences, and communities. Each personal context is to be appreciated as they move forward. Studying scripture is vital to them because they see the texts as members of the community and as such has a right to direct their perspective.
Wednesday: Spiritual Formation Though Hospitality
Replacing the idea that evangelism can happen in a vacuum by propositioning, Solomon’s Porch engages those in their community by hospitality. To invite someone into the community is to invite them into your home and serve them. This is not only a stark contrast to normal American life, but also shows the life that is possible if they want to be a part of the community, no strings attached.
Thursday: Spiritual Formation Through Belief
In examining the process by which a person comes to believe something, Pegitt points out that it is not simply the allocation of information, but the process that information works through the grid of our experiences. When information is presented, a person asks if it is consistent with other things they know to be reliable, how its acceptance will affect other valuable areas of life, etc. The role of the community is to work together to navigate through the grid so that information can become belief and belief can become action.
Friday: Spiritual Formation Through Creativity
In telling his story of coming to faith, he describes finding a church full of people who default to reasoning to navigate life. His inclination, however, is for those for whom reason is not the strongest current in their thought. The creative members of the community find a place where they can be vulnerable with each other but also display their work proudly because it is made by, for, and within the community.
Saturday: Spiritual Formation Through Service
This is probably the chapter most people hoping for a traditional structure would identify with. For many, it would seem that discipleship could be equated with involvement in church volunteer projects. Because of the many needs of an institutional church (ushers, bulletin folders, chair movers, car parkers, etc.), there is rarely a surplus of volunteers. Once the church service ends, however, the work of the church is relegated to the paid staff. In this community, however, service is not what is done within the community, but with those outside the group in order to show them a glimpse of Christ’s love and humility.
I just realized that the aspects of community life that the traditionalist would most identify with would be from Sunday and (to a lesser extant) Saturday. This seems to be the point of Pegitt’s work, that to re-imagine the life of the church is to find those ways to incorporate spiritual formation into every day of the week and grow together in our experience of God by opening ourselves up to the myriad of ways to connect with the sacred.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The New Conspirators: Creating the Future One Mustard Seed at a Time
Tome Sine takes what he sees as a new wave of Christian practicioners and seeks to communicate what ties them together as they develop a share in the people of God. He organizes his task into five pertinent conversations. Each one would be worthy of expansion, but his overview of the movements will be a valid primer for understanding this aspect of renewal within the church.
Conversation One: Taking the New Conspirators Seriously
In this introductory chapter, Sine takes time to introduce the new players on the stage. He identifies four “streams”, the emerging, missional, mosaic, and monastic. It isn’t until near the end of his description of emerging that he makes any kind of attempt at characterizing the stream. For the bulk of the section, emerging would be identified with any type of new church understanding, which is a category too broad to be useful. Gibbs and Bolger’s definition is used, and is helpful, that emerging churches are those communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. Missional, it is pointed out, is less of a specific distinction and more of a broad descriptor for other church models. Mosaic intentionally incorporates the dynamic of cultural diversity within the global neighborhood. Monastic are those communities that dismantle the individualism of modernity and replace them with alternative models for life together.
Conversation Two: Taking the Culture Seriously
This section identified the realities that make this era in human history distinctive from the recent past. First in his discussion is the implication of living in a post 9-11 world, where the western world, and America especially, is forced to try and understand other cultures globally. This diversity in global cultures challenge the assumption of the superiority of the Western worldview, including ideas of Christendom and the role of the church. Second is the role of the “imperial mall”, as corporations compete for market domination. A striking image is what the author describes as marketers seeking to colonize the imagination of youth, planting the future for their profitability.
Conversation Three: Taking the Future of God Seriously
This chapter attempts to unpack the eschatological expectation of the dominant Western church and reframe the future action of God. Most notably, God’s action makes a move from being event-oriented (apocalypse) and life-centered (having pertinence on actions today). This renewal effort permeates the new groups as they find meaning in social justice, social responsibility, and the practical expressions of faith. The imagery used is to see humanity’s response to God being a “homecoming” back into the way that God made possible through Christ.
Conversation Four: Taking Turbulent Times Seriously
Given the importance of the present from the previous chapter, a sense of urgency rattles the ethics of these groups. The author identifies different areas of brokenness which different economic strata are faced with. His categories are the global rich, vulnerable middle, western poor, and global poor. I appreciate his effort at identifying both struggles and benefits of each position, rather than simply sanctifying one end of the spectrum or the other.
Conversation Five: Taking Our Imaginations Seriously
This final chapter could just have effectively been placed first. The author reminds the reader that creation is being renewed by God, and a key aspect of that creation is the imagination of his people. By thinking beyond the bounds of our tradition, each reader could be a part of a new movement of God’s people. The author invites the reader into the conversation to decide how to live a faithful life in community in the pursuit of God.
This chapter was probably the most pertinent to my ruminations on my future project and life in the church. I want to be a part of a community that is continually reevaluating, revisiting, reimagining what and how it can reflect a part of grace and truth to its community.
Conversation One: Taking the New Conspirators Seriously
In this introductory chapter, Sine takes time to introduce the new players on the stage. He identifies four “streams”, the emerging, missional, mosaic, and monastic. It isn’t until near the end of his description of emerging that he makes any kind of attempt at characterizing the stream. For the bulk of the section, emerging would be identified with any type of new church understanding, which is a category too broad to be useful. Gibbs and Bolger’s definition is used, and is helpful, that emerging churches are those communities that practice the way of Jesus within postmodern cultures. Missional, it is pointed out, is less of a specific distinction and more of a broad descriptor for other church models. Mosaic intentionally incorporates the dynamic of cultural diversity within the global neighborhood. Monastic are those communities that dismantle the individualism of modernity and replace them with alternative models for life together.
Conversation Two: Taking the Culture Seriously
This section identified the realities that make this era in human history distinctive from the recent past. First in his discussion is the implication of living in a post 9-11 world, where the western world, and America especially, is forced to try and understand other cultures globally. This diversity in global cultures challenge the assumption of the superiority of the Western worldview, including ideas of Christendom and the role of the church. Second is the role of the “imperial mall”, as corporations compete for market domination. A striking image is what the author describes as marketers seeking to colonize the imagination of youth, planting the future for their profitability.
Conversation Three: Taking the Future of God Seriously
This chapter attempts to unpack the eschatological expectation of the dominant Western church and reframe the future action of God. Most notably, God’s action makes a move from being event-oriented (apocalypse) and life-centered (having pertinence on actions today). This renewal effort permeates the new groups as they find meaning in social justice, social responsibility, and the practical expressions of faith. The imagery used is to see humanity’s response to God being a “homecoming” back into the way that God made possible through Christ.
Conversation Four: Taking Turbulent Times Seriously
Given the importance of the present from the previous chapter, a sense of urgency rattles the ethics of these groups. The author identifies different areas of brokenness which different economic strata are faced with. His categories are the global rich, vulnerable middle, western poor, and global poor. I appreciate his effort at identifying both struggles and benefits of each position, rather than simply sanctifying one end of the spectrum or the other.
Conversation Five: Taking Our Imaginations Seriously
This final chapter could just have effectively been placed first. The author reminds the reader that creation is being renewed by God, and a key aspect of that creation is the imagination of his people. By thinking beyond the bounds of our tradition, each reader could be a part of a new movement of God’s people. The author invites the reader into the conversation to decide how to live a faithful life in community in the pursuit of God.
This chapter was probably the most pertinent to my ruminations on my future project and life in the church. I want to be a part of a community that is continually reevaluating, revisiting, reimagining what and how it can reflect a part of grace and truth to its community.
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